Greenwich Is Ready For The New School Year

Greenwich CT

31 August, 2021

4:37 PM

Description

GREENWICH, CT — The first day of school in Greenwich is Wednesday, and for Greenwich Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones, this time of year is always special. "The opening of our schools is always an exciting time for everyone in the Greenwich community. It is a great day when our students and staff come together for the first time," Jones told Patch on Tuesday. But while the 2021-2022 school year has a feeling of normalcy, the impact of COVID-19 can still be felt. "Our teachers have been hard at work preparing for what we expect to be a great school year. We are so appreciative of the commitment and dedication the staff has shown," Jones added. Masking is still in place per Gov. Ned Lamont's Executive Order through at least Sept. 30. Social distancing of three feet will also be followed where possible. Quarantine rules are different for this school year in Greenwich. For unvaccinated people, if exposure occurs in the classroom (stationary seating) at greater than three feet with masking, quarantine is not required. At less than three feet, quarantine is necessary for seven days, with a test on day five or later. If negative, that person can return on day eight. All others (not classroom students) exposed at six feet with or without a mask will quarantine for seven days with a test on day five. A negative test returns them on day eight. If tests are declined, quarantine lasts for 10 days. For quarantined people, for exposure less than three feet, or at six feet for non-students, with or without a mask, no quarantine is needed, but a test is required on days three, four and five. A mask must also be worn for 14 days post exposure. In mid-August, the school district held a virtual town hall meeting to answer questions from families about mitigation strategies and how to keep everyone safe. Jones pledged on Tuesday to be as transparent as possible when it comes to COVID-19 throughout the school year. "We will keep our lines of communication open with the most updated information and guidance given to us from our local health officials," she said. "Our most challenging group in terms of COVID mitigation will be those students under 12 years old. It is important that mitigation strategies stay strong inside and outside of school to limit those placed in quarantine. Repeated quarantining becomes challenging for our students and families." With full remote learning not an option this year, there will be more cars on the road during the morning and afternoon commutes. Lt. John Slusarz of the Greenwich Police Department urged residents to be mindful that school is back in session, and to drive safely throughout school zones. "The first thing is to be aware that there's going to be a lot of traffic. For the younger parents that may be bringing their kids to school for the first time, they should be prepared for these traffic delays," Slusarz said. "The second thing is to be patient. We can only fit one car, in one place, at one time. The third thing is, keep your eyes open for kids that may be darting across the street. Be aware of your surroundings." Slusarz said there will be an increased police presence near schools, especially at Greenwich High School, during the first few days to make sure people are following correct procedures and traffic patterns. At the high school, Slusarz stressed that parents who are coming onto Hillside Road from East Putnam Avenue should not drop their children off on the right side of the road. Doing so causes them to cross multiple lanes of traffic to get to the school. "We'll have officers out there enforcing that," Slusarz said.