Welcome Back!
Dear Weston Schools Community,
Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year! I hope your family enjoyed the summer break. While things are not yet back to normal this fall, it has still been wonderful to see some of our students touring their schools, meeting their teachers, and excited to be back in school and learning altogether.
Our core goal this year is to keep our students learning safely in school for 180 days. Per State (DESE) officials and the Weston Board of Health, to achieve that core goal, we will start this year similar to how we ended the spring: with mandatory indoor face masking while in school buildings, and with three (3) feet of social distancing in place in all our schools.
- Masking rules apply to all regardless of one’s vaccination status. Concerns regarding a given student’s ability to wear a mask in school will be addressed on an individual basis.
- Masks and distancing will not be required outdoors. Schools will make regular use of our outstanding outdoor facilities, including daily lunches outside when weather permits.
- Equally important to indoor masking is keeping students home when they are sick or symptomatic. Find additional details of district COVID-19 policies and protocols here.
We are asking all parents to check their students for symptoms each morning, and keep them at home if they have any symptoms. These absences will help students rest and recover from their symptoms, but are also an essential part of our proactive efforts to prevent any school closures. Please check your students for symptoms every morning and keep them home if they have any symptoms. Consider contacting your school nurse to discuss any symptoms or other questions.
Likewise, if your student is identified as a close contact by the Board of Health, please be prepared to keep your student home for quarantining. Students out due to quarantine may be allowed to access school remotely, but otherwise remote learning will not be an option this year. More details about COVID testing will be shared with parents/families soon in a follow up email.
I understand some community members would prefer not to wear masks in school, and I greatly appreciate each and every student and family doing their part to keep each other safe in school.
Our schools will continue to review these policies throughout the year, with the current indoor mask rules scheduled to be reconsidered by DESE, and by the Weston Board of Health, this October.
As we continue forward together, I ask that each of us re-commit to taking care of ourselves, of others, and of our community as a whole. Thanks to each of you and your families for doing your part to keep our students learning safe and healthy in school now and throughout the year.
Best,
Dr. Midge Connolly
Superintendent of Schools
