Dear John Poole Middle School Community:

This letter is to inform you that we were notified that two students in Grade 8 who were last present at
John Poole Middle School on December 14, 2021, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on
December 14, 2021. We were notified on December 15, 2021 of the positive test results. Following
Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) guidelines, we notified
individuals who were known to have close contact with this individual and have informed them to
quarantine and monitor for symptoms, per CDC guidelines

Per current DHHS guidance and our contact tracing process, unless you are notified directly, your
child does not need to quarantine as they were not in close contact with the person who tested
positive for COVID-19. Please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contacttracing/
contact-tracing-plan/appendix.html#contact for additional information on how the CDC,
MCPS and DHHS, defines and identifies close contacts.

We encourage you to closely monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, cough, shortness of
breath, and other coronavirus signs of illness. If any of these symptoms develop, please stay home and
do not report in-person to the school building. You should contact your healthcare provider
immediately for advice and get tested for COVID-19. Please contact the school if there is a
development of COVID-19-like symptoms. Staff or students who develop symptoms, or test positive
for COVID-19, will not be able to return to the building until they are medically cleared.

As a reminder, here are the steps that we can all take to keep ourselves, families and school community
safe:
 Get vaccinated when eligible
 Wear a mask, or appropriate face covering, at all times when in school and other public spaces.
 Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, especially before and after eating.
 Cover your cough and/or sneeze and immediately wash your hands for 20 seconds or use hand
sanitizer.
 Stay home if you are sick or have any COVID-19 symptoms.

Please visit https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/coronavirus
and https://montgomerycountymd.gov/COVID19 for additional information on COVID-19,
including free COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites.

We appreciate your cooperation as we work to maintain a safe and healthy school environment.