What to Expect when Westwood Schools Resume Sept. 1 (Updated)

Image by Wokandapix from Pixabay

As the beginning of school on Wednesday, September 1, 2021 looms ahead this week, students and their families will find changes this school year, including many new faces on staff and less social distancing.

Here’s what students and their families can expect as they head back to school:

There are an unusually high number of new hires.
There will be over 50 new teachers and administrators across the district, plus many new support staff.

School returns to a normal, pre-pandemic schedule.
High school hours are 7:25 a.m. to 2:05 p.m. with dismissal at 12:45 p.m. on early release days. Middle school hours are 7:48 a.m. to 2:25 p.m. with dismissal at 1:10 p.m. on early release days. Elementary schools run from 8:50 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. with dismissal at 11:30 a.m. on early release days. Preschool runs from 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. or 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with dismissal at 11:30 on early release days.

Masks will be required indoors, continuing the policy that was in place at the end of the 2020-21 school year.

There will be less “fidelity” to social distancing in schools this year compared to last year, announced Superintendent Emily Parks at the last School Committee meeting. That’s due to the overriding goal of getting students back to in-person learning without extended interruptions. Ms. Parks hopes students can again participate in group work, lab groups, and high school lunches. She wants to restore elementary school “specials” and kindergarten sit-circles.

“I do want to be upfront that we can’t do all of those things if we are enforcing strict physical distancing guidelines the way that we did last year,” said Superintendent Parks. “Pragmatically, we were able to do that last year because we had a different staffing model. We hired a lot more adults. We had different schedules. I don’t think we’ll be able to do that kind of distancing with the kind of fidelity that we did last year.”

There will be no cohorts this year. With no remote schooling option and no hybrid schedule, open spaces that were available last year - with student groups alternating their in-person classroom days - will no longer be available this year. Lunch will be eaten outside as much as possible, explaining the recent appearance of large tents on WPS school grounds.

A main mitigation strategy being relied upon this year is emphasizing the value of widespread vaccination. As Westwood’s Health Director Jared Orsini has previously reported to the community, vaccination rates in Westwood are relatively high.  

The WPS website shows the first of many vaccination clinics for WPS students aged 12 and up along with their families will be held on Wednesday, September 3, 2021.  A page posted earlier on the WPS website still indicates Downey School as the clinic location, but a Tweet and an email message sent on August 31st to WPS families and staff indicated a location of Thurston Middle School.  

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A second mitigation strategy will be routine weekly pool testing for students who have volunteered to do so. Last year’s pool testing was conducted by Project Beacon, but this year’s testing will be conducted by a new vendor. This will mean that families who registered last year will have to re-register this year.

Third, ventilation strategies will continue with the use of Merv 13 filters in HVAC systems. Filters will be changed quarterly. Teachers will be encouraged to open windows. There will be HVAC and HEPA systems in places with no fresh air.

Fourth, encouraging hand washing will be continued.

Fifth, parents will be asked to check students daily for symptoms. If a student shows any symptoms, they will be asked to stay home to rest.

Will staff be required to be vaccinated? Ms. Parks noted a high level of vaccination among staff. She stated her thinking that unvaccinated staff could be required to be tested twice a week.

There is a new “Test and Stay” protocol on contract tracing and quarantining. Last year, given a close contact with COVID-19, students or staff were required to quarantine at least 7 days from exposure with an option to be tested. If no test was taken, quarantining was required for at least 10 days. In contrast, this year a “Test and Stay” approach will be used.

According to Ms. Parks, under the Test and Stay protocol, fully vaccinated individuals exposed to COVID-19 will be exempt from testing and quarantining as long as no symptoms manifest. For unvaccinated, asymptomatic individuals who have had close contact with COVID-19, they will have to wear masks, socially distance 3 feet or more, and take a rapid antigen test every school day for 14 days. On any given day that the test is negative, the asymptomatic individual may stay in school. It is hoped that the Test and Stay protocol will better help students receive uninterrupted, in-person schooling.

As a comparison to COVID-19 mitigation measures last year, physical distancing of 6 feet was enforced for the lower grades and 3 feet was enforced for grades 5 to 12. Students within a single classroom were grouped in cohorts, thought to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Masks were worn, and by the end of last year, they were off outside. Schools focused on improving ventilation, frequent hand washing, enhanced cleaning, daily symptom checks with pool testing in the Spring, and staying home if symptomatic. Vaccines were not available until the end of the school year.

Updated 8/31/2021 at 3:11 p.m. Information regarding what appears to be a location change to the vaccination clinic for WPS students, families, and staff has been included. 

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