BOSTON - Thursday,
September 2, 2021 - Mayor Kim Janey and Superintendent Brenda Cassellius
were today joined by Dr. Cassandra Pierre, Boston Medical Center Associate
Hospital Epidemiologist; Tim Rowe, CIC CEO & Founder; and Catherine De
Jesús Martínez, BPS student at Boston International Newcomers Academy to
discuss Boston Public Schools’ back-to-school plan ahead of the start of
the 2021-2022 School Year. Thursday, September 9 is the first day for
Grades 1-12 and Monday, September 13 is the first day for Pre-Kindergarten
and Kindergarten.
“As Mayor of Boston,
and as an education advocate, a BPS alum, and as the proud parent of a BPS
graduate, I’m excited to kick off the new school year,” said Mayor Kim
Janey. “This particular back-to-school season is the first time since March
2020 that we are welcoming all of our students back to Boston Public
Schools. This is an important reunion for students, teachers, and school
staff, and we will ensure that it’s a safe reunion.”
"The Boston
Public Schools team is so excited to welcome back our students and staff
for a successful school year next week. As we continue to support our
students in recovery from the impacts of the pandemic, we are looking
forward to returning to the joy of teaching and learning," said BPS
Superintendent Brenda Cassellius. "We have been working all summer to
ensure the physical, social and emotional health of our students and staff
and we continue to address all challenges as they arise. The best place for
children to learn is inside the classroom, and BPS is thrilled to begin the
year with all students attending school in-person, alongside their peers
and under the loving care of their educators."
The third school
year amid the pandemic, Boston Public Schools has prepared strategies to ensure
a safe and successful year of learning for all students. Eligible students
and staff are encouraged to get vaccinated. In collaboration with the
Boston Public Health Commission, vaccination clinics continue to be accessible for students 12
years of age and older. Additionally, staff are required to follow the City of Boston vaccination verification mandate.
Furthermore, Boston
Public Schools is utilizing both face coverings and COVID-19 testing to
ensure students and staff are safe. Masks continue to be required to be
worn by all students and staff while in school and riding BPS school buses.
There are three main strategies for COVID-19 testing in schools, operated
by CIC Health:
1.
Routine
COVID-19 Pool testing: Free, voluntary and confidential COVID-19 pool
testing will be available in schools for students and staff. To
participate, parents/guardians/caregivers must complete a consent form for
their student(s) to be eligible for pool testing. Schools will provide
weekly COVID-19 testing for a sample of the population (the pool). If there
is a positive pool case, each individual sample for the positive pool will
be attested with a follow-up test.
2.
Testing
for students experiencing symptoms of COVID-19: Any student who is
experiencing COVID-19 symptoms will have access to a rapid test.
3.
Test
to Stay: Introduced by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
(DESE), Test and Stay allows individuals who are identified as a close
contact of a confirmed positive case to stay in school with daily testing
for five days if they do not have symptoms.
“Being vaccinated
and wearing my mask makes me feel more confident to be back in public,”
said Catherine De Jesús Martínez, a senior at Boston International
Newcomers Academy.
If a student tests
positive for COVID-19, they will quarantine for 10 days and return to
school after no longer presenting symptoms or with a negative test.
Students who are confirmed close contacts of a positive case in school will
not have to quarantine, but will have the opportunity to test for five days
in school if they do not have symptoms according to DESE’s Test and Stay
policy.
Boston Public
Schools continues to ensure hygienic practices in all schools, including
thorough cleaning, access to PPE supplies, hand washing and hand sanitizer
stations, and air filtration and ventilation.
Additionally, in
line with national trends, BPS is experiencing a bus driver shortage.
Please apply here if you are interested in becoming a BPS bus
driver. The role offers $26.65 an hour plus benefits. BPS is currently
hiring for multiple positions including bus monitors and food service
workers. Anyone interested in joining the BPS team can apply at bostonpublicschools.org/OHC, and click “Find a Job.”
For more information
about the school year, visit the BPS Back to School webpage here.
To access Boston
Public Schools’ Back to School Guide, visit here.
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