An update on Lincoln Schools’ evolving response to COVID-19 as new year begins:
For more than two years, our whole school community has worked together to forge a balanced approach to health and safety during the pandemic. In 2020-2021, when we were one of only a few districts in the state that was fully in-person, we developed strong local health and safety guidelines to support the in-person model. In the subsequent year, as all districts in the commonwealth returned in-person, we moved toward alignment with state DPH/DESE guidance, and on Sept. 6, we will open the 2022-2023 school year fully aligned with state guidance. Continuing COVID-19 Risk Mitigations To reduce the risk of all types of viral infection, we will continue to practice common-sense risk mitigations including hand-washing, cleaning, and following best practices for ventilation and air filters. Masks will continue to be required in health offices and are strongly recommended by the Lincoln Board of Health to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19. Disposable masks will continue to be made available to anyone who needs one. Masking The school year will open with no general requirements for masking, but any individual is welcome to wear a mask. Wearing a mask at school is an individual decision that families and staff will make when considering all factors including their personal and household risk. We encourage families to consider both potential health benefits, and potential barriers that masks can present to learning in making their decisions. The Lincoln Board of Health strongly recommends masks for the greatest protection from COVID-19. A culture of acceptance of mask wearing will be ensured within our schools for all individuals choosing to wear a mask. Per the Lincoln Board of Health, if 3 or more positive COVID cases occur in a classroom within a 7-day period, masks will be required in the class for the next 10 days. District administration and our school health teams will also monitor case data and local health metrics on an ongoing basis and make recommendations for masking if appropriate. Testing The DPH/DESE-funded weekly testing program ended in June and has not been funded for this school year. We will continue to offer symptomatic testing for any staff and for students who have opted-in and develop symptoms in school. Any families that sign-up to participate in symptomatic testing in their annual back-to-school forms will also receive a box of at-home rapid antigen tests to use at their discretion. Additional at-home tests will be available at no cost upon request to the school nurse in the case of household exposure, or if families are not able to access tests for financial reasons or other hardships. Families and staff are also encouraged to take advantage of the availability of free COVID tests from Covid.gov <http://track.spe.schoolmessenger.com/f/a/yQpy4eQAclDH0I9smPwcNA~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRk6jfgP0QbaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY292aWQuZ292L3Rlc3RzVwdzY2hvb2xtQgpi6mAECWN5rz-zUhVzdmh0YXlsb3JAY29tY2FzdC5uZXRYBAAAAAE~>. We will also monitor case data and community metrics, and if warranted may make additional at-home tests available during the year. Vaccination We strongly encourage all families to vaccinate their children for both COVID-19 and the flu. These vaccinations both provide individual protection, and reduce the risk of outbreaks and in-school transmission, and protect the health of medically vulnerable members of our school community. COVID-19 vaccines both reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 and reduce the severity of illness if COVID-19 is contracted. We will offer both flu and COVID-19 vaccination clinics throughout the fall. Look for clinic information in your email inbox soon. Save the Date - Flu Shot Clinic Wed. Oct 12, 2022 12:30-4:30pm Reed Gym in the Lincoln School, 9 Ballfield Rd. School and Town Employees and Students The Lincoln Board of Health vaccination mandate for staff remains in place, and is being updated to require boosters when they are available. More information will be provided directly to staff. Daily Symptoms Screening Families and staff should continue to check daily for any COVID-19 symptoms using the COVID-19 Symptom Checklist <http://track.spe.schoolmessenger.com/f/a/4h1ZKPXzOz8IyIAKbXsUOA~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRk6jfgP0RSaHR0cHM6Ly9kcml2ZS5nb29nbGUuY29tL2ZpbGUvZC8xUXlOZHJIdjNmSmNTTGVTSE5wYW90dnVvTWh1bFZuTHQvdmlldz91c3A9c2hhcmluZ1cHc2Nob29sbUIKYupgBAljea8_s1IVc3ZodGF5bG9yQGNvbWNhc3QubmV0WAQAAAAB>. If an individual has developed symptoms, per the checklist, they should stay home and contact the school nurse. Families and staff are asked to notify the school nurse of any positive COVID-19 test results. This allows us to track cases to understand if any actions are needed to inform others and to put mitigation steps in place. In addition, it allows the tracking of individuals who should not be tested for 90 days after testing positive for COVID-19. Isolation and Quarantine Continuing our practice from the end of the school year, there are no quarantine requirements for close contacts. When there is exposure in the household, we encourage family members to test serially with rapid antigen tests that nurses can provide at no cost upon request. Following CDC and DESE/DPH guidance, if a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, they must isolate for 5 days. After 5 days, if they have been fever-free without the aid of fever-reducing medications like Tylenol or ibuprofen and other symptoms have begun to resolve, they may return to school provided they wear a mask for days 6-10. Reporting and Exposure Notifications We will continue to update our district COVID-19 dashboard <http://track.spe.schoolmessenger.com/f/a/thinuO5HtEzv0RV1RioAzA~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRk6jfgP0Q_aHR0cHM6Ly9zaXRlcy5nb29nbGUuY29tL2xpbmNuZXQub3JnL2xwc3Jlb3BlbmluZ3BsYW4vZGFzaGJvYXJkVwdzY2hvb2xtQgpi6mAECWN5rz-zUhVzdmh0YXlsb3JAY29tY2FzdC5uZXRYBAAAAAE~> with case counts, and schools will continue to send notifications of classroom exposure to ensure we are providing families with the information they need to make informed decisions. We will no longer send district or campus-wide weekly reports via email. Visitors and Meetings All COVID-19 restrictions on visitors to the building have been lifted. If feasible, remote and online meetings may be offered to families who are not able to visit the school in person. Extracurricular Activities and Athletics There is no longer a testing requirement for participation in extracurricular activities and athletics. Field trips may take place with Superintendent approval. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>. Thank you, Becky McFall, Superintendent Susan Hands Taylor [email protected] 781-259-9569
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