Late March 10th, 2020, Governor Charlie Baker declared a COVID-19-related State of Emergency for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Information on COVID-19 continues to evolve rapidly but currently there have been no reports of cases in Veritas Prep Charter School or the City of Springfield. School Leadership continues to prioritize the safety and well-being of students and staff by taking steps to minimize the impact of COVID-19 and VPCS will continue to provide updates on the school website, and social media channels. Planning continues and further guidance may be forthcoming.
Will schools be closing? Not currently. VPCS will follow the direction of local and state health officials on school closures if the community experiences a change in risk factors. If the decision is made to close schools, VPCS will promptly notify the school community through automated calls, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, the district website and VPCS all-staff notification system. VPCS will follow the direction of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education about education plans for distance learning.
Are travel plans cancelled? Yes, all school-related travel is cancelled for students and staff.
Are school-based events cancelled? Some school-based events have been cancelled or pushed to a later date. If the decision is made to cancel events school wide, VPCS will promptly notify the school community through automated calls, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, website and the VPCS all-staff notification system.
What is VPCS doing to help ensure schools are clean? VPCS custodians in all schools are continuing to work to keep our schools clean and as safe as possible. Custodians continue to thoroughly clean and disinfect buildings and Veritas Prep is ensuring that all cleaning supplies being used follow Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. Veritas has sufficient supplies of soap on hand and soap dispensers are being checked to ensure they are working and refilled throughout the day.
How is VPCS monitoring the changing situation? Veritas is in daily contact with Mayor Sarno, the City of Springfield Department of Health and Human Services, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and school districts throughout the state.
Are children more susceptible to the virus that causes COVID-19 compared with the general population and how can infection be prevented? The CDC has noted that children are not known to get seriously ill from COVID-19.
What if my child is not sick but is absent from school due to COVID-19 concerns? Currently, VPCS continues to follow the Attendance Policy as written and it would count as an unexcused absence. Approved absences include the following: student illness, medical appointment for the student, observance of a religious holiday, court appearance for the student.
I feel anxious about coronavirus. What can I do? We encourage you to visit the CDC website for more assistance on coping with the public health issue of COVID-19. That website is available here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/coping.html.
Do you have resources I can use to talk about the coronavirus with my child? As adults, it's important we remain calm with our actions and words and share accurate information. One of the ways we can protect our community from illness is to keep rumors and misinformation from spreading. Here is a resource you may use to talk about the coronavirus with children: Video: Coronavirus Explained for Kids https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywU2rK2sdyg&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR07L6TPsNQfpaqQfOAu7NiURJMV6hmyHHFmq2RWaDs2PI7NlLhtmnHhEYw.