Dear Families,

Travel and social/family get-togethers over the holiday break have had a significant impact on NPS operationally. With all of the close contact quarantining because of exposure outside of school we have had a very hard time staffing our schools this week and next week looks even more unstable. Unfortunately, I need to move us to a remote learning model until February 1st for staffing reasons. I am hopeful that over the next 2 weeks the health metrics will improve, more community members will have the opportunity to vaccinate, our staffing will become more stable and we can reopen in hybrid once again.

With the UK strain now entering CT, it is not the time to become relaxed with regard to mitigation strategies. Please wear your masks, maintain social distancing, and refrain from social gatherings. Please do this for the safety of our children and our staff.

January 20-29, 2021 we will be in the remote learning model.

• January 18 is a holiday-no school and January 19 is a staff PD day-no school

• January 20-22 is remote and January 25-29 is remote     

Health Metrics: Here are the weekly positivity rates for the City of Norwich. As a reminder, this is one of the metrics considered when determining the learning model. DPH and SDE are relying less and less on the positivity rates as they learn more about COVID-19. 

• During the week of October 19, the city positivity rate was 40.7 per 100,000

• During the week of October 26, the positivity rate was 30.8 

• During the week of November 2, the positivity rate was 22.4

• During the week of November 9, the positivity rate was 18.1

• During the week of November 16, the positivity rate was 33.4

• During the week of November 23, the positivity rate was 43.3

• During the week of November 30, the positivity rate was 40.9

• During the week of December 7, the positivity rate was 38.1

• During the week of December 14, the positivity rate was 61.5

• During the week of December 21, the positivity rate was 70.3

• During the week of December 28, the positivity rate was  65

• During the week of January 4, the positivity rate was 82.3

• During the week of January 12, the positivity rate was 111

Positivity rates are still very high in the City of Norwich. A variety of metrics are analyzed in a holistic manner weekly (under the leadership of Uncas Health) to determine the school learning model, including:

• Transmission rate within schools (currently 1.3%) 

• Number of COVID positives in the school department and in each school.

• Number of COVID positives in 1 household vs. spread among several 

• Number of close contacts made to quarantine because of a COVID positive.

• Percent of remote learners (currently 36%)

• Fidelity of mitigation strategies

• Number of COVID positive staff that are Norwich residents vs. non-residents 

• Schools are the source of food, warmth, safety, and mental health support for many students

Schools are very well controlled environments where multiple mitigation strategies are intentionally managed (frequent hand washing, mask use, monitoring symptoms, monitoring close contacts, cohorting, distancing, maximizing outdoor time, cleaning and disinfecting, etc.)

 Learning Model Plan (subject to change)

Remote learning numbers by school as of today:

I hope you are all safe and well. 

Sincerely,
Kristen E. Stringfellow Ed.D.