2/14/2021
Dear Families,
A member of the Village School of North Bennington tested positive for COVID-19 this weekend. Those who were initially identified as close contacts have been notified already. We are notifying all of you as a precaution. The school will remain closed until we have more information from the Vermont Department of Health about whether this is an isolated case or if the infection potentially spread to other individuals.
The time frame, nature of contact, and other factors can influence who is determined to be a close contact. This is called contact tracing. The contact tracers call each close contact to offer health guidance and recommendations for quarantine.
We are conducting a thorough cleaning and disinfection of the entire school. No one will be permitted into the building until we receive an all-clear from the Department of Health.
We know this news is unsettling to many, and we ask for your patience, understanding, and support as we move forward. We are working to respect individual privacy and gather all the facts of the situation. As more information is known, we will update you. We encourage everyone to monitor themselves and their family members for COVID-19 symptoms and seek medical attention and testing as appropriate.
Please keep in mind you can sign up for the state’s Sara Alert (a free, automated and secure reminder system to check for common symptoms of COVID-19: https://apps.health.vermont.gov/COVID/faq/#4703. You can visit the Southern Vermont Medical Center website for all local testing information: https://svhealthcare.org/COVID-19/testing.
We hope that our swift action in communicating with all of you will help prevent any further spread of the virus and will help keep our community safe.
Please expect to receive a separate communication if we need to make any changes to our plans for reopening the school following the Winter Break. I am available if you have any questions. Due to the fact that the school is closed, the best way to reach me is at tnewbold@vsnb.org, and I will call you back.
Sincerely,
Tim Newbold
Head of School
