IMPORTANT NEWS FROM OUR DISTRICT: Hello J.G. Whittier Families, please see below a letter from our Superintendent sent to all families yesterday in regard to the educational plan for all students starting on 11/30 through 12/11. I have attached an image of the calendar just below the letter.
November 24, 2020
Dear Families and Staff,
I am writing to inform you that last night the Haverhill School Committee voted in favor of a brief pause in our learning model following the Thanksgiving holiday. The Hybrid Learning Model will continue for the remainder of this week. The Committee determined that the best way to keep our schools open for in-person learning long-term was to pivot to remote learning in the short-term. This was done as a proactive measure, recognizing that some people will gather for the holidays despite the many public health warnings to celebrate with immediate family only. Given the current rate of virus transmission, these gatherings will cause virus spread, and the week following the holiday will be a high-risk time for transmission.
The change in learning models will start the Monday following Thanksgiving. Beginning next Monday, 11/30/20, the school district will move to all remote learning and will stay remote until Friday, 12/4/20. On Monday, 12/7/20 our Cohort C students (high needs students who attend 4 days per week) will return to in-person learning per their existing schedule; all other students will remain in remote learning for that week. Assuming no significant changes in virus spread or statewide mandates, all students will return to their existing hybrid schedule on Monday, 12/14/20 (see attached calendar). Please stay tuned to the 12/10/20 School Committee Meeting for any updates.
The school committee and administration are very aware that this decision impacts student learning and that for some families, remote learning causes significant issues with childcare. The decision was not taken lightly. The district has assembled a Joint Corona Virus Response Team (JCVRT) comprised of a variety of stakeholders, including teaching staff, family members, school nursing staff, community medical professionals, and school committee representation. Each week the JCVRT reviews state and local data. In recent weeks we have seen a significant change in the spread of the virus in our community and a slow rise incidence of infected people in our schools, which together have caused a rapid increase in the quarantining of both staff and students. The group determined that due to the increasing numbers of staff in quarantine (currently 54) we are nearing a point where we may not have sufficient staffing in some areas to operate in person safely. Last week the JCVRT determined that a meeting with School Committee was needed to review the changing data, particularly in light of the gathering warnings surrounding the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday.
Last night a School Committee meeting was held to review the data. The School Committee heard from medical professionals, teachers, and families and reviewed the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Guidance around shifting to more restrictive learning models. The Committee decided that a proactive, brief, and planned shift to remote learning may help to slow the spread and avoid a longer-term emergency shutdown.
The shift to remote learning includes after-school events and activities until 12/14/20, with the exception of the upcoming SAT administration at Haverhill High School, which will occur as planned, in a safe and socially distanced manner.
Families with childcare hardships should contact their school and staff for support in exploring community options such as the YMCA, YWCA, or the Boys and Girls Clubs.
On behalf of the School Committee and all of Haverhill Public Schools, I wish you all a Thanksgiving filled with peace, joy, and pie.
Stay Well,
Margaret Marotta EdD
Superintendent of Schools
THE 2nd ANNUAL THANKSGIVING FEAST: On November 24th we were able to conduct our 2nd Annual Thanksgiving Feast. I am very pleased to announce that we were able to distribute and deliver 560 meals to our families!
We want to give a special thanks to Covanta and Ocasio’s Martial Arts Studio for their generous donations. A special thanks also goes to our PTO and all other family and community members who donated to such a great cause. We would finally like to thank Market Basket for preparing all 560 individually packaged meals for easy distribution and delivery!
This event was an amazing success! I cannot wait for our 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Feast!!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING:
I would like to wish a very safe and happy Thanksgiving to all of our JGW students and families from all of the staff at J.G. Whittier! This year I am thankful to be a part of a school and community that has risen to all of the challenges that we have been faced with over these past several months.
Thank you to all of our students, families, and staff for your continued perseverance through these challenging times. Without your continued patience, dedication, and support these past few months would have been much more difficult. While we still have a challenging road in front of us, I am confident that we will continue to rise to the challenge and get through this together as one team. We are here to provide the best possible learning environment for each and every student, and the safety, well-being, and success of our students is our number one priority.
I hope that everyone takes the chance to take a break and spend time with family over this Thanksgiving break. Whatever your plans are, I hope that you all stay safe and well.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Mr. Betty