Dear Community:
Hope this message finds you well. Report cards go home today. It’s been a real joy reading the teacher’s comments about the students’ academic and social emotional growth. Thank you for your continued partnership in helping your child reach their potential! Keep up the good work!
Pajama Day! On Wednesday, December 22, students and staff are encouraged to wear their pajamas on the last day of school before winter recess!
Hot Spots: The district is extending the timeline to sign up for hotspots. Families of students who are enrolled in the Worthington School District can sign up to receive a hotspot for use this academic year.
WHO SHOULD SIGN UP: If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you can sign up for a free mobile hotspot with unlimited data service – WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!
- Do you live in an area that does not have ANY broadband internet service at home?
- Is your home internet service INADEQUATE for school work?
- Are you waiting for your Town to finish installing broadband internet service to your home?
- Is the cost of internet service preventing you from signing up for high speed internet for your home?
- Is your home internet connection slow when more than one person is using it at the same time?
- Do you primarily have to use your cell phone for internet access?
HOW TO SIGN UP:
Online: https://forms.gle/NqQzejeF6QWQutek8
Parent Zoom: Thanks to everyone who attended the parent zoom on Wednesday evening. Below is the link to the short “snapshot” explaining what a mindful moment looks like at Conwell. The next parent zoom meeting will be on January 27, 2022 at 7:00. Please send me any agenda items you would like me to add to our meeting time. Thank you!
Nurse Sam Update:
★ We have recently informed families of a positive case within our school community.
Unfortunately, that number is rising, and we currently have 2 individuals within the school who are Covid positive, and a few other symptomatic close contacts that are currently awaiting test results. These individuals have been isolated in quarantine and no additional close contacts are identified at this time. We will continue to monitor the situation, and inform you of any new cases that may arise. Please continue to monitor your children for any symptoms and notify any close contacts of symptoms or exposures.
★ Typical winter illnesses are starting to appear around the school. Cold, flu and covid symptoms are difficult to differentiate from one another. We are still in the midst of a global pandemic, we MUST take all illness symptoms very seriously. Please communicate any and all illness symptoms with me, via email or phone prior to sending your child to school. We can discuss the best action to take to get your child back to school as soon as possible, and keep our school healthy.
★ Around the state and country, we are seeing a significant increase in covid cases in children, and an increase in in-school transmission, despite health and safety mitigation strategies.
In order for us to continue to keep our school community covid free and safe, we are urging you all to continue to take this pandemic seriously.. Please wear a mask when you are in public or with anyone outside of your household, social distance where feasible, get vaccinated if you are able, and take all symptoms seriously! Together we can help lessen the risk on our community, and start to see the end of the road.
★ We have officially reached a 53.68% vaccination rate in the building, including both students and staff that are regularly in the building on a daily basis.
- Friendly reminder, DESE has released that if schools can reach an 80% vaccination rate in the building, they may apply to have the mask mandate removed. In order for us to reach this number, we would need approximately 25 additional students to get vaccinated.
| Covid-19 Data Dashboard | |||
| This Week (12/17/21) | Last Week (12/10/21) | Changes from last week | |
| Positive Cases at R.H. Conwell | 2 | 0 | ↑2 |
| Internal Close Contacts | 33 | 0 | ↑33 |
| External Close Contacts in Quarantine | 0 | 1 | ↓1 |
| BinaxNOW Rapid Antigen Tests Conducted | 69 | 4 | ↑65 |
| New Positive Cases in Worthington (last 7 days) | 6 | 0 | ↑6 |
| Positive Cases in Hampshire County (last 7 days) | 1,227 | 813 | ↑414 |
| Positive Cases in Massachusetts (last 7 days) | 60,639 | 46,475 | ↑14,164 |
Upcoming Events:
December 23, 2021 – January 3, 2022: WINTER Recess (students return on January 4, 2022)
January 17, 2022 – No SCHOOL
January 18, 20221 – No SCHOOL – FACULTY PD
Have a wonderful weekend!
Gretchen Morse-Dobosz
Superintendent/Principal
Worthington School District
147 Huntington Road
Worthington, MA 01098
413-238-5856
gmorsedobosz@hr-k12.org