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Spring In Person Update 2

Good Afternoon, Reading Public School Staff and Community,

I hope that you are enjoying the beautiful weekend.  Here is Spring In Person Update 2.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

  1. COVID-19 Information-This week, we have seen an increase in student cases and quarantines.  All close contacts have been notified and quarantining has begun for those students and staff impacted.
    • 2 positive RMHS remote, no close contacts or students quarantined
    • 1 positive RMHS in person from the girls swim team, resulting in 13 students on the team quarantined.
    • 2 positive Coolidge students from pooled testing, both in person, 22 students quarantined.
    • 3 positive cases at Parker, 2 remote, 1 in person (sports contact of Coolidge cases)
    • 4 positive Killam students, 2 in person and 2 remote, resulting in 20 students quarantined.  This was an in school transmission.
    • 3 Birch students remote, no close contacts.
  1. Return to In Person School-I have attached, for your information, the presentation that I made at the School Committee meeting and the forums on returning back to school in person.  Elementary students will be returning back to school full in person on Monday, April 5th and Middle and High School students will be returning back full in person on Monday, April 26th.  Your child’s building principal will be communicating additional information as we get closer to those dates.
  1. SEPAC/Reading Public Schools Event on March 23rd at 7:00 p.m.-The Reading Public Schools and the Reading SEPAC will be hosting the first of several workshops on reading in Reading trainings on Tuesday, March 23rd at 7:00 p.m. at the Zoom link below.  The flier for the training is attached.
Join Zoom Meeting
Phone one-tap:US: +13126266799,,87037078496# or +16465588656,,87037078496#
Meeting URL:https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/87037078496  
Meeting ID:870 3707 8496
  1. Pooled Testing-Below is the current data for our pooled testing program.  As we transition to full in person learning, we are asking all staff and students to participate in the pool testing program.  This is an additional mitigation step that is critical to maintain a safe and healthy classroom environment.  Here is the link to give consent.  https://bit.ly/3oXiiSa.  If families who are currently in pool testing want to remove their consent, please contact Julian Carr at Julian.Carr@reading.k12.ma.us.  Please note that any changes in consent made over the weekend may not be able to be addressed until the following week.




5. Isolation and Quarantining-This is just a reminder that if you or your child tests positive for COVID-19, you must go through the isolation process (see below) according to Department of Public Health Guidelines.  If you or your child is in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, you must follow the DPH quarantine guidelines (see below).
 
–You must isolate if you are symptomatic or have tested positive for COVID-19. This means you must be alone, without direct contact with anyone else, until you can no longer spread the virus. This typically lasts about 10 days.
–You must quarantine if you were exposed to someone with COVID-19 but haven’t shown symptoms or had a positive COVID-19 test. It’s best if you can quarantine for 14 days. However, if 10 days after your exposure you have no symptoms, you can end quarantine. You can end your quarantine after 7 days if you get tested and are negative for the virus.

6. Staff Vaccination Update-Below is a chart of the latest survey for staff who are in the vaccination process.  As you can see below, a significant percentage of staff are in some stage of the vaccination process.

7. Food Service Employees Needed-As we transition back to in person, our food service department is in need of food service employees to serve and prepare lunches for our students.  If you are interested, please contact Director of School Nutrition Danielle Collins at Danielle.Collins@reading.k12.ma.us.

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