Dear parents, students, and the entire LKSD learning community,
Happy New Year! I hope you and your families had a wonderful winter break. We are very excited for students and staff to return to school. Our goal has been, and continues to be, to provide the best possible education for students without sacrificing the health and safety of the entire school community. LKSD has made a few changes to our COVID-19 health and safety protocols in response to updates provided by the CDC and YKHC. Information on all the COVID-19 safety measures in place to prioritize the health and safety of our students, staff and families may be found on our website, at www.lksd.org/c_o_v_i_d_hub. A few reminders are below:
➢ Universal masking required at all times: Masks are required to be worn by all individuals in schools and on school buses. It is strongly recommended that all students and staff wear well-fitting, 3-layer non-cloth masks with a nose wire. All employees and students are provided medical grade 3-ply masks if they need them.
➢ Surveillance testing: We will continue weekly BINAX testing of students and staff to help identify and isolate cases to reduce the risk to in-person instruction. A signed parent permission form is required for student participation in this testing program. Please contact your school if you wish to sign your child up for testing. Surveillance testing is required for participation in sports and other extracurricular activities.
➢ Vaccinations & Boosters: Vaccinations are a powerful tool for preventing COVID-19 infections and are proven to help protect against severe illness and death. Vaccines are available to all students ages 5 years or older. Booster shots are available for anyone 12 years and older and at least 6 months after their second dose of the vaccine. We encourage everyone eligible to get their vaccination or booster. Please call YKHC at (907) 543-6949 for more information or to schedule your appointment.
LKSD is working to provide families with at-home test kits that can be utilized as an extra screening tool if your child has symptoms, or has a known exposure to COVID-19. Due to the national shortage of rapid test kits, we will be providing these kits on a limited basis and as supply allows.
Symptom free schools are vital to keeping our schools open. Parents and guardians are the first line of defense for helping to monitor students daily for COVID-19 related symptoms. All staff and students are encouraged to stay home when they exhibit any symptoms or do not feel well.
We understand the concerns of returning to school, particularly in the midst of the new Omicron variant, and we will continue to monitor the evolving health conditions in our communities and work closely with our healthcare partners, tribal authorities and local communities. We appreciate your continued flexibility and cooperation. Our success, now and in the future, is due in large part to your efforts to keep our students, faculty, and staff as safe and healthy as possible.
Sincerely,
Kimberly Hankins
Superintendent