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Return to School Hub

 

Below is the latest District information regarding Return to School 2022-2023. Individual school information should be available via email and the individual school sites. If you are not receiving emails please reach out to the main office at your student's school to ensure your email information is up to date.

 

 

Welcome Lancers to the 2022-2023 School Year

 

Joseph F. Baeta

 

 

Dear NPS Families & Community Members:

As we begin this new academic year, I want to reassure families and staff of our commitment to safety, wellness, social emotional learning and academic excellence. I am excited for the potential of the school year as we return with no state or local mandates. Although we support anyone choosing to utilize a mask, it is not mandated. Furthermore, protocols and procedures have been established in case of need and to support any type of outbreak, should it occur. 

Our goals for this year are centered around student support, academic achievement, and establishing goals that make NPS a better district for students and staff. To that end we are publishing a new Strategic Plan, Vision 2026, Vision 2026 will go to the Norton School Committee for approval in the early fall. The three main goals include:

 

  1. Developing the whole child by recognizing the uniqueness of each student as a scholar, citizen, athlete, and community member. 

  2. Creating and supporting a collaborative learning climate and culture of continuous improvement and professional learning; and

  3. Implementing the Portrait of a Norton Graduate skill sets in Grades PreK-12+ via various teaching and learning opportunities

Over the course of this year you will be getting numerous updates from my office about these three goals. I look forward to working with you, your children and the outstanding faculty and staff of Norton Public Schools. 

 

With regards, 

 

Joseph F. Baeta, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
The Public Schools of Norton, MA
(508) 285-0100 ext. 1, option 4
@DrBaetaNPS

 

 

Teacher Assignments/Student Schedules

 

  • Teacher assignments for grades Prek-5 will be sent out via ParentSquare on August 23.
  • Student schedules for grades 6-8 will be published in the SchoolBrains Community Portal on Friday, August 26. Students will receive a hard copy of their full schedule on the first day of school during homeroom. 
  • Student schedules for grades 9-12 will be published in the SchoolBrains Community Portal the week of August 22. 

 

 

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  • Overview

     

    Effective August 15, 2022, children and staff in child care, K-12, out-of-school time (OST) and recreational camp settings should follow the below guidance.

    • A rapid antigen test, such as a self-test, is preferred to a PCR test in most situations.
    • To count days for isolation, Day 0 is the first day of symptoms OR the day the day positive test was taken, whichever is earlier.  
    • Contact tracing is no longer recommended or required in these settings, but schools or programs must continue to work with their Local Board of Health in the case of outbreaks.
    • The Commonwealth is not recommending universal mask requirements, surveillance testing of asymptomatic individuals, contact tracing, or test-to-stay testing in schools. While masks are not required or recommended in these settings except for in school health offices, any individual who wishes to continue to mask, including those who face higher risk from COVID-19, should be supported in that choice.  For those who need or choose to mask, masking is never required in these settings while the individual is eating, drinking, sleeping or outside.
    • All individuals are encouraged to stay up-to-date with vaccination as vaccines remain the best way to help protect yourself and others.

     

     

    Isolation and exposure guidance and protocols

     

    Guidance for Children and Staff in Child Care, K-12, OST, and Recreational Camp Settings:

    • Quarantine is no longer required nor recommended for children or staff in these settings, regardless of vaccination status or where the exposure occurred. All exposed individuals may continue to attend programming as long as they remain asymptomatic. Those who can mask should do so until Day 10, and it is recommended that they test on Day 6 of exposure. If symptoms develop, follow the guidance for symptomatic individuals, below.
    • Children and staff who test positive must isolate for at least 5 days. If they are asymptomatic or symptoms are resolving and they have been fever free without the use of fever-reducing medicine for 24 hours, they may return to programming after Day 5 and should wear a high-quality mask through Day 10:
      • If the individual is able to mask, they must do so through Day 10.
        • If the child has a negative test on Day 5 or later, they do not need to mask.
        • If the individual is unable to mask, they may return to programming with a negative test on Day 5 or later.
    • Symptomatic individuals can remain in their school or program if they have mild symptoms, are tested immediately onsite, and that test is negative. Best practice would also include wearing a mask, if possible, until symptoms are fully resolved. For symptomatic individuals, DPH recommends a second test within 48 hours if the initial test is negative.
      • If the symptomatic individual cannot be tested immediately, they should be sent home and allowed to return to their program or school if symptoms remain mild and they test negative, or they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and their symptoms are resolving, or if a medical professional makes an alternative diagnosis. A negative test is strongly recommended for return.

     

     

    COVID-19 Symptoms

    Below is the full list of symptoms for which caregivers should monitor their children, and staff should monitor themselves.

    COVID-19 Symptoms List:

    • Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills 
    • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath 
    • New loss of taste or smell 
    • Muscle aches or body aches 
    • Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough) 
    • Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms 
    • Nausea, vomiting, when in combination with other symptoms
    • Headache, when in combination with other symptoms 
    • Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms 

    • Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies), when in combination with other symptoms

     

     

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  • You can locate COVID-19 testing sites here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/find-a-covid-19-test

    More than 900 vaccination sites are available across the state and most accept walk-in appointments, including CVS and Walgreens pharmacies, pediatric primary care offices, and community health centers. As a reminder, the COVID vaccine is free for all, and no ID or insurance is needed to obtain the vaccine. More information on these sites, as well as safety information, and helpful Q&As are all available at www.mass.gov/covidvaccine.