Hopewell families,
We know that there is concern among some of our families about the rise in COVID cases in the community. As we posted on Friday morning, the cases we are seeing thus far are being contracted within the community, not spread within the school. This represents a recent rise in cases over the last several weeks in the Hopewell community and much of the state and nation. Last year, less than one percent of our student cases were from a spread of COVID within the school. We continue to take measures beyond the CDC and VDH guidance to minimize the risk of spread within the school. We are committed to enabling students to be in school with the risks minimized.
While we monitor the COVID cases over the coming days, we want each family to know that we will provide grace with a parent who feels their child should stay home and it will be an excused absence. This is only a short-term approach.
As we continue to monitor the situation, we will look at other options for our families if the COVID cases do not start easing. While we are not modifying the ability for students to switch to virtual at this time, we will put all options on the table as we closely monitor the cases and whether they are increasing or subsiding.
We are in this together with a pandemic that none of us control, and we appreciate your grace with us as we extend it to you as well.