On Thursday, March 4th, Howard County School System principals met with Superintendent, Dr. Martirano, to discuss realities and concerns regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and the Howard County Public School System. At the time of that meeting, there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Howard County. However, given the realities of the potential for the spread of any virus, it is important that we approach the rest of the flu season and Coronavirus with an abundance of prevention.

The HCPSS website has a very informative page regarding Coronavirus current status and how to prevent the spread of this illness. Please visit the HCPSS website at this link to track HCPSS updates and information.  The website also has links to the Howard County Health Department, Maryland Department of Health, and Centera for Disease Control and Prevention.

To that end, the following has taken place or is in process at the time of this email to prevent the spread of germs at Deep Run Elementary:

• Staff members are developing and sharing plans to ensure more frequent opportunities for student handwashing.
• Handwashing procedures will be reviewed with students in their classrooms. Please use this link for handwashing guidelines from the CDC.  It would be helpful for families to reinforce these practices at home with your child(ren). Please encourage your children to wash their hands when they get home from school. We are also talking with students about refraining from touching their faces, a habit that is hard to break!
• Hand sanitizer stations are in our cafeteria and outside of the gym for student use prior to eating lunch and after gym.
• A hand sanitizer pump is at our visitor sign in area for our visitors to use when entering and exiting the building.
• If your child is in the Health Room masks are being placed on students that are sick with fever, cough/flu like symptoms, AND have traveled to one of the effected countries. The CDC reports that healthy persons who are non-health care providers do not benefit from wearing a mask. Masks can be a deterrent with preventing the spread of any germs when worn properly by persons who are sick.
• If your child is sick, please keep your child at home until he or she is fever free, without the benefit of medicine for 24 hours.

Join us for an hour of parent learning.  Members of our student services team will share valuable information during the third session of our Title I Learning Series. Managing emotions is a skill that can be learned! In this session, we will give parents strategies to help children match the size of their problem to their reaction and to develop a box of "tools" that children can use to calm down when they are upset.

Click here for more information in English and Spani