Given the evolving situation with coronavirus (COVID-19), Shaler Area School District has created this website to provide families with the most up-to-date information specific to our schools as well as helpful links for families.

The health, safety, and security of our students and staff is our top priority, and we are monitoring the situation as it develops and taking guidance from the Allegheny County Health Department, Pennsylvania Department of Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. 

This webpage contains information on a variety of topics related to the COVID-19 virus. Up-to-date information about this virus should be obtained from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the Allegheny County Health Department:

If you have specific questions or concerns regarding this issue, please reach out to your building principal, school nurse, or health care provider. Thank you for your support and cooperation as we work together to provide a healthy and safe learning environment for our students and staff.

 

 

In addition to posting information related to this rapidly evolving situation on the district website, Shaler Area will continue to share significant changes in procedures or schedules via email. If you are not receiving the district emails, please try the following:

 

Shaler Area School District recognizes that concern over this new virus can make children and families anxious. It is important to remember that children look to adults for guidance on how to react to stressful events. Teaching children positive preventive measures, talking with them about their fears, and giving them a sense of some control over their risk of infection can help reduce anxiety. The following are guidelines from the National Association of School Psychologists and National Association of School Nurses for talking to children about COVID-19. 

Additional information can be found in the links to the right.

 

 

The symptoms of COVID-19 include a fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person, and the best way to prevent the illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus. The CDC offers some tips on its website for the prevention of this and other respiratory diseases including:

Our teachers, school nurses, and staff are working carefully to encourage these simple and effective habits with our students in school, and we ask that you also encourage these practices at home.

 

Please remember that students who are sick should not attend school. Students need to be fever-free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school. While we value school attendance in the education of our students, it is more important to keep students home when they are ill.