Next week is Thanksgiving, and we got a special preview today with Mrs. Lively's turkey dinner with all the fixin's. It's a little bittersweet because we have an amazing meal, but it comes right after the news that we had a positive COVID case at the school this week. More on that later. For me, it reflects the bittersweet nature of the coming holidays. We all thought this Thanksgiving would be back to somewhat normal, but with COVID cases on the rise nationally and locally, we have to pay close attention to the guidelines. The increase in vaccinations helps (and now that children 5-11 are eligible, I encourage you to get them vaccinated) but following the state and local guidelines, we can all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving and help keep the Rowe School community safe and learning in-person. Please do your part. I know everyone is tired of COVID-19 and the restrictions we have to follow, but now is not the time to let our guards down. Here is a link to the State's latest COVID guidelines: https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-... It's also on the school Facebook page, and in our new app (have you downloaded the app yet?).
We've known from the beginning that this might happen, but up until now we have been whatever combination of lucky and good was necessary to not have any known cases in the school. We've paid attention to the details, and took the proper precautions.
Having a positive case at the school this week was challenging, but it's what we've been prepared for all year. Once the case was diagnosed, we paid attention to the details and took the proper precautions. The students needed calm direction, and that's what the staff did. Hopefully, this will be an isolated case. We'll know more as the days go on, and we'll deal with whatever presents itself. Nurse Lydia has been in touch with the Board of Health, and is following their recommendations for how to handle the next few days. We're keeping the classes separated and getting and close contacts tested. Let's keep working together, asking questions, and supporting each other through this.
Next week, we have regular days of school Monday and Tuesday, a 12:30 release Wednesday (lunch is served), then no school Thursday or Friday. Enjoy the time off, I'm thankful for what we have here at Rowe, and know we can continue as we are if we all follow the guidelines.