Dear WLES Community,

This letter is to inform you that we were notified of several positive cases for the coronavirus: 

A student in First Grade  who was last present at WLES on Wednesday, December 15  tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on Thursday, December 16;
A student in LFI  who was last present at WLES on Thursday, December 16 tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on Friday, December 17. 
A staff member who was last present at WLES on Tuesday, December 14 tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on Tuesday, December 14.
A staff member who was last present at WLES on Thursday, December 16 tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on Friday, December 17. 

We were notified on Friday, December 17 of positive tests for all of the above students and staff member. 

*As an additional note, a staff member who was last present at WLES on Wednesday, December 8 tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on Dec. 12.  This information was not previously included in a community notification because it exceeded the minimum two days of exposure for identifying close contacts.

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/contact-tracing/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 your child for symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, cough, headache, and shortness of breath. If your child develops any of these symptoms, do not send them to school. You should contact your healthcare provider and have your child tested for COVID-19. Please contact the school if your child develops COVID-19-like symptoms. 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://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/ for additional information on COVID-19 resources, including free COVID-19 testing and COVID-19 vaccination sites.  

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