Dear Parents,
We have been keeping a watchful eye on our absences due to sickness across all the schools. The primary reason for absence recently has been Influenza A. When absences are confirmed for sickness and exceed 10%, we are required to report those numbers directly to the Iowa Department of Public Health. This has impacted nearly all Ottumwa schools. For the past two weeks, Pickwick is the only school to exceed that threshold for 11 consecutive attendance days.
As a result, we will not hold classes at Pickwick from Thursday, January 27 through Tuesday February 1. Students return to school on Wednesday, February 2. We know that our youngest students struggle, in particular, with social distancing and reporting symptoms. We hope that by not having all students in the building, we can reduce the spread of illness that has uniquiely impacted Pickwick.
We know closures like this are inconvenient for our families. For working families, PTYC will still operate their normal, non-school hours, from 6am to 6pm. We intend to social distance as best as possible at PTYC. We will continue to sanitize and incorporate other mitigation measures like we have done all year.
We apologize for the inconvenience as we strive to keep students healthy. Thank you for your support.
