March 12, 2020,
UPDATE: A Townwide Voicemail was issued at 6:20 on Thursday, March 12th to alert parents and guardians that Hingham Public School's has cancelled school on Friday, March 13th and Monday, March 16th "out of an abundance of caution." They are continuing to monitor the situation and will provide an update regarding next steps on Monday (3/16).
Dr. Paul Austin provided the following letter to the Hingham Public Schools Community at 3:20 on Thursday afternoon addressing COVID-19 and the increased preventative steps the school department is taking now as well as resources for talking to students about CoronaVirus.
Dear HPS Community,
As news of COVID-19 continues to evolve, I understand and share your concerns about the potential short-term and long-term impacts on the Hingham community. While at this time there have been no confirmed cases reported in Plymouth County, the administrative team believes it is prudent to take preventative steps to reasonably address the health and safety of the district. The purpose of this communication is to share the steps we are taking to provide the safest and healthiest environment possible for our students, staff, and community.
HPS Building Access: Beginning tomorrow, we will limit access to all schools and facilities to HPS students and staff. We ask that parents limit visits to school offices for essential purposes. Please do not visit the school to drop off forgotten items. Students in need of lunch will be provided a complimentary meal. Additionally, Hingham Public Schools will not allow outside groups and organizations to use the facilities until further notice. At the elementary level, tardy students should be walked to the main entrance of the school, where they will be met by a staff member. This same procedure will be used for early dismissals for all schools.
Parent/Guardian Meetings: All parent-teacher conferences will be conducted through phone calls. IEP and 504 meetings will continue as scheduled; however, parents/guardians will be asked to participate via phone until further notice.
HPS-Sponsored Travel: Effective immediately, all HPS-sponsored international and domestic travel has been cancelled for the remainder of this school year. I understand that this will be disappointing to many of you, and I also understand that some of you may experience a financial loss. In this regard, I am working with a regional group of superintendents to advocate on your behalf and will do whatever I can to mitigate your loss.
Field Trips: Effective immediately, all field trips will be cancelled through April vacation. Please be advised that this may extend beyond April vacation, and I will make that decision as soon as possible. Details regarding cancelled events will be forthcoming from the HPS staff member responsible for organizing each event.
After School Activities: All activities outside of the school day are cancelled until further notice. No new activities outside of the school day will be scheduled from now until the end of the school year.
High School Athletics: All winter season sports banquets have been cancelled. The spring sports season, scheduled to begin on March 16, 2020, has been delayed for a minimum of one week.
We understand that many of you have questions and concerns regarding a potential district closure. At this time, I am monitoring this situation very closely. I am in constant contact with the Hingham Department of Health and receive regular updates from the Massachusetts Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although schools will remain open as of now, please prepare for the very real possibility of a closure in the near future. Our leadership team is working to prepare for that possibility and will continue to keep the students' learning, health, and safety at the core of our decision-making.
I know this is a difficult and trying situation for the entire community. As parents, you may be wondering about the best way to talk to your child about the virus and the impact it is having on their world. Attached are a number of resources to help guide these conversations. You will find something appropriate for all ages. If your child is experiencing difficulty, school counselors and adjustment counselors, as always, are available to speak with students and help them understand and express their feelings so that they may return to the classroom and focus on learning.
I appreciate all of the emails I have received from concerned HPS families and community members. While I am unable to respond to each email individually, please know that I am fully dedicated to taking proactive steps to ensure that our schools continue to be safe and healthy environments for all children and staff.
Sincerely,
Paul Austin, Ph.D.
Talking to children about the CoronaVirus (COVID-19)
How to Talk to Children about the Coronavirus:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-to-talk-to-children-about-the-coronavirus-2020030719 111
Talking to Teen/Tweens about Coronavirus: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/02/well/family/coronavirus-teenagers-anxiety.html
**Here is a pamphlet from the article:
https://www.hemot.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Pamphlet_HEMOT_english.pdf
A comic created from NPR based on interviews with experts:
The National Association of School Psychologists released a resource for parents: https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/health-crisis-resources/talking-to-children-about-covid-19-(coronavirus)-a-parent-resource