Parents and students at St. Joseph’s Brown School have been notified today by the St. Joseph Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Thomas Bruce that remote learning that started on December 3rd will now be extended until after the holiday break on January 4th. Bruce says the school is “likely to be listed as an ‘outbreak school’ on the state’s website,” forcing the decision announced today.
Here is a copy of his letter to staff and families in the district:
Dear Staff and Families,
St. Joseph Public Schools continues to carefully monitor the number of positive/probable COVID-19 cases at all of our sites. We are committed to transparency by reporting all positive/probable COVID-19 cases within our district following confirmation by the Berrien County Health Department (BCHD). An increase in positive cases, among other factors, informed our decision to take immediate action on Thursday, December 3rd, thus resulting in the change of instructional models from in-person learning to remote learning for Brown School students this week. Since that time, we learned that Brown School may be identified as an outbreak school.
An “outbreak” is defined as two or more cases that are epidemiologically connected to a specific site over a 14 day time period. In other words, an “outbreak” occurs when two or more cases are close contacts within the school, but the same individuals are not close contacts outside of school. For this reason, it is likely Brown School will be listed as an “outbreak school” on the state’s website.
This new information necessitates further action for staff and student safety. Therefore, Brown School will continue with remote learning through Friday, December 18th and will resume face-to-face instruction at the conclusion of our winter break on Monday, January 4, 2021. We understand that this course of action may not be ideal for our families, however, we know that it will help to mitigate the spread of the virus within the school.
I want to reassure you that we have and will continue to base our decisions on the latest science and data from our state and county public health officials. It is understood that we may never eliminate the possibility of COVID-19 showing up in our schools, but we must continue to be vigilant in the administration of our protocols to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and community. Thank you for your support and understanding.
Sincerely,
Thomas S. Bruce, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools
