First Week of School: 10 Cherokee school staff members and 11 students test positive for coronavirus

Cherokee County Schools completed their first week of in-person learning Friday. At week’s end, the school system reported a total of 10 staff members and 11 students had tested positive for COVID-19.

The district announced that six students had tested positive on Friday as well as one staff member. A total of 16 Cherokee County Schools have now been affected by coronavirus infections.

Here are the numbers of cases released by the school district as of Friday.

In cases where students were possibly exposed to the virus, the school district sent letters home to parents. Below are the summaries of those cases provided by the school system. The newest cases are first.

Creekview High School
An 10th-grade student and a 12th-grade student, who are not related, have tested positive for COVID-19. Contact tracing was conducted, and all affected students’ parents have been notified. The 10th-grader last attended school on Monday. The student showed no symptoms, but was tested due to possible exposure. Due to this exposure, 26 students must quarantine for two weeks. The 12th-grader last attended school on Monday; when the symptoms began after school, the student’s parents sought medical assistance and testing that resulted in the positive diagnosis. Due to this exposure, 29 students must quarantine for two weeks. The quarantined students will receive instruction online from home through the Canvas learning management system. Affected classrooms will be deep-cleaned.  

Etowah High School
A ninth-grade student who attended class on Thursday has tested positive for COVID-19. The student showed no symptoms, but was tested due to possible exposure outside of school. When the symptoms began after school Thursday, the student’s parents sought medical assistance and testing that resulted in the positive diagnosis. Contact tracing was conducted, and all affected students’ parents have been notified. Due to this exposure, 30 students and one teacher must quarantine for two weeks. The quarantined students will receive instruction online from home through the Canvas learning management system. Affected classrooms will be deep-cleaned.  

Woodstock High School
An 11th-grade student who last attended class on Tuesday has tested positive for COVID-19. The student showed no symptoms, but was tested due to possible exposure outside of school. When the symptoms began after school Tuesday, the student’s parents sought medical assistance and testing that resulted in the positive diagnosis. Contact tracing was conducted, and all affected students’ parents have been notified. Due to this exposure, 20 students must quarantine for two weeks. The quarantined students will receive instruction online from home through the Canvas learning management system. Affected classrooms will be deep-cleaned. 

Bascomb Elementary School
An After School Program worker has tested positive for COVID-19. The worker was at the school on Monday. Due to possible exposure outside of work, the worker sought testing and has not returned to work since Monday. Contact tracing was conducted, and all affected students’ parents have been notified. Due to this exposure, 21 first-graders, 10 kindergarteners and another worker must quarantine for two weeks. The quarantined students will receive instruction online from home through the Canvas learning management system. Affected classrooms have been deep-cleaned.  

Creekland Middle School
A sixth-grade student who attended class on Monday and Tuesday has tested positive for COVID-19. The student showed no symptoms, but was tested due to possible exposure outside of school. The student has not attended classes since Tuesday. Contact tracing was conducted, and all affected students’ parents have been notified. Due to this exposure, 20 students must quarantine for two weeks. The quarantined students will receive instruction online from home through the Canvas learning management system. Affected classrooms have been deep-cleaned.  

Cherokee High School
An 11th-grade student and a 12th-grade student, who are not related, have tested positive for COVID-19. Neither showed symptoms, but were tested due to possible exposure outside of school. Contact tracing was conducted, and all affected students’ parents have been notified. The 11th-grader last attended school on Wednesday. Due to this exposure, 13 students must quarantine for two weeks. The 12th-grader last attended school on Tuesday. Due to this exposure, 10 students must quarantine for two weeks. The quarantined students will receive instruction online from home through the Canvas learning management system. Affected classrooms have been deep-cleaned.  

Holly Springs ES STEM Academy
A third-grade student who attended class on Tuesday has tested positive for COVID-19. The student showed no symptoms during school on Tuesday, but since has received a positive diagnosis. The student did not attend class on Wednesday or Thursday. Contact tracing was conducted, and all affected students’ parents have been notified. Due to this exposure, nine students and the teacher must quarantine for two weeks. The teacher, who is symptom-free, is teaching the quarantined students online from home through the Canvas learning management system. All other students will receive daily instruction in their classroom from a certified teacher. The classroom has been deep-cleaned.  

Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy
A first-grade student who attended class on Monday has tested positive for COVID-19. Contact tracing was conducted, and all affected students’ parents have been notified.  Due to this exposure, three students from the child’s class and the teacher, and seven students from the After School Program must quarantine for two weeks; this exposure does not require the closure of the class. Arrangements are being made to continue to provide educational services to all students. The classroom is being deep-cleaned today. The student showed no symptoms during school on Monday; when the symptoms began after school, the student’s parents sought medical assistance and testing that resulted in the positive diagnosis.

Dean Rusk MS
An eighth-grade student who attended class on Monday has tested positive for COVID-19. Contact tracing was conducted, and all affected students’ parents were notified to pick up their children early. Due to this exposure, 15 students must quarantine for two weeks; this exposure does not require the closure of any classes or any staff to quarantine. The affected students will receive instruction while under quarantine through the Canvas learning management system. The student showed no symptoms during school on Monday; when the symptoms began after school, the student’s parents sought medical assistance and testing that resulted in the positive diagnosis.

R.M. Moore ES STEM Academy
A kindergarten teacher had been working at school without symptoms; she began showing symptoms after school on Monday. The teacher did not come to school on Tuesday or today and sought medical assistance and testing. Although the district has not received confirmation of a positive diagnosis, the Department of Public Health has advised, based on the teacher’s contact with a family member who since has tested positive, her class must quarantine for two weeks. Contact tracing was conducted at the school; all affected staff and students’ parents were notified on Tuesday night of a possible exposure, and were required to keep their children home from school. No parents reported their children showing symptoms nor have any other staff at the school. Due to this exposure, the affected classroom will be temporarily closed, and the teacher, paraprofessional and 16 students in the class must quarantine for two weeks. Arrangements are being made to continue to provide educational services to the students.

Sixes ES
A second-grade student who attended class on Monday has tested positive for COVID-19. Contact tracing was conducted, and all affected students’ parents were notified. Due to this exposure, the affected second-grade classroom has been temporarily closed, and the teacher and 20 other students in the class must quarantine for two weeks. The teacher, who is symptom-free, is teaching the class online from home through the Canvas learning management system. The classroom was deep-cleaned after school. The student showed no symptoms during school on Monday; when the symptoms began after school, the student’s parents sought medical assistance and testing that resulted in the positive diagnosis.