Skip to Main Content

Town Hall Meeting & Task Force Recomendations

Dear parents, guardians, and members of the Newmarket community,

Tomorrow evening at 6:00 PM we will hold another Parent Town Hall meeting. The two items we will review at the meeting are:

  1. A draft of the revised in person learning plan to comply with the Governors Emergency Order 89
  2. The COVID Protocol Taskforce Recommendation approved by the School Board on April 6th.

Join the Zoom Meeting at this Link
https://link.edgepilot.com/s/fff915cd/RGopZ643Ukmo49dHd64eKw?u=https://newmarket-k12-nh-us.zoom.us/j/96648298412

Meeting ID: 966 4829 8412
Dial In: +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

COVID Protocol Taskforce Recommendation

The following is the COVID-19 Protocol Review Task Force’s recommendation for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. This was approved by the School Board on April 6th and will be in effect until the end of the school year or until such time as deemed necessary to amend the current protocols.


The COVID-19 Protocol Review Taskforce was convened to review current safety protocols and to clarify and/or refine safety standards for the remainder of the school year. In keeping with the agreement of the original task force, to best ensure the safety of all staff and students, we continue the commitment to adhere to the highest standards of safety.  We acknowledge that the guidelines provided by the state frequently are not the highest standards. We also acknowledge the differing standards between state and federal guidelines. We have chosen the standards that reflect the highest safety. Lastly, we recognize that there must be a science-based guide behind our safety protocols. It is this task force’s recommendation that the Newmarket School District align its safety protocols to the highest level of safety determined by the CDC. 


It has been over a year since we first learned about this virus and how it affects people around the world, both physically and emotionally. Along with wearing masks, physical distancing and hand washing are the key factors and driving forces behind ending this pandemic. The recent approval of COVID-19 vaccines has been one of the ways to help our bodies develop immunity without getting infected with the illness. This advancement in medical technology, COVID-19 vaccinations, will take time to reach the masses in order to, hopefully, eradicate the virus. 


We are currently in phase 2b of those receiving the vaccine. In this phase, persons aged 16+ are eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine (the only vaccine currently approved for this age group). At this time, the CDC has not authorized children under the age of 16 to receive Coronavirus vaccines. This means that a significant portion of our school population will be unvaccinated during this school year, and those who are vaccinated will not have immunity before April vacation. 


We understand and recognize that the State of New Hampshire has a different recommendation (see links below) than the CDC regarding travel quarantines. However, in order to ensure the highest level of safety, the Newmarket School District strongly recommends a 7-14 day quarantine after travel, in accordance with CDC guidelines. 

NH DHHS COVID-19 Travel Guidance
NH DHHS COVID-19 Health Alert


According to the CDC guidelines, unless it is essential to travel, it is best to refrain from traveling during the pandemic. There is still a great risk to travel due to the possibility of contracting COVID-19 and spreading it amongst others. The type of travelling and accommodations increases the risk of contracting the virus due to close contact and decreased physical distancing (crowds or enclosed transportation, such as airplanes, buses, or trains). Although the state of New Hampshire has lifted the quarantine upon return to the state, it still recommends following the CDC guidelines. To that effect, our recommendation is to follow the highest levels of safety recommended by the CDC, which means following the CDC quarantine recommendations for travel. 

 

With April vacation approaching, and some people choosing to travel, the CDC has recommended the following guidelines for travel:

Domestic Travel recommendations for fully vaccinated people:

  1. Wear a mask
  2. Avoid crowds and try to keep a social distance of 6ft
  3. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer
  4. Do not travel if you have any new or unexplained symptoms of COVID-19
  5. Follow the quarantine guidelines upon return if you become ill

*You do not have to quarantine if you have been fully immunized or tested positive for the virus within the last 90 days. 


Domestic Travel recommendations for unvaccinated people:

  1. Travel by automobile if possible
  2. Take a viral test 1-3 days prior to departure
  3. Wear a mask (it is required if using public transportation)
  4. Avoid crowds and try to keep a social distance of 6ft
  5. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer
  6. Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel.
    1. Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days.
    2. If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
  7. If you don’t get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.This is the highest and safest recommendation, especially for young children that are averse to getting tested. 
  8. Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not.
  9. Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.

 

For international travel and vacations via cruise ships, vaccine verification and quarantine is still required. 

[See updated CDC guidelines as of April 2, 2021 here.]

 


CDC When to Quarantine

CDC Safer Travel

NH Covid Guidance Safer at Home

CDC Travel During Covid

NY Times: Kids and Covid Tests


We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Covid Protocol Review Taskforce for volunteering their time to review the protocols, meet to discuss the challenges and concerns of all parties and provide a recommendation that all stakeholders could support moving forward.

The Task Force included the following stakeholder representatives:

Amy Hill, Sarah Soster, Jenn Wieselquist: Parents 
Zoe McGuirk: Student  
Jen Farnese, Diane McCormick, Jessica Therriault: NTA
Jodie Hopping: SSA
Kim Shelton: School Board Chair  
Susan Givens, Jamie Hayes, Sean Pine: Administration


We look forward to seeing you tomorrow evening at the Town Hall meeting.

Susan K. Givens, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software.