Message from Superintendent Salim: March 12, 2020

UPDATE 1
Dear CPS Community:

Cambridge Public Schools will close at the end of the school day on Friday, March 13. Schools will remain closed through Friday, March 27. During that period, the decision will be revisited to determine if the closure will be extended. 

This additional school day will allow students to say a temporary good-bye and allow schools to provide nutritional support through the Cambridge Weekend Backpack Program that occurs on Fridays. More information to come, including plans for supporting student learning during this closure and additional details for CPS staff. As always, we respect and will excuse any absences among families who choose to keep their children home tomorrow.

For your information, as of Thursday afternoon, we are unaware of any confirmed COVID-19 cases among CPS staff or students. It is the hope of all involved that this closure, which was decided in consultation with local officials, will help prevent the spread of this virus. 

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Best,

Kenneth N. Salim, Ed.D. 
Superintendent


UPDATE 2
Dear CPS Community: 

Please see below for more information regarding the two-week school closure I announced earlier today. 

Open Friday, March 13:


  • CPS will be open on Friday, March 13. CPS respects and will excuse any absences among families who choose to keep their children home tomorrow. 
  • Programming on Friday, including after-school, pre-school, and Community Schools, will also be open. 

School Closure Dates:

  • CPS school buildings will be closed to students Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 27 to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. During this time, we will evaluate the situation to determine if the closure will be extended.
  • All programming located in CPS buildings including DHSP afterschool, pre-school, and Community Schools, are also closed during this period.

Building Access during Closure:

  • During the two-week closure, students and families will not have access to buildings.

Remote Learning Resources:

  • Chromebooks will be distributed to all students in grades 3 - 8 on Friday, March 13. Families that have internet access issues should contact their schools.
  • We will not be able to reproduce a full school-day learning experience at home for all students. More information about remote learning resources will be shared as soon as possible.
  • The Office of Students Services will share more information with families of students with disabilities in a separate communication.

Supporting Families:

  • Planning is underway among city agencies and community partners to coordinate efforts to provide food and other support to vulnerable families during the closure.
  • If you are interested in supporting volunteer efforts to distribute food to vulnerable populations during school closures, please sign up for information from the Food For Free volunteer mobilization team.

Click Here for Additional information for CPS Staff >>

The decision to close schools, especially for an extended period, is a difficult one. We understand there are many questions and we will do our best to respond as quickly as possible. Thank you again for all your support, continued patience, and flexibility as we navigate this unprecedented situation as a community and work together to support one another. 

Sincerely,

Kenneth N. Salim, Ed.D. 
Superintendent


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