Sturgeon Bay’s Sawyer Elementary school has temporarily closed two sections of second-grade classes due to a staff member having tested positive to COVID-19. In a letter sent to parents late Tuesday Evening, Sawyer School Principal Ann Smejkal stated that staff members would need to quarantine and that leaves the school without enough instructors to continue in-person learning for two of the four second-grade classrooms. The letter also states that not all students were in close contact with the infected staff member and that public health would call parents if a student was in close contact. All activities for those two second-grade classes will be posted online for virtual learning. Principal Smejkal and Superintendent Dan Tjernagel were not available for comment on Wednesday morning.
Letter is below.
Attention second grade parents. Late tonight I received notice that a staff member in second grade has tested positive for Covid. Due to this, I do not have sufficient staff to have your child attend school tomorrow or until further notice. I am sorry for the late message but I wanted you to know before morning. If your child was a close contact to this person you will receive a call from public health. Not all students were close contacts, but staff members were, thus I am closing both Mr. Grooters and Ms. Hagen's classes until I have word from public health that we can resume in school learning. Mr. Grooters and Ms. Hagen will be posting on-line activities in SeeSaw. They will be in communication with you. Thank you for your understanding as we attempt to keep everyone safe.
Sincerely,
Ann Smejkal, Sawyer School Principal
Statement from Superintendent Dan Tjernagel
Late yesterday evening a Sawyer staff member who works in a 2nd grade classroom notified Principal Ann Smejkal that the person had just learned of a positive test result. Our public health liaison could not be reached at that point in the evening, but to try to avoid a situation with families and staff scrambling this morning, Principal Smejkal, our school nurse, and I agreed it was best to move the most-impacted 2nd grade classroom, as well as another 2nd grade classroom that a different staff member shared time with to 100% virtual right away. Principal Smejkal sent out SchoolMessenger communications to the families with students in the two classrooms last night and communicated with teachers, etc.
This morning, members of the nurse team, public health, and Principal Smejkal met to make sure all the necessary information was assembled so contact tracing and any appropriate next steps could occur.
