Superintendent Gives Vacation Travel Warnings, Updates to Schedule, and Thoughts on Graduations in Update
Press ReleaseGood afternoon,
I hope that everyone had a restful weekend. The weather looks to be taking a turn and we are in store for some beautiful spring days ahead.
Here are some updates for the school community regarding:
an asynchronous day on April 9,
travel guidance in advance of the April break,
efforts to vaccinate the school community, and
End of year activities.
Asynchronous Day Friday April 9
Our vaccination efforts continue this week with our final staff clinic on Thursday April 8. It was not possible for the Westport/Weston Health District to accommodate a clinic on Friday April 9, which was a preference given the prevalence of side effects following the second shot. That said, we have monitored the impact of side effects across the state in various school districts. In addition, we administered a voluntary survey of those staff members who received their second shot last week. Out of approximately 250 staff members vaccinated last week, 214 participated in the survey. The results of the survey are consistent with what we have observed across the state. 92% of participants indicated that they experienced side effects, most of which would have prevented staff members from performing their normal responsibilities the following day. As a result, Friday April 9 will be completely asynchronous for all students and staff PreK-12.
Travel Guidance
Although Governor Lamont’s Executive Order regarding travel is no longer in effect, the Department of Public Health (DPH) is recommending that all Connecticut residents follow the CDC Guidelines for Travelers. Due to the expiration of the Governor’s Executive Order, this is no longer a mandate, only a recommendation.
Students and staff traveling over the April vacation are asked to follow the guidelines below, which are consistent with the expectations that have been previously communicated.
While traveling, please continue to utilize all appropriate mitigation strategies (including mask wearing, distancing, symptom recognition, hand washing, etc.) regardless of whether they are mandated at your destination.
Before travel, review the current DPH and CDC recommendations for travel during COVID-19 and be sure to plan sufficient time for any necessary actions.
Before returning to school after travel, we are asking everyone to:
Get tested with a viral test after returning to Connecticut and stay out of school until you receive a negative test back from the laboratory.
Be aware of and closely self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms during and after your trip, especially for the 14 days after returning.
Immediately quarantine if anyone with you on your trip tests positive after returning to Connecticut.
Be prepared to immediately quarantine if/when symptoms appear, always and at any time.
International travelers should be aware of the additional COVID-19 Travel Recommendations by Destination prior to departure: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html. Additionally, you may find these Frequently Asked Questions helpful: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/faqs.html.
Any student traveling overnight to participate in an athletic tournament must quarantine for a minimum of 7-days upon returning to Connecticut, even with a negative COVID-19 test result. Additionally, any student not testing must quarantine for a full 10 days upon returning from an overnight out-of-state tournament. These expectations come directly from the DPH document, “Updated Guidance for the Operation of Interscholastic, Youth and other Amateur Sport Activities during the COVID-19 Pandemic” (https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DPH/Communications/Covid19/DPH-Youth-and-Amateur-Sports-COVID19_UPDATED_Jan_2021_Final_v23.pdf)
Efforts to Vaccinate the School Community
As we conclude our second, and final, round of vaccinations for our faculty and staff this week, we turn our efforts to supporting parents in vaccinating our 16+ student population. At this point in the year nearly two-thirds of our high school population is 16+. Currently, only the Pfizer vaccine has received emergency approval for administration to children ages 16+. This is not the vaccine that has been distributed to our local health district. However, there are options in our region to advance this effort.
According to Amy Taylor, Vice President, Western Region Community Health Center, there might be clinics in the region that will be dedicated to local students. This information is evolving and we expect to possibly have more specificity just prior to the April break. Stay tuned!!
End of the Year Activities
School districts across the state are awaiting guidance from the DPH regarding end of the year activities, including graduation, proms, etc. It is likely that we will continue to be encouraged to favor outdoor activities with universal mask wearing and social distancing. Once the DPH document is released, the district will move from “save the date” to planning specifics of our end of year activities, knowing that any event can change in a moment’s notice until the pandemic is behind us. More to come on this topic.
Please continue to report any cases over the break to our hotline as we intend to stay on top of our reporting procedures and data as we have with prior vacation periods.
Thank you for all of the support and patience this year,
Thomas Scarice
Superintendent of Schools
Superintendent: 7 New COVID-19 Cases over Weekend
Data from the WPS reopening dashboard.
Press ReleaseDear Westport Families and Staff,
In our efforts to remain transparent with reports of positive Covid-19 cases associated with our schools, we will continue to provide these updates as information is confirmed. As of the time I am writing to you this morning, we have 7 newly confirmed cases today of COVID-19 from the holiday weekend. The reports came from the following schools:
Kings Highway Elementary School - 1
Long Lots Elementary School -1
Saugatuck Elementary School - 1
Bedford Middle School - 1
Staples High School - 3
As a reminder, families are asked to report 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.
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
Winners Announced: Westport’s Best Sandwiches
Press ReleaseThe Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the winners of the Great Westport Sandwich Contest. Over 1000 votes were cast in the month-long contest which saw 21 restaurants, markets and delis compete in nine different categories.
The Winners Are:
Best Chicken Sandwich – Stiles Market
Best Steak Sandwich – JR’s Grille
Best Vegetarian Sandwich – Manna Toast
Best Combo Sandwich – Stiles Market
Best Club Sandwich – Joe’s Pizza
Best Wrap – Layla’s Falafel
Best Breakfast Sandwich – JR’s Grille
Best Pressed Sandwich – Mystic Market
Best Fish / Seafood Sandwich – Rizzuto’s
Honorable Mention (coming within 5 votes of the winner) A&S, Calise’s and Fortuna’s
The winners received a plaque to hang. Each winner will also be offering a free winning sandwich to nine lucky voters who won the lottery in the category they voted in.
For more information go to www.westportwestonchamber.com/sandwich
Katherine Ross is Westport Book Shop’s April Artist
Press ReleaseWestport Book Shop welcomes artist Katherine Ross as exhibitor for the month of April at the Book Shop’s Drew Friedman Art Place. Her watercolor paintings on display are a beautiful complement to the emergence of the spring season.
Westport Book Shop, a nonprofit used book shop, is located at 23 Jesup Road, across Jesup Green from the Westport Library, in downtown Westport. The exhibit is open to the public during the Book Shop’s business hours: Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from Noon to 5 p.m. (closed Mondays).
Katherine Ross is a local artist and art teacher who works in a variety of mediums. Long-time Westporters might know her as the artist who conceived the children’s mosaic wall at the Longshore pool area, a community art project completed in the year 2000 that incorporates the artwork of more than 1,000 fifth through eighth grade children from throughout the town.
Katherine has been teaching art to adults and children for 25 years, privately and publicly, including at the Katona Museum of Art, the Westport Art Center (now known as MoCA Westport), the Side By Side School in Norwalk, and the Bridge Academy in Bridgeport. She specializes in portfolio development for college-bound high school students. Katherine has served on the Arts Advisory Committee of Westport, and the Westport Cultural Arts Committee, and has co-chaired and served as town representative of the Art Smarts Program in the Westport public schools.
The Book Shop’s “Drew Friedman Art Place” is an area of the store dedicated to exhibiting the work of community artists year-round, on a rotating basis. Miggs Burroughs, a Trustee of the Drew Friedman Community Arts Center, and a founding member of the Artists Collective of Westport, is curating these exhibits, which will change monthly.
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Westport Book Shop, and the Westport Library Book Sales, are operated by Westport Book Sale Ventures, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit enterprise with the dual social mission of supporting The Westport Library, while providing meaningful employment for adults with disabilities. In addition to the recently-opened Westport Book Shop, books are offered for sale online year-round on the book sale’s website, and at periodic annual book sale events.
Westport Book Sale Ventures welcomes volunteers for all aspects of its operations, from book donation receipt and sorting, to preparing for book sale events, to work in its online sales operation, and at the new Westport Book Shop. For more information, to get involved, or to make a donation, please visit www.westportbooksales.org or send an email to info@westportbooksales.org