[Superintendent's Update] Superintendent's Update

[Needham Public Schools Superintendent's Update]

October 5, 2020


Dear Needham Public Schools Families:

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.  *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.*



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. First and
foremost, we will be guided by Department of Public Health
<https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-public-health-guidance-and-directives>
guidelines and the Needham Public Schools Illness Guidelines
<http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/departments/superintendent_s_office/plans_for_reopening_our_schools/health___safety/illness_guidelines>
.



*•  Student Illness *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.



*• Contact Tracing* If a Needham Public Schools staff member or student
tests positive for COVID-19, the contact tracing protocol
<http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/departments/superintendent_s_office/plans_for_reopening_our_schools/health___safety/contact_tracing_protocol>
is implemented. Any adult or student who is considered a close contact
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-BZMtYBa8f38WtbNmnMPXB2pjAwnvHGOy0pOVWly1Jc/edit?usp=sharing>
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.



The Needham Public Schools will complement contact tracing by taking the
following steps:


*-*  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.


*-   *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.


*-*  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.


*-*    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.



*To reiterate, you are receiving this communication for informational
purposes. 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.*



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.



Respectfully,




Dan Gutekanst
Superintendent of Schools
Needham Public Schools
1330 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02492
781-455-0400 x11203
dan_gutekanst at needham.k12.ma.us

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.

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。

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.

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.
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