Masking Optional at UHS

Dear Families, Guardians, Students, and UHS Community:

We shared before the February break that the Uxbridge Public Schools are transitioning to a “mask optional” status, effective February 28, 2022. As we prepare to return to school from the break, we wanted to share some details with families, students, and the community as a whole to help support everyone in this transition. Some details remain very much the same, even as we move away from masks.

• Daily Health Screening.  Continue to monitor for symptoms while at home, assessing symptoms and being mindful of COVID-19 exposures in your daily lives. If the answer to any questions regarding symptoms or potential exposures, particularly within families or households, it is important that the student stay home and not report to school. For additional support, contact your family’s medical provider and Ms. Schiller, our school nurse. .
• Illness at School.  Should your child become ill during the school day, he/she will be assessed by the School Nurse.  Please note that individuals entering the School Nurse’s Office may be required to wear a mask, in accordance with standard infection control procedures, for the protection of staff and students in the Nurse’s Office.  If, upon assessment by the School Nurse using criteria from the Department of Public Health and our school’s testing protocols, it is determined that your child may be contagious with COVID-19, the child will be monitored and families contacted for dismissal. The School Nurse may recommend a COVID-19 in school test or at home test as needed along with instructions on when your child may return to school.
• Isolation & Quarantine for Positive Cases of COVID-19 and/or Close Contacts to a Positive COVID-19 Case. Notify your School Nurse if your child or anyone in their household tests positive for COVID-19.  School Nurses will continue to follow existing isolation and quarantine policies based on DESE and DPH guidance that have been communicated previously.
• Masks. While masks will be optional effective February 28, 2022, individuals entering the School Nurses’ offices may be required to wear a mask upon entry in accordance with infection control practices. In addition, after testing positive and returning from school, masks are required to be worn until day 10. Also, any student who wishes to wear a mask while in school is certainly permitted to do so.
• In addition, the DESE and DPH dropped the mask requirement on buses effective February 25, 2022.
• COVID-19 Vaccination Eligibility.  At this time, students age 5 and older are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination. If you or your child are eligible and want to get vaccinated and/or get your booster, there are many places to do so. Please communicate vaccination status with Ms. Schiller.
• If you have not previously participated in pool testing or take-home testing programs and wish to do so, please contact the high school nurse’s office, and we will be sure to include students moving forward. Please note: we distribute tests to students directly, and only about 40 of the 180 students who are signed up for at-home testing picked up tests before break. These are distributed in the cafeteria for students to pick up when they report to lunch.

We want to continue to remind all students and staff of the importance of remaining vigilant as we transition to a mask-optional environment. We appreciate your individual efforts towards keeping your child, your family, and those in our school community safe and healthy, and, should there be any changes to procedures as directed by DESE or DPH guidance, we will be sure to communicate those as efficiently as possible.

Sincerely yours,

Michael D. Rubin, Principal

Uxbridge High School