Parent Letter – Update: Important Update on Recent F0 Cases in Community

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Please note the following letter that was sent to parents this afternoon.

The situation in HCMC is rapidly evolving and we can anticipate that it will continue to do so for some time. Fortunately, we are all vaccinated and we have access to excellent advice and support.

For those of you whose classes will return to virtual school, I know that it is very disappointing. Thank you for your flexibility and for your commitment to our students. I know that you will do a wonderful job taking care of them, as you always do.

This is a good time to practice our “psychological sigh” so that we stay calm and future-focused during these challenging times. I admit that personally, I have used it several times today.

Please take good care, everyone. We will get through this together.

All good wishes, Catriona

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Dear SSIS Parents,

As many of you are certainly aware, the Covid cases around Ho Chi Minh City have increased this weekend, and our community is also being impacted. Below, I’d like to share important information regarding what this means. Please also see the Zoom link and invitation to a special parent information session with Dr. Phi, on Tuesday, February 22 at 1:00 pm.

During the weekend, we received multiple messages from community members who have tested positive, i.e. “F0”. We truly appreciate our community’s diligence in honestly and quickly reporting positive Covid test results to our health office, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that protocols and procedures are followed and that contact tracing has been done.

According to current government guidelines (PC#9038 – December 3, 2021), all students in a class where an F0 is confirmed, and who have been on campus while contagious, are considered “F1” (close contacts). If your child is an F1 you will have been notified by your divisional principal.

As a school, we are more than ready for the reopening of physical school for all grade levels and we have protocols in place to keep students safe in school. However, we must comply with the strict requirements of DOET (Department of Education and Training), as outlined below.

On-Campus F0 – What Happens to Close Contacts in EC – G5?

Based on the government guidelines, if an EC-G5 teacher or student tests positive for COVID, the whole class must remain at home for 14 days. This means that if a teacher teaches multiple classes, all of those classes must stay at home for 14 days. So, when this occurs, although there are no student cases, many classes may be required to stay at home and learn in the virtual environment.

As the ES Virtual School program is uniquely designed and differs from the physical school schedule, teachers will only conduct teaching via the Virtual School program during those times when the whole class must remain at home for 14 days. No physical school will be offered at that time.

We understand that reverting to virtual school will be a great disappointment for those students who are impacted. No one understands this better than their teachers, who are committed to providing them with an engaging, high-quality learning experience whether in person or online.

On-Campus F0 – What Happens to Close Contacts in G6 – G12?

Like students in EC – G5, unvaccinated students in grades 6 -12 must also remain at home for 14 days. Vaccinated F1 students in grades 6 – 12 may continue to learn from campus as long as they test negative and remain symptom-free.

Teachers and TAs Self-Test Every Monday

In addition to the voluntary testing that we provide faculty and staff each Tuesday, we are requiring every administrator, teacher, teacher assistant, and office administrator to take a COVID self-test each Monday morning before coming to school. To further help keep our community safe, we encourage you to also test your child on Monday mornings before sending them to school.

SSIS F0 Case Breakdown

Our Health Office is monitoring the cases daily and ensuring that all community members impacted are aware. This is the current caseload as of 3:30 pm today, Sunday, February 20.

• TOTAL FACULTY/TA’s – 7
• TOTAL STUDENTS – 20
  • HS – 3
  • MS – 5
  • ES – 12

Parent Information Meeting, February 22, 1:00 pm

On Tuesday, February 22 at 1:00 pm we invite you to join us for an information session on Zoom with Dr. Phi Truong, Medical Director, International SOS, and SSIS Health Office Manager, Lisa Chute. Please use this form to submit questions so that we ensure to address any topics that are on your mind.

From observations of Covid patterns in other countries, we expect that we too may see this situation evolve. We hope that those who contract Covid experience minimal symptoms and recover quickly. Although we know that this will be disruptive to families, please know that we will continue to provide your child with a quality program whether they are in virtual or physical school.

With this, I want to thank you for your ongoing commitment to SSIS, our mission, our health and safety protocols, and our community.

All good wishes,
Dr. Catriona Moran
Head of School