Please be advised that afternoon bus runs on Monday and Tuesday from Cumberland High School and North Cumberland Middle School may be delayed with the possibility of including John J. McLaughlin Cumberland Hill School and Community School. Durham Bus Company was made aware of a road construction project at the intersection of Nate Whipple Highway and Diamond Hill Road scheduled for today and Tuesday of this week. On Tuesday, the morning preschool buses may be late but we do not anticipate the other morning bus runs to be affected.
Thank you in advance for your understanding.
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People with general questions about COVID-19 can call the Rhode Island Department of Health at 401-222-8022. (Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm) After hours: Call 211
COVID-19 Update
March 13, 2020
As a result of new information shared by Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), and Governor Raimondo, we are making the following recommendations:
- According to Governor Raimondo, over the next few weeks, we will be taking “stringent preventative measures” to contain the spread of the virus.
- We need to continue focusing on prevention by frequently washing our hands, frequently using hand sanitizer, coughing and sneezing into a tissue or an elbow, getting a flu shot, and staying home if you are feeling sick.
- All non-essential after school activities will be postponed until further notice. Mandatory meetings such as IEP meetings can take place via teleconference if necessary.
- We are postponing the Kindergarten and Grade 1 Student Registration scheduled for next week (March 18 & 19). A rescheduled date has not been set.
- The Attendance Policy will be waived for illness-related absences until further notice.
- All visitors to Cumberland Schools will be required to answer the following questions before being allowed to enter the school. Have you been out of the country? Have you been in contact with anyone diagnosed with Covid-19? Have you been in contact with anyone who is being tested for Covid-19?
- We are developing a virtual learning plan if we need to close a school or schools as a result of the coronavirus.
- The RIDOH is recommending that students attend school if they are not exhibiting any symptoms of illness.
- Realizing that parents have many questions and concerns about this virus, the RIDOH in collaboration with the Rhode Island Department of Education is developing a Frequently Asked Question document that will soon be available for parents.
- The CDC has a link that can be helpful for parents on how to talk to their children about this virus and how it is impacting them. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/coping.html#for-parents
For health questions, please contact the Rhode Department of Health (RIDOH) by calling 401-222-8022.
Coronavirus (COVID-19), Cold and Flu: How can you tell the difference?
This is a very fluid situation. Information is literally changing by the hour.
As always, we will keep you updated with any new information related to this virus.
March 6, 2020
I am providing a number of items related to the coronavirus to help keep you informed:
- There is a weekly conference call with Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health. There have been two conference calls to date and more will be scheduled as needed. Dr. Alexander-Scott provides updated information and answers questions. The RIDOH has been very helpful and responsive to questions and concerns related to this virus. Here is the link to the RIDOH: https://health.ri.gov/
- We are scheduling regular meetings with school administrators to update them on the most current information being shared by the RIDOH.
- All of our schools are being disinfected on a regular basis with a solution called Green Klean. Green Klean is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency and is recommended for use in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, restaurants, etc. Here is the link for the Go Green Klean website: https://gogreenklean.com/chlorinated-disinfecting-tablets/
- We have a link on the Cumberland School Department website that provides a wealth of information on the coronavirus: https://cumberlandschools.org/
- We have been in contact with the bus company regarding the cleaning of buses. We have been assured that all buses are cleaned with a disinfectant on a daily basis.
March 3, 2020
Letter from the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH and the Rhode Island Department of Education Commissioner, Angelica Infante-Green regarding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
March 2, 2020
I want to give you an update on new information that has been made public within the last twenty-four hours. As you may have heard, two individuals, associated with a school trip to Europe by St. Raphael Academy have been diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus. This is the virus associated with the coronavirus that we have been hearing so much about in the media. The Rhode Island Department of Health has issued a press release related to this updated information along with steps that we can all take to prevent infection. The link is attached for your review: https://www.ri.gov/press/view/37821
Given the local and national attention with the spread of the virus, it is understandable that students and families have elevated levels of concern. As a result, we encourage all members of our community to take the necessary precautions to reduce the risk of exposure.
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As many of you know, last year, the Rhode Island Department of Education announced that the SAT will now be utilized as the State Assessment for Rhode Island high school students. As a district, we are responsible for hosting the SAT School Day for grade 11 students on a specific date chosen by RIDE.
For the 2019 – 2020 school year, the date of March 30th was chosen at the end of last school year and was later adjusted by RIDE to March 25th. This year, March 25th lands on a Wednesday. As many of you know, the Cumberland School District has early release days on Wednesdays allowing for a 5 hour and 40 minute school day for high school students. In reviewing the time frame for students testing with “Standard Time” the official testing time is approximately 3 hours and 50 minutes (not including material distribution, directions for testing, breaks between each section, material collection, student release and student lunch). With the additional time needed to complete all aspects of the assessment there will not be enough time in the day to complete the assessment.
We have a responsibility to ensure that all students scheduled to participate in the SAT have the required amount of time to complete the assessment. As a result, we need to change the schedule on Wednesday, March 25th to a regularly scheduled school day. Therefore, there will be no early release on Wednesday, March 25, 2020. All of the grade levels are impacted because the bus runs are coordinated based on the school start and end times at each level (high, middle and elementary). The Durham Bus Company has been informed of the necessary change and will conduct pick up and drop off accordingly.
As a district, we understand that this may disrupt your schedule and wanted to share this information with you as soon as possible. We appreciate your support during this time.… Read More...
