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Lori Gilbert, the president of Treadwell Elementary’s parent group, said some Spanish-speaking parents did not get the district’s robocall about the quarantined employee in Spanish until after school started. About 23% of Treadwell Elementary and Treadwell Middle students are learning English and nearly 40% are Hispanic, many of whom may have parents who are more likely to only speak Spanish. This is unchartered territory, but I want to assure you that our team is capable and developing a detailed response plan.”īut the district’s initial response at the two Treadwell schools highlights the effects of not automatically communicating important school information in languages other than English. “We know right now there’s a great deal of concern about the unknown. All Shelby County Schools are open for learning and instruction,” Ray said during the press conference. “At this time there has been no decision to close schools. Disinfectant wipes are available to teachers upon request, said Genard Phillips, the district’s chief of business operations. The district is also stocking schools with extra soap, paper towels, and disinfectant wipes, while implementing more thorough sanitization of frequently touched surfaces. Superintendent Joris Ray said, “It is critical that we fight fear with knowledge,” and announced all school-sponsored international travel is suspended for March and April. “I felt a little scared because other people can get the virus too,” she said. She saw staff cleaning lockers when they returned to their classroom.
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She was off Monday and decided to pick up her children early after she drove past the school while running errands and saw a long line of cars as other parents picked up their children.Įighth-grader Karely Camarillo said her class was kept in the school’s auditorium until around 10 a.m. So far, she has decided she will not send her children back until “I know there’s nothing serious and they clean the school top to bottom.” She’s balancing that with concern for her children getting infected - the district did not specify if students might have come in contact with the quarantined employee. Tishina Miller, who has a daughter at the middle school and a son at the elementary school, said she is worried about taking off work if school closes because she does not have paid time off to take care of her children.
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So far, the employee has “not exhibited any signs or symptoms of illness following the contact” and currently poses “absolutely no risk” to students or staff. If symptoms develop, the person will be tested, said Director Alisa Haushalter. The Shelby County Health Department recommended the Shelby County Schools employee stay at home for 14 days to see if they develop any symptoms of the new coronavirus. While some Memphis parents were satisfied with a “cautionary quarantine” of a school employee assigned to Treadwell Elementary and Treadwell Middle who came in contact with the area’s first COVID-19 patient, other parents are keeping their children home.īut delayed communication to Spanish-speaking parents and at least one Treadwell Middle School teacher urging students to call their parents to pick them up early from school created confusion and long car lines outside on Monday. Superintendent Joris Ray said the employee is scheduled to return to work after spring break. Update, March 11, 2020: The Shelby County Health Department has cleared the employee to go back to work as of Tuesday evening, which marks 14 days since he came in contact with the COVID-19 patient.