June 2022 News

The following information was provided to families on Monday, June 13.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Tennessee state law requires that all children entering 7^th grade receive a booster dose of the tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccine (known as Tdap) for the 2022-2023 school year.  This requirement must be documented on the official Tennessee Certificate of Immunization form. Out-of-state records are not acceptable except for active Military or National Guard.

Please make arrangements with your healthcare provider, the Health Department, or an immunization partner for your child to receive this new immunization before the first day of the 2022-2023 school year.

If your student qualifies for a Medical or Religious Exemption, please see our admission policy and Religious Exemption form on the district website (HEA-F092).

CMCSS Health Services related information can be found at https://www.cmcss.net/human-resources/health-services-information/

Please feel free to contact the school nurse for any questions or additional information.

Thank you,

Brittney Kirk, RN, BSN

Student Health Services Supervisor

CMCSS has communicated with families since last year that schools cannot eliminate the spread of COVID-19 during in-person learning, but our collective actions can help mitigate the spread. The District’s COVID-19 mitigation strategy has always been about using multiple layers to improve success, sometimes referred to as the Swiss Cheese model. For the 2022-2023 school year, CMCSS is using the following mitigation layers:

• Using MERV 13 instead of MERV 9 filters in all buildings
• Increasing outdoor air ventilation
• Employing enhanced two-step cleaning throughout buildings
• Encouraging self-screening, masks, handwashing, covering sneezes, and staying home when sick for all students, employees, and visitors
• Replenishing hand sanitizing stations
• Promoting the use of personal water bottles and filling stations
• Providing and COVID-19 testing for employees and their families at Onsite Employee Health and Wellness Clinics
• Updating and implementing the Return to School/Work Flowchart

 COVID-19 Exposure Response Plan

When a CMCSS student or CMCSS employee tests positive for COVID-19, they will need to notify either the school nurse (if they are a student) or their supervisor (if they are an employee). The medical office that performed the test will notify the Montgomery County Health Department for contact tracing. Click here for the CMCSS Communicable Diseases and/or Illness Management Policy.

Click here for the current CMCSS Return to Work/School Flowchart developed by the CMCSS Safety and Health Department in collaboration with the Montgomery County Health Department. For the Spanish version, click here.

Self-Screening

Employees will be expected to self-screen before entering school premises.

Self-screening protocols for students and visitors will continue. Families are strongly encouraged to engage in self-screening at home prior to each school day. Click here for updated guidance from the CDC regarding screening K-12 students for symptoms of COVID-19.

Self-Screening Protocol

Have you had any of the below symptoms as a new-onset in the past 72 hours? (This does not include chronic conditions)

• fever of 100 degrees or greater
• new onset of a cough
• new onset of shortness of breath
• new onset of sore throat
• new onset of body aches
• diarrhea
• new onset of headache
• new onset of loss of taste or smell
• nausea or vomiting
• congestion or runny nose
• chills
• fatigue

If “yes”, please consult your personal health care provider before returning to any CMCSS locations. Students, employees, and visitors who are sick must follow the CMCSS Flowchart.

Effective June 10, 2022. Subject to change based on updated guidance and local, state, or national recommendations or mandates.

If you have any questions or feedback on the plan, please email [email protected]. 

Release provided by the TVA.

Richview Middle School has been awarded a grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority, in partnership with Bicentennial Volunteers, Inc., a TVA retiree organization, to develop science, technology, engineering, and math education projects to help spark student interest in future careers in STEM-related fields.

Teachers across TVA’s seven-state region applied for funding of up to $5,000 for projects, and 233 applications were selected.

Schools that are awarded grants must receive their power from a local power company served by TVA. Richview Middle School is served by CDE Lightband.

Richview Middle School will use the grant to purchase SPIKE™ Prime Sets and Expansion Kits to aid students in applying the engineering and design process as they build and code Lego robots to accomplish specific tasks. Students will work in groups to create prototypes, test, and continually improve their design as they complete challenges with their robots.

“TVA is committed to supporting STEM education to help develop today’s students into tomorrow’s engineers, scientists, and IT professionals,” said Jeannette Mills, TVA executive vice president, and chief external relations officer. “It’s inspiring to be able to contribute to the innovators of the next generation.”
Since 2018, TVA and BVI have awarded nearly $2 million in STEM grants to support local education.
A full list of grant recipients and information on how to apply for a future STEM grant can be found at www.tvastem.com.