Preschool News
September 17, 2021
Message from Mrs. Kilday
Wow! What a wonderful first week of school that was for our preschoolers! We are so happy to have our friends back. It was a week of getting to know each other, learning routines and building relationships. The relationship piece is so much fun. I love visiting in classrooms and spending time with them. The routine part...we'll get there. Our lines to the playground look more like clusters right now, but that's okay. It's a process. I just want you to know how grateful we are that your children are part of our school. I know it's going to be a wonderful year.
Have a nice evening.
I will see you all tomorrow.
Donna
COVID Testing Options
CANTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
HEALTH SERVICES FAMILY MESSAGE
Dear Canton Families and Staff,
We have had a great start to the 2021-2022 school year. We are so happy to see our students back in the classroom, and they are very happy to be there too! Canton Public Schools is dedicated to keeping our learning community healthy and safe. Our top priority is for our students to remain engaged in in-person learning. Towards this end, testing for COVID-19 will be one of our greatest tools to keep students in school.
We have learned a great deal over this past year and a half, and our District’s current guidance and procedures reflect the most up-to-date recommendations from the Centers of Disease Control, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Massachusetts Department of Public Health, as well as our Canton Board of Health and other local health officials. These recommendations include using testing for COVID-19 as a critical way to reduce quarantining and decrease the spread of the virus.
This year, Canton Public Schools will be offering extra layers of protection that look different from our previous Pooled Testing program. Beginning mid-September, Routine COVID-19 Safety Checks, formerly known as Pooled Testing, will help quickly identify infected individuals. This testing will be more important than ever to prevent the spread of the virus undetected among asymptomatic students and staff. Individuals infected with COVID-19 but not exhibiting symptoms can unknowingly spread the virus.
We hope that with high levels of participation in this surveillance testing program we will be able to significantly reduce quarantining and increase in-school learning. But we can’t do it without you! To be successful, families, students and staff must be part of the process.
It is important to us that you are fully informed of the testing methods that will be implemented. Each of the the three components of our COVID-19 Testing Program, which includes Routine COVID Safety Checks, are described below:
Symptomatic Testing
Used for students who start to show symptoms of COVID-19 while at school. (If symptomatic BEFORE school, the student should stay home and the nurse should be called.)
Symptoms of the virus can look identical to other illnesses like allergies, cold or flu, and this test determines if a symptomatic student has COVID-19.
This is a rapid test (Abbott BinaxNow), and we receive the results of this test within 15 minutes.
If a student has minimal symptoms (excluding fever or vomiting) and tests are negative, they may remain in school instead of being sent home.
Routine COVID-19 Safety Checks (formerly known as Pooled Testing)-
This will be performed on a weekly basis starting in mid-September.
Students and staff can continue to come to school while awaiting test results which come back in 24 hours.
If a safety check test is positive, the students in the group will be retested by the nurse to determine which student(s) or staff members in the group produced the positive test.
From there, COVID-19 protocols will be followed. Parents and guardians will only be notified if their child has tested positive.
Being part of a positive pool does not mean your child will need to quarantine or miss school.
The positive student will need to be quarantined, but all others will be part of the Test and Stay Program if one is deemed a close contact.
Test and Stay*
Used for students and staff who may have been exposed to a positive person inside or outside of school.
If they are not showing symptoms, instead of having to quarantine and miss school, these students and staff will be tested daily with a rapid test while they remain in school as long as they are NOT symptomatic.
Students and staff participate in Test and Stay for 7 days after they have been exposed to a positive individual.
*Please note: Test and Stay is not available for unvaccinated close contacts exposed to a positive individual living in the same household. The close contact unvaccinated individual will be required to follow the traditional protocol of quarantining for 7 days, testing by a PCR or Antigen test on day 5. If the individual remains asymptomatic and tests negative, they may come out of quarantine on day 8 and return to school. This protocol is supported by local safety officials because the rate of transmission in a household is extremely high.
If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, they must quarantine at home for the CDC-recommended 10 days after the start of symptoms or 10 days from testing positive before returning to school. They will need to be cleared by the nurse before returning to school.
Although students who are vaccinated are much less likely to spread or contract the virus, it is important for CPS to create an inclusive environment for both vaccinated and unvaccinated students through adding extra layers of protection. The CDC reports that fully vaccinated people who do become infected with the Delta variant can spread the virus to others. Therefore, we greatly encourage all students and staff to participate in this program regardless of vaccination status.
Test and Stay and Symptomatic Testing will be conducted by our nurses who have been fully trained and educated on the process. Testing will be done in the School Health Office. Routine COVID Safety Checks will be performed by trained medical staff. To learn more please click here.
Consent Forms
We strongly urge families to sign the consent forms as soon as possible. Working together, we can make a substantial impact on the health of our whole community.
To participate in the program, BOTH of these forms must be signed on behalf of your student.
Testing options form HERE
Please note:
No student or staff member will be tested without consent.
This state-sponsored testing is through CIC Health and there is no charge for participating.
Even if you filled out a consent for the 2020-2021 Pooled Testing Program, a NEW CONSENT FORM MUST BE FILLED OUT for the 2021-2022 school year. .
It is our sincere hope that these measures will work to keep our schools safe and your child in school learning. We are grateful for your support during these still challenging times. Please reach out to us if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Lauren Pushard, RN
District Nurse Leader
Canton Public Schools
Preschool Handbook
Please find a link to the Preschool Handbook below. Please take a moment to read through it and then complete the sign off sheet in the link below. Please make sure you complete the sign off page. This gives us permission to post pictures of your child and I would love to start putting some pictures in our newsletter!
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.
*Approved 2021-2022 Rodman Early Childhood Program Student/Family Handbook with Appendix
CAPT News
WELCOME to Rodman Early Childhood Program!
We are excited to have you here!
Rodman’s parents, guardians and teachers formed a
Parent Teacher Organization to help support the
school’s mission of inclusion and community.
We would love for you to be part of it and need parent
participation to make the year a success!
Rodman CAPT supports and sponsors fun, family
friendly activities throughout the year.
Our first meeting will be on October 6th at 7:00 p.m. If you are interested in attending please email Mrs. Kilday and she will forward you the zoom link.
Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, we will be having meetings via ZOOM.
Interested in learning more? Please complete the google form
to opt into emails and we’ll be sure to reach out to you regarding future events and meetings.
https://forms.gle/UgYe5ZUxgX2p3E4N7
Ideas? Comments? Suggestions? Reach out to
Join us on Facebook: fb.me/RodmanCAPT or @rodmanCAPT
Find us on Instagram: @rodman.prek.capt
Reminders
Scholastic Book Orders are due September 29th.
If your child will be absent please email or call Mrs. Crespi at crespis@cantonma.org or 781-821-5060 x1503.
Rodman Early Childhood Program
Email: kildayd@cantonma.org
Website: www.cantonma.org
Location: 960 Washington Street, Canton, MA, USA
Phone: 781-821-5060
Twitter: @CPS_ECC