School District of Oakfield

Protecting Our Students and Community from Coronavirus

This is a follow up to the Special Board Meeting that took place last night (7/29/20). The intent of the meeting was for the Board to receive the administrative recommendations and have parent feedback. The Board and administration decided we would schedule another Special Board Meeting following this one for more parent feedback. The plan presented last night had models for in-person learning (4K-12), a hybrid/blended learning model at the secondary level with high school students attending in person on Monday and Tuesday and virtual Wednesday through Friday and middle school students attending in person on Thursday and Friday and virtual Monday through Wednesday. The third possibility we all need to be prepared for is if we would have to go all virtual. We also want an option for parents who do not feel comfortable sending their children back to school in person or hybrid/blended model; we are further working on this concept. The Board and administration really appreciate all the feedback we received from parents who were in attendance or had connected through Zoom. The next step is more discussion for parents and Board members at another Special Board meeting on Monday, August 3 at 6 p.m. in the MS/HS gymnasium. We will be practicing social distancing in the gymnasium and will again have a Zoom option for parents to connect to the meeting virtually. The zoom link will be emailed to you in the next few days. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. These are important decisions and we will maintain the priorities of student safety, quality learning, and a plan that has flexibility given the uncertain time we are in.

Home WiFi options

Some internet carriers are offering free and/or low cost options that your family may be able to use.

See DPI list of internet offers for families

Spectrum is offering free broadband internet and WiFi access for 60 days to families with K-12 and college students. Charter, which operates Spectrum internet, said they will also waive installation fees for new households. Learn more about the Spectrum offer here or call 844-488-8395. 

Comcast Internet Essentials indicated that they are providing 60 days of free internet to qualifying families. Learn more about the Comcast offer.

When School Resumes

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

Please contact your child's school office to report the absence and symptoms. Learn more about the symptoms and treatment of Coronavirus at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website. Those at highest risk for Coronavirus complications are older adults and individuals with compromised immune systems or heart, lung and kidney disease. See how Coronavirus is spread. It can take two to 14 days for a person to develop symptoms after initial exposure to the virus; the average is about five days.

We have no known cases of COVID-19 among students or staff in the Oakfield School District.

We continue to closely monitor the situation with our School Nurses and Fond du Lac County Health Departments, as well as review updates from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Department of Public Instruction and the CDC. Here is the latest information on confirmed cases in Wisconsin - in Dane, Fond Du Lac, Milwaukee, Pierce, Racine, Sheboygan, Waukesha and Winnebago counties. Another 37 WI residents are returning from a cruise where they may have been exposed and will be self-quarantined for 14 days. Nationally, there have been approximately 2,000 confirmed cases and 50 deaths (none in Wisconsin).

What You Can Do and Our Cleaning Measures

The Oakfield School District has a routine cleaning regimen in place to help reduce the spread of germs and communicable disease. In addition to our regular cleaning and disinfection, we are increasing the cleaning of high-touch areas and hard and soft surface items throughout the day. We will follow all guidelines of the CDC and our local and state health departments.

• Wash your hands regularly, for 20 seconds, using soap and hot water. Make sure to wash your fingertips. This is especially important after using the restroom, coughing or sneezing into your hands, and before preparing or consuming food.
• Avoid coughing or sneezing into your hands or in the air. Always try to cough or sneeze into a tissue, and then throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough/sneeze into your arm.
• As much as you can, avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose.
• If children are feeling sick, please keep them home from school. Families should have a plan in place for keeping your child home, picking up your child if they are sent home sick, and if schools are closed.
   

Travel Restrictions

This is a rapidly evolving situation, with the World Health Organization declaring Coronavirus a pandemic, the President and Governor declaring it a public health emergency and the President issuing a month-long ban effective March 13 on all travel from Europe, including the UK and Ireland, to the U.S.

• Cancel events with over 250 people
• Avoid non-essential domestic travel
• Avoid traveling to areas in the US with sustained community transmission of COVID-19 (currently Washington, New York, and California). See map of US sustained community transmission of COVID-19.
• Self-quarantine for 14 days upon return for anyone who travels to any U.S. states with confirmed community spread of COVID-19.

Many families have travel plans for spring break. If your family is planning to travel to a country with a Level 3 travel health notice, please contact the District Office at (920) 583-4117 before returning to school. The CDC is asking you to self-quarantine for 14 days. Read more about travel on the CDC's website.

We appreciate your patience with this fluid situation and we will continue to update you as needed. Please rest assured that we will continue to put your students’ safety first. If you have any questions, reach out to Vance Dalzin, District Administrator, at (920) 583-4117 or vdalzin@oakfield.k12.wi.us.