COVID-19 UPDATE (03/13/20)

March 13, 2020

Dear CFISD community,

COVID-19 continues to be an unprecedented and very fluid event for our country as evidenced by President Trump’s declaration of a National Emergency and Governor Abbott’s declaration of a State of Disaster for all Texas counties. I attended a meeting earlier today with Harris County Public Health, Harris County Judge Hidalgo, and the Office of Emergency Management and have been in communication with the Commissioner of Education and government health officials. This afternoon I met with our district administrative team, and we are all committed to providing resources for our students and staff during the CFISD closure period. 

·       Curbside Meals:

o   Beginning Monday, March 16

§  Breakfast will be available from 7:30 - 9:30 a.m.

§  Lunch will be available from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

§  Dinner will be available from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

§  Children 18 years and younger (must be present) may pick up meals at any CFISD school listed; this is not dependent on where the student is enrolled.

§  Schools available for curbside meals: Arnold MS, Bane ES, Cy Creek HS, Cy Lakes HS, Cy Park HS, Cy Ridge HS, Cy Springs HS, Danish ES, Francone ES, Frazier ES, Holbrook ES, Horne ES, Kirk ES, Langham Creek HS, Thornton MS

o   Beginning Tuesday, March 17

§  Goodson MS will be added to the original list of schools. 

·       Payroll:

o   Staff will be receiving a separate email today regarding pay.

·       Medication:

o   If you have questions about accessing your child’s medication from school, please contact CFPD at 832-237-CFPD.

·       UIL Contests (see https://www.uiltexas.org/):

o   All UIL events have been suspended thru March 29. 

o   The UIL anticipates completing the competitive season for academics, athletics and fine arts later this spring.

·       Superintendent’s Fun Run & Festival:

o   The event is cancelled, and t-shirts will be distributed at a later date. This is one of my favorite events every year because of you. Let’s celebrate the scholarships that will still be awarded because of donations, registrations and business sponsorships. I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.

·       Extended Learning Resources:

o   Extended learning resources will be available next week for students on the district website.

·       Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

o   Beginning Monday, March 16

§  An FAQ will be posted on the district website (www.cfisd.net) and updated as we receive additional information on the COVID-19 situation and its impact to our CFISD families.

The district website will continue to be updated with information for staff and students, and I will provide regular communication with you through email. 

Please stay safe,

Mark Henry, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Monitoring COVID-19

As you are aware, the situation regarding COVID-19 continues to be very fluid for the Greater Houston area. I want to assure you that despite our schools being closed for spring break, the CFISD administrative team is participating in daily calls with local, state and federal officials and is actively monitoring the situation.

I am attending a meeting on Friday morning with neighboring superintendents and local officials and will have an update for you later that afternoon.

It takes all of us working together to ensure healthy learning environments.

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

COVID-19 update

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With the recent news of a “presumptive positive” case for coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 in Fort Bend County and two confirmed cases in Northwest Harris County, I want to reassure you that we are continuing to work closely with local and federal health authorities to monitor the developing situation in order to maintain a safe and healthy environment for the students and staff in CFISD. Local health officials have shared with us that these are both travel-related cases, and there are no confirmed community-spread cases in our area.

The steps we are taking in CFISD to prevent the spread of ALL communicable diseases include continuing our daily routine of disinfecting campuses and buses with hospital-grade products, encouraging proper handwashing, and when soap and water are not available, using hand sanitizer. All CFISD campuses have wall-mounted soap dispensers in restrooms and free-standing hand sanitizer dispensers at the building and cafeteria entrances. In addition, we are in the process of installing wall-mounted hand sanitizer dispensers in every classroom in the district.

State medical experts indicate that the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are the same recommendations for preventing the spread of the flu, such as avoiding close contact with those who are sick, proper handwashing, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and staying home when sick.

We do not want students or staff to come to school sick. As a precautionary measure, we are making the following changes to perfect attendance calculations and Spring 2020 semester exam exemptions.

• CFISD will suspend perfect attendance rules for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Instead, perfect attendance recognition will be for August 26, 2019 – March 5, 2020.
• CFISD will suspend exam exemption criteria related to attendance for Spring 2020 exams. All other district criteria for exam exemptions still apply.

As we head into Spring Break, some of you may have questions about travel.  While there are travel restrictions in place for several countries identified by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), as of today, there are no travel restrictions or advisories pertaining to COVID-19 within the United States. Please refer to the CDC’s webpage for more information regarding travel.

I will keep you informed as we receive additional information. It takes all of us working together to ensure healthy learning environments.  I hope everyone has a restful and safe Spring Break.

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

Coronavirus update

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While we continue to closely work with local and federal health authorities to monitor the developing situation surrounding the COVID-19 coronavirus (see attached fact sheet from Harris County Public Health), here is a quick update:

Currently, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Harris County. Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through:

• Coughing and sneezing;
• Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands;
• Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands; and
• Rarely, fecal contamination.

State medical experts indicate that the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID -19 are the same recommendations for preventing the spread of the flu. 

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (see the CDC website for more information on handwashing).
• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Receive a flu vaccine if you are over the age of 6 months.
• Follow the CDC’s recommendations regarding the use of facemasks. Facemasks are not recommended for people who are well to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others or by health workers and people who are taking care of someone with COVID-19 symptoms.

All CFISD campuses have wall-mounted soap dispensers in restrooms and free-standing hand sanitizer dispensers at the building and cafeteria entrances. In addition, our campus custodial staff will continue to disinfect campuses each day with hospital-grade products to help offset the spread of communicable illnesses.

Did you know that CFISD employs Registered Nurses at all 91 campuses (which is above and beyond what is required)? We are proud of our Health Services Department in CFISD, for the day-to-day medical care they offer our students and for their regular communication with local and federal health officials during outbreaks like coronavirus.

I will keep you informed as we receive additional information. It takes all of us working together to ensure healthy learning environments. 

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

Cy-Fair Community Health Center

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The Cy-Fair Community Health Center opened its doors on July 5 at 7777 Westgreen Blvd. near Cypress Park High School, and has been offering a multitude of services to the CFISD community ever since.

 

The Cy-Fair CHC is the sixth clinic of the Spring Branch Community Health Center network, and is the first of its kind in our area. Open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., clinic services include:

• pediatrics, including physicals and immunizations;
• adult medicine;
• dental (primary and preventative); and
• nutrition, including nutrition counseling and weight management.

Future planned services are mental health (counseling services) and an OB/GYN prenatal program.

 

Our CFISD transportation department will transport students who have a completed consent for treatment form on file and are attending one of the six participating schools:

• Hopper, Kahla and Thornton middle schools; and
• Cypress Lakes, Cypress Park and Cypress Springs high schools.

For all who qualify, a sliding fee scale discount is offered. Potential patients can speak with the Cy-Fair CHC eligibility specialist to verify program eligibility. The clinic also accepts Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, Marketplace and private insurance.

To make an appointment, visit www.sbchc.net or call 713-387-7180. 

Cypress Park HS students and associate superintendents Roy Garcia (left) and Roy Sprague (back right) with me at the Cy-Fair Community Health Center.

This is an outstanding facility that I am proud to have on CFISD property. I hope that you can take advantage of this great health resource in our community!

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.