Thank you for your questions and communication concerning our Lyndon Town School sixth grade. This letter is a follow up to the robo call that went out on the evening of October 20.

As you know there was a reported positive COVID case in our Lyndon Town School 6th grade learning community. The Department of Health has completed contact tracing. Yesterday, for precautionary measures, we sent home the entire 6th grade team of students, faculty and staff at Lyndon Town School. Today this cohort of faculty, staff and students taught and learned remotely. 

The department of health has instructed us that a small number of students, faculty and staff (combined) in the 6th grade at Lyndon are determined to be “close contacts” with the reported positive COVID test. These individuals are required to quarantine for two weeks from the time of the last contact. The Vermont Department of Health has spoken to these individuals. Other members of the 6th grade community are not considered close contact and do not need to quarantine.

The entire 6th grade class (students, faculty and staff) will engage in remote learning until October 30. The number of individuals who need to quarantine is significantly less than the number of individuals who will be teaching and learning remotely. The reason for having the entire 6th grade teach and learn remotely is because we want to provide the best educational opportunity for all of our students. If we tried to have some individuals return for in person while others remained remote, it would cause multiple scheduling, teaching coverage, teacher and student support, learning and consistency disruptions. Having the whole 6th grade community teaching and learning in the same mode creates a much better learning environment for all. 

Because we separate classes by cohort within Lyndon Town School, we isolate sub-groups within our in-person community. The rest of the school safely continues to learn at LTS in person while the affected group pivots to remote learning.

There is nobody in this 6th grade community at Lyndon Town School on our fall athletic teams (soccer and cross country) who had any contact with the positive case. All athletics will continue as normal. 

Thank you for understanding that, due to medical privacy laws, we are not able to release the name of the individual with COVID-19 or the individuals quarantining. I also ask that if you have questions or concerns you reach out directly to the teachers, Amy Gale or myself, rather than post on social media. We must all support each other.

Principal Gale will provide regular updates about the remote learning and returning to in person schooling. In addition we encourage you to tune into Friday FM MAGIC 97.7 at 6:50 AM. Both Principal Amy Gale and Nurse Tara Prue will share information on air. 

Sincerely,

Jennifer Botzojorns 

Superintendent of Schools