Dear School Community,
After a brief trip to be a dad and take on some college visits with Xavier, there is much to share. I apologize in advance for the lengthy update.
Reopening and Face Coverings
The most updated district re-opening plan can be found here: Staying Open Plan (2.0). I have received numerous emails on the status of face coverings as we head back to school. Connecticut is still under an Executive Order that expires on September 30, 2021. We have been informed that the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE), the Department of Public Health (DPH), and the Governor continue to review the requirements.
At the same time, we are also aware that at some point in the future the decision on face coverings will be left to local leadership. I have been in contact with our local First Selectmen, and all future decisions on face coverings, when allowed, will be based on case data. I will continue to update the community on current data which can also be found on the website. 8.12.2021 COVID-19 Case Data
I know this is a sensitive topic for many and I appreciate the feedback. I also thank you for the continued patience as much remains uncertain.
Contact Tracing and Quarantines
This year we will once again work with local health departments on contact tracing and quarantines. It is important to note that the definition of direct contact has changed. A person is considered a direct contact if within 3 feet (formerly 6 feet) for 15 minutes or more. If a person is vaccinated, they will not be asked to quarantine. Those who are identified as a direct contact to a positive case will be asked to quarantine. The quarantine will last for seven (7) days with a negative COVID test result on day five (5) OR for ten (10) days (without a test). I am hopeful that we will have far fewer quarantines this year compared to last year.
As we get closer to the start of the year, the district will provide information regarding academic support and access to assignments for students who are asked to quarantine.
CIAC and Sports
Last week the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) released its guidance for the coming fall season.
That guidance can be found at:
http://www.casciac.org/pdfs/CIACFall2021COVIDSportGuidance-8-12-21.pdf
LHS and WAMOGO will be issuing guidance to all families in the coming week. We all look forward to being able to attend games and see our student-athletes without restrictions on attendance.
Community-Parent Meetings
I will be holding four Community-Parent Meetings over the next two weeks. These meetings will be open question and answer sessions and the first session is today at 1:00 pm.
Links and dial in numbers for today and future sessions can be found below.
Monday, August 16th at 1:00 p.m.
Meeting Link: https://meet.google.com/hst-nsqo-qmw?hs=122&authuser=0
Dial In: 1 617-675-4444 PIN: 279 030 713 2025#
Tuesday, August 17th at 6:00 p.m. (NEW DATE AND TIME)
Meeting Link: https://meet.google.com/cuj-fwqb-ncj?hs=122&authuser=0
Dial In: 1 617-675-4444 PIN: 834 389 732 7558#
Monday, August 23rd at 1:00 p.m.
Meeting Link: https://meet.google.com/gbt-tpib-puu?hs=122&authuser=0
Dial In: 1 617-675-4444 PIN: 374 404 844 9457#
Wednesday, August 25th at 6:00 p.m.
Meeting Link: https://meet.google.com/ohy-uszb-ugp?hs=122&authuser=0
Dial In: 1 617-675-4444 PIN: 673 053 268 2520#
After School Coverage at LMS/LHS/WAMOGO
Through the assistance of the ESSERIII federal grant, I am pleased to share that the districts will be bringing back after school staff coverage at LMS, LHS, and WAMOGO that will run each day until 5:30 p.m. We will try to extend this to elementary families and more information will be forthcoming in the next week.
Transportation Routes and Questions
The district released transportation routes on Friday, August 13, 2021. This has been a challenging task based on changing enrollment, higher ridership than expected (fewer transportation waivers/student drivers), and the district trying to optimize service. Jeremiah Sattazahn has worked diligently on this process during the summer and adjustments continue to be made with numerous changes coming forward since Friday. If you have a route issue, please contact Jeremiah at jsattazahn@rsd6.org so the issue can be addressed as routes are finalized.
Back to School – First Day
The first day of school is Monday, August 30, 2021. The first two days will be early dismissal days as we help transition students back. The first full day of school will be Wednesday, September 1, 2021.
Keep living forward.
Chris