Dear Parents and Families,
To begin with I would like to thank everyone for their continued support of our schools. The students are complying with all of the rules and regulations both when in remote and in person and wearing masks, physically distancing, and washing their hands as needed. Students and staff are staying home when sick, or for related reasons, out of an abundance of caution. And everyone continues to complete our daily health screener which is providing us with additional information to keep our buildings safe.
Earlier this summer Massachusetts released the COVID-19 Community-Level Data Map which reflects the average daily cases of COVID-19 per 100,000: https://www.mass.gov/info-
As you may be aware, the town of North Reading has recently moved into the “yellow” on this map based upon some recent cases. As you can imagine, with a population the size of North Reading it does not take many cases to move into the yellow or the red and for the relative change in case count to be designated as “higher.” At this time the two week case count for North Reading is ten (10) and the average daily incident rate is 4.32%.
The District believes that this is an important time to remind everyone how important it is to maintain the best practices and habits we have been practicing in order to remain safe. Although we continue to “open up” as a state, COVID-19 is still a reality and it is as important now as ever to be vigilant in taking safety precautions in order for our schools and other buildings to remain open.
It is also important to recognize that North Reading moving into the “red” would not necessarily mean that all schools will be closed. The average daily case data is very important to inform the frequent conversations that I am having with the Health Director, Public Health Nurse, the Town Administrator, and our Police and Fire Chief to make the best decisions for our town and schools. For example, the recent outbreak at Merrimack College did not present an "increased risk of transmission to staff and students" for students in the K-12 North Andover schools and so the decision was made for those schools to remain open.
Similarly, in North Reading, we along with Health Department and public safety officials will continue to review the data and contact trace in order to determine whether there is "increased risk of transmission to staff and students.” When the students are in school they are masked, six feet apart, and washing their hands frequently. In some ways being in school may be the safest place for our students as they are monitored by the educators and administration and following all of our school rules and procedures related to COVID-19. Our Board of Health and Town Officials agree that if the schools are safe and there is not an increased risk of transmission then it is best for our schools to remain open.
Our school nurses will continue to work with North Reading’s Public Health Nurse to determine these risks and to help inform our decisions. If North Reading’s average daily rate were to lead us into the “red” I would communicate with the school community about what this means for our schools at that particular point in time based on the specific information that we have available. We may need to have a “remote day” while we determine a longer term decision. We may need to switch to full remote for some or all of our students. We may also be able to remain open, as we have determined that there is not an increased risk at that time.
Of course, if there is an outbreak of positive cases at a school or within the district there may be a need to close one or more schools even if the town as a whole is not in the “red.” In the event of a positive case of a student or a staff member all parents, families, and staff will be notified through email communication while those in close contact will be notified of the additional steps that need to be taken to quarantine.
Our nurses are doing a fantastic job of reviewing the daily health screeners and also making the determinations to ask students who are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms to be dismissed and/or to remain home until they meet the benchmarks established by the Department of Public Health and The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Please continue to support our nurses and understand that having students stay home when potentially ill and exhibiting symptoms is a necessary step to help all of our schools remain open.
As always, thank you for your continued support and patience in these challenging times.
Be well,
Dr. Daly
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