Westbrook High School

Recent News from Westbrook High School

• Return to Full In Person Learning Monday 12/7/2020

  Thursday, December 3, 2020

  Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, and Staff,

  Over the last several weeks, all three schools have been operating in remote, e-learning mode as a result of an increase of Covid-19 cases in the Westbrook community identified by the Connecticut Department of Health in the widely publicized Connecticut Covid-19 Data Tracker and in conjunction with published guidance from the Connecticut Department of Public Health in the Town-Level Covid Response Framework.  Most recent guidance from Governor Lamont, the Connecticut Department of Education, and the Connecticut Department of Public Health encourages superintendents and local health department officials to reconsider this framework in conjunction with internal health metrics directly related to student and staff cases of Covid-19 and potential staff shortages as a result of quarantines.  

  After reviewing the latest Covid-19 community case report, internal school data related to active Covid-19 cases, and staffing capacity with Westbrook Health Director Zachary Faiella, we have decided to return to school for full, in person learning at all schools beginning Monday, December 7, 2020.  

  We appreciate your continued patience and support. It is our priority to operate our schools in person as much as possible this year, but we will always carefully consider external and internal health metrics to ensure we do so in the safest way possible for our students and staff. We understand the hardship and inconvenience that the uncertainty and shifts in school modes causes for our families, staff, and community.  We will continue to update you with the latest information and to notify you of changes to school modes as soon as possible.

  Sincerely

  Kristina J. Martineau, Ed.D.

  Superintendent of Schools

  Covid Info

• Communication from Kristina J. Martineau, Supt.

  Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff, and Community Members,

  We were informed that a staff member at Westbrook Middle School has tested positive for COVID-19. This staff member has been working remotely since our transition to distance learning and there are no known exposures or close contacts associated with Westbrook Public Schools. The individual has been instructed by their local health department to quarantine per CDC guidelines. This information was also shared with our Westbrook Health Director, Zach Faiella. 

  I will continue to update you if we receive information regarding positive cases of Covid-19 and any potential impact on our day to day operations due to staff shortages and quarantine requirements.

  We ask that you continue to encourage your children to practice good hand-washing hygiene, wear face masks, and to practice social distancing per CDC guidelines. As a reminder, if you or a family member start to exhibit symptoms of the COVID-19, please reach out to your physician and inform your child’s school nurse as soon as possible. If you would like further information on COVID-19, please go to the Westbrook Public Schools website at www.westbrookctschools.org.

  As always, student and staff health, safety and wellness are our highest priorities. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

  Sincerely, 

  Kristina J. Martineau, Ed.D.

  Superintendent of Schools

  Covid Info

• Confirmed Covid-19 Case of Individual Associated with Westbrook Middle School

  Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff, and Community Members,

  This afternoon, we were informed that a student at Westbrook Middle School has tested positive for COVID-19. The student has been instructed by the Westbrook Health Department to quarantine per CDC guidelines.  As always, we continue to work closely with our Westbrook Health Director, Zach Faiella, to conduct tracing of close contacts and to determine next steps. If further information develops that impacts school operations beyond what is communicated here, I will send out a follow-up communication as soon as possible. 

  We ask that you continue to encourage your children to practice good hand-washing hygiene, wear face masks, and to practice social distancing per CDC guidelines. As a reminder, if you or a family member start to exhibit symptoms of the COVID-19 (fever, shortness of breath, coughing, new loss of taste or smell, headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, for example), please reach out to your physician and inform your child’s school nurse. If you would like further information on COVID-19, please go to the Westbrook Public Schools website at www.westbrookctschools.org.

  As always, student and staff health, safety and wellness are our highest priorities. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

  Sincerely, 

  Kristina J. Martineau, Ed.D.

  Superintendent of Schools

  Covid Info

• Remote Instruction Continued

  Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, and Staff,
  I trust this email finds you comfortably full and relaxed after yesterday’s Thanksgiving feast. I hope you continue with a safe and enjoyable weekend.
  
  When we return on Monday, Westbrook Public Schools will remain in remote instruction. The conditions for opening the schools will continue to be evaluated by Health Director Zack Faiella and Superintendent Kristina Martineau based on our health data and appropriate staffing.
  
  It has been an honor to serve the Westbrook school community for the past five months. As Dr. Martineau starts her tenure on Tuesday,  December 1st, I wish you all the very best as you move forward in this most unusual year. 
  
  This is a great school district.
  
  Sincerely,
  Patricia Charles
  Interim Superintendent

  Covid Info

• The Knightly News

  Read the Fall edition of the "Knightly News", the Westbrook High School student newspaper.

  • Newspaper 8 5x11 1.pdf

  Westbrook High School

• Confirmed COVID-19 case of an individual associated with Westbrook High School

  Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff, and Community Members,

   

  This message is to inform you that we have identified a confirmed COVID-19 case of an individual associated with Westbrook High School.  The school is working closely with our Westbrook Health Director, Zach Faiella. It has been determined that there is no additional exposure to students or staff attending our schools.

   

  Due to legal considerations, we cannot provide any additional information to you about the identity of the individual who tested positive. We ask that you continue to encourage your children to practice good hand-washing hygiene, wear face masks in the proper manner, and practice social distancing.

   

  In regard to COVID-19 testing, the Town is actively working to bring a testing site to Westbrook.  For the latest testing information, please visit the United Way of CT 211 website. 

  https://uwc.211ct.org/coronavirus-covid-19-information/

   

  On this website, you can choose different testing options, such as Rapid Testing, Pediatric Testing, Asymptomatic Testing, and Walk-Up Sites. Specific businesses/organizations who are holding testing sites, include:

  ·         CVS in Clinton, Old Saybrook, Guilford, East Lyme, Niantic, Waterford, Middletown, and Cromwell.

  The CVS website for Testing registration is: https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing

  ·         Community Health Center, Inc is offering testing on a number of days in different Towns such as Old Saybrook, Portland, and Middletown. 

  Community Health Center’s COVID Testing Hotline can be reached at 475-241-0740

  Community Health Center’s Testing website is: https://www.chc1.com/covid-19-testing/

   

  We would also like to emphasize the 3 key steps to take regarding testing and what you and your family should do when waiting for your results.

   

  1.    Stay home and monitor your health.

  A.    If you’ve been in contact with someone with COVID-19, you must stay home and away from others for 14 days after your last close contact with that person. Refrain from attending school, work, sport activities, or gatherings.

  B.    If you have a fever, cough, or other symptoms of COVID-19, you must stay home and away from others (except to get medical care).

  C.   If you are not sick with symptoms of COVID-19 and you cannot stay home while you wait for your test results, you should wear a mask when out in public and avoid gatherings with people who are not in your immediate household, are over 65 years old, or have medical conditions that place them at increased risk for COVID-19.

   

  2.    Think about the people you have recently been around. See attached CDC document, where you can create a list of people and activities you’ve participated in recently. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/3key-steps-when-waiting-for-COVID-19-results_508.pdf

   

  3.    Answer the phone call from the Health Department. Discussions with Health Department staff are confidential and are critical in controlling COVID-19 in our community.

  
  If you or a family member start to exhibit symptoms of the COVID-19 (fever, shortness of breath, coughing, new loss of taste or smell, headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, for example), please reach out to your physician and inform your child’s school nurse. If you would like further information on COVID-19, please go to the Westbrook Public Schools website at www.westbrookctschools.org or to the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
   
  Our students’ safety is our highest priority. We appreciate your support as we work through this challenging time together.

   

  Sincerely,

   

  Patricia Charles                                             

  Interim Superintendent

   

  Zachary Faiella

  Westbrook Director of Health

  Covid Info

• Westbrook Public Schools - Remote Learning Extended

  November 19, 2020

  Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff and Students,

  I hope that this communication finds you and your family healthy.  Unfortunately, our COVID metrics for this week are not.  We continue to have an increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Westbrook. Today’s update by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) indicates that Westbrook’s 14-day average of new cases per 100,000 population per day is 34.1 per 100,000.  In alignment with the guidelines in the DPH and Connecticut State Department of Education’s (CSDE) Addendum 4, we will continue to remain in distance learning for another week, and until Westbrook’s COVID-19 public health indicators trend in a more positive direction.

  Please know how impressed I am with our district’s ability to smoothly switch to distance learning.  Teachers felt far more prepared to make this change this year when considering last year’s move to remote learning.  We have learned a lot over the past few months and continue to improve how to offer engaging programs to our students in a virtual environment.

  As we move into Thanksgiving week, please remain safe and continue with the safety precautions identified to minimize the spread of this virus:

  • Wash your hands often.
  • Avoid close contact.
  • Remember to cover your mouth and nose with a mask.
  • Cover coughs and sneezes
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
  • Monitor your health daily and be alert for symptoms of COVID such as fever, cough, shortness of breath
  • Consider celebrating at home with only the people you live with
  • Consider celebrating virtually (online) with people you do not live with, as gathering with family and friends who do not live with you can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVIDF-19 or the flu

  We look forward to being safely back together in school as soon as possible.  In the meanwhile, I will keep in touch with any updates.

  Although our gatherings may be smaller this year, we are thankful that with mitigation strategies we can protect ourselves and our loved ones and look forward to a vaccine in the near future!

  Sincerely,

  Patricia Charles                                                         

  Interim Superintendent

  Westbrook Public Schools

  Covid Info

• 11/19/20 Important Meeting Tonight - Link Below

  IMPORTANT MEETING LINK for TONIGHT: WHS Athletics Update: Thursday, November 19, 2020, 6:30 PM

  Winter Sports Q&A Google Meet with AD :  Tonight at 6:30 pm

  ·         CIAC Winter Sports Start Date delayed:  CIAC has delayed the start of winter sports to Tuesday, January 19^th.

  Join at: https://meet.google.com/dss-swhp-xik

  Winter Sports Registration Open until Monday, November 30^th, 12:00 pm.

  Winter Sports Registration for Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Boys & Girls Indoor Track & Field, & Cheerleading are still open via PowerSchool! Please register today!  The deadline for PowerSchool Sports Registration has been extended to Monday, November 30^th, 12:00 pm.  This will be a hard close and registrations will not be accepted after. If you are on the fence we suggest you register so you do not lose out on an opportunity.

  Westbrook High School

• Westbrook Public Schools Move to Remote Learning

  Dear Westbrook Public Schools Families and Staff,

  This afternoon the Department of Public Health released the data for COVID-19 cases in towns across the state.  Health Director Zach Faiella reported that Westbrook's cases per 100,000 have jumped dramatically to 25.8 placing us immediately in the remote learning category.  

   

  Effective tomorrow all students will move to distance learning.  New metrics from DPH come out every Thursday and we will re-evaluate our learning mode based on those metrics and our ability to fully staff our buildings.  The increase in positive cases has had an impact on the district's human resources.

   

  I know these are trying times and I recognize this short notice creates a scramble for our families.  However, by responding quickly we hope to stem the spread of this infection before the upcoming holidays.

   

  I will continue to keep you updated for our return to school.  I thank you for your understanding and flexibility as we work together for the benefit of our school community and town.

   

  Sincerely,

  Patricia Charles, Ed.D

  Interim Superintendent

  Westbrook Public Schools

  860-399-6432

  Covid Info

• Westbrook's increase in Covid-19 Cases

  Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, and Staff,

  This year has certainly thrown us our share of curve balls as families and staff are juggling a myriad of decisions regarding work and school amid these very uncertain coronavirus conditions.  Over this past week we have seen a marked increase in the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Westbrook.  The data indicate that Westbrook increased from 10.3 to 18 per 100,000 population in the last week.  We are watching these cases very carefully and expect that, if this trend continues, we may have to switch to distance learning. Additionally, staff quarantining and illness also impacts our ability to remain open for in-person learning. I am telling you this today to give you as much time as possible to make contingency plans should we get the word from the Westbrook Health Department that we must make this change.

  Please reinforce with your middle school and high school students who are already in the distance learning mode to refrain from gathering socially with friends and to take this period of quarantine seriously.  Similarly, we will have to be extremely vigilant over the upcoming holidays with extended family and friends.

  I regret the difficulties that switching learning modes causes families and staff and appreciate your flexibility and resilience in these uncertain times. 

  I will update you by the end of the week as I get more information from Zach Faiella, our Westbrook Health Director. 

   

  Sincerely,

  Patricia Charles

  Interim Superintendent

  Covid Info