UPDATED 12/17/2020 TO CORRECTED START DATE OF COHORT A & B.
December 17, 2020
Dear Parents, Caregivers, and Guardians,
Today, the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District administration was notified by our nursing team that another staff member at the Wire Village School has tested positive for COVID-19.
Through our contact tracing protocol, we have identified and notified all families whose students have had close contact with the individuals who tested positive, as well as all staff members who had close contact.
The staff members who have tested positive for COVID-19 and anyone who had close contact with the individual will not return to the building for at least 14 days, unless they provide evidence of negative test results. As a result of these most recent confirmed cases within our schools, I have consulted with local and state officials and decided to pivot our entire regional school district to remote instruction through Friday, January 8th, 2021. Due to the excessive number of close contacts, both staff and students, the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District just does not have the capacity to operate - safely- in a hybrid learning model.
- So, our schedule for the Spencer-East Brookfield RSD will be remote for the week of January 4-8th, 2020.
- And after careful consideration and analysis of the data, we will return to a hybrid model of learning for Cohort B during the week of January 11th, 2021.
- Cohort A will return to a hybrid schedule of learning Tuesday, January 19th, 2021. NOTE: Monday, January 18th, 2021 is an observed holiday with no school.
We are making the change back ot the original schedule of Cohort weeks to ease the burden on our parents and families as such a massive shift in such a short period of time would only place undue burden on everyone during what is an already stressful situation with the pivoting to remote insutrction. Please know I am very sensitive to the stresses of this shift to remote instruction/learning. Additionally, as the Superintendent of Schools, I am emploring you to please adhere to the CDC, MA DPH and local Boards of Health guidelines by limiting the amount of travel and movement over the next three weeks. We are pivtoing to rmeote learning to stem the transmission of this virus and get ahead of the spread.
Many have recently asked what symptoms do we need to look for? Well, primary symptoms of COVID-19 include shortness of breath, coughing, and fever or chills. Other symptoms include congestion, sore throat, diarrhea, abdominal pain, body aches, and loss of taste or smell. Please contact your school office if you begin to experience symptoms.
The health, safety, and well-being of our school community remains our top priority. We are following sound protocols aligned with expert health guidance to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect your health. We also want to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of wearing masks, staying six feet apart from others, and regularly washing your hands.
We are closely monitoring this situation and will provide you with updates if any further steps are necessary. If you have questions or need to report a positive case of COVID-19, please contact Mrs. Carrie Cashman, Lead Nurse at (508) 885-8536 or cashmanc@sebrsd.org.
Sincerely,
Paul S. Haughey, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District