Published in the December 3, 2020 edition.
The following was sent out yesterday by Supt. of Schools Doug Lyons.
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I am writing to inform you that since our last correspondence, in the 13 days (11-19 to 12-2), we have recorded 12 new COVID positive student cases and 4 new staff cases in the Wakefield Public Schools. This includes 8 student cases at Galvin Middle School, 1 student case at Dolbeare, 1 student case at Doyle, and 2 additional student cases at Greenwood. Staff cases were recorded at Doyle, Woodville, WMHS, and Galvin. The majority of the new cases are occurring outside of school and our school nurses and our Board of Health have completed contact tracing and have communicated with families.
The most impacted school at this time, in regard to close contacts, is the Doyle Early Learning Center due to the age of the students and the need to teach and support them so closely. Working in collaboration with the Board of Health and out of an abundance of caution we have decided to quarantine a class at Doyle. We are working closely with the principal and the nurse to communicate with Doyle parents and to keep a close watch on students and staff. If you have any questions, we encourage you to contact your principal or school nurse for guidance.
As I am sure you know, we cannot provide specific information about members of our school community who tested positive. These positive cases did result in students and staff being identified as close contacts and they have all been notified. A close contact is defined by the CDC as being within 6 feet of the person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes in a 24-hour period. Per the Board of Health, all close contacts should be tested and must self-quarantine for 14 days after the last exposure to the person who tested positive, regardless of the test result. We are also following all Department of Public Health protocols, including collaborating with our local Board of Health to complete contact tracing.
These new cases, when added to the Wakefield COVID data dashboard numbers, bring our total active and recovered cases to 37 students and 8 staff members. As stated above, these new cases have been reported to the Wakefield Board of Health, the Mass Department of Public Health (DPH), and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Due to the fact that we have been able to effectively contact trace and the new cases are occurring over close to a two-week period, we will be continuing in our hybrid schedules.
To further prevent transmission of the virus to other staff and students, we will continue to sanitize the schools. We will continue to be vigilant in adhering to all of the protocols that have been put in place in an effort to continue teaching and learning. Our students in quarantine will be provided with guidance and support from their current teachers and counselors regarding remote learning expectations. Teachers will continue to provide instruction, structure, and an emotional connection to the classroom during a time that we know will be challenging for those students and families involved.
For more information on COVID-19 symptoms and testing, visit: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/about-covid-19-testing#where-can-get-a-test?-.
You can also find a map of testing sites at https://memamaps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=eba3f0395451430b9f631cb095febf13. Please contact us immediately should you or someone in your home begin to show symptoms.
We are committed to timely communication to support all of our families. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please contact me, Doug Lyons at doug.lyons@wpsk12.org or Kara Mauro at kara.mauro@wpsk12.org.
If there is additional transmission as a result of these cases or another separate case, we will send out another message immediately.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Douglas Lyons
