29 Mar Letter from the Director
Dear Yuba River Families,
In a time such as this, it is of paramount importance that our diverse community stands together in unity and support of one another. We are a school of choice and a community of choice. While all of us have come from different backgrounds, we are all in this together. As we are all in this together, and what we say in our community is important and held as truth, I would like to share some thoughts from Rudolf Steiner encouraging conscious speech. In one of his bits of wisdom that he shared with us, Dr. Steiner encourages us to only speak what is true and helpful to one another. By being conscious of our speech and our communication with others, we can truly bring this sense of consciousness to our greater community and to our world.
All eyes are on us for how a strong community deals with a situation such as this. Let us work together to educate one another and to support one another in everything we encounter.
Please keep your conversations, social media postings and emails truthful, factual and supportive.
As we are all seeking clarity and answers to questions regarding this case of measles, I would like to share more information that was shared with me from the Nevada County Department of Public Health.
First, I do not know the name of the child who has contracted measles or what class the child is in. Based on privacy laws, the Health Department is not at liberty to share this information.
Also, I first heard of this situation on Easter Sunday, with my first conversation with the Health Department being yesterday. The moment I received word from the Health Department, I immediately informed our community with all of the necessary information.
Dr. Cutler, Nevada County Public Health Officer, has determined that one dose of MMR is acceptable for students to return to school. While two doses are recommended, one dose is sufficient for returning to school on Wednesday.
If your child has received the MMR vaccine, but you have not submitted documentation to the office, please bring that documentation to the office first thing in the morning. Valid documentation of MMR or having contracted measles is necessary to return to school prior to April 8. If your child has had measles and you do not have documentation, there is a test that can be taken called TIDER. If you are interested in TIDER, please contact your physician and request a lab order for TIDER – this is the test that shows if one has immunity to the measles virus.
All students, faculty and staff must provide valid documentation of measles immunity in order to be allowed to attend school at this time. The only exception is for children or staff who were absent on March 17. Those who were absent from school on March 17 may attend school whether they are immunized or not. It is highly recommended that these children be immunized to limit possible future exposure.
The Health Department is recommending that children who have not had the MMR vaccine be vaccinated. There will be a free drive up vaccination clinic on Thursday from 1:30 – 4:30. The location of this clinic has not been determined, but as I hear from the Health Department, I will share the information with you. Getting an immunization at this time however, will not allow your child to attend school prior to the end of quarantine which is April 8.
Please be advised that news crews and reporters will most likely be outside of school tomorrow. I encourage you to not engage with them, but please be aware that they will most likely be present.
All information that was sent out yesterday is posted on our website. I will share more information with you, keeping you updated on the situation as I hear from the Health Department. We are in close contact and are working together to inform and educate our community in the best way possible.
Measles is highly contagious. I encourage you to recognize the serious nature of this situation. If your child has been excluded from school, please follow the guidelines put out by the Health Department and limit your child’s exposure to others.
Thank you for your support in this time.
Warmly,
Ron Charles
YRCS Director