COVID-19 Response

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

Before we head out for a well-deserved Spring Break, we wanted to share a few updates and reminders with you today.

CENTOGENE Testing
We are pleased to report that all 128 of our tests from Monday, March 15 came back negative. Our next test date will be Monday, April 12.

Travel Advisory Reminders
While I know we have shared this same information in the last two updates, it's worth one more reminder that the travel advisory is still in effect, and Oregonians are encouraged to stay home or in their region and avoid non-essential travel to other states or countries.  After our Professional Development Day on April 5, in-person classes will resume on Tuesday, April 6 for pre-kindergarten, and Monday, April 12 for K-12 students (K-12 virtual classes will be held April 6-9). In order to attend the first day back on-campus, K-12 students would need to return back to Oregon by April 1 and PK students by March 26.  If your travel plans preclude you from returning back to Oregon as stated above, please communicate your plans to Toni Congedo and your child's teacher / division head.  We do not need you to communicate your travel plans with the school if you are traveling within the required guidelines.

Updated State Guidance
This week the Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Health Authority released a new version of Ready Schools, Safe Learners, their guidance for COVID protocols in schools. Though the updated metrics do not directly impact any of our operations, we wanted to make you aware of the new document. The new guidance acknowledges the importance of in-person learning and makes it easier for schools in Oregon to reopen. A summary of the new metrics can be found here.

If you have any questions for us prior to the break, please feel free to reach out. As we officially welcome the first day of spring this weekend, I would like to wish you all a wonderful break. May this time be filled with plenty of time to rest and rejuvenate with your loved ones. We can't wait to see you all in April!

Warmly,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

Greetings on this typical Bend "not quite yet spring" day.  We have a small number of updates this week.

CENTOGENE Testing on March 15 and April 12
Next Monday, March 15, we will again offer our on-site testing through CENTOGENE. If you have provided consent for your child to be tested, they will be included on Monday. If you still want to sign them up, please complete the form on Steelhead Connect. We will also offer testing on Monday, April 12.

Travel Advisory
Please keep in mind that there is still a travel advisory in effect, and Oregonians are encouraged to stay home or in their region and avoid non-essential travel to other states or countries.  In order to attend the first day back on-campus in April, K-12 students would need to return back to Oregon by April 1 and PK students by March 26.  If your travel plans preclude you from returning back to Oregon as stated above, please communicate your plans to Toni Congedo and your child's teacher / division head.  We do not need you to communicate your travel plans with the school if you are traveling within the required guidelines.

New CDC Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Adults
This week the CDC released new guidance for how fully vaccinated adults may interact with others, while also stressing that everyone should continue to avoid nonessential trips, regardless of vaccination status. The CDC director cited previous spikes in case counts after surges in travel and the emergence of variants from international locations.

People who have been fully vaccinated:

• May gather indoors with fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask in a private setting
• May gather indoors with unvaccinated people from one other household (for example, visiting with relatives who all live together) without masks, unless any of those people or anyone they live with has an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19
• Do not need to stay away from others and get tested if they have been around someone who has COVID-19 unless they have symptoms
• Should still take steps to protect themselves and others, including:
  • Wearing a mask and staying at least 6 feet apart from others in many situations
  • Avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces 
  • Avoiding gathering with unvaccinated people from more than one other household
  • Avoiding visits with an unvaccinated person who is at increased risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 or who lives with a person at increased risk
  • Avoiding medium or large-sized gatherings
  • Continuing to watch out for symptoms of COVID-19
  • Delaying domestic and international travel

The new CDC guidance for vaccinated people is welcome news, and according to Oregon's vaccine distribution plan, all Oregonians age 16 and older will be eligible for the vaccine by July 1. 

In addition, we are seeing case counts in Deschutes county continue to fall in a promising way and we are now in the "moderate risk" category.

As Dr. Anthony Fauci said this week, we must, "maintain the public health measures that we talk about so often: the masking, the physical distancing, and the avoiding of congregate settings, particularly indoors."  While it feels like we are building some positive momentum in the fight against COVID-19, we are reminded that we must all continue to take responsible actions and make smart decisions to help combat transmission.  We still have a ways to go before this fight is over.  Thanks for all you are doing to support your kids and our school on our continued journey together.

In unity,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families and Friends,

This bright spring day marks an auspicious milestone in our pandemic journey together; exactly one year ago, you received the first of what would be many, many COVID-19 updates from our intrepid leader, Julie Amberg.  At the time, we had no way of predicting the scope, duration, or impact the novel coronavirus might have on our families, work, and school.  What we did know, and have never lost sight of, was that our Cascades Academy community was deeply connected, resilient and flexible. We knew that we would endeavor to emerge stronger from any challenge and that we would navigate the unknowns in partnership. We knew that we would be asked to extend extraordinary grace and compassion to one another.  As a Board, we understood that stewardship of our unique school culture amidst increased enrollment and the practical implications of daily, pressing pandemic challenges was paramount.

United as a school family, everyone rolled up their sleeves and undertook the remarkable challenge of creating a virtual program with just two weeks notice.  The Board convened the Pathways Forward Committee, holding tight to its commitment to both the short and long-term sustainability of the school.  Parents learned to be teachers, teachers learned to be Zoom experts, Board members became lobbyists, and together we walked through a transformational spring and summer.  After the much-needed summer break, our educators worked tirelessly to prepare virtual and in-person programs to meet the needs of all of our students in the fall. The Health and Safety Team adapted to rapidly evolving guidance from the state and developed procedures to make it possible for students to return to campus.  The Board held hours upon hours of meetings to respond to the shifting landscape.  It was an arduous period for us all at times, but we persevered in the clarity of our commitment to all children. 

We are driven in our mission to serve the 231 precious children and adolescents we have the privilege of educating, each of whom we hope will emerge from this period with their character enriched by these historic events. Because of the unwavering support of the faculty, staff, board, and families that compose our school community, these children are thriving. They are learning and growing, playing and laughing, stumbling and trying again. Whether they are able to express it or not, they know that they are surrounded by adults committed to their well-being, not just physically, but as whole human beings, ready for a diverse and changing world. 

As we pause and reflect on the one year anniversary of these communications, our hope is to celebrate with gratitude the exceptional devotion of our faculty and staff and the rich relationships uniting our students and families.  

On behalf of the board of trustees, it has been an honor and privilege to serve you through the events of the past year. Our adventure is not over, but I am confident that we are indeed emerging stronger. 

In hope and gratitude,

Holly Wylam Klein
Chair, Board of Trustees

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

Wow!  It's February, and believe it or not, we are already at the half-way point of the school year.  Thank you for your ongoing positive spirit and dedication to your children and to our school community.

Deschutes County Cases Continue to Decrease
We are encouraged to see that case numbers are continuing to decrease in Deschutes County.  Thank you for your continued vigilance with mask wearing, social distancing, and avoiding social gatherings.  As a reminder, gathering restrictions are still in effect given Deschutes County is still in the "extreme risk" category.  A New York Times article this morning also reminds us how important it is to not gather with people outside your household for the Super Bowl this weekend as officials warn that Super Bowl parties will contribute to an increase in cases.  Let's join the Super Bowl in honoring our healthcare workers by doing our part.  I look forward to hearing Amanda Gorman's poetic tribute as part of the festivities.  

Upper School Return to In-Person Classes 4 Days/Week
This morning we were able to share with our upper school families and students that starting this Monday they will be able to attend in-person classes Monday-Thursday. We couldn't be more thrilled to be able to have our high school students here more frequently!

Spring Break Travel & K-12 Virtual Week April 6-9
As we did after Winter Break, we have elected to go 100% virtual for grades K-12 again the week after Spring Break (April 6-9). Pre-kindergarten will have classes in-person that week.   We will still be holding our all day staff Professional Development session on Monday, April 5, so there will not be any in-person or virtual classes that day.  We made this decision based on how well this worked after the winter break and in acknowledgement that some staff and families may elect to travel and/or gather during that time.  By choosing to go virtual again, we want to minimize the amount of exposure to our community after travel or any spring break gatherings.

As a reminder, there is still a travel advisory in effect and Oregonians are encouraged to stay home or in their region and avoid non-essential travel to other states or countries.  Currently, if you travel out of state, the 14-day quarantine is still recommended.  However, you may end your quarantine after 10 days if you don't have any symptoms and have a negative PCR test no sooner than five days after you return from travel.  We will once again offer the CENTOGENE test on Monday, April 5 for any students who would like a test.   We ask that you please communicate any plans for out of state travel to Toni Congedo and your child's division head.

CENTOGENE On-Site Testing Begins Monday, February 8
We will be kicking off our on-site testing program with CENTOGENE on Monday, February 8.  Not all students who are enrolled will participate in every testing session.  If your child will be tested on Monday, February 8, you will have already received an email confirmation from Toni Congedo.  If your child is not tested on Monday, they will be tested in the next round on Monday, February 22nd.  If you are interested in still signing up for testing, we encourage you to do so on Steelhead Connect. Higher levels of participation will give us the best understanding of possible spread in our community.  If you have already signed up, you do not need to sign up again to be eligible for future testing, and we always honor whatever decision is right for your family.  

Changes to Clear2School Screening Questions Effective Today
Because of the addition of on-site testing, you may have noticed that we have revised the questions you will see on the Clear2School app each morning. Please take your time with the new questions this week to ensure you are answering them correctly.  The new questions are: 

• Is anyone in the student's household awaiting School-On-Site COVID-19 test results?
  • If your child is participating in the CENTOGENE testing, you may need to mark "yes" for this question. A "yes" will not preclude your child from coming to school and you will still get the green check mark at the end of the survey. 
• Is anyone in the student's household awaiting COVID-19 test results for exposure or symptoms? 
  • This is a revision of the current question on the survey and will prompt Toni to reach out to you if you indicate "yes". 

If you experience any issues with the app, please delete it and reinstall it to see if that will resolve the issue. If that doesn't do the trick, feel free to reach out to Toni.

As always, we are here to answer your questions.  Thank you for your continued diligence and support.
 

Warmly,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

Thank you for your continued attention to our weekly updates. This week, we thought we'd start off with something fun - a short video giving you a look inside the day to day life of our students and teachers. Please take a few minutes to enjoy some of our favorite moments from the past few months.  We also have a few updates and reminders to share with you today:

How You Can Help to Make Drop Off and Pick Up Run Smoothly

Thanks to everyone for your cooperation and adjustment to our drop off and pick up procedures. In order for this process to run safely and smoothly, please remember the following:

• Take your child's temperature and fill out the Clear2School app before leaving home in the morning. If you have any issues with the app, please still take your child's temperature to ensure an accurate reading, and report the temperature and answers to the app questions to the staff member at drop off.
   
• Drop Off:
  • PK-5th grade families, please park in the lot and walk down the sidewalk to your designated entrance. For safety reasons, please do not cut across the driveway/circle. If your child has a sibling in MS/US, you may follow the instructions below.
  • Middle/upper school families, please pull into the circle and as far forward as possible towards the boulder. When a staff member approaches your car, please show your Clear2School app with the green check mark. When cars ahead of you depart, please continue to move forward. When leaving, please double check your blind spot and drive slowly.
  • Upper school students, if you are driving yourself to campus please park in the lot, walk down the sidewalk (please do not cut across the driveway/circle), and be ready to show your green check mark to a staff member at the door.

• Pick Up:
  • PK-5th grade families, please park in the lot and walk down to your child's designated exit.  If your child has a sibling in MS/US, you may follow the instructions below after picking up your LS student.
  • Middle/upper school families, please pull forward in the circle (all the way towards the stairs/flag if possible) and place your last name sign on your dashboard. If you need another sign, please let Ms. Marti know. When cars ahead of you depart, please continue to move forward. When leaving, please double check your blind spot and drive slowly.

Good News: Deschutes County Cases Declining
We are pleased to see that case numbers are declining in Deschutes County.  And, because of the flexibility included in the new school guidance and as we have demonstrated our adherence to the health and safety protocols, we are able to remain in-person for PK-8 with upper school in the hybrid model.

Update on Vaccines for Staff 
At the end of last week our staff became eligible for their first doses of the vaccine, and more than 95% of us were able to get appointments over the weekend. We are deeply grateful to St. Charles and the National Guard for running an efficient and safe process at the fairgrounds.

Testing Update
We are pleased to report that 139 individuals are signed up to begin our periodic testing through CENTOGENE on Monday, February 8. If you signed your child up you will receive additional details from Toni Congedo soon. Thank you to all who are participating in this additional health and safety mitigation strategy!

In addition, we are finalizing our setup for on-site symptomatic testing with the BinaxNow test provided to us by the county. Beginning March 1, schools in counties that are in the "extreme risk" category will be required to offer these tests on-site if they are holding classes in-person. You will soon receive an additional consent form for this test that will request your permission for us to test your child should they develop symptoms while on campus.

Onward
As always, I am grateful to each and every one of you for your continued flexibility, resilience, and grace as we forge onward in 2021. I welcome your questions and thoughts any time. 

Warmly,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

Today, we have updates to share with you from OHA and ODE as well as reminders about our progress with testing and vaccines.

New Guidelines from ODE/OHA
As part of its planned guidance and metrics review process with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) released an update to the Ready Schools, Safe Learners guidance yesterday.  The updated guidance includes updated advisory metrics for in-person instruction. The metrics are based on the latest COVID-19 studies / data and help Oregon's schools make informed decisions about returning to in-person instruction.

While health metrics have shifted from required to advisory, schools must follow all the required guidelines, and we will continue to do so as we have since September. ODE Director, Colt Gill, emphasized that schools have demonstrated their ability to implement health and safety protocols with fidelity and that has led to limited transmission in school environments. What this means for us is that we must stay the course with our daily screenings, distancing, face coverings, and hand hygiene. We appreciate your continued diligence with all of these efforts!

Below are the highlights from the new guidance that want want to share with you:

• New metrics were published and the "red zone" is now defined as >350 cases per 100,000 residents in a two-week period and/or >10% test positivity. As of this week, Deschutes County had 410.9 cases and 6.9% test positivity.
• If in the red zone, schools must begin offering testing for students with symptoms or known exposure beginning March 1. As we mentioned last week, we are working with DCPH on this and will have it in place soon.
• In addition, if a county is in the red zone, Comprehensive Distance Learning (CDL) is advised, however, because we are already open, we are not required to reduce in-person learning or revert to CDL based on the metrics as long as we can demonstrate the ability to limit transmission in the school environment.
• Schools must offer a virtual option for families who are high-risk or not comfortable coming to campus. We will continue to provide the virtual program as we have been doing, and it is available to you if you want to switch from in-person at any point.

Update on Vaccines for Faculty and Staff
We have been informed that our faculty and staff are slated to receive vaccines beginning on January 25. We look forward to sharing more information as this rollout begins. We could not be more thrilled for this opportunity for our educators!

CENTOGENE Testing Begins February 8
As we shared with you yesterday, we will begin periodic testing for monitoring of asymptomatic cases on Monday, February 8, and expect to continue on a bi-weekly basis. We will have a clearer sense of how frequently students/staff will have the option to be tested once we know the total number of students/staff who are interested in participating. Our hope is that the majority of our students and staff will opt-in to this voluntary program to assist us in monitoring asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 within our community. 

To register your child, please complete the following steps by Monday, January 25:

• Read the Notice of Privacy and Confidentiality Practices.
• Fill out the CENTOGENE COVID-19 RT-PCR Testing Request Form on Steelhead Connect.
• Submit scans/photos of both sides of your child's health insurance card on this form.

On this Inauguration Day, I was struck by the moment in history in which we stand. The past year has tested us on many levels, yet at the same time I was moved by the words of the National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, when she stated, "Even as we hurt, we hoped." As we continue to work through the challenges of the pandemic, I am grounded in the hope and joy that we find in our work with your children.

Warmly,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

Thank you for your attention to our weekly COVID-19 updates. We will continue to provide you midweek updates as we have new information to share from our public health partners. Today, we are excited to share some good news with you about some additional tools we will soon have access to that will increase our mitigation efforts on campus: vaccines for faculty and staff, periodic PCR testing, and on-site rapid testing. 

Faculty and Staff Vaccination Update
We have been in touch with the High Desert Educational Service District and Deschutes County Public Health about the prioritization of school faculty and staff for the vaccine. They have already begun assembling lists of staff members, and we are hearing indications that educators in Deschutes County will receive their vaccines next month. In our conversations with faculty and staff, the enthusiasm about their ability to get the vaccine in the coming weeks is palpable, and we are excited about the additional layer of protection it will provide. As required by OHA, faculty and staff will continue to practice social distancing and wear face coverings even after they have received both doses of their vaccine. 

In other exciting vaccine news, Ms. Marti Fields Johnson, our beloved Front Office Coordinator, received her first dose of the vaccine last Friday! She has been a volunteer at St. Charles for several years in the NICU and was delighted to be included in their hospital volunteer vaccination program.

If you're interested in learning more about the vaccine and how it works, we invite you to check out this St. Charles Doc Talk: Hope on the Horizon from earlier in the week and visit the CDC's updated page with vaccine FAQs.

New On-Site Testing Programs
We are excited about two approaches to testing that we will soon have access to here on-site.  According to the CDC, schools can benefit from developing a testing strategy if they are conducting classes in-person and are located in a high-risk area. In addition to testing of symptomatic community members, offering repeat testing to randomly-selected asymptomatic teachers, staff, and students at the school is beneficial in reducing community transmission.  Participation in our testing program will be voluntary and will require parent/guardian consent.  

Rapid Testing for Symptomatic Students and Staff

Families and staff have been doing an excellent job reporting symptoms to us and staying home when not feeling well. In the rare event that a student or staff member were to develop COVID-19 symptoms while on campus, we will soon have access to on-site rapid testing using Abbott's BinaxNOW™ rapid antigen test. Rapid antigen tests are easy to use and provide fast results. This nasal-swab test is used for detecting active COVID-19 infection in people who are within the first 7 days of symptoms and provides results within 15 minutes. There is no cost for families or staff for the rapid tests; these tests will be provided to us through Deschutes County Public Health at no charge.  We hope to have these rapid tests available within a few weeks and will share more details as soon as possible.

Periodic Testing of Asymptomatic Students and Staff 

We also know that it is possible to be a carrier of COVID-19 without having any symptoms at all. Periodic, voluntary testing will allow us to monitor the potential for asymptomatic COVID-19 cases within our school community and is an added safeguard to minimizing the spread of the virus.  

As a member of OESIS, an innovation network of more than 600 schools, we are eligible to take advantage of a partnership for COVID-19 testing with CENTOGENE. The partnership offers RT-PCR testing that allows schools to conduct COVID-19 screening on-site and receive the results within 72 hours. This test uses an oropharyngeal (throat) swab and will be administered by a registered nurse. This link provides a simulation of the testing process. 

There is no cost to staff or families for the CENTOGENE test for people who have health insurance. If insurance does not fully cover the test, CENTOGENE will absorb the difference so that no fees will be passed on to any staff member or student.   

As it will take a few weeks for us to set up this system, our target date for beginning testing is February 1. You will receive an email from us soon with instructions on how to opt in to this testing service for your child. In order for us to achieve the target date, we will need families to respond quickly to the opportunity to opt in.

We are grateful to have the opportunity to add these additional tools to our health and safety protocols.  Next week, ODE and OHA will also be providing updated guidance to the Ready Schools, Safe Learners guidance, and we look forward to sharing that information with you as we learn more.

Thank you for your continued patience, encouragement, and hope as we forge ahead into 2021. We are here as always to answer your questions.
 

Warmly,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

Despite yesterday's tumultuous events, we continue to find a sense of joy and grounding in connecting with your children this week.  On Monday, when I asked teachers what they were most looking forward to, the overwhelming response was, "Seeing the kids again!"  We couldn't be happier to be back in session.

We are also thrilled to share the news that we will be able to welcome our upper school students back to campus for an in-person hybrid experience beginning the week of January 19.  Joshua Klaus will be sending more details in his newsletter to upper school families and students tomorrow, and we are so happy and grateful to be able to welcome our full student body back to campus.  In preparation for our return to in-person learning, here are some important updates and reminders.

Follow-up to Case in 5th Grade Before Break
Good news: there were no additional COVID-19 cases in the 5th grade class which means there was no transmission on campus.  We sincerely appreciated the excellent support we received from Deschutes County Public Health in navigating our first case of a positive student with on-campus exposure. We feel even more prepared to navigate any future cases, and we thank all of the families in the 5th grade class for their incredible responsiveness, flexibility, and support.

Your Choices Make All the Difference
As we get ready to return to in-person learning, we ask that all Cascades Academy families continue to do your part to limit potential exposure and possible transmission of COVID-19.   As a reminder, we require that families follow all local and state advisories and executive orders about travel, group gatherings, physical distancing, and mask wearing in order to be able to participate in the in-person learning program.  Taking proactive measures such as these will help us keep our students on campus.  Your choices not only protect your family, they also potentially have a ripple effect on dozens of families, students, and siblings. Thank you so much for your continued diligence and support!

As a reminder, the governor's latest executive order created county by county mandatory guidelines.  The guidelines most relevant to our school community include:

• Social gatherings, whether indoor or outdoors, should be limited to no more than six people with a recommendation of no more than two households
• A 14-day travel quarantine is still required in Oregon despite the CDC changing its guidelines to 10 days

We continue to see evidence that informal gatherings are the most common spreader of COVID-19.  As such, we ask that you please follow the current guidelines for gatherings including playdates and family get-togethers.  We also recommend that in order to keep playdates as safe as possible that students follow "school rules" which includes wearing masks and social distancing. 

The ability for our students to remain in school is dependent on our individual choices.  I know we are all making sacrifices, and sometimes these sacrifices feel really difficult.  In addition,  each of us has our own feelings about what feels safe and what doesn't.  Our role as a school is not to judge a family's choices.  For example, we understand that travel or gatherings may occur.  Those activities in and of themselves are not either good or bad.  We just ask that if you travel, participate in a large gathering, or engage in any other activity that doesn't quite feel safe that your student please join the virtual program for 14 days.  Your adherence to these guidelines demonstrates your commitment to our families, faculty and staff.  You all have been doing a fantastic job.  Keep it up! 

Bringing Visibility to Our Safety Measures
We took some time earlier this week to reflect on our current policies and guidelines and review them with our faculty and staff.  We will continue to reinforce social distancing, mask wearing, and hand hygiene as well as opening classroom windows to circulate even more fresh air regularly throughout the day.  Even though our current air circulation system meets CDC recommendations, we think adding a few more doses of fresh air throughout the day is even safer.  We will continue to have K-12 students eat lunch outside unless the weather makes it unbearable, and lower school students may still eat snacks in their classroom with the windows open.  As such, please be sure your child arrives at school with plenty of warm layers so that they can be comfortable throughout the day.  It is now officially winter after all!

We also want to remind families that there is risk in attending school in-person as noted in the  Acknowledgement of Risk statement earlier this fall.  If at any time you are not comfortable with your child attending in-person classes, please reach out to your child's division head to consider a switch to our virtual program.

Vaccine Questions
We have started to field questions from families about what our policy will be around the COVID-19 vaccine. Please know that we are in contact with OHA and that as we learn more information about the vaccine, we will be sure to share it with you. We are optimistic that our faculty and staff will be able to receive vaccines soon after the healthcare/long-term care workers.  As the pediatric vaccine is not yet available, we don't have any information on what that will look like for students.

Gratitude. Appreciation. Joy. Resilience. Hope. Dedication. Love. Trust. These were the words that filled my heart when I returned to campus earlier this week.  These words are also my wishes for you as we welcome students back to campus in the new year.  We look forward to seeing you soon!

Warmly,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

When we dismissed for break, we didn't anticipate that there would be any new developments from the governor or ODE during the winter holidays.  But, this is 2020 after all, and I am writing today with some potentially good news.

In her letter last week, the governor announced that beginning January 1, 2021, the Health Metrics for Returning to In-Person Instruction (RSSL, Section 0) will transition from mandatory requirements in the guidance to advisory recommendations. This change will mean that decisions about what instructional model to operate in will move through a local process, with guidance from ODE and OHA on how districts and schools should consider the county metrics and local conditions.

Governor Brown's letter also calls for other additional actions including:

• A prioritization for school leaders and educators to work together to resume in-person instruction,
• Vaccine prioritization for educators and school staff,
• Additional access to COVID-19 testing for students and school staff,
• Alignment between OSHA and RSSL guidance
• Importantly, a review and possible update to the advisory Health Metrics for Returning to In-Person Instruction to be published on or before January 19, 2021.

So what does this mean for Cascades Academy?  For our kindergarten through 8th grade students, it means we stay the course as planned with virtual learning the week of January 5 and in-person instruction beginning the week of January 11.  For our upper school students, this announcement potentially has big implications on their ability to return to some model of in-person instruction in mid to late January.   

As a first step, we will need to work closely with Deschutes County Public Health to make sure we are given the go ahead to add US students given local metrics and conditions.  In addition, the upper school team will need time to discuss how to handle both the timing and the transition to in-person learning.  The original in-person plan was a hybrid model, and the US team will need time to determine what is best for students moving forward.  Returning to in-person learning is not as simple as just welcoming students back to campus.  There are myriad scheduling, facility, and staffing considerations that will need to be addressed.  In addition, we will want to gather information from US families to better understand who will choose to return for in-person learning and who will choose to remain in the virtual program.  

Although there are many details to be worked through, we see this recent announcement from the governor as a significant policy shift in the right direction, and we look forward to welcoming our upper school students back to campus just as quickly as possible!

Helpful Dates and Reminders

As a reminder, here is a summary of the schedule for the first two weeks of January:

• January 4:  Professional Development Day.  No classes
  • 3:00pm:  Virtual learning parent zoom for K and 1st grade
  • 4:00pm:  Virtual learning parent zoom for 2nd and 3rd grade
• January 5:
  • PK resumes for in-person learning 
  • K-12 begins virtual learning
• January 11:
  • K-8 resumes for in-person learning
  • 9-12 continues virtual learning and begins limited in-person instruction  

As a reminder, in order to be eligible for in-person classes on January 11, your child must have returned home from out-of-state travel no later than December 27.  If your child will not be returning in-person on January 11, please let your child's teacher/Division Head and Toni Congedo know.

Happy New Year

Since the governor gave me a wonderful reason to reach out to you before the close of 2020, let me use this opportunity to wish you and your family a wonderful new year ahead full of hope, health, and love.

Warmly,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

We have some incredible news to share with you!  We have confirmed that we will be able to continue with in-person classes for kindergarten-8th grade in January due to the Safe Harbor changes.  In their communication about this change in policy, ODE stated,  

"Schools in Oregon that have continued operating in counties with case rates/counts or test positivity, in the "Distance Learning" (red column) have generally not experienced transmission at the school site. Adherence to public health protocols in Ready Schools, Safe Learners Guidance Sections 1-3 appear to be effective in reducing the risk of spread. These protocols include entry screening and exclusion practices, maintaining small cohorts, wearing face coverings at all times, maintaining physical distancing, implementing hand washing routines, readiness to respond to exposure, and more."

We understand and support that some families will choose to engage with the program virtually while classes continue in-person. If this is a new decision for your family, please be sure your child's teacher/Division Head is aware so that we can be prepared to meet everyone's needs after the break.    

There are many criteria that must be met in order for us to continue in-person: 

• The school cannot experience unrelated individual cases in two or more separate cohorts without a known source of exposure;
• The school cannot experience two or more clusters (2 or more confirmed cases) with onset within 14 days of one another;
• The school must be able to maintain staff capacity to adequately serve students 

Although we have implemented all of the required mitigation strategies, in order to reduce the possibility of cases within the school, we must rely on you.  We ask that you please continue to be mindful of ALL health and safety guidelines from the CDC and OHA.  Due to Deschutes County's risk level, social gatherings, whether indoor or outdoors, are limited to no more than six people and the recommendation is to limit the gathering to two households.  These guidelines apply to any and all kinds of gatherings: playdates, family get-togethers, or holiday celebrations, and it is critical that we all adhere to these guidelines to diminish the spread of COVID-19.

We continue to see data indicating that small gatherings without social distancing and face coverings are contributing to transmission. Our recommendation would be that "school rules"  apply any time you are gathering with those outside your own household. 

To increase our chances of staying in person in 2021, we have decided to be virtual the week of January 5-8 for kindergarten-12th grade.  We know that many people may be deciding to travel and or gather with family during the winter break given the two-week time period.  It is worth noting that according to the CDC, "The safest way to celebrate winter holidays is to celebrate at home with the people who live with you. Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others."  That said, we are choosing to have K-12 be virtual the week of January 4 in order to mitigate the potential risk of exposure from any potential winter break gatherings / travel. Here is a summary of the schedule for the first two weeks of January:

• Pre-k may resume in-person learning on Tuesday, January 5 as previously planned. 
• K-12 will be virtual from January 5-8.
• K-8 will resume in-person classes and upper school limited in-person instruction on Monday, January 11.  
• The middle school program will be in-person Monday-Thursday beginning on the 11th and will have virtual classes Friday mornings, leaving Friday afternoons open for the winter sports program. Additional details about the middle school schedule will be communicated by Aaron Moorhead soon.

If you do travel out of state over the break, the travel advisory is still in effect and students will need to self-quarantine for 14 days after returning home before they may come to campus for in-person classes or limited in-person instruction times.  In order to be eligible for in-person classes on January 11, your child must return home no later than December 27.  If your child will not be returning in-person on January 11, please let your child's teacher/Division Head and Toni Congedo know as soon as possible. 

Latest Metrics
We have seen a slight improvement in our county numbers for the past two weeks.  In fact our highest county case counts were actually before Thanksgiving.  It appears that we did not see the Thanksgiving surge as was predicted, and we reiterate our thanks to everything who made tough individual decisions to support our collective effort to combat transmission. Here is the Deschutes County data as of this week: 

2021 Calendar: Spring Break
When we were creating the 2020-21 school calendar, we found it prudent to put a placeholder on the second week of our spring break as possible COVID make up days, not knowing if we might need to adapt our schedule due to unknowns with the virus. At this point, we have decided to keep the full two-week spring break in place, meaning that we will be closed from March 22-April 2 with a Professional Development Day on Monday, April 5. Classes will resume on Tuesday, April 6. You can download a revised version of the calendar here.

Staying Busy over the Break
Looking for some inspiration for different activities during the break?  Here are some of our favorite tips for winter activities:

• Winter Crafts
  • Gingerbread House Contest
  • PBS Kids Holiday Crafts 
  • PBS Kids Play and Learn for All Ages 
• Support our Cascades Academy family businesses
  • If you'd like to have your business added to the list, please email Jess Rose.
• Visit Zoos and Museums from Home
  • High Desert Museum 
  • Virtual Museum Tours
  • Oregon Zoo Activities
  • San Diego Zoo Cameras
• Community Service
• Explore the outdoors on snowshoes, skis, or skates! 

The Spirit of the Season
As we enter into the final weeks of 2020, I am reminded of how this time of year offers a unique juxtaposition of both looking back and looking ahead.  It is a time for reflecting on the many challenges, blessings, and opportunities that 2020 has bestowed upon us both individually and collectively.  And, it also offers us an opportunity to ground ourselves in feelings of hope and a sense of a new beginning in the new year.  May the spirit of the season provide you with just what your family needs right now.  We look forward to celebrating the hope of the new year with you in January.
 

Sincerely,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

Thank you all for your continued engagement and perseverance as we work our way through the final month of 2020! I heard from many of you after our letter about our advocacy to the state yesterday and appreciate your words of encouragement and support.  

K-8 Virtual Program Begins January 5, 2021
At the end of this week please be on the lookout for a communication from your child's Division Head with schedules and other helpful information regarding the virtual learning program for January.  

For K-3 families, we will also be hosting Community Conversations via Zoom at 5pm on Tuesday, December 15 (K-1) and Wednesday, December 16 (2-3) as well as class-specific meetings on Monday, January 4 with teachers.  The goal for these conversations is to provide information about what to expect with the virtual program and highlight available support resources.

Pre-kindergarten will continue with their regular 8:30am-2:30pm in-person schedule with classes resuming on Tuesday, January 5. 

Assuming the guidance doesn't change between now and January, we will move forward with our K-12 virtual learning program. If the guidance changes, we will certainly be sure to let you know. Here is the Deschutes County data as of today:  

Social Gathering Restrictions & Travel Advisory
Deschutes County remains in the "extreme risk" category, meaning that indoor or outdoor social gatherings are limited to six people and the recommendation is for no more than two households to mix.  The Governor's travel advisory also remains in place.  We ask that you please keep this guidance in mind when making your winter break plans.  

Minimizing Crowds at Drop-Off & Pick-Up
We have noticed that sometimes crowds are happening during drop-off and pick-up times and want to remind everyone of the importance of social distancing during these times. We have also noticed that dogs tend to be magnets for students from different cohorts congregating with less than six feet of distance.  We ask that you please do your best to minimize dogs on campus and follow our safety protocols during these times. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

As always, we welcome your questions and remain grateful to be navigating this time together. 

Warmly,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

I hope you found both joy and rejuvenation during the Thanksgiving holiday.  We are certainly looking forward to welcoming PK-8th grade students back for in-person learning and reconnecting with our upper school students in the virtual space tomorrow.  In advance of that, we wanted to share some important reminders and updates.

Quarantine Reminder

First, we extend a heartfelt thank you for your understanding and cooperation with the governor's travel advisory and two-week freeze guidelines that were issued right before the break.  We appreciated your open and honest communication and acknowledge that many of you changed your plans as a result.  We know that these decisions were difficult ones, and we thank you for making these tough decisions in support of our community's effort to control the spread of Covid-19.

As a reminder, any student or staff member who travelled out of state during the two-week freeze (November 18-December 2) must quarantine for 14 days after returning from travel prior to being able to return to campus.   In addition, if you engaged in any large social gatherings with more than six people or two households, it is advised that you quarantine before returning to school as well.

We are expecting a continued surge in Covid-19 infections in our Central Oregon community as a result of the Thanksgiving holiday, and we appreciate you doing all you can to mitigate the spread into our school community.

Metrics Update 

As you may be aware, Deschutes County entered the "red zone" for the first time last week, and we will most certainly remain in the red zone again this week.  Although the data will not be confirmed until the end of the day Monday, we wanted to be sure to let you know that we continue to be in close communication with the Deschutes County Public Health (DCPH) department.  As of today, we are allowed to remain in in-person classes through December 18 for students in grades PK-8.  Schools continue to prove that they are able to mitigate Covid-19 transmission given the precautions and systems in place.  At the same time, DCPH may advise for a sooner transition to virtual learning should local factors necessitate it.  

At this point, we are planning for a switch to virtual learning for students in grades K-12 beginning on January 5.  PK will be able to remain on campus.  We will still be able to offer limited in-person instruction for grades K-12 and are currently working on this potential schedule.  While we would like to remain optimistic that case rates will come down, we will only be allowed to return to full-time in-person classes after the winter break should case rates return to the "yellow" range.  We will continue to send weekly updates and will take the next three weeks to thoughtfully plan for this transition.
Here is the Deschutes County data as of today:

As always, we remain committed to offering timely and transparent communication as it becomes available.  Thank you for your continued support and engagement.  We really look forward to welcoming students back to school tomorrow!

Warmly,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

As we write our last (hopefully) metrics update prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, let me begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to our entire Cascades Academy community - students, parents, trustees, faculty and staff  - for your heartfelt support, tireless dedication, and utmost flexibility over the last few months.  Perhaps like me you had started to feel your "rhythm" navigating the pandemic and now that rhythm is starting to feel a little different as we watch cases increase locally, nationally, and globally, and states impose new restrictions on businesses, gatherings, and travel.  Frankly, it's a lot to digest, and I continue to be so grateful that we are able to navigate this time together.

Two-Week Freeze and Travel Advisory
Since the governor's press conference last Friday, we have received clarification from both OHA and ODE that any student or staff member who travels out of state during the two-week freeze (November 18-December 2) must quarantine for 14 days after returning from travel prior to being able to return to campus no matter what the circumstances are of their travel.  We had hoped to allow families to return to campus after a negative Covid test, and unfortunately, this is not permissible.  I regret that we aren't able to offer this additional latitude or our families.

If you are planning on traveling out of state, please reach out to our Health Coordinator, Toni Congedo, with the details of your travel or any questions or concerns you may have.  We are here to offer our guidance and support as you make decisions for your family during the upcoming holidays.  Toni will then communicate with each division head which students will be in-quarantine upon return from the Thanksgiving break.  Your child's teacher or division head will be in touch this week to coordinate how to support your children virtually during the quarantine period.

These new restrictions as well as the travel advisory go into effect tomorrow. According to OHA, "Social gatherings continue to fuel transmission. OHA is urging Oregonians to rethink their social activities over the next few weeks and to reconsider their holiday plans."  Indoor social gatherings are limited to a maximum of two households and no more than six people total. 

Again, we thank you for doing everything you can to help to contribute to the health and safety of our community and maximize the chances that grades PK-8 can continue to benefit from our in-person program, and we can move closer to being able to welcome our 9-12th graders back to campus.
 

Metrics Update and 'Safe Harbor' Good News
We confirmed from OHA today that we did remain in the "orange zone" for another two week period.  While this is certainly better than crossing into the "red zone," we continue to see numbers in Deschutes County increasing.  We certainly hope that the travel advisory and two-week freeze will contribute to our numbers decreasing in the near future.

Here is the Deschutes County data as of today: 

We also learned that because our PK-8 students are already engaged in on-campus learning, they will be able to remain in-person for classes until the end of 2020 even if the numbers cross into the "red zone."  In other words, the "safe harbor" applies to all students in grades PK-8 not just PK-3 as we communicated in our November 10 email.  

We will continue to monitor the 14-day data closely.  If the cases are in the "red zone" for the two weeks prior to our scheduled return from Winter Break on January 5, we will be forced to switch to virtual learning for kindergarten-8th grade at that time.  As previously mentioned, because pre-kindergarten is considered essential childcare, that class will remain in-person as long as the cohort does not have any positive cases of COVID-19. 

We will do our best to anticipate how to navigate that possible transition smoothly.  Between now and Winter Break we will continue to keep you updated and will share more details in late December about what classes might look like in January so that you can prepare for the impact it may have on your work schedules and childcare needs. If we are in the virtual learning model, we will still be able to bring students in for the limited in-person instruction of two hours at a time as we did this fall with 4th-12th grade.
 

Tips for Keeping Busy over Thanksgiving Break
As our plan to visit sunny Arizona was clearly no longer in the cards, the favorite topic around our dinner table has been, "So what are we going to do next week?"  I hope you'll find some of the following links helpful in your planning.  We will be sharing ideas at the upcoming Family Association meeting this Thursday at 9:30am as well.  

• For younger children, PBS Parents has a great tool where you can input your child's age, a topic, and a type of activity and it will give you all kinds of ideas from cooking, to crafts, and much more.
• For kids of all ages, check out these ideas from REI such as scavenger hunts, geocaching, and more.
• For tweens and teens, take your family movie night to the next level with a film from the Greater Good Science Center's list of 10 New Movies to Make You Feel Better About Being Stuck at Home.
• For the whole family, Central Oregon has countless outdoor activities, and the snow is already flying.  Get out there and go hiking, sledding, skiing, or snowshoeing.  Or, do what we did last weekend and head up to Mt. Bachelor and build a snow fort for three hours!  With the mountain not opening until December 7, this year may be one of the few years that Thanksgiving break will be "locals only."

Understanding Clear2School Screening Questions
We appreciate your patience over the past week as we navigated some technical difficulties with the Clear2School app. If you are still having trouble completing the survey, please delete the app and reinstall it from the App Store. If that doesn't fix the problem, feel free to reach out to Health Coordinator, Toni Congedo.

Some families have asked what the protocol will be when answering "yes" to questions on the Clear2School app. Because not all affirmative answers necessarily result in being asked to stay home, we wanted to provide some clarity on what will happen in the various scenarios. Please see the updated Family FAQ document for detailed explanations.

You Can Help Speed Up Morning Drop-off Procedures
You can help us speed up our morning check-in process by showing us the green check on your phone each morning either at your check-in table or when you drop your middle schooler off in the traffic circle.  Parents with both lower and middle school students are welcome to use the traffic circle for drop-off.  We ask that if you only have lower school students that you please park and walk your students down for check-in.  Thank you!

A Grateful Heart
Recently, I came across this quote by Jefferson Bethke, "Thankfulness is the quickest path to joy."  Despite the challenges of the last weeks and months, I continue to find incredible joy in the promise and strength of our school community, in the majesty and serenity of our Central Oregon surroundings, in the simplicity of good health, and in the enduring love of family and loved ones.  May the spirit of the Thanksgiving season also touch your heart with thankfulness and joy.

Warmly,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

Today, as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations hit record highs in Oregon, Governor Kate Brown implemented a state-wide "two-week freeze" from November 18-December 2.  She outlined new restrictions on social gatherings, retail capacity, restaurants/bars, and gyms, but did not make any changes to personal services, childcare, or school guidelines.  Governor Brown also joined the Governors of California and Washington in issuing a travel advisory imploring residents to stay home for Thanksgiving and recommending a 14-day self-quarantine after non-essential out-of-state travel.

I'm requesting that you please follow the Governor's new guidance and travel advisory.  I strongly believe that doing so is in the best interest of our students, faculty, families, and Central Oregon community as we head into the holiday season. On a personal note, I can share that my family had plans to fly to Arizona to see my parents for Thanksgiving, and we recently decided to cancel our trip due to the significant increase in cases nationwide and the potential exposure we may have unintentionally brought back to our school community. 

If you follow the travel advisory, no action is required.  If you choose not to follow the travel advisory, returning to school will now only be allowed after contacting Health Coordinator, Toni Congedo with the details of your travel and completing one of the following options:

• Self-quarantine of all household members who traveled for 14 days after your return.
• Get a COVID-19 test for everyone in your household who traveled three days after returning home; students may not attend school while waiting for the three days to pass or while test results for any household members are pending.
   

For those of you who aren't traveling, we ask that you do everything you can to mitigate risk by interacting with as few people as possible outside of your household. The new guidance from the Governor limits indoor social gatherings to no more than two households and a maximum of 6 people. Even when gathering with just one other household, you must still wear masks when not eating or drinking and maintain social distance at all times.

I know the holidays are an important time to reconnect with our family and loved ones.  Consider taking this opportunity to reimagine what Thanksgiving might look like this year, start a new tradition, and find gratitude for health and family this season.  The decisions you make over the coming weeks are critical to increasing or decreasing our chances of keeping our PK-8th grade students in school and eventually bringing back our upper school students.  Critical to us being able to keep students on campus is a proven track record of mitigating Covid-19 exposure and transmission in our school community.  

Thank you for your ongoing sacrifices and your commitment to making our school community as safe as possible. We know how difficult these decisions are, and we are grateful for your partnership and dedication to prioritizing our community's health and our students' education.

Sincerely,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

Yesterday we welcomed the majority of our 4th-8th grade students back to in-person learning, with a handful of students remaining in the virtual program. It was a joyous morning watching them arrive and settle into a new and very different routine. And, we were pleased to connect with our virtual students from home as well.  In some respects, it felt like the first day of school all over again, and we expect that we will all need to give ourselves some grace as we transition into this new model.  I would like to extend a special thanks to our teachers for all of the work they put in over the summer to be ready for this moment. Because of their diligent planning and preparation, they were able to implement the in-person program only a few days after hearing of our ability to return.

We continue to watch the data in Deschutes County closely. Here is the data as of today: 

As you can see, we have seen significant increases in Deschutes County over the past two weeks.  If cases continue to rise, the following may occur:

• If the county case rate increases to over 200 per 100,000 residents over a two-week period, we will be forced to return to virtual learning for our 4th-8th graders as soon as is feasible.  
• We have confirmed with ODE/OHA that our K-3rd graders will still be allowed to remain in person until at least January 3.  If case counts continue to stay above the 200 per 100,000 residents over a two-week period beyond January 3, we may be forced to switch to virtual learning for our K-3rd graders as well. 
• There have been no changes to the guidelines for pre-k, so we expect them to remain in-person.
   

Indeed, we are fortunate to be one of the few schools with many of our students back on campus, but we simply cannot let our guard down.  We must continue our vigilance to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as infections continue to increase in our community.  This includes keeping students with any symptoms at home, making wise and safe decisions regarding social gatherings, and adhering to CDC guidelines for the upcoming holidays.  And, we must encourage our friends, family, and other community members to do the same.  Preventing community spread will be essential to allowing our students to remain on campus for in-person learning.

Social Gatherings Are Driving Transmission
According to the Oregon Health Authority, "data from recent weeks continues to show that increased spread is due to small informal gatherings rather than large workplace or other outbreaks."  Our ability to remain open and to eventually bring back our upper school students hinges on avoiding cases in our school community. OHA has stated that, "Schools are not major drivers of COVID-19 spread across Oregon. Cases are appearing at schools because there is more community spread." Please do your part to avoid high-risk situations so that we can continue to hold in-person classes.

Thanksgiving Advice from OHA
As cases continue to rise in Oregon and across the country, we are reminded by the CDC and OHA that, "It is safest to stay home and celebrate. If you decide to travel, go with members of your household and drive to your destination instead of flying, if possible. It's a good idea to get a COVID-19 test before going anywhere, but it's important to note that a negative test result is NOT a free pass. Some COVID-19 tests produce a high percentage of false negatives, so even if you test negative, follow stringent safety protocols if you travel."

Please remember when making holiday plans that we highly recommend a COVID-19 test upon returning home. And, if anyone in your household has a pending test, the students in the family may not come to in-person classes until the test result is negative. Rapid testing for asymptomatic patients is available at BMC.

Welcoming our 4th-8th graders back to campus yesterday was both a gift and a reminder of just how precious and unique it is to be together.  We thank you for your continued support of your students and of our school community.

Sincerely,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

Thanks in advance for reading this email in its entirety.  It's a long one, and it has some really exciting and important news in it.

The Governor's Office, the Oregon Department of Education, and the Oregon Health Authority released updated guidance last week for schools with the goal of prioritizing the return of all students to in-person instruction.  Based on the data from the 14-day period October 11-24, we are now eligible to bring 4th-8th grades back to full-time in-person instruction beginning Monday, November 9.  

Why is the change being made now?
In spite of the increasing case numbers in Oregon, these updated guidelines address the Governor's goal of returning students to in-person instruction. These new metrics are also in line with the CDC and other states and countries who have successfully reopened their schools.  It has also been determined through data and other research studies that schools are not sites of increased transmission because of the stringent screening and mitigation strategies in place. 

The changing guidance does not diminish our need for vigilance around all of our health and safety measures. To the contrary, it reinforces the need for us to remain committed to doing everything we can to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Metrics Changes:
The table below represents the new statewide metrics.  The following is a summary of the most important changes:

• Schools can now open when the county has under 100 cases per 100,000 population over the course of two weeks (this is a change from weekly measures of 30 per 100K for grades K-3 and 10 per 100K for grades 4-12)
• The metrics are measured on a two-week rolling average (previously schools needed to meet the metrics for three straight weeks before reopening)
• State positivity rate will no longer be included (only county case positivity will be taken into account)

Because Deschutes County has been in the yellow zone through October 24, we are now eligible to bring our 4th-8th graders back. We have received approval to include our entire middle school in the return to in-person classes because we have committed to keeping our students in stable cohorts. And, even if a county starts to see numbers in the orange or red zone, schools are expected to work with their local health departments to determine if/when a return to virtual learning is necessary. 

Virtual Program Choice
If your child prefers to continue with the Virtual Program when in-person instruction resumes, please contact your child's Division Head, Jessi Christiansen (4th/5th) or Aaron Moorhead (middle school), by the end of day on Thursday, November 5.  Students in the Virtual Program will follow the schedule of in-person learners in the concurrent classroom model. 

4th/5th Grade Schedule
Fourth and fifth grade students will be on campus from 8:30am-2:30pm. Additional details will be shared at the end of this week about what students should bring with them to school.

Please be sure to take your child's temperature and complete the Clear2School app before traveling to school. Drop off is from 8:15-8:30am.  After parking in the main lot, please walk your child to their designated entrance: fourth grade to the door near the gym and fifth grade to the main doors. Pick up is at 2:30pm; please park in the lot and walk down to your child's door for pick up.

6th-8th Grade Schedule
In order to help middle school students adjust to the routines of being on campus for full days, we will ease into the in-person schedule next week with half days on Monday and Tuesday (8:45-12:00), no classes on Wednesday for Veterans Day, and full days on Thursday and Friday and going forward (8:45-3:00).  Additional details will be shared at the end of this week about what students should bring with them to school.   

To drop off your middle school student:

• You must take your child's temperature and complete the Clear2School survey before leaving home in the morning.
• Middle school students may arrive between 8:30-8:45am. Classes begin promptly at 8:45.
• Pull into the circle; please pull all the way forward to the rock.
• When a staff member approaches your vehicle, please have your Clear2school app open on your device and be ready to show the green check mark at the end of the survey.
• Once your child has been cleared, they may exit the vehicle, sanitize their hands, and enter at the main doors.
• If you do not complete the temperature check and survey at home, a staff member will take your child's temperature and you will be asked to park, complete the app, and then re-enter the drop off line to be cleared. Because this extra step will significantly slow down our check-in process, we appreciate your effort in completing the app at home before you come to school.

To pick up your middle school student:

• Middle school pick up is at 3:00pm (beginning on Thursday, November 12)
• Pull into the circle, as far forward toward the stairs as possible.
• A staff member will approach your vehicle to get your child's name/grade and radio for them to exit the building and meet you at your vehicle.

Next Steps for 9th-12th Grade
There were also some revisions made in the guidelines that could increase our ability to offer more limited in-person on-campus time for 9th-12th grade students. The upper school team will be discussing this possibility, and we certainly want to make sure we understand how increasing these sessions may be impacted by parents' ability to transport students to and from school.  

In addition, if case counts are in the yellow zone of the chart above for four weeks, and we can demonstrate that there has not been transmission in our school community, we will consult with Deschutes County Public Health regarding 9th-12th grades coming back to campus for their hybrid schedule. We will continue to keep you posted on the metrics.

Thanksgiving Travel
If you travel during Thanksgiving break, it's important to understand that you may have been exposed to COVID-19 while you were away. According to the CDC, "You may feel well and not have any symptoms, but you can be contagious without symptoms and spread the virus to others. You and your travel companions (including children) pose a risk to your family, friends, and community for 14 days after you were exposed to the virus." This recent NPR article reminds families that the safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving is to stay home.  Here are examples of activities and situations that can increase your risk of exposure to COVID-19:

• Being in an area that is experiencing high levels of COVID-19, including destinations with a Level 3 Travel Health Notice. You can check the Travel Health Notices for individual states here.  
• Going to a large social gathering like a wedding, funeral, or party or attending a gathering where you do not know everyone
• Attending a mass gathering like a sporting event, concert, or parade.
• Being in crowds – for example, in restaurants, bars, airports, bus and train stations, or movie theaters.
• Traveling on a cruise ship or river boat.

If you participated in higher risk activities or think that you may have been exposed before or during your trip, the CDC recommends that you stay home as much as possible, avoid being around people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, and consider getting tested for COVID-19. If anyone in your household has a pending COVID-19 test, the students in the family may not come to in-person classes until the test result is negative.

Thursday, November 5, 5:00pm Zoom Q & A
We will be hosting a zoom session on Thursday, November 5 at 5:00pm to be available to answer any questions or concerns you may have. Click here to join the meeting.

Grateful for Good News
I am incredibly grateful to the State of Oregon for listening to school feedback and moving ahead with these changes.  I truly believe that bringing our students back for in-person learning is absolutely in their best interest.

Having our PK-3rd graders on campus for the last two months, we feel lucky to have had several weeks to practice our safety protocols and procedures. While we have learned a great deal, we also anticipate that there may be a few details to be worked out once our 4th-8th graders return to campus.  We appreciate your continued support and flexibility as we navigate this school year together.

We look forward to seeing more of our students' smiles and hearing their laughter fill our hallways again soon!

Sincerely,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Addendum:

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

We have received a great question from a few of you that we thought we’d send a quick follow up on right away. Some of you are asking why Bend La-Pine is using a different two-week set of data. OHA/ODE allowed schools to use the data from October 11-24 or October 18-31; both are acceptable metrics to use in determining reopening timelines.The school then has a 14 day grace period to implement in-person instruction, which for us will end on November 9.  Bend La-Pine is using the later set of data which shows Deschutes County in the orange zone, and thus can’t begin in-person classes until November 16 at the earliest.  In addition, once schools have a proven track record of having PK-3 grades students on campus safely, they are allowed to add 4-8 grades for on-site instruction. Most private/independent schools in our area are beginning in-person instruction this week or by Monday.

Thank you to those who already asked this important question. We understand the details are confusing because local media tends to primarily cover public schools and doesn’t provide much visibility on the unique circumstances of smaller, independent schools. 

Please feel free to reach out with additional questions or be sure to join us on the Zoom call on Thursday at 5pm.

Sincerely,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

Thank you for your continued attention to our weekly health and safety updates.  We continue to watch the metrics each week and hope that our state and county numbers will decrease so that we can bring 4th-12th grade back to campus as soon as possible. 

We learned from ODE this week that they are still considering potential changes to the metrics moving forward, but they have not made any decisions at this time.  The governor is scheduled to hold a press conference at the end of this week, and we will be sure to pass along any pertinent information.

Here is a summary of the metrics to date:

The Importance of Social Distancing
Let's be honest, social distancing is hard. It is ingrained in our human nature to be close to one another. It comes as no surprise that now that we've been in school for a couple of months, we are noticing that sometimes people are having a hard time remembering to stay six feet apart. Though we know that social distancing is a difficult mindset change, we must do everything we can to keep our distance.  Along with wearing face coverings, staying home when sick, and hand hygiene, social distancing is one of the best defenses we have against getting and spreading COVID-19. This is especially important given that the CDC updated its definition of close contact just last week.  As a result, you will notice faculty and staff increasing reminders to students and families when they are on campus. Please know that this comes from our desire to protect our community.  We thank you in advance for your cooperation, and encourage families to practice social distancing at all times.

Thanksgiving Travel & Post-Travel Testing
Understandably, many families are considering traveling for Thanksgiving, so we wanted to provide some additional information as you make your plans. According to the CDC, "Travel increases your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19. Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Before you travel, learn if COVID-19 is spreading in your local area or in any of the places you are going." The CDC has a risk assessment tool for travel available here and resources specifically about celebrating Thanksgiving available here.

After you travel, it's important to understand that you may have been exposed to COVID-19. According to the CDC, "You may feel well and not have any symptoms, but you can be contagious without symptoms and spread the virus to others. You and your travel companions (including children) pose a risk to your family, friends, and community for 14 days after you were exposed to the virus." If you participated in higher risk activities or think that you may have been exposed before or during your trip, the CDC recommends that you stay home as much as possible, avoid being around people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, and consider getting tested for COVID-19. If anyone in your household has a pending COVID-19 test, the students in the family may not come to in-person classes until the test result is negative.

Carpooling
We have noticed that more and more families are choosing to carpool to and from campus. In order to ensure that everyone has health and safety at the top of mind, please follow these guidelines from the CDC when carpooling:

• Everyone in the vehicle should wear a face covering
• Limit the number of people
• Use fresh air through vents and windows
• Cover coughs and sneezes
• Clean and disinfect surfaces frequently
• Use proper hand hygiene
• Share rides with the same people each time
• Stay at least six feet apart while waiting

Each week when we meet to write our weekly health and safety emails, I always initially wonder if there will be much new to share.  Clearly, this has not proven to be an issue!  We remain committed to offering you the latest news and updates as we navigate this journey together, and we thank you for your continued efforts to keep your family and our community safe.

Sincerely,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

Thank you for your continued attention to our weekly health and safety updates. We know it is a lot to digest and we appreciate your engagement as we navigate 2020 together. There is important information here for all of our families, PK-12. Please take a few minutes to read it in its entirety.

4th-12th Grade In-Person Metrics

We continue to watch the metrics each week and hope that our state and county numbers will decrease so that we can bring 4th-12th grade back to campus as soon as possible. Some families have asked if we might consider setting a return date farther out into the future to provide some predictability for students and parents. We have chosen not to take that approach because we feel that as soon as the metrics permit it, returning to in-person school is in the best interest of our students. We acknowledge that this may make it difficult for families to plan ahead. At the same time, we know our students are hungry for as much social interaction as they can get, which is why we are working to offer more optional, safe outdoor opportunities such as 'Traveling School' in the Upper School, disc golf, kick ball, and mountain biking in the Middle School, and weekly hikes for 4th/5th graders while the weather is still favorable this fall.

We expect to receive updated information from ODE/OHA next week as to whether they will be modifying any of the reopening criteria. In the meantime, here is a summary of the metrics to date:

Social Gathering Precautions

As the weather becomes chillier and we have the tendency to want to move indoors to get together, we feel it's important to provide some reminders about gatherings. Social gatherings have been identified as a primary source of transmission. The best possible place for social gatherings is outside. There are still many ways we can enjoy the outdoors this fall: bundle up, get out your pop-up tent, or gather around a campfire. Instead of traditional indoor parties, consider a group bike ride, hike, scavenger hunt, or stargazing meetup.

According to the CDC, "The more people an individual interacts with at a gathering and the longer that interaction lasts, the higher the potential risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 and COVID-19 spreading." If you must be inside, Oregon guidelines limit indoor social get-togethers to no more than 10 people. During all gatherings (inside or outside), you should:

• Remind guests to stay home if they are sick, have been exposed to COVID-19 in the last 14 days or are showing COVID-19 symptoms.
• Consider keeping a list of guests who attended for potential future contract tracing needs.
• Maintain 6' social distancing.
• Wear masks.
• Clean hands often.
• Limit the number of people handling or serving food.
• Limit contact with commonly touched surfaces or shared items.
• Wash, clean, and sanitize surfaces and shared objects before and after the event.

We Can Do Hard Things

As we head into the final weeks of October, now more than seven months into life with COVID-19, we must draw on our strength and remind ourselves that the precautions we take have a direct impact on the greater good. Though we all may be able to relate to the idea of "pandemic fatigue," collectively we can keep our Cascades Academy family — and our Central Oregon community — safe through the daily decisions we make, and we can choose to model a positive mindset for our children. I found inspiration in this quote from Marie Curie, scientist and two-time winner of the Nobel Prize: "I was taught that the way of progress is neither swift nor easy." May we all find the energy to carry on in the name of public health progress and ultimately a full return to campus for all students.

Sincerely,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families and Friends,

I am writing today with an update about both the weekly metrics and the response we received thanks to your advocacy efforts last week. Unfortunately, Deschutes County saw a significant increase in cases last week up from 20 to 46. In addition, the state's positivity rate also exceeded 5% for the second week in a row. We certainly hope that the Labor Day spike will run its course, and we will return to the lower metrics we were experiencing throughout the month of August. We will continue to monitor and update you accordingly.

In other news, after our outreach efforts last Thursday, we received a phone call over the weekend from Lindsey Capp, Chief Education Officer from the Governor's Office, and thoughtful email responses from Colt Gill, the Director of the Department of Education and Jeremy Vandehey, the Oregon Health Authority's Health Policy & Analytics advisor. We were incredibly appreciative of their willingness to engage in conversation with us on this issue in such a timely manner. Thank you to all of you who reached out to officials on the school's behalf. Your advocacy in support of our students most certainly had an impact on bringing visibility to our concerns.

From these conversations, we learned the following:

• ODE, OHA, and the Governor's Office will review the state positivity metric later this week and consider if any adjustments should be made. We are not the only county that is requesting this action.
• We received no indication that we will be provided a waiver from the test positivity rate for the week of 9/6 as we requested, and this seems even less likely now given this was above 6% the week of 9/13 as well.
• ODE and OHA are looking at data of schools who have been able to open for in-person instruction in other states in order to learn from the data and possibly make adjustments to the metrics in October.

I remain committed to staying engaged in this conversation with all of our agencies throughout the coming weeks and months. In a second letter we sent to the Governor'S Office, ODE, and OHA on Monday, we asked that the following adjustments be considered:

• Revisit the statewide positivity rate as a criteria for opening
• Allow 4th and 5th graders be able to come back under the same metrics as PK-3 graders
• Allow all schools with enrollment fewer than 250 be allowed to open under the same guidelines that are currently in place for rural schools with enrollment fewer than 250
• Provide an appeal or waiver process when unique factors warrant it
• Consider an alternative method of determining stable public health other than meeting metrics three weeks in a row

As I have engaged with our state and local officials over the last few days, I have been struck by both their authentic compassion and commitment and was reminded that these issues are both remarkably complicated and difficult. We find comfort knowing that our voices are now part of the conversation. Thank you all for your engagement and support of students. We remain connected in unity, resilience, and hope as we carry on!

Sincerely,

Julie Amberg
Head of School

Dear Cascades Academy Families,

We certainly wish that we were writing with better news today. Unfortunately, the metrics for last week do not yet meet the requirements for us to bring our 4th-12th grade students back to campus. Despite continuing to have low positivity rates in Deschutes County, the state test positivity rate last week was 5.6%. And, despite having a decrease in actual cases statewide, Oregon's test positivity rate must be ≤5% in order for us to be allowed to return to in-person classes. As such, we must continue with virtual learning for the time being. We have some very limited ability for students to be on campus in groups of 10 for gatherings under two hours; we are looking into the details around this and will provide more information as soon as we can.

The current guidelines state that the metrics must be met for three consecutive weeks making the earliest possible date for grades 4-12 to return in-person October 7. For upper school students who are registered to take the SAT on campus next week, we will delay this test to our makeup date of October 27.

I'll be honest. When I read the metrics this morning, I was deflated as I am sure some of you are feeling right now. I feel strongly that getting our students back on campus is critical to their academic, social, and emotional well-being. Beginning today, we will be reaching out to our state and local officials to see what, if any, avenues might be open to us to advocate for getting students back on campus sooner. If you might be able to assist us with this advocacy, please reach out to me directly. We are looking to connect with families who may have relationships with our local or state political leaders or have lobbying expertise to support our efforts.

Health & Safety Reminders:

• PK-3rd grade families: Please continue to use Great Coach each morning before bringing your child to school.
• If your child will not be at school (virtually or in-person), please report their absence to attendance@cascadesacademy.org.
• We will continue to monitor air quality and keep students inside as needed.

After taking a lot of long, deep breaths on my drive into school today, my outlook completely transformed as I witnessed our school community dancing together in the hallways throughout drop-off. We may not be able to control the wildfires, the pandemic, or the metrics, but as I watched everyone dance and smile together, I was beautifully reminded of all of the blessings we do have: an incredible community, a team of inspiring educators, and engaged students and families. If you're looking for a little pick me up, please check out our Facebook page for some fun videos from today. I hope it brings joy to your heart as it did mine.

Sincerely,

Julie Amberg
Head of School