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In-person Learning Update
Published on Feb 3, 2021 17:41
February 3, 2021
Dear Millis Parents, Caregivers, and Guardians,
At last evening’s school committee meeting plans for more in-person learning for students were detailed. The current requirement of 6-feet of distance between students and staff limits our capacity at some grade levels, but we are expanding in-person learning where possible.
At Clyde Brown School, administration and school staff are working on plans to welcome back students in grades K-2, as these grades could have full in-person learning while maintaining 6-foot distancing. We also believe that students in these grades acquire most foundational skills crucial for future learning that makes their return to in-person learning a priority for the district. The tentative plan would be to stagger the transition back in phases, one grade level at a time. At this time we have not made a determination on which grade level would be first. A staggered approach would enable us to ensure that procedures such as drop off/pick up, lunch, recess, transportation, and other logistical protocols can be safely maintained. In order to achieve full in-person learning in these grades, we would need to hire new, qualified staff and are currently advertising positions. As grade levels are getting ready to come back in-person, we would survey those families asking for a commitment to in-person or fully remote learning.
All our schools have been developing criteria to bring back students who have the highest needs to 4-day in-person learning where possible. The amount of space available varies among grade level or class due to maintaining 6-foot distancing. Also, since the midpoint of the school year last month, we have welcomed back some students who had been fully remote to hybrid learning. This also impacts the space available for 4-day in-person learning. We certainly agree that it would be best for all students to attend in-person 4-days a week, but we do not currently have the capacity to do that.
Last week, Governor Charlie Baker held a press conference where he outlined the roll out for COVID-19 vaccines. Phase 2 of the plan began on February 1 with individuals who are aged 75 or above prioritized. Following this group, individuals over the age of 65 and those with multiple medical conditions that make them vulnerable to COVID-19 will receive the vaccine. The third part of Phase 2 is for certain workers, including education workers, to receive the vaccine. We still do not have details on dates and locations for this process, but we will monitor the vaccine roll out closely.
Currently the COVID-19 metrics in Massachusetts are trending down and the positive test rate has fallen below 5%. This is good news, but we still have to remain committed to mask wearing, hand washing/sanitizing, and social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus in our schools. As of February 2, the highest increase in COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts has been among those aged 0-19.
(https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting)
We are also seeing a decrease in positive cases among our school community in the last two weeks. While we are hopeful that we are making progress, we must remain vigilant to keep our schools open. With the Super Bowl this weekend and February vacation on the horizon, we ask that families continue to make responsible decisions to prevent the spread of the virus.
You may also have heard about “pooled testing” as an additional mitigation strategy for schools. COVID-19 pooled testing involves taking individual samples of a group and putting them all in a “pool” or “batch” to be tested. This cuts down on the cost of testing as a batch might have 10-20 individual samples all tested at once rather than the cost of testing each sample individually. If the result of the pooled test is positive, then all members in that pool would be tested individually to determine the person(s) whose sample was positive. While those in the pool are being retested individually, they would need to quarantine until their individual test results are reported. Those who test negative could return to school. At this time, we do not believe that pooled testing is a priority for our schools. Given the number of positive cases we have had in the schools, and the lack of transmission in our schools, we believe that the time and resources that would be required to conduct pooled testing would best be utilized in other areas.
With the arrival of the vaccine and the current trend in COVID-19 metrics in our area, we are hopeful that we will be able to increase our in-person learning. At the same time we must be cautious and understand that we are still in the midst of a pandemic and cannot let down our guard. We continue to prioritize safety for students and staff. We truly appreciate all the sacrifices our students, families, staff, and community have made to keep our schools open. We would also like to publicly thank our school nurses, Diane Danehy, Lynn Molinari, and Suzanne Lortie, as well as the Millis Board of Health and liaison nurse Kathy Lannon, for all they have done to keep our staff and students safe.
Sincerely,
Bob Mullaney
Superintendent
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