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Preschool Update on COVID-19

Dear St. Paul’s Preschool Families,

I wanted to reach out to reassure and update you about St. Paul’s monitoring of COVID-19 (the “coronavirus”). With the emergence of COVID-19 in Europe and its spread to other parts of the globe, there is understandable anxiety about its potential impact on our lives here in Winston-Salem and at St. Paul’s. Three things are worth noting today:

  • First, we are sharing information and resources about the Coronavirus (COVID-19). It is important to note that currently, there are no confirmed Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Forsyth County and no confirmed cases in North Carolina. The current risk to our students and the general public remains low.
  • Second, we are staying connected with The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, the Forsyth County Department of Public Health, and the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Office of Emergency Management who are working closely with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, and other regional and local partners, in preparing for the possibility of Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections in the state and our area.
  • Third, the St. Paul’s staff is monitoring this concern and is in conversation with our diocese and the Episcopal Church’s national offices about best practices for being church together, should we be impacted.

The flu infects and results in many more deaths every year than we are currently discussing with Coronavirus (COVID-19). The symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19) are much like a cold or the flu, and our school is advised to follow the same policies and procedures for responding to such communicable diseases.

We join health officials in encouraging all our families to know that the best protection right now is prevention. Everyone should:

  • Follow your doctor’s orders: If your child is told to stay home, keep them home!
  • When children have a fever with cold/flu symptoms, keep them home from school until they have been fever-free (without the aid of fever-reducing medication) for at least 24 hours.
  • Cover coughs and sneezes with tissues, or cough or sneeze into your inner elbow.
  • Keep your fingers out of your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. If not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
  • Get a flu vaccination.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Out of precaution, we are increasing reminders about cough and hand hygiene for students and staff. Here you can find more about Maid Near me. We are also increasing the level of cleaning and disinfecting services to hard surfaces, things like tabletops, door handles, chairs, changing tables, sinks, and other restroom surfaces.

Here are some other informational resources:

Forsyth County Public Health – Coronavirus Information
NCDHHS Questions, Symptoms and Travel Information
CDC.gov Coronavirus Information

We love your kids and are working diligently to keep our school a healthy place for them and our staff. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me or our teachers. You can also contact Jason Franklin, the Director of Communications at St. Paul’s, for further information regarding St. Paul’s policies at jfranklin@stpauls-ws.org.

Thank you!
Karen Norris