February 22nd, 2022

Dear Prairie Families,

Yesterday afternoon the Racine County Health Department’s case rate was 76. I write today to announce that we will be changing our policy to mask-optional one week from today: Tuesday, March 1st.

Students who test positive will continue to isolate for five days. The positive test date is day zero. If they are asymptomatic, they may return to school on day six. Please contact our school nurse, Julianne Smith, immediately if your child tests positive. Other policy adjustments will be shared in this Friday’s Weekly.

Moving to mask-optional means we will not be able to contact trace, but we will continue to inform Primary School parents when there is a positive test result for a student in their child’s class. Middle and Upper School parents will receive regular updates of positive test results in their child’s grade.

A number of our peer Malone schools that have made this switch have seen a significant number of children and adults continue to wear masks, and I suspect that many of our faculty and students will do the same for a variety of reasons. Prairie has always been a community based on respect and I am confident that we will continue this tradition by supporting each individual’s masking choice moving forward. If you would like our help supporting your family’s decision to have your child(ren) continue wearing a mask please complete this form.

We will continue to monitor the local data, the advice of experts, and our school’s case rate. If you have any questions please use this form. I am proud of how our community has managed this pandemic and I am confident that we will continue to thrive as we enter this new stage.

Sincerely,

Nathaniel W. Coffman Ed.D.
Head of School and President