HS students get vaccinated, Estancia is back to remote
Estancia middle and high school moved back into remote learning this week as two teachers and five students tested positive for Covid-19. Additionally, local high school students are getting their first rounds of vaccination.
At Estancia Schools one middle school and one elementary school teacher, two middle school students, and three high school students all tested positive for Covid, said superintendent Cindy Sims.
She said the middle school went into distance learning on April 19 due to “close contacts” with the teacher according to the Public Education Department definition. Elementary went into distance learning on April 26 for the same reason.
“Over the weekend when we found out we had one student case at the high school, and the close contacts between the pod classes and bus equaled close to 60 students, we opted to put the High School in distance learning out of an abundance of caution,” wrote Sims in an email to The Independent.
She said the school is focused on finishing the school year “strong, and celebrating with awards ceremonies, promotions, and graduation.”
She said, “To ensure that happens, we need to ensure there is no spread at school now so we can celebrate together at the end of May.”
Sims said they are hoping to re-open both of the schools the first week of May. “Because two students were positive on Monday at the high school, we need to go an additional day for the quarantine at the high school. We are watching positivity rates and will make a decision Friday morning,” she said.
She said Estancia schools plan to
have an outdoor drive-in graduation similar to the one they had last year. “We have a Jumbotron for projecting the graduates, students will walk across the stage, parents and family members will enjoy graduation from their cars and trucks. The event will also be livestreamed,” Sims said.
The protocol they are following starts with all “close contacts” being notified within four hours of the school receiving notice of a Covid-positive case. Parents and staff are notified by a call, email and through the school's website. Symptomatic individuals are encouraged to go get tested. Covid-positive individuals must be outside of the 10-day required quarantine, fever free without medication for 24 hours, and improved other symptoms.
Sims said the school was blindsided by the shutdown after eight months of having in-person learning moving along without any cases.
“We have been so successful at keeping it out of schools. We really didn't see it coming!” said Sims, adding, “We have been tight about Covid-safe practices, our county is in the green. It felt like we were safe.”
“It was disheartening to be a year into this pandemic and experiencing such success to have to make this unanticipated move into distance learning. It was heartbreaking for our athletes to forfeit their final games following such a strong (abbreviated) season. I am so proud of how our students and parents have stayed strong during these last minute changes, and am forever grateful to this community that has rallied together to support the schools,” wrote Sims.
Sims said she feels that school is one of the safest places a kid can be because her school is “uniformly and consistently
using Covid-safe practices and enforcing physical distancing and mask wearing” in a way that communities outside of schools are not doing.
Moriarty-edgewood School District superintendent Teresa Salazar said there were approximately 150 students aged 16 to 18 vaccinated on April 27, with their second doses scheduled for May 18. The students were from Moriarty High School, East Mountain High School, Estancia Valley Classical Academy, and Estancia High School.
“MESD doesn't currently have another initial dose Pfizer clinic scheduled for students, but when the age limits expand we will be working with Torrance County and the Department of Health to provide that for our communities,” Salazar said.
Also, MESD is continuing to host the Wednesday vaccination clinics at Moriarty High School for people 18 and over.
“We do not know exact numbers, but a significant number of our 16-18 year olds are getting vaccinated,” wrote East Mountain High School principal Trey Smith in an email to The Independent. “We collaborated on a clinic with Moriarty High School last week, and we were getting close to 90 of our juniors and seniors their first shots. Hopefully in the fall, most of our freshmen and sophomores will also be vaccinated or be in the process of receiving their shots.”
Smith said East Mountain has only had two positive cases since April 5.
“With Bernalillo County moving into green on Friday, we should be able move our Graduation Ceremony back to the Kiva Auditorium and to allow more spectators at athletic events. Otherwise, the distancing and masking requirements all remain the same,” he wrote.