COVID-19 Response

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