March 11, 2020 

Dear Parent/Guardian: 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most important thing school districts can do right now is plan and prepare for the possible community transmission of Covid-19. Mount Mercy Academy is committed to building and continually fostering a safe and healthy school community. As such, the following are several steps the school is implementing to help prevent the spread of respiratory infectious diseases within our facilities and prepare should the district be impacted. 

• Comprehensive cleaning and infection control plans for routine cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting of high touch areas including but not limited to: 

❖ All door handles/high touch areas of doors, stair railings, phones, light switches, desk tops 

and chairs − Cafeteria tables/chairs and student cash out keypads ❖ Keyboards/mice, Chromebooks and all specialized communal equipment ❖ Shared supply areas and learning centers − Library books − Vending machines − High risk 

areas (restrooms, athletic facilities/equipment, kitchen/cafeterias, health/nurses offices) 

• Increase the number of hand sanitizer dispensers in classrooms, hallways, cafeteria and common areas 

• Emphasizing the importance of hand washing throughout the day 

• Additional stock supplies (gloves, towels and cleaners) in communal equipment and shared supply areas 

• Field Trip Protocol review including: − Cancellation or postponement of out-of-state Field Trips and Professional Development trips − Safety at time of departure − Destination point monitoring 

• Exploring on-line and alternative instruction options encompassing: − Faculty training − Parent notification − Student participation 

• On-going communication with civic leaders 

Mount Mercy Academy will continue to keep you informed as additional information becomes available. We appreciate your cooperation and on-going support. 

Sincerely, 

Margaret Staszak Principal