Superintendent’s Update: No Masks for Recess, PE; No Distance Learning for Next Year
Press Release, Superintendent Thomas ScariceGood Afternoon,
It is hard to believe that the school year is coming to a close. As the pandemic continues to retreat, providing small reminders locally, and a reality check globally, we confidently move forward supporting our students and faculty to finish this marathon year in the most positive manner possible. Will students be able to play at recess without masks the rest of this year?(Yes) Will we continue remote learning next year?(No) Will masks be mandated by the Department of Public Health next year for unvaccinated students?(Yet to be determined)
As our transmission rates recede to levels not seen since last September, and our vaccination rates continue to climb, I have great confidence that we will safely end this year with a strong sense of normalcy. As I've mentioned, this positive ending will position our faculty and students for a very successful start to the 2021-2022 school year.
Here are some updates for the school community:
Face Coverings
On May 13th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made significant changes to their guidance for mask-wearing for vaccinated persons. In addition, on May 19th, mask wearing rules were relaxed for fully vaccinated persons in the State of Connecticut allowing no mask wearing or social distancing both indoors and outdoors for those who are 14 days past their final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. These individuals also do not need to quarantine or get tested if they have had an exposure to COVID-19. Nonetheless, the CDC confirmed shortly thereafter that it recommends schools continue to use the current COVID-19 prevention strategies for the remainder of the school year, including face coverings.
Both the CDC and the Department of Public Health have maintained their recommendation for masks inside the school building for both vaccinated and unvaccinated students and staff for the remainder of the current school year. However, with our low community transmission rates in both the town and our schools, as well as an increasing number of vaccinated staff and students, masks will no longer be required for students when outdoors for both recess and PE. We will continue to move towards a return to complete normalcy as quickly as possible, while keeping appropriate measures in place to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
Remote Learning 2021-2022
The State of CT Department of Education (CSDE) announced that at this time there will be no remote learning requirement for the upcoming school year, 2021-2022. The Westport Public Schools will not be offering remote learning as a permanent instructional option for next school year unless otherwise mandated by the CSDE. The remote learning option, like a number of other approaches and investments, has been critical to our remarkable success this year. Although students have experienced success in this pandemic year, if anything else, this year clearly proved that there is no replacement for in-person learning. We look forward to welcoming all students in-person for the start of the 2021-2022 school year.
As the end of year events begin to pick up, I ask that we all do our part to continue to thank our faculty, and all of our support staff across the system, for their extraordinary work this year. There was no playbook. We approached the year in 4-6 week increments. Yet, as we look back, we carefully navigated a generational pandemic to serve our students and while earnestly attending to their social, emotional, and academic needs. A great deal will be written about this era. I for one, will remember the people and the acts of kindness, commitment, and professionalism that carried us towards an increasingly brighter light at the end of this tunnel.
Thomas Scarice
Superintendent of Schools