2/21/2021
Dear Families,
It has been determined that it is safe for our school to reopen on Monday, February 22, for in-person instruction. Following the COVID-19 case that was reported to us on February 13th, we consulted with the Vermont Department of Health (DOH) and followed all DOH and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
The DOH felt that we responded well to the situation and that our school has good mitigation measures in place to reduce transmission of the virus. As of today, no additional cases have been reported. Those considered close contacts are continuing to follow the proper quarantine guidelines.
We conducted a thorough cleaning and disinfection of the entire school this week, and everything is in safe and good order for students and staff to return. We appreciate the effort and dedication of our Operations Manager Rachel Maher and our amazing custodial team—Bob Elwell, Wanda Jones, and Hal Trefry—for all their hard work and meticulousness.
Importantly, if any member of your household engaged in higher-risk COVID-19 activities or had COVID-19 exposure over the break, your student(s) will need to stay home and follow the DOH’s guidelines for quarantining and testing (this information is noted below for your reference). Please inform your student’s teacher and the office at info@vsnb.org if your student will need to do distance learning.
We look forward to seeing your students on Monday! Please remind them to bring their Chromebooks and chargers, as well as winter gear. We recommend that students dress in layers and have a winter coat, gloves, a hat, and boots, snow pants, and an extra set of dry clothes. Next week’s meals menu is available on the SVSU website at this link: https://www.svsu.org/apps/pages/food.
Have a good weekend,
Tim Newbold
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COVID-19 Testing and Quarantine
We are reopening the Village School with the understanding and expectation that everyone has been diligent in following the recommended state COVID-19 safety guidelines and precautions during the winter break.
The Vermont Department of Health cautions that people can still spread the virus even when they don’t have symptoms. A 14-day quarantine or a COVID-19 test is needed 7 days after a single exposure and/or if any of the higher-risk situations apply to your student’s household members:
- Having close contact with a positive case, including those who share a household or worksite with a positive person, and those who have attended an event with that person.
- Attending a gathering with more than one trusted household.
- Attending an event.
- Traveling out of state.
- Having more than 15 minutes of contact with a visitor from out-of-state.
Students who have a COVID-19 test are not permitted to return to school until they confirm with School Nurse Kaitlyn Hewson that they have had a negative COVID-19 test.
The most up-to-date local COVID-19 testing information is available on the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center website, including FAQs for the FREE test at the Bennington Rescue Squad. Thank you for continuing to take steps to protect others and prevent further spread of the virus.
