March 12, 2020

Based on the most current information from the Florida Department of Education, Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Holmes District School Board would like to provide an update regarding COVID-19, schools staying open, and Spring Break travel.  First and foremost, the health and safety of our students is our priority.  There are no reported cases of the virus in our community and we plan to follow our school calendar for the remainder of the school year.  Friday, March 20^th is an early release day, March 23^rd -27^th is Spring Break and we will resume classes as scheduled on Monday, March 30^th.  We will continue to follow our preventative everyday practices regarding cleaning, sanitizing, handwashing and staying home when students or staff are sick. Please refer to the Question and Answer guide for more information regarding COVID-19. (Available below in the Related Files section.)

The following guidelines will be implemented after today’s date, based on CDC travel recommendations:

According to the CDC, the U.S. Department of State recommends against cruise ship travel. 

Any Holmes County School District student or employee traveling on a cruise will need to follow the CDC recommendations after returning from the trip. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/covid-19-cruise-ship

• If you were on a cruise in the past 14 days:  Monitor your health and limit interactions with others for 14 days after returning to the United States. If a case of COVID-19 was reported on your ship during the cruise, stay home during these 14 days and practice social distancing.

• Stay home if you have symptoms, such as fever, cough, or have trouble breathing and call ahead before you seek medical care.

Any Holmes County School District student or employee traveling to a Level 3 destination will be asked to stay home for a period of 14 days from the time you left the area.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html

Students and staff that meet the guideline requirements in the recommendation to stay home should contact the school administration for information regarding, missing assignments, testing, documentation for the absences, and completing leave forms as set forth in Holmes County school board polices.

About COVID-19

• COVID-19 can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, including when an individual coughs or sneezes. These droplets may land on objects and surfaces. Other people may contract COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.

• Symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough and shortness of breath. Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days following exposure. Most people recover from COVID-19 without needing special treatment. The elderly and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems and diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness.

• Recent reports have stated that on average, symptoms of COVID-19 develop in 5 days.

• CDC said most confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported from China have occurred in adults, and infection among children was relatively uncommon.

• CDC has said transmission of coronavirus to persons from surfaces contaminated with the virus has not been documented. Current evidence suggests coronavirus may remain viable on surfaces for only two hours, made from a variety of materials. Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in households and community settings.

• CDC does not recommend that asymptomatic, healthy people wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

The COVID-19 call center is available 24 hours a day 866-779-6121.

March 2-6 is National School Breakfast Week. Remember, all students can receive FREE breakfast at school daily!

We are pleased to announce that our Holmes County Teacher of the Year is Ms. Brittany Brown, representing Ponce de Leon High School. Ms. Brown has been a teacher for 8 years and currently teaches agriculture and aerospace at PDLH. She says, "I enjoy teaching because there is nothing more rewarding than watching a child grow and succeed in the classroom and in life." We wish Ms. Brown the best as she competes for Florida's Teacher of the Year!

Friday, December 20 will be an early release day.  Check with your child's school for specific dismissal times.

Holmes County Schools will be closed December 23 through January 3 for the holidays.  Classes will resume on Monday, January 6.