Snow Day Protocol: Yes, it is time to talk about snow days. The weather has gotten cold and we have had hints of snow over the past few days. Here is our protocol: On bad weather days, we are not able to send our buses out if conditions to drive are unsafe. That decision is usually made between 5 and 6 AM after consulting with town crews and NOAA and our transportation coordinator. When possible, we decide the day before but we have to feel pretty certain the forecast will be accurate. Once the decision is made, a robocall goes out and we post on the TV and radio stations and social media. This year, snow days will be snow days and not remote learning days.
Social Emotional Learning Resource for Parents Access: As part of Vermont’s COVID-19 education recovery efforts, the Agency of Education (AOE) is providing educators and parents with SEL VT, a virtual platform of free materials for understanding key elements of healthy social emotional learning (SEL). Strengthening students’ SEL skills and well-being are an important focus of Vermont’s statewide recovery plan. SEL VT contains a series of professionally developed modules to help educators easily incorporate materials into their own lesson planning. In addition, classroom teachers can provide a link to their students so they can directly access materials for lessons. This platform also provides parents and caregivers with free access to the materials so they can help with continued learning at home. Please visit the SEL VT Platform to register and access the tools and content: https://sel.education.vermont.gov/
Update on Test to Stay: As we continue to need to quarantine classrooms for a positive case, we are also working on getting the system up for a Test To Stay program. Once we are approved and receive kits, students who are identified as an unvaccinated close contact may choose to come to school and take a rapid antigen test at school each day for 7 days and remain in school as long as the test is not positive. This would minimize the time out of school for quarantines. We anticipate being able to do this when quarantine numbers are 20 or less; much larger outbreaks may take more staffing than we have available. Stay tuned, we will let you know when this program may begin as we wait to hear from the state.
Optional Testing Available for Students Ages 5 and Up at Schools: Students may participate in optional PCR testing available at schools, every other Wed with the next date being Nov. 10. The testing is optional and not required. To participate, an initial consent form must be on file from a parent. Testing will be done in school using a nasal swab and test results will be sent to parents by email from the lab. Please click to give consent: https://www.cic-health.com/vermont
WHAT TO EXPECT:
➤ You will get a verification email from Binx, the lab that processes the tests, after signing up.
➤ The Binx email will tell you how to set up an account to get your results. Results should be in your account early Friday morning.
➤ Here is a video that explains the process of testing. COVID-19 testing in Vermont: How take your own sample - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aVTu2rja5k
VACCINATION UPDATES & CLINICS: Children ages 5-11 are now eligible for a vaccine. The VT Department of Health web page is full of resources for parents about the vaccine. Local pediatricians are also ready to answer questions and help parents with their decisions and can even give the shots. VDH has chosen two of our schools to hold vaccination clinics, thus far:
➤ Leicester (OCA): Thursday, Nov. 18 (1st dose with the second dose scheduled for Dec 9)
➤ Neshobe: Tuesday, Dec. 14 (with the second dose scheduled for Jan. 4)
TO REGISTER: Although we were first told these clinics would be closed just for our families, the state has opened registration to the public and slots are limited. Please use the state registration website VDH COVID-19 portal (linked below👇) to register or call the Dept of Health 855-722-7878, Mon - Fri 8 AM - 4:30 PM, Sat and Sun 10 AM - 3 PM to register, give consent, or if you have problems with registration. We cannot register students ourselves as parents must give consent.
https://vermont.force.com/events/s/selfregistration
RNESU Parent Update Nov 5 just posted in News and sent by email. Learn about snow days and sign up to participate in an equity focus group!
Vaccination clinics coming to #RNESU schools of Leicester and Neshobe. See news feed for more information www.rnesu.org
Upcoming School Board Meetings: In August, Board meetings returned to in-person meetings with a zoom option for those who wish to attend virtually. Meeting information can be found on the district calendar!
OVUU Board meets Nov. 3, 6 pm @ OVUHS Library
BUU Board meets Nov. 15, 18, 6 pm
RNESU Board meets Nov. 17, 5 pm @ Neshobe School
Flu Shot Reminder: It is that time of year again- please consider getting a flu shot for your child. COVID and flu together do not mix well and may be hard to tell apart for the schools as well. Thanks for helping to keep us all well!
OV Quarter 1 Ends November 3rd! OV parents should check their child’s portal for progress grades as the quarter comes to a close. If you are not sure how to check it, please contact the school.
Oct 28, 2021
If you gave consent for your child to be part of surveillance testing and participated yesterday in school, you should receive an email from Binx lab to set up an account to get your results. Results are usually in early morning on Fridays. Please check your results before sending your child to school on Friday.
If you have not given consent but still wish to for future Wednesday please go to this web page to give consent or ask your school for a consent form.
CIC Health COVID-19 Testing for Schools Consent webpage
Oct 28, 2021
Dear Parents,
If you gave consent for your child to be part of surveillance testing and participated yesterday in school, you should receive an email from Binx lab to set up an account to get your results. Results are usually in early morning on Fridays. Please check your results before sending your child to school on Friday.
If you have not given consent but still wish to for future Wednesday please go to thie web page in the parent letter to give consent or ask your school for a consent form.
Interested in having your child tested at school for COVID regularly? See News for full information on how to give consent for this.
Staffing and Bus Transportation Issues: We continue to have significant issues with finding substitute teachers and bus drivers. Like our colleagues around us, we are not fully staffed and we are not getting applicants. The result is that buses are being asked to do double runs, making some kids late and others very early. This schedule changes on a daily basis in response to what staffing we do have. This is very disruptive to families and we deeply regret this. If you know of anyone interested in being a bus driver or a substitute teacher, please have them contact our HR department. We are in dire need!
GUIDANCE: WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME: Per VT Dept of Health guidelines, students and staff with symptoms of COVID should be excluded from school. If your child has any of the following symptoms, they need to stay home until their symptoms have been improved for at least 24 hours without the use of Tylenol or Ibuprofen. If your child has one or more symptoms for more than 24 hours, please consult their healthcare provider for guidance and testing. If your child is tested for COVID, they should stay home until negative test results are received. Written test results will be required before returning to school.
➤ Fever
➤ Cough
➤ Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
➤ Fatigue (Very Tired)
➤ Muscle aches
➤ Headache
➤ New loss of taste or smell
➤ Sore throat
➤ Runny nose
➤ Nausea or Vomiting
➤ Diarrhea
COVID, Quarantine and Distance Learning: When we have a positive case, we immediately identify and notify close contacts using the VT Dept of Health guidelines. We then send general notification to the school. Unfortunately, we have had to close a few classrooms over the past week and a half and ultimately, closed Neshobe for two days. If an entire class is out on quarantine, we will provide distance learning. We will re-open the class when more than half of the students are cleared to return with a negative test. However, once a teacher has students in person once again, we will stop the distance learning.
VACCINATION INFORMATION REQUESTED: In order to know if we can relax masking requirements, we need to know who is vaccinated in our student body. Knowing this information also makes it much quicker to contact trace when a positive case exists, as vaccinated students do not need to quarantine. Please send a copy of your child’s vaccination card to your school nurse to help us reach the 80% student body indicator.
MASK REQUIREMENTS EXTENDED TO NOVEMBER 1: The governor extended his mask recommendation to Nov 1, still with the caveat that a school with 80% or more of the eligible student body vaccinated - may relax the guidelines.
STAFFING AND BUS DISRUPTIONS: We continue to have significant issues with finding substitute teachers and bus drivers. Like our colleagues around us, we are not fully staffed and we are not getting applicants. The result is that buses are being asked to do double runs, making some kids late and others very early. This schedule changes on a daily basis in response to what staffing we do have. This is very disruptive to families and we deeply regret this. If you know of anyone interested in being a bus driver or a substitute teacher, please have them contact our HR department. We are in dire need!
REMINDER - NO SCHOOL TOMORROW OCTOBER 8th: Our calendar has an October break weekend starting tomorrow, Friday, October 8th. Students have no school on October 8th and return to class on Monday, October 11th.
Neshobe Elementary School will be virtual on Wednesday, October 6th and Thursday, October 7th. Please visit here (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fsQ0xp9GWw7mT-uRhmYkdMxyBZW6-zZm8DH9zMYgGko/edit) for further information.