Thursday, December 30, 2021
Dear Springfield Public Schools Community:
To those who celebrate, I hope you and your family enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and Kwanzaa! We know that COVID has impacted many in our community, and we hope that you and your family are recovering and remaining healthy. The goal of this communication is to share our status and planning for next week in the context of COVID-19.
First, at this time, there are no changes planned to our schedule for the opening of schools the week of January 3, 2022. While it remains our goal to return to full-day in-person instruction in all schools on Monday, January 3, 2022 (except for the previously announced schedule related to the full return to the Edward V. Walton Early Childhood Center), we are carefully considering the best options for the health and safety of our staff and students.
We are also looking at our after-school activities and athletics and will share updated information in the coming days.
The COVID Activity Report released this evening shows our region to now be in the “Very High” category. Based on this information, please know our decision regarding next week are subject to change over the next few days as we continue to consult with our local health department and receive updates from our staff.
Second, on Wednesday, December 29th the New Jersey Department of Health indicated it would update its guidance to follow updated Centers for Disease Control guidance related to quarantine periods. At this time, there has been no guidance provided to schools regarding the CDC’s shift in protocols. We hope to have some clarification regarding these protocols before we return to school and we are considering how this language may impact our schools and will share updates when they are available.
Third, we highly encourage families to get their children tested before their return to school. In order to keep our schools open, it is critical that children reporting any symptoms (sore throat, nausea, cough, fatigue, headache, congestion) are kept home for observation and testing.
We hope you will enjoy the last remaining days of the holiday break and stay healthy and safe during this challenging time.
Happy New Year!
Rachel Goldberg & Springfield Public Schools
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As previously communicated, Walton will have an early dismissal virtual day on Monday, January 3rd. On January 4th, students previously assigned to St. James will have an early dismissal virtual day, and students previously assigned to the Walton building will be in-person with an early dismissal