[ Por favor vea este correo electrónico en español ]
Dear MGRSD Community,
I hope this message finds you and your family healthy and well. Over the last few days, the district has experienced a significant increase in sick-absences within our community, with a sizable portion of those absences confirmed as cases of COVID-19. We have communicated with the MA Department of Public Health, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, local health officials, and local physicians. Through collaboration with those advisors and their support, we are taking the following steps:
- We are requesting that families monitor for common COVID symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle or body aches, headaches, sore throat, congestion or a runny nose, diarrhea or vomiting, or loss of taste or smell. If your student has a fever, diarrhea, or vomiting they should remain home until those symptoms have cleared for at least 24 hours without medication. With any of the listed symptoms, please consider taking an at-home COVID test and/or contacting your physician. Contact your School Nurse or Principal with any positive results or related concerns.
- We are recommending that all community members wear a well-fitting protective mask to school. A properly worn mask can provide personal protection and protect the community at large from the spread of a wide variety of illnesses, including COVID. This recommendation is in place for the next 10 days (through next Friday, January 27th).
- Within specific cohorts in our schools that experience significant upticks in COVID cases, we will be offering additional antigen testing provided by the state and free of cost.
We are grateful to our health partners across the state and here at home. With the current prevalence of COVID and other respiratory illnesses, we will continue to watch our local data carefully. We are very appreciative of your being a part of community-wide efforts to keep schools and all who learn and work here safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
Jason McCandless