Editorial Staff.
On Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, administration at Haddam Killingworth Middle School were notified that one student tested positive for COVID-19. HKMS was switched to full remote for students on Tuesday while contact tracing could be completed. Contact tracing is implemented to identify close contacts of a positive case. A close contact is someone who has been within six feet for 15 minutes or more.
On Wednesday, HKMS reopened. Two staff members and twenty students are teaching and learning remotely during their quarantine period.
On Friday, Oct. 30, 2020 administration was notified of a positive COVID-19 case in someone associated with the HK Cubs Daycare program. Contact tracing was completed and one staff member and nine children/students associated with that program are now quarantining.
“Local health officials and I meet and speak on a regular basis and will continue to review case metrics together,” said Holly Hageman, Superintendent of Regional School District 17 schools, in a recent message to parents in the district. “We will keep the safety of students, staff and the community at the center of all decision-making. We will make any necessary changes to the instructional model, including a return to hybrid or moving to a full remote model, only if necessary, by way of a careful look at the nature and extent of cases in our communities and the relationship or impact on schooling.”
The Department of Public Health strongly advises exercising caution in social gatherings, including family gatherings, maintaining mask-wearing, hand-washing and appropriate social distancing if/when such gatherings occur. Please keep this in mind with Halloween and Thanksgiving approaching.
