April 2, 2021
Dear Bourne Families,
The past two weeks at Bournedale Elementary School have been very successful and it was a joy to visit the school and speak with students and staff about the return. There are many updates to report today as we move closer to a full reopening. Please see below and reach out to your building principals with any questions or thoughts:
Date of Return:
- We are very happy to report that we are on target to hold in-person learning for all K-5 students Monday through Friday starting Monday, April 5th.
- Unfortunately, we must delay the full return for middle school and high school until Monday, April 26th. While we had hoped that the earlier date was attainable, for many reasons, the 26th us a better date for this last pivot.
Reopening Plan Information:
The BPS Reopening Plan that is located on the website, has new or modified information highlighted in yellow and we ask that you review it when you have a moment. Some general information is below.
- Remote instruction is reserved for students whose families have elected that model through the spring reopening survey or those who are impacted by COVID related absences, Any request to change learning model is at the discretion of the principal and based on case by case consideration.
- Moving forward, in classroom settings, a minimum of three (3) feet will be required between desks, following the DESE guidance of seat edge to seat edge. BPS will maintain six-foot distancing during lunches and as much as possible between students in our learning spaces. In BES this will to be 6 feet and most other classrooms space will be approximately 4 feet of distance.
- In an effort to further increase airflow, air purifiers are being installed in all classrooms and office spaces. It is recommended that all classrooms have open windows while class is in session in order to increase air flow. Additionally, CO2 monitoring will occur n each building weekly, following an established schedule.
- At the elementary level (BES & BIS) the quarantine of an entire class may occur if it s determined that a positive individual has attended school during the infectious period. Remote synchronous instruction will occur during that time. Quarantine will continue to follow the CDC guidelines at all levels and we will be conservative in the identification of close contacts.
- Bourne Public Schools will follow the Massachusetts Travel Advisory. As stated in the travel advisory, travelers must quarantine upon returning to Massachusetts and before returning to school, unless one of the following occurs:
- Received a negative test administered not more than 72 hours prior to arrival in Massachusetts
- Returned to Massachusetts after fewer than 24 hours
- Travelers are fully vaccinated
*It is extremely important that we do not let our guard down regarding travel and socialization. As always, please report your travel plans to your building principal and use our symptom screening app daily.
Other important news:
- Starting on Monday, April 5th, the Grab and Go Meal program will only be available at Bourne Intermediate Schools between the hours of 11-1 pm.
- As part of the return to in-person learning we are asking parents to long into their students PowerSchool account and complete and updated medication consent form, which includes the use of hand sanitizer. To access the form:
- Log into your students PowerSchool account at https://bourneps.powerschool.com/guardians (contact your students school if you do not know your username and password)
- Click on the Forms icon located on the left navigation bar
- From the general page, select the Permission to Administer Protocol Medications and complete. Make sure to hit submit.
- MA DESE continues to issue guidance and updates. the latest include information on MCAS and about events such as graduation. Administrators will continue to communicate with families about how these guidelines impact our planning to ensure that this is a smooth transition and provide any necessary support.
SAVE THE DATE:
- Our next School Committee Meeting is scheduled for April 7 with an Executive Session at 6:00 pm and General Session at 6:30 pm. All are welcome via Zoom. See the website and BOS calendar for more details.
- Bourne High School's award winning Drama Club presents Charlotte's Web on April 9th and 10th. Click here for the flyer to learn more about this innovative production of a childhood classic!
In closing, I hope that all in our community who are celebrating spring holidays such as Passover or Easter will find themselves again experiencing the warmth of time spent with family. Thank you in advance for celebrating responsibly so that our community and schools can keep up our great track record of low case numbers.
Happy Spring,
Kerri Anne Quinlan-Zhou, Ed.D., Superintendent