Peirce Update

Happy New Year! I hope that you have been enjoying the winter break, and that your students are excited to return to their classrooms this Monday, January 3.

I understand the stress that many of you are feeling as you try to keep your children safe during this most recent surge of COVID-19, and I want you to know that their health and wellbeing remains a top priority. Research has shown that with the protections we’ve put in place, school is one of the safest places for your children to be. Research has also shown that the most important thing to do for their health and safety is to get children vaccinated.

A few things to take note of as we prepare for a safe and healthy return to school on Monday, January 3rd:

• Please know that while CPS has encouraged COVID testing prior to January 3, students are not required to test before returning to school on Monday. However, if your student is not feeling well on Monday or is showing any symptoms of COVID-19, please keep them at home.

• If your child has tested positive for COVID, please complete the Self-Reporting of COVID19 Positive Cases form.

• Families with unvaccinated students should also pay careful attention to the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) travel advisory guidance. Additionally, students who have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 should get tested on Day 5 after exposure. Unvaccinated students must stay home and quarantine for 10 days from their last exposure, regardless of negative testing, while vaccinated students may attend school as long as they are not experiencing symptoms.

• If your child is fully vaccinated, please Submit Proof of Vaccination.

• If you or your child are in need of a vaccine, please click on the Vaccine Locator.
• Click here to sign your child up for weekly COVID testing at Peirce.
• Please be reminded of the CPS Safety Best Practices document.
  
• Anyone visiting the school campus (inside or outside) must wear a mask.

We know from experience that children do better academically, socially, and emotionally when they're in the classroom versus at home learning on a computer. We also know families do better when they have certainty that their children will be in school instead of having to scramble to find childcare. And we know that remote learning is particularly hard on working families and students that have limited access to the internet. So while we will temporarily transition individual classes to remote learning as needed, there are no plans to transition the entire district to remote learning.

Please visit cps.edu/covidfaq for an FAQ that will help you get your questions answered as you prepare for a safe return to school.

I thank you for your continued partnership and look forward to welcoming your children back to class on Monday, January 3 for a healthy and safe start to 2022.

Sincerely,

Lori Zaimi

Principal

In coordination with Alderman Osterman and the Office of Health and Wellness, Peirce will host a vaccination clinic at Peirce on Tuesday, January 11th.

Visit: https://getvaxchi.chicago.gov/s/

Appointment Registration Steps:

1. Create a GetVaxChi Account – click “Not a user? Register here”

2. Click “Schedule A Vaccination”

3. Click the drop-down menu and select “Routine Vaccination 2021”

4. Answer Health Screening questions, then click “Next”

5. Change “Search start on” date to Jan 11, 2022 and enter 60660 in “Zip Code”

6. Look for Peirce Elementary School (COVID Pfizer) and select the appropriate time for your appointment

7. Input your Personal Health Information and Consent in the next tabs and submit your registration for proper confirmation via email

*Walk-ins accepted while supplies last.

COVID Case Update

There have been a total of 14 classrooms quarantined this school year and 17 reported cases of COVID at Peirce, 14 of which were actionable. CPS has released an updated district data monitoring tool that can be found here.

COVID Testing

Shannon Jiamachello, Resident Principal, is coordinating COVID testing at Peirce and is in collaboration with CPS. You can reach out to Shannon with questions related to testing by email at sljiamachell@cps.edu.

CPS made the following update to the Sick Student Protocol:

1. Under new ISBE guidance, if the sick individual is tested within 24 hours of symptom onset, siblings/household members do not need to be sent home unless there is high suspicion the sick person has COVID-19.

1. Examples where ”high suspicion” exists = sick individual is a known close contact or loss of taste or smell.

2. Siblings/household members can remain in school and must wear masks both indoors and outdoors.

3. If the sick individual tests positive, unvaccinated siblings/household members should be sent home immediately.

If testing doesn’t occur within 24 hours of symptom onset, unvaccinated siblings/household members must be sent home until the sick individual has test results.

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If your child is sick with any COVID-19 Symptoms please do the following:

Call your child's healthcare provider and get the child tested for COVID-19. Your child should stay home while waiting for results. If you are unable to get your child tested, your child must stay home until they are symptom-free without medication for 24 hours.

• If the child is negative student should stay home until...
  
• Illness is over
• Symptoms have steadily improved
• Fever-free for 24hrs without medication
  
• No uncontrollable cough
• No vomiting or diarrhea for 24hrs
  
• If a child is positive
• COVID-19 case must isolate for 10 days from the start of illness; non fully vaccinated household members must Quarantine 14 days (from date of last contact or end of case’s isolation)
• ** CPS Cases should SELF-REPORT to cps.edu/covidresults. Parents or guardians report on behalf of their own children.

January

3rd Students return from Winter Break

11th Bilingual Advisory Council Meeting, 5:00pm

11th Friends of Peirce Meeting, 6:30pm

14th Peirce Service Organization Meeting, 8:15am

17th No School - Martin Luther King Day

20th Local School Council Meeting, 6:00pm

21st PYP Behind the Scenes Meeting, 1:00pm

27th End of Quarter 2

28th No School for Students

COVID Related

• Submit Proof of Vaccination
• Vaccine Locator
• Self-Reporting of COVID19 Positive Cases
• COVID Testing Sign Up
• Safety Best Practices

General

• Incident Report Form
  

• Question & Suggestion Box
  

• PSO Contact Forms

  Español (link: https://bit.ly/InformacióndecontactodePeirce)

• Pay Student Fee (through your parent Aspen account)
• School Schedules
• Family Handbook
  
• School Year 2021-2022 Calendar

Email: lzaimi@cps.edu
Website: peirce.cps.edu
Location: 1423 W Bryn Mawr Chicago, IL
Phone: 773-534-2440
Facebook: facebook.com/peircecps