Superintendent: Mandated Vaccines for Public School Staff, Regular Lunch Program Returns, “Much, much more to come”
Westport Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice released an update today describing some changes or continuations for the upcoming school year. Some of the most important updates include a new State mandate for all public school personnel to be vaccinated against COVID-19, or maintain weekly testing - with vaccinated teachers able to remove their mask while teaching from the front of a classroom. The update also said students will be masked at least through the end of September, but that they will not have to wear masks outdoors. Scarice ended the comprehensive update by reminding families that “ you can anticipate additional updates in the coming days. These are some of the more salient district wide updates. Building principals will send further school-specific messages as we approach the first day of school. “
Click here to read the Superintendent’s full update.
Dear Westport Families,
I truly hope that this summer provided you and your family with much needed rest and relaxation. As the first day approaches on August 31 I want to inform families that there will be multiple updates to keep you apprised of our reopening plans. You can expect regular updates from my office, or from your child's building principal, in the coming days. Additionally, the reopening resource on our newly designed website (more on that next week!!) will be fully updated as the most recent guidance from the CT Department of Public Health (DPH) continues to unfold.
Although the outlook with regards to the pandemic is not as positive as it was in June, we will continue to work towards providing as much normalcy as possible for your child as they return to school. Like last year, we will approach matters in 4-6 week increments, while thoughtfully considering layers of mitigating measures.
We have learned a lot since we opened schools last year. While we have hoped that we would begin the year back to pre-pandemic practices, it is clear that we are not quite there yet. With high vaccination rates in our community, and a prudent approach, we can successfully begin the school year, and in consultation with our medical advisor, and our local and state health departments, we can roll back mitigating measures as the conditions permit.
The following are the most current practices in place for the first day of school:
Universal Masks/Face Coverings:
Masks will be required for all students and staff while in the school building and on the school bus. This continues to be an executive order, (Executive Order A13, Protection of Public Health and Safety During COVID-19), until 9-30-21 and is consistent with recommendations from both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Mask breaks will continue to be provided optimally when outside or students are spaced greater than 6 ft.
No masks will be required outside for recess or other outside activities.
Fully vaccinated teachers will have the opportunity to remove their masks during active instruction at the front of the classroom per DPH guidance.
Vaccines:
Governor Lamont issued Executive Order 13D on August 19, 2021. In short, all Pre-K-12 staff are required to have the Covid-19 vaccine. Any employees eligible for medical or religious waivers will be subject to routine testing.
Social Distancing:
Social distancing of 3 ft. will be implemented to the extent possible in the classrooms and other settings.
Lunch:
Return to pre-pandemic provision of school lunch services.
Additional seating will be made available at all levels (i.e. elementary, middle, high) during lunch in order to allow for extra spacing, including outside seating for students during lunch waves.
Visitors:
Visitors in the buildings will be limited to educational or school business needs. School visits need to be approved by the building administration.
Given the Governor's mandatory vaccination announcement Thursday, it is possible that visitors will be required to be vaccinated.
After School Activities:
After school activities will continue but will follow the spacing and masking guidelines.
Building Cleaning:
Routine and standard cleaning protocols will be in place. Surface transmission has been found to be minimal.
Hand Washing:
Hand washing will continue to be encouraged throughout the day and the extra sanitizer will be available throughout the buildings.
Quarantine Practices:
Quarantine practices will continue based on the guideline of being within 6 ft. for 15 minutes over a 24 hour period to a person who is positive for COVID-19.
Due to limited transmission in classrooms last year, the CDC has made an important exception for students in the classroom setting only. Students in the classroom where everyone is wearing a mask will only be quarantined if they were within 3 ft. of another student positive for COVID-19.
Vaccinated students and staff will not need to quarantine but will be asked to obtain a test within 3-5 days
Quarantine length will be continued as it was at the end of the school year and consist of a PCR or antigen test at day 5 or later and return on day 8 if the test is negative and the person is experiencing no symptoms. If no test is obtained the student or staff member will be able to return on day 10 if they are symptom free.
Students or staff positive for COVID-19 will need to isolate for 10 days from the start of symptoms or the date of the positive test and may return after the 10 days if they are symptom free.
Travel:
We will continue to recommend CDC guidance for travel both interstate and international.
Ventilation:
Ventilation includes HVAC systems that optimize the most air to be taken into the building. Merv 10-13 filters are used.
Supports for Students in Quarantine or Isolation:
Students needing to quarantine or isolate as a result of COVID-19 will receive certain educational supports while in quarantine.
At the elementary level, these supports will consist of access to essential assignments through Google Classroom, twice weekly scheduled contact with the classroom teacher, and twice weekly contact with support staff to assist in work completion.
At the secondary level, this will consist of access to posted assignments and communication with teachers via email as needed and, for quarantine periods extending beyond 5 school days, scheduled time with staff to support students during and after quarantine.
For students who are medically unable to attend school for a verified medical reason, the district will continue to implement its Homebound Instruction Policy 6173. Individuals with questions about this policy or procedure should contact Mr. Rizzo, Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Services.
These supports will be revisited periodically, likely every 4-6 weeks, to determine if additional interventions are warranted based on the number of students requiring these services.
District COVID-19 Dashboard:
Our on-line COVID-19 dashboard will continue to be updated daily and available on our website.
What Can Families Do?
Obtain a vaccine for all those eligible 12 years of age and older.
Continue to complete a daily home screening to monitor students each morning for any signs of illness and anyone with signs of illness should stay home from school and contact your school nurse.
Please report any COVID-19 cases to our COVID -19 hotline at 203-341-1016 or email PositiveCovidReport@westportps.org
If a student has had close contact with a person with COVID-19 they should contact their school nurse.
Again, you can anticipate additional updates in the coming days. These are some of the more salient district wide updates. Building principals will send further school-specific messages as we approach the first day of school.
Much, much more to come,
Tom Scarice
Striking Sunrise Over Sherwood Mill Pond
Dramatic colors of orange and gold lit the sky this morning over Mill Pond. Photo by Cami Vynerib.
Four Cars Stolen, Compo Home Burglarized Overnight
Westport Police Department officials released that four vehicles were stolen, several were ransacked, and one Compo neighborhood home was burglarized early this morning.
While investigating, two more vehicles - one from the north side of Westport, and the other from another community - were found parked on the road, with all belongings taken out of them. Both were found to have also been stolen, ransacked, and then left behind.
The owner of two of the stolen vehicles reported that they were unlocked in the driveway with the keys in them. The other two vehicles were stolen after their key fobs were taken from the unlocked home during the burglary. Officers and canines attempted to locate the suspects, but the tracks went unfounded.
“All residents must make it a point to keep their homes and cars locked at all times.” police department officials stated.
Westport Police Department Statement: At approximately 6:10 a.m. on August 20, 2021, Westport Police officers responded to a residence in the Compo Beach section of town on a report of a burglary. It was determined that one or more individuals entered the unlocked home and stole a purse as well as the key fobs for two separate vehicles. Those vehicles were then stolen.
As the officers were checking the area, they located an unoccupied Jeep as well as an unoccupied Toyota 4Runner near the home that was burglarized. It was immediately determined that both vehicles were stolen. The Jeep was taken from a home on the north side of Westport and the 4Runner was stolen in another jurisdiction. Given that it appeared that the two cars had recently been driven, the officers set up a perimeter and began looking for the suspects. With the assistance of a Westport Police K-9, the area was thoroughly searched, but the responsible parties were not located.
During the investigation, officers followed up with the owner of the Jeep. The owner advised that in addition to the Jeep, a Toyota Highlander was also taken from his driveway. He stated that both cars were unlocked with the keys inside.
In total, four cars were stolen, and a home was burglarized during today’s early morning hours. Additionally, officers have responded to several locations on reports of unlocked vehicles being entered.
These crimes are being actively investigated.
The Westport Police Department has said it before, but it certainly bears repeating. All residents must make it a point to keep their homes and cars locked at all times. That will go a long way towards preventing these types of crimes from occurring.
Staples Grad Drops out of College, Builds $44 Million Company Based on App Designed at Staples
Saturn co-founders Max Baron and Dylan Diamond (Staples 2015). Contributed photo from joinsaturn.comFrom Forbes Africa, Alexandra Sternlicht, 08/19/21Forbes Africa: Social Calendar Platform Saturn Raises $44 Million From Benioff, Bezos, And Von Tobel, Among Others
In October 2015, the halls of Westport, Connecticut’s Staples High School looked like those of any other well-to-do American school, abuzz with 1,800 students rushing from class to study hall to extracurricular activities. But while other schools’ teens connected through Snapchat and Instagram, Staples’ entire student body was hooked on what would become Saturn, a social calendar app built by junior Dylan Diamond.
“People would send around pictures of their schedules and say, ‘Hey, are you in my class?’ They’d send around these ad hoc spreadsheets, group chats and posts; there was no coherent solution,” says Diamond, now 22 years old. “So I created a Web app just for my school that showed me where my friends were and what was going on in the community.” That app became Saturn, named after the Roman god of time. High schoolers use Saturn to manage their calendars, learn about community happenings, chat with friends, see their calendars and real-time whereabouts.
Diamond graduated from Staples in 2017 and enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied engineering and business. On the side, he developed Tesla Toolbox, an app for Tesla drivers to control their vehicles from Apple Watches and share drive data—he describes this as Strava for the Tesla community. Tesla discovered the app and hired Diamond as the company’s youngest full-time employee. Though his weekly commutes from Philadelphia to San Francisco prevented Diamond from having much of a social life, fellow Whartonite Max Baron, who was similarly running a full-time social media consultancy with buy-in from Dr. Dre and Snapchat, messaged Diamond on LinkedIn to connect about business opportunities.
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Over coffee on Penn’s campus, Diamond showed Baron Saturn—which he’d subsequently turned in a mobile app-—and Baron was floored. “It was very obvious to me that the slope of whatever we could build together was much higher than whatever I could find in either a classroom or commercial setting.” With Baron as COO and CSO and Diamond as CEO, in 2019 the two closed a $9 million seed round from TQ Ventures, General Catalyst and Ashton Kutcher, propelling their pre-revenue company to a $40 million valuation. After Diamond won a Thiel Fellowship in 2020, the two dropped out of college to build Saturn into what they say will be the next Facebook.
Today, the company announced it’s raised an additional $35 million, bringing total funding to $44 million, led by General Catalyst, Insight Partners and Coatue, with participation from Bezos Expeditions, Marc Benioff, Dara Khosrowshahi, Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary’s Sound Ventures, Inspired Capital, Mike Vernal, TQ Ventures, SV Angel, Dick Costolo and Adam Bain’s 01 Advisors, Robert Downey Jr., Elad Gil, Jerry Murdock, Hadi Partovi and Dylan Field.
“Dylan [Diamond] is a prodigy in many ways,” says Alexa von Tobel, founder and managing partner of Inspired Capital. “When you see data like Saturn’s, it honestly reminds me of my days as a Harvard undergrad—Mark Zuckerberg was a classmate—and I remember what the early adoption of Facebook felt like, when the user base is not only demanding, but thirsty for the product.”
Though Saturn declined to share metrics on its user base, at present, a few hundred schools use Saturn to manage their social and academic calendars, message students and work through homework and extracurricular to-do lists within the platform. Saturn brings high schools into its orbit by hiring unpaid student ambassadors, a strategy meant to make it feel by and for students, rather than administrators.
Though the cofounders have attracted a slate of blue-chip investors, the company has no monetization model—or plan to move beyond high school users—at present. “There are a lot of things in play, but to be honest, [monetization] is not our immediate priority at the moment,” says Baron, who is more focused on retention and engagement. Investors are banking on Saturn becoming the next great social network, and in such a reality, monetization is light-years away. For context, Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook in 2004, but did not attempt to generate revenue until 2012.
“When you invest in things like Twitter, which I did when it was only 30 people, we had no idea how we’re going to make money,” says Insight Partners’ cofounder Jerry Murdock, who led the round, but invested as an individual. “Within something that has a high degree of engagement, and you see there’s a lot of utility, there’s an implied sense that monetization will be there when you need to get there.”
The SoHo, New York-based company plans to use much of its $44 million injection to pay its 30 employees and hire to fill 13 new roles. “If we double down on performance and make sure that Saturn can scale flawlessly to thousands of schools,” says Diamond. “There’s a lot of work ahead, but we’re excited about where we are.”