Los Alamos Reporter

Barranca Mesa Elementary School Returns To In Person Learning Monday

BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com

Los Alamos Public Schools Interim Supt. Jennifer Guy announced to LAPS families early Sunday afternoon that the school will return to in-person learning Monday.

COVID-19 numbers at individual schools for Oct. 11-17 are as follows:

Aspen – 2 students

Barranca – 13 students

Mountain – 1 student

LAHS/TFA – 2 staff and 2 students

Cases since August 12 are as follows:

Aspen – 7 students
Barranca – 4 staff and 26 students
Chamisa – 3 students
Mountain – 1 staff and 2 students
LAMS – 2 students
LAHS/TFA: 3 staff and 6 students
LA Online Academy – none
Central Office – none
Facilities – none
Transportation – none

Superintendent Guys’s email reads as follows:

I am writing to provide you with an update on Covid 19 in our schools. As you most likely know, we moved Barranca Mesa Elementary school into remote instruction due to an increase in covid cases from October 7 – 15. We have not received reports of any new covid cases at Barranca so far this weekend. Barranca is now under the 5% threshold required for remote instructions. The school has about 2% of the school population who will continue to quarantine, but the rest of the students will return to in person instruction at Barranca on Monday, October 18. The school will continue to implement enhanced protective measures to help prevent further spread. Any students who have any covid symptoms, a positive case in the household, or have been asked to quarantine should not attend school in person. The absences will be excused and teachers will provide remote work. We appreciate your support in keeping sick or exposed students home from school, private, and community events. This is the BEST way to prevent further spread and keep our schools open.  

We have seen additional covid cases at several schools around the district. You can monitor the cases at your child’s school here. The LAPS case counts are updated daily and only show lab confirmed positive cases that have been reported to us. This numbers include all LAPS students that attend our schools regardless of the county where they reside. This means that at times, LAPS count may be different than the daily case count released by the NMDOH. Our numbers also do not reflect students that are not enrolled in LAPS.

Controlling spread and keeping our schools open will take the entire community working together. We need your help!  We have learned through the contact tracing that we have done that many of the cases have most likely come from spread in the home or at outside of school events. There are some things that we can all do together to decrease covid and in our community and keep our schools open:

  • If your child has covid symptoms, is in quarantine, or someone in your household is positive, please keep your child and any siblings HOME. Don’t allow your quarantined children to attend school, community, or private events.
  • Notify your school nurse or principal of any covid cases in your home as soon as possible.
  • Follow the PED Covid Toolkit guidelines including wearing masks indoors. Make sure that your child has masks that fit well and they are comfortable wearing. If you need a mask, please ask your school.
  • Get your child, or household members, tested, if you think they may have been exposed to covid or have been in a situation with increased risk. You can get testing for anyone in your family for free.
    • LOS ALAMOS CURATIVE ORAL SWAB TESTING IN LOS ALAMOS TOWNSITE:

Curative testing is available every Tuesday and Thursday in the parking lot of the OLD SMITH”S Shopping Center, 759 Central Ave. from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Testing is also available 7 days a week in both Espanola and Santa Fe. Anyone who would like a covid test should register first by visiting the Curative website at https://curative.com to schedule a date, time, and location.

  • VAULT home test:

You can log onto the website and request a test for anyone in your household. The testes are free and will be mailed to your home. You will return them by mail and receive results through text or email. It is a good idea to order some tests to have on hand at your home. https://vaulthealth.formstack.com/forms/partnerships
https://learn.vaulthealth.com/nm/

  • Contact your school nurse or medical provider:

If you need help with finding a covid test for anyone in your home, please contact your school nurse or healthcare provider. They can direct you to a test.

Thank you for your continued support and patience as we navigate this school year. My top priority will continue to be keep our students safe and our schools open. Please feel free to contact me if you need anything or have any concerns.