Harrington Happenings
February 6, 2022
Happy Sunday Harrington Families
I hope you are all doing well on this bonus long weekend. Seems we will have to endure another 6 weeks of this roller coaster Winter now that Punxsutawney Phil has seen his dreaded shadow! As a school we continue to move forward into our year with our "100" day quickly coming around the corner this week! It is hard to believe we've reached this point in the year already. The year always fly's by during the second half of it, so hold on tight! I would like to personally thank those families that have generously offered to donate Valentines Cards to some of our disadvantaged students. Your kindness does not go unnoticed during these challenging times. I will be reaching out to you this week.
Good news on the Harrington Nurse's front. We have hired Shevaun Assini as our new school nurse. Shevaun has extensive nursing experience and will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to Harrington. Shevaun starts tomorrow, Monday, February 7. We are excited to have her on board and I ask that you take the time to introduce yourselves to her in the next coming weeks and welcome her to our community.
COVID ANTI-GEN HOME TEST KITS
This Monday, will be our first distribution of COVID-19 Antigen Test kits. Please carefully review the information below for how distribution will go for the first week. I will be sending home a connect ed phone call tomorrow afternoon to remind those families that have signed up to please check their student's backpacks once they arrive home so that the kits can be properly placed.
Please be prepared to follow these steps:
- This kit has (2) tests in it that can be used over the two week period.
- Please be strategic when you use the kits. For example, if you are signed up to pool test on Tuesday, doing the test later in the week may make the most sense for you.
- If you did not sign up for this distribution, you will have the opportunity to sign up for the next distribution which will take place on Friday, February 18th. We will not be able to accommodate adding more individuals on this distribution. You can use this link to sign up for the next distribution from Dr. Lang.
- Please put the test kit in a safe place once you receive it. We will NOT be able to give you another kit until the next distribution.
As we all know, this is a new process for all of us. We will continue to work together for everyone.
Please look for additional updates and information through the Harrington Happenings and through the Superintendent’s updates in the weeks and months ahead. Also:
- Beginning tomorrow, Monday, February 7, contact tracing will no longer occur and we will focus our response to symptomatic cases of COVID-19. Nurse Shevaun will begin working with families and teachers to communicate information on any quarantining/isolating requirements.
- The Test and Stay program will be discontinued effective Monday.
- We will no longer be sending home letters to families to alert them of positive cases.
- Staff and families can access the COVID-19 Dashboard to view positive cases in the building via the Superintendent’s update and CPS website. This will also include the pool testing dashboard.
- Pool testing will continue on Tuesdays. Any positive pools that come back, we will reflex test those individuals in the pool (when results are received) to find the positive individual. That individual will follow the quarantine/isolation process. As a reminder, you can sign up for pool testing using this link at any time.
Please continue to stay vigilant in monitoring any and all symptoms of any sickness. We ask that you adhere to best practices for COVID precautions to be a responsible HES school community member. Please make sure that you follow all protocols upon your return and evaluate any illness or symptoms that your child might display and keep them home. We want to continue to provide a safe and full day, in-school learning experience to all students. In order for us to successfully manage the learning environment, we need to make sure that all of our staff and students in attendance are healthy and free from exposure to illnesses. Please remember to share your child's vaccine status with myself or Karen and we will get that information to the nurse's office.
As always your support at home is recognized, valued, and appreciated by not only us, but by your child(ren).
- Remind your child every day to be kind. We are all capable of being kind regardless of our individual differences. Promoting a kind environment is important throughout a child’s day both at school and at home.
- Communicate the importance of education to your children. Each child should find time to read at home every day for enjoyment. Engage in dialogue about your child’s school day by asking open-ended questions.
- Encourage play and physical activity. Limit television during the school week and keep your children away from electronics and social media for entertainment purposes.
- Focus your encouragement on the process of hard work and effort, rather than the end result. We want students to learn to work hard and try their best always.
- Establish good routines at home that involve a consistent bedtime. A well-rested child is a happier, more successful child.
- We are a team and partners in your child’s success here at school. Communicate with us often.
Once again, remember to…"Push through your day, Smile, Be Happy, Stay Positive!"
Be safe! Stay well!
Rob & Karen
Let's Stay Connected!
COVID - PARENT FAQ: At-Home Rapid Testing
1. Can I sign up for Pool Testing and /or At-Home Rapid Testing if my child has tested positive for Covid?
Pool testing and/or COVID testing is not recommended within 90 days of testing positive for the COVID-19 virus. Your child can participate in Pool Testing/At-Home Rapid Testing after 90 days from the positive Covid-19 test. It is extremely rare to be re- infected with the virus within 90 days of testing positive. Should symptoms develop within the 90-day period, please consult your healthcare provider for testing recommendations.
2. If my child does not participate in Pool Testing, can they still sign up for the At-Home Rapid Testing Program?
Yes. It is strongly recommended that all students participate in Pool Testing, however it is not required. Students not participating in Pool Testing may opt in for the At-Home Rapid Testing Program.
3. If I do NOT sign up my child for home tests, will they fall under different protocols regarding quarantine/mask wearing?
No. The same protocols for illness pertain to your child if symptomatic whether or not an individual is participating in the At-Home Rapid Testing Program. If an individual has Covid symptoms, testing for COVID-19 is strongly recommended.
4. If my child is a close contact from a school exposure, can they participate in ‘Test and Stay’ or do they need to quarantine at home?
As of 2/7/22, the school will be discontinuing contact tracing and the Test and Stay Program. If there is a potential school exposure to a positive case in the classroom, your child can continue to come to school if they are feeling well and are not symptomatic.
5. Do I need to pick up test kits every 2 weeks or can I skip weeks?
The At-Home Rapid Testing kits will be distributed at school and sent home every 2 weeks. One (1) test is to be taken weekly. The testing program is intended to be utilized
as a mitigation strategy and is a form of surveillance testing. By opting into this program, you are agreeing to administer the test according to the guidelines, which is weekly. If you do not intend to test weekly, please let the school know that you will not be participating in the At-Home Rapid Testing program.
6. My child is unvaccinated and is an “outside of school” close contact. Does my child have to quarantine at home for 5 days?
Yes. Unvaccinated close contacts must follow the response protocol for a positive exposure in the home or at an outside of school event. An unvaccinated close contact to a positive case in the home or in the community setting, must quarantine at home for 5 days. They may return on Day 6 if symptom free. Testing is strongly recommended on Day 5 but is not required. Strict mask wearing is required on days 6-10, except when eating, drinking or outside.
A vaccinated close contact to a positive case in the home or in the community, must monitor for symptoms for the full 10 days and it is recommended to test on Day 5, but not required.
7. If my child is not participating in the weekly pool testing but has signed up for the At- Home Rapid Testing Program, what day should they test?
The recommended testing day would be testing at home every Sunday.
- Will the classroom be notified of a positive home test result?
- Do parents need to report the results of the At-Home Rapid test?
10. Can my child test earlier in the week if they have symptoms?
No, the classroom will no longer be notified of a positive individual in the classroom. The district will publish the positive cases on the weekly COVID-19 Dashboard which includes the number of positive students and staff at each school. The district will also publish the weekly dashboard Pool Testing results.
Yes- a positive At-Home Rapid test needs to be reported to the school nurse. However, a negative result (hooray!) does not need to be reported.
The At-Home Test is primarily intended as a screening tool and is not meant for symptomatic testing. It is advised to call your healthcare provider for testing recommendations. However, if the test is used, a replacement test cannot be provided later in the week.
Winter Weather
Please ensure that your student(s) are coming to school with the appropriate clothing. Now that we have had a substantial snow fall, the proper snow gear should be brought to school. If you have extra sets of mittens, hats, and snow pants your student(s) will be able to leave them at school in their cubbies so they will not have to bring them back and forth to school. As long as we reach a specific threshold in regards to temperature, the plan will always be to go outside as much as possible for mask breaks and recess.
HPTO
Please join us for the UMASS Lowell vs. New Hampshire hockey game at the Tsongas Arena on Saturday March 5, 6:05pm. Proceeds of this fundraiser will benefit the Harrington 4th grade class of 2022 to help fund their end of year activities and class gift to the school. All tickets will be delivered via mobile device. Masks must be worn for entrance and throughout the arena when not actively eating or drinking.
Please contact Larisa Ducharme at ris818@hotmail.com with any questions!
You can purchase tickets for $7 plus taxes and fees at : https://offer.fevo.com/umass-lowell-mih-vs-new-hampshire-v2uct1-1c41a67?fevoUri=umass-lowell-mih-vs-new-hampshire-v2uct1-1c41a67%2F
Our next PTO meeting will be on Wednesday April 6 at 6:30pm. Please note that the March PTO meeting is cancelled due to the second Table Talk Math book group.
C. D. Harrington Elementary School
Email: asselinr@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: https://harrington.chelmsfordschools.org/
Location: 120 Richardson Road, North Chelmsford, MA, USA
Phone: 978-251-5166
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harringtonelementarychelmsford/