Good evening, BRSU Staff and Families,
I wanted to let you know that this weekend we were notified that a member of the Dorset School Community tested positive for COVID-19. Anyone impacted has been notified, so if you haven't heard from the school, please plan on your regular schedule this week.
Greetings BRSU Families,
What a journey we have had together this year. We have finally made it to June after maneuvering a year unlike any we have experienced in the past and, I hope, we don’t have to experience it again in the future.
I want to provide you with an update on where things stand for the remainder of this school year and what is ahead of us for the upcoming school year. When the Governor lifts the Emergency Order, the Agency of Education (AOE) and Department of Health (VDH) no longer have authority to direct our work. Given that this may happen prior to the end of the school year, we find ourselves in an interesting position. While the AOE will not have the authority to direct our work, Secretary French and Dr. Levine have provided clear, direct recommendations for schools to continue to follow the Strong and Healthy Start guidance we have followed this school year.
We will follow this recommendation and continue to have our schools follow the health and safety protocols we have in place for the remaining few days of school. Our students are not fully vaccinated and making significant operational changes at this time of the year will be difficult to successfully implement with little time to plan and execute.
I do realize, however, that it is June and warm outside and the health experts have communicated that it is safe to be outside without wearing a facial covering. Our current guidance allows for people to remove masks outside when they are able to socially distance, and it is appropriate to do so when our students and staff are outside the school building.
As I look ahead to next year, will share what I can at this time. I expect us to return to normal operations and the BRSU will not be offering a distance learning option for our students. Therefore, we expect all students to be in-person in our schools for five full days a week next year. At this point, I do not anticipate there to be a mask wearing requirement or a social distancing requirement in our buildings. Should health conditions significantly change over the summer, this will be reassessed prior to the start of the 2021-22 school year.
I had planned to send a survey to collect your thoughts about snow days for the upcoming school year. Last week I found out that I am not authorized to determine how we will handle snow days in our system since state statute provides the definition of a school day. Should there be weather that prevents us from being able to safely open schools, these “snow” days will need to be made up at a later date. I had hoped to be able to explore different possibilities with you and our staff, but this will not be possible for the upcoming school year. Plan on traditional snow days during the 2020-21 school year.
In closing, I want to thank you for being such a fantastic community. As many of you know, this was my first year as a superintendent and I found myself facing many complex and difficult decisions. Your support, encouragement and suggestions kept me going. I was impressed by your ability to be honest while maintaining respect and support. It has been a tough year and we have all had to make sacrifices and juggle competing schedules while going to extensive lengths to keep ourselves and our children healthy. Thank you for all you have done and I look forward to rolling up our sleeves and getting back to the priority work of teaching and learning in the 2021-22 school year.
Enjoy your summer, you have earned it~
Good afternoon BRSU Community,
I have a couple pieces of information to share with you. Earlier today, we were notified that a member of the Dorset School community tested positive for COVID-19. Students and staff identified as a close contact were communicated with this afternoon. While the state is in the process of re-opening, the contact tracing procedure through the Vermont Department of Health remains the same. If there is a positive case in a school, the quarantine expectations and testing process for unvaccinated individuals are the same as they have been all year.
In addition to this case, we were notified that an employee for the bus company we contract with tested positive for the virus, as well. There was minimal contact and the few people connected to the situation were spoken with earlier today. We are partnering with the bus company and have found a way to maintain current bus routes.
As. I type this, I find myself reflecting on the pandemic. We all wish we were through this difficult time and there was not continued impact on our loved ones, friends, communities and schools. Please take care of yourselves, be cautious, and keep those touched by the virus in your thoughts.
Dear BRSU Families and Staff,
I hope this email finds you and yours well. I am emailing today to let you know that this week we had a positive COVID case at the Mettawee Community School. Anyone identified as a close contact has been contacted already and we expect school to re-open on Monday as scheduled.
Please remember that if your child traveled out of state over break the state's re-opening plan requires a COVID test within 3 days of returning to Vermont. I appreciate you following this guidance.
Have a great weekend~
Dear BRSU Families,
On Tuesday, Governor Scott released a 4 Phase Road Map to Reopening Plan. Phase 1 begins today, Friday, April 9. Yesterday, we received updated guidance from the Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) regarding programming for the remainder of the school year. This email contains new information related to travel and school practices.
Phase 1 of Governor Scott’s plan states that unvaccinated Vermonters must be COVID tested within 3 days of returning to the state from out of state travel. No quarantine is required while waiting for your test result. Students are not required to quarantine for 7 days after you return from your trip and then get tested, as has previously been expected. You are not required to provide the school with proof of a negative test result, however, we appreciate your communication.
In addition to this, please note the following school-related updates:
Health Screenings will be done at home and forms will not be collected at school
It is very important you complete the screener at home and, if your child has any COVID-19 symptoms that are unusual for them you do not send them to school
We will no longer be checking temperatures upon arrival at school
There is now a 3 foot distancing requirement between all students in all grades whenever possible (there are times when this is not possible for brief periods of time for a wide range of reasons); When eating, this distance increases to 6 feet for students in grades 7 and 8
Masks continue to be required in school
If there is a positive COVID case in a school:
We will continue to partner with the Vermont Department of Health to determine who is a close contact and to communicate with families
Unvaccinated people will need to quarantine, if identified as a close contact, as they have all year
Vaccinated people will not need to quarantine, if identified as a close contact but are asymptomatic
This new guidance reflects a move to re-opening across the state. We have needed honesty and openness as a community all year and with this change in requirements, it is even more important. If your child has been a close contact to someone with COVID-19, please follow the guidance from your doctor or the VDH. If your child has any COVID-19 symptoms that are unusual for them, please keep them home from school.
It is likely I will receive updated guidance or an FAQ document related to some of these changes and we will pass along any new information received. I continue to remain grateful for our community and your commitment to each other and our schools. Have a wonderful week!
Dear Families and Staff,
As you know, this has been a challenging year to plan for and this continues to be true today. Over the past couple of months there have been comments made at the state level about a return to full in-person learning. Many of you are waiting to hear what will happen in the BRSU.
I have spent significant time assessing our regional COVID-19 conditions and our current programming, and asking questions to colleagues and state officials. As you know, right now we have relatively high case counts in our region, impacting our schools. From what I understand, there may be updated guidance for schools this week, but there will not be a mandate for certain days/hours of programming from the state level. The biggest concerns are in schools where students are receiving in-person instruction only 2 days a week and we are offering 4 or more days for all students.
I will not be changing our programming for the remainder of the year for students who currently attend 4 day in-person programming and for our phase 1 students. We will continue with this schedule through the end of the school year.
While the schedule will remain the same, schools will expand opportunities for students to engage with each other and be outside participating in increased hands on exploratory learning experiences. Both teachers and families are eager for students to spend more time together and less time in front of a screen. We will attend to this as we look toward the end of the year.
As has been the case all year, some of you will feel relieved with this decision and others will be disappointed. Please know that there was a lot of time spent considering a host of possibilities and this is the best plan for us at this time.
I have received questions about travel, particularly for children traveling out of state with vaccinated adults. At this point, there has been no change in travel guidance, so if your child travels out of state they are required to quarantine for seven days and then have a COVID test, or quarantine for 14 days and then return to school, if they do not have any COVID symptoms. There may be updated state guidance in the future, but at this point nothing has changed. If your child is traveling over April vacation, please let their teacher know this week so they can plan for distance learning following break.
I hope you and yours stay healthy and I am thankful for the decisions you personally make to support keeping our classrooms and schools open. We are all weary and I am appreciative of the steps you take to keep the virus out of our schools.
Best,
Randi Lowe, EdD
Superintendent
Dear BRSU Families and Staff,
I wanted to let you know that over the past few days there have been three positive cases in the Flood Brook School community. These cases are not related to each other, as far as we can tell with the information we have, and two of these people were not in school during their infectious period. I appreciate people quarantining when asked and following all protocols.
We found out about a third case today and after working with the Vermont Department of Health we determined that this person may have been in the building during their infectious period. Those who were identified as a close contact were notified this afternoon by the school.
As we finish this week, it is clear that the COVID-19 virus is still here in our communities. At the Governor’s press conference today, we were reminded that there is still a reason for our continued vigilance, as COVID numbers remain high across the state. I appreciate your care and attention to your interactions with others and commitment to wearing a mask and maintaining distance from others.
Take care and have a nice weekend~
Best,
Randi Lowe, EdD
Superintendent
Good afternoon BRSU Families and Staff,
I want to let you know that we have a presumed positive COVID case at MEMS. This means that this individual does not have a positive test result, but as a result of the circumstances surrounding their situation, the Vermont Department of Health is considering the person positive. Anyone requiring quarantine has been notified, so if you have not heard from the school please continue with your regular school schedule.
I want to remind you that current guidance requires your child to complete a quarantine before returning to school, if they travel outside of Vermont. I will follow up on this topic next week, but right now, if your child leaves Vermont for April vacation they must quarantine upon return. If you intend on traveling, I ask you to let your child's teacher know prior to the school break so they can plan accordingly. I appreciate your attention to this important practice. They can engage in distance learning while quarantining without penalty.
We are not out of the woods and I ask you to please be careful and follow all virus mitigating practices. As always, thank you for all you are doing. Masks! Distance! Wash!
Best,
Randi Lowe, EdD
Superintendent
Dear BRSU Families and Staff,
As I shared last week, we are not through this health pandemic. Today we were notified that we have two positive COVID cases at the Flood Brook School. These cases are leading to additional quarantines and the shift to remote instruction for some classes. This afternoon we communicated with all families and employees who are impacted. If you did not hear from someone at Flood Brook today, you should follow your regular school schedule. Please check your voicemail and email, if you have not already done so.
While it is increasingly difficult to follow health and safety protocols, I am asking you to maintain vigilance. The state is opening up, and the warmer weather combined with permission to do more, are creating conditions in which we may be interacting with others in a way we haven’t for a long time.
I personally find it difficult to reconcile all of this. We are allowed to do more, yet the virus is in our community. It feels safe to do things because we are allowed to, but then we hear about higher numbers of COVID cases, creating confusion. This feels like one of the more complex times of the pandemic, because what we should be doing and what we are allowed to do are less clear.
Please continue to follow the basic important mitigating practices: wear a mask, maintain social distance and wash your hands. If you are around people you haven’t interacted with in a while, I encourage you to consider wearing a mask, even if the guidance says you don’t have to. We all need to make judgment calls and right now, I am asking you to err on the side of caution. I want to keep our classrooms and schools open and this is going to require all of us to be careful.
I continue to marvel at our community and the way we come together. Thank you for doing your part.
Best,
Randi Lowe
Superintendent
Dear BRSU Families,
With the warmer weather and increasing numbers of people receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, many of us likely find ourselves thinking we are through the pandemic. Unfortunately, this is not the case, as there are still new cases every day across the state, including one in our Flood Brook School community. We were notified today that someone tested positive and this individual was at school on Monday. Anyone who was identified as a close contact has been notified already, so if you have not received a phone call or letter from Flood Brook School today, plan on returning to regular programming tomorrow.
We are not out of the woods, yet, with the virus. Please continue to follow all health and safety protocols and be careful and thoughtful in your actions. We have come together as a community and I am confident we will continue to do so through the next few months.
Best,
Randi Lowe
Superintendent
Greetings BRSU Families,
As we approach the end of February break I wanted to connect with you about a couple of items.
I have spent extensive time this week partnering with the Vermont Department of Health, Principal DeBonis and Nurse Mandy Mayer at the Mettawee Community School regarding their recent COVID cases. We appreciate their partnership and support as we analyze the situation, learn about possible areas of vulnerability, and make adjustments to our practices. Attached to this letter you will see a copy of a letter Principal DeBonis sent out to the Mettawee community earlier today. In addition to the cases at Mettawee, The Dorset School also had a positive case and anyone who was identified as a close contact on Friday, February 12, was contacted earlier this week. I take every COVID case seriously and want to reassure you that we will learn, grow and adjust to keep our schools as safe as possible. I wish everyone the best in their recovery.
I would like to remind you that Tuesday evening, February 23, Taconic and Green Regional School District and Wednesday evening, February 24, Mettawee School District, will be holding Informational Hearings at 7:00pm regarding the district budgets to be voted on March 2, 2021. You are also able to complete an absentee ballot, which you should have received in the mail already. I encourage you to attend your District Informational Hearing so you can make an informed vote. These meetings will be held using Zoom and login information is available at www.brsu.org.
As a final reminder, if your child has engaged in any activities that require COVID-19 quarantine, please be sure they complete their quarantine. I ask that you contact your child’s teacher as soon as possible to let them know your child will be a remote learner next week. If you have any questions about when to test, do not hesitate to reach out to your school nurse, your primary care provider, or the Vermont Department of Health.
Thank you for your commitment to our schools, students, teachers and staff. It makes a huge difference!
Best,
Randi Lowe
Superintendent
Dear BRSU Families and Staff,
As we head into February break, I want to let you know that yesterday I was notified that two people tested positive for COVID-19 at the Mettawee Community School. Both of these people were in quarantine prior to their test, so they were not in school during their infectious period. Our practice of quarantining a class and associated staff continues to be effective and there was no additional exposure within the school.
Please continue to be careful--wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands and do not gather with others. I remain appreciative of everyone's efforts.
Best,
Randi Lowe
Superintendent
Dear BRSU Families,
As we approach February vacation, in the midst of high numbers of COVID cases, I want to share a few thoughts and requests with you. I realize you are likely tired of my emails related to COVID, and, as you might imagine, they are not easy for me to continue to send.
If your child is traveling or attending social gatherings over vacation, please have them complete the required quarantine. This means a quarantine for 7 days upon return, or from the last day of the gathering and then a COVID test, or a quarantine for 14 days and then return to school. Please let your child’s teacher and the school know they will be a remote learner the week after vacation, if this is the case. They will not be penalized for this scenario--we want them to access their education and to minimize the opportunity for the virus to enter our schools.
We are all fatigued and the strain of living through a pandemic for almost a year is wearing on all of us. I just read a Huff post article yesterday titled, “It’s Not Just You. A Lot of Us are Hitting a Pandemic Wall Right Now.” The need to escape is surging in many of us and with vacation on the horizon, it is tempting to throw caution to the wind. Please do not. If you need to get away, please return and follow the quarantine requirements.
At this point we intend to return to in-person instruction on February 22 and I hope this does not change over the course of next week, due to increased cases within our school communities. Should I determine we need to change course, I will let you know as soon as possible. Let’s hope this does not happen.
I wish you and yours health and safety over the next few weeks. Thank you for being mindful of your decisions and for caring for our community. Day after day, I feel deep gratitude to be here in the BRSU.
Best,
Randi Lowe
Superintendent
Good afternoon,
The Mettawee Community School will move to remote learning for the next two days. This decision was made because there are significant challenges with staffing, including people needing to quarantine and others awaiting test results. In assessing the situation, we could not sufficiently staff and safely operate the building. Families will hear from the school and teachers about what to expect for the next two days.
Best,
Randi Lowe
Superintendent
Good morning BRSU Community,
I wanted to let you know that yesterday a member of the Mettawee Community School tested positive for COVID-19. Given the timeline of communication with the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) last night, you are receiving an early morning email from me.
The school is going to have a remote learning day today for all students in order to deep clean the school and to provide us more time to work with the VDH to determine if there are any additional close contacts. Families will hear from Mettawee today, if your child is identified as a close contact.
I hope you and yours are healthy and I appreciate everyone’s effort to mitigate the spread of the virus. Please stay vigilant.
Best,
Randi Lowe
Superintendent
Good afternoon BRSU community,
Today I was notified that an individual at the Mettawee Community School tested positive with the coronavirus. Anyone who is considered a close contact who needs to quarantine, was notified this afternoon. If you have not heard from the school today you should plan on attending school tomorrow.
I am humbled as I think about this individual, and to consider the many other people who have been impacted by this virus. Please continue to be as careful as possible and to reduce exposure to others. We are not out of the woods, yet, and COVID-19 is still very much a presence in our communities. Take care and stay safe.
Dear BRSU Community,
This evening I am emailing to let you know that a member of The Dorset School community tested positive for COVID-19. This individual began quarantining immediately after they were a close contact to someone with the virus, doing exactly what we hope everyone would do in this situation. This person was not in the school building after exposure to the virus, so there is no impact on Dorset’s educational programming.
I want to thank the many of you who are being proactive and careful, following health protocols and keeping your children home if they are not feeling well, or if they have not followed the Governor’s Order regarding travel and gatherings. These are simple, but important steps to keeping us healthy.
As we look ahead to this weekend and the Super Bowl, please remember that Bennington County has high numbers of people with the COVID-19 virus and it is right here in our communities. The Governor’s Order restricting social gatherings between households is still in place. I encourage you to do your part to keep our schools open--enjoy the game, eat food you love, shout at the TV and have a good time, but please do so with only your immediate family. Thank you!
Best,
Randi Lowe
Superintendent
Good afternoon BRSU Community,
Today we were notified that the Currier Memorial School has a positive COVID-19 case. This individual was last in school on January 25 and anyone who requires quarantine or whose class schedule will be impacted, was notified by the school this afternoon.
The Sunderland Elementary School also has a positive case, and this individual has been under quarantine so there are no close contacts in the building. School will continue as scheduled for Sunderland.
Numbers remain higher than we would like in our region, so please continue to follow health and safety guidelines. We are all weary and eager for an end to these practices, but for the foreseeable future we need to stay the course. I appreciate your commitment to the health and safety of our school community and each other.
Good afternoon BRSU Community,
I am emailing to share two pieces of information with you. Today we were made aware that a member of the Dorset School community tested positive for COVID-19. This individual was last in school on January 19 and Ms. Moran has communicated directly with anyone impacted who will need to quarantine.
I also wanted to let you know that the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) notified us that there was likely transmission of the virus between two adults in the cases at MEMS last week. These are not new cases beyond what I shared last week. Our protocol of quarantining those who were close contacts worked as intended, ensuring anyone who was a close contact was home, quarantining, and then getting tested. This protocol is in place for exactly this reason.
This possible transmission is concerning and I have been assured by the VDH that this is a very unusual situation. The MEMS principals, nurse and I have carefully reviewed our protocols and where we may have points of vulnerability. As a result of our review, we will be actively working to ensure everyone in our schools have well fitting masks. If someone has a mask that does not fit well, we will provide them with one that does. We will be tightening up protocols around lunch/snack times, as well. These practices will provide one more level of support in our classrooms.
Please answer our screening questions honestly and to keep your child home if they are not feeling well. If someone in your family is quarantining, please follow quarantine protocols and ensure this person remains isolated from others in your home. I appreciate your close attention to these practices.
Best,
Randi Lowe
Superintendent
Good afternoon BRSU Families,
As you know, last week there were two positive COVID cases at MEMS. The classes and staff have been in quarantine since last Friday. Per the protocol, testing began on Tuesday and test results have been coming in.
Two additional people have tested positive. One individual was a direct close contact of a family member and the Vermont Department of Health has concluded that this case was not a result of contact in school. In the second case, the VDH is in the process of contact tracing with this person. They informed us that since this person has not been in school since last Thursday there are not any additional direct contacts in the school community with no need for any new classes to quarantine. We will continue to work closely with the Department of Health.
Best,
Randi Lowe
Superintendent
Good morning BRSU families and employees,
I am emailing to let you know that last night we were made aware of two positive COVID-19 cases at the Manchester Elementary Middle School. We were notified last night of the cases and the MEMS principals, nurse and I worked with the Vermont Department of Health, as we always do. Given the late timing, we were communicating with those involved late into the night. Our procedure is to contact those impacted before a more broad communication is sent, resulting in this early morning email. We will continue our work this morning and those impacted will receive additional detailed information.
With increasing cases across the state, please continue to follow the health and safety guidance including wearing a mask, socially distancing, washing your hands, and limiting in-person interactions with others.
Best,
Randi Lowe
Superintendent
Good afternoon BRSU families and employees,
I am emailing to let you know that we have a positive COVID-19 case at the Mettawee Community School. We were notified today of the case and the MCS principal, nurse and I are working with the Vermont Department of Health. Principal DeBonis will be communicating directly with families so please take a moment to check your email for this information. Those who require quarantine will hear from the school this afternoon.
With increasing cases across the state, please continue to follow the health and safety guidance including wearing a mask, socially distancing, washing your hands, and limiting in-person interactions with others who do not live in your home. We are all growing weary, but we need to continue with these practices. They make a difference.
Best,
Randi Lowe
Superintendent
Dear Families,
I have spent a lot of time considering our calendar the week after December break. Thanksgiving was challenging for many and we do not know what state level guidance will be in place during or after our December break. This, combined with our known organizational needs led to the decision to adjust the school calendar for the first full week in January 2021. This decision was not simple or easy, but we hope that early communication affords everyone the time to make whatever arrangements are needed.
January 4 will be an additional vacation day for all students and staff. Our teachers will engage in professional development on January 5 and 6 and these are non-student days. January 7 and 8 will be distance learning days for ALL students. Please note that there will not be Phase 1 programming provided this week. We will return to in-person instruction on Monday, January 11 and we expect everyone who is not a distant learner to be ready to learn in person on January 11.
Monday, January 4, 2021: Vacation for all
Tuesday, January 5, 2021: Teacher professional development: No school for students
Wednesday, January 6, 2021: Teacher professional development: No school for students
Thursday, January 7, 2021: Distance Learning for students
Friday, January 8, 2021: Distance Learning for students
Monday, January 11, 2021: Return to In-Person Instruction for students
Breakfast and lunch will be provided by schools for pick up on January 7 and 8 for those who would like it. Please email Kelly Foster (kfoster@brsu.org) if you would like meals for your child.
In addition to this calendar change, I want to let you know that inclement weather (“snow”) days will be distance learning days this winter. We have an opportunity to pilot this approach given our teaching and learning model. At the end of the snow season we will survey families and employees to determine if it is something we should continue in the future. Whenever possible, we will make this decision by the end of the school day prior to the snow day. We all know that this is an imperfect process, but we will do our best with the weather forecast we have.
These changes will not impact the end of the school year, with June 11 remaining as the last day of school for students.
Best,
Randi Lowe, EdD
Superintendent
Dear BRSU Families and Employees,
This morning we were notified that a student at the Mettawee Community School tested positive for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) .
Principal DeBonis, Nurse Mayer and I have been working closely with the Vermont Department of Health to determine close contacts. On November 23, 2020, the state changed their contact tracing protocol and schools are now responsible for communicating with teachers, staff, and families. Teachers and staff, families with children at the school, and families of the class impacted, are being sent communication. If you receive a call from the school, please answer, as we are sharing important information to you.
Positive cases are increasing throughout the country and we are no longer an exception here in Vermont. Governor Scott recently increased restrictions and I implore everyone to be vigilant and continue to take steps to limit the spread of COVID-19. The most important actions you can take are to wear a mask, stay six feet from others, and wash your hands. Keep your child home if they are sick and call your primary care provider if you or your child has symptoms of COVID-19.
Yesterday I shared with you information regarding the updated Governor’s Order regarding multi-household gatherings. I would be remiss to not recognize that while I know the Order was difficult for many of us right before Thanksgiving, my hope is that if we can make the sacrifices we need to now, it will yield future benefits. If you require quarantine, please stay home.
We will continue to work with the Health Department to keep our community safe. Our cleaning protocols at Mettawee follow the Health Department guidance and the classroom was thoroughly disinfected today. Anyone who is sick will not return to school until they are healthy and those requiring quarantine as a result of this case will do so. Click the link to learn more about getting tested in Vermont.
Thank you for understanding that, due to medical privacy laws, we are not able to release the name of the individual with COVID-19. We are a learning community who care about each other and treat each other with dignity and respect. I strongly encourage us to remember that stigmatizing our community members does not lead to improved outcomes. We will continue to communicate changes and updates with those impacted by this case.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to:
Randi Lowe, BRSU Superintendent
Brooke DeBonis, Mettawee Community School Principal
Mandy Mayer, Mettawee Community School Nurse
Best,
Randi Lowe, EdD
Superintendent
Greetings BRSU Families,
This Thanksgiving holiday will be different than any of us have faced before. The Governor has directed us to not mix households, specifically not gather with people who do not live in your home, and stay within the state. This is hard for everyone, but with positive COVID cases rising throughout the state I implore you to follow the Governor’s Order. If you engage in activities that require quarantine (exposure to the virus, travel out of the state, and multi-household gatherings), or if you are wondering if your child should quarantine after the holidays, please be conservative and do so.
As directed by the Governor today, we will be adding a screening question to our screening process next Monday. This new question will be, “Has your child attended any multi-household gatherings that require quarantine?” Please expect this and be prepared to answer it after Thanksgiving.
Our instructional model is designed to allow students to move between in-person and distance learning. If your child requires quarantine after Thanksgiving, please follow your school protocol for notifying them that your child will be a distance learner. There is nothing negative about this and your child will not be penalized. I deeply appreciate your commitment to doing your part to keep our schools open. Quarantining when it is required will go a long way to helping this happen.
Thanksgiving this year presents an opportunity for us to put traditional practices on hold and to creatively consider something new and different. It has been quite a year, and I hope you find opportunities for gratitude. As I pause and consider this statement, there are many things to be grateful for in my life and being a part of our school community nears the top of my list. We have incredible students, teachers, staff and families and it is a privilege to walk this journey with you. Take care and I wish you and yours a peaceful and healthy Thanksgiving.
Best,
Randi Lowe, EdD
Superintendent
Dear BRSU Families,
We are navigating unprecedented times and I am reaching out to connect with you about the COVID-19 virus. Before doing so, however, I would like to take a moment to offer sincere gratitude and respect to the military Veterans who have fought and sacrificed for our freedom and our country. To those in our communities who have served, thank you for your service.
As we know, COVID-19 cases are increasing at a concerning rate across the country, and unfortunately, we are not immune to this trend. I want nothing more than to keep our schools open and the only way we have a chance of achieving this is if we continue to stay vigilant and follow Governor Scott and Dr. Levine’s guidance. Please limit contact with those outside of your close circle of family and friends, wear masks and socially distance from others. If you travel, please be honest and follow the quarantine requirements, which now requires a quarantine for all non-essential travel outside of Vermont. I encourage everyone to regularly review the Agency of Commerce and Community Development website for the most up to date information.
As we approach the holidays this is all even more difficult, but I am asking you to follow the practices we know work to mitigate the spread of the virus. This pandemic is taking a toll on each of us and I know how hard it is. I also know we are a community that comes together and cares for one another. Thank you in advance for your continued safe practices. We are in this together. Please take care and stay vigilant.
Best,
Randi Lowe
A Strong and Health Start - Safety and Health Guidance for Reopening Schools, Fall 2020
Issued by the Vermont Agency of Education and the Vermont Department of Health
Issued: June 16, 2020
Revised: October 23, 2020
Effective: November 16, 2020
Dear Families and Employees,
On the evening of October 10, 2020 we were notified of a student with a positive antigen test for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the Manchester Elementary Middle School (MEMS). The principals and nurse at MEMS and I immediately began collecting information and have been working closely with the Vermont Department of Health throughout the day. Given the circumstances surrounding this particular situation and the fact that this student was a close contact to someone who tested positive, the Vermont Department of Health is considering this a positive COVID-19 case.
Out of an abundance of caution the kindergarten classes at MEMS will stay home and participate in distance learning the week of October 12, 2020. We will determine later in the week if we are able to provide in-person instruction the week of October 19, 2020. The Department of Health contact tracers will be calling the families of students in the same cohort today. Please answer the phone if the Health Department calls you. A contact tracer may be trying to reach you with important information.
We recommend that everyone continue to take action to limit the spread of COVID-19, even if your child is not experiencing symptoms. The most important thing you can do is to make sure your child is wearing a mask and washing their hands. Keep them home if they're sick and call your primary care provider if you or your child has symptoms of COVID-19.
COVID-19 spreads mainly from having close contact with someone who has the COVID-19 infection. The virus is thought to spread by droplets from person to person when they speak, cough, or sneeze. Droplets travel less than 6 feet. When droplets from another person get in your mouth or nose you can inhale into your lungs. This virus can be spread by people without symptoms.
We will continue to work with the Health Department to keep our community safe. Our cleaning protocols at MEMS follow the Health Department guidance and the classroom space will be disinfected, again, prior to being used. Employees and sick children will not return to work until they are healthy. Click the link to learn more about getting tested in Vermont.
Thank you for understanding that, due to medical privacy laws, we are not able to release the name of the individual with COVID-19. We are a learning community who care about each other and treat each other with dignity and respect. I strongly encourage us to remember that stigmatizing our community members does not lead to improved outcomes. We will continue to communicate changes and updates with those impacted by this case.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to:
Randi Lowe, BRSU Superintendent
Deb Fishwick, Principal
Betsy Memoe, Principal
Peggy Roberts, MEMS School Nurse
Sincerely,
Randi Lowe, EdD
Superintendent
Dear BRSU Families,
It is hard to believe that we are entering Labor Day weekend and next Tuesday we officially begin the 2020-21 school year. The planning and preparation for this year has been unlike anything I have been a part of in my career and the year will be unlike any school year we have experienced in our lifetime.
Our leaders have been working hard to plan for the opening of school, creating processes, and safety and health protocols to ensure our schools are ready and building out our educational model. Our teachers have spent the last nine days on a professional development and planning learning curve unlike any they have experienced before. They have used every minute of every day preparing for the start of the school year. I am very proud of the work our teachers and staff have done to prepare for the year.
Our school year opening plan was designed to provide time to implement our new processes and protocols and to adjust, as needed, prior to the start of Phase 2, when our students in grades K-5(6) return to schools in their assigned cohort. We expect that initially things may not flow perfectly, but we will be attentive to what requires adjustment. Our instructional model is new for everyone and we will grow together. Please partner with our teachers as we all implement and learn.
Here is our Family Guide to Distance Learning and we have created an e-learning site to support you in understanding our instructional model. We will continue to add to this site over time.
We are ready. We are keeping our focus on the main tenets that will mitigate the spread of COVID-19: wearing facial coverings, keeping appropriate social distance, washing our hands, using effective cleaning procedures and staying home when we are sick. We are starting our year slowly to provide the time to implement well. We expect that a slower, intentional start will lead to longer, more sustainable outcomes. Thank you for your patience and support as we start the year. This is the time for us to come together as a community for our children, teachers and staff, which will help keep us healthy and engaged in effective educational practices. I appreciate you doing your part to make this happen and I look forward to the start of the year.
Best,
Randi Lowe, EdD
Superintendent
August 14, 2020
Dear BRSU Community,
As we move closer to the start of the school year, I am asking for your help to start the year with, and continue to maintain, safe school communities. The recently updated Strong and Healthy Start document developed by the Vermont Agency of Education, recognizes that community (not school) transmission will be the primary mode of infection for the COVID-19 virus. Therefore, I need your help in following social distancing practices, avoiding large gatherings of people and keeping your circle of contacts as small as possible. I am reminding everyone that this is a time for us to support our children and staff by following the practices that keep transmission levels low.
I want to be sure that everyone is aware of the state’s restrictions on out of state leisure travel. The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) website provides the most up to date travel restrictions for Vermonters. Every Friday this page is updated with new information and color codes a map of counties across the northeast region of the United States. The map uses the colors red and yellow to identify areas that require quarantine upon returning to Vermont. In recent weeks, there have been significant changes to this map. Leisure travel to any yellow or red county requires quarantine upon return to Vermont.
If your child has traveled to one of these yellow or red areas, your child should not attend school in-person unless they have observed the required quarantine. Detailed information about quarantine requirements is available at the Vermont Department of Health website. Please contact your school principal if your child finds themselves in a quarantine situation when they are scheduled to return to in-person instruction.
We are starting this school year under conditions we have not faced before. I have been reminded countless times this summer about our community’s strength, resiliency and compassion. I am asking you, on behalf of our children and our incredible teachers and staff, to follow the health and safety guidelines being asked of us.
Best,
Randi Lowe, EdD
Superintendent
G-NAT Interview with Randi Lowe & Bill Bazyk
Dear BRSU Families,
This morning was the final Team Lead meeting for our Phase 2 re-entry planning teams. I would like to thank those people involved in this important Phase 2 work--they have done a terrific job. These teams made recommendations to guide the school-level planning and will serve as a template for this work.
Logistics and Scheduling: SkylerLaBombard, Rosanna Moran, Bjorn Berhendt, Johanna Davis, Paul Eaton., Greg Harrington., Giom, Mike Dinsmore, Lauren Magrath, Deb Fishwick., Joey Blane
Operations: Greg Harrington, Carolyn Parillo, Kelly Foster, Derek Chalmers, Necole Zemp, Christopher Lackney
Instruction: Skyler LaBombard, Brooke DeBonis, Caitlin Cavagnino, Bjorn Berhendt, Jenn Turner, Sonja Thorley, Robin Sirois, Tracy Hughes, Carinthia Grayson, Amanda Penge, Scott Diedrich
Physical Health: Mandy Mayer, Neal McIntyre, Peggy Roberts, Mark Weikert, Janna Webb, Brian Jennings, Christopher Lackney
Social/Emotional Health: Betsy Memoe, Paul Eaton, Beth Barclay, Mary Hissong, Colleen Jennings, Sarena Barausky, Karyn Stannard
Communication: Jenn Turner, Randi Lowe, Skyler LaBombard, Chris Scudder, Bob Niles
Phase 3 begins the building level discussions and I will spend the next two days with our building leaders framing out their work, diving into equity training and beginning to set goals for the year. There are many SU level decisions that are still being made and this will continue throughout the month of August.
Please see the attached document with a planning update. I appreciate your continued patience and support. As you know, there is a lot going on and we are keeping the health and safety of our students and adults at the center of our educational decision making.
Best,
Randi Lowe
BRSU Superintendent
Dear BRSU Families,
We are working on our re-entry plan for school and I want to share an update with you. As you know, things are fluid and we are planning from the current guidance, and responding to new information when it is received.
The most important statement I want to make is that we need your support and partnership in a way we never have before. We want to open our schools safely at the maximum capacity possible and it will take a community to successfully do so.
The VT Agency of Education is requiring adults and children to wear facial coverings in schools. People have different perspectives about the use of facial coverings and we are all entitled to our personal opinions. However, when it comes to attendance at school, the current guidance is clear--we need to wear them. You can help us in a couple of different ways. A positive attitude with your child about wearing a facial covering at school will go a long way to helping us meet this requirement. Explaining to your child that this is something we wear to school now, and that it is important to cover our mouths and noses to keep everyone safe and healthy, would be enormously helpful. Wearing facial coverings at home over the summer will help get your child used to wearing one inside, which will also help them be successful when we return to school. I deeply appreciate your support with this transition.
We will conduct health screenings at the first point of contact between a child and school. If they ride the bus, the screening will occur at the bus stop prior to boarding. If they are being driven or walking/biking to school, the screening will occur before your child enters the building. An adult will need to stay with your child until they have been cleared to enter the bus/building. We are exploring the possibility of an online screening, but cannot confirm now that this will occur. We will update you as decisions are made.
School meals will be delivered to classrooms and students will eat with their class at the start of the year. Given that food will be transported through the building, breakfast and lunch options will meet FDA guidelines but will primarily be cold food options. When possible, feeding your child breakfast at home or sending in a lunch from home would be incredibly helpful for us. Feeding our children in their classrooms will take more time so whatever you can do to help will make a big difference.
We will be operating buses, but with the need to screen students before getting on the bus, routes will likely be different than in the past. Our transportation team is working hard to problem solve and troubleshoot through different scenarios. As soon as information is available, we will share it with you.
Finally, we are requesting information to help us in making a couple of decisions. We are trying to get a sense of how many students may be riding a bus, so please let us know about your intention to do so. We are also seeking your feedback regarding the return to in-person instruction and appreciate you sharing your thoughts around the potential of a completely remote learning option. Please complete this google form by July 17 to address these two topics. Your responses are not binding in any way, but will give us an initial sense of what families are currently thinking.
I will be sending out another email communication next Friday to update you on our work.
Best,
Randi Lowe
BRSU Superintendent
I will be communicating with you throughout the summer with updates and information as we plan for school reopening in the fall, so please check your email every couple of weeks. I will do my best to share with you our progress and decisions as they are developed. I have a terrific team of people working hard to develop a re-entry plan that prioritizes safety as well as the developmental needs of our students.
A Phase 1 Planning Team composed of 14 parents, teachers and administrators developed a comprehensive list of considerations and needs in six primary areas, scheduling and logistics, operations, instruction, physical health, social-emotional health and communication, that served as the foundation for the Phase 2 Teams. Our Phase 2 work is underway and we have teams developing our SU plan in each of the six areas. There are more than 40 people engaged in this work including parents, nurses, facilities, food service, teachers, instructional coaches and building and central office administrators. We will be consulting with others including students as plans are developed. I expect this work to be completed by the third week of July, at which point we will transition to Phase 3, which is when the schools will develop their specific building level models.
I know many of you are worried about the upcoming year and what school will be like for your child. Please know that we are doing everything possible to keep our school community safe while finding creative ways to prioritize relationships, safety and trust. We recognize the tension between the health and safety guidelines and our student’s social-emotional and developmental needs. I am encouraging creative, out of the box thinking with a focus on establishing community and relationships when we reconvene. When children feel safe and connected they are ready to learn.
Superintendent Wilson mentioned this in a recent communication, but I wanted to reiterate that we are asking you to be mindful of the quarantine requirements should you travel out of state this summer. We will be following the most up to date guidance when we return to school and would hate for students to not be able to return to school due to recent travel.
We will need your partnership in new ways. As we develop schedules and new procedures I will be asking you for your support in implementation. We have a fantastic community and I know that together we will do what is best for our children. Thanks for your patience and support as we plan for the upcoming school year.
Best,
Randi Lowe, Assistant Superintendent
Dear BRSU Families and Students,
Last week I received notice from the Agency of Education that a waiver I requested to excuse us from making up emergency weather days was granted. This means that the last day of school for all preK-8 students in our six schools will be Friday, June 12, 2020.
The waiver allows us to exchange required student days for teacher professional development days. The waiver will enable us to engage in some critical professional development with our teachers as we begin planning for the 2020/21 school year. We have learned a lot about what does and does not work with distance learning. We look forward to having the opportunity to reflect upon our successes and failures in hopes of improving potential future distance learning experiences for our children and families.
We will continue to provide meals until Monday, June 22, 2020. If you have been participating in this program and no longer want to receive meals after June 12, please contact Kelly Foster, the Director of Food Services, at kfoster@brsu.org to let her know.
Principals will be working with their staff to wrap up the school year and virtually celebrate our learners. Students, we know it has been so difficult to be out of school for so long and separated from your teachers and friends. We are hopeful that in the fall we can have opportunities to connect more. Parents, you have been amazing. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and support. We have all had to learn how to navigate this emergency together – you have been great partners.
I especially want to congratulate all our graduating students. We so wish we could personally celebrate your accomplishments with you before you leave our schools. Thank you for the leadership you provided for the younger students in our schools. Thank you for growing into such caring and responsible young people who will contribute to making our communities better places. When times are safer, please come back and say hello so we can give you a hug and congratulate you in person.
Sincerely,
Jacquelyne Wilson
Superintendent
The BRSU nurses created a short video of appreciation and support for our BRSU families and community. We hope you like it and would love for principals to share it with their schools if possible. Take a look! Link to Video
Dear BRSU Families,
On Tuesday, we submitted our Continuity of Learning (CoL) plan to the Vermont Agency of Education. As I’ve shared earlier, the initial requirement by the AOE, which went into effect on March 18, 2020, was for schools to maintain previous learning until the CoL went into effect on April 13, 2020. Our schools have vacation from April 13 - April 17, so the CoL plan will begin on April 20 for all BRSU students.
Our teachers, administrators and tech staff have been working non-stop over the past two weeks to identify critical learning standards, provide training to teachers using on-line instructional strategies, put all additional student supports in place (i.e. specialized education services, English language learning support, intervention support, etc.) and connect families to the internet who previously were not connected. This has been a herculean effort given our large geographic area and the varying needs of our children and families. I am so proud of our staff and the way they have rallied to figure out how to support our students in this new environment, all while they were also trying to maintain current learning for students.
The CoL plan directs schools to provide new learning to students from now until the end of the 2019/20 school year. This means that our teachers will now begin instruction in critical proficiencies and support your child and their learning using a distance learning model. Key components of our plan include:
Communication
All teachers (classroom teachers, interventionists, special educators, guidance counselors) will establish office hours to support both students and families.
All classroom teachers will offer a suggested weekly learning schedule. We know that establishing a daily learning routine will be important for students and parents.
All classroom teachers and/or homeroom or advisors will make at least one personal connection each week with every student.
Classroom learning expectations and timeline will be communicated to students and families.
If you have a concern or question, reach out directly to your child’s teacher. If you don’t have success with resolving your concern or question, contact the principal.
Learning Opportunity Expectations & Structures
Teachers will provide learning opportunities for their students to engage in within the hours of the regular school day, Monday thru Friday. These learning opportunities will consist of a variety of methods involving creation of original content, curation of online resources, and a blend of asynchronous and synchronous opportunities, where appropriate. Learning opportunities will also be provided in the form of learning packets and hands-on projects, when suitable.
With the developmental appropriateness of distance learning in mind, the recommended guidelines for MAXIMUM student commitment to direct new core instruction in content areas each day is as follows:
Pre-K : 30 minutes
Grades K-1: 45 minutes
Grades 2-3: 60 minutes
Grades 4-5: 90 minutes
Grades 6-8: 30 minutes per teacher (3 hours max in a day)
These guidelines exclude additional offerings from Unified Arts teachers, Special Educators and other support staff which will be made available as learning opportunities shared with students at the beginning of each week. The times above refer to new core instruction, and do not include independent practice of skills, etc.
Most of our teachers will be utilizing Google Classroom as a learning management platform. Some of our primary teachers will also be using Seesaw to varying degrees. We are encouraging teachers to maintain the use of other platforms such as Bloomz and ClassDojo if they were previously used to communicate with families prior to school closure.
The majority of instruction will take place through pre-recorded, not live interactions. We have provided training for all staff to familiarize themselves with both screen casting and webcasting to create asynchronous learning experiences. We are encouraging the use of materials and digital resources that students are already familiar with accessing (Newsela, IXL, Mystery Science).
Teachers have identified the key proficiencies and learning targets that they will be working on from now until the end of the year. Of course, teachers will not be able to address all of the proficiencies that they had planned on addressing in the third trimester. Teachers will monitor progress on the proficiencies and learning targets and students will receive a third trimester report card.
Student Supports
The BRSU will implement the same types of practices in our remote learning model as we have in our traditional educational system. Our academic interventionists will continue to educate the children they were teaching when school closed. School counselors and mental health clinicians will continue to connect with students and families in small groups and individual sessions. Our Family Support Liaison is continuing to ensure our families most at-risk are connected to community and school resources and ensuring our students eligible for McKinney-Vento supports have access to what they need.
Access to Learning
Not all of our students can access on-line learning. We have made great gains over the past few weeks resolving internet connectivity issues but we won’t be able to solve it for everyone. If a student cannot access on-line learning, we will be providing alternative learning plans for those students. Classroom teachers will work with these children and their families on the alternative approaches.
When our Continuity of Learning plan has been approved we will post the full contents on our webpage.
Below is some other important information related to our extended school closing:
Paper Learning Packets: We will continue to distribute paper learning packets to our students. We have asked teachers to do as much as possible on-line, to avoid the distribution and collection of paper materials, but some paper will still be necessary, especially for our younger students. We have not provided devices to our preK and kindergarten students so paper will still be heavily relied upon. We have put safety protocols in place for the creation and distribution of paper materials. For example, all materials sit for at least 72 hours before distribution.
Materials Packet: All students will be receiving an art and projects materials packet. We have ordered these materials and hope that they will be available for distribution after vacation.
Attendance: We must keep attendance during our extended closing. If your child is not available for learning on a distance learning school day, for reasons of illness or family emergency, please call your child’s school to report their absence. Principals will communicate the best number to call. If teachers notice that a child is not participating in on-line classes, the school will contact the family and work with them to resolve the issue.
Concerns: If you have a concern regarding your child’s distance learning experience, please contact your child’s teacher directly.
I thank you all for your continued support and the work that you are doing with your children. We know that it is very challenging to be the “home school” teacher and parent too! Together we will do the best we can for your children in this difficult time.
Be safe, find moments of joy, and watch spring unfold.
Jackie Wilson, Superintendent
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Firstly, I hope that everyone is well. I would like to provide a few words and some guidelines on how we can all work together as we wind our way through uncharted territory.
I realize that some of you who are reading this may not have internet access at home. My tech team has started to make calls to everyone that has expressed a need and we will continue working on that in the next few days. If you or someone that you know is seeking internet connectivity, we have gathered a list of resources here:
https://sites.google.com/brsu.org/e-learning/resources/access
(this link should be mobile friendly and can be accessed thru most cell phones)
We have distributed more than double our normal amount of devices to homes across our district. Some of them went home with our younger students for the very first time. With the fast transition, we were not awarded with the opportunity to teach etiquette of proper device use at home. As parents or guardians, we please ask that you help us as we transition to a new style of learning. Here are a few helpful tips:
Use the device in a centralized location kitchen, living room, etc
Limit device use to the “school day” and homework time (no after-hours use)
Do not eat or drink near the device
Do not use on floor (possible stepping hazard)
Be wary of cord placement if plugged in while charging
Watch for fidgeting hands
Our last point comes as a request because we have seen a large number of broken camera tickets. We have a very limited supply of spare devices and are having difficulties in getting replacements due to not only all schools requiring more devices but also because corporations and small businesses are looking for solutions for home access.
Our teachers are also all in a new place and are doing their utmost to adapt to this new environment as well. We are trying to transition as smoothly as possible and change as few things at once as we can. Yet, new methods and procedures will take place due to our environment. One such thing is video conferencing. While we also use asynchronous methods (pre-recorded video). We are using some synchronous methods to help the classes have a live connected feeling and to be able to see each other and reply in real-time.
The following guidelines are for those meetings.
Expectations for those who join these sessions:
Please be dressed for school
Attend from an appropriate place: kitchen table, desk, common area, etc. (not sitting on your bed or walking around the house, etc)
A place with good lighting is helpful.
Headphones are a good option to help hear the conversations better. Headphones with a built-in microphone can help to prevent the possibility of unwanted audio being picked up from the background.
Consider who else might be at home and how to ensure that your child can focus on the video conference session without interruption or distractions, if possible.
Teachers will be mindful of the time of day during which these are scheduled and they will try to be consistent to accommodate for your schedules as well.
Joining the Hangout/Meet:
Teachers will share a link that students will access either via their school-provided email account, their calendar or Google Classroom
Students join from their Chromebook or another device. If they are using a tablet or phone, it is likely that you will need to add the Meet app.
There has been a lot of talk recently about “Zoom”. Zoom is a synchronous meeting tool that has been used by some of our teachers. Due to it’s rocketing popularity there has been a lot of related press and concerns over its safety and data privacy policies. Zoom has 3 different privacy policies based on what particular version is being used. We were using the educational version which had the safety of students in mind. Zoom is continuing to make changes to its security on a daily basis. However, we as a district, are uncomfortable in its “growing” stage and have made the decision to use Google Meet. This decision was made this afternoon and some teachers will now be testing their flexibility as they learn a new platform. Please bear with them as they transition.
Thank you for your continued support!
Stay safe,
Dennis
Dear BRSU Families,
I hope you are all keeping safe and remaining healthy. Our BRSU family of educators continue to work around the clock to feed our children and plan for extended school closure. By April 8, we must submit our plan for Continuity of Education to the Agency of Education. The plan will outline how we intend to deliver distance learning until the end of the school year.
Our current plan is to follow the existing school calendars for the remainder of the school year. This means that we will have April break from April 13 -17, hence students will not receive learning packets and/or teacher support that week. Our teachers need a little time to re-charge. They have been involved in on-line trainings and are currently in the process of articulating how they will create distance learning environments that support all our children, even those without internet access. We will continue to do our very best to support our students and families - this is our priority. We certainly won't get it all right, since it is a first for all of us, but we will give you our best.
Attached is my blog. Please give it a read.
Be well, stay connected, and enjoy the onset of spring.
Best,
Jackie
Starting Monday, March 30th, "To-go" School Meals will be available for pickup and delivery on Monday, Wednesday and Friday only.
The pickup window is still 11:00am--12:30pm at your school.
Your child(ren) will still be provided with 5 days of breakfast and lunches, even though school kitchens are only putting meals out on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
If you are not already signed up for school meals, and you would like to participate, please fill out the survey: https://forms.gle/4eieVA68LJuDc4FP8
Please email Kelly Foster, Food Service Director at kfoster@brsu.org with questions.
Last night the Governor issued an order to close school for the remainder of the school year. By April 13th all school systems must submit their plan for remote, continuous learning. Over the next few weeks we will be focusing all of our energies on this plan. We realize that not all our families have access to reliable internet so our plan will have to include opportunities that do not rely upon internet access. As soon as we have finalized our plan we will share it with you.
I apologize for the fact that I was not able to share the closing information when it was released last night but superintendents were not given any advance warning of the decision.
This news is distressing for all of us. We miss seeing your children on a daily basis and we know that they miss seeing their peers and being part of their school community. However, the most important thing right now is to keep healthy and take care of one another. All generations have their challenges to overcome and this is certainly ours. Together we will find a path forward.
Dear BRSU Community,
I learned this evening that there is a positive COVID-19 case within our Manchester Elementary Middle School community. I know how potentially frightening this news is. I have been in contact with the Secretary of Education, Dan French, and senior officials at the Vermont Department of Health. Community spread is happening all over Vermont and, unfortunately, our BRSU communities are not immune. I expect that we will see many more confirmed cases over the next few weeks. The Health Department has indicated that this case was community acquired. Health Department Officials asked me to convey to parents/guardians that they should monitor their child(ren) for symptoms and call your health provider should the symptoms (coughing, fever, shortness of breath) occur.
Over the past few weeks, the team at BRSU, as well as our community, have shown that we are there for each other. Together we will face this challenge and support and care for one another. There is great uncertainty in our future, every day brings a new challenge for us to overcome, but together we will get through this. Take care of each other while keeping a safe distance. Keep your kids home. Love them. We will get through this.
School Dismissal Communication
Dear BRSU Families and Students,
This afternoon Governor Scott issued an order requiring the dismissal of all schools no later than Wednesday, March 18.
Current plans for BRSU schools, for the next two days, are as follows:
Monday, March 16 - This is a non-student day. Teachers will be working on some short term plans for the closure and no students will be attending school tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 17 - Students will have a full day of school. School will be closed beginning Wednesday, March 18 until at least April 6, 2020.
Parents can decide if they would like to have their child attend school on Tuesday. On Friday, Governor Scott gave new guidance allowing parents to make this choice. Prior to Friday, March 10, schools were not able to excuse absences that were a result of parents exercising precaution. If you choose to not have your child attend school on Tuesday, we will work with you to make sure that the learning packet and chromebook get to you.
Dismissal Details
Two-week Learning Packet: On Tuesday, students will receive a two-week learning packet from their teacher/s. The packets will include practice activities, reading recommendations, and resource links.
Tuesday Request: We ask that all students bring a bag, or extra back-pack to help with cubby and locker clean-out.
Continuing Education Plans: Over the next two weeks, teachers will work with administration to develop a more comprehensive approach to continuing learning opportunities that will be implemented if school remains dismissed for an extended period. Families and students can expect future communications from us on this topic. We anticipate that there will be weekly on-line experiences, and we also plan on delivering learning packets and activities to students.
Internet Access: If school is dismissed for an extended period of time, we will be implementing on-line learning. We realize that not all our families have reliable internet access so we will develop alternative plans for those families. Within the next few days, all families will receive an internet access survey so we can determine need.
Chromebooks: To facilitate future on-line learning, we will be assigning chromebooks to all students in grades 1-8 and these will be distributed on Tuesday. Our younger children have not experienced taking a school device home for their personal use so we will be providing some use guidance.
Food: We will be providing meals for families during the school dismissal period. All families should expect a survey within the next couple of days that will ask about your interest in this program. It will be a no cost program for everyone who is interested. We are currently in the process of working out details regarding daily delivery and pick-up. If you have any questions about food programming, please contact the Director of Food Services, Kelly Foster at kfoster@brsu.org or 362-2452.
Teacher Contact: Our teachers will be accessible during the dismissal period via phone and/or internet. All students can expect a personal call from their classroom teacher at least once a week. We know how important it is to keep the lines of communication open and we want to provide as much assurance and support to our children as we can. Teachers will also provide remote teaching and learning support but these plans won’t be ready for full implementation until the week of March 23.
We will continue to do our best to communicate new information with all of you. This is a challenging time and the learning curve is steep for all of us. Please know that we are doing our best to support all your children and we will try to make this unusual school closure experience a positive one.
Sincerely,
Jacquelyne Wilson
Superintendent
Dear BRSU Community,
The coronavirus/COVID-19 situation is evolving quickly, and we have made some new decisions to support our students and keep our communities safe. Please know that at any time we may receive guidance from the Vermont Agency of Education and the Department of Health that will result in further, immediate actions.
BRSU Teacher Inservice Day scheduled for March 20 is moved to Monday, March 16: We are moving the BRSU Teacher Inservice Day to Monday, March 16. This means that students won’t have school on Monday, but they will have school on Friday the 20th. We will be working with our teachers on Monday to develop a contingency plan for a potential extended school closure. While we don’t know for sure that school closures will be implemented, we want to be as prepared as we can for this potential event.
Out-of-State Field Trips: All out-of-state field trips, scheduled for March and April, are cancelled. If feasible, every attempt will be made to reschedule these opportunities for a later date. If deposits have already been made for trips, we will be working with vendors on possible refunds or rescheduling possibilities.
In-State Field Trips: All in-state field trips will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Principals will be communicating these cancellations and changes.
Restrict School Building Usage for Non-School Events: We will be restricting access to our school buildings by non-school groups until May 1, 2020. We will re-evaluate at that time. This measure will allow our custodial staff to give all their attention to maintaining school cleanliness and it will also serve to protect community members.
Postponing Large Gathering Events until May 1: We will be postponing all events that include bringing large numbers of parents, family members, and community into our buildings. Principals will work to reschedule events currently planned for March and April. This restriction applies to concerts, student-led conferences, plays, etc. Principals will provide more detailed information regarding the cancellations and rescheduling of these events.
This is an unprecedented time and we will keep our lines of communication open. Other questions we are currently working on include:
How do we ensure that students who rely on access to meals at school each day continue to have access to that resource?
How do we keep district employees working and earning paychecks to support families and community?
This is a challenging time, but our communities are resilient, and we know how to take care of one another...together we will get through this.
Given that information regarding the coronavirus is changing rapidly, we suggest you rely upon the Vermont Department of Health for current Vermont coronavirus information. The Vermont Department of Health is updating information and guidelines on a daily basis. Go to https://www.healthvermont.gov/response/infectious-disease/2019-novel-coronavirus, or click here.
As mentioned on Monday, folks who plan to return to Vermont, or have returned from Vermont from Iran, South Korea, Japan, Italy, and China in the past 14 days must call the Health Department at 802-863-7240 for guidance.
The message we sent on Monday neglected to mention China as an “affected area.” Our assumption was that folks were well aware of the requirements regarding China but it should have been stated. Japan was also referred to as a Level 3 country, the CDC has given it a Level 2 designation, our apologies.
We will only provide future updates if and when there is information that pertains directly to our schools.
CORONAVIRUS - COVI-19 UPDATE
Dear BRSU Families & Staff,
The BRSU is keeping a close eye on the COVID-19 outbreak and seeking support and guidance from the Vermont Department of Health and the Vermont Agency of Education. Currently there are no cases of people with COVID-19 in Vermont but the Vermont Department of Health is closely monitoring the situation.
Yesterday, I received a memo from Education Secretary, Dan French, letting us know that the Agency of Education and the Vermont Department of Health are committed to providing support, guidance, and coordination should it be needed and that we will receive direct alert information from them. The Vermont Department of Health is leading the response to COVID-19 and the Agency of Education will coordinate the information flow to supervisory unions and schools.
The memo stated, “It is important to note that at this point, Vermont residents are much more likely to become sick with a cold or the flu than to be exposed to COVID-19. Many of the precautions that help prevent other respiratory diseases, like colds and the flu, can also help keep an illness like COVID-19 from spreading:
Frequent hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with your sleeve or a tissue. Throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.”
BRSU leadership is working closely with our school nurses, who are great sources of information regarding prevention and care. If your child is not feeling well, or has a fever, it is very important for you to keep your child at home.
I will continue to provide you with updated information about the coronavirus as it becomes available.
Sincerely,
Jackie Wilson