Winchendon Memorial School Faculty Member Reports Symptoms of COVID
Just a few days after in-person classes resumed for grades K-2 at the Memorial School, a member of the faculty reported symptoms of COVID-19 while at work in the building on Thursday, November 5.
According to a letter sent to parents on November 6 by Winchendon Schools Superintendent Joan Landers, the district is "erring on the side of caution" by contacting all close contacts of the faculty member and families of the students in the faculty member's classroom.
"To further prevent transmission of the virus to other staff and students, we have sanitized the school with a focus on those areas frequented by the faculty member who was symptomatic," Ms. Landers wrote. "We will continue to be vigilant in adhering to all of the protocols that have been put in place. We are also providing remote learning for all students required to quarantine at home to continue to provide instruction, structure, and an emotional connection to the classroom during a time that we know will be challenging for those children and families involved."
Ms. Landers emphasized that no identifying information about staff members will be released for confidentiality reasons. She urges that anyone with knowledge of the identities of school staff members to respect their rights by refraining from passing on that information via any form of communication.
Sizer School awarded over $13,000 in Early College Support Grant
In 2014, Sizer School, a North Central Mass Charter Essential School, opened the doors to its permanent home – the state of the art school building attended by current students. In 2020, Sizer School “opened the doors” to their second home, a brand new school website, hosted by Education Networks. The website, www.sizerschool.org officially re-launched in October. The website is brand-new, on an entirely modern platform, with easier navigation and eye-catching content.
Sizer’s website features video and photo galleries, a built-in social media news feed that automatically updates from Sizer’s Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts. The website also has Featured Video and Photo Albums.
“Sizer School has grown in leaps and bounds since 2002, offering innovative education every year, guided by a commitment to diversity and inclusiveness. As our school has grown, so has its need for a dynamic web presence. This new website matches the 21st century instruction happening in our classrooms,” explained Director of Development & Communication Jill Connell. The Desktop Home Page for www.sizerschool.org highlights a slideshow of images and video of the school. This slideshow contains professional photography of inside and outside the building as well as drone footage of the building at 500 Rindge Road in Fitchburg, conveniently located next to the rotary on John Fitch Highway.
“Not only were we looking for a website that was more reflective of our 21st century learning goals, we also wanted to make sure our website was user friendly, informational and up-to-date. This is specially important considering the importance of sharing all COVID-19 related policy updates, including safety protocols and procedural changes,” said Connell.
From a communications standpoint, important additions to the new website also include scrolling marquee announcements, an “important alert” popup feature and a full staff directory with instant email access to faculty. For ease of use, not only can www.sizerschool.org be accessed in both mobile and desktop versions, Sizer families can also download the Education Network app and follow Sizer School through the app on their phones.
“Sizer is a community and as a community we love to celebrate student successes,” said Recruitment & Communications Coordinator Lindsay Sauvageau. “Not only does this new website give us more opportunities to publicize the amazing work our students and teachers are doing every day, it also gives us a beautiful way to promote to prospective families all of the educational opportunities we offer here.” Check out our new website today, www.sizerschool.org. Feedback regarding the site can be directed to Jill Connell at connellj@sizerschool.org.
Not only can www.sizerschool.org be accessed in both mobile and desktop versions, Sizer families can also download the Education Network app and follow Sizer School through the app on their phones.
The Desktop Home Page features a slideshow of images and video of the school. This slideshow contains professional photography of inside and outside the building as well as drone footage of the building.