Dear Lawrence Families,

I hope you were able to find some time to find joy and love during the December break.  The New Year has come in with a bang and we are all trying to be so careful as we navigate the increase of COVID infection rates all around us.

Please take care and monitor yourself and your children carefully.  The staff and I have reviewed all the important mitigation behaviors, and have been sharing them again with students. I have copied the superintendent's message below for all to see.

Stay well,

Monica

Greetings PSB community,

I want to thank you again for your continued flexibility, support, and patience over the past few days. Unforeseen obstacles, crises, and challenges will always emerge in any school year, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated opportunities for the unexpected…and we are about to enter our snow season! Nevertheless, I want to reiterate PSB’s commitment to keeping schools open for in-person learning. We expect buildings to remain open and we will continue to facilitate an environment that allows all of us to consistently attend school in a safe and healthy manner.

As we have done since September, PSB will enforce and update mitigation strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19 within our community. Some of these changes you may have already experienced today during your return:

• Wherever possible, large meetings with staff will be held virtually. This includes clubs, faculty meetings, professional development, and any other large group meetings currently scheduled for January in which staff would typically gather in person.
   
• During lunches, students may only have their masks off only while actively eating. Staff will also enforce as much physical distancing between students as possible. Additionally, ventilation - either through the portable HVAC units in our buildings or through open windows - should be maintained at all times during large student gatherings. We also encourage students to eat outside whenever possible.
   
• Only PSB employees, students, and visitors considered educationally essential (e.g. substitutes, volunteers during the school day, etc.) will be permitted in our school buildings.
   
• Depending on the venue, athletic events and other performances will either have no spectators or be restricted to parents/guardians only. Athletic Directors, Performing Arts Staff, and School Leaders will communicate specific details regarding outside participation in the days leading up to each event or performance.

We are still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and the guidance above will change over time. Nevertheless, we must acknowledge how far we have come as a community. If we continue to build relationships with one another and practice a culture of care, I am confident that we will overcome any obstacles that are presented, and I look forward to great things happening in 2022.

Sincerely,
 

Linus J. Guillory Jr., PhD
Superintendent of Schools

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