Facial Coverings Update August 25, 2021

 Dear North Reading Public Schools Community,

With many of our fall activities now underway we are able to look forward to our first day of school for students on September 8, 2021. The great news is that our students will all be back in school for five days per week and participating in all of the academic, athletic, and extra-curricular activities as they would in a typical year. However, due to our continued response to COVID-19, there will be some modifications to our operations as we begin this fall.

As a follow up to my recent correspondence I am writing today to share that the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted on Tuesday to mandate facial coverings for all students and staff, effective today, through at least October 1, 2021. Please review the attached document for the full details about this requirement, which include the following:

• Effective immediately, public school students (age 5 and above) and staff in all grades are required to wear masks indoors in schools, and when on school buses and vans.
  
• It is strongly recommended that students younger than age 5 also wear a mask in school.
  
• Students and staff who cannot wear a mask for medical reasons, and students who cannot wear a mask for behavioral reasons, are exempted from the requirement. (Please contact your building Principal if these medical or behavioral exceptions are applicable for your child.)
  
• Masks are not required when outdoors.
  
• All visitors are also expected to wear a mask in school buildings. 
  
• Masks should cover an individual’s nose and mouth. For more information about appropriate mask use, please see: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/downloads/cloth-face-covering.pdf
  

As the document states, the mask requirement will be in place until at least October 1, 2021. The Commissioner will revisit the requirement in the near future to revise it as warranted by public health data. 

We are aware of concerns related to these October 1st metrics and procedures and we will continue to monitor these decisions as that date approaches. In addition, we recognize that there are many opinions on this topic and we have valued hearing from so many members of our school community through our public forums and via phone and email. We ask for your continued cooperation in implementing these additional requirements as we all work together to keep our students safe and in school as much as possible this fall.

Thank you and be well,

Dr. Daly

COVID-19 Update August 20, 2021

 Dear North Reading Public Schools Community,

I'm writing today to share two important announcements.

1. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced today that they will be meeting on Tuesday in order to pass a K-12 Mask mandate for all students and staff K-12 while indoors. (see attached press release and FAQs)

From the correspondence we have received we know that there will be mixed feelings in our school community about this mandate but the Commissioner believes that the current data requires such a decision and it will be revisited on October 1st. The feedback we have received from our parents, students, guardians, caregivers, educators, and staff on all sides of this issue have been heard and will be very helpful as we continue to naviagte through this pandemic moving forward.

For our indoor programs beginning Monday, August 23, 2021 the coordinators and coaches will be contacting participants to provide more details and I will certainly provide more information from DESE/DPH to everyone as soon as it becomes available.

AND

2. As a joint announcement from the North Reading Health and School department we will be hosting an optional COVID 19 vaccine clinic on Wednesday August 25, 2021 from 5:00 pm to 7:00pm  at the Batchelder School. As an added incentive, any school age child who gets a COVID-19 vaccination will receive a gift card from either:
 
1.       Papa Gino’s
2.       Dunkin
3.       McDonalds
4.       Wendy’s
5.       Stop & Shop.
 
Mrs. Hovey, Health Department Public Health Nurse, will be at the clinic and will be in charge of distributing the gift cards and community educational information on the COVID 19 vaccination.

We will be working with VaxinateRx and Healthcare Family Pharmacy to host a COVID vaccine clinic on Wednesday August 25th from 5pm to 7pm at the Batchelder School . Please register for yourself or your child to receive the vaccine at:
 
https://www.appointmentquest.com/scheduler/2180061935?schedule=northreadingschools
 
• After registering you will receive an email with a link to the consent form for vaccination (check your spam folder if you do not receive it).
• Please fill out and print the consent form (attached) to bring to the appointment
• For anyone under the age of 18 a consent form signed by a parent/guardian must be presented in order to receive a vaccine
• Parent/guardian does not need to be present as long as the child has a signed consent form
• Please plan on staying for 15 minutes after being vaccinated (30 minutes for anyone who has had a prior anaphylactic reaction to any medication)
• Vaccination is free for everyone regardless of insurance coverage
• We will be administering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine which is currently approved for ages 12 and up.
• We will return in 3 weeks to administer the second dose on Wednesday 9/15
• A link will be sent to register for these clinics after the first dose clinics have been completed

Thank you,

Dr. Daly

File attachments:
Covid Vaccine Consent Form fillable.pdf
faq-installment fall_8 20 21 FINAL_clean 1207pm.pdf
BESE memo 8.20.2021 final 1136am.pdf

NRPS Masking Strong Recommendations

Good afternoon,

As we begin our first fall events tomorrow with Football and with all sports, the Acceleration Academy, and events such as orientations and walk-abouts set to begin next week, it is important to clarify and communicate what our “strong recommendation” for masking looks like at this time.

While the School Committee’s vote on Monday evening stopped short of requiring/mandating masks it is important to understand that even the DESE/DPH guidance we are following appears to be pivoting to a stronger requirement for the unvaccinated and Governor Baker is stating that most schools are requiring masks for the unvaccinated. At this time we are providing the following recommendations:

All students in grades PreK-6 are strongly recommended to wear a mask. In addition, Teachers, Administrators, and Staff who are working with students in those grades are also strongly recommended to wear a mask when working closely with unvaccinated students.

Students and staff in all other grades, including the fully vaccinated, given the recent number of breakthrough cases in our community (fully vaccinated individuals who have tested positive) should strongly consider wearing a mask, especially if we continue to see the number of positive cases rise. Students and staff will need a mask to wear when on buses and for the nurse’s office and should also consider wearing masks in common areas such as hallways and when entering and exiting the building when they are in close proximity to many other individuals.

As school begins, if we see the number of positive cases rising or instances of in school transmission, we will continually revisit our recommendations.

I know that I will resume wearing a mask, especially in the presence of unvaccinated students and staff, as students arrive next week and encourage other fully vaccinated students and staff to consider doing so in order to ensure the safety of those who have not had the opportunity to be vaccinated. 

We also strongly encourage everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated to do so, including our next vaccination opportunity at the Batchelder School on Wednesday, August 25, 2021 from 5pm-7pm. This is a community event that we will be further advertising and students and eligible community members can come to receive the free vaccination for COVID-19.

Our number 1 goal is student safety. Our 1A goal (very close behind) is keeping all students in school. The following procedures will be in place beginning tomorrow, August 20,2021 in order to ensure that students will be able to remain in school safely as much as possible.

• Beginning tomorrow, August 20, 2021, all students on buses or school transportation will be required to wear a mask (per federal mandate). Masks will also be required in the nurse’s office at all times (per federal mandate)

• All visitors will be required to wear a mask when indoors at all times. This includes spectators at indoor events, etc.

• Principals will continue to limit in person visitors to the schools. This is to ensure that students and staff have the safest environment for learning. More information will be forthcoming from individual schools.

• The Cape Ann League has decided that student athletes will follow the masking requirements of the home district. This would mean that students participating in an indoor sport (example: Volleyball) would mask when playing in a district where there is a mask requirement.

The decision to wear a mask will certainly impact others in the school community. Please consider the following:

• If students are three feet apart and both are wearing a mask, and a positive individual is identified, then any asymptomatic students or staff do not need to be considered close contacts (and would be able to remain in school).

• Through continued conversations with our Public Health Nurse and Director of Public Health there is clear support for indoor masking as a mitigation strategy and vaccinations for everyone who is eligible.

• Our local numbers indicate that in recent weeks eight (8) unvaccinated children under 11 in North Reading and seven (7) students in the 16-19 range (2 unvaccinated and 5 vaccinated) have tested positive

• I am aware of three staff members (all vaccinated) who have recently tested positive. Though the symptoms have been reported as mild, this is still important information to consider with these “breakthrough” cases.

Throughout this pandemic we have followed the Department of Public Health and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education guidelines and that has allowed our students to be safe and to be in school as much as possible. The School Committee voted on Monday to continue to follow the DPH/DESE guidance. The strong recommendations included here continue to promote our overall commitment to the safety and staff of our students while still allowing parents to make the best decisions for their children with consideration for the impact of those decisions on our student body as a whole. 

Thank you and be well,

Dr. Daly

August 17, 2021 Reopening Update

 Dear North Reading Public Schools Community,

At last evening’s meeting of the North Reading School Committee the Committee voted 4-1 in favor of supporting the District’s plan to follow the recommendations of the Department of Public Health/Department of Elementary and Secondary Education guidance with respect to reopening school for the Fall of 2021.

At our meeting we heard from parents, guardians, caregivers, and students who respectfully shared their views with a large focus on the discussion of students and staff wearing masks. In addition to what was shared in the public meetings I have received several emails from those on both sides of this issue and the Committee felt it was very important to allow everyone who hoped to share their thoughts and feelings last evening have an opportunity to do so.

At this time the District’s plan includes the following recommendations from DESE/DPH:

• This fall, DESE and DPH strongly recommend that all students in kindergarten through grade 6 wear masks when indoors, except students who cannot do so due to medical conditions or behavioral needs. Masks are not necessary outdoors and may be removed while eating indoors.
• DESE and DPH also strongly recommend that unvaccinated staff in all grades, unvaccinated students in grades 7 and above, and unvaccinated visitors wear masks indoors, in alignment with the statewide advisory on masking.
• DESE and DPH recommend that schools allow vaccinated students to remain unmasked.
• Any individual at higher risk for severe disease from COVID or with a household member who is at high risk is encouraged to mask regardless of vaccination status consistent with the updated DPH Advisory on Face Coverings and Masks.
• Any child or family who prefers to mask at school should be supported in this choice.
• By federal public health order, all students and staff are required to wear masks on school buses at
• this time.
• All staff and students must wear masks while in school health offices. Additional guidance for school health professionals is forthcoming from DPH.

As you are likely aware, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently recommended that everyone in Massachusetts, including those who are fully vaccinated, should wear a mask while indoors. At the same time, Governor Baker reiterated yesterday that he does not have any plans for a mask mandate and that we need to continue to focus on getting as many people vaccinated as possible. With so many conflicting messages and information it is natural that members of our school community have very strong feelings on either side of this issue and it was very helpful for our committee to hear those viewpoints.

In Massachusetts the decisions with respect to masking has been left to the local boards and committees and in many districts the local Board of Health and/or School Committees have decided to exceed the DPH/DESE Guidance and align more with the CDC recommendations. As we are learning more about the Delta Variant and how this impacts children and the unvaccinated there is certainly the possibility that we may see additional mandates and requirements from either the state (Governor/DPH/DESE) or local Board of Health as we approach the first days of school year. As a reminder, our first day for students is September 8, 2021.

It is important that we recognize that, no matter our viewpoints, everyone is working to make the best decisions in the interest of our students. Our health officials will review local data and trends and make an informed decision for our community and whatever is determined the school department will work to ensure that this is well communicated and that all students are supported in any adjustments to their learning environment. We respect the challenging decisions that our officials have needed to make throughout this pandemic and we will continue to support any decisions that are meant to ensure that our students are safe, in person five days a week, and engaging in the learning and activities that are as close as possible to what they would experience in a typical school year.

I have included the link to last evening’s North Reading School Committee meeting and also a link to the slides for those who would like to review the presentation. In the coming weeks as there are more details we will have additional updates and communication and opportunities for your questions to be answered.

We are still awaiting additional guidance, updates, and Frequently Asked Questions documents from the DESE and DPH. Please let me know if you have any additional questions and I will be sure to answer them in upcoming communications and FAQs from our district.

I hope that you and your families are enjoying the remaining weeks of summer. Be safe and be well.

Thank you,

Dr. Daly

Reopening Updates

Dear parents, guardians, and caregivers of new or incoming students,

Welcome to our District! While we are still rolling over our systems to the upcoming school year I will communicate to you via gmail and forward important Blackboard Connect messages to you this way. You should also follow us on our website, Twitter, and my blog and feel free to email me at any time with questions at pdaly@nrpsk12.org.

 These last few days without rain have made for some wonderful weather and I hope that you are enjoying your summer with family and friends. As we enter into August I am sure that there are many questions emerging about our plans for returning to school in the fall and so I wanted to briefly address this topic and share some information with you this afternoon.

This week I met with the Director of Public Health, Public Health Nurse, Police Chief, Fire Chief, and the Town Administrator to review the local numbers as well as the latest recommendations from the Department of Public Health (DPH) and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). We have also had preliminary discussions with the School Committee prior to the release of the guidance and some initial conversations with our Teachers’ Association.

At this time the North Reading Public Schools will be following this guidance that has been prepared jointly by Massachusetts DPH and DESE. I have also participated in conference calls with the Commissioner of Education who explained why Massachusetts, with it’s higher vaccination numbers and lower case counts, was able to arrive at this guidance as opposed to some of the more restrictive language coming from the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics, who must also address the needs of the entire country.

We will continue to review the numbers both in Massachusetts and North Reading as we consider whether there is any need to make changes to our approach. As communicated by the Town of North Reading earlier today there has been a recent uptick in cases and we are continuing to watch this information very closely and I will be participating in the August 12, 2021 meeting of the Board of Health as well as the August 16, 2021 School Committee meeting to review the very latest details. I have also continued to update our dashboard to share any recent cases of staff and students in the North Reading public schools. 

In addition, we will continue to offer vaccination opportunities periodically for our eligible students who would like to receive the vaccine. Our next clinic is August 13, 2021 at the Batchelder School at 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary but please complete the attached form prior to arrival.

As the school year approaches you will be hearing from both me and the school principals on several topics and we will address additional questions that may arise. Our first day with students is September 8, 2021 and we are excited to prepare our schools to welcome our students and staff back soon. Enjoy the remaining weeks of summer and stay safe.

Dr. Daly

File attachments:
Covid Vaccine Consent Form fillable web download (1).pdf