Committed to Safety | Dr. Liz Jacobs

committed to safety

DR. LIZ JACOBS

Almost as soon as COVID-19 started gaining publicity in America, St. Andrew's began preparing for the unknown. While at first, the duration of the "new normal" was hard to gauge, it was clear that St. Andrew's needed a group of thoughtful experts to help guide the decisions being made around returning to campus, and what it would look like once students and teachers were actually here. We're so grateful to Dr. Liz Jacobs, who served on the COVID Parent Task Force, and asked a few questions about her experience during the 202021 school year. WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS WHEN YOU JOINED THE ST. ANDREW’S COVID ADVISORY COMMITTEE? I was honored to be asked to be a part of the committee to help navigated the pandemic as a school community, keeping our kids, teachers, and staff safe.

WHAT WAS THE SCOPE OF THE COMMITTEE? There were many things the committee did. We helped recommend policies for when there should be home learning, when it was safe to come back to the school, and under what conditions, such as in pods, using masks, and use of surface cleaning, and when and how it would be safe for kids to participate in sports. We discussed the use of testing to keep our community safe and what was the protocol if a student, teacher, or staff member tested positive. WHAT WERE THE COMMITTEE’S BIGGEST PRIORITIES? To maximize student learning while protecting students, faculty and staff. The health of the students, faculty, staff and their families was our top priority. HOW DID THE COMMITTEE ADAPT TO CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES? We kept up to date on the epidemiology in Austin and the emerging science and adjusted our recommended plans and policies based on that data.

WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF BEING ON THE COMMITTEE? Recommending policies and procedures based on incomplete knowledge of the virus, how it is transmitted, and its risk for kids and adults. WHAT WAS THE MOST REWARDING ASPECT OF BEING ON THE COMMITTEE? Helping our community stay safe and getting to work with some great St Andrew’s parents. What an amazing group of people, many of whom have become my friends IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT THE COMMITTEE’S WORK? We really wanted the best for our kids, families, faculty, and staff. I continue to be saddened by the politicization of the pandemic and efforts like ours to keep people safe. I want people to know it was out of caring for your child and your family that we all put in countless volunteer hours and made sure we were always up to date on the science and what was happening in our community.