Weekly News and Notes, December 11

 Good afternoon,

We have a few updates from UHS this week.

Rising COVID-19 Cases

As the daily numbers have increased across the state, we have likewise seen some additional cases here in our community. Fortunately, we have yet to see any real transmission in the building, and our safety protocols continue to work. Families may see some teachers working remotely or teaching from places other than a classroom; please avoid speculation on the reasons for such scenarios, as there are a variety of reasons why someone may be remote.

Additionally, we have been working closely with families throughout the pandemic to ensure that we have the best information possible should we have to engage in contact tracing. To those ends, if we ask about particular travel patterns in the building, social connections, etc., please know that it is simply done to support the tracing practices of the Board of Health so we can curb any continued outbreaks. To date, the honesty and forthrightness of our community has been appreciated.

The Uxbridge Public Schools COVID-19 dashboard has weekly updates on the number of cases in our schools, including staff and students.

Winter Athletics

We will be compiling a series of winter athletic guidelines to be shared with our Board of Health in the next week or so. We have developed a number of specific protocols that will support safety in the winter, but there is the possibility that the current surge precludes our participation in athletics this season. We know that other communities and leagues have already made the decision to cancel winter sports, and we anticipate having a decision from the Southern Worcester County League being made in the first week of January.

MCAS

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has cancelled the January administration of MCAS, which was due to administered to the Class of 2022 (current juniors). We have not yet been provided any guidance on MCAS for the coming spring for grades 8, 9, and 10.

Remote Learning Grant

For students who are struggling with remote and hybrid learning, we have earned a grant from the Commonwealth to provide additional supports for students, in the form of counselors, teachers, and support staff after school hours and potentially on weekends. Ms. Emily Cotter, one of our school counselors, will be coordinating this program. Outreach will begin in the next two weeks, with the intention of starting the program after the first of year. If anyone has specific questions or interest, feel free to reach out to her.