Dear Community:
Happy Friday! Hope you are staying warm with these freezing temperatures!
Next Thursday, there is a scheduled Parent Zoom beginning at 7:00. If you have a topic you would like to add to the agenda, please email me at gmorsedobosz@hr-k12.org. Otherwise, at this time, our parent zoom will be an opportunity for an open dialogue for parents to talk with one another and ask general questions.
Nurse Sam Update:
★ Covid Protocol Reminders: Please see the attached documents for Covid protocols and procedures that have been in place since early January (DESE Covid Protocols & Home Test Guidelines). Please save these documents and refer back to them regularly. Please reach out to me if you have any questions regarding these protocols.
★ New State Testing Program: This week, DESE announced a new Covid-19 testing program. This program will provide families who choose to participate with free at home rapid antigen tests for each student every 2 weeks. The purpose of this testing program is to add an additional mitigation measure to allow students to test on a weekly basis at home and will be a supplement to our current Routine Covid Safety Checks program. With this new testing program, contact tracing and test-and-stay protocols will be eliminated. More information about the testing program, testing schedule and the opt-in/opt-out process will be provided to families early next week.
★ Additional at-home tests: We have a supply of at-home rapid antigen testing kits that were graciously provided to the school by the Hilltown Community Health Center. These tests are available for use by all students and staff and will be distributed to families as needed. Please reach out to the school for more information regarding these tests.
★ Routine Covid Safety Checks: We have successfully completed our second week of routine surveillance testing. We currently have approximately 50% of the building participating weekly. I am happy to report that all tests resulted NEGATIVE!! If your child is not currently participating in this testing program and you wish to enroll them, please reach out to me via
email. *It is important to note that the routine testing conducted at the school is completed via PCR tests (more sensitive than antigen testing).
★ Covid Case Updates: Within the last 2 weeks, we had 5 new cases reported within our school community. We made the decision to close the preschool for Thursday and Friday while we worked out potential close contacts and next steps. There has been no evidence of in-school transmission among those cases that occurred and all involved have finished or will be finishing their quarantine periods within the next few days.
| Covid-19 Data Dashboard | |
| 1/21/22 | |
| Positive Cases at R.H. Conwell | 5 |
| Internal Close Contacts | – |
| External Close Contacts in Quarantine | 2 |
| BinaxNOW Rapid Antigen Tests Conducted | – |
| Positive Cases in Worthington (last 7 days) | 9 |
| Positive Cases in Hampshire County (last 7 days) | 4,818 |
| Positive Cases in Massachusetts (last 7 days) | 271,940 |
Upcoming Events:
January 27, 2022 – Virtual Parent Zoom beginning at 7:00 p.m.
- Join Zoom Meeting
- Meeting ID: 837 6878 5785
Passcode: 551638 One tap mobile
+13017158592,,83768785785#,,,,*551638# US (Washington DC)
January 31, 2022 – Noon Dismissal – FACULTY PD
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. As always, we appreciate your continued thoughtful feedback and support.
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