Greenwich Schools Temporarily Move To Remote Learning For 1 Week

GREENWICH, CT — The district announced Tuesday all Greenwich Public Schools will move to fully remote learning for one week, Jan. 4-8, following the holiday break to allow time for families and staff members to get tested for the coronavirus before returning to school buildings.

In a letter sent to families, Superintendent Toni Jones said the district decided to temporarily pivot to remote learning after consulting with the town health department and district health officials. (To sign up for Greenwich breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

"This will provide a full 14 days for families and staff to quarantine and get tested following the holiday weekend," Jones said in the letter, "as we anticipate many traveling during the holiday recess, according to family and student self-reporting over the past few weeks."

According to Jones, the temporary pivot to remote learning is also intended to assist with "child care issues" for staff members and to help them feel safe about their return to school buildings after the holiday break, as many are "concerned about the amount of anticipated travel." In-person learning is scheduled to resume Jan. 11.

"While [the district] is making this adjustment, it is important to note that the trend in our community saw a slight spike after Thanksgiving which impacted the number of quarantines and positive cases in our GPS families," Jones said. "The concerns about travel are high, and we are asking all of our families and staff to encourage our students to wear a mask if they have play dates, sledding opportunities or engage in any type of social activity outside of school during the break. Wearing a mask does make a difference."

Board of Education chair Peter Bernstein said the decision to pivot to remote learning for a week will allow time for students and staff members to get tested for the virus.

"Based on guidance from the health department and other health professionals," Bernstein said to Patch, "the decision to go full remote for a week allows for a quarantine and testing period for those individuals and families who choose to travel or otherwise socialize during the holidays. Health and safety concerns are certainly driving this decision after seeing a slight uptick after the Thanksgiving holiday."

During a press update Wednesday, First Selectman Fred Camillo said he understood the temporary adjustment.

"It makes sense," Camillo said. "It's a week or two beyond the holidays, which is what we are all concerned about."

News of the temporary pivot comes as the number of positive cases of the virus continues to increase within the district.

According to a tracker on the district website, a total of 182 cases of the virus have been reported by Greenwich Public Schools since the beginning of the year, as of Tuesday.

Twelve cases of the virus have been added to the tracker since Friday, including an in-school transmission of the virus at Hamilton Avenue School.

In a letter sent to families Monday, Hamilton Avenue principal Shanta Smith said a non-teaching staff member who was last on school grounds Wednesday and already in quarantine had tested positive for the virus due to an in-school exposure.

"As a result of thorough contact tracing," Smith said in the letter, "it has been determined that one additional staff member must be quarantined for the required 14 days of exposure and can return on Monday, Jan. 4, following the holiday recess. The district has notified those directly who have been impacted by this case."

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