SGA Preparedness Statement on Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Dear SGA families, 

With the growing concern around the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we know one step of preparedness is understanding what steps organizations your children attend, like us, are taking.

The health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We are closely monitoring all guidelines and updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health, as well as our local school districts and government agencies. 

Keeping our gyms clean
While we have always had daily cleaning procedures in place, we have ramped up our protocols to include frequent disinfecting, especially in common frequent contact areas. Please alert our staff if you find any areas you feel are in need of disinfecting. 

We ask for your partnership in helping keep gymnasts and their families healthy and safe. We have placed additional hand sanitizer and tissue at different points around the gym. We ask that everyone – students, caregivers, siblings, staff – please wash your hands or use hand sanitizer when entering and before leaving SGA, and after each bathroom use. Please use a tissue for any coughs, sneezes, etc., and immediately dispose of the tissue in a bin. These simple steps are the most effective way we can all contribute to stopping the spread of all germs. 

Please help remind young people to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly and cover their mouth and nose, ideally with an arm vs. a hand, when coughing or sneezing. Our coaches and staff will also be making it a point of emphasis to remind students about these steps as well.

Please note, health officials are not recommending the use of face masks for the general public. However, if you would like to provide a mask for your child to wear, they are certainly allowed on the gym floor and during class.

Help minimize the spread of illnesses
The best steps you can take are the same ones that help prevent other respiratory illnesses like cold or flu. This includes all students, staff and families being vigilant in:

• Staying at home and away from others when sick – SGA will have makeup options available for any classes missed. We are also asking, and enforcing, all our staff to do the same. This may result in a possibility of more substitute coaches for classes, and we thank you for your understanding that this is a necessary step to ensure the health and safety of everyone.
• Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick
• Cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces, especially “high-touch” ones like doorknobs, counters, light switches, or remotes
• Covering mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, then throwing the tissue in the trash and washing your hands

Government agencies advise the risk to our community for COVID-19 is still low, and we are fulling planning for business as usual at SGA. However, should any additional action be needed at SGA, we will alert you through all our communication touchpoints: email, website, social media, app push.

Lastly, stigma will not help to fight the illness.
It is important to remember that, while this virus was first identified in China, it is not linked to any ethnic or racial group. Please help ground our young people and those around us in facts, and use and share reliable sources of information on the novel coronavirus. School districts recommend and share the article: Stigma will not help to fight the illness, for details on reducing stigma and bias. The Washington State Department of Health has established a call center to address questions from the public at 1-800-525-0127 and press #.

We know that people are concerned about this situation. We share your concerns, but want you to know that we are focused on being proactive. Thank you to our students, families, and staff for doing their part to keep our school communities healthy.

Additional information and resources about COVID-19 can be found at the below links:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/

https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus

https://www.seattleschools.org/district/calendars/news/what_s_new/coronavirus_update

Please feel free to reach out to SGA Leadership with any questions or concerns.

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