Dear Staff and Families,
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year. As you enjoy time with family, protect yourself and each other as best as possible by observing the “Three Vs” for 2021 holiday celebrations:
- Vaccination: Everyone eligible, including children 5 and older, should be getting fully vaccinated to protect against COVID-19. For those of us 16 and older, that includes getting our booster shot! Visit C19VaccineRI.org for more information.
- Ventilation: We should all be trying to bring in as much fresh air as possible while we visit with our friends and family this season.
- Visiting Safely: If we have any symptoms of COVID-19 at all, we need to get tested before we celebrate! For more information on testing, visit covid.ri.gov/testing.
While we don't know what the immediate future will bring, if last year is any indication, we may expect to see continued rising cases. The RI Department of Education, in partnership with other state agencies, continues to monitor case counts in order to make good decisions for schools across the state. They are anticipating being able to scale up testing and prioritize vaccinations for all of school communities in response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Rhode Island. They are also asking districts to be prepared for all scenarios by sending students home with their school laptops and other essential resources for distance learning. NO DECISIONS HAVE YET BEEN MADE TO GO TO DISTANCE LEARNING IN THE NEW YEAR, however, we want to make sure every student is prepped and ready to succeed. Should the decision be made to move to distance learning, more specific information will be sent for each of the grade levels. Working families should make plans for childcare, as applicable, in anticipation of a potential change in their children's schedules.
I will continue to keep you informed of any decisions that are made over the holiday break. News will be distributed by email, Facebook, and our website.
Sincerely,
Judy Paolucci, Superintendent