SANDY, COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah, Sept. 23, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Alta High School in Sandy and Brighton High School in Cottonwood Heights will transition to online learning for 14 days following a sustained increase in COVID-19 cases, officials said.
“The pause in on-campus learning was determined to be in the best interest of students, families and staff,” said a news release from Canyons School District.
Alta and Brighton students who are registered for on-campus classes will not attend school on Wednesday, Sept. 23, the news release said. This will give the faculty and staff a day to prepare to teach virtual classes for the next two weeks.
The online instruction for all Alta and Brighton students will begin Thursday, Sept. 24. More information about online learning expectations via Canvas will be forthcoming from the school and individual teachers.
Parents were notified of the temporary schedule change on Tuesday via robocall, email and text.
“The decision, made Tuesday, Sept. 22, follows guidelines recently established by the Canyons Board of Education for when a school reaches a certain threshold of positive cases within a two-week period,” the news release said. “According to the parameters, if any CSD traditional high school reaches a 1 percent COVID-19 rate within a two-week period, it will trigger a discussion about possible mitigation efforts, including a temporary schedule change.”
The most recent reports from health authorities indicate that the high schools have reached that threshold.
The Canyons community can regularly monitor how many cases are at each CSD school by reviewing information on a new data dashboard here, which can be accessed on the Canyons District website.
“It’s hoped that in-person instruction can resume on Oct. 7,” the news release said. “In the meantime, the buildings will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. The Canyons Board and Administration will continue to monitor the situation and evaluate options in consultation with the Salt Lake County Health Department.”
Utah High School Activities Association-sponsored activities can continue as planned as long as there have not been three or more positive cases within a two-week period on one sports team or performing group and required health precautions are taken.
Parents already would have been contacted by school or health officials if, during the contact-tracing process, their child was identified as a student who may have been exposed.
“Canyons District continues to ask the community to follow safety precautions while at and away from school,” the news release said. “Please wear masks and observe physical distancing guidelines in public. Parents are encouraged to continue monitoring children for symptoms of COVID-19. Please contact a health provider immediately if your child begins to suffer a fever, cough, fatigue, muscle or body aches, new loss of taste or smell, a sore throat, congestion, nausea, or has difficulty breathing.”
Anyone with questions is asked to call the schools or the district office at 801-826-5000 during work hours, or email [email protected].
So sad.?