<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style=""><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="color:black"><font face="georgia, serif" style="">October 5, 2020</font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="color:black"><font face="georgia, serif" style=""><br></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 12pt"><span style="color:black;font-family:georgia,serif;text-align:justify">Dear Needham Public Schools Families:</span><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;text-align:justify;color:black">This weekend, we had our first positive COVID-19 case among the high
school student body. Although it saddens me to know that one of our students is
ill, I’m relieved that the health team from the district and the Town’s
Department of Health responded promptly and appropriately. I am also pleased
and grateful to report that the family recognized the student was not feeling
well earlier in the week and kept the student home for the first week of
classes. As a result, there was no contact
with other individuals in the school. </span><b style="font-family:georgia,serif;text-align:justify"><span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Please know that any adult or student who is
considered a close contact of this individual has already been identified and
notified. Those individuals are required to quarantine for 14 days.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="color:black"><font face="georgia, serif"> </font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="color:black"><font face="georgia, serif">Allow me to take this opportunity to share with you how the Needham
Public Schools will be communicating information about COVID-19 cases in our
district and helping to mitigate the spread of the disease. </font></span><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;color:black">First and foremost, we
will be guided by <a href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-public-health-guidance-and-directives">Department of Public Health</a> guidelines and the </span><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;color:windowtext"><a href="http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/departments/superintendent_s_office/plans_for_reopening_our_schools/health___safety/illness_guidelines">Needham Public Schools Illness Guidelines</a></span><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;color:black">. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font face="georgia, serif"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="color:black"><font face="georgia, serif"><b>• Student Illness </b>If your student is ill, your first call should be to the School
Nurse so that we can ensure you receive the information you need to keep your
family safe and so our health officials can immediately begin contact tracing. </font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font face="georgia, serif"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font face="georgia, serif"><span style="color:black"><b>• Contact Tracing</b> If a Needham Public Schools staff member or student tests positive
for COVID-19, the </span><a href="http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/departments/superintendent_s_office/plans_for_reopening_our_schools/health___safety/contact_tracing_protocol">contact tracing protocol</a><span style="color:black"> is implemented. Any adult or student who is
considered a <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-BZMtYBa8f38WtbNmnMPXB2pjAwnvHGOy0pOVWly1Jc/edit?usp=sharing">close contact</a> of this individual is identified and notified by the Public Health Department. It is very
important to answer the call from the Public Health Department and follow their
instructions about staying home from school and away from extracurricular
activities. Families and staff are advised to call their healthcare provider
for evaluation and get a COVID-19 PCR test. If individuals are not notified
through the Public Health Department’s contact tracing, they are not close
contacts and do not need to quarantine. </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font face="georgia, serif"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="color:black"><font face="georgia, serif">The Needham Public Schools will complement contact tracing by taking
the following steps:</font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="color:black"><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="color:black;font-family:georgia,serif"><b>-</b> There
may be times when the district reaches out to families through the use of
our automated phone system to request that children in certain classes or
in certain schools be kept home while the contact tracing is being
implemented. This brief phone message will be followed up the next day
with more information about the return to school.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;color:black"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;color:black"><b>- </b>If
there is the need for an entire class to quarantine, the school will
communicate with families about how their child’s learning will continue.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;color:black"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;color:black"><b>-</b> If
there is a suspected in-school or in-district transmission, the
Superintendent will communicate with all staff and families about the next
steps, which could include: closing part of or the entire school or
district for a short time for thorough cleaning, or closing for the
duration of a 14-day quarantine. This communication will be shared with
the Town for wide distribution.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;color:black"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;color:black"><b>-</b> On
the district website, information on the number of known cases of COVID-19
will soon be posted for general reference. This number does not include any personally
identifiable information and is reported, as required, to the Massachusetts
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font face="georgia, serif"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><b><span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="georgia, serif">To
reiterate, you are receiving this communication for <i>informational purposes</i>.
If you have not been previously contacted by our health professionals, your
student is not in the group that will need to follow protocols in place for
close contacts.</font></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font face="georgia, serif"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="color:black"><font face="georgia, serif">At the heart of the district’s communication’s process is our
dedication to health and safety. Our focus has been - and will remain - the
health, safety, and wellbeing of our students, staff, families, and community.</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font face="georgia, serif"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="color:black"><font face="georgia, serif">Respectfully,</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font face="georgia, serif"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></p></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="georgia, serif">Dan Gutekanst</font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="georgia, serif">Superintendent of Schools</font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="georgia, serif">Needham Public Schools</font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="georgia, serif">1330 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02492</font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="georgia, serif">781-455-0400 x11203</font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="georgia, serif"><a href="mailto:dan_gutekanst@needham.k12.ma.us" target="_blank">dan_gutekanst@needham.k12.ma.us</a></font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><br></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="1">ATTENTION: If you speak a language other than English, language assistance services are available to you free of charge. Contact your child’s school for assistance.</font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="1">Chinese (Simplified): 请注意：如果您的母语不是英语，我们将免费提供您语言辅助服务。如需协助，请与您孩子 的学校联系。</font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="1">Spanish: ATENCION: Si usted habla un idioma que no sea el inglés, hay servicios de asistencia lingüística disponibles gratis. Contacte la escuela de su hijo para asistencia.</font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline"><font size="1">Russian: ВНИМАНИЕ: Если вы не говорите на английском языке, для вас доступны бесплатные языковые сервисы на вашем языке. Обратитесь за помощью в школу, в которой учится ваш ребенок.</font></span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div>