With six Consentino School educators testing positive for the coronavirus, in-person learning at the middle school is temporarily ending.
An email to Consentino families from the administration Monday night said the school will switch entirely to remote learning through Thursday Nov. 12. The decision follows consultations with school Superintendent Margaret Marotta; Katie Vozeolas, school director of Health and Nursing Services; Dr. John Maddox, district physician; Joint Stakeholder Coronavirus Response Team; and the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
“Reverting to remote learning is a difficult decision, as we know that students learn best when we have them in front of us. That being said, these steps are being taken to stop the spread occurring within our staff and give time to reorganize prior to resuming in-person learning,” the email reads.
As WHAV first reported last week, a teacher at Consentino School tested positive. At the same time, an administrator at Silver Hill School tested positive for the virus. Principal Scott Gray, identified as a “close contact,” began working remotely.
Interim Principal Richard J. Poor told families last week that, besides the teacher, seven others staff members were considered “close contacts” and were in quarantine pending testing.
Haverhill schools hosted a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site Monday. After testing 50 staff members, the administration said, a sixth staff member tested positive. The email notes, “At this point there is no indication that the virus has been spread from student to staff or staff to student.”
The latest action follows reports of increased COVID-19 exposure nationally and statewide. WHAV has learned a Silver Hill student also tested positive and another student, deemed a close contact, is in quarantine. Earlier in October, a Bradford Elementary School student tested positive for COVID-19 following a family member testing positive.
Similarly, Timberlane Regional High School Interim Superintendent Brian Cochrane said Sunday that as of this coming Friday, all students there would revert to fully remote learning “until COVID metrics demonstrate a significant improvement.” The school serves Plaistow, Atkinson, Danville and Sandown, N.H.