​Barnstable Students Return To Classrooms Monday

BARNSTABLE, MA — Students in Barnstable's public school system on Monday will return to classrooms for eight days of in-person learning leading up to the district's holiday break.

The announcement came in a letter from Meg Mayo-Brown, Barnstable's superintendent of schools, who thanked staff members, students and their families for their participation in the 14-day quarantine period that followed Thanksgiving.

Although the period has ended, Mayo-Brown implored students and their family members to continue doing daily screenings for the COVID-19 virus.

"In order to avoid in-school transmission of COVID, we ask that each day, before school, caregivers monitor children for signs or symptoms of illness, and review the COVID-19 screening questions," the superintendent wrote.

The screening, available online, checks for possible exposure to the virus, along with symptoms like a fever, a cough, body aches, nausea, fatigue, a sore throat or a loss of taste or smell.

Mayo-Brown said in addition to screenings, the school will continue to abide by standard health and safety protocols: practicing good hand hygiene, wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and staying home when feeling ill.

Options exist for parents who are not comfortable sending students back to school, the superintendent said. Parents with reservations were urged to contact their student's building principal or hub office by noon on Friday to discuss alternate learning arrangements.

School officials will continue to have regular meetings to review town, county and state health data in making in-person learning decisions, Mayo-Brown said.

"We all have a part to play in keeping our schools open for in-person learning, and we are grateful for your support of our health and safety protocols," the letter states. "The health and safety of our students and staff remains our utmost priority."