Dear Families,

As our community continues to manage the ebb and flow of the changing COVID requirements and protocols, I want to thank you for your continued partnership in navigating these challenging times. As you know, our school nurse, Carolynn Moore, closely follows the information provided by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). In addition, she is in weekly contact with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH).

The MDPH acknowledges that it is unlikely that there will be an end to COVID. Accepting this scenario, the MDPH and the State have changed to shift focus to the management and protection of vulnerable populations at risk for severe outcomes. Learning to live with Covid amongst us will take time, and for many, the transition will be too fast, and for others, it will not come quickly enough. As we have done all along, we will continue to pay close attention to the guidance and recommendations from our healthcare professionals as we navigate our way back toward normalcy.

Therefore, I want to make you aware of pending changes at Thacher. With February and April breaks on the horizon and our summer program quickly approaching, we are re-evaluating our health and safety protocols, particularly regarding masks. At this time, we maintain that mask-wearing is required by all those in the building and outside on the playgrounds. Upon our return from February break on 2/28/2022, the outdoor mask mandate will be lifted. Children may continue to remain masked outdoors at the request of their families.

Upon return from the February break, we will carefully monitor the Covid situation during the first two weeks of March and re-evaluate the need for continued mask-wearing in school at that time.

We anticipate a no-mask policy for the summer program, but again, positive cases in our community and beyond will affect the final decision. Looking forward to the school opening in September, additional changes may be forthcoming.

In Partnership

Deba Dunn

Head of School