Coronavirus: Mansfield High Cancels Parent-Teacher Conferences

MANSFIELD, MA — Mansfield High School has canceled the parent-teacher conferences scheduled for Thursday due to precautions involving the coronavirus pandemic. Mansfield High Principal Mary Watkins said the decision was made in light of Gov. Charlie Baker's request to put limits on large numbers of people gathering.

Wakins said there will be a half day for students on Thursday with a full day of work for staff. Teachers will spend time Thursday, and in the coming days, communicating through phone and email with parents who signed up for a conference slot.

Watkins said Quarter 3 progress reports will be sent home on Friday and that parents should ask to see them. Those with questions on the reports are asked to then contact teachers with any questions about the reports.

(More on the coronavirus can be found in this fact sheet from the CDC.)

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndromes (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available. To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched
objects and surfaces.

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