Covid-19 District Communications

February 25, 2021

Dear Mellon Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Mellon Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  

The student was last on campus on February 19th.  No close contacts have been identified. 

This case does meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was on campus within 48 hours of when symptoms started and will be reflected as such on the District’s Dashboard. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Chris Wolfson
Principal

 

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February 24, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that two students at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  

One student has learned remotely but was on campus as a participant in our track and baseball programs (February 19/20), and the second student was last on campus on February 23rd and is a member of the hockey program.  Close contacts have been notified. 

These cases do meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the students were on campus within 48 hours of when symptoms started and will be reflected as such on the District’s Dashboard. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individuals will not return to school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Joel Thompson
Principal

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February 24, 2021

Dear Mellon Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Mellon Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  

The student was last on campus February 16 but also has participated in a community hockey program (2/21).  No close contacts have been identified. 

This case does not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was not on campus within 48 hours of when symptoms started. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Chris Wolfson
Principal

 

February 22, 2021

Dear Markham Families, Faculty, and Staff, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at Markham Elementary has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on February 8, 2021, no close contacts were identified.

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.  Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department should you have further questions. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Mrs. Jocelyn V. Artinger
Principal, Markham Elementary School

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February 22, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  

The student has been learning remotely. Close contacts have been notified. 

This case does not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was not on campus within 48 hours of when symptoms started. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to school, should they choose to do so, until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson 
Principal

---

February 19, 2021

Dear Jefferson Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  

The student was last on campus February 16, 2021.  No close contacts have been identified. 

This case does meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was on campus within 48 hours of when symptoms started and will be reflected as such on the District’s Dashboard. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Sarah Shaw, Ed.D.
Principal

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February 19, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that two students at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  

The students were last on campus February 12 and 16, respectively, and one had participated in our wrestling program.  Close contacts have been notified. 

These cases do meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the students were on campus within 48 hours of when symptoms started and will be reflected as such on the District’s Dashboard. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individuals will not return to school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson 
Principal

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February 15, 2021

Dear HOWE Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that A STUDENT at HOWE  has tested positive for COVID-19. The STUDENT was last in school on 1/29/2021.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Michelle L. Murray, Ed.D.
Principal

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February 12, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that two students at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  

The students have learned remotely, and one student was last on campus February 1, 2021, participating in our percussion program.  Close contacts have been notified. 

One of the two cases does meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was on campus within 48 hours of when symptoms started and will be reflected as such on the District’s Dashboard. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individuals will not return to school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

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February 11, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  

The student has been learning remotely.  No close contacts have been identified. 

This case does not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was not on campus when symptoms started.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

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February 11, 2021

Dear Jefferson Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  

The student has been learning remotely.  No close contacts have been identified. 

This case does not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was not on campus when symptoms started.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Sarah Shaw, Ed.D.
Principal

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February 9, 2021

Dear Jefferson Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that two students at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  One student was last on campus on November 26, 2020, and the second student was last on the campus January 26, 2021. No close contacts have been identified. 

These cases do not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was not on campus when symptoms started.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individuals will not return to school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Sarah Shaw, Ed.D.

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February 9, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last on the campus January 28, 2021. No close contacts have been identified. 

This case does not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was not on campus when symptoms started.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

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February 9, 2021

Dear Families,

At last night’s School Board meeting, the administration recommended a plan to increase in-person learning options. This tentative plan includes an expanded Hybrid option for secondary students, allowing them to choose to attend 4 days per week beginning February 22.  The plan also recommends full in-person 5 days per week for elementary students beginning on March 1. The School Board intends to further consider this proposal at the next meeting, Monday, February 15.

Please know that each building has plans to ensure we are following guidance from PDE and the PaDOH, as well as our District Health & Safety plan.  This includes ensuring 6 feet of distance during lunch, maximizing physical distancing to the greatest extent possible in instructional spaces in alignment with CDC and PDE/PaDoH guidance, plans for transitions, and other factors outlined in our Health & Safety Plan.  It is important to note that since our 10 buildings are each unique in size and physical layout, the solutions may vary across schools.  As always, the health and safety of our staff and students will remain our highest priority.

To better prepare for a possible transition to this increased in-person model, we ask that you complete the form linked HERE for each student in your family by Thursday, February 11, 2021, at 4:00 PM.

Sincerely,

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

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February 4, 2021

Dear Mellon Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Mellon Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student has been learning remotely. No close contacts have been identified. 

This case does not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was not on campus when symptoms started.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Christopher Wolfson
Principal

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February 3, 2021

Dear Howe Elementary School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Howe has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on 1/15/21.  

This case does meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19, and accordingly, it will be reflected as such on our District’s Dashboard. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Michelle L. Murray
Principal

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February 3, 2021

Dear HES Families, Faculty, and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Hoover has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on November 24, 2020. No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). The District is consulting with the ACHD and is taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps that are being implemented in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Nicci Giehll, Ed.D.
Principal

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February 3, 2021

Dear Lincoln Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that one (1) student at Lincoln has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in the school on January 29, 2021. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The student will not return to our school until the student has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Ronald J. Kitsko
Principal

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February 3, 2021

Dear Foster Elementary School Families, Faculty, and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Foster Elementary School has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on January 22, 2021. There are no close contacts for this case.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Ben Canan
Acting Principal

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February 2, 2021

Dear Jefferson Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student has been learning remotely throughout the year. No close contacts have been identified. 

This case does not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was not on campus when symptoms started.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Sarah Shaw, Ed.D.
Principal

February 2, 2021

Dear Jefferson Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student has been learning remotely throughout the year. No close contacts have been identified. 

This case does not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was not on campus when symptoms started.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Sarah Shaw, Ed.D.
Principal

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January 29, 2021

Dear Mellon Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Mellon Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The employee was last on campus on January 22, 2021. No close contacts have been identified. 

This case does not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the employee was not on campus when symptoms started.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Chris Wolfson
Principal

 

 

 

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January 28, 2021

Dear Mellon Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  The Mellon community is receiving this notice because the student is part of the Winter Guard program who practiced on the Mellon campus.  

In accordance with the guidance received from the Allegheny County Health Department, the case does meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was on the Mellon campus when symptoms started and will be reflected as such for Mellon on the District’s Dashboard.  Should Mellon reach the threshold established by PDE in the 14 day rolling period to consider closing as a result of positive cases, this case will be given additional scrutiny as to whether or not Mellon should need to close. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individuals will not return to our school until they has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Chris Wolfson
Principal

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January 28, 2021

Dear HES Families, Faculty, and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Hoover has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on January 15, 2021. No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). The District is consulting with the ACHD and is taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps that are being implemented in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Nicci Giehll, Ed.D.
Principal

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January 26, 2021

Dear Markham Families, Faculty, and Staff, 

This letter is to notify you that two students at Markham have tested positive for COVID-19. The students were last in school on Friday,  January 15, 2021. 

This case does not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19, and accordingly, it will be reflected as such on our District’s Dashboard.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individuals will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.  Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department should you have further questions. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Mrs. Jocelyn V. Artinger
Principal, Markham Elementary School

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January 26, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that two students at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  One student was last on campus on November 16, 2020, and the second student was last on campus on January 21, 2021 as part of the Winter Guard program. Close contacts are being notified. 

The second case does meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was on campus when symptoms started and will be reflected as such on the District’s Dashboard.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

 

The individuals will not return to our school until they has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

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January 25, 2021

Dear Foster Elementary Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Foster Elementary School has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last in school on 1/21/21. No close contacts have been identified.  

This case does meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19, and accordingly, it will be reflected as such on our District’s Dashboard.

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Ben Canan
Acting Principal
 

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January 25, 2021

Dear Lincoln Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that one (1) student at Lincoln has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in the school on January 15, 2021. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The student will not return to our school until the student has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Ronald J. Kitsko
Principal

 

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January 24, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last on campus on January 20, 2021 to participate in the boys basketball program. Close contacts are being notified. 

This case does meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was on campus when symptoms started and will be reflected as such on the District’s Dashboard.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

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January 24, 2021

Dear Jefferson Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that two students at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The students were last on campus on November 24, 2020. No close contacts have been identified. 

This case does not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was not on campus when symptoms started.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individuals will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Sarah Shaw, Ed.D.
Principal

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January 24, 2021

Dear Jefferson Families and Staff, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Jefferson Elementary tested positive for COVID-19.  The employee was last in school on January 22, 2021. 

In accordance with the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Education guidance, Jefferson Elementary will be closed and in-person instruction and activities are suspended until January 27th to allow for case investigations, contact tracing, and cleaning and disinfecting to be accomplished. Students and staff will move to Remote instruction.

We continue to consult with the ACHD and take all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  

• In the event that close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

This employee will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

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January 22, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last on campus on November 24, 2020. No close contacts have been identified. 

This case does not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was not on campus when symptoms started.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

January 22, 2021

Dear Jefferson Elementary Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at JES has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on January 14, 2021.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Brett M. Bielewicz
Principal

 

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January 21, 2021

Dear Foster Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Foster Elementary School has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school prior to winter break. There are no close contacts associated with this case.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Ben Canan - Acting Principal

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January 21, 2021

Dear HES Families, Faculty, and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Hoover has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on January 15, 2021. No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). The District is consulting with the ACHD and is taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps that are being implemented in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Nicci Giehll, Ed.D.
Principal

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January 20, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff, 

This letter is to notify you that three students at the High School tested positive for COVID-19. One student was last on campus on November 16, 2020, and the other two students were last on campus on November 24, 2020. Close contacts are being notified. 

This case does not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was not on campus when symptoms started. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include: ● Cleaning and sanitizing the building. 

● Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing. ● Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact. 

● In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department. 

The individuals will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider: 

● Fever 

● Chills 

● Cough 

● Shortness of breath ● Fatigue 

● Muscle or body aches 

● Headache 

● Loss of taste or smell ● Sore throat 

● Congestion or runny nose ● Nausea or vomiting ● Diarrhea 

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken. 

Sincerely,

Joel Thompson Principal

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January 20, 2021

Dear Mellon Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Mellon Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last on campus on November 24, 2020. No close contacts have been identified.  

This case does not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was not on campus when symptoms started.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Chris Wolfson
Principal

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January 20, 2021

Dear Washington Elementary School (WES) Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at WES has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on 11/20/20.  The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). MTLSD is consulting with the ACHD and is taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps MTLSD is implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Dr. Melissa M Nelson, Principal

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January 20, 2021

Dear Markham Families, Faculty, and Staff, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at Markham has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on Friday,  January 15, 2021. 

This case does meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19, and accordingly, it will be reflected as such on our District’s Dashboard.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.  Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department should you have further questions. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, Mrs. Jocelyn V. Artinger
Principal, Markham Elementary School

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January 19, 2021

Dear Jefferson Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last in school on January 14, 2021.  

This case does meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19, and accordingly, it will be reflected as such on our District’s Dashboard. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Brett M. Bielewicz
Principal

 

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January 15, 2021

Dear Families,

Our second semester begins on Wednesday, January 20.  This will be a Remote day for all students. For those students who selected the Hybrid mode of instruction, Cohort B returns to in-person instruction on Thursday, January 21. Cohort A returns to in-person instruction on Monday, January 25.

For those returning to the building, a few reminders:

• Our number one priority is the health and safety of our students and staff. To help decrease the risk of spreading COVID-19, parents and guardians please complete a self-screening assessment of your child prior to coming to school each day and report any COVID-19 symptoms to the school nurse. Visit the Student Daily Symptom Check/Reporting section on the District website for the Symptom Checklist and other important information. If your child has any of the symptoms listed and/or your child has answered yes to any of the Symptom Check questions, please keep your child home and notify your child’s school nurse immediately.
• All students are expected to continue to wear face coverings per Governor Wolf’s order on Universal Masking.  During lunch, students may only lower their face covering to eat. 
• Remember the 3 W’s: Wear a Mask, Wash Your Hands, and Watch Your Distance.  

Our Principals and members of our faculty and staff are creating a public service announcement (PSA) for our students to reinforce behaviors and habits that will help them continue to be successful.  The PSA will come from your building Principal.  I want to point out one particular strategy that will be included in the PSA that will be reinforced during the 2nd semester - having cameras on.  Engagement with fellow students and the teacher is a strategy for success.  If a faculty member asks students to turn on their camera, they are expected to do so.  Should a student not turn on the camera as requested, not communicate to the teacher an extenuating circumstance as to why they could not turn on the camera, or not respond to a prompt placed in the chat when cameras are not being used, they will be marked as NIC (not in class).  

Our Principals, faculty, and staff remain committed to the academic success and well-being of all students, Remote and Hybrid.  I wish our students the best as we begin the 2nd semester, and as always, should you have any questions or concerns, your child’s teacher, counselor, and Principal(s) serve as points of contact.

Sincerely,
Ronald P. Davis, Ed.D. 
Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education

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January 18, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last on campus on November 24, 2020. Close contacts have been notified. 

This case does not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19 as the student was not on campus when symptoms started.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

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January 15, 2021

Dear Mellon Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Mellon Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The employee was last on campus on January 4, 2021. No close contacts have been identified. 

This case does not meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Chris Wolfson
Principal

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January 15, 2021

Dear HES Families, Faculty, and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Hoover has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on November 20, 2020. No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). The District is consulting with the ACHD and is taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps that are being implemented in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Nicci Giehll, Ed.D.
Principal

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January 15, 2021

Dear Jefferson Middle and High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for COVID-19, while physically present at wrestling practice at the High School on January 12, 2021. Close contacts involved in the individual’s pod have been notified. 

This case does meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19, and accordingly, it will be reflected as such on our District’s Dashboard.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Sarah Shaw, Ed.D.
Principal, Jefferson Middle School

Joel Thompson
Principal, Mt. Lebanon High School

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January 14, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at the High School tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last on campus on January 7, 2021, participating in winter track practice. Close contacts involved in the individual’s pod have been notified. 

This case does meet the criteria as outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19, and accordingly, it will be reflected as such on our District’s Dashboard.  

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individuals will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson 
Principal

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January 13, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that six students at the High School tested positive for COVID-19. All of these cases were last at school prior to Thanksgiving. Close contacts have been notified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individuals will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson 
Principal

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January 12, 2021
Dear Foster School Families, Faculty, and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Foster School has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on 11/20/20.The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Jason Ramsey
Principal

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January 9, 2021

Dear Washington Elementary School (WES) Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that an employee at WES has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last in school on 1/7/21.  The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). MTLSD is consulting with the ACHD and is taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps MTLSD is implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Dr. Melissa M Nelson, Principal

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January 8, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that seven students at the High School tested positive for COVID-19. One student has learned remotely, and the remaining students were last at school on November 20, 2020. No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individuals will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

January 8, 2021

Dear Jefferson Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last at work on December 23, 2020. No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Sarah Shaw, Ed.D. 
Principal

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January 8, 2021

Dear Mt. Lebanon Elementary Families,

We are excited to welcome our Hybrid students back to the building beginning on Monday, January 11, 2021. Please know that if you requested for your child to live stream via the survey, we have communicated this to your child’s teacher.  Questions about live streaming should be directed to them or your building principal. 

If you have selected to move to the Cyber Learning Academy for the third quarter, you will also be live streaming with your child’s current teacher for the remainder of this quarter (January 15, 2021). More details about CLA classroom assignments will be disseminated early next week.  

For those families with students returning to the school buildings on January 11, 2021, we want to make you aware that if we have multiple cases in the schools or difficulty with staffing, we may need to switch to remote learning for short periods of time.  It is imperative that you attend to all District communications to be sure you receive any critical information. Additionally, please be certain that your email addresses and phone numbers are correct in Dashboard. 

Also, please review these very important reminders at the bottom of this email to ensure we are keeping everyone safe.  As always, questions may be directed to me, principals, or teachers.  We are here to support our students and their families as we move through these changes in instructional mode.

Best Regards,
Marybeth D. Irvin, Ph. D.
Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education

Daily Symptom Checks and Reporting

Our number one priority is the health and safety of our students and staff. To help decrease the risk of spreading COVID-19, parents and guardians please complete a self-screening assessment of your child prior to coming to school each day and report any COVID-19 symptoms to the school nurse. Visit the Student Daily Symptom Check/Reporting section on the District website for the Symptom Checklist and other important information. If your child has any of the symptoms listed and/or your child has answered yes to any of the Symptom Check questions, please keep your child home and notify your child’s school nurse immediately.

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MTLSD Dashboard

In December, the District launched a new COVID-19 Dashboard to provide more data to create a fuller view of the COVID-19 cases in our schools. It aligns with the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s new guidelines regarding the identification of Covid-19 cases in schools.  

• The new state guidelines require that we track positive cases physically present at the school during a 14-day rolling period and take action, such as closing a building, based on the number of positive Covid -19 cases reported during that two week period. This data is tracked in the first table on the Covid-19 Dashboard. 

• Our elementary schools fall in the “Small” building category as designated by the PDE. This means that if the level of community transmission in our county is in the “Substantial” range, and we have 2 positive cases in a building (staff, students, or both), we may be required to close the school for 3-5 days to clean and contact trace depending on the guidance we receive from the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). The transmission rate for the county is available on the COVID-19 Dashboard.

• If it becomes necessary to close a school, we will move to remote instruction for the period of time established in consultation with the ACHD. We will communicate the school closing with parents by phone alert, email, and text message.  

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Face Coverings

All students are expected to continue to wear face coverings per Governor Wolf’s order on Universal Masking.  Remember the 3 W’s: Wear a Mask, Wash Your Hands, and Watch Your Distance.  

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Lunches 

Free lunches will continue to be distributed at all seven elementary schools until the end of the school year from 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. on weekdays. PTA Council is coordinating volunteers to help distribute lunches at the elementary schools. If you are interested in helping, please  sign up here. 

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January 7, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that an employee on the 2nd shift at the High School tested  positive for COVID-19. The employee was last at work on January 2, 2021. No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

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January 7, 2021

Good morning Families,

Yesterday, our nation witnessed a tragic display of action against decency, democracy, and civil discourse. Using violence to impede the peaceful transfer of power is contradictory to our democracy.  As a school district, we are committed to the open exchange of ideas, civil discourse, and freedom of expression.  However, we stand firmly against unlawful behavior. 

Early this morning, our faculty received information and strategies to help our students as they process and navigate distressing events when they occur. I wanted to share this same resource with you: When Bad Things Are Happening. As teachable moments arise, please know that they will be handled in an age-appropriate manner and lead to further learning opportunities.

As educators, we strive to guide young people to act as responsible citizens.  We teach our students to communicate respectfully and that violence is never an appropriate choice. 

Our counselors, faculty, and school staff stand ready to assist you and our students in whatever manner necessary.

Sincerely,

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

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January 6, 2021

Dear HOWE Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that two employees at HOWE have tested positive for COVID-19. The first employee was last in school before the winter break.  The second employee was last in the building on 12/31/2021. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individuals will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Michelle L. Murray, Ed.D.
Principal

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1/6/2021

Dear Foster Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that and employee at Foster School has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last in school on 1-6-21.The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Jason Ramsey
Principal

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January 6, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that three students and one employee on the 2nd shift at the High School tested positive for COVID-19. The students were last in school on November 20 and 24 (two), 2020, respectively; the employee was last at work on December 31, 2020.  Those who were considered close contacts have been notified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individuals will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

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January 6, 2021

Dear Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that an employee in our District maintenance department tested positive for COVID-19.  The employee was last at work on Thursday, December 31, 2020.  Close contacts have been notified. 

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.
• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.
• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  
• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The employee will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you experience any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Ron
Ronald P. Davis, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education

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January 6, 2021

Dear Lincoln Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that one (1) student at Lincoln has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in the school on December 22, 2020. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, you or your student are not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The student will not return to our school until the student has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Ronald J. Kitsko
Principal

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January 5, 2021

Dear Mellon Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Mellon Middle School tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last in school on December 31, 2020.  No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Chris Wolfson
Principal

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January 4, 2021

Dear Foster Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Foster School has tested positive for COVID-19. The
student was last in school on 11/24/2020. The District has reported this information to the
Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking
all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

● Cleaning and sanitizing the building.
● Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.
● Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been
contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close
contact.
● In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected
person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the
Allegheny County Health Department.

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures
for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your
medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health
website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ
from the Allegheny County Health Department.
The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional
actions need to be taken.
Sincerely,

Jason Ramsey
Principal

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January 4, 2021

Dear HES Families, Faculty, and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Hoover has tested positive for COVID-19. The student has been learning remotely. No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). The District is consulting with the ACHD and is taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps that are being implemented in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Nicci Giehll, Ed.D.
Principal

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January 3, 2021

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that three students at the High School tested positive for COVID-19. Two students have been learning remotely, and the other student was last in school on November 24, 2020.  One of these positive cases is a member of the swimming program. No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individuals will not return to our school, if they choose to, until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

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January 3, 2021

Dear Jefferson Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last in school on December 22, 2020.  No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Sarah Shaw, Ed.D.
Principal

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January 3, 2021

Dear Jefferson Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that two students at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for COVID-19. Both students have been learning remotely.  No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individuals will not return to our school, if they so choose, until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Sarah Shaw, Ed.D. 
Principal

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January 3, 2021

Dear Jefferson Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last in school on December 22, 2020.  No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Sarah Shaw, Ed.D.
Principal

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January 2, 2021

Dear Mellon Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Mellon Middle School tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on November 24, 2020.  No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Chris Wolfson
Principal

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January 2, 2021

Dear Lincoln Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that one (1) employee at Lincoln has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last in the school on December 26, 2020. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, you or your student are not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The employee will not return to our school until the employee has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Ronald J. Kitsko
Principal

December 30, 2020

Dear Mellon Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Mellon Middle School tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last in school on December 22, 2020.  No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Chris Wolfson
Principal

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December 29, 2020

Dear High School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a student at the High School tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on November 24, 2020.  No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Joel Thompson
Principal

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December 29, 2020

Dear Jefferson Middle School Families, Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for  COVID-19. The employee was last in school on December 23, 2020. No close contacts have been identified. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Sarah Shaw, Ed.D.
Principal

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December 22, 2020

Dear High School Families and Staff, 

This letter is to notify you that three students at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  The students were last in school on November 13, November 20, and one is in our Cyber Learning Academy.  None are currently involved in any school activities. The three cases are not connected to one another.

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  No close contacts were identified at this time. 

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

These students will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Joel Thompson
Principal

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December 21, 2020

Dear Jefferson Families, Faculty & Staff, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Jefferson Elementary has tested positive  for 

COVID-19. The employee was last in school on Friday, December 18th. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, you or your student are not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Brett M. Bielewicz
Principal

 

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December 18, 2020

Dear Elementary Families,
This email is a follow up to Dr. Steinhauer’s message regarding the return to in person Hybrid Learning for elementary students beginning on January 11, 2021.  We want to be sure all families understand the schedule following the return from Winter Break and leading up to the third grading period, when families may choose to change their instructional mode. 
Beginning on January 20 families have the following options:

• Cyber Learning Academy 
• Hybrid  - attend in person
• Hybrid - utilize live-streaming until the county is no longer in the Substantial range 

Please note the following:

• Students in Hybrid who are live-streaming are expected to return to the classroom once the county moves to the moderate or low range for COVID-19.  
• Hybrid students who need to quarantine or otherwise miss school for more than one week have the option to live-stream regardless of the county range.
• Students will remain in their chosen instructional mode at least until the end of the third grading period (March 26), when another opportunity to change will be presented. 

Linked HERE is a form for any family who would like to CHANGE the instructional mode of their student beginning on January 20, 2021.  This form is due January 4, 2021.

Please note that you will need to complete this form for every student who is changing modes.  Also this includes any current Hybrid student for whom the family would like to request live streaming beginning on January 20, 2021. There is no need to complete this form if a student is remaining in the same mode. 

It must be emphasized that enrollments in the Cyber Learning Academy will likely lead to the creation of additional sections. As happened in the fall, this may impact Hybrid students as well, as classrooms may be collapsed and combined. Please know that we will do everything possible to minimize the impact on students.
 

January 4, 2021	Deadline for requesting change of instructional mode
January 4-8, 2021	All students in Remote or Cyber Learning Academy
January 11-15, 2021	Hybrid students return in person (live streaming option available)  CLA continues as usual
January 18-19, 2021	No school for students
January 20, 2021	Beginning of 3rd grading quarter and changes in instructional mode

 

 

 

 

 

 

We thank you for your patience and flexibility during this uncertain and difficult time.  Please know that the elementary principals and I are happy to answer any questions you may have.  We wish you and your family a safe and healthy winter break. 

Sincerely,

Marybeth D. Irvin, Ph.D.
Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education

---

December 17, 2020

Dear Hoover Elementary School Families and Staff, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Hoover Elementary School tested positive for COVID-19.  The employee was last in school on Thursday, December 10. No close contacts were identified at this time.

In accordance with the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Education guidance, Hoover Elementary School will be closed and in-person instruction and activities are suspended until Monday, December 21 to allow for case investigations, contact tracing, and cleaning and disinfecting to be accomplished. Remote instruction will continue.

We continue to consult with the ACHD and take all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

This employee will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.

 

Superintendent of Schools

---

December 17, 2020

 

Dear Jefferson Middle School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The employee was last in school on Tuesday, December 15. Those who were identified as a close contact have been notified.

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

This employee will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Sarah Shaw, Ed.D.
Principal

---

December 17, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon Families,

At the School Board meeting last evening, the Board voted to resume the Hybrid mode of instruction according to the following schedule. We will continue in remote learning until that time. The Cyber Learning Academy and High School and Middle School Remote will continue as usual. 

Hybrid Resumes

Elementary (Grades K-5) - January 11, 2021

Secondary (Grades 6-12) - January 21, 2021

Athletics 

In the recent order issued by  Governor Wolf, athletics paused until January 4, 2021. Last evening the School Board voted to resume athletics on January 4, 2021, pending no further action from the Governor. 

Updated Plans

The School Board also approved the Health and Safety Plan 3.0, the Revised Reopening Education Plan, and the Revised Athletics & Activities Health and Safety Plan 4.0. All of these documents can be found at www.mtlsd.org.

New Dashboard

In addition, we have launched a revised Dashboard. This revised Dashboard is designed to provide more data to create a fuller view of COVID-19 cases in our schools. It aligns with the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s new guidelines regarding the identification of Covid-19 cases in school.  

The Dashboard consists of three elements: 

1. The first chart is aligned with the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Cases of COVID-19. 

2. The second chart provides a snapshot of the total number of employee and student positive cases of COVID-19 in the District. 

3. The third chart displays the total COVID -19 cases by month.
    

Over the past year, we have faced many challenges and changes together. Our families and staff have shown remarkable resilience, adaptability, and grace through it all. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,
Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

---

December 16, 2020

Dear Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that two additional employees in our District maintenance department tested positive for COVID-19.  As a point of information, one case is connected to the original positive case; the second case is unrelated to past cases.  The employees were last at work on Wednesday, December 9 and Tuesday, December 8, respectively.  Those who have been identified as close contacts have been notified.

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.
• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.
• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  
• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The employees will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you experience any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Ronald P. Davis, Ed.D.
Mt. Lebanon School District
Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education

---

December 16, 2020

Dear Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that an additional employee in our District maintenance department tested positive for COVID-19.  To clarify, we have had three distinct groupings of cases; identified close contacts have been notified as necessary relative to the groupings.  The original (case 1), a subsequent (case 2), and then the third case grouping as of today.  This notice is a close contact of case 2.  The employee was last at work on Wednesday, December 9.  T

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.
• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.
• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  
• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The employee will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you experience any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Ronald P. Davis, Ed.D.

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December 16, 2020

Dear HES Families, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Hoover has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last in school on December 15, 2020. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). The District is consulting with the ACHD and is taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps that are being implemented in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. (If you are not contacted by the Allegheny County Health Department, Ms. Deanna Hess, or me, then your child is not considered a close contact.)

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Nicci Giehll, Ed.D.
Principal

December 15, 2020

Dear High School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that one student at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student has learned remotely since the onset of the school year and is not involved in school activities. 

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  No close contacts were identified at this time. 

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The student will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

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December 14, 2020

Dear Washington Elementary School (WES) Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at WES tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on November 24, 2020. MTLSD has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). MTLSD is working with the ACHD and the District is taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps MTLSD is implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• If you are not contacted by the Allegheny County Health Department, Ms. Deanna Hess or me, then your child is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Dr. Melissa M Nelson, Principal

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December 14, 2020

Dear Howe Families, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Howe has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last in school on Dec. 11, 2020.  The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. If you have not been contacted by the District’s health staff or ACHD, your student is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Michelle L. Murray, Ed.D.
Principal

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December 14, 2020

Dear Faculty and Staff,
This letter is to notify you that an additional employee in our District maintenance department tested positive for COVID-19.  As a point of information, this case does not appear to be connected to the previous cases.  The employee was last at work on Friday, December 11.  Those who have been identified as close contacts have been notified.

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.
• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.
• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  
• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The employee will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you experience any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Ronald P. Davis, Ed.D.
Mt. Lebanon School District
Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education

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December 11, 2020

Dear Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that an additional employee in our District maintenance department tested positive for COVID-19.  As a point of information, this case is connected to the previous ones.  The employee was last at work on Wednesday, December 9.  Those who have been identified as close contacts have been notified.

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.
• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.
• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  
• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The employee will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you experience any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Ron
Ronald P. Davis, Ed.D.
Mt. Lebanon School District
Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education

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December 11, 2020

Dear High School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  The employee was last in the building on Monday, November 23. No close contacts were identified at this time.

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

This employee will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

---

December 11, 2020

Dear Jefferson Middle School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last in school on Friday, November 20. No close contacts were identified at this time. 

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

This student will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Sarah Shaw, Ed.D.
Principal

 

 

---

December 10, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon Families, 
I am writing to inform you that remote learning and a pause of athletics/activities will continue until further action is taken by the School Board. 

The School Board will discuss these topics at its regularly scheduled meeting on the evening of Monday, December 14.  During that meeting, the Board will review updated guidance from public health officials and the Pennsylvania Department of Education and corresponding updates to the Health and Safety Plan and Reopening Education Plan. The Board will also consider resolutions concerning athletics and a staggered return to hybrid instruction beginning with elementary education following the winter break.    

Additionally, I will immediately communicate any information received from local or state officials that impacts the District’s operation or proposed plans. 
Sincerely, 
Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

---

December 10, 2020

Dear High School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last in school on Friday, November 13. 

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  No close contacts were identified at this time. 

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

This student will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Joel Thompson
Principal

---

December 9, 2020
Dear Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a third employee in our District maintenance department tested positive for COVID-19.  As a point of information, all of these cases are connected to one another.  The employee was last at work on Friday, December 4.  Those who have been identified as close contacts have been notified.

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.
• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.
• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  
• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The employee will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you experience any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Ron
Ronald P. Davis, Ed.D.
Mt. Lebanon School District
Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education

---

December 9, 2020

Dear High School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that two students at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  One student has learned remotely since the onset of the school year, and the second student was last in school on Friday, November 20. 

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  No close contacts were identified at this time. 

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

These students, if applicable, will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

---

December 9, 2020
Dear Faculty and Staff,

This letter is to notify you that a second employee in our District maintenance department tested positive for COVID-19.  The employee was last at work on Friday, December 4.  Those who have been identified as close contacts have been notified.

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.
• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.
• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  
• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The employee will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you experience any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Ron
Ronald P. Davis, Ed.D.
Mt. Lebanon School District
Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education
 

---

December 8, 2020

Dear Mellon Middle School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a 2nd shift employee at the Mellon Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The employee was last at school on Friday, December 4.   Those who have been identified as close contacts have been notified. 

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The employee will not return to work until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Chris Wolfson
Principal

---

December 8, 2020

Dear Faculty and Staff, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee in our District maintenance department tested positive for COVID-19.  The employee was last at work on Friday, December 4.  Those who have been identified as close contacts have been notified. 

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The employee will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you experience any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Ronald P. Davis, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education

---

December 8, 2020
Dear Jefferson Middle School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last in school on Thursday, November 12.  

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  No close contacts were identified at this time. 

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The student will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Sarah Shaw, Ed.D.
Principal

---

December 4, 2020

Dear High School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at the High School, who is also a member of our boys basketball program, tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last in school on Tuesday, November 24 and at practice on November 28.  

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  No close contacts were identified at this time. 

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The student will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Joel Thompson
Principal

---

December 2, 2020

Dear Markham Families,

This letter is to notify you that a(n) employee at Markham has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last in school on November 24, 2020. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

●       Cleaning and sanitizing the building.
●       Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.
●       In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

o   It has been determined that there are no close contacts at this time.

If you are not contacted by the Allegheny County Health Department, Ms. Deanna Hess, or Mrs. Jocelyn Artinger, then your child is not considered a close contact.

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

●       Fever
●       Chills
●       Cough
●       Shortness of breath
●       Fatigue
●       Muscle or body aches
●       Headache
●       Loss of taste or smell
●       Sore throat
●       Congestion or runny nose
●       Nausea or vomiting
●       Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.  Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department should you have further questions.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Jocelyn V. Artinger
Principal

---

December 2, 2020

Dear High School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last in school on Tuesday, November 24.  

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  No close contacts were identified at this time. 

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The student will complete isolation procedures for COVID-19 while the school is operating in the full Remote mode of instruction.

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

---

December 1, 2020

Dear HES Families, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Hoover has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last in school on November 25, 2020. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). The District is consulting with the ACHD and is taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps that are being implemented in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required. (If you are not contacted by the Allegheny County Health Department, Ms. Deanna Hess, or me, then your child is not considered a close contact.)

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Nicci Giehll, Ed.D.
Principal

---

December 1, 2020

Dear High School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student and an employee at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student, who is also a member of the ice hockey program, was last in school on Friday, November 13 and at practice on November 20.  The employee was last in the building on Tuesday, November 24.  

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  In both cases, no close contacts were identified at this time. 

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The student and employee will complete isolation procedures for COVID-19 while the school is operating in the full Remote mode of instruction.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

---

December 1, 2020

Dear Mellon Middle School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at Mellon Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last at school on Tuesday, November 10.

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  No close contacts were identified at this time. 

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The student will complete isolation procedures for COVID-19 while the school is operating in the full Remote mode of instruction.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

 More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Chris Wolfson
Principal

November 30, 2020

Dear High School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at the High School, who is also a member of the Rifle Team, tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last involved with an in-person school activity on Saturday, November 21.   

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  No close contacts were identified at this time. 

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The student will complete isolation procedures for COVID-19 while the school is operating in the full Remote mode of instruction.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

---

 

November 28, 2020

Dear Lincoln Elementary School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at Lincoln has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on November 20, 2020. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required - in this case, no school-based close contacts were identified.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Ronald J. Kitsko
Principal

---

November 28, 2020

Dear Mellon Middle School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee at the Mellon Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The employee was last at school on Friday, November 20.   

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  No close contacts were identified at this time. 

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The employee will complete isolation procedures for COVID-19 while the school is operating in the full Remote mode of instruction.

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Chris Wolfson
Principal

---

November 24, 2020

Dear Mellon Middle School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee at the Mellon Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The employee was last at school on Tuesday, November 24.   

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  No close contacts were identified at this time. 

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The employee will complete isolation procedures for COVID-19 while the school is operating in the full Remote mode of instruction.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Chris Wolfson, Principal

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November 24, 2020

Dear Jefferson Middle School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The employee was last at school on Friday, November 20.   

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  No close contacts were identified. 

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The employee will complete isolation procedures for COVID-19 while the school is operating in the full Remote mode of instruction.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Principal
Jefferson Middle School

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November 24, 2020

Dear High School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  The employee was last at school on Thursday,  November 19.

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  Close contacts have been notified.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The employee will complete isolation procedures for COVID-19 while the school is operating in the full Remote mode of instruction.

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

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November 24, 2020

Dear Mellon Middle School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at Mellon Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last at school on Tuesday, November 17.   

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  No close contacts were identified.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The student will complete isolation procedures for COVID-19 while the school is operating in the full Remote mode of instruction.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Chris Wolfson
Principal

---

November 24, 2020

Dear High School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last at school on Friday, November 20.  This student is also a member of the Rifle Team.    

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  Those impacted individuals have been contacted. 

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

In consultation with the ACHD, the high school will remain open on Tuesday, November 24, and members of the Rifle Team were contacted to quarantine.  

The student will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Joel Thompson
Principal

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November 24, 2020

Dear Washington Elementary School (WES) Parents and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at WES has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on November 17, 2020. MTLSD has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). MTLSD is working with the ACHD and the District is taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps MTLSD is implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• If you are not contacted by the Allegheny County Health Department, Ms. Deanna Hess or me, then your child is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Dr. Melissa M Nelson, Principal

---

November 23, 2020

Dear High School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last at school on Friday, November 20.  This student is also a member of the Rifle Team.    

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.  Those impacted individuals have been contacted. 

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

In consultation with the ACHD, the high school will remain open on Tuesday, November 24, and members of the Rifle Team were contacted to quarantine.  

The student will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

---

November 19, 2020

Dear High School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last at school on Tuesday, November 10. 

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

In consultation with the ACHD, there is not a need to close the school at this time.

The student will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

---

November 19, 2020

Dear High School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee at the High School tested positive for COVID-19.  The employee was last at school on Monday, November 16 and indicates there are no close contacts. 

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

In consultation with the ACHD, there is not a need to close the school at this time.

The employee will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Joel Thompson
Principal

---

November 18, 2020

Dear Howe Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a  student at Howe has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on November 13, 2020.  The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Michelle L. Murray, Ed.D.
Principal

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November 17, 2020

Dear Lincoln Elementary School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at Lincoln has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on November 12, 2020. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Ronald J. Kitsko
Principal

---

November 17, 2020

Dear Jefferson Middle School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that one student at Jefferson Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.  The student was last at school on Friday, November 13. 

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

In consultation with the ACHD, there is not a need to close the school at this time.

The student will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Sarah Shaw, Ed.D.
Principal

 

---

November 17, 2020

At last evening's School Board meeting, Dr. Steinhauer shared an MTLSD COVID-19 Update presentation with the School Board.  The School Board considered all aspects of this issue and voted to maintain the District in the Hybrid mode of instruction. The resolutions the School Board passed are listed below: 

RESOLVED, that in addition to the consideration of the Recommendations for Determining Instructional Mode referenced in the Health and Safety Plan, the Board has determined to add as considerations local transmission figures as well as our own COVID-19 dashboard, and elects to continue the Hybrid/Cyber mode of learning until further action by the Board.

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Superintendent is authorized to move a building or program on a case by case basis, to a fully remote mode of education where circumstances warrant, including, for example, a significant outbreak.

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New for Elementary Families: 

Elementary schools will now manage Hybrid students who need to stay home due to quarantine or concerns regarding community COVID conditions differently.  In the coming days, we will begin to implement live-streaming of elementary classrooms to provide synchronous instruction to students who are at home. Additionally, this option is available to families who selected Hybrid but now wish for Remote instruction.  Although we will begin immediately, to allow time to prepare equipment and train staff, this should be fully available by December 4, 2020.  

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New Information from the PA Department of Health for Mitigation Relating to Travel

Of critical importance as we approach the holiday season, today the PA Department of Health issued an Order of the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health for Mitigation Relating to Travel.  Specifically, the Order requires completing a 14-day quarantine after traveling outside of Pennsylvania if an individual does not have proof of a negative test result. 

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The District remains committed to maintaining a safe in person learning environment for our students and staff.  We can only succeed if everyone in our school community follows these essential public health guidelines:

• Self-screen every day 

• Keep your child home if he/she is sick, has COVID symptoms, or has been a close contact with someone who is COVID positive; contact your school nurse to report

• Wear a mask or face covering 

• Practice physical distancing of 6 feet

• Wash your hands frequently

Please visit our website to access COVID-19 information, including the  COVID-19 Dashboard page, which includes the Allegheny County Data from the  PA DOH COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System DashBoard. 

---

November 16, 2020

Dear Lincoln Elementary School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at Lincoln has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on November 10, 2020. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Ronald J. Kitsko
Principal

---

November 15, 2020

Dear Washington Elementary School (WES) Parents and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at WES has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on November 6, 2020. MTLSD has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). MTLSD is working with the ACHD and the District is taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps MTLSD is implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• If you are not contacted by the Allegheny County Health Department, Ms. Deanna Hess or me, then your child is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Dr. Melissa M Nelson, Principal

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November 13, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon Families,

We continue to monitor reports from the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) regarding the increase in cases of COVID-19 in recent weeks. Yesterday, the ACHD informed area Superintendents that schools have been effective so far with using targeted mitigation strategies. While we have had cases reported at several of our schools thus far, contact tracing has suggested that very few result from in-school transmission.   

The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Determining Instructional Models During the COVID-19 Pandemic guidance recommends that schools consider remote learning if Allegheny County has at least a two-week period at  “substantial” transmission level, meaning an incident rate of 100 cases per 100,000 residents, or a positivity rate of greater than 10% in Allegheny County. Unfortunately, Allegheny County moved to the “substantial” level today. We will be closely attending to both the number of cases and the positivity rate next week.

Ultimately, it is the Mt. Lebanon School District and the Board of School Directors' responsibility to make the decision for our school community based on what is best for our staff and students. The consideration of this important topic will occur at Monday evening’s school board meeting. On Tuesday, I will share more information with you.  

This decision may include no change to the current academic plan. However, we are prepared to move to remote instruction if community spread warrants, or are unable to staff classrooms and/or staff positions due to quarantine or other variables that strain the system.     

As I have said since last March, we are genuinely all in this together. We can only succeed if everyone in our school community follows these essential public health guidelines:

• Self-screen every day 

• Keep your child home if he/she is sick, has COVID symptoms, or has been a close contact with someone who is COVID positive; contact your school nurse to report

• Wear a mask or face covering 

• Practice physical distancing of 6 feet

• Wash your hands frequently

Please visit our website to access COVID-19 information, including the  COVID-19 Dashboard page, which includes the Allegheny County Data from the  PA DOH COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System DashBoard. 

Thank you for your continued support.

Best Regards,

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools 

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November 11, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon High School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that three students and one employee at Mt. Lebanon High School tested positive for COVID-19. The first student is a sibling of the student that the community was made aware of yesterday. This student was last in school on Friday, October 30.  The second and third students were last in school on Monday, November 2.  The employee was last in school on Monday, November 9, and indicated that, due to physical distancing protocols, no student or colleague would be considered a close contact.     

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

In consultation with the ACHD, and due to the specific circumstances of each case, the High School will remain open. 

The students and staff member will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
Principal

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November 10, 2020

Dear Foster School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at Foster School has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on 11/9/20. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Jason Ramsey
Principal 

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November 10, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon High School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that two students at Mt. Lebanon High School tested positive for COVID-19. The first student was last in school on Tuesday, October 20.  This student is also a member of the swim team who last practiced Tuesday, November 3.  The second student was last in school on Friday, October 30. 

We are consulting with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing impacted areas of the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• Notifying identified close contacts, who will quarantine as required.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

In consultation with ACHD, the High School will remain open. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
High School Principal

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November 10, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon Families,

Last night I shared a COVID -19 update with the School Board that reported on all aspects of the District's Covid response as of November 9, 2020. Please see below for the video clip of the presentation along with a PDF of the slideshow. 

MTLSD COVID - 19 Update (Video)

MTLSD COVID - 19 Update (PDF) 

I also shared with the Board the results of the MTLSD Quarter 1 Family Survey. Out of the 3,300 surveys sent to our District families, 1792 responded which resulted in a 54% response rate. Please see the link to the webpage with the results of the survey. 

MTLSD Quarter 1 Family Survey Results  

I hope you find this information helpful. We will continue to share updates as we have through this process. 

Sincerely,

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

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November 7, 2020

Dear Washington Elementary School (WES) Parents and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at WES has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on November 6, 2020. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• If you are not contacted by the Allegheny County Health Department, Ms. Deanna Hess or me, then your child is not considered a close contact.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Dr. Melissa M Nelson
Washington Elementary School Principal

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November 5, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon High School Families, 

This letter is to notify you that a Central Office employee who works out of the District Administrative wing located at the High School has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last at the Administrative wing of the high school on Wednesday, November 4.  This employee does not have contact with students and did not have close contact with high school faculty or staff. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure our students’ and staff’s safety. In consultation with ACHD, this case does not impact the high school’s anticipated reopening on Monday, November 9.  Measures we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the area.  

• Cooperating with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• If additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to the Administrative wing of the high school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

 More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
High School Principal

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November 4, 2020

Dear Jefferson Middle School Families and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at Jefferson Middle School has tested positive for COVID-19. This case is a familial connection to the recent case at the high school that Dr. Steinhauer notified the community about today.  The student was last at school on Friday, October 30. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure our students’ and staff’s safety. In consultation with the ACHD, there is not a need to close the school at this time.  Measures we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.  

• Cooperating with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• If additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 consecutive minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

 More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Please review this FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.   

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Sarah Shaw, Ed.D.
Jefferson Middle School Principal

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November 4, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon Families,

I am writing to inform you that the high school has confirmed today that an employee and a student have tested positive for Covid-19. In alignment with the District’s Health and Safety Plan and the Allegheny County Health Department’s recommendation, the high school will close today, November 4, until Monday, November 9. All high school classes will shift to remote instruction. Extra-curricular and after school activities are also canceled at this time. This closure only pertains to the high school. All other Mt. Lebanon schools remain open and will follow their regular schedule. 

Here is the link to the letter that was sent to high school families today. 

Sincerely,
Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

---

November 4, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon High School Parents and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee and a student at Mt. Lebanon High School have tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last at work on Monday, November 2, and the student was last in the building on Friday, October 30. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). As a result, the ACHD has determined there is a need to close the high school in response to these cases until Monday, November 9.  All high school faculty, staff, students, and administration will participate in fully remote instruction on Thursday and Friday, November 5 and 6.  The high school will also be closed to after school, extra-curricular activities until Monday, November 9.  

We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.  

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

This situation will continue to be monitored to determine if additional cases occur, which might result in an extension of the closure.  If there is a need to extend the closure beyond Sunday, November 8, it will be communicated to you.  The individuals will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Joel Thompson
High School Principal

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November 2, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon High School Parents and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Mt. Lebanon High School has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last at work on Monday, November 2. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. The ACHD determined there is not a need to close the high school at this time.  Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.  All spaces impacted by the employee will be recleaned prior to staff arrival for Inservice on Tuesday, November 3.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
High School Principal

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November 2, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon Families,
Students have now completed the first quarter of the 2020-21 school year. We would like your feedback on several topics, including instruction, health and safety, and communication. 
Please complete the survey at this LINK by Thursday, November 5, 2020, by 4:00 PM.  Your feedback is important to us. 
Here is a video message from me regarding the parent survey. 

Sincerely, 

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

October 31, 2020

Dear Washington Elementary School (WES) Parents and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at WES has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on October 28, 2020. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Attached please find an FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Dr. Melissa M Nelson
Washington Elementary School Principal

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October 29, 2020

Dear Mellon Middle School Parents and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at Mellon Middle School has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on Tuesday, October 20. This student is involved with the Mt. Lebanon club middle school hockey team and a travel hockey team.

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Given that this is a case of community spread (contracted from an event outside of the Mt. Lebanon School District and MtL community), the ACHD determined there is no need to close the middle school at this time.  Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• In the event that additional close contacts (ACHD & PaDoH operational definition - any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until he/she has completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Attached, please find an FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Chris Wolfson
Mellon Middle School Principal

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October 25, 2020

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,

In light of some concerns expressed about my most recent email about three employees who work the 2nd shift at Mt. Lebanon High school, this email is to provide additional context around the term “community spread”. The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) considered the context of the positive cases and concluded that the individuals likely contracted the virus at an event outside of Mt. Lebanon High School. In fact, the employees confirmed that they all attended the same non-Mt. Lebanon event outside of the community. Individuals not connected with Mt. Lebanon High School who also attended the event subsequently tested positive. This is not a case of community spread from person to person within the high school community.

It is for this reason that the ACHD indicated there was not a need to close the High School, but as indicated in the initial letter, re-clean the spaces impacted by the employees.  This will be accomplished before students arrive in the morning.  

Sincerely,
Joel Thompson
Principal of High School

---

October 25, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon High School Parents and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that three employees who work the second shift at Mt. Lebanon High School have tested positive for COVID-19. The employees were last at work on Friday, October 23. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Given that all three are cases of community spread, the ACHD determined there is not a need to close the high school at this time.  Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.  All spaces impacted by those three employees will be recleaned prior to student arrival on Monday, October 26.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individuals will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Attached please find an FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
High School Principal

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October 25, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon High School Parents and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that two students at Mt. Lebanon High School have tested positive for COVID-19. The students were in school on Tuesday, October 20. These students are also involved in our marching band and percussion program, respectively, who practiced later in the same week.  Given the podding and physical distancing techniques used by both programs, there is not a requirement to temporarily suspend these activities. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Given that both are cases of community spread when the students were not in the high school, the ACHD determined there is not a need to close the high school at this time.  Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individuals will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Attached please find an FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Joel Thompson
High School Principal

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October 22, 2020

Dear Mellon Middle School Parents and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that a staff member at Mellon Middle School has tested positive for COVID-19. The staff member was last in school on Tuesday, October 20, Homeroom and Period 1 only. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Since this staff member was last in the building, this room and the building have been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized in accordance with our Health and Safety Plan.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Attached please find an FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Chris Wolfson
Mellon Middle School Principal

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October 22, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon High School Parents and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at Mt. Lebanon High School has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on Friday, October 9, and has not participated in any school activities since before that date.

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Given that this is a case where the student has not been in the high school or engaged in any activities since October 9, the ACHD determined there is not a need to close the high school at this time.  Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Attached please find an FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson,
High School Principal

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October 20, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon High School Parents and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at Mt. Lebanon High School has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on Monday, October 5. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Given that this is a case where the student has not been in the high school since October 5, the ACHD determined there is not a need to close the high school at this time.  Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Attached please find an FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
High School Principal

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October 19, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon High School Parents and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at Mt. Lebanon High School has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on Tuesday, October 13. This student is also involved in a community travel softball program.  The travel softball program was notified, and teammates were instructed to quarantine. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Given that this is a case of community spread when the student was not in the high school, the ACHD determined there is not a need to close the high school at this time.  Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Attached please find an FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
High School Principal

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October 18, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon High School Parents and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that a student at Mt. Lebanon High School has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in school on Thursday, October 15. This student is also involved in the Cross Country team and last participated with the team on Thursday, October 15. Given the podding technique used by the Cross Country team, there is not a requirement to temporarily suspend team activities. 

The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Given the circumstances surrounding the recent cases at the high school, the ACHD determined there is not a need to close the high school at this time.

Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Attached please find an FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

 

Sincerely, 
Joel Thompson
High School Principal

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October 14, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon High School Parent and Guardians,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Mt. Lebanon High School has tested positive for COVID-19. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

● Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

● Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

● In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

● Fever
● Chills
● Cough
● Shortness of breath
● Fatigue
● Muscle or body aches
● Headache
● Loss of taste or smell
● Sore throat
● Congestion or runny nose
● Nausea or vomiting
● Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Attached please find an FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Joel Thompson
High School Principal

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October 14, 2020
Dear Mellon Parent and Guardians,

This letter is to notify you that a student at Mellon Middle School, who has yet to be in the physical building, has tested positive for COVID-19. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

● Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

● In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department. The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

 As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

● Fever
● Chills
● Cough
● Shortness of breath
● Fatigue
● Muscle or body aches
● Headache
● Loss of taste or smell
● Sore throat
● Congestion or runny nose
● Nausea or vomiting
● Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Attached please find an FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department. The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely,
Christopher Wolfson Principal

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October 13, 2020

Dear Students and Families,

I am writing to inform you of the procedures that will be in effect for the High School home football game on Friday evening, October 16th at 7:30 p.m. against Norwin High School.

As you may be aware, Governor Wolf released new guidelines for athletic events.  To ensure that we follow these new guidelines and to make every effort to keep our school community safe, the following procedures will be adhered to: 

1. The District will provide a limited number of tickets (2) to immediate family members of our student athletes and performers.  You will need a ticket to enter the stadium.
2. The District will also be providing a limited number of tickets to our senior class and homecoming court.  Tickets will be distributed through our activity office.
3. No other spectators will be permitted in the stadium, including students K-12 without a ticket, community members, MTLSD staff, and spectators for the opposing team. 
4. In an effort to provide a great experience for our students, we are going to have all of our senior students and homecoming court sit on the home side bleachers.  We are making additional room in the bleachers by having our band perform from field level behind the endzone.  We are asking all parents to sit on the visiting side of the stadium closest to our athletic complex.
5. Masks must be worn at all times, and seating is marked 6 feet apart.  Immediate family members may sit together. 
6. Attendees should self-screen before arriving at the stadium, and individuals should stay home if not feeling well. 

These health and safety procedures were established after reviewing recent information released by various guiding agencies, specifically new guidelines from our Governor, as it relates to outdoor athletics and activities. This practice is consistent with how other school districts are handling football games and how we have handled smaller in-district athletic events so far this season. 

While you may not be able to attend the game in person, we hope you will cheer on our Blue Devils by watching the live stream at  https://boxcast.tv/view/mt-lebanon-football-vs-norwin-787155 .

I want to again thank our student-athletes and coaches, musicians and marching band staff, and athletic trainers for their diligence in adhering to the District’s health and safety protocols. Their collective effort has already made it possible and will be the key to continuing to make it possible for immediate family members to watch in-person our athletes and musicians who perform outdoors.  

Attendees have a responsibility to these performers, each other, and our community to strictly adhere to the procedures listed above.  

Sincerely,

John Grogan
Athletic Director

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October 8, 2020 

Dear Parents and Students, 
The Mt. Lebanon School District confirmed this evening that a student involved in the marching band received a positive COVID-19 test result from a test administered on October 8, 2020. This individual has not been on the high school campus during Hybrid Instruction and has not participated in the band program since September 30, 2020. In consultation with the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD), in accordance with our Health and Safety Plan, we are communicating with our community, particularly those involved in the marching band, that this positive case has occurred. Given the amount of time this individual has been away from the marching band, there is not a requirement to temporarily suspend band activities. 

According to the CDC, people with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19: 

● Fever or chills 

● Cough 

● Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing 

● Fatigue 

● Muscle or body aches 

● Headache 

● New loss of taste or smell 

● Sore throat 

● Congestion or runny nose 

● Nausea or vomiting 

● Diarrhea 

Should you or your child, particularly those involved in the high school marching band, experience any of these symptoms, please contact your healthcare provider immediately. 

The health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We are committed to following the cleaning protocol and guidance in our Health and Safety Plan and direction from the Allegheny County Health Department to ensure we are providing a healthy and safe environment for our students. 

Sincerely,
Joel Thompson
Principal, Mt. Lebanon High School

September 24, 2020

Dear Students and Families,

I am writing to inform you of the procedures that will be in effect for the High School home football game on Friday evening, September 25 at 7:30 p.m. against Hempfield High School.

To help keep our school community safe, the following procedures will be adhered to: 

1. The District will provide a limited number of tickets (2) to immediate family members of our student athletes and performers.  You will need a ticket to enter the stadium.

2. No other spectators will be permitted in the stadium, including students K-12, community members, MTLSD staff, and spectators for the opposing team. 

3. Masks must be worn at all times, and seating is marked 6 feet apart.  Immediate family members may sit together. 

4. Attendees should self-screen before arriving at the stadium, and individuals should stay home if not feeling well. 

These health and safety procedures were established after reviewing recent information released by various guiding agencies, specifically around the facility podding, as it relates to outdoor athletics and activities. This practice is consistent with how other school districts are handling football games and how we have handled smaller in-district athletic events so far this season. 

While you may not be able to attend the game in person, we hope you will cheer on our Blue Devils by watching the live stream at https://boxcast.tv/view/mt-lebanon-football-vs-hempfield-490708.

I want to thank our student-athletes and coaches, musicians and marching band staff, and athletic trainers for their diligence in adhering to the District’s health and safety protocols. Their collective effort has already made it possible and will be the key to continuing to make it possible for immediate family members to watch in-person our athletes and musicians who perform outdoors.  

Attendees have a responsibility to these performers, each other, and our community to strictly adhere to the procedures listed above.  

Sincerely,

John Grogan
Athletic Director

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September 24, 2020

Dear Parents and Students,

The Mt. Lebanon School District confirmed this afternoon that a student involved in the boys JV-2 Hockey club team received a positive COVID-19 test result from a test administered on September 20, 2020.  This individual has not participated in workouts since September 18, 2020.  In consultation with the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD), in accordance with our Athletics and Activities Health and Safety Plan, we are communicating with our community, particularly those involved in the high school JV-2 Club Hockey team, that this positive case has occurred. In accordance with the guidance received from the ACHD, we are temporarily suspending the boys JV-2 Club Hockey team through Friday, October 2, 2020.  

According to the CDC, people with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Should you or your child, particularly those involved in the high school JV-2 Club Hockey team, experience any of these symptoms, please contact your healthcare provider immediately.

The health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority.  We are committed to following the cleaning protocol and guidance in our Athletics and Activities Health and Safety Plan and direction from the Allegheny County Health Department to ensure we are providing a healthy and safe environment for our student-athletes involved in summer programming.

Sincerely,

John Grogan
Athletic Director

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September 23, 2020

Dear Howe Elementary School Parent and Guardians,

This letter is to notify you that a third individual at Howe has tested positive for COVID-19. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

● Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

● Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

● In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your

medical provider:

● Fever

● Chills

● Cough

● Shortness of breath

● Fatigue

● Muscle or body aches

● Headache

● Loss of taste or smell

● Sore throat

● Congestion or runny nose

● Nausea or vomiting

● Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Attached please find an FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken. Due to the individual’s onset date of symptoms, the reopening of Howe School on September 24, 2020 will remain unchanged.

Sincerely,
Michelle L. Murray, Ed.D.
Principal

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September 22, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon Families,

At the School Board meeting last night, the Board approved moving forward with our Phased Reopening of Schools Plan to include the K-12 Hybrid/Cyber Academy modes of instruction. We are targeting this transition to begin on October 5 for middle and high school students and October 13 for elementary students. 

The resumption of in person learning and the start of Cyber Academy will occur as long as conditions in our community continue to trend as they have and we are able to accomplish our staffing goals. As I mentioned in my report last night, my recommendation was based on many factors including guidance from the PA Department of Education (PDE) and the PA Department of Health (PA DOH) for determining instructional models based on incidence rate and percent positivity. Both have been trending in the right direction. Additional factors included successful experiences from our summer/fall activities, positive examples from other local hybrid school districts, staffing feasibility, feedback from teachers, parents, students, and staff and most importantly, feedback and input from the School Board.

The District has a strong and comprehensive Health & Safety Plan that addresses the methods and means to return our students and staff to our buildings in a safe and responsible manner. This plan was developed over the summer and is updated regularly as new guidelines are issued from the state and CDC. All aspects of our school environment have been fully addressed in this plan and in most cases, exceed the recommendations from the PADOH and CDC. Protecting the health and well-being of our school community is a priority for us now more than ever. 

By now, you have received an email with a survey asking you to identify your family’s preference for Hybrid or Cyber. You will receive additional information from Dr. Davis, Dr. Irvin, and your Principal(s) in the days to come. Comprehensive information about all of the District’s COVID-19 plans are available on the District website.  

Thank you again for your patience as we work through this challenging year.

Sincerely,

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

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September 17, 2020

Dear Howe Elementary School Parent and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that a second individual at Howe has tested positive for COVID-19. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. As per guidelines from the CDC and ACHD, we will be closing the building for the next 5 days effective immediately.

Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.
As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Headache

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Attached please find an FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Michelle L. Murray, Ed.D.
Principal

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September 16, 2020

Dear Howe Parent and Guardians, 

This letter is to notify you that an employee at Howe has tested positive for COVID-19. The District has reported this information to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). We are working with the ACHD and are taking all recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Steps we are implementing in cooperation with the ACHD include:

• Cleaning and sanitizing the building.

• Cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding contact tracing.

• In the event that additional close contacts (any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) are identified, those contacts would be called by the Allegheny County Health Department.  

The individual will not return to our school until they have completed isolation procedures for COVID-19.|

As a reminder, if you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider:

• Fever

• Chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath 

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

More information on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found on the PA Department of Health website or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Attached please find an FAQ from the Allegheny County Health Department. 

The District is closely monitoring this situation and will notify staff and families if any additional actions need to be taken.

Sincerely, 

Michelle Murray, Ed.D.
Principal

 

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September 4, 2020

Dear Families,

As our first week of remote instruction concludes, I am heartened by the collective effort of our faculty, staff, and families on behalf of our students. Together we began this school year through remote instruction which is a significant departure from our normal back to school experience due to the impact of COVID-19. 

I am grateful for the efforts of our students, families, faculty, and staff to engage in this new way of teaching and learning. Our faculty and staff remain committed to providing our students with a high quality, teacher led experience during this remote instruction period.    

Our initial goals were to make connections between students and faculty, become comfortable with the technology tools, and to problem solve where necessary. We also sought to re-create the structure of the regular school day experience. Some of our key design principles for remote instruction were consistency, routines, and teacher led instruction.

This first phase of our Reopening Education Plan allowed our faculty and staff to create a robust virtual learning environment and build a strong foundation that will continue to support any type of learning mode as we move forward. 

Over the next few weeks, we will continue to monitor the emerging COVID-19 data and information. If trends continue to show declining incidence rates and percent positivity, it will support moving to our next phase of reopening: Hybrid Instruction and the Cyber Learning Academy, by November 2, 2020. These recommendations are outlined in the Guidelines from the Departments of Health and Education in the Determining Instructional Models During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As our activities, athletics, and other small scale in-person experiences have shown, when we carefully adhere to the health and safety plan guidelines, we can experience success. As part of our plan of action, we will increase in-person after school activities for students next week. These activities will be monitored closely, and if successful, we will increase to other small scale, in-person activities during the school day.  Our goal is to create a meaningful, measurable track record of success.

We all share in the responsibility to practice and model behaviors that have been shown to limit the spread of COVID-19. Over this Labor Day weekend, I ask that we all be extra careful to (1) wear a face covering or mask, (2) wash hands often, (3) avoid close contact by maintaining 6ft. physical distance, and (4) monitor personal health, staying home if not feeling well. Each of these steps will assist our community in mitigating the spread of the virus and in turn allow our schools to continue on a careful pathway to in-person learning. 

With best wishes, 

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

August 23, 2020
Dear Students and Families,

The Mt. Lebanon School District confirmed yesterday that a student involved in our football team summer workouts had a positive COVID-19 test result from a test administered on August 20, 2020.  From the information received about this case, it is believed that this is a case of community transmission.  The District reminds families that those who test positive may have been contagious prior to the date the test was administered. 

The individual has not participated in workouts since August 18, 2020.  In consultation with the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD), in accordance with our Athletics and Activities Health and Safety Plan, we are communicating with our community, particularly those involved in the high football team summer workouts, that this positive case has occurred.  In accordance with the guidance received from the ACHD, we are temporarily suspending the football program through Tuesday, September 1, 2020.  

According to the CDC, people with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

Should you or your child, particularly those involved in Mt. Lebanon high school football summer workouts, experience any of these symptoms, please contact your healthcare provider immediately.

The health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority.  We are committed to following the cleaning protocol and guidance in our Athletics and Activities Health and Safety Plan and direction from the Allegheny County Health Department to ensure we are providing a healthy and safe environment for our student-athletes involved in athletic programming.

Sincerely,
John Grogan 
Athletic Director 

 

 

 

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August 14, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon Families,

Last night, the Mt. Lebanon School Board approved a phased reopening of schools that will begin on Monday, August 31, 2020. Phase 1 of this plan is to provide fully remote instruction for the first 9 weeks of the school year.  

Careful consideration of the objective criteria established by the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Education, the Governor of Pennsylvania, the Allegheny County Health Department, numerous health advisors, as well as a determination of the District’s operational readiness, indicates that a remote start to instruction is the safest, most prudent, and effective manner to move forward with education in the midst of a public health crisis.  

The Mt. Lebanon faculty and staff are committed to ensuring that teacher-led learning and educational services will be provided to our students in accordance with our high standards, high accountability, and with the expertise families expect from the District.

The full Mt. Lebanon curriculum will be offered to our students. This includes our high quality academic curriculum and our continued focus on social and emotional well-being. Both can be thoughtfully and thoroughly addressed in a remote learning environment. 

We will also provide safe and healthy in-person learning experiences for those students with critical needs that can only be met in person.  In addition, there may also be other circumstances that will allow the reintegration of students in school facilities in smaller groups. 

As incidence and percent positivity rates lower and we reach benchmarks established by Pennsylvania Department of Health or Allegheny County Health Department health, we will safely and gradually return students and staff to our school buildings.

Thank you to our entire school community who provided a significant amount of feedback, input, and comment.  I also want to thank the School Board for their thoughtful and purposeful consideration of all aspects of our Reopening  Education Plan. 

You will begin to receive more detailed information about the start of school next week from your principal. We are looking forward to beginning the school year in a positive and productive way for our students.

Sincerely,

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools 

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August 12, 2020

Dear Students and Families,
The Mt. Lebanon School District confirmed today that a student involved in our boys soccer team summer workouts had a positive COVID-19 test result from a test administered on August 9,2020 .  The District is aware, and reminds families, that those who test positive may have been contagious prior to the date the test was administered. 

The individual has not participated in workouts since August 6, 2020.  In consultation with the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD), in accordance with our Athletics and Activities Health and Safety Plan, we are communicating with our community, particularly those involved in the high school boys soccer team summer workouts, that this positive case has occurred.  Additionally out of an abundance of caution, we are temporarily suspending boys soccer summer workouts through Thursday, August 20, 2020.  

According to the CDC, people with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

Should you or your child, particularly those involved in Mt. Lebanon boys soccer summer workouts, experience any of these symptoms, please contact your healthcare provider immediately.

The health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority.  We are committed to following the cleaning protocol and guidance in our Athletics and Activities Health and Safety Plan and direction from the Allegheny County Health Department to ensure we are providing a healthy and safe environment for our student-athletes involved in summer programming.

Sincerely,
John Grogan,
Athletic Director 

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At the August 10, 2020 School Board Discussion Meeting, Dr. Steinhauer's announced his recommendation to open school in a fully Remote mode of instruction for the first 9 weeks of the school year. See below for a transcript of his comments. The School Board will vote on Thursday, August 13. 

August 10, 2020 Superintendent Tim Steinhauer's Recommendation Regarding School Opening (Video)

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Superintendent Tim Steinhauer's Recommendation to the School Board  August 10, 2020

In my 32 years as an educator, I can think of no decision that has weighed more heavily on me, and my team, as this one. To say these past six months have been challenging for all of us would be a gross understatement. 

The question of how to safely reopen schools has kept me awake many nights, an experience I’m sure I share with you as you consider how your family will return to school, how you will return to work, and how the world will return to a new normal. 

It is imperative that we determine the path forward quickly and have the opportunity to fully prepare.

As many of you know, in early April the School District embarked on a path to return to in-person schooling. We established the region's first recovery team and enlisted the help of hundreds of people including teachers, parents, students, administrators, health care professionals and more. 

Every person I know believes the right place for children during normal times is in our buildings, in our classrooms, with our teachers. This is where we are best positioned to expertly address all of their academic, social, emotional, and physical needs through our carefully crafted programs. 

In addition, we recognized that we needed to provide a safe option for students and families who would not be able to return to school for the foreseeable future because of their personal, medical, or specific circumstances.

These were our early goals, and given the COVID environment at the time, my team and I were optimistic that we could follow all of the PDE, CDC, PaDOH, and ACHD guidelines to safely bring students and staff back into our schools, as well as develop a cyber learning academy.

However, in just the past few weeks, we have seen the COVID environment change very quickly.  Just this afternoon, the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Education finally provided guiding metrics for schools to use when making decisions related to instructional models.  

According to these guidelines, we should be considering either a hybrid or fully remote option. 

Over the past several weeks, we have had more than 150 of our teachers and staff indicate that they may not be able to safely return to an in-person environment. These requests are made based on documented health issues and eligibility under the various leave allowances. 

In addition, the Mt Lebanon Education Association sent our School Board notification of their support for a full remote start to the school year, which was based on their concerns for the safety of their members and community. 

Based on the current COVID situation in our region, the guidance we have received from the Governor, PDE, PADOH, and ACHD, the observations of behaviors and adherence to proper personal safety and hygiene practices, and the many other factors mentioned above, I am recommending that the school district begin the school year with fully remote instruction for all students for the first nine weeks.

Our community has not hesitated in making their perspectives and opinions known. And while I understand and respect the varied opinions in our community, I truly believe that I have the duty to recommend what I believe is the best pathway forward for the safety of our students, their families, faculty and staff. 

What I can assure families is that the fully Remote teaching and learning will be far better than most of the instruction that occurred in the emergency shutdown this spring.  

In our fully remote learning strategy, your child’s teachers will lead their instruction throughout the day. 

I can assure you that our teachers have committed to provide a high quality learning experience similar to what you have experienced in our schools. 

We have obtained the tools, resources, and training to provide a much more robust learning environment for our students.

As a result, and while admittedly not quite as effective as being in the classroom, we believe that this is the best and safest possible way—at least for the first 9 weeks—to provide the quality education to our students which our community expects and deserves. 

This will also allow us to maintain continuity of instruction, without interruption, regardless of the potential impact of COVID.  We have seen the disruption in other districts in the country who opened the schools only to have to close their buildings due to large numbers of infections. 

For our students with the greatest individual educational needs, we are working toward ensuring access to in-person IEP programming. We are carefully considering how to accomplish this while protecting both their health and the health of those who will be working with them.

This recommendation does not come lightly, and I understand the significant challenges many of you will face because of it. I know that this decision relieves some families and frustrates others. However, I believe that the challenges and risks of returning in-person are too great at this time. 

We will continue to work towards reopening in a hybrid or full in-person model when and if conditions allow. 

I know that every recommendation I make, and particularly this one,  impacts the lives of over 5500 students. Beyond the students, I also have a duty to protect the health of our entire school community -  which includes 700+ employees and over 33,000 residents. This is also the community where I live, where I raised my family, and a community that I deeply care about and value. 

 

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August 7,2020

Dear Students and Families,

The Mt. Lebanon School District confirmed tonight that a student involved in our girls volleyball team and boys basketball team summer workouts had a positive COVID-19 test result from a test administered on August 7 and August 5 respectfully.  These individuals have not participated in workouts since August 4, 2020 and July 30, 2020 respectfully.  In consultation with the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD), in accordance with our Athletics and Activities Health and Safety Plan, we are communicating with our community, particularly those involved in the high school girls volleyball and boys basketball team summer workouts, that this positive case has occurred.  Additionally out of an abundance of caution, we are temporarily suspending both teams summer workouts through Tuesday, August 18, 2020.  

According to the CDC, people with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

Should you or your child, particularly those involved in these teams summer workouts, experience any of these symptoms, please contact your healthcare provider immediately.

The health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority.  We are committed to following the cleaning protocol and guidance in our Athletics and Activities Health and Safety Plan and direction from the Allegheny County Health Department to ensure we are providing a healthy and safe environment for our student-athletes involved in summer programming.

Sincerely,

John Grogan
Athletic Director 

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August 6, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon Families,

I want to thank you for your patience as we continue to refine our return to learning plans that prioritize the health and safety of our students and staff. I have some important updates to share with our families.

• On Monday, August 10, at 7:30 p.m., the Board will discuss the instructional delivery options for the District’s reopening. The Board Discussion meeting will be held via Zoom. Information on how to access the meeting will be available at www.mtlsd.org on Monday morning.   

• The timeline to commit to the Mt. Lebanon Cyber Learning Academy will remain open until the School Board has confirmed a decision on the return to school. Once that decision is publicly voted on, the process will close at 4 pm the following day.  Here is the link to the Cyber Academy Form.

I also want to thank you for sharing your feedback regarding our Health and Safety Plan and our Reopening Education Plan. We have updated our FAQ with answers to the questions that have been asked most frequently over the past few weeks. 

I realize these are difficult and trying times for families.  I am grateful to be part of a community that recognizes the importance of carefully planning for the health and safety of our students and staff.  

Sincerely,

Dr. Timothy Steinhauer

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August 4, 2020

Dear Students and Families,

The Mt. Lebanon School District confirmed last night that a student involved in our football team and girls soccer team summer workouts had a positive COVID-19 test result from a test administered on July 31, 2020 and August 1, 2020, respectively.  These individuals have not participated in workouts since July 30, 2020.  In consultation with the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD), in accordance with our Athletics and Activities Health and Safety Plan, we are communicating with our community, particularly those involved in the high school football and girls soccer team summer workouts, that this positive case has occurred.  Additionally out of an abundance of caution, we are temporarily suspending both teams summer workouts through Thursday, August 13, 2020.  

According to the CDC, people with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

Should you or your child, particularly those involved in these teams summer workouts, experience any of these symptoms, please contact your healthcare provider immediately.

The health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority.  We are committed to following the cleaning protocol and guidance in our Athletics and Activities Health and Safety Plan and direction from the Allegheny County Health Department to ensure we are providing a healthy and safe environment for our student-athletes involved in summer programming.

Sincerely,
John Grogan
Athletic Director 

July 30, 2020

Dear Parents and Students,

The Mt. Lebanon School District confirmed last night that a student involved in our summer boys soccer team workouts received a positive COVID-19 test result from a test administered on July 23, 2020.  This individual has not participated in workouts since July 21, 2020.  In consultation with the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD), in accordance with our Athletics and Activities Health and Safety Plan, we are communicating with our community, particularly those involved in the high school boys soccer team summer workouts, that this positive case has occurred.  Additionally out of an abundance of caution, we are temporarily suspending the boys soccer team summer workouts through Tuesday, August 4, 2020.  

According to the CDC, people with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

Should you or your child, particularly those involved in the high school boys soccer team summer workouts, experience any of these symptoms, please contact your healthcare provider immediately.

The health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority.  We are committed to following the cleaning protocol and guidance in our Athletics and Activities Health and Safety Plan and direction from the Allegheny County Health Department to ensure we are providing a healthy and safe environment for our student-athletes involved in summer programming.

Sincerely,

John Grogan
Athletic Director  

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July 28, 2020

Dr. Steinhauer sent emails to staff and families on July 27 about the draft plans for returning to school next month. More information can be found on the  Return to School 2020-21 section of the website. 

Special Board Meeting on July 29 - A Special Meeting of the Mt. Lebanon Board of School Directors will be held on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. for consideration of approval of the Health and Safety Plan.  To prevent the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus), the meeting will be held remotely via Zoom webinar and/or conference call. All members of the public who wish to participate should go to www.mtlsd.org/schoolboard or the School District’s television channel on or before Wednesday, July 29, 2020, for details to join the webinar or to call in.

Special Presentation for Parents on July 30 - A  special presentation of the draft Reopening Education Plan for families of students will be held virtually on Thursday, July 30, 2020 at 1:15 p.m. Information on how to access the Zoom meeting is at the bottom of the page.

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Dear Families, 

This afternoon the District published important information to the District website regarding the updated Health & Safety Plan and a draft Reopening Education Plan. 

Updated Health & Safety Plan

 Reopening Education web pages. 

On Wednesday night, the School Board will consider for approval the updated Health & Safety Plan.  As required by the Department of Education, this Plan’s approval is necessary for the In Person return to school of students at any time during the 2020-2021 school year. The approval of the Plan by the School Board does not dictate the manner in which students return to school.  

The draft Reopening Education Plan gives more specific information regarding the manner in which students could return to school: In Person Instruction, Hybrid Instruction, Remote Instruction, and the Mt. Lebanon Cyber Learning Academy. In August, the School Board will determine the manner in which students return to school. 

The MTLSD website is the best way to review relevant and up-to-date information. The District will continue to update the website as more information becomes available. 

In addition to the presentation at the School Board meeting, a  presentation of the draft Reopening Education Plan for families of students will be held virtually on Thursday, July 30, 2020 at 1:15 p.m. Information on how to access the Zoom meeting is at the bottom of this letter.

Sincerely,
Timothy J. Steinhauer
Superintendent of Schools

By Computer:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83583528212

By Phone:

(301) 715 8592

(312) 626 6799

(646) 876 9923

(253) 215 8782

(346) 248 7799

(408) 638 0968

(669) 900 6833

Webinar ID: 835 8352 8212

 

 

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July 23, 2020

Below is a transcript of a video message that Dr. Steinhauer recorded this morning and shared with families and staff.   

Dr. Steinhauer Video Message July 23, 2020

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Our current environment is not a simple one - the issues that we are all wrestling with are complex, dynamic, and fluid. 

But one thing is certain - the Mt. Lebanon School District will begin teaching and learning in the fall.  

Today I want to give you a clear and concise overview of two important elements of our effort to get back to school: (1) our Health and Safety Plan and our (2) Reopening Education Plan.  

Let me first thank everyone who provided written feedback to the school board and administration following our presentation of the health and safety plan framework last week. Whether it was on our questionnaires or through email, we read every single one. You were heard, and your comments have led to a greater understanding of your concerns and perspectives. 

As we move closer to the beginning of the new school year, I know there is a growing sense of concern across our school community, and throughout communities in the Commonwealth. It’s this critical question: What’s the best way to return to teaching and learning safely?

Is it a return to our brick and mortar schools or return in a fully on-line environment or is it something in between? Uncertainty and ambiguity define our lives right now while information and guidance is emerging rapidly. The COVID environment today will be different from the COVID environment tomorrow or next week or even next month. 

I want to start with our Health and Safety Plan.

The framework provided in our Health and Safety Plan is just that - a framework from which we will determine how education will look if and when we return in-person. 

The Health and Safety Plan Framework was guided by input from over 100 teachers, custodians, secretaries, parents, principals, nurses, counselors, students, transportation providers, administrators, and school board members. 

In addition, our plan was created with consultation from the Allegheny County Health Department to carefully align to Allegheny County and Pennsylvania Department of Health guidelines, and has been reviewed by our school physician and a team from St. Clair Hospital.

Be assured that the Health and Safety Plan will guide our mitigation efforts if and when we return to in-school and  in-person learning. 

Next, I’d like to discuss our Reopening Education Plan

Our Reopening Education Plan gives further details of the options and strategies that may be used for instruction and learning. As circumstances permit, our families will have multiple choices based upon the specific conditions at the time of reopening. 

These options include: 

1. Full, five-day, in-building, in-the-classroom learning experience, with careful adherence to all the health and safety guidelines.

This means utilizing every mitigation strategy as outlined in our Health and Safety Plan including face coverings, cleaning, adherence to physical distancing, and every other strategy to limit exposure. 

2. Full on-line learning program - we’re calling this the Mt. Lebanon Cyber Learning Academy. 

The Mt. Lebanon Cyber Learning Academy offers families the choice for full-time, fully online instruction delivered by Mt. Lebanon teachers. Mt. Lebanon teachers will provide online instruction employing standards based curriculum from Edgenuity - a proven source of online curriculum. Mt. Lebanon teachers will customize the courses by adding and editing resources, strategies, vidoes, and assessments to reflect Mt. Lebanon School District learning standards. Additionally, some courses may need to be created from the ground up using the Edgenuity platform to ensure consistency. In the Cyber Learning Academy, the robust instruction will include both synchronous and asynchronous learning.

3. Hybrid Option

If circumstances require the need for reduced student attendance in our schools, we may need to transition to a hybrid learning environment - meaning a schedule where students have some in-school learning and some on-line learning from home. 

4. If circumstances dictate full closure of all in-school learning, students will transition to a fully remote learning program.
   This fully remote learning program will be a continuation of regular in-class instruction delivered through remote means and will include both synchronous and asynchronous instruction. 

Both a revised Health and Safety Plan and a draft Reopening Education Plan will be available on Monday, July 27th at 3:00 p.m. on our website.  

I know we all start from the same place - the health and safety of our children and staff is sacred. Each family will make the decision that is best for them and that must be respected. 

Whether it is in-person or online, we are still clearly aimed at meeting our mission to provide the best education possible for each and every student. 

There is no doubt that many decisions still need to be made regarding the reopening. The COVID circumstances will dictate our ultimate decision. You should take great comfort in knowing that you have an experienced, highly trained, thoroughly committed, and immensely capable team of educators leading our effort.

Lastly, I have two important updates to share with you: 

1. We have made the decision to delay the start of school for students by one week. Our new start date for students is Monday,  August 31. This will allow for more planning for the return of our students in whatever mode that may be - online, in-person or any plan in between. This will also give us the opportunity to provide more professional development for our high capacity faculty and staff. 

2. We are extending the deadline for the commitment to the Mt. Lebanon Cyber Learning Academy from August 1 to August 8 to give you more detailed descriptions of the program to help you make your decision.

These have been enormously challenging days. I am always grateful for the opportunity to hear from you and the opportunity to share our thinking. 

As I have said before, we have enormous capacity and we are a tough, smart, and resilient community. I believe our best days are just around the corner. 

Sincerely,

Timothy J. Steinhauer
Superintendent of Schools

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Reopening Education Tentative Timeline (more details will be posted Monday)

• July 27 - The revised Health and Safety Plan and draft Reopening Education Plan will be posted on the District website.

• July 29 - Faculty and Staff will be presented an overview of the draft Reopening Education Plan 

• July 29 - The School Board will consider approval of the Health and Safety Plan for if and when students return to in-person instruction at a Special Board Meeting. (Zoom meeting)

• July 30  - Mt. Lebanon Families will be presented an overview of the draft Reopening Education Plan and will be able to submit questions. (Zoom meeting)

• August 8 - Families must submit commitment notification for the Mt. Lebanon Cyber Learning Academy participation. (Mt. Lebanon Cyber Academy Commitment Form)

• August 31 - First day for student instruction. 

June 25, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon Families,

I hope you are doing well and enjoying the summer break. Please watch this brief 4 minute video with an update regarding the planning for next school year. 

School Reopening Video Update

Sincerely,
Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

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June 22, 2020

Earlier today, the Mt. Lebanon Board of School Directors approved the District’s Athletic and Activities Health and Safety Plan, allowing our students to return to activities.  Although we are looking forward to welcome our students back on campus starting tomorrow, we know the larger goal is to do this as safely as possible.

The Mt. Lebanon Athletic and Activities Health and Safety Plan considers the necessary precautions and recommendations from the Center for Disease Control, Allegheny County Health Department, Governor’s Office, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.

At its core, the Plan has three phases which allow for a measured and safe approach to return, and each phase has a health screening requirement for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 prior to any workout.  

Mt. Lebanon School District Athletics & Activities Health and Safety Plan

Mt. Lebanon School District Athletics & Activities Participation Waiver

Mt. Lebanon School District Athletics & Activities Health and Safety Plan School Board Presentation 6. 22.2020

Mt. Lebanon School District Athletics & Activities Health and Safety Plan School Board Meeting (Video) 6.22.2020

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June 16, 2020

Here is an excerpt from Dr. Steinhauer’s Superintendent Report at the June 15, 2020 School Board meeting regarding Educational Recovery: 

We are grateful to have preliminary guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Education for the Reopening of our schools. This guidance is critical as we continue to develop a roadmap to meeting, and where possible, exceeding all of PDEs and the CDC’s expectations and guidelines before we bring students, faculty, and staff back to our buildings. The health and safety of our school community remains a priority.

The PDE guidance calls on schools to have publicly available health and safety plans that include information about how the schools are coordinating with local public health officials. The plan must include strategies to safely resume in-person instruction, monitor health conditions in the schools, mitigate and contain the virus at schools if it occurs, and communicate accurate and timely information to families, faculty and staff. Schools must reinforce good hygiene and sanitation practices, require face coverings in most circumstances, and implement physical distancing and facility modifications to prevent the spread of the virus. 

Once schools develop strategies to meet these guidelines and the plan has been reviewed and approved by the school board, it can then be submitted to PDE.  

Based on current information and preliminary strategies being created by the Recovery Steering Committee - The Mt. Lebanon School District will focus the majority of our effort in two key areas (1) returning our students to full-time instruction in our buildings in late August and (2) developing a Mt. Lebanon Cyber Learning Academy for those families wanting a fully on-line learning environment.  

By more clearly defining our effort down these two pathways, we will be better able to plan and implement an effective educational program in this short span of time. It will also give our families and staff the opportunity to plan accordingly. 

For the latest updates and information on Mt. Lebanon’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, including extensive information specific for families, faculty and staff, visit https://www.mtlsd.org/district/recovery-steering-committee .

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June 9, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon Families,

Last night, Dr. Marybeth Irvin and Dr. Ron Davis gave an update of our on-going efforts to return students and staff to school buildings safely. They presented an overview of progress from the District’s Recovery Steering Committee. 

Here is the link to the video presentation from the June 8, 2020 School Board meeting. Please visit our Recovery Steering Committee page on our website for more information. 

Sincerely,
Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

May 28, 2020

Mt. Lebanon is opening its municipal and school district sport courts, including basketball courts, tennis courts in smaller parks and schools, bocce courts, volleyball courts, athletic fields, tracks and batting cages, by midday Friday, May 29 for individual or household use only. No pickup games or organized team play or practice is permitted. 

PLEASE NOTE: The high school stadium track and turf is under renovation and is not open to the public until further notice. All school and municipal playgrounds remain closed. The Mt. Lebanon Tennis Center is not open yet but preparations are underway to open soon. No date has been released.

COURT AND FIELDS COVID-19 RULES

•STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK OR OTHERWISE AT RISK

•INDIVIDUAL/HOUSEHOLD PLAY ONLY - NO PICKUP OR ORGANIZED TEAM PLAY

•RESPECT SOCIAL DISTANCING - DO NOT CONGREGATE

•USE OF FACILITY IS ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK EVEN WITH MT. LEBANON’S EFFORTS TO PROVIDE A SAFE FACILITY 

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May 22, 2020

Here is a brief video Dr. Steinhauer sent to staff and families on May 22, 20202. 

Friday Video Message From Dr. Steinhauer

 

May 22, 2020

Here is a brief video Dr. Steinhauer sent to staff and families on May 22, 20202. 

Friday Video Message From Dr. Steinhauer

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May 15, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon Families,

I hope this email finds you, and all who are important to you, well. 

While we still have a few more weeks of school at home, the work of the District’s Recovery Steering Committee is very focused on preparing for the safe return of our students and staff  for the 2020-2021 school year. While definitive direction from the state has not been received, we must be prepared. 

I want to assure you that all facets of our planning will keep the health and safety of our students and staff at the forefront. We will open our buildings only when we can do so safely. We will rely on the guidance and lead of experts including our local and state public health officials, the state education officials, and the Governor. 

Your input is a very important part of our process. In the coming weeks we intend to collect your feedback to help inform our planning. As always, we are committed to accurate, open, and consistent communication.  We will keep you informed throughout the process. 

There is no doubt that there will be challenges ahead, but we are a strong, resilient, and determined community. Together we will get through this. 

Sincerely,

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

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May 8, 2020

Here is a brief video message that Dr. Steinhauer sent to staff and families on Friday, May 8, 2020.  

Watch the video here.

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May 1, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon Families,

It is important for me to keep you apprised of our efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and staff.  This morning, I convened the first meeting of the very important District Recovery Team. This team, representing all facets of our school community, will lead our efforts in planning for teaching, learning, and activities for the 2020-21 school year. 

Our plans and procedures will always rely on the expert guidance of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Allegheny County Health Department and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Although more questions than answers exist at this time, this critical first step will ensure that we are considering a myriad of possibilities for school in the Fall of 2020. As we have done throughout, we will communicate and update you with information as soon as it becomes available. 

I know with great certainty that we are a strong, resilient, and kind school community.  We have weathered this seminal moment in our history with grace and compassion for each other. You have all done your best to rise to the challenge of managing the fast paced changes, the disappointments, and the uncertainty this pandemic has caused. Your children will thrive as a result of your efforts. 

Our success to date is the result of teamwork. Our administrators, principals, faculty, and staff have worked very hard to continue the school year with meaningful learning. We look forward to welcoming your children back to school in the fall, and rest assured, it will be in a safe and thoughtful way. 

Stay safe and well,

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

April 24, 2020

Dr. Steinhauer emailed a video message to District families to share his appreciation for the way they have adapted to our new way of instruction and life in general during these challenging times. Click here to watch

 

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April 23, 2020

Good afternoon High School Parents, Guardians, and Students,

I hope this email finds you, and all who are important to you, well!

I know the important topic of the High School Pass/Fail, exempting grades from the QPA has been a point of conversation.  We appreciate and value all of the perspectives you have provided, both through formal and informal means.  Your perspectives help us to be reflective in our decision-making process during these challenging times. 

Three guiding principles led us to the conclusion that using Pass/Fail, exempting grades from the QPA is the best course of action for our students:

Pass/Fail, exempting the grade from the QPA, is a long-standing practice in the District for students with extenuating circumstances, particularly circumstances that result in a modification to the curriculum or assessment strategies used in the classroom. We are in uncertain times where there is without question extenuating circumstances for which our students and families are dealing.  And yes, there are modifications to the curriculum to implement an Essential Curriculum Framework using online and asynchronous instruction which impact the fullness and depth of content covered and assessed.

Equity with respect to all students’ ability to access the instruction, and providing protection to all students, especially those who were unable to access their education, were substantial considerations.  Our District is very conscious of the fact that we had to abruptly stop the teaching and learning process in a brick and mortar school setting and transition quickly to an online environment. Our District is committed to being sensitive to the myriad of economic, health, and other related issues our families are dealing with as a result of this worldwide pandemic.

In order for colleges/universities to normalize applicants, they reconfigure QPA for the individual student in context of their specific admission criteria.  Mt. Lebanon High  School will make a notation on both its transcript and school profile that a P/F, Exempt grading system was implemented for all second semester grades for the 2019-2020 school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  This notation will be made for the Classes of 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

The District’s educational leadership team examined a number of approaches, listened to feedback, considered alternative points of view, reviewed and re-reviewed its decision, and ultimately reaffirmed its position.  Attached is an FAQ to help our families who still have questions about our commitment to this approach.

As has always been the case, our school counselors are committed to working directly with your family during this difficult time on any number of issues, and should you need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to them. 

As we navigate through these uncertain times, I hope that your family remains healthy and safe.  We are all looking forward to the day that our students will be back in the school building.  Should there be a need to communicate additional information in the future, I will be in touch.  

Sincerely,

Ronald P. Davis, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education

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April 20, 2020

Dear Mt. Lebanon High School Parents,

I hope this email finds you, and all who are important to you, well. 

I know the topics of Pass/Fail for the second semester and calculation of student QPA are important ones. Our school counselors, Department Chairs, faculty, building principals, parents, and central office administrators have thoughtfully considered, reviewed, and reaffirmed our strategy to exempt P/F from the QPA calculation. The Mt. Lebanon School District remains committed to our grading practices and QPA calculations during these challenging times. 

Pass/Fail and exempting QPA are the right course of action. This is the most prudent, responsive, and balanced approach for all of our students. We did not make this decision lightly but rather sincerely believe that the uncharted territory we are now forced to navigate requires us to take these thoughtful, reasonable, and responsible actions. 

We benchmarked our approach against comparators from other top performing high schools in the Commonwealth and believe exempting P/F from the QPA calculation provides the most benefit to all students. We are aware that some neighboring high schools’ calculations look different than ours. We firmly believe that receiving an “A” and all associated QPA points for a “P” (4.0 for Academic, 5.0 for Honors, and 5.5 for Advanced Placement) does not increase student motivation, nor aides them in post-secondary pursuits. After analyzing a number of high school student transcripts that compared exempting the QPA versus awarding QPA points, no student will be negatively impacted by our approach. Normally, each high school has a unique grading calculation to arrive at its QPA which is annually communicated to colleges/universities. This would especially hold true as we deal with this worldwide pandemic.  

In addition, our School Counseling Department has solicited feedback and reviewed information from top tier colleges/universities regarding how they are planning to treat a student’s admission profile.  As you can see in the April Counseling Bulletin, colleges/universities plan to take an informed position about a student’s transcript from this semester.  They recognize that we are in the middle of a global pandemic and education looks strikingly different across our country.  

Thank you for your continued support and understanding. Please contact your school counselor or building principal if you have specific questions regarding your child. 

 

Sincerely,    

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.                      Ronald P. Davis, Ed.D.
Superintendent                                             Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education

 

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April 9, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians,

On Thursday, April 9, Governor Wolf ordered that all schools remain closed through the remainder of the academic year. While this is difficult news to hear, the health and safety of our community is our highest priority. As the Governor notes, this decision was made in the “best interest of our students, school employees and families.”

Please know that as we move forward we will be doing everything possible to support our students and their families.

S@H will continue to be implemented through the last day of school, June 9, 2020.  

The grading system will remain Pass/Fail. P/F designations will be placed on a student’s transcript and are exempt from a student’s QPA calculation. 

The District’s free breakfast and lunch distribution will continue Monday-Friday from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. for all children in Mt. Lebanon regardless of the school they attend until the end of the school year

I know that there are many school events that occur in the Spring that are important to students and families.  Our principals are thinking carefully about ways we can recognize and honor students’ milestone events, even if it is through virtual means.  We will continue to update you as our plans evolve.

Even though this announcement comes as a great disappointment to all of us, we are going to get through this. One day we will all be back together in our schools. 

Sincerely,
Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
 

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April 2, 2020 3:01 p.m.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We hope that this email finds you and your families well on your way to a successful week of learning through the District’s Flexible Instructional Day (FID) format. We know this mode of teaching and learning is new for many, so we want to thank you for your patience and understanding as our faculty strive to provide a quality experience for your child. 

As Governor Wolf has ordered, all schools in Pennsylvania remain closed until further notice. 

Monday, April 6 we will transition to the School At Home (S@H) model.  We  would like to provide you with some important information and direct you to the District’s School@Home website where further details can be found. 

S@H will continue with an asynchronous format, meaning students will access their lessons and assignments online but may complete them at different times and locations during the school day.

This Overview page explains our S@H format and general facts about the program.

Additionally, there are pages for S@H Elementary and S@H Secondary that contain information specific and unique to each level. These pages can also be found on each school’s webpage under “Academics.”

Attendance procedures will be slightly different than during FIDs. Please read this information carefully and contact your child’s principal with questions.

There will be opportunities for real time interaction and learning between students, teachers, and support staff. If you do not wish your child to participate in this type of activity, please complete the opt-out form. 

Finally, but most importantly, please know that we view you as a critical partner to the success of our students. We understand that this dramatic change in how we deliver instruction is challenging for families, students, and our staff.  However, we also know that our mutually supportive relationship is invaluable to our students’ learning. We look forward to working with you to provide the best education possible for each and every student.

As always, we are here to serve you. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teachers, principal, or either of us.

Sincerely,
                                        

Marybeth D. Irvin, Ph.D.                Ronald P. Davis, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent                    Assistant Superintendent
Elementary Education                    Secondary Education