SEYMOUR — Students at Chatfield-LoPresti School are learning online until May 10 because a spike of COVID-19 cases triggered quarantine protocols.
The district emailed parents a letter Sunday (April 25) letting them know the school, which serves students in grades preK through 5, would be closed for in-person classes for two weeks starting April 26.
Students had just returned back to full in-person learning in early March, after a mix of hybrid classes had been ongoing for the past few months.
“The decision was made because of the increased number of cases that we’re experiencing at Chatfield-LoPresti School,” Superintendent of Schools Michael Wilson said in an email to the Valley Indy Tuesday. “By having our students learn from home, we are ensuring that we mitigate any potential in-school exposure. We look forward to welcoming our Chatfield-LoPresti students back in full on Monday, May 10.”
A link to the letter parents received can be found here.
Click here and then scroll down for each letter the district sent regarding recent positive tests.
Wilson, in the letter, said the district learned on Sunday that several more CLS students and staff members had tested positive for coronavirus. Because the school is following protocols that require in-depth contract tracing, Wilson said any staff or students that came into contact with a positive individual must remain home and in quarantine for 14 days, according to CDC guidelines.
Anyone who may have been in contact with those individuals that tested positive were contacted by school officials, Wilson said.
According to a COVID-19 data tracker on the district’s website, a total of 230 students and 8 staff members were in quarantine as of Tuesday (April 27).
There are approximately 505 students in the school.
“Unfortunately, because of the number of students that will have to quarantine for precautionary measures, we (our Head Nurse, CLS Administration, the Naugatuck Valley Health District, the Board Chair and Central Office) made the difficult decision to close in-person classes at Chatfield-LoPresti School for the next two weeks,” Wilson said in the letter.
During the two weeks online, Wilson said the district will provide daily pick-up meals for any CLS family that wishes to receive it between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.in front of the school gym.
Wilson said if parents have questions, they can contact him or Associate Superintendent of Schools Vonda Tencza at 203 – 888-4564.
“The difficult decision to close schools is never easy,” Wilson said. “However, student and staff safety has and always will be our number one priority. This being the case, the significant increase in cases and subsequent quarantine numbers made it clear that we needed to put additional mitigation measures in place, which in this case meant having to close the school for two weeks.”
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Editor’s Note: if anyone in Seymour is looking for a COVID-19 vaccination, the Naugatuck Valley Health District is offering Moderna shots at the Seymour Community Center, 20 Pine St. on Thursday (April 29) and Friday (April 30) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome. You must be at least 18 years old.
