DESE Guidance for Fall 2020
Published on Jun 26, 2020 13:08
June 26, 2020
Dear Millis Families and Community:
Yesterday,
Governor Baker’s office and the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education released their initial guidance about reopening schools this
fall. We appreciate the level of thought and care that went into the
development of this guidance, and share its goal of the safe return of
as many students as possible to in-person school settings in order to
best meet students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. The guidance
relies on medical research and I have included attachments from two of
those experts.
Our
administrative team has been staying abreast of and discussing
information from the CDC, the Department of Public Health and on what is
happening as other countries re-open schools. Over the coming days, we
will be reviewing the DESE guidance to begin to understand how it
impacts what we can do in the Millis Public Schools. We also
acknowledge that these initial guidelines do not address every topic and
that there will be additional guidance coming throughout the summer.
The full document can be found attached but here are some key
components:
- Current
medical research supports a safe in-person return to school - with an
array of preventive measures in place - as infection and transmission
rates are lower for children than adults.
- Preventive measures include masks/face coverings, physical distancing, hand-washing, and cleaning frequently touched surface.
- Masks/face
coverings will be required for all students in Grade 2 and above and
for all adults; they are recommended for students in Grade 1 and below
- Based
upon current medical research, and in conjunction with other preventive
measures, a minimum physical distance of three feet has been
established.
Districts
will need to develop three separate plans - one for return to full
in-person instruction with safety requirements, one for full remote
learning, and one for hybrid learning that combines in-person and remote
learning. Based upon the current medical situation, the expectation
today is that students will return to full in-person instruction in
September; however, that is subject to change based upon how the medical
situation develops.
We
acknowledge that there are likely to be more questions than answers at
this time, and we will continue to communicate with you in the coming
weeks and months. We also encourage you to read the full document
attached.
We
will be sending out more information as we receive it. Watch for a
parent survey that we will send out soon to gain information from
families regarding Fall plans. Thank you for your patience and
understanding.
Best regards,
Nancy L. Gustafson
Nancy Gustafson, Superintendent
Millis Public Schools
245 Plain St.
Millis, MA 02054
Superintendent's message
http://www.millisps.org/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=43506656
MCAAP letter DESE Riley
http://www.millisps.org/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=43506652
Initial Fall School Reopening guidance
http://www.millisps.org/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=43506650
Allen OpEd in WaPo
http://www.millisps.org/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=43506654
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