Newsroom

YCSDigest - September 3, 2021

Quarantine and Student Attendance

Over the first week of school, division staff have conducted numerous contact tracing investigations. As of yesterday, nearly 300 students and staff have missed school due to either receiving a COVID-19 diagnosis or being identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19. While the majority of these cases continue to be due to community exposure, we have had a few situations in which individuals arrived at school with fevers and other symptoms or knowing they had been identified as a close contact.

As a reminder, all staff members and students are expected to conduct a Daily Health Screening prior to coming to work and school each day. This is a key strategy to keeping our schools open for in-person learning. Additionally, individuals identified as close contacts cannot come to school unless they are fully vaccinated and symptom-free.

Students placed in isolation or quarantine are still expected to participate in schoolwork if they are not sick. Teachers will share instructional materials within 24 hours of a student being placed in quarantine and school nurses will advise parents when students can return to school.

Daily Health Screening

Transportation Update

The actions put in place this week to address transportation delays have resulted in some improvements in bus arrival times. We will continue to evaluate and revise processes to improve services throughout the year. We are pleased to share that we do have additional drivers who are able to begin driving routes Tuesday, September 7, but we are still in need of driver applicants.

As we shared, the high numbers of parent dropoff and pickup are affecting both bus traffic and community traffic. Please work with your neighbors and friends to establish cohort carpools to reduce these car lines. Schools may implement measures to reduce traffic as necessary, including limiting when cars can enter the parking lot.

TeamYCSD

Virtual VA Enrollment Update

YCSD partnered with Virtual Virginia (Virtual VA) to provide families with the opportunity to receive full-time virtual instruction for the 2021-22 school year. Virtual VA, which is operated by the Virginia Department of Education, has advised school divisions that it is only reviewing requests for late enrollments for military families moving into a division and individual students with a documented medical need at this time. As such, the division cannot process any other requests for fall enrollment.

Visitors/Volunteers

Families should continue to make appointments for conducting official school business. When at schools, visitors will follow 3 feet of social distancing and wear masks at all times. At this time, no visitors will be allowed for lunch.

The efforts of YCSD school volunteers are greatly appreciated. To start the year, the presence of in-person volunteers will be allowed but at minimal levels. When volunteering, individuals must wear masks at all times and observe 3 feet of social distancing at all times.

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Community Announcements

The York County School Division offers local businesses and organizations the opportunity to share information with students and parents regarding educational/enrichment activities, events and opportunities, which are either available to YCSD students or support division programs. These flyers are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the York County School Division or the schools, but are made available as a community service for our families.

Community announcements can also be found on the division website and each school's website.