Health Update: Holiday Celebrations and Travel
Thank you, families, for being so proactive and forthright with us about your children’s health. You have been keeping children home when they are not feeling well, and initiating COVID-19 tests to rule out this illness in an abundance of caution. So far, so good! All of this helps our community stay safe. As another precautionary measure recommended by the CDPH, SDCPH, and CDC, Gillispie students and employees are highly encouraged to be immunized this fall against influenza which will help protect the school community, reduce demands on health care facilities, and decrease illness that cannot be readily distinguished from COVID-19.
Holiday Celebrations and Travel Guidelines:
Gillispie has received several inquiries from you about travel as families are making their plans for the upcoming holidays. The Federal, State, and CDC guidelines have been evolving and, at times, conflicting. First off, thank you for asking. It signals to teachers and staff that we have our priorities in the right order.
My best advice is to follow the often-repeated protocols in any activity your family chooses to do. Whether traveling by car or plane to any location far or near, follow the practices that are slowing the spread of the COVID-19 virus, including:
- washing your hands and promoting sanitation practices,
- staying six feet apart,
- wearing a face covering,
- avoiding large crowds especially if they are not practicing safety measures, and
- not traveling if you or someone you are traveling with has been sick in the last 14 days.
Other guidance on travel and holiday gathering can be found on the CDC website as well as the California and San Diego County websites. We are all directing our efforts towards the same goal which is to safely keep Gillispie open for in-person learning. So, to use a travel analogy, let’s keep our oars in the water and pull in the same direction.
Whether making your way to the grocery store or across the world or country, please be safe and enjoy!
Sincerely,
Alison Fleming, Head of School
