Students Test Positive For Coronavirus At 2 Greenwich Schools

GREENWICH, CT — A student at Old Greenwich School and a student at Eastern Middle School recently tested positive for the coronavirus, according to district officials.

On Saturday, Principal Jen Bencivengo and other Old Greenwich School officials sent a letter to families informing them a fifth grade student, who was last in school Wednesday, had tested positive for the virus. (To sign up for Greenwich breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

Out of "an abundance of caution," the student's classmates and others who had direct contact with the student were asked to quarantine for two weeks. According to the letter, some students are scheduled to return to school Friday while others are scheduled to return Nov. 25.

All other Old Greenwich School students and staff will continue to attend school without restriction, according to the letter. An exact total number of students asked to quarantine was not immediately available.

District spokesperson Jonathan Supranowitz also confirmed this week a student at Eastern Middle School tested positive for the virus on Nov. 11. This was the district's first in-school transmission of the virus, Supranowitz confirmed.

The EMS student was part of a group that was already in quarantine when the student tested positive, Supranowitz said.

According to a tracker on the district website, there are currently 25 active cases of the virus among students, teachers and service providers in the school district. The tracker is updated every Friday and does not include the Old Greenwich School case.

In total, the district has seen 53 cases of the virus originating from activities outside of school since the beginning of the school year, as well as the one case originating from in-school exposure at Eastern Middle School.

Last week, Superintendent Toni Jones emphasized district officials were in "constant contact" with local health officials and consistently monitoring statistics regarding the virus in the region.

"The safety and well-being of our staff and faculty is our utmost priority," Jones said in a statement, "and we are prepared to adjust if and when it becomes necessary."

See also: 50 Greenwich High School Students, 3 Teachers Asked To Quarantine

• 100-Plus Students, Entire Grade Quarantining In Greenwich Schools

She also emphasized the importance of families following safety guidelines when students are not in school.

"It has been proven that our schools are some of the safest locations for our children to be in, but we rely on their families and parents to follow safety guidelines during after-school hours and on weekends," Jones said. "We continue to keep our lines of communication open, reminding everyone to complete their daily health checklists and follow quarantine protocols. Ultimately, we listen to the medical professionals, which includes the [state Department of Public Health], who have publicly stated that schools should remain open, as transmission across Connecticut is typically not happening in schools."

Board of Education chair Peter Bernstein also noted last week he and his fellow board members have noticed the number of students in Greenwich being asked to quarantine increase over the past month.

"We have certainly been watching the trends moving in the wrong direction as there has been an uptick in new cases," Bernstein said. "It serves as a stark reminder that we need to remain vigilant as a community and ensure that our students observe proper social distancing and mask wearing, whether at school or during non-school activities. Quarantines are just another essential tool to further prevent spreading of the virus."