Dear Northfield School District Families:
In an effort to ensure consistent communication with our district families, I am sharing a message that was sent to Bridgewater Elementary School families this afternoon.
We update our district’s active COVID-19 dashboard daily. The average influenza-like illness and quarantine rates are updated weekly. Access the dashboard now.
I want to assure all district families that we continue to use our mitigation strategies to limit the spread of COVID-19 throughout the district. As indicated below, please take reasonable precautions to keep yourself and our community healthy: stay home when you are ill, wash your hands frequently, wear a face covering when in public indoor spaces, get a COVID-19 test if you have symptoms, and strongly consider getting vaccinated.
Again, thank you for your continued support during these challenging times. We will continue to work together and, hopefully, end this pandemic sooner rather than later.
Sincerely,
Matt
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Matt Hillmann, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
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Dear Bridgewater Families,
I want you to know that we have experienced an increase in COVID-19 cases at Bridgewater this week. As of the time of this message, we have 20 laboratory-confirmed cases in the last 14 days out of approximately 550 students and 90 staff members. Almost half of those cases were reported in the last two days. Three-quarters of the cases have been reported in the last seven days. The percentage of students home with influenza-like symptoms, including COVID-19, has averaged 3.51% so far this week (it was 4.18% today). We are averaging 6.42% of students quarantined per day this week due to close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. There is one kindergarten class that was significantly impacted and is quarantined.
While this increase in cases is a concern, we have experience working through situations like this one and more tools to address it now than we did in the past. We are working in close partnership with Rice County Public Health and our district’s COVID-19 team to analyze the situation and implement appropriate next steps. We will move forward thoughtfully and diligently to protect the health and safety of our students while prioritizing uninterrupted in-person learning.
We will be hosting a recommended but optional mass testing event for all Bridgewater staff and students. As soon as that event is confirmed, we will let families know more information about it.
Please continue to take reasonable precautions to keep yourself and our community healthy: stay home when you are ill, wash your hands frequently, wear a face covering when in public indoor spaces, get a COVID-19 test if you have symptoms, and strongly consider getting vaccinated.
Thank you for your support and cooperation during these difficult times. Please contact us with any questions.
Sincerely,
Matt Hillmann, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools Nancy Antoine, Principal