Reading Schools Cancel, Postpone Events Amid Coronavirus Fears

READING, MA — All on-site school and district events will be canceled or postponed in Reading this weekend, with the exception of the SATs at the high school on Saturday. This will allow the district to conduct additional cleaning of all high-touch surfaces, traffic areas and computer keyboards at its schools to protect against the spread of the coronavirus.

The district is postponing the following events over the next few weekends to a future date this year:

• Misster RMHS
• Parker Drama Show, The Little Mermaid, Jr.
• Sophomore Semi-Formal
• Parent University

• The following events have been cancelled this weekend and will not be rescheduled:
  • NE First Robotics Tournament
• Students will not be participating in the following events this weekend or next weekend:
  • Massachusetts State Science Olympiad Competition (Middle School and High School)
  • RMHS Environthon
  • Junior Districts
• Friday, March 20th, will now be a regular day of school, instead of a professional development day for teachers. This will allow us to keep an extra day towards the end of the school year if we need to use it for school cancellations.
• The district is canceling or postponing all daytime field trips outside of Reading which require large group gatherings between now and April 17. This includes the Grade 4 and 5 Boston Symphony Orchestra Trips this Thursday and Friday.
• Between now and April 17, RPS is canceling all outside rental activities in Reading Public School buildings, including Reading Recreation activities. This will allow the facilities staff to increase cleaning activities in high touch surfaces and traffic areas in our schools.
• The Parker and Coolidge Quebec trips have been cancelled.
• The district will be evaluating all other overnight and international field trips on a case by case basis.
• The district will reallocate two hours of cleaning time per day during the week to increase cleaning of high touch surfaces in our schools.
• RPS will perform additional cleaning on weekends after this weekend on an as needed basis.
• The facilities department is surveying school buildings to see if high foot traffic areas have adequate hand sanitizer dispensers. These dispensers were originally put in 10 years ago when we had the H1N1 pandemic. If there are high traffic areas that do not have dispensers, they will be installed
• The district is replacing the hand sanitizer liquid in the dispensers with a higher alcohol-based product (at least 60 percent alcohol) which has been recommended by the Center for Disease Control to inactivate the coronavirus.

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School principals will communicate specific building event cancellations to their community. If conditions change between now and April 17, RPS will reevaluate and adjust, as necessary.

"We understand the amount of time and effort that our students, staff, and parents have invested in the above activities and the financial impact a cancellation or postponement may have," the Reading Public Schools said in a statement. "However, we feel that the safety of our students, staff, and community members are the highest priority and these cancellations or postponements are in the best interest of everyone."

The district recommended taking the following precautions to remain healthy:

• Practice good hand hygiene. Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Use Alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue. You can also cough or sneeze into your sleeve. Throw used tissues in the trash and immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid sharing drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, dishes, towels or other items. Wash these items thoroughly with soap and water after use.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick whenever possible.
• Practice other good health habits: Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

Administrators stressed the importance of keeping children home from school when they are ill. Children with the following symptoms are asked to stay home from school: temperature greater than 100.4, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, any rash not yet diagnosed by a physician, red or pink itchy eye, and/or drainage from eye, and any contagious illness such as strep throat or flu.