Blanchard School Update 3/16/20

Dear Blanchard Families,

As you know, Governor Baker has ordered a three-week suspension of educational operations across the State continuing until Tuesday, April 7. I know this unprecedented situation brings a great deal of uncertainty for students, staff, and the community. We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as the district determines how the school closure will be addressed in Westford. We will continue to provide updates to families via email as updates become available. A remote emergency meeting of the Westford School Committee is scheduled for tonight at 7:00 PM. Please refer to the district website for public viewing and participation options. 

During the school closure period, all school buildings in the district will be closed in order for the custodial staff to continue cleaning and disinfecting. At the present time, the tentative reopen date is Wednesday, April 8, and April vacation has not been changed. The last day of the 2019/2020 school year is Tuesday, June 23 and an early release day, regardless of the number of days we are closed. 

As you know, the second trimester ended on Friday, and the report card release was planned for March 27. We anticipate this date will be extended to provide teachers with additional time to finalize grades. I will follow up with more information on the release of report cards later in the week. At this time, students have not been assigned any new schoolwork to complete at home. You can expect to receive information pertaining to remote enrichment opportunities from Central Office in the coming days. 

Over the recent weeks, we have been in frequent communication with Capital Tours regarding the eighth grade field trip to Washington, D.C. In consideration of the approaching cancellation deadlines and money families have invested in the trip, a decision has been made to cancel this year’s trip. I know this news will come as a great disappointment to our students, and our first priority is the health and safety of our students and staff. Capital Tours will be sending out additional information pertaining to the refund process. Their contact information is included below.

Capital Tours, Inc.
200 Merrimack Street, Suite 401
Haverhill, MA  01830
(978) 373-9140

A special thank you to our custodial staff. They have worked diligently to thoroughly clean every classroom in the school to ensure a safe, healthy return for students and staff. We miss your children already and hope to see them back in school soon. I imagine this significant change in routine may cause some to be worried. To that end, I am sharing a resource from the National Association of School Psychologists and National Association of School Nurses that you may find helpful in guiding conversations at home: COVID-19_parent_handout_NASP_NASN_2-20_FINAL (1)

Mrs. Demins and I will be collaborating with the leadership team and working remotely this week. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to us via email at thislop@westfordk12.us and pdemins@westfordk12.us.

Stay safe and well.

Sincerely,

Tim and Patti