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Based on information given to the school system from the Stanly County Health Department, Julie Davis, the Norwood Elementary teacher who died after contracting the coronavirus, did not get the virus from the school, Interim Superintendent Vicki Calvert said in an emailed statement to The Stanly News & Press.

Stanly County Health Director David Jenkins, in an interview with the SNAP, confirmed Davis didn’t contract the virus from the school.

Calvert said that after SCS received confirmation of the positive case, the school nurses worked with the health department on contract tracing and staff and students who were considered close contacts were quarantined. Davis also began to self-quarantine once she started exhibiting symptoms.

The school system posted on Facebook last week that all third-grade students at Norwood Elementary would transition to remote learning beginning Sept. 30 due to contact with a staff member at the school who tested positive. The remote learning is to last until Oct. 9.

Calvert said that thus far, none of the quarantined staff members or students have become symptomatic or tested positive.

The system’s school services team met Sunday with district and school administration and have implemented a plan to respond to the Davis’ death, focused on providing support to students, their families and the staff, Calvert said.

“This plan has evolved from the district’s experience with loss in the past and the advice of mental health professionals from the community,” she said.

“We know the students and staff will react in different ways to the death of one of our revered teachers,” Calvert said. “We all should expect and try to understand that there will be a variety of emotions and responses to what has occurred. The most important thing we can do is to be supportive and encourage the open expression of feelings.”

She added that teachers and counselors will be briefed on the plan and will receive guidelines for “discussing death and the reactions to it.” There will also be district personnel available to students who need special attention and support.

Davis, 49, had been a teacher at Norwood Elementary for the past two years, Calvert said. According to her Facebook page, Davis also worked at Page Street Elementary and lived in Troy. She went to school at Pfeiffer University.

In a post on the school system’s website, Calvert wrote that students “absolutely loved being taught by Davis” and that “her personality was infectious and she brought joy into the lives of the students, staff, and community.”