BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
Los Alamos Public Schools Interim Supt. Jennifer Guy has notified Barranca Mesa Elementary School families by email that the entire school is being moved into remote learning until Oct. 18.
The content of the email is as follows:
We have received notice of 15 additional COVID positive cases at Barranca. We had additional positive cases reported late this afternoon. We are working on notifying close contacts now but we know that we need to move the entire Barranca School into remote learning. Most of the positive cases today were already quarantining and many are siblings. We have reached a 5% threshold of students and staff who are positive or quarantining. Safety is our top priority. Students will not come to school tomorrow. Students will learn remotely until October 18, 2021. Students may plan to return to campus on October 18. Tomorrow, you will receive communications from the school principal and your child’s teacher with instructions for picking up materials for learning and a daily schedule.
If your child is identified as a close contact you will receive a phone call from the school as soon as possible. School staff are working on this as quickly as possible. I am sending this communication before the notifications so that all families have time to plan for childcare or plan to be at home with their child. We need everyone’s help to work together to stop the spread. If your child is identified as a close contact and needs to quarantine, please keep your child isolated at home. We have had reports of children who should be in quarantine continuing to participate in activities outside of school. If we all work together, we can stop this spread, keep everyone safe, and keep schools open.
You will receive additional communications soon from Mrs. Jones.
Jennifer Guy
Summary of cases at Barranca:
Preschool – 2 positive
Kindergarten – 2 positive
1st grade – 2 positive
2nd grade – 3 positive
3rd grade – 0 postiive
4th grade – 7 positive
5th grade – 2 positive
6th grade – 3 positive
Staff – 4 adults
25 total positive cases as of 10/6/21