TA News

This update was first sent to TA families by email on February 10, 2022.

Current cases at TA: 
Thankfully TA is seeing fewer Covid cases. We only have 2 new cases to report since last week.  Grades with presumptive exposure include 7, 9, 11, 12. 

• If your student has any symptoms of runny nose, headache, sore throat, chills or cough, please test for Covid.

Health reminders:

• If someone in your student’s immediate family has Covid please let Nurse Ellen know, then we can determine exposure risk.
• If your child is sick: fever, cough, sore throat, congestion, nausea, diarrhea please make sure they stay home and let Nurse Ellen or the front office know what symptoms they have.

Testing information:

• TA’s Health Office was able to order home rapid antigen tests from the Agency of Education on 2/8/22. We hope to have those available to families within the next 10-14 days.
• Please remember that we continue to have a large supply of take-home PCR tests, the turn-around time for those tests is 24-36 hours, they get dropped off at UPS. 
• The health office has a large supply of bulk rapid tests, Nurse Ellen can test students/parents/staff Monday-Friday. 
• We will do PCR testing again on Tuesday, 2/15/22

Athletics after Covid:

• Friendly reminder:  if your child had Covid and is in PE or sports they need sports clearance before resuming that activity. Please get the clearance form to Nurse Ellen or to Athletic Director Blendon Salls.
• Please ask your doctor to use this form to communicate that clearance. 

Vaccine information: 

• Covid vaccinations will be available soon for children from 6 months of age to 4 years old.
• Vaccinations continue to be a very good way to stay out of the hospital. As of 2/9/22 only unvaccinated children/teens have been admitted for Covid at the UVM Medical Center Hospital (per the weekly VT Dept of Health/VCHIP call).
• Covid walk-in booster clinics at the VT Dept. of Health in White River continue through Feb.17th on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM and 2 PM to 4PM.

Everyone is doing a good job managing to get through the pandemic. Students and staff are building resilience strategies that will serve them well as life skills. Covid will become endemic, meaning it stays with us like other viruses such as the common cold and the flu. 

We will still need to be cautious and may need a yearly booster, but hopefully we are working back to some sense of regular routine. If your student needs some additional support or TLC please let us know.