Superintendent's Message
October 10, 2020
Dear Families:
A little while ago, we were notified of a positive COVID case at Thoreau. We are actively notifying those in close contact (6′ for more than 15 minutes) right now. For Thoreau families, if you do not hear from us this morning then your child is not impacted.
I believe all of the information shared at yesterday’s webinar still pertains and is valuable if you haven’t yet seen it. The recording is found here:
https://concordps.zoom.us/rec/share/2qxcK46OjjsDePw2sQrdMQu5zTjb_fuU-beNGn374Ken3E0qu5xdnRLdwZ8BMrrd.cyAA1xZAhM2va3Ds
Case counts locally are very low and isolated. This weekend, it is important to remember that distancing, masks and avoiding large crowds can make a big difference.
The Concord health officials and I are available this weekend should have questions. We are very grateful for your support and partnership. I will provide other updates over the course of the weekend.
Best,
Laurie
October 9, 2020
Dear Families:
Thank you all for the ongoing collaboration today. A few last things:
CMS Contact Tracing
All of the middle school contact tracing is complete. If you did not receive an email from me and Concord Public Health Nurse Tricia McGean, then your child is not a close contact. As I mentioned earlier, the contact tracing at CCHS is also complete.
Webinar Recording
The recording from the 4 pm webinar is found here:
https://concordps.zoom.us/rec/share/VwbgIxWqxSWT_TybEnaIMpZg0fmAmlNRx0b6jk1-RB29jfHq1n_aw685vToxnIvi.q5WX0LDrnMnQPiIp
State Travel Order
With this being the first of several long weekends, please review our district overview of the state travel order. The list of states that require testing to return to Massachusetts changes frequently. We do require testing of students of all ages or a 14 day quarantine.
Large Groups, Masks, and Physical Distance
It continues to be important that large groups not gather, everyone wears masks, and that we physically distance from one another. As Health Director Susan Rask said this afternoon, the virus will take every opportunity that we give it. The ability to stay in school is dependent on our choices at other times. We are very fortunate to have been in-person so far. Together we can maintain low virus rates and ensure school stays open.
Next Week
As of right now, we expect to return to our planned schedule next week. There are many variations in next week’s calendar so please read carefully:
Tuesday, October 13
NO SCHOOL- Professional Day for Staff
Wednesday, October 14
CCHS: All remote day except for those take the SAT (remote learning will follow normal Wednesday schedule)
CMS: All remote day with slightly shorter school day. Mr. Cameron will share details.
Elementary: Normal in-person morning. NO AFTERNOON SPECIALISTS
Enjoy the beautiful weather on this long weekend!
Best,
Laurie
October 9, 2020
Dear Families:
I wanted to provide an update. As you know, we have plans in place for this scenario and have a comprehensive plan in place to sanitize the school, inform families whose students were at risk of exposure or in close contact, and support the affected family as they navigate this stressful experience.
Our student body and staff have been closely adhering to the safety protocols including mask wearing, hand washing, and physical distancing. We are grateful to our families for their continued efforts to keep students home at the first sign of symptoms. These measures, taken in combination, greatly reduce the risk of additional transmission.
Parents of students who were in close contact with the CCHS community member will be notified privately over the next several hours. We still await information as to the possible case at Peabody. Should we receive a positive test, we will notify those who are close contacts there as well.
We are committed to continuous communication with and support of our families. In addition to regular updates via email, we are hosting a webinar with the Concord Health Officials at 4 p.m. this afternoon. The zoom link is found below. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Best,
Laurie
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Oct 9, 2020 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Parent Forum
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://concordps.zoom.us/j/92081860259?pwd=SytrRzJaRVpvU21yZ0h5TkdjUTd5dz09
Passcode: 213347
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +13126266799,,92081860259#,,,,,,0#,,213347# or +19292056099,,92081860259#,,,,,,0#,,213347#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
October 9, 2020
Dear Families:
We just learned that the case at Peabody is postive. This is the sibling to the CCHS student which the family allowed me to share graciously. We are beginning the contact tracing process now. It is possible seventh and eighth graders were in activities with the student that we are learning about so all middle school parents should watch for an email notice about being a close contact. Thank you again for your cooperation. Please join us at 4 pm if you can.
Best,
Laurie
October 9, 2020
Dear Families:
At approximately 6:40 a.m., I was notified of a postive COVID case at CCHS and possible case at Peabody. In order to contact trace, we will have remote learning days in both schools. We will provide updates as the day goes on. Thank you for your flexibility and cooperation on such short notice.
Best,
Laurie
October 8, 2020
Dear Families:
We are experiencing intermittent wifi and internet issues primarily related to last night’s storm. This may result in some disruption to remote learning. Thank you, as always, for your support.
Best,
Laurie
October 7, 2020
Dear Families:
We are aware of the widespread power outages in the community. Clearly, we do not expect that homework will be complete if you are without power. We will be monitoring the situation overnight and early tomorrow morning for impacts on the schools and throughout the towns given the challenges of remote learning when there is no electricity.
Please stay safe.
Best,
Laurie
October 4, 2020
Dear Families:
I am sharing a few updates and upcoming events.
Positive COVID Case on Opposing JV Field Hockey Team
Earlier tonight, we learned that one of the JV field hockey players on the opposing team at yesterday’s CCHS game is COVID positive. The public health nurses in both towns and MDPH are in agreement that the CCHS girls do not need to quarantine or be tested. We will continue to communicate with anyone who has questions or concerns.
Concord Carlisle COVID Data Dashboard
I’ve linked this week’s Concord Carlisle COVID Data Dashboard
District COVID Data Dashboard
Also, we updated the District COVID Data Dashboard as of Friday.
What is Racism? For Grades 2-5 October 6 4 p.m.
Concord Free Public Library Program
The Concord Free Public Library is hosting a program called What is Racism? facilitated by Wee the People on Tuesday, October 6 at 4 p.m (online). Wee the People is a Boston-based social justice project, and their workshop is geared for 2nd – 5th graders. Attached, please find the event flyer and press release. Interested students can sign up for the event here: https://concordlibrary.org/news-events/events-calendar. If you have additional questions, please contact Mrs. Royce N. McGrath, Supervisor of Children’s Services at the Concord Free Public Library.
Unconscious Bias: Interrupting the Cycle Part II
Adult and Community Education Begins Oct 14
This was a popular series run by our Adult and Community Education Program for adults to examine unconscious bias, understand how to have conversations with others around this topic, and learn tools to use in our daily lives to counteract this. More information is found here:
http://www.concordcarlisleace.org/unconscious-bias-interrupting-the-cycle-part-ii/
Historic Tours of Concord for Families
The Concord Museum and The Concord Visitor Center are teaming up to offer children exciting and fun opportunities to learn about local history while attending to all COVID 19 safety protocols. This flyer has the details and instructions to make reservations.
I hope you were able to enjoy this gorgeous autumn weekend.
Best,
Laurie
September 30, 2020
Dear Families:
Last night, the Joint School Committees approved revisions to the 2020-2021 school calendar for the months of November and December. Included in these dates are conference days for the elementary and middle schools. Also included are professional days for staff since we did not implement all of the days made available with the Commissioner’s reduction of the school year to 170 student days. Upcoming dates for October through December are as follows:
Monday, October 12- Columbus Day
Tuesday, October 13- Professional Day- No Class for Students
Wednesday, November 4- Elementary Conferences- No Class for Elementary Students
Wednesday, November 11- Veterans Day
Monday, November 16- Professional Day- No Class for Students
Wednesday, November 25- Half Day
Thursday, November 26- Friday, November 27- Thanksgiving Break
Friday, December 11- Professional Day- No Class for Students
Tuesday, December 15- CMS Conferences- No Class for CMS Students
Wednesday, December 23- Half Day
Thursday, December 24- January 1 Winter Recess
We recognize the need to balance and monitor the number of in-person days for the middle and high school rotation. We have additional professional days to schedule when we review the calendar for the remainder of the year. As of right now, we expect that February and April vacations will remain as planned and the last day of school for students to be approximately June 16.
The state continues to see a rise in cases. In Concord and Carlisle, the case counts remain very low which is critical to our ability to remain in school. Please remain diligent in mask wearing and distancing. Please remind older students that the choice on one night to be with a large group of friends can result in a school closing for everyone as continues to happen in districts across the state. As you see, the calendar offers a number of long weekends and breaks. If you travel to certain states, it is important to abide by the travel order and be tested or quarantine after traveling to higher risk states.
We are very grateful for the partnership with the safety measures, teaching and learning, and social and emotional support. We look forward to this continued collaboration as we turn the calendar to October!
Best,
Laurie
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