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Just shut it down: Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Brookline, Burlington, Cambridge, Danvers, Everett, Lexington, Malden, Newton, Salem, Somerville and Winchester all closing schools
By adamg on Thu, 03/12/2020 - 5:34pm
Everett announced a 30-day shutdown for its schools, while Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Burlington, Lexington and Winchester said they are closing their schools for at least two weeks.
Newton is closing its schools until at least March 20. Somerville, which had already announced a shutdown through the weekend, said today it's closing its schools for two weeks starting Monday.
Brookline and Cambridge are closing their schools through March 27.
Malden is closing its schools tomorrow but has yet to decide for how long.
Danvers schools are closed through March 20.
Mount Alvernia High School will have a half day tomorrow, then teach classes remotely next week.
Salem closed schools early today and they will be closed tomorrow as well.
In a statement, officials in Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Burlington, Lexington and Winchester noted they have collectively had several cases linked to that Biogen meeting:
Our decision has been informed by our local boards of health, as well by expert epidemiologists who recognize that the time to act is now. We know we can have a greater and more positive impact on public health and safety if we do this together.
Many in our area have been particularly impacted due to our families who have a greater number of presumptive positive cases in the area. Please be aware that this school closure period of time may be extended or shortened should State authorities so direct.
Separately, Everett announced two-week closures for City Hall, the senior center and the public library.
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Comments
This sounds like WBZ
When they would read off the school closings.
Abington, Acton, etc.
Except for weeks, not hours.
Somerville too, for at least
Somerville too, for at least 2 weeks.
Somerville schools *and* libraries for two weeks
as well as all other city-owned buildings.
True true, thanks. Just
True true, thanks. Just school-focused 'cause we're trying to figure out what to do with the kids so we can still get work done but aren't relying too much on the electronic babysitter.
Make the locals take the heat
So long as these decisions can be dumped on people who aren't trained to cope with them, much easier for Charlie the Unicorn and the Great and Cowardly Court to sit back on their asses and worry about their poll numbers rather than decisively support public health or finding ways for the state to support working people who can't phone it in or have to care for their kids.
Amazing how much their "decision support guidelines" reek of "don't blame us we are covering our asses!".
I teach in Chelsea. 5 minutes
I teach in Chelsea. 5 minutes before school ended they told us we were closed tomorrow and after school activities were cancelled. I was going to stop in and talk to my boss but the office door was locked and they were shooing people away. Left with my laptop but without grading.
They told us later it's preemptive, but we had a staff member go to Italy who wasn't feeling well and didn't say another, and another whose kids go to the Eliot.
This is not going to end well and we are woefully unprepared for this.
Newton?
I don't see anything on the city's web site or on the public school website?
From Village 14
https://village14.com/2020/03/12/letter-from-superintendent-fleishman-to...
It's true...
My daughter's ballet school goes according to NPS and we got emails today confirming the shutdown
Wakefield Public Schools cancelled classes
for tomorrow, will evaluate over the weekend to determine if schools will stay closed longer.
same with waltham
https://twitter.com/CityofWaltham/status/1238221499489755137
Meanwhile in BPS
Got an email saying our kid's school would stay open unless there's exposure from a confirmed case. But hardly anyone is getting tested. So isn't it too late at that point?
13,000 and counting
Since yesterday on this petition to close BPS.
https://www.change.org/p/students-closure-of-schools-online-classes
Yes
It would be much too late at that point.
It's nearly impossible to believe that not a single BPS parent works at the Marriott Long Wharf, given the number of BPS schools and students. Staff there are just as vulnerable to getting COVID-19 (if not more, since they can't telecommute and have been there until today's announced shutdown) as the Biogen conference attendees. Based on this, I think it's safe to say that there are definitely presumptive cases among BPS families by this point...
I agree. Are Boston lives
I agree. Are Boston lives less valuable? I don’t understand why we are picking and choosing what is canceled and what goes on.
Medford, too
Two week hiatus.
Brookline
Just announced. Closed through 3/27/2020
Boston, we're looking at you...
source?
Source?
The school Web site
Here.
Boston never calls of school
Pfft. It could be a prediction of a 3 foot blizzard & they won't. Then the next snow if there's a predicted 5 inches they shut it down. They are completely ass backwards. I just use my own discretion.
Cambridge
Cambridge just called it off after tomorrow:
In private school news
Xaverian closed tomorrow to prep for possible distance learning next week.
(And their gala cancelled on Saturday night.)
Dear Watertown families,
Dear Watertown families,
We have made the decision to close all Watertown Public Schools for two weeks starting tomorrow, Friday, March 13th. Schools will remain closed through Friday, March 27th.
What's funny about these school closures
... is that a lot of them are for just two weeks.
Given the time frame for testing and the speed of spread see in other countries, in two weeks, we'll just be getting into mandatory regional shut-downs. I think Boston area kids will all be out for a month at least.
Two weeks is just a starter
But you are right that we are nowhere close to the peak on this.
"will reevaluate"
Yeah, the two weeks is a minimum number. Our district is using the time (and has already been working at it) to figure out some amount of remote class instruction. Unfortunately that doesn't work for the early grades. How do you do kindergarten online?
But... gotta deal with the hand we've been dealt.