Admin

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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