October 23, 2020
Dear Families,
I wanted to take a moment to inform you that we will no longer permit a certain type of facial covering to be worn in the District due to the high level of community transmission rates across the country and in the Commonwealth. With the flu season fast approaching and recent cases in the District, I am hopeful this increased measure will permit us to better mitigate the spread of the virus and allow us to continue to maintain our current programming. See below for a picture of the type of mask that is no longer permitted to be worn by students effective Monday, October 26, 2020.
I realize that many of you might be frustrated with this extra precaution, and it is understandable. My goal is not to hurt, upset, or frustrate any of our families; rather, my goal is to maintain the safest environment possible so we can continue to educate our students. Additionally, please encourage your child to wear their facial covering on the bus and to make sure the mask covers their nose at all times except, obviously, during their scheduled mask break.
In closing, we have a plethora of masks available for students. If you are unable to provide your child with a mask prior to Monday, please contact your child’s school nurse and/or building principal so arrangements can be made to provide them with one. Our ability to remain open depends on our collective efforts. Thus, please speak with your children this weekend about the change and encourage them to continue their great work in helping keep our schools open. We are all in this together.
Thanks,
Mr. Michael J. Vuckovich
Superintendent of Schools