January 17th, 2022
Dear McKinley Families,
There is expected to be a surge of COVID-19 cases over the next 6-8 weeks given the community prevalence of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. If we do not take measures to ensure safety of our teachers and students we may not be able to remain in-person for learning during this time. Experts are recommending individuals adopt high filtration masks (e.g. N95/KN95/KF94) during this surge. They are far superior to cloth masks and disposable surgical masks from stopping the spread of Covid-19, especially indoors in public spaces.
This is also the official recommendation of San Diego Unified School District as of January 7, 2022
Our District delivered a shipment of 500 masks to our school on Friday. These will be distributed to students tomorrow.
In addition, the McKinley Foundation is funding the purchase of additional masks to supplement the District initial delivery.
These masks are well-reviewed and equivalent in protection to a KF94 or KN95. Our first PTC funded order is scheduled to arrive next week. Moving forward, these will be sent home in go-home folders every Friday or Monday.
We are also providing reusable ear adjusters to improve fit for smaller faces. While these masks cannot be washed and cleaned the same way as cloth masks, they can be used multiple times according to individual discretion if there are no tears, gaps, or evidence of soiling (wetness) on the surface. High filtration masks, unlike surgical masks, don’t need to be discarded every day to remain effective.
In the event you would like to purchase additional high filtration masks for your family, members of our parent community arranged for a 50% discount for McKinley families. The code to access this discount on the Lutema.com website is MCKINLEY.
Heartfelt thanks to Kristen and Heather, McKinley parents, for their organizational efforts of high filtration masks on behalf of our staff and students. Your efforts are appreciated.
Sincerely,
Deb Ganderton & the McKinley PTC and Foundation