March 9, 2020
Dr. Paul Austin provided the following letter to the Hingham Public Schools Community this afternoon addressing COVID-19 cleaning updates and cancellations for the week of March 9th given the public health concern.
Dear HPS Community,
By now I am sure that the majority of you are aware that the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 in Massachusetts is on the rise. I want to take this opportunity to update you on how Hingham Public Schools is responding to the challenge of ensuring a safe and healthy environment for all students, staff, and families in our community. Despite the rise in cases, the Massachusetts Department of Health still believes that the risk to HPS students and staff remains low.
With regards to schools, HPS has increased cleaning practices at the facilities and the transportation department. Last week, HPS increased the deep cleaning to 5 days per week, and all busses are sanitized nightly. Bathrooms and common spaces in all schools are thoroughly cleaned every day, and surfaces such as light switches and door handles are wiped down. In each of the school lunchrooms, all tables are washed and sanitized between every lunch period with “Purell Foodservice Surface Sanitizer."
The District consults regularly with the Hingham Department of Health, and is in contact with the Massachusetts Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control for regular updates. District Administrators, school health leadership, and the Hingham Department of Health met to discuss plans for managing any outbreak in Hingham.
Along with the increased cleaning measures, HPS has decided to modify or reschedule three large-group meetings this week. The Spring Sports information meeting scheduled for this evening has been canceled. Athletes and parents will receive a separate correspondence from their coach and/or the athletic department with all the pertinent information you will need for the season. In addition, HPS has rescheduled the All-Town Orchestra concert scheduled for Tuesday, March 10th, and the Mr. Joy presentation scheduled for Thursday, March 12. We will keep you informed if additional modifications are needed in subsequent weeks.
As Superintendent, I would like to assure you that HPS is working hard to ensure that all schools in our district continue to be safe and healthy environments. If you have additional questions regarding COVID-19 or other health concerns, I encourage you to contact the Hingham Department of Health directly at 781-741-1466.
Sincerely,
Paul Austin