Reading Public Schools COVID-19 Briefing #7

Good Afternoon, Reading Public School Families,

I hope that you are doing well and your family members are safe and healthy.  We understand the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our families and our staff as we are all adjusting to this new way of working, learning, and communicating.  Our technology and curriculum staff have been working diligently behind the scenes to develop an online structure, identifying resources and planning a routine that will support our students.  You will receive further information in the next couple of days. In addition, we have been collaborating with the Reading Teachers Association (RTA) as we transition to a more online environment with students during this time of uncertainty.  We also understand that we are all in uncharted waters where we will be making changes along the way. In addition, all of us have other personal and family responsibilities throughout the day. Our main goal during this school closure is to maintain communication and connection with our students and families in as consistent a structure as possible, until “normal” operations can resume.

Below are some updates for you as we enter week 2 of our school closure:

• As mentioned above, over the next couple of days, you will receive information on our plans for connecting with students in an online environment.  We will be working on creating systems or building upon the ones that exist currently so that we can provide regular personal and educational connectivity that is so important right now.  Until then, continue to access resources that can be found here.
• We continue to provide meals for those Reading Public School Students who qualify for free and reduced lunch.  If your child qualifies and your child needs meals, please contact Director of School Nutrition Danielle Collins at Danielle.Collins@reading.k12.ma.us
• We also want to make you aware that the Reading Food Pantry has options for families who need meals.  You can contact them via Facebook at 

https://www.facebook.com/ReadingFoodPantry/

• Below are some health resources for parents regarding COVID-19.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Director of Nurses Mary Giuliana at Mary.Giuliana@reading.k12.ma.us. 
  • For the most up to date information in Massachusetts, go to the Mass.gov site below.

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/frequently-asked-questions-about-covid-19

• Call MA211 for questions and referrals regarding Covid-19
• Here is some guidance about talking to kids about the pandemic.

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/coronavirus-how-talk-child.html?WT.ac=p-ra

• What to do if your child is sick

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/coronavirus-child-is-sick.html?WT.ac=p-ra

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or your building principal.

Thank you, please take care of yourself, and be safe.

Order Pertaining to Personal Care Services and Recommendation for Non-Essential Retail Establishments

(Reading, MA – March 21, 2020) – Effective Monday, March 23, 2020, per order of the Town of Reading Board of Health, all services offered to the public which cannot be provided by keeping a distance of at least six (6) feet between individuals are hereby ordered to close until April 6, 2020.

The prohibition in this order includes but is not limited to: hairdressers, barbers and salons, nail salons, massage services, tanning, laser hair removal, body art, body work, piercing, personal training, fitness centers, and all other business and commercial activities involving the touching of another person.  This order shall apply to all such activities whether comprising all or only a portion of a particular business.  This order does NOT apply to services provided by a licensed health-care provider such as, but not limited to, doctors, dentists, urgent care facilities, physical therapy, speech therapy, or occupational therapy.

Additionally, the Board of Health is encouraging all retail establishments that do not sell essential commodities such as food, medicine, or cleaning supplies to consider voluntarily closing until April 6, 2020.  The Board of Health is also recommending that all retail establishments that do stay open should only do so if they can assure that customers and employees will be able to maintain social distancing practices consistent with CDC guidelines of six feet of personal separation.

Dear Members of Reading Public Schools Community,

We know these days of uncertainty are having a profound impact on your daily life. We hope you and your loved ones are comforting each other and being kind to one another, as this is a time when we need to rely on each other more than ever.  We do not know what the hours, days and weeks ahead may look like and it is the unknown that feels hard on all of us. As adults, we are called upon to be the leaders and guiding through this requires us to show compassion, strength, and dignity. It also requires us to be even more vigilant in supporting our children. Please realize that the children around us are feeling unsettled and have many questions.  In times like these, it is important to focus on what our children can developmentally absorb as well as to focus on the positive. We are part of a wonderful community that cares deeply for its people. It is time to reassure and remain positive. Continue limiting children’s exposure to the media and be sure to spend time noticing the things that give them joy. Embrace the world through their inquisitive eyes! More than ever, it is a time to come together as families and take the small moments of time as a gift to reconnect. This is the time to show that we care about the people around us.

Today is only our fourth day of being away from our school communities. We are still reeling from the ever-changing landscape and plans that have evolved since our time together.  We have heard from some a desire to establish a regular schedule for our children. We have quickly worked as a team to cull through the many, many resources that are out there and provide these to families in order to keep students engaged. We want our decisions to be thoughtful and impactful on our students, drawing upon inquiry skills, previous learning, and reflection. Determining what is best for our students takes time and energy, which we know is hard to hear when we are all seeking answers. You can expect an update from us next week with our plans to connect teachers and students. Until then, continue to access resources that can be found here.

Additionally, feel empowered to work together to create a schedule that may work for your child.  This may include some of life’s learning skills: baking, household chores, safe and supervised experiments, sewing, or getting some fresh air. Remember to breathe and practice mindfulness. Work to keep your emotional, intellectual, and physical health strong. There are just so many ways to learn together.  Most importantly, please practice social distancing.  Humans like to be around humans so we realize that your child or children may be really looking to socialize.  In the days and weeks ahead, we may never know precisely how much distancing will help us through this pandemic, but it is important that we heed the advice of the medical experts.

You may have heard that some school systems around us have been assigning online tasks and attempting to replicate the school day.  We have intentionally not done this in Reading. Instead, at this point, we are choosing to provide optional ongoing experiences for our children that engage the whole child. In hearing from medical experts and if the news that we have is correct, we may be out of school for more than three weeks. Our current structure is based on providing ideas and enrichment.  We are looking forward and planning next steps should this window be extended. Our educators will focus on equity, access, prioritizing our student needs in the development of any future plans.

We recognize that this period of school closure is difficult for parents, caregivers and staff. While these are not considered school days and thus IEP services are not being provided, the Reading Special Education Department understands that communication with families is important in supporting students, families and staff.  We know that some of our families may need guidance on how to structure their child’s day or how to access resources. Team chairpersons have reached out to all families of students with an IEP to provide enrichment based educational opportunities. Families should expect continued communication from Team Chairs throughout the closure. For families that have support from a BCBA or AT Specialist, you should also expect outreach from them.  If you require additional support please reach out to your Team Chairperson. If your child’s IEP expires during this closure, services will ‘stay put’, meaning they will remain in place until the Team can convene. If your child’s IEP meeting was scheduled during this period of school closure, the meetings will be rescheduled upon our return to school or in the near future. If needed, we will explore alternative ways to hold meetings, should this period of school closure be extended.  The Special Education administration will continue to work with the The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide parents, caregivers and staff the most up to date information.

Again, we ask you to join us in supporting one another during this time. Let us choose to use this time to think about how we may positively impact the people and the community around us. As a way to help us join around a common message of solidarity, we were sent this video entitled, “Rooted in Love” that you may wish to watch as it is so very powerful.  As Mike Smith says in the video “Our classrooms are about to change.  Let us show that we care about the people around us.” We fully recognize the challenges we are all facing. As we work to determine what this means for us, please know we are diligently collaborating on our “next steps.” We thank you for your patience and support as we move forward.

Thank you for your patience.

The Reading Public Schools Building and Central Office Administrative Teams.

Good Morning, Reading Public School Community,

Late last evening, the Town of Reading Board of Health announced that the Town of Reading has one presumptive positive case of COVID-19.  The community member is a parent of students at Coolidge Middle School and Reading Memorial High School.  All teachers working directly with the students, as well as other close contacts in the schools, have been or are in the process of being notified.  The students were asymptomatic last week and developed mild symptoms over the weekend. All members of the family are currently self-quarantining.  Our thoughts go out to that family for a healthy recovery.

We anticipate cases such as this will increase over the next days and weeks, but wanted you to know as this is one of the first cases in Reading.  So you are aware, symptoms typically begin within 5 days of exposure, but can develop up to 14 days from contact.

If you develop symptoms, specifically fever, cough, body aches, or sore throat, please call your physician for guidance. In addition, please see https://www.mass.gov/resource/information-on-the-outbreak-of-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19 for more information and be aware there is also a MA 211 referral information hotline available.

If you have any further questions, please reach out to Mary Giuliana, RMHS school nurse at mary.giuliana@reading.k12.ma.us.

John F. Doherty

Superintendent

Reading Public Schools

82 Oakland Road

Reading, MA 01876

Good Afternoon,  Reading Public Schools Community,

The School Committee meetings for Thursday, March 19th and 26th have been cancelled.  The agenda items for these meetings will be rescheduled for a future date.

If you have any questions, please contact the Reading Public Schools Administration Offices at 781-944-5800.

Good Afternoon,  Reading Public Schools Community,

The School Committee meetings for Thursday, March 19th and 26th have been cancelled.  The agenda items for these meetings will be rescheduled for a future date.

If you have any questions, please contact the Reading Public Schools Administration Offices at 781-944-5800.

Good Evening, Reading Public School Community,

We appreciate your support and patience during a very uncertain and unprecedented time.  Over the last few days, we have been putting together a document of Frequently Asked Questions regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on different areas of our school district.  Below is the first edition of this document.  We will continue to update this document and send you the updated versions, when applicable.

If you have any questions, please contact Superintendent of Schools John Doherty at john.doherty@reading.k12.ma.us.

Be safe and please take care of yourself.

Reading FAQs COVID-19-For Community March 17 2020

Good Evening, Reading Public School Community,

Earlier this evening, Governor Baker ordered that all public schools will be closed, effective through Tuesday, April 7th.  Therefore, based on the information we have available at this time, the Reading Public Schools will be closed until Tuesday, April 7th.

A few updates for families:

1. We are in the process of developing a Frequently Asked Questions document and will send that out once it is completed.
2. If students need to pick up essential medications that they left at school, they are to contact our Director of Nurses Mary Giuliana at Mary.Giuliana@reading.k12.ma.us and she will schedule a time on Monday for medication pickup at that school.  This will be the last opportunity for students to access the buildings until reopening because we will be doing extensive cleaning of each building.
3. If your child has left an essential item at the school (i.e. computer, books or musical instrument), please contact the school on Monday and you may pick it up from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Monday.  Please note that we are only allowing one member of each family to come in to pick up your child’s possessions.  This will be the last opportunity for students to access the buildings until reopening because we will be doing extensive cleaning of each building.
4. As mentioned in a previous email.  We want to make you aware that we will be offering grab and go meals for those Reading Public School Students who qualify for free and reduced lunch.  The meals will be available at the Reading Memorial High School Cafeteria from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, beginning on Monday, March 16th.

If you would like to participate, please sign up ahead of time by completing the link below.

https://forms.gle/pzyL2aQgUmfQ1RHs8

If you have any questions, please contact Director of School Nutrition Danielle Collins at Danielle.Collins@reading.k12.ma.us

Please take care of yourself and be safe.

Good Afternoon, Reading Public School Families,

We want to make you aware that we will be offering grab and go meals for those Reading Public School Students who qualify for free and reduced lunch.  The meals will be available at the Reading Memorial High School Cafeteria from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, beginning on Monday, March 16th.

If you would like to participate, please sign up ahead of time by completing the link below.

https://forms.gle/pzyL2aQgUmfQ1RHs8

If you have any questions, please contact Director of School Nutrition Danielle Collins at Danielle.Collins@reading.k12.ma.us

Dear Reading Public Schools Families:

I appreciate your patience during this unprecedented time.  As I mentioned in my briefing last evening, I have been in constant contact with state and local officials, and area superintendents in regards to closing school for an extended period of time.  This morning I was involved with two conference calls, one with the Commissioner of Education and Department of Public Health, and one with regional Superintendents.

Although the Department of Public Health and Governor Baker are not recommending regional wide school closures at this time, except in specific situations, the Reading Public Schools and many other area school districts will be closed from March 16^th to March 27th.  This includes all athletics, extra-curricular, after/before school activities and extended day programs.

I am doing this out of an abundance of caution, particularly out of sensitivity to families and staff who have underlying conditions that make them more vulnerable to complications should they become infected.  I do not take this decision to close our schools lightly because of the educational impact on our students and most likely, a financial impact on families who do not have childcare options.  As of this morning our community has been fortunate not to have any identified cases of COVID-19, however, we know that can change very quickly.  In addition, with the number of school districts who will be cancelling for two weeks, this will have an impact on our staff with families who live in those districts.

This decision will assist with the ongoing efforts of our community to mitigate the spread of this virus. It is important to understand that closing schools is only a part of the broader solution to prevent community spread of the virus. If students and families continue to meet together in large groups outside of school, this initial two-week closure may not have the desired impact. It is critical that students and families do their best to refrain from meeting in large groups and practice social distancing as recommended by the CDC.

Over the next few days, we will be communicating additional information to you regarding optional continuation of learning activities for students, access to meals for our students on free and reduced lunch, building cleaning, and other areas.

Out of district special education students should continue to attend their school if it is in session.  Transportation will be provided.  Please look for notices from your specific school for up to date information.

A complete status update will be distributed to families on or before Friday, March 20, 2020.

We appreciate your support and patience as we continue to manage this ever-changing situation.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at john.doherty@reading.k12.ma.us or 781-944-5800.

Thank you and take care of yourself during this difficult time.