Coleytown Middle Schools Gets Art Upgrade over Break
Westport Arts Advisory Committee: Westport artist Eric Chiang stands beside his large-scale acrylic painting installed at the newly refurbished Coleytown Middle School, which will greet students when they return to classes Monday. Are We Born Connected?, a three-piece (triptych) canvas measuring 4 feet x 15 feet was hung in the school’s grand staircase, on what had been a beautiful yet vast empty space. Arranged to display by the Westport Arts Advisory Committee (WAAC,) the painting will be on loan to CMS until the end of the school year. Although the public cannot visit in person, the piece may be viewed on WAAC’s website, along with 1500+ other artworks that comprise the Westport Public Art Collections (WestPAC). Click here for more about Eric and his work.
Superintendent: Protect our Schools and Obey Law if Returning from Vacation
Staples High School was a low priority for snow clearing crews today as the District remains on Winter Recess until this upcoming Monday. Quarantine Guidelines for Westport Students & Families
New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island are exempt from this advisory, and do not require quarantine or COVID-19 testing.
Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and all other states or countries are not exempt. If you visited any non-exempt state for more than 24 hours within the past 10 days:
All students and families must fill out the State Travel Health Form regardless of COVID-19 testing.
All students and families must quarantine when they return home to Connecticut, and must remain in quarantine for ten days since last contact with the affected State.
Quarantine may be left if a rapid or PCR COVID-19 test was administered, and returned negative. The test can be administered up to 72 hours before returning to the Connecticut, or anytime thereafter. Results must be submitted to the Commissioner of Public Health .
Failure to quarantine, receive COVID-19 testing, and/or submit accurate State Travel Forms will result in a $500 civil penalty per violation (per family member, and/or per time leaving quarantine)
All positive COVID-19 cases for Westport Public Schools students or staff (virtual or in-person learnings) must be reported to the District by email or phone.
Anonymous reporting of people not adhering to the Connecticut Travel Advisory can be submitted online here.
Press Release: Dear Westport Families and Staff,
As we head into the final weekend of the winter break I want to remind everyone of Governor Lamont's Executive order 9S, an order regarding travel. Students and staff returning from travel to anywhere other than New Jersey, New York or Rhode Island, where they have stayed longer than 24 hours, are required by law to follow this executive order. Please see the link below for specific information including a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. (For your convenience the FAQ’s are also included in this email.)
We want to remind families to continue reporting positive COVID-19 cases of students using our reporting voicemail or email regardless of whether the students are in remote or hybrid models of instruction. Please follow this link for more information on reporting.
As noted last week, the travel guidance linked and outlined below is important information as the winter break draws to a close, but it remains critical for families and staff to remember that smaller social gatherings with family and friends have an equal, if not greater potential, for transmission of COVID-19 if mask wearing and other critical mitigation measures aren’t followed.
Thank you again for your help in following this guidance. Enjoy the weekend, and we look forward to seeing everyone next week!
Respectfully,
Thomas Scarice
Superintendent of Schools
Superintendent: No COVID-19 Cases to Report; Reminds Families to Report Cases Even During Break
Good afternoon Westport Families and Staff,
I hope you are all enjoying the winter vacation. The District has continued to actively monitor for reports of positive COVID-19 cases associated with our schools since the start of break. I am pleased to report that as of the time I am writing to you this afternoon we have no new cases of COVID-19. This is very positive news for our schools and the greater community. We will continue with our monitoring efforts through the weekend and will provide an update either Sunday evening or Monday morning.
As a reminder, families are asked to report positive of COVID-19 cases of students using our reporting voicemail or email regardless of whether the students are in remote or hybrid models of instruction. Please follow this link for more information on reporting.
Additionally, we want to remind families that students with pending Covid-19 tests should not return to school until receiving negative results. This approach is critical in helping us continue minimizing the potential for transmission in our schools.
Respectfully,
Thomas Scarice
Superintendent of Schools
Westport Public Schools: All Afternoon Activities, Sports Cancelled due to Snow
Press ReleaseGood morning,
Due to the pending snow all student activities scheduled after 12:00 p.m. today, Thursday, February 18, 2021, are canceled or postponed. Please check with your coaches or student advisors for any plans to reschedule activities planned for this afternoon.
Please stay safe.
Respectfully,
John Bayers
Director of Human Resources & General Administration