1/3 Update from the Superintendent of Schools
Superintendent's Update - The Week Ahead
Update: January 3 2022
Dear Harrison Families,
The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances. Aristotle
Students, faculty, and staff made it through a challenging but rewarding first school day of 2022. My note this evening is to share that our schools will remain open. However, we are severely challenged by staff absences, even as we do our best to make school meaningful for your children under these conditions. Today, 103 faculty and staff, including 59 teachers (15% of total faculty), were ill or tending to a family member.
While schools will remain in session, many experiences will be impacted. Please embrace the ideal of Aristotle and bear these difficult circumstances with dignity, but most especially with grace toward our devoted, exceptional, selfless teachers, staff, and administrators. They are doing everything possible to support your children.
Help keep our schools open and safe; here are 4 things you can do tonight:
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Sign up for surveillance testing by completing the COVID-19 Testing Consent Form so your child can participate in free PCR testing on a random basis and after the return from February and spring breaks.
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To reduce unnecessary contact tracing, share your child’s vaccination status by completing the confidential Student Vaccination Survey. Vaccinated students do not quarantine unless they test positive for COVID -19.
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If your child is experiencing any symptoms, please do not send them to school. Seek medical advice and a PCR or rapid antigen test administered by a healthcare provider to determine whether or not your child has contracted COVID-19, and report your child’s symptoms using the COVID-19 Symptom Reporting Form.
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If there is a positive case in your home and you cannot isolate the exposed person, please keep your child at home to avoid exposing others. Students who remain home in this situation can participate in virtual learning.
For comprehensive information about our reopening protocols, please read my update of January 1, 2022.
Beginning the new year, I am reminded that our children are always watching. Caring for one another offers no more critical example of bearing the accidents of life with dignity and grace, and making the best of circumstances.
Sincerely,
Louis N. Wool, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools