Update from Superintendent Beck

Monday, January 18, 2021

Dear Gill-Montague Families,  

Please see the following information below, regarding the tentative dates return of students to school, guiding COVID metrics, updated hybrid learning plans for each school: 

Phase I Priority Populations to Return Monday January 25th 

The Town of Montague is no longer identified as a “high-risk” community. Over the last 14 days, Montague has had 25 positive cases and has a test positivity rate of 3.42%. We will have students from the first Phase 1 Priority Populations return on Monday January 25th. Special Education Liaisons, Principals or the Director of Pupil Services will be contacting these families individually to provide more specific information, at the start of this week.  

The return of additional students is proposed below and is dependent on the careful monitoring of local data about regional transmission of COVID-19.  

COVID Metrics and Positive Test Results that Guide Returning Students to Campus or Going Remote 
In making decisions about returning students to hybrid or other on-campus learning models, the district considers information provided weekly by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in the Mass DPH Weekly Public Health Report. The most recent report from January 14th is in the link below: 

https://www.mass.gov/doc/weekly-covid-19-public-health-report-january-14-2021/download 

The key information the district takes into consideration in increasing the number of students returning to on-campus learning or to consider returning to remote learning, is found in this report. When of our attending towns (Gill, Montague or Erving) are designated as RED or “higher-risk” on the color coding system that identifies cases of COVID-19 and the percentage of positive COVID tests, the district consults with the local Boards of Health to seek advice on the potential to return to remote learning. We also monitor the status of surrounding communities in our region. In addition, if there are more than 30 COVID cases in the last 14 days or if the percentage of positive COVID tests is above 5%, the district also consults with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Massachusetts Department of Public Health, to consider returning to remote instruction. As long as these data and risk status remain within those ranges, the district will continue to bring increasing number of students back to on-campus learning. 

When a case of COVID-19 is confirmed in school districts, there are specific protocols that schools follow, including engaging in public health reporting and investigation. When informed, the district staff, administration and health professionals follow the procedures below: 

  • The families of all student close contacts with people diagnosed with COVID-19 are notified by school nurses and instructed of testing and quarantine procedures. 
  • Staff who are in close contact are also been notified and instructed about testing and quarantine procedures. 
  • Facilities personnel are informed about potential physical spaces, that might have surface COVID-19 exposure. They engage the COVID Exposure Response (CERT) Team protocols to clean and disinfect spaces occupied by potentially infected individuals. 
  • Local and regional Board of Health personnel are informed of the confirmed case in the Gill-Montague School District. 
  • The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Rapid Response Unit is contacted by district administration. 
  • Based on the advice of the DESE Rapid Response Unit, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health is contacted by district health leadership for consultation. 
  • The Massachusetts Department of Public Health provides immediate consult between district health leadership and an epidemiologist. That epidemiologist will advise the district on the safest course of action and may or may not require a return to remote learning. 
     

Updated School Plans for Hybrid Learning Models 
Over the first months of largely remote learning, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education have issued a number of updates to advisories regarding a variety of safety and mitigation protocols. In addition, district staff and administration have collaborated with teachers, parents, public health officials, and district health care personnel, to make some modifications to the initial hybrid plans shared in August. Having the opportunity to learn from other districts and make adjustments to a variety of on-campus expectations, has allowed the administration to update school plans, with the primary objective of substantially reducing the possibility of COVID transmission at school. 

GILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL -https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wNDPK7Jil6bGF4gqDvNn3RSKTvQNI4wOl1nXFmD7E2A/edit?usp=sharing 

HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ydd4rPtbxxwSjfBq-0ZV5BgArB9JhxlstECFAEyxNfg/edit?usp=sharing 

SHEFFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL -https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M4IM0HPur6q7V7bdRLL7eZPaMfjOYKIc9--UXmXiSY4/edit?usp=sharing 
 

TFHS/GFMS -https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dj5IWY70mmd0BqcY1Mp5BRFEUQsmWSZ50SWjwlZ8jOI/edit?usp=sharing 

Proposed Next Phase of Students Returning to Hybrid Model 

If case counts, percentage of positive tests and municipal risk status continue to remain within the thresholds that guide district decisions around the return of larger numbers of students to on-campus learning, we are proposing that all students in grades PK-12 be able to return to hybrid learning in cohorts on Thursday February 4th. Building principals are currently surveying families regarding whether students will attend school in hybrid cohorts or continue with remote learning.  

More information about student and parent training on COVID protocols, such as hygiene, social distancing, self-monitoring for symptoms, and student movement throughout the school day, will be shared by next week. In this proposed model, all schools are preparing meetings for students with school nurses on February 1st and 2nd, so that all students are familiar with these important protocols, prior to returning to campus. Training videos created by the school nurses, will also be made available on the district website , so that families can review with students prior to meetings with nurses. 

Please continue to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Regional information about testing is available below: 
Access to testing in the region has recently increased. This includes sites in Greenfield and UMass Amherst. Please use the following links to get information about how and where to get tested for COVID-19:  

https://www.umass.edu/coronavirus/communitycovidtest 

https://www.cic-health.com/stopthespread 

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/stop-the-spread 

Sincerely, 

Brian Beck 
Superintendent of Schools 
Gill-Montague Regional School District
brian.beck@gmrsd.org
413.863.9324