Dear Staff, Students, and Parents/Guardians,
I am writing to inform you that an individual in our Drury High School community has tested positive for COVID-19 as a result of a known exposure. The individual was tested through their health care providers office and identified as positive on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.
The new case impacts Drury High School and will not require a move to remote learning to quarantine students or staff due to a lack of contact since the last day of possible exposure. Students and staff can return to school for in-person learning in the hybrid model on Thursday, April 1, 2021.
Though we cannot provide specific information about the individual who tested positive, North Adams Public Schools has implemented our protocols for notification, disinfection, and quarantine for staff and students. Contact tracing has been conducted by School Nurse Leader Lauren Gage and she is assured that there is no possible exposure within the schools due to this case. We are also following all Department of Health protocols, including collaborating with our local board of health to complete contact tracing. Additionally, we are asking those parents whose students are tested for COVID-19 at their health care provider’s office or at the Stop the Spread Center located at 97 Church Street, North Adams to please report the results to the school nurse.
The district’s ongoing pooled testing program continues to assist us in determining if there is potential of community transmission of COVID-19.
If you would like your student to be tested via our pooled testing program, please complete a consent form. To complete the Pooled Testing Consent Form, go to: https://www.napsk12.org/page/pooledcovid19testing. If you have any questions about the pooled testing program, please email the school nurse Lauren Gage at lgage@napsk12.org.
We will continue to be vigilant in adhering to all of the protocols that have been put in place in an effort to continue in-person learning. We are also continuing to provide remote learning for all students required to quarantine at home. We are committed to continuous communication with, and support of, our families. If there is additional transmission as a result of this case or a separate case, we will send out another message immediately. Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Barbara Malkas, Ed.D.
Superintendent of North Adams Public Schools