A Message from Interim Head of School Betty Winn

We are continuing to closely monitor the changing spread of the Coronavirus, particularly as the news is reporting cases in Los Angeles. The health and safety of our community are and will remain our top priority. We are in daily contact with the LA Department of Public Health to stay on top of the progress of the disease.  

I want to personally thank our community for your partnership in this effort to stay healthy. The patience, cooperation, and calmness that we have all embodied in these times of uncertainty have given me great faith in our ability to thrive during challenging times. I know that regardless of the steps we need to take, we will get through this together.

We are continuing to work closely with the Temple and a team of medical professionals to stay informed and create plans for school operations. Our plans are being developed thoughtfully and purposefully so that as a school, we are prepared to respond quickly to any situations that may arise. As part of this effort, we have prioritized today’s staff professional development and discussed how to best be prepared in order to safeguard the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and families. 

As we have said before, we ask all parents to please monitor the health of your children closely and to please keep children home if they are sick. Symptoms of the flu can include fever, chills, sore throat, cough, runny nose, body aches, headache, tiredness, diarrhea, vomiting, a flushed appearance and/or sweating. If symptoms progress or worsen beyond 24 hours, we recommend you contact or visit your primary care physician. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that students and adults stay home if they are sick with flu-like symptoms until at least 24 hours after they are fever-free without the use of an antipyretic medication (aspirin, acetaminophen/paracetamol, ibuprofen, etc.). 

Regarding our school’s upcoming overnight trips, our students’ health and wellbeing are of the utmost importance. We will continue to monitor the travel precautions and determine if changes need to be made as we get closer to the dates of travel. At this time, we have not canceled any trips, however, we do appreciate the concerns and are carefully assessing all variables.  

If we see that there are students who are sick, we will send them to the School Nurse for evaluation. If a student is deemed ill by the School Nurse, parents or emergency contacts will be called for pickup and the student will not be allowed to return to class. 

If you have questions about Coronavirus or are concerned that you or someone you know may have been exposed, please contact Nurse Kathy. Also, if your child has been diagnosed with the flu or another illness that is keeping him/her out of school for more than two days, please notify Nurse Kathy. 

To help our families stay educated during this time of heightened health concerns due to Coronavirus, we have created a new resource board tile on JAGNET with Coronavirus resources, including past pushpages, helpful tips for talking with children, and more. Click here to access it. 

There is a great deal of information that your children may be hearing at home, from friends and on social media that may be disturbing to them. As with much of the news, it is important to shield them from too much exposure. Please consider the following:

Our administrators, teachers, and staff are dedicated to the well being of your children and have been working very hard to ensure that school continues to be a safe and welcoming place. We thank you for your cooperation and partnership in working with us to keep our community healthy. We wish you good health, a restful weekend and happy hand washing. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Betty Winn

Interim Head of School