COVID and Student Service Director Updates
Dear Families:
I hope you are having a wonderful August! I have two important updates tonight. Enjoy the time with families and friends during these last weeks of summer!
Best,
Laurie
COVID Update
We had hoped that the very low virus patterns of the spring and early summer would continue. But as has been the case since the pandemic started, we are adjusting a bit as we monitor the most recent virus data and trends.
Before sharing our plans for that, it seems very important to start with the great news for the 2021-2022 school year:
- All students will return to full time in-person learning.
- Our greatest challenge in reopening last year was the distancing requirement. Since there is NO distancing requirement, most school routines will be operating normally. We will be thoughtful about settings like lunch as appropriate.
- Any protocols we institute will be far less extensive and do not include travel or transportation restrictions.
- COVID will not need to dominate our work this year given our previous experience and well established procedures. The focus will be on students, learning, and the joy of school with COVID as a factor in the backdrop like so many other aspects of school safety that we take very seriously.
I share a few COVID related data points as of August 5, 2021 provided by the Concord health officials:
In good news:
Concord vaccination rates:
95% of 16-18 year olds
67% of 12-15 year olds
70% of all Concord residents
Carlisle’s rates are very similar:
90% of 16-18 year olds
83% of 12-15 year olds
80% of all Carlisle residents
In the past month:
Concord saw 32 cases of this breakdown:
12 cases in children under 12 not vaccine eligible
20 cases in people over 12 15 cases in vaccinated people
2 of the 4 12-18-year-olds were vaccinated
Carlisle had 4 cases:
1 case in child under 12 not vaccine eligible
3 cases in people over 12 2 cases in vaccinated people
This data will be reviewed until the third week in August so decisions are made based on the most up to date information possible by the Joint School Committees and local health officials. That discussion is scheduled for the School Committee meeting scheduled for 8 am on Tuesday, August 17, 2021. We will be discussing the state and CDC recommendations for indoor masks at each level and reviewing other protocols including pool testing, illness, and quarantine. The agenda will be posted later this week including a draft of the face mask policy for the start of school.
Any decisions made on August 17 about how we open will be considered temporary and reviewed at least every two weeks. All of us want to have the fewest restrictions on the school environment as possible.
In order to assist with our data collection, we ask that parents upload their child’s vaccination card to the CCHS and CMS nursing staff. Please submit vaccine documents to these email addresses and include the child’s grade level for the 2021-2022 school year:
CCHS:
Due to the high volume, please do not expect a response or confirmation. Questions that require a response should be submitted to the school nurses directly as we get closer to the August 30 return.
Interim Director of Student Services
I am pleased to announce that Deborah Dixson has been named the Interim Director of Student Services for Concord and Concord-Carlisle School Districts for the 2021-2022 school year. Ms. Dixson most recently served in the same capacity for the Acton-Boxboro School District and Dover-Sherborn Regional School District and brings more than 30 years of experience in similar roles in Sudbury and Franklin. She holds a Master of Art Education from Boston College where she majored in Special Education Administration as well as a B.A in Education from Bridgewater State College where she majored in Special Education Administration and minored in Elementary Education. She is scheduled to start on August 16, 2021 with a focus on preparations for the start of the upcoming school year.