November17, 2020
Dear Millis parents, caregivers, and guardians,
I am writing to inform you that a second person in our school community at Clyde Brown Elementary has
tested positive for COVID-19. Our first responsibility is to keep our students and staff safe. We have planned
for this scenario and have a comprehensive plan in place to inform families whose students were at risk of
exposure or in close contact, sanitize the school if need be, and support the affected family as they navigate
this stressful experience.
These procedures are to initiate contact tracing to identify any individual who may have been in direct contact.
CDC guidelines define direct exposure as being in contact with six feet or less for longer than 15 minutes. If
you did not receive a phone call from the school prior to this email, it was determined that neither you nor
your child had close contact with this individual, and no further action is needed at this time. The school
district works closely with the Millis Board of Health to determine who is considered a close contact of the
person who tested positive. We cannot provide specific information about our school community member who
tested positive due to confidentiality requirements.
Parents of students who were in close contact with the school community member have been notified
privately. All close contacts should be tested but must self-quarantine for 14 days after the last exposure to the
person who tested positive, regardless of their own test result. We are also following all Department of Health
protocols, including collaborating with our local board of health to complete contact tracing. Additionally, we
are asking those parents whose students are tested for COVID-19 to please report the results to the school
nurse. We are working hard to reduce the impact of the virus on our school community and this information is
a critical piece of that.
Our student body and staff have been closely adhering to the safety protocols including mask wearing, hand
washing, and physical distancing in school and during team sports. Due to the adherence to protocols, further
transmission is unlikely. 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.
To further prevent transmission of the virus to other staff and students, we have sanitized the school with a
focus on those areas frequented by the staff member or student who tested positive. We will continue to be
vigilant in adhering to all of the protocols that have been put in place.
For more information on COVID-19 symptoms and testing, visit: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/about-
covid-19-testing#where-can-get-a-test?-.
You can also find a map of testing sites at
https://memamaps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=eba3f0395451430b9f631cb095febf13.
Parents must continue to monitor their children’s health and watch for symptoms. Please contact us
immediately should you or someone in your home begin to show symptoms.
We are committed to continuous communication with and support of our families. If you have any additional
questions or concerns, please contact the school nurse. We are committed to maintaining transparency within
our community and if there is additional transmission as a result of this case or a separate case, we will send
out another message immediately. Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Nancy L. Gustafson