I hope everyone is weathering the doldrums of winter successfully; we know that January (and February!) can sometimes feel like a slog. I’m pleased to share that we have fewer students and faculty out this week than last—our quarantine numbers have stabilized, and we are keeping our fingers crossed that next week is even better.

Our high vaccination rates and everyone’s commitment to staying home when they are not feeling well is *so* appreciated, and it goes a long way in keeping our campus as healthy as possible.

Because it’s that time of year, however, we know that people will get sick. I wanted to offer a few reminders of the support we offer if your student needs to stay home.

If your student will be absent or late to school due to an appointment, illness, or unexpected event, please email the Upper School attendance office at usattendance@coloradoacademy.org as soon as possible. This email is monitored by the Upper School attendance team, and your student's absence will be recorded.

If you suspect your student has COVID-19, please let us know right away, even if you don’t have confirmation yet. We’ll begin activating our COVID-19 supports right away and putting you in contact with our health team. To report a positive case of COVID-19, please use this form.

If your child is home for *non-COVID-19-related reasons,* we encourage them to rest, get better, and set school aside—please know our teachers will support students who return from a short illness, to ensure they get back up to speed.

We totally support students staying home to recover. Concerns about homework or staying current should not inform health decisions. If your student has concerns and needs support to get caught up, please reach out to your student’s advisor or grade-level dean.

For *COVID-19-related absences* (side-effects from booster shots, positive tests, or quarantines), we will offer remote access to classes via Zoom. Please note: right now OWLS (and remote access) are only set up for students who are quarantining with COVID-19, or out with COVID-related absences. (Or for students with extended medical illnesses). During remote access, quarantining students will log into their classes via Zoom and observe a live stream of that class for the purpose of staying exposed to the curriculum in a way that facilitates their return to in-person learning.

 

Regardless of the reason for your student’s absence, however, please know our teachers are eager to work with returning students to ensure a smooth transition back. If you ever have any questions or concerns about your student’s return, please reach out to your student’s advisor or grade-level dean.

 

Stay warm and healthy!