Covid-19

CALLISBURG INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

148 DOZIER ST.

CALLISBURG, TX 76240

Donald L. Metzler

Superintendent

940-665-0540 Ext. 211

940-668-2706 (Fax)

March 11, 2020

Dear Parent or Guardian,

The COVID-19 reports and precautionary guidelines are consuming the headlines in the press and local newspapers.  We are monitoring these reports, along with guidance being provided directly to the district by local and state health departments and the Texas Education Agency (TEA).  Callisburg ISD is taking this situation very seriously.  The health and safety of your students and our staff are our primary concerns.

I want you to know that the district invested in five specially designed electrostatic misting machines last month to use in disinfecting our campuses and school buses.  These machines disperse a positively charged mist of disinfectant.  Furniture, doors, doorknobs, textbooks, desks, chairs, tables, bus seats, etc. are negatively charged.  This positively charged mist is pulled to the negatively charged items.  The “hospital-grade” disinfectant we are using kills 99.99% of all viruses, including the Coronavirus.   We have been spraying our campuses almost daily now for two weeks and spraying buses 2-3 times a week for the same period.  Our custodial staff has also increased their cleaning of often-touched surfaces during the school day.  We will continue to follow these procedures until further notice.  A deep cleaning or all campuses and buses will occur over Spring Break.

We are recommending that you follow the Center for Disease Control (CDC) steps to reduce spreading the COVID-19 virus:

Proper handwashing (soap and water for 20 seconds);

Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap is not available;

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze;

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands;

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces;

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

We understand that many families will be traveling over spring break and we want you to be aware of your surroundings and any reports of the COVID-19 virus being detected in those areas while you are there.  To be safe, you may need to be aware of media reports concerning places you visited for as many as ten days after returning.  The CDC recommends the following steps if you have travel to Level-3 Travel Health Notice countries and areas in the U.S. affected by COVID-19:

Take your temperature with a thermometer two times a day and monitor for fever. Also, watch for cough or trouble breathing.

Stay home and avoid contact with others. Do not go to work or school for a 14-day period.  Discuss this situation with your employer or school before returning to work or school.

Do not take public transportation, taxis, or ride-shares during the time you are practicing social distancing.

Avoid crowded places (such as shopping centers and movie theaters) and limit your activities in public.

Keep your distance from others (about six feet).

We pray that all of you can stay healthy during the upcoming break.  Please contact the school in the event that someone in your family becomes sick from the COVID-19 virus!  This will be critical in any attempt to stop the spread of the virus.

For the Children,

Donald L. Metzler