CANCELLED- All DPH Sponsored Events
**Important Update: March 10, 2020**
The School Health Unit cancels in person conferences for the next 30 days
Governor Baker declares a State of Emergency in Massachusetts due to COVID-19
Governor Baker declares a State of Emergency in Massachusetts due to COVID-19.
In a press conference today, Governor Baker stated all conferences, seminars and other gatherings hosted by [MA] executive branch agencies involving external parties will be held virtually or canceled.
Following Baker's guide, there will be no DPH School Health Unit in-person meetings for the next 30 days
This means NO meetings/conferences/classes on:
March 11, 2020 Foundations of School Nurse Practice - Day 2 - at DoubleTree, Westborough MA
March 17, 2020 SCHENA at DoubleTree, Westborough MA
March 24, 2020 SBIRT at John Carver Inn, Plymouth MA
March 26, 2020 School Health Screening Training at DoubleTree, Westborough MA
As well as NO Regional Meetings:
March 27, 2020 Central at Assabet Valley Collaborative, Marlboro, MA
March 30, 2020 Southeast at Conant Community Health Center, Bridgewater, MA
April 1, 2020 West at Shriners Hospital for Children, Springfield, MA
April 3, 2020 Northeast at Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill, MA
April 8, 2020 Boston/MetroWest at Assabet Valley Collaborative, Marlboro, MA
April 9, 2020 Medication Administration in Schools: What School Nurse Managers Need to Know
* Presently, the School Nurse Leader Meeting scheduled for April 13, 2020 is set to go on but that, too, may change.
K-12 Schools
Regarding K-12 schools, the Department of Secondary and Elementary Education (DESE) is providing local schools with relief from attendance and school year requirements so that schools have the flexibility to make decisions on temporary closures due to Coronavirus concerns.
More specifically:
- The longest that any school district will be required to go is its scheduled 185th day. No schools will be required to be in session after June 30th.
- For accountability purposes for school year 2019-20, DESE will calculate chronic absenteeism as of Monday, March 2, 2020 and disregard all attendance data for the remainder of the school year.
- DESE Commissioner Jeff Riley is strongly urging all districts to cancel all out-of-state travel at this time. This is in addition to the Administration’s existing request for schools to cancel international trips.
- The Department of Public Health will be issuing updated guidance to Superintendents on how to address cases that arise at a school, including potential school closures.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION
*Please Note
Please be aware this newsletter is the primary communication method to receive important information and updates from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health School Health Unit.
Please contact Jill at jill.connolly@braintreeschools.org directly if you no longer want to receive these communications.
Thank you,
Jill
Jill Connolly, MEd, BSN, RN, NCSN
MetroWest Regional School Nurse Consultant
Braintree Public Schools
128 Town Street
Braintree, MA
(781) 848-4000, ext. 7841
Fax (781) 843-7058
jill.connolly@braintreeschools.org
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