IMPORTANT: Returning to School in 2022

Ted Graf, Head of School
Dear Headwaters Community, 

I hope the past ten days have been full of joy for you and your families. Whether you have been busy enjoying the holidays or taking it easy, this winter break has been an important pause for all of us. 

Like many of you, we have been closely monitoring the Omicron variant and observing the rise in COVID-19 cases as we get closer to reopening school on January 4. We have also been following the guidelines from Austin Public Health and their recent announcement moving Austin to Stage 4 Risk-Based Guidelines.

As we wrote before the break, Headwaters School will require mandatory indoor and outdoor masking on all of its campuses for the entire community (Primary and older) for one week after Winter Holiday Break (January 4-January 7, 2022). High-quality masks make a big difference with this variant. Please consider sending your child to school with a well-fitting KN-95.

In light of what we learn about Omicron in the coming days, we may choose to extend the period of mandatory masking. All of our observations, questions, and proposals will be reviewed by our Health Advisory Group when they next meet on January 4.

We highly encourage community members to get tested before returning to school next week.

With regard to on-campus testing, our regimens will resume as follows:
  • At the River Campus, PCR testing will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays for any community member, and it continues to be required for any student or faculty member who is unvaccinated.
  • At the Creek Campus, rapid antigen testing will continue on Tuesdays for those who have opted into testing. Please use this link to sign-up and give consent for your child. Use the Access Code 6EGIAO. Click here for more details. You may revoke your consent at a later date if you choose.
When we welcome guides and staff back on Monday, we will be emphasizing the importance of using our outdoor classrooms and environments as much as possible.

If your student develops any COVID-19 symptoms or fails the morning Magnus symptom screening, please do not send them to school, even if fully vaccinated. See page 7 of the Headwaters COVID-19 Addendum for illness procedures including how to return.

Our entire school community (especially the students and guides) has done a remarkable job in following best practices and adjusting to the shifting conditions. While we may have tired of masks or Magnus, we have not wavered in our commitment to each other. Let’s show our continued resilience and make the necessary adjustments to keep students learning in person and to continue caring for each other.

See you next week,

Ted
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As a 501(c)3 non-profit school, Headwaters School does not discriminate because of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other classes protected by federal, state, or local law in its admissions, financial aid, hiring, or board membership processes.