Preventing COVID-19 infection
Mansfield City Schools have adopted 5 procedures that greatly lessen the spread of COVID-19 in classrooms and other school activities. Students are required to “Follow the Five” measures when they are in school, on school property, or taking part in any school or athletic activity.
| Parents are asked to take their child’s temperature every morning and keep them home from school if it is 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, and to keep them home if they are sick. |
| Students are required to wear facial coverings at all school activities and in classes unless they have a documented medical exemption on file with the school. |
| Students are required to wash their hands frequently and use hand sanitizer to “Wash in and wash out” of every classroom or gathering space. |
| All students, teachers, and others are to stay 6 feet from another person at all times possible while in school or participating in school activities. Desks have been moved apart, and class size is greatly reduced to promote distancing. |
| Teachers and students are working together to wipe off desks between students, and custodians are diligently cleaning the entire school regularly to remove any dirt or germs from frequently used surfaces, supply items, or furniture. Restrooms are cleaned multiple times a day, and buses are fogged on a daily basis. |
Sick Children, Absences and Return to School
Signs and Symptoms of COVID-19
If your child is sick, they must stay home. The signs and symptoms of COVID-19 infection are the same as many other illnesses like influenza and the common cold, but children who have a contagious illness can cause other people to get sick too.
Our primary focus continues to be rooted in an effort to deliver quality education with the health and safety of our students, teachers, and support staff in mind. We appreciate your ongoing support during this school year. If you have any concerns or challenges that impact your child’s learning, please contact the school staff (teacher, counselor, or principal).
Sincerely,
Stan JeffersonSuperintendent, Mansfield City Schools
Meal pick-up for remote learning students will be offered daily from 11:00-12:30 at Mansfield Senior High and Malabar Intermediate. Breakfast and lunch will be included.
Meal Delivery Available upon request. |
Information sharing about COVID-19 infection within Mansfield City Schools is critical in lessening the spread of the virus and protecting our Tyger students and staff. The notification process when a person tests positive has three steps. Dependent upon what kind of contact your student had with the infected person will determine the notifications you receive. These are the levels:
Step ONE: A Leader Alert will notify you that there has been a student or staff member test positive for COVID-19.
Step TWO: A letter will be sent to the students and staff who were in the same general area as the infected person. (Example, they were in the same school building, they played on the same athletic team, or they rode the same bus.)
Step THREE: A letter will be sent from Richland Public Health notifying you that your student or staff member was a direct close contact with the infected person, and must quarantine for 14 days.
Mansfield City Schools are on a HYBRID operations plan.
Public Health Advisory Level | District Operations Plan |
Level 1 Yellow | Option 1: In Classroom with Safety Protocols |
Level 2 Orange |
Level 3 Red | Option 2: Hybrid Learning (A or B) |
Level 4 Purple | Option 3: Remote Learning |
Richland County is designated as red on the Ohio Public Health Alert System. That means there is very high exposure and spread of COVID-19 within the county. Activities should be limited as much as possible, and all public health orders should be followed diligently.
Staff will report to school five days a week to teach classes and perform other work duties. Tyger Digital Academy staff will continue to work as they have been.
Students and staff should follow all mitigation measures at school. Facial coverings are required while on school property or in school buildings. Handwashing or the use of hand sanitizer should be done frequently. A distance of 6 feet from others should be maintained at all times, including during classes and as much as possible when playing athletics. The school buildings are cleaned thoroughly and are closed on Wednesdays for deep cleaning.
School Schedule until further notice:
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
All students and staff in school. | Staff report to buildings; Students learn from home | All students and staff in school |
Changes to school schedules will be announced by the Superintendent as necessary on Fridays to be effective the following Monday. Schedules will remain the same unless a change is announced.
Option 2: Hybrid Learning (A or B)
- Students in grades Pre-K-12 attend school on a modified schedule.
- Plan A: 4 days of in-person learning and 1 day of remote learning
- Plan B: 2 days of in-person learning and 3 days of remote learning
COVID-19 TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Mansfield City Schools reports positive staff members and students to Richland Public Health every week, and, in turn, RPH reports that information to Ohio Department of Health. Every Thursday, the Ohio Department of Health publishes those statistics at
www.coronavirus.ohio.gov . MCSD updates this dashboard every Monday with the most current statistics, and maintains communication with Tyger families and the community as required by the Director’s Order Requiring Reporting and Notification Regarding COVID-19 Cases in Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade Schools on September 3, 2020.
Student Cases - New | Student Cases - Cumulative | Staff Cases - New | Staff Cases - Cumulative |
0 | 58 | 0 | 75 |
Updated 3-22-2021
Mansfield City Schools COVID-19 Coordinator: Andrea Moyer, Director of School Improvement
Contact information: 419-525-6400 Ext. 56400
Common
Questions and Answers
What
is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a viral infection that causes a wide range of symptoms, many of them respiratory, and they can be mild to severe. Symptoms appear 2-14 days after exposure to a person with COVID-19, or coronavirus. It is highly contagious, some people get extremely sick from it and require extensive hospitalization, and others are only mildly ill. Some people have died from COVID-19 infection. Coronavirus was discovered late in 2019 so it is a new illness that is not yet completely understood.
How
does COVID-19 affect me and my family?
You or your family can become infected with COVID-19 by simply being out and about in the community. It spreads mostly through respiratory droplets in the air, so if you breathe in those droplets from a person who is infected, you may develop COVID-19. When one family member becomes infected, it is easy to spread the infection to the others through respiratory droplets in the household.
How
can I prevent COVID-19 in my family?
It is possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19. By wearing facial coverings and distancing apart by 6 feet or more, the spread is greatly reduced. It is important to wear a mask when out in public areas, especially indoors, and is required by law in Ohio at this time. Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces that are frequently touched (door knobs, railings, tabletops, etc.), the transfer of germs from a surface to a person can be greatly lessened. Washing hands frequently or using hand sanitizer slows the spread. Staying home when sick will greatly limit the spread of any illness, including COVID-19.
What
do I do if I think my child or I have been infected with COVID-19?
If someone in your home is sick, they must stay home. The only way to determine for sure if the illness is COVID-19 is to be tested. Testing is available through private physicians, at locations described in the test site posted on this page, or through pop-up testing provided by the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio National Guard.
What
do I do if I am sick?
If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, you should seek medical care from your physician, a community health clinic, or, if appropriate, an emergency department. Your healthcare provider may recommend testing at one of any variety of sites. Complying with the care plan established by your physician is critical to your recovery and good health.
What
happens if my child or I are positive for COVID-19?
If a person tests positive, they will be interviewed by their local health department; in Mansfield, that is Richland Public Health. It is likely you will be quarantined at home unless you are hospitalized. Quarantine means that you must stay home with the exception of going to a doctor’s appointment. The quarantine will last approximately 14 days, a time frame established by RPH. Additionally, any household members or others who have had direct contact with the positive patient from 48 hours prior to the test being taken will likely be quarantined for 14 days from the time of their last contact with the patient.
When
can my child return to school if they have had COVID-19?
RPH will establish return-to-school dates for positive COVID-19 patients and all direct contacts of positive patients. Children or staff who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 can return when all signs and symptoms have resolved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared, OR when all signs and symptoms have resolved and the individual has had a follow-up negative test result. The best information can be obtained by speaking with the nurse in your child’s individual school building.
How is
Mansfield City School District managing COVID-19 in the schools?
The school district has established and is maintaining five mitigation measures in all school buildings and school operations. These measures include handwashing and the use of hand sanitizer, use of facial coverings for students and staff; distancing of persons to the greatest extent and distance possible; enhanced health assessments in collaboration with parents; and additional cleaning and disinfecting of the facilities, equipment, and supplies used by students and staff.
Preventing
COVID-19 infection
Mansfield City Schools have adopted 5 procedures that greatly lessen the spread of COVID-19 in classrooms and other school activities. Students are required to “Follow the Five” measures when they are in school, on school property, or taking part in any school or athletic activity.
Parents are asked to take their child’s temperature every morning and keep them home from school if it is 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, and to keep them home if they are sick.
Students are required to wear facial coverings at all school activities and in classes unless they have a documented medical exemption on file with the school.
Students are required to wash their hands frequently and use hand sanitizer to “Wash in and wash out” of every classroom or gathering space.
All students, teachers, and others are to stay 6 feet from another person at all times possible while in school or participating in school activities. Desks have been moved apart, and class size is greatly reduced to promote distancing.
Teachers and students are working together to wipe off desks between students, and custodians are diligently cleaning the entire school regularly to remove any dirt or germs from frequently used surfaces, supply items, or furniture. Restrooms are cleaned multiple times a day, and buses are fogged on a daily basis.
Other Reset
and Restart Procedures
School buses are bringing children to school and taking them home as always. Students are required to wear a mask on the bus, and are asked to stand at least 6 feet apart while waiting for the bus. Parents should make sure their child is not sick before they get on the bus each day. Children from the same household will sit together on the bus, and distance from children from other families. If parents are able, they are asked to transport their children to school to reduce the number of bus occupants as much as possible. If you child forgets his/her mask, the bus driver will give them a disposable mask to wear.
Breakfast and lunch are provided for students. Both will be served in the cafeteria and additional areas as needed. They will sit distanced apart at tables, and will be asked to use hand sanitizer when they arrive and when they return to their classrooms. Masks are required when entering and exiting the cafeteria, but they are allowed to remove masks when eating and drinking.
Younger children will still have recess and older children will have physical education classes. They will play in a small group and be outside whenever possible. They will be asked to “wash in and wash out” with hand sanitizer. They must wear masks when not playing, but masks will not be worn during activities.
Some school athletics are operating using rules established by the State of Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Players and coaches are required to wear masks, distance, use hand sanitizer, and clean equipment and facilities diligently. Other sports have been postponed temporarily because mitigation measures are difficult to implement or staff does not exist to manage the sport.
Performing arts such as band and choir are continuing as feasible. Distancing is enhanced because of additional risk in these activities. The State of Ohio has issued rules for the operation of these activities, and the district is following those rules. Some specific activities are not possible at this time.
Counseling and other student services are continuing with modified procedures including masks and social distancing. Some conferences and meetings with parents are occurring digitally instead of in-person. Services are maintained to the highest extent possible.
In order to protect our children and staff as much as possible, visitors are not allowed in school buildings for the time being. Parents can drop off forgotten items at the school office as needed. If a meeting with a principal or teacher is necessary, parents should call the building principal to make those arrangements.
Sick Children, Absences and Return to School
Signs and
Symptoms of COVID-19
If your child is sick, they must stay home. The signs and symptoms of COVID-19 infection are the same as many other illnesses like influenza and the common cold, but children who have a contagious illness can cause other people to get sick too.
Parents are asked to take their child’s temperature every morning, and if it is over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, to keep them home.
Fever or chills
Cough, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, or shortness of breath
Headache, muscle aches, or body aches
Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
Extreme fatigue or tiredness
New loss of taste and/or smell
Seeing
the Doctor
If your child has the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, it is very important to see the doctor to be tested. You will likely be required to speak with the physician over the Internet, and he/she will order a COVID-19 test to be administered at a local test site identified by the physician.
For those who need assistance in obtaining health care, the following test sites are established in Richland County:
Facility | Address | Phone |
CVS Health Services Store #6176 | 1049 West Fourth St. Mansfield | 419-529-6001 |
Five Pints Primary Care | 200 Park Avenue West Mansfield | 419-522-6191 |
Malabar Care Connect (Malabar families only) | 205 West Cook Rd. Mansfield | 567-309-7333 |
Mansfield Family Health 2 | 270 Sterkel Blvd Ate. A Mansfield | 419-522-6191 |
Quest Diagnostics | 339 Cline Avenue Mansfield | 419-295-9530 |
Third St. Community Clinic Inc.* | 600 West Third Street Mansfield | 419-522-6191 |
Third Street Family Health Services | 741 Scholl Road, Ste. A Mansfield | 419-522-6191 |
Third Street OB/GYN (Cornerstone) | 700 Balgreen Dr. Mansfield | 419-522-6800 |
Walk-in Urgent Care | 1341 S. Trimble Road Mansfield | 419-775-7807 |
Walk-in Urgent Care | 375 N. Lexington Springmill Rd. Ontario | 419-528-0047 |
Emergency departments, community health centers, urgent
care centers, physician offices and other care facilities ask that you call
ahead to inform that that someone who may have COVID-19 needs care. Special procedures are required to protect
the nurses and caregivers so arrival without calling ahead is prohibited.
EXTERNAL
REFERENCES
For more information, the following sites may be consulted.
Richland Public Health www.richlandhealth.com
Ohio Department of Health www.odh.ohio.gov
Ohio’s COVID-19 Website www.coronavirus.ohio.gov
Centers for Disease Control www.cdc.gov