Northeast Elementary School PTO

Superintendent Dr. Lucero announced that all Stamford Public Schools will be going into the Full Distance Learning Model beginning Monday, December 21st with an anticipated return to the Hybrid Model on Tuesday, January 19th, 2021. Please read her entire message to find out more. 

Please take a minute to read the latest from SPS Superintendent Dr. Lucero regarding our schools, the hybrid & full-distance models, and more.

SPS Staff and Families,

Thank you to teachers, staff, families and students who have worked hard in the first six weeks to re-enter our school buildings with a clear focus on the health and safety of our students and one another.  The willingness of our school communities to practice social distancing and good hand hygiene, as well as to wear face coverings properly, is commendable.

Our staff members continue to provide quality instruction and social emotional support to all students, regardless of whether they are participating in the Hybrid model or our Distance Teaching and Learning Academy. As we consider regular guidance from the Stamford Department of Health, as well as the infection rates reported weekly by the Department of Public Health, it is clear that remaining in the Hybrid model is the most appropriate for our district at this time.

We are committed, as a district, to increase student and staff engagement on our at-home learning days. We plan to achieve this goal by increasing the use of live-streaming, interactive programs, small-group and individualized virtual instruction, and the use of pre-recorded lessons. Not only will this provide a better learning opportunity for our students, but it will also help the district prepare for an unexpected change of schedule. As you know, some of our surrounding districts have had to close a building temporarily due to a COVID-19 outbreak. We too, should be prepared, at a moment’s notice, to temporarily switch to remote instruction in a specific building, or across the district, for a day or longer, as the situation may warrant. An added benefit to this type of preparedness is the state’s recent decision to allow districts to utilize at-home learning, in lieu of taking an inclement weather day, when weather would otherwise make it unsafe to open school buildings.

In the end, our ultimate objective is for our school communities to work together to develop schedules and clear guidelines that consider the age, grade and content areas for at-home learning days.  I know that if we work together, provide regular professional development, training, flexibility, and support to families, teachers, staff, community partners, and administrators, we will continually improve upon the learning experience for both our Hybrid model and Distance Teaching and Learning Academy students in Stamford.

Thank you, in advance, for your partnership and continued patience, while we embark on this next phase of our journey.  I believe, when we look back at this health crisis and all we were able to accomplish in our district in spite of the many challenges, we will all be proud.

Stay safe and healthy!

Dr. Tamu Lucero

Superintendent of Schools

With the onset of the traditional cold & flu season and the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, Superintendent Dr. Lucero has clarified procedures families should follow if their child is not feeling well. Dr. Lucero explains

“As the cold, flu and allergy season is upon us, it is important to reiterate what you should do if you or your child has only one of the key COVID-19 symptoms, such as a cough. Please contact your primary care doctor to determine if the symptom can be attributed to an alternate diagnosis, such as a common cold or allergies. Your doctor will determine the appropriate care and whether it is appropriate to attend school. The medical provider should document the alternative diagnosis with a note that can be provided to the school nurse. However, remember, if a member of staff or a child has been exposed to, or diagnosed with COVID-19, please report this to your school nurse.”

You can read her complete statement on the SPS website.

Please take a moment to read SPS Superintendent Dr. Lucero’s latest message to the SPS community and bookmark the SPS COVID-19 Dashboard for up-to-date info on COVID-19 cases in our public schools.

Hello Everyone,

Thank you all again for everything you are doing to keep Stamford students and staff safe.  I am pleased to say that members of our school communities are remaining home when sick, getting tested, and reporting contacts and positive cases of COVID-19 as required.

We need to continue to remember the following:

1. If you are a close contact, you should self-quarantine immediately, contact your doctor or a health professional, and notify the school nurse and principal immediately.
2. If you, or a member of your household, receive a positive COVID-19 test result over the weekend or in the evening, please email the principal immediately, do not wait until Monday or the morning.
3. There are times when a staff member or a student is considered a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 as the result of an experience outside of school. Of course they will be required to quarantine for up to 14 days. However, in these cases, that person’s need to quarantine does not necessarily impact the school community. Remember, a contact of a contact is not a close contact.
4. If you are required to quarantine, it is important that you remain at home until cleared to return to school by a medical professional.
5. Please continue to wear your mask at all times, except for mask breaks and while eating lunch.
6. Remember to socially distance yourself from others at all times, you must maintain at least 6 feet from others (even when you are outside) to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
7. If you travel outside of Connecticut, please follow the Governor’s Executive Order No. 9C that may require you to self-quarantine for up to 14 days. You can get the most up-to-date information on the Travel Advisory for Connecticut here.

In an effort to continue to provide transparent, accurate, and timely updates and information, SPS has created a COVID-19 Dashboard that will be housed and updated on the SPS COVID-19 Reopening Information webpage.

The Dashboard will be updated weekly with the following data:

1. Number of Positive Cases
2. Number in Quarantine
3. Number of SPS schools affected.

We remain committed to ensuring that health and safety are at the forefront of our decision-making.  Please continue to complete your COVID-19 Daily Family and Staff Checklist each day before coming to school. If you have any of the symptoms on the checklist, please remain at home and contact your medical provider.

Please note that we are entering the cold and flu season. I encourage staff, families and nurses to err on the side of caution when determining if a member of the school community should return to school or remain home when exhibiting flu, cold or COVID-19-like symptoms.

Thank you again for playing your part in reducing the risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19 in Stamford.

Stay Safe and Healthy!

Dr. Tamu Lucero

Superintendent of Schools

Please take a moment to read Superintendent Dr. Lucero’s latest message to the SPS Community.

Hello Staff and Families,

It is week two of the school year and we are off to a great start. I ran into a few families downtown on Saturday.  Both students and parents shared how excited they are to be back in school with their friends and teachers.

However, as we anticipated, we have had a few members of our school community test positive for COVID-19, some who have had COVID-19 like-symptoms, and others who had a ‘close contact’ with a COVID-19 positive individual and are required to self-quarantine.  We appreciate that in each of these cases the established process was followed, and was effective. The individuals communicated with their schools and together with the Stamford Health Department we conducted our contact tracing and risk assessment process.

Please know that each case is different and needs to be assessed independently.

The following is very important to remember as it relates to risk assessment and contact tracing:

1. The Stamford Health Department begins the process of risk assessment and contact tracing only when an individual in a school community or at central office has an official positive COVID-19 test.
2. A close contact is a person who has spent 15 minutes within 6 feet of a person with a confirmed positive COVID-19 test or a direct exposure to possibly infected droplets of saliva or nasal mucus (e.g. being sneezed or coughed on in the face).
3. A close contact of a contact is not a contact. In other words, a person must be in direct contact with a person testing positive for COVID-19 to be considered a contact.
4. Stamford Public Schools, in conjunction with the Stamford Health Department, selected the Hybrid model because it allowed for our students and staff to remain 6 feet apart, thus reducing the opportunity for students or staff to spend 15 minutes within 6 feet of a person in a class or during lunch, thus being considered a contact.
5. Due to privacy laws, only those individuals determined to be in contact with a COVID-19 positive individual will be notified of a necessary action such as self-quarantine.

Thank you to all of our students and staff who are diligently focused on reducing the risk by continuing to do the following:

1. Practicing proper hand hygiene including hand washing and hand sanitizing.
2. Practicing social distancing and avoiding any opportunity to spend 15 minutes within 6 feet of a person.
3. Wearing a mask that covers the nose and mouth at all times with the exceptions of a mask break and eating lunch.
4. If you are directed by a medical professional to quarantine, due to contact with a person with a positive COVID-19 test, it is important that you quarantine to limit exposure to others even if you are asymptomatic (not showing symptoms) or if you test negative for COVID-19. Quarantine refers to the practice of separating individuals who have had close contact, as defined above, with someone with COVID-19 to determine whether they develop symptoms or test positive for the disease. Quarantine also reduces the risk of transmission if an individual is later found to have COVID-19. This means you should remain in your home during the length of the required quarantine.

Together we will reduce the risk and be able to remain in-person at school.

Please take a minute to read Superintendent Dr. Lucero’s latest message to our SPS Community–

SPS Families,

Back-to-school week one is nearly behind us, and I couldn’t be more proud of our students than I am right now. It had been nearly six months since they last entered our buildings, but they didn’t miss a beat—even with all of our new safety measures and protocols.  As I visited schools across our district, I felt excitement and energy from students and staff members alike.  I honestly didn’t realize how much I missed that enthusiasm until I felt it again. It is good to be back!

As parents, you should be proud of how well-behaved your children were—whether it was their first time with us or whether they are entering their final year. They followed the rules, of course with some gentle reminders. But that is expected, I still need to remind myself to grab my mask when I leave my car. Our Distance Teaching & Learning Academy (DTLA) students are also picking up right where they left off—getting acclimated to logging in and participating virtually with classmates again. It is good to get reconnected with one another.

As with any first day (and remember we had two) there are always a few hiccups—whether it was a long drop off line, a forgotten blue/green designation or some scheduling issues—we all appreciate your patience as we continue to adjust and work out the details.

I recognize our high school and DTLA students are facing the most challenges as we finalize their classes.  I assure you we are doing our best to smooth out the rough spots and getting everything settled in the next week or so. If you have an unresolved issue with your student’s schedule, please reach out to your child’s school counselor. Again, thank you for your patience.

Unfortunately, though it comes as no surprise, we had our first positive case of COVID-19. The important thing you should know is that all of the established protocols were followed. The only reason I made the decision to close Stillmeadow school was to give ourselves enough time to complete the contact tracing and notify all impacted individuals. In fact, once all of our technology is distributed, we will be able to quickly switch to distance learning, if the situation warrants.

Finally, thank you for all you have done to prepare your children for this school year. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Take care,

Superintendent Lucero

In an effort to ensure the health and safety of all who work in or attend our schools, all families and staff members are asked to review this checklist and self-assess before leaving home each day. The assessment is available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. Returning to school safely only works if we work together, as a committed team. Let’s take care of ourselves and take care of each other!