March 26, 2020
Dear Students:
As you know, the Excel Center is trying to support you in continuing your education during this public health crisis in a way that is safe for you and your household. To that end, on Tuesday, March 24th, we handed out paper packets of school work at our Norwood campus in a way that minimized students’ contact with staff, with fellow students, and with our building. The vast majority of students picked up these packets by driving through the Norwood parking lot, receiving paper packets from one staff member who was wearing gloves, and leaving without entering the school.
We are writing today to share information that we think you should have, although we do not know what risk it poses to you, or whether it poses any risk at all. One of our teaching staff now has flu-like symptoms and was tested on March 25th for COVID-19 (coronavirus). We are awaiting the results of that test, and will share them when we have them.
This staff member was not involved in distributing packets and she was not present in the school at all on Tuesday, March 24th. If you came to the school on Tuesday, you did not interact with them. However, the staff member was present at the school on the morning of Monday, March 23rd, about 22 to 24 hours before packet distribution started. The staff member assembled a few of the packets of work, specifically those for English 2 and PE. A handful of other staff members were also present at the school on Monday, and did return on Tuesday and help with packet distribution. To our knowledge, none of them has any symptoms.
We do not know whether this staff member has COVID-19, whether it could have transmitted it to others who were present on Monday, or whether it could have been transmitted to other people via a paper packet. But we wanted to inform you of these facts, so that you can weigh the risks.
I encourage you to take any steps you believe are needed to put first your health and that of your family. We would never penalize a student for doing so, and will always find alternate ways to support and serve you academically.
As soon as we know anything more specific, we will relay it to you. We very much hope to have reassuring news to communicate tomorrow. In the meantime, if you have questions or concerns, please reach out to your life coach, or to Charles Moody, the campus director, at charles.moody@excelcenterhighschool.org. We would prefer that you not contact the specific staff member who is awaiting test results.
We don’t have medical expertise, and probably like you, we wish we had more certain information about this disease, its risks, and how it spreads. But we want to know of any concerns or questions you have that we may be able to address. At the end of this letter are responses and suggested resources related to things you may be wondering.
Sincerely,
Traci Berry, Superintendent
Possible Related Questions
1. Should I throw away all of my packets of work?
The Goodwill Excel Center staff are not health experts. But we encourage you to look at governmental and expert medical sites that are providing guidance about what is known about this disease, how long it can stay on surfaces, how best to protect yourself and your household, and how to be alert for symptoms. These are just a few of many:
Goodwill encourages you to take whatever steps you feel are necessary for the safety and security of your family.
2. If I choose to throw away my packets of work, what are my options to receive a grade for this work?
Students will receive a grade for the work at a later date. Teachers are working together to determine next steps for students impacted. More information will come regarding grades for the work that was included in the packet.
3. Do I need to come to the school to get a new packet?
No. The Goodwill Excel Center is no longer distributing packets of work to students at this time. If you have questions about getting a new packet please contact your Life Coach.
March 24, 2020
Students:
Thank you for coming today to pick up packets for Term 4 classes. To protect the health of students and staff, The Excel Center will not have packet pickup tomorrow or next week. The packet pickup that was planned for March 25th, 30th, and 31st is being canceled.
All Term 4 work, including packets you picked up today, is due on Monday, April 6th.
If you did not receive packets, please email your teacher at firstname.lastname@excelcenterhighschool.org, or contact your life coach.
Also, please check your email for notices about how to join your teachers’ Google Classrooms, where you will get instructions about finishing Term 4 classes.
Thank you and stay safe.