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Strong and CRHS Positive Cases: Staff and Parent Let...
October 27, 2020 Dear RSD13 staff, parents and community members: Regional School District 13 was notified of a positive COVID-19 case at Strong Middle School this afternoon and a positive case at CRHS this evening. We have been in contact with our local Health Director and are following all required steps. The case at CRHS does not require quarantining of any additional members of the school community in addition to the positive case. Individuals who were determined to be in close contact with the positive case at Strong School have received a phone call and have been informed about required actions. We are following the CDC quarantining guidelines which means that any member of our school community who was in close contact with the positive case has been notified that they can return to school on Monday, November 9th. We encourage all close contacts to have COVID-19 test. A negative test result does not allow an individual to “test out” of quarantine. If a student or staff who is in quarantine tests positive, please contact Pamela Branciforte, COVID-19 Liaison at 860-740-2922. Regional School District 13 is committed to ensuring the health, safety and confidentiality of students and staff and we are working closely with all appropriate agencies to follow state and district mandated guidelines and protocols. Thank you for adhering to all expected health and safety guidelines in our schools, including completing the self-certify checklist on-line each day your child attends school and for communicating directly with your school nurse or our COVID-19 Liaison, Pamela Branciforte with any routine questions. P lease email Mrs. Branciforte rather than calling at pbranciforte@rsd13.org with any general questions after you have contacted your school nurse. Regional School District 13’s core ethical values are a defining feature of our school and local community. We are all experiencing this challenging time for the first time. Our collective affirmation of our commitment to our core ethical values of respect, responsibility, kindness, honesty and courage will provide the support we all need as we move through this time together. Sincerely, Kathryn Y. Serino, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
Tuesday, Oct 27 2020
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Staff and Parent Update - October 27, 2020
October 27, 2020 Dear RSD 13 staff, parents and community members: At the time of this writing there are no new positive cases to report today, just a few updates: CRHS will remain in full distance learning tomorrow to allow administration and staff to create a schedule and coverage for the next two weeks while several staff and students are quarantined. All contact tracing for yesterday’s positive case at the high school was completed today and all affected staff members and parents of affected students received a phone call this morning. Tomorrow students at CRHS will have a reduced workload in distance learning. Details on the schedule, staff coverage, and other high school specific information for the next two weeks will be sent from the high school administration by 4:30 p.m. today. Since the start of the school year, we have had eight positive cases in RSD 13 with seven that required quarantining. We have not experienced the spread of the virus in school to-date. In this morning’s call with the Department of Public Health and the State Department of Education, it was again stressed that schools are doing very well in controlling the spread of the virus. RSD 13 is committed to doing everything we can to continue to provide in-person teaching and learning. What happens outside of schools impacts the decisions that must be made in school. Again, we are not experiencing the transmission of the virus in schools. We are hearing about social gatherings and parties where mitigation strategies including mask wearing and social distancing are not happening. In this morning call with our local Health Department we were encouraged to share the following CDC guidelines on Halloween . We have significant concerns regarding an increase in cases that could result from social gatherings outside of school and associated widespread quarantine for our staff and students. We have worked since March to develop and implement a reopening plan that supports a safe and healthy school environment and provides for the most robust educational and social experience possible. Your partnership in adhering to all health and safety measures makes a significant difference. In the high school case this week, it was necessary to make close to 120 calls. The process of accurate contact tracing and communicating is extremely time consuming and labor intensive. Confirmation of cases can come at various times throughout the day and during the weekend. Please plan for the situation where a school or schools are closed because we receive information late in the evening and are unable to complete our process until the next day or that the contact tracing is so widespread that we need additional time to complete. Our work begins immediately upon receipt of information and often beforehand in anticipation of a positive case. In addition to accurate identification of close contacts and the associated communication, our goal is to continue uninterrupted in-person learning. All students and staff are encouraged to bring their technology and any necessary materials home each day in the event of a need to quarantine and engage in remote or distance learning because schools are closed for a day or more. We are here to answer your questions, listen to your concerns and continue to work together for a safe and healthy school environment. Sincerely, Kathryn Y. Serino, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
Tuesday, Oct 27 2020
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Brewster Elementary School Positive Case: Staff and ...
October 26, 2020 Dear RSD13 staff, parents and community members: Regional School District 13 was notified this evening of a positive COVID-19 case at Brewster Elementary School. We have been in contact with our local Health Director and are following all required steps. Contact tracing has been completed. Individuals who were determined to be in close contact with the positive case have received a phone call tonight and have been informed about required actions. If we were not able to reach parents directly, we left a comprehensive message. We want to thank all parents for their partnership and understanding. We are following the CDC quarantining guidelines which means that any member of our school community who was in close contact with the positive case has been notified that they can return to school on Monday, November 9th. Following the CDC recommendations, we encourage all close contacts to have COVID-19 test. A negative test result does not allow an individual to “test out” of quarantine. If a student or staff who is in quarantine tests positive, please contact Pamela Branciforte, COVID-19 Liaison at 860-740-2922. Regional School District 13 is committed to ensuring the health, safety and confidentiality of students and staff and we are working closely with all appropriate agencies to follow state and district mandated guidelines and protocols. Thank you for adhering to all expected health and safety guidelines in our schools, including completing the self-certify checklist on-line each day your child attends school and for communicating directly with our COVID-19 Liaison, Pamela Branciforte, with any questions or information. Regional School District 13’s core ethical values are a defining feature of our school and local community. We are all experiencing this challenging time for the first time. Our collective affirmation of our commitment to our core ethical values of respect, responsibility, kindness, honesty and courage will provide the support we all need as we move through this time together. Sincerely, Kathryn Y. Serino, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
Tuesday, Oct 27 2020
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2020-10-26 Strong and CRHS Positive Cases: Staff and...
October 26, 2020 Dear RSD13 staff, parents and community members: Regional School District 13 was notified of a positive COVID-19 case at Strong Middle School this morning and a positive case at CRHS this afternoon. We have been in contact with our local Health Director and are following all required steps. All CRHS classes will be held remotely tomorrow in order to allow time for contact tracing and scheduling. Staff members who are determined to be a close contact will receive a phone call this afternoon or evening. Parents of students who are considered a close contact will be contacted tomorrow by noon. Further plans regarding in-person or remote learning for the high school will be shared tomorrow. Strong Middle School students who were informed on Saturday that they are quarantined through November 4th and returning on November 5th are now quarantined through November 5th and can return on November 6th. Bus 6: Students from Strong and CRHS who ride bus 6 are quarantined through November 8th and can return to school on November 9th. Bus 7: Students from Strong and CRHS who ride bus 7 in the afternoon only are quarantined through November 5th and can return to school on November 6th. Phone calls will be made this afternoon to the parents of Strong Middle School students who ride 7 in the afternoon or who ride bus 6. Contact will be made by tomorrow at noon with parents of CRHS students who ride bus 7 in the afternoon or who ride bus 6. More information will be shared as it becomes available. I understand that the difference in return dates can be confusing. Please understand that each positive case is different which affects the start date of the 14 day quarantine period for the individual case and close contacts. Regional School District 13 is committed to ensuring the health, safety and confidentiality of students and staff and we are working closely with all appropriate agencies to follow state and district mandated guidelines and protocols. Thank you for adhering to all expected health and safety guidelines in our schools, including completing the self-certify checklist on-line each day your child attends school and for communicating directly with our COVID-19 Liaison, Pamela Branciforte ( 860-740-2922) , with any questions or information. Regional School District 13’s core ethical values are a defining feature of our school and local community. We are all experiencing this challenging time for the first time. Our collective affirmation of our commitment to our core ethical values of respect, responsibility, kindness, honesty and courage will provide the support we all need as we move through this time together. Sincerely, Kathryn Y. Serino, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
Monday, Oct 26 2020
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Memorial School Positive Case
October 25, 2020 Dear RSD13 Staff, Parents, and Community Members: This evening, Regional School District 13 was notified of a positive COVID-19 case at Memorial Middle School. We have been in contact with our local Health Director and are following all required steps. All staff who are required to quarantine have been notified by phone. A notification from Mrs. Stone, Principal of Memorial Middle School has been sent to all parents of fifth grade students informing them that all fifth graders will remain at home tomorrow for remote learning. Contact tracing has been completed. Parents of students who are determined to have been a close contact have been or will be contacted this evening. Plans for providing in-person and remote learning to fifth graders will be finalized tomorrow. Parents who do not receive notification of a need for their child to quarantine can return to school on Tuesday, October 27th. Individuals who were determined to be in close contact with the positive case have or will receive a phone call tonight and have been or will be informed about required actions. We are following the CDC quarantining guidelines which means that any member of our school community who was in close contact with the positive case has been or will be notified that they can return to school on Friday, November 6th. We encourage all close contacts to have COVID-19 test. A negative test result does not allow an individual to “test out” of quarantine. If a student who is in quarantine tests positive, please contact Pamela Branciforte, COVID-19 Liaison. Our priority in all cases is that we thoroughly review all necessary information so that we are working from an accurate list for contact tracing; we begin the process of examining staffing and scheduling impact; we contact affected staff members first by phone; next we contact parents of affected students by phone; and then we send a written communication. It is a time consuming process to do an exhaustive review for accuracy in contact tracing and the associated next steps. We are committed to sending out accurate and comprehensive information. Most importantly, we care about our staff, students and school community and know that this is very stressful for everyone. Our commitment to personal phone calls with necessary information is a top priority in this process. Thank you for your understanding. When we are notified of a case in our school community, we consult with our local health authorities to confirm our appropriate next steps. As the process of contact tracing is increasing throughout the state, we are responsible for the contact tracing within our school community. We have a comprehensive protocol that we follow. Contact tracing for community or family/personal events will be handled by the local Health Department. This includes recreational and league sports. Regional School District 13 is committed to ensuring the health, safety and confidentiality of students and staff and we are working closely with all appropriate agencies to follow state and district mandated guidelines and protocols. Thank you for adhering to all expected health and safety guidelines in our schools, including completing the self-certify checklist on-line each day your child attends school, and for communicating directly with our COVID-19 Liaison, Pamela Branciforte (860-740-2922), with any questions or information. Regional School District 13’s core ethical values are a defining feature of our school and local community. We are all experiencing this challenging time for the first time. Our collective affirmation of our commitment to our core ethical values of respect, responsibility, kindness, honesty and courage will provide the support we all need as we move through this time together. Sincerely, Kathryn Y. Serino, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
Monday, Oct 26 2020
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Strong School Positive Case: Staff and Parent Update
October 24, 2020 Dear RSD13 Staff, Parents, and Community Members: Yesterday afternoon, Regional School District 13 was notified that there was a positive COVID-19 case at Strong Middle School. We have been in contact with our local Health Director and are following all required steps. Individuals who were determined to be in close contact with the positive case have received a phone call and have been informed about required actions. We are following the CDC quarantining guidelines which means that any member of our school community who was in close contact with the positive case has been notified that they can return to school on November 5th. Please note that a negative test result does not allow an individual to test out of quarantine. Our priority in all cases is that we thoroughly review all necessary information so that we are working from an accurate list for contact tracing; we begin the process of examining staffing and scheduling impact; we contact affected staff members first by phone; next we contact parents of affected students by phone; and then we send a written communication. It is a time consuming process to do an exhaustive review for accuracy in contact tracing and the associated next steps. We are committed to sending out accurate and comprehensive information. Most importantly, we care about our staff, students and school community and know that this is very stressful for everyone. Our commitment to personal phone calls with necessary information is a top priority in this process. Thank you for your understanding. By tomorrow afternoon, information will be sent via ParentSquare with information on remote learning for students who will not be attending school until November 5th. When we are notified of a case in our school community, we consult with our local health authorities to confirm our appropriate next steps. As the process of contact tracing is increasing throughout the state, we are responsible for the contact tracing within our school community. We have a comprehensive protocol that we follow. Contact tracing for community or family/personal events will be handled by the local Health Department. This includes recreational and league sports. Regional School District 13 is committed to ensuring the health, safety and confidentiality of students and staff and we are working closely with all appropriate agencies to follow state and district mandated guidelines and protocols. Thank you for adhering to all expected health and safety guidelines in our schools, including completing the self-certify checklist on-line each day your child attends school, and for communicating directly with our COVID-19 Liaison, Pamela Branciforte (860-740-2922), with any questions or information. Regional School District’s core ethical values are a defining feature of our school and local community. We are all experiencing this challenging time for the first time. Our collective affirmation of our commitment to our core ethical values of respect, responsibility, kindness, honesty and courage will provide the support we all need as we move through this time together. Sincerely, Kathryn Y. Serino, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
Saturday, Oct 24 2020
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Staff and Parent Update - Additional Attachment - Oc...
REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 13 OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT 135A PICKETT LANE, P.O. BOX 190 DURHAM, CT 06422-0190 TELEPHONE (860) 349-7200 FAX (860) 349-7203 www.rsd13ct.org October 23, 2020 Please see the attached, revised Addendum 4 for additional information on today’s staff and parent update. Thank you.
Friday, Oct 23 2020
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Staff and Parent Update - October 23, 2020
REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 13 OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT 135A PICKETT LANE, P.O. BOX 190 DURHAM, CT 06422-0190 TELEPHONE (860) 349-7200 FAX (860) 349-7203 www.rsd13ct.org October 23, 2020 Good afternoon staff and families. The Department of Public Health collects and shares data on a weekly basis in various areas including county-wide data in the following areas: new cases per 100,000, percent positivity, new hospitalizations per 100,000 per day and percent of COVID-like illness emergency department visits. Prior to this week, the above data was reported over a one week time period. Beginning this week, the data will include a two week look-back timespan. You can see this data if you review the chart at the very bottom of the DPH COVID-19 Data Resources page. The DPH also began the practice of holding a call on Thursdays for municipal and school leaders in towns that have moved into the orange or red zone in terms of the number of new cases (leading indicator). Durham moved from the yellow into the orange zone over the course of the past two weeks which means that the town had 10-15 new cases during this timeframe. For those of you who live in Durham, you received this information from First Selectwoman Laura Francis late yesterday afternoon. I want to briefly give you the pertinent information from our call as well as some assurance regarding contact tracing in school. There was no increase in impact on the district based on the yellow to orange change. The DPH is giving each municipality local control in terms of making the decision to move from Phase 3 to Phase 2. The DPH is strongly encouraging the following: limit gathering sizes, limit and/or exercise extreme caution in social gatherings, including family gatherings, and provide testing sites for asymptomatic individuals in towns that are in the orange or red zone. The DPH is asking anyone who has tested positive and who is contacted by their local health department to cooperate with the contact tracing protocols. Testing of asymptomatic individuals in orange and red zones is encouraged to reduce the number and pace of the spread of the virus. The data from the past two weeks on Durham does not affect our current full in-person instructional design. We will continue with this model, continue strict adherence to our mitigation strategies. We will make any necessary changes to the instructional design, including a return to hybrid or moving to a full distance model, if warranted. In Connecticut schools, the spread rate is .1% to date. Yesterday, the Connecticut State Department of Education released, “Updated Guidance for Decision-Making Regarding the Use of In-Person, Hybrid (Blended), or Remote Learning Models in Connecticut Schools during COVID-19.” In conjunction with our local health department our assessment of current strategies continues to favor full in-person learning. We cannot and do not want to dictate how staff and students conduct themselves outside of school, but feel that it is critically important that everyone understands that the statewide data that has been shared with us indicates an increase in the spread of the virus in social gatherings. What happens outside of school has an impact on our schools. In our school district we have needed to conduct contact tracing twice to date. When we are notified of a positive, contact tracing begins immediately so that anyone who may be considered a close contact can be notified as quickly as possible. All close contacts will be notified prior to the general notification of a case in our community. We take all necessary steps to assure that we are in compliance with required practices including maintaining confidentiality. Our definition of close contact is within 6 feet for 15 minutes or longer of a positive case. (The 15 minutes can be cumulative or successive.) As noted previously in most cases an entire class will be required to quarantine if one member of the class or teacher tests positive even though all members of the class may not have been within 6 feet of the positive case. People who have been in close contact with another individual who is considered a close contact are referred to as a “contact of a contact” and are not required to quarantine. If your child is quarantined, the classroom teacher will send your child a schedule to connect to synchronous learning with their classroom during their absence. The specific details of cases vary and therefore it is critically important that members of our school community share information as soon as possible and as accurately as possible with our COVID Liaison Pamela Branciforte, Clinical Nurse Coordinator. This number is designated as our designated COVID-19 line and may be called at any time: 860-740-2922. The adherence to all of our mitigation strategies including mask wearing and the isolation of positive cases is making a difference in schools across the country and in Regional School District 13. I have also included for you the link to the CT Travel Advisory . I am grateful to everyone for doing all they can to keep our school safe and healthy. Sincerely, Kathryn Y. Serino, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
Friday, Oct 23 2020
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Positive Case of COVID-19 - October 19, 2020
October 19, 2020 Dear RSD13 Parents, Staff and Community Members: This afternoon, Regional School District 13 was notified that there was a positive COVID-19 case at Coginchaug Regional High School. We have been in contact with our local Health Director and have been advised on our immediate next steps at this time. Individuals who were determined to be in close contact with the positive case have been informed about required actions. We are following the quarantining guidelines which means that any members of our community who were in close contact must quarantine for 14 days from their last date of contact with the positive case. In this case, the exposure was minimal thus resulting in a very limited impact to others or general school functioning. When we become aware of a case in our school community, we work closely with our local health authorities to consult and determine next steps. The health department has the responsibility to contact trace all known cases of COVID-19 in our communities. Our school staff collaborates closely with public health staff to support their efforts. We identify potential school cohorts, bus lists and other activities to isolate any potential contacts who also attend our district schools. This information is shared with public health officials to help facilitate the contact tra cing process. Regional School District 13 is committed to ensuring the health, safety and confidentiality of students and staff and we are working closely with all appropriate agencies to follow state and district mandated guidelines and protocols. Thank you for adhering to all expected health and safety guidelines in our schools, including completing the self-certify checklist on-line each day your child attends school, and for communicating directly with our COVID-19 Liaison, Pamela Branciforte, with any questions or information regarding your child. Sincerely, Kathryn Y. Serino, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
Monday, Oct 19 2020
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Parent Update - October 15, 2020
REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 13 OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT 135A PICKETT LANE, P.O. BOX 190 DURHAM, CT 06422-0190 TELEPHONE (860) 349-7200 FAX (860) 349-7203 www.rsd13ct.org October 15, 2020 Dear parents and families: I hope you were able to enjoy the long weekend and the beautiful fall weather. There are just a few notes for you today. Our transition to the full in-person model has gone smoothly after two days. Please continue to reach out to us with any questions you may have. We appreciate your patience with drop-off and pick-up as well as bus seating. If you have contacted us regarding any questions or concerns, someone will return your call or email. Members of the CRHS Principal’s Advisory Group have planned a district-wide spirit week beginning on Monday, October 26th. Look for information from your child’s school on the exciting and fun events which will include opportunities for children in grades PK-12 to wear a costume on Friday, October 30th. Please remember, this will not be a food celebration. Please be sure to check the fit on your child’s mask to make sure the mask completely covers the nose and mouth and fits securely to the child’s face. This is our key mitigation measure and your assistance in providing your child with a properly fitted mask plays a part in keeping our community healthy. Additionally, I have attached the required guidelines that all schools must follow in terms of length of isolation or quarantine, in the event of a positive case in your home or our schools. The towns of Durham and Middlefield will be distributing boxes of food to local residents on Wednesday, October 21st from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Allyn Brook Park (Pickett Lane, Durham). Any resident who is in need of support in this area is welcome to a box of food items which include 25 lbs. of produce, meat and dairy products. Boxes will be loaded into vehicles. For more information please contact Morgan Perry at mperry@townofdurhamct.org or by calling (860) 349-3153. We appreciate your support in keeping our community healthy. Sincerely, Kathryn Y. Serino, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
Thursday, Oct 15 2020