Principal's Newsletter

January 11, 2022

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COVID update

Pooled testing was conducted again on Monday and identified 24 cases of COVID in the building. As part of testing, we are calling students who are part of a positive pool down to the auditorium. We will be notifying families if their student tests positive. We will also be notifying teachers that students have the ability to make up work they miss while out of the building. Please see an update from Dr. Galdston here, which was presented at the school committee meeting last night. You may also find the COVID dashboard for the district, here.

Students are keeping in good spirits around the new lunch protocols and our frequent reminders of the importance of distancing and masking. Please read an announcement that was read to all students here.

Returning after COVID

If you test positive for COVID and you are asymptomatic, you may come back on day six. The day you test positive for COVID is day 0. For example, if you get a positive test on Wednesday (day 0), you can return on the following Tuesday (day 6). See chart below.
If you are symptomatic and then you test positive, day 0 is the first day you start to develop symptoms.
If you test positive and develop symptoms AFTER your positive test, day 0 resets to the day you become symptomatic.
YOU CAN ONLY RETURN after 5 days of isolation if you were asymptomatic, OR if you are fever-free and your symptoms are resolving.
If you have COVID, you cannot be part of pool testing for 90 days from your positive test, as you may test positive for up to 12 weeks on a PCR test.

Equity in WPS Speaker Series Part 3: Implicit Bias

Thursday, Jan. 13th, 6:30pm via Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85469700537?pwd=ZEJ6UDlPMld2eFdaWTJmZkxrL0Z5Zz09

Join us on Thursday, January 13, 2022 for a virtual conversation at 6:30 pm via Zoom with WPS families and caregivers, facilitated by Dr. Kalise Wornum. In this session, participants will gain further understanding of implicit bias, and how it impacts our learning community.

Participants will have an opportunity to raise questions and discuss challenges in real-time. This is the third session of a four-part series with Dr. Wornum designed to provide families with information about our equity work in the Watertown Public Schools and to help parents and caregivers navigate difficult conversations around race and bias. Please join whether you are able to participate actively or just want to listen in.

Completing the Series, Session 4 - How to Have Difficult Conversations- will be held on March 10 at 6:30 via Zoom. Mark your calendars for these upcoming events.

Dr. Kalise Wornum is an Educational Consultant at KW Diversity Inc. Earlier in her career, she served as the METCO Director in the Wellesley Public Schools. As part of the equity work in WPS, Dr. Wornum has collaborated with the WPS Leadership Team in providing resources and training to become Culturally Proficient Leaders, and she delivered this year's keynote speech to all WPS staff on Opening Day, September 1. This work moves WPS towards achieving its mission of preparing all students for life by engaging them in a challenging and meaningful education within an inclusive, diverse community.

--

Dr. Kimberlee Henry

Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

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2022 SAT Registration

If your student plans on taking the SATs in March, don't miss the February 11 registration deadline! Click here to register now!

Midterms

Midterms will take place the same way they did prior to COVID. Please see the schedule below. To clarify: 1/25 is a full day of school - classes in the morning, exam in the afternoon. The morning will follow the "half day bell schedule" below. Students are dismissed at 12:00pm on 1/26, 1/27, and 1/28. The afternoons should be used to prepare for exams.

VACCINATION & Additional BOOSTER CLINICS (Open to the General Public)

The general public can sign up for the State-sponsored Vaccination Clinic on January 11 from 3:30 - 7:00 p.m. at Watertown Middle School and pre-registration is required (this is a different link than the WPS-sponsored staff clinics). This clinic is designed for first doses for children 5+ and for boosters for people 16+. We may be opening it up to 12+, depending on approval. There will be all three vaccines/boosters available: Pfizer, J&J, Moderna. Please feel free to register your children if you wish, even if they don’t live in Watertown.