I am delighted that teachers and students are once again on campus. The repopulation occurred this past Saturday and Sunday. Every family arrived according to their scheduled time. Thank you! While we are still waiting for some students because of delayed test results, and twelve students remain at home to participate in Cyber Franklin, we have accounted for everyone. The total student census is 75 students, up from 68 students at the start of school in September.
As we begin again, please know that we cherish our ability to meet students “where they are,” offering a flexible program to meet those needs. Unfortunately, the pandemic significantly limits our ability to do this, as we must place the safety of our students and staff as our top priority. Only when the whole community follows the safety protocols can we pursue our personal growth and educational goals. We also know that many of us need concrete boundaries within which to function. Therefore, administrators and teachers have adopted clear procedures to respond to any community member unable to follow Franklin’s safety protocols. We have shared these procedures with parents and reviewed them with students. We hope that everyone will cooperate to keep our community safe.
Towards this end, our next all-school COVID-19 testing will occur Wednesday, January 20. We will repeat the testing for everyone on January 27. Afterward, we will continue to test employees every week and move to an every other week schedule for students. Regarding vaccines, our school nurses have received their first shots. The vaccine supply in Connecticut will determine when all essential workers, including Franklin faculty, can be vaccinated. I will keep you posted.