Superintendent's Message
January 4, 2022
Dear Families:
I write to share information about Thursday night’s vaccine clinic.
We are all anxious for the 12-15 year olds to be boosted. Yesterday, the FDA voted for approval. CDC approval is likely over the next few days. The vendor is unable to offer the booster until full approval occurs so they will not be able to offer it at Thursday night’s clinic. The public health officials are looking to schedule another session in the next few weeks.
If you do have an appointment on Thursday night, please plan to come at your scheduled time. They are going to be deliberate about managing the number of people inside at one time given the omicron surge.
Enjoy the sun that finally returned today!
Best,
Laurie
January 2, 2022
Dear Families:
In order to streamline communication from families to the schools about COVID questions or cases, we created school-based COVID accounts. The district COVID account is closing down tonight. Preschool parents should contact Nurse Polly King until that account is ready. Please use these addresses from now on:
Alcott
alcottcovid@concordps.org
Thoreau
thoreaucovid@concordps.org
Willard
willardcovid@concordps.org
CMS
cmscovid@concordps.org
CCHS
cchscovid@concordcarlisle.org
Thank you so much for your cooperation and support.
Best,
Laurie
January 1, 2022
Dear Families:
Happy New Year! Tonight, I share our plans for Monday as well as our revised COVID protocols for the upcoming weeks.
Monday, January 3
We will have a full day on our regular schedule on Monday. I have been able to sufficiently connect with leaders, health officials, and staff this week with more time planned together tomorrow to review our updated protocols. Staff will be able to test prior to student arrival. Our students need our routines to stay in place, albeit with some modifications to enhance safety. It was unlikely we could conduct student pool testing effectively without being in session. I am not sure there was a perfect plan here as you will see my peers in other districts doing different things. As superintendents, we have been well-connected this week and know that we each have our own individual contexts.
Updated COVID Protocols for January
The link above outlines our complete list of protocols to return as safely as possible next week. Significant changes are in yellow from previous plans this year. Below are the most noteworthy items to bring to your attention:
- Reinstating 3′ distance wherever possible including in classrooms with students facing the same direction
- Isolation and quarantine of positive cases and unvaccinated close contacts is now 5 days per DPH protocol
- Those individuals with COVID in the house need to stay home for the same 5 days and test negative before returning to school.
- Everyone should stay home even with mild symptoms. Please do not dismiss any symptoms.
- We now accept both PCR or antigen tests (including at-home ones).
- Students will wipe down desks when classes transition.
- Elementary students will return to the classroom for lunch. CMS and CCHS will space as much as possible when eating.
- High quality masks are important. We encourage staff and students to consider wearing N95 masks.
- Pool testing is recommended for everyone. We will test two days per week for the coming weeks.
- We continue to monitor ventilation and regularly track CO2 readings in all of the schools. Students missing school will receive prioritized assignments and a flexible approach to make-up work.
As has been the case for the last two years, we will monitor the plan and adjust accordingly. Further communication and opportunities for questions will soon follow.
I am confident that together we can get through yet another chapter of the pandemic. Have a wonderful evening!
Best,
Laurie
December 31, 2021
Happy New Year!
On behalf of the school nurses, I am sharing the deadline to enroll in next week’s pool testing of tomorrow, January 1, 2022 at 12 pm. That will allow the nurses the remainder of the weekend to plan for Monday. We do plan to pool test everyone twice next week. With over 21,000 cases in Massachusetts yesterday, we see this as an invaluable tool to know about and isolate cases once we return to school.
You can enroll your child at: Electronic Consent Form
Later in the weekend, we will have other updates and information for everyone. The Data Dashboard is always available. Should it be of interest, the patterns in positive cases this week include spread throughout immediate families and exposures during Christmas gatherings. Almost everyone has been fully vaccinated or on a couple of occasions even boosted. Symptoms have all been mild and manageable which is very good news.
Have a great start to 2022!
Best,
Laurie
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