Greetings Cohasset Families, 

We are thankful to be in such a wonderful community, and we hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving with their families and loved ones. A reminder that tomorrow, Wednesday, November 22, is a half day of school. Lunch will be served at the elementary schools but not at CMS or CHS. Dismissals are as follows: 

Cohasset Middle School & Cohasset High School: 12:30PM 

Deer Hill School: 1:15PM 

Joseph Osgood School: 1:20PM. 

In addition, we are excited to announce that the Cohasset High School presentation of Rent opens next Thursday. Thank you for supporting our amazing students. Please click on the link for additional information.

GO BLUE! Good luck to the Cohasset High School Football Team as they play Hull High School, Thursday, November 23 at 10:00AM at Hull High School.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

Sincerely, 

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D. 

Superintendent 

Cohasset Public Schools

Dear Cohasset School Families:

We are pleased to notify you that both school-related warrant articles PASSED at last night’s special town meeting.  Thank you to everyone who participated in the meeting and supported our students.

HOWEVER: One of the articles, the School Special Purpose Stabilization Fund, which will provide the district with a $1.5M fund from which we can pay for important repair and maintenance projects, still requires a majority vote at the SPECIAL TOWN ELECTION THIS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18.  We urge our district families to participate in the election, if at all possible, so that the school community’s perspective is included in the results.  

Polls will be open from 8AM until 6PM at the Town Hall.   Thank you!  

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Please click on the link to access the Navigator Newsletter for 11/9/2023. Thank you to all of our Veterans. Just a reminder that there is no school tomorrow, Friday, November 10, as we observe Veterans Day. Have a nice weekend and a Happy Veterans Day.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We want to update you with exciting news about universal free school meals. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has decided to extend free school meals for all students through the 2023-2024 school year! This means that breakfast and lunch will continue to be served at no cost to all students.

Free and Reduced Application: Only fill out a free and reduced application if you might qualify for EBT benefits through the state and for fee waivers for district fees such as bus fees, athletic fees etc. Meals are free for all students regardless of income. 

For all students, Ala carte items and second lunches are extra. Students will need to pay with cash or have money in their account to purchase these items. There is no charging (into a negative balance) for these items.

Second lunches will be charged at regular price. Middle/High school: $3.00, Elementary schools: $2.75. Milk, juice, and a small bottle of water are $.50 if purchased without a meal. A la carte snacks will be available for purchase as offered.

Menus will be posted on our website, www.cohassetk12.org, under the “Nutrition” tab. 

Preferred method of payment:

• Online:  www.myschoolbucks.com.
• Check Payable to:  Town of Cohasset (please put your child’s first and last name in the memo field).
• Cash:  Please put in an envelope clearly marked “School Lunch” with your child’s first and last name on it.

We are excited to welcome everyone back to what promises to be a wonderful school year. This year we will continue to focus our efforts as a school community on the implementation of the third and final year of the Cohasset Public Schools Strategic Plan 2021- 2024, which was created collaboratively by the entire Cohasset School Community.

We will strive to create an environment that is focused on the whole student, as we help students realize this year’s theme, “Follow Your Compass.” We are excited to help students achieve the gains that come from navigating their educational journey, as they understand their strengths and opportunities for growth.

Above all else, please know that we are here to support you and your child. Please do not hesitate to contact me or any staff member if we can help along this year’s journey.

Please click on the included links to access the Welcome Letter for the 2023-2024 School Year, an updated 2023-2024 Cohasset Public Schools Calendar, and the invitations to the District-wide Ice Cream Social , including the Osgood Teddy Bear Picnic for those entering PK -2, and to the Superintendent’s Coffee. Principals will be communicating specific scheduling and opening day information in the coming days. Please enjoy the remainder of your summer.

I was just informed by NASA that the originally scheduled time will now not work due to an unanticipated interruption in the signal during that time. The new time for tomorrow’s event is 1:10PM – 1:35PM. The event will still be streamed live on Facebook at Cohasset Live Streaming and can be seen on 143 TV. I have included the information regarding the event with the change in time below.

We are excited to announce that tomorrow, Wednesday, May 24 from 1:10PM - 1:35PM, Cohasset Public Schools and the Town of Cohasset will be communicating directly with Astronaut Stephen Bowen from space! We have been working behind the scenes with NASA, and we are thrilled that this event will take place for our students, staff, and community.

The event is a 25-minute downlink with two-way audio and one way video. The audience will be able to view and speak directly to Astronaut Bowen. All students and staff of Cohasset Public Schools will participate in the event, and we have selected students from all grade levels to ask questions and set to speak directly to Commander Bowen. The event will be streamed live on Facebook at Cohasset Live Streaming and can be seen on 143 TV.

NASA Astronaut Stephen G. Bowen, a Cohasset native and retired U.S. Navy captain, is the first submarine officer to selected as an astronaut by NASA. Since becoming an astronaut, Astronaut Bowen has flown on STS-126, STS-132, and STS-133 missions, and served as Commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station in March.

We are thankful to NASA and especially to Astronaut Bowen for this gracious gesture. This generosity is inspiring and is truly emblematic of Cohasset Public Schools vision of "Empowering Students to Improve Communities." We are also thankful for the wonderful collaboration with the Town of Cohasset to make this event a reality.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

_________________________________________

This Friday, April 7, 2023, is scheduled as a full school day per the Cohasset District Calendar. If your child will be absent or dismissed to observe a religious day or half-day, please inform the front office at your child’s school in writing, so that the day or half-day may be documented as excused. A reminder that in accordance with Cohasset School Committee Policy:

Absences will be excused under the following circumstances:

• After a medical appointment documented with a note from the medical office
• Illness or quarantine with a note from the appropriate medical office
• Observance of a religious holiday
• Bereavement or serious illness in family
• Court appearance
• A child may also be excused for other exceptional reasons with approval of the Principal or designee in accordance with the school committee policy and the regulations set in Chapter 76

Thank you for helping us ensure that appropriate attendance takes place on Friday.

Greetings Cohasset Families.

We are deeply saddened by today’s school shooting in Nashville, and our thoughts go out to the victims and their loved ones. I have spoken with Chief Quigley from the Cohasset Police Department, and we will continue to have a regular police presence in our schools as we move into the final quarter of the school year.

Cohasset Schools and Cohasset Police meet often throughout the year to review safety procedures and protocols, and we are fortunate to have Officer Taylor with us as a School Resource Officer.

As students may be exposed to media coverage of this tragedy, guidance counselors at all levels will be available to meet with any student who needs to talk. I have included a useful article outlining ways to talk to children regarding traumatic events.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Good morning Cohasset Families,

Due to the anticipated timing of the turnover from rain to snow, all after-school and evening activities are canceled or postponed for today, Tuesday, March 14. The Recycled pARTS event at Cohasset Middle School and Cohasset High School is rescheduled for Monday, March 20 at 6:30PM. Any further rescheduling of activities will be communicated by the planners of those events. Please stay safe in the storm.

Important Information from Cohasset Police Regarding Closing of Beach Street from 9:00AM - 2:00PM on March 7 & March 8.

We do not anticipate this closing impacting our bus routes:

 On 03/07/2023 and 03/08/2023 National Grid will have a tree removal company and crane working on Beach Street between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day. During that time, Beach Street will be completely closed due to critical work that needs to be done. Police Officers will be present to facilitate safety. The crane that is being used, is expected to take up the entire width of the road. If you live on Beach Street, we ask for your patience as you may not be able to leave depending on where the crane is located. Please know that the work is expected to begin after school bus pickup and is scheduled to stop before afternoon dismissal each day. Thank you for your understanding.

_____________________________________

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Please click on the link to access the Navigator Newsletter for 1/13/2023. Within this newsletter is an additional resource for talking with students regarding the recent news impacting Cohasset. This resource, which comes from Riverside Trauma Center, who is currently working with Cohasset school faculty and staff to support them and to guide them on working with students, is linked below:

Talking with Students about Traumatic Events

Our primary goal is to maintain our routines for our students, as we support students, families, and staff. We always stress the importance of adhering to normal routines during all difficult times, as children find comfort in knowing that schools are safe and supportive.

Please be mindful that schools are required to respect student and staff confidentiality rights, which prohibit us from being able to disseminate confidential information to the public.

Have a wonderful weekend and a nice Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Please take some time to reflect on Dr. King’s messages of peace, civil disobedience, courage, activism, and love. In a time when courage is needed to improve our society, Dr. King stands as a shining example of our potential to make true change and of our responsibility to make this world a better place.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Good Evening Cohasset Families,

In an effort to support families as they process information in the news media involving Cohasset, I am sharing the below link from Common Sense Media, with some additional resources included at the bottom of the article from the American Association of Psychologists:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/explaining-the-news-to-our-kids

Please also know that we have counselors at all of our schools to talk to your child if your child is in need of someone to talk to or to help process anything they have seen in the media or heard in school. We always stress the importance of adhering to normal routines during all difficult times, as children find comfort in knowing that schools are safe and supportive. Please do not hesitate to contact principals or counselors if we can assist you in any way.

The District Website has a page dedicated to Social Emotional Learning and Wellness. Please remember that our schools are a resource, and that our counselors, school psychologists, and social workers can support you and your child.

Here are a list of our counselors at each building:

Osgood: Dave Vinton dvinton@cohassetk12.org (adjustment counselor)

Deer Hill: Robyn Costa rcosta@cohassetk12.org (adjustment counselor)

Deer Hill and Osgood: Maeve Dullea mdullea@cohassetk12.org (adjustment counselor)

Deer Hill and Osgood: Alyson Doyle adoyle@cohassetk12.org (school psychologist)

CMS: Emily Manewal emanewal@cohassetk12.org (adjustment Counselor)

Allison Pearce apearce@cohassetk12.org (school psychologist)

CHS: Laura Struzziery lstruzziery@cohassetk12.org (lead counselor)

Leanne McCarthy lmccarthy@cohassetk12.org (high school adjustment counselor)

Kevin McGowan kmcgowan@cohassetk12.org (high school counselor)

Allison Battista abattista@cohassetk12.org (high school counselor)

Catlin Stromberg cstromberg@cohassetk12.org (school psychologist)

Robert Collins rcollins@cohassetk12.org (middle and high school social worker)

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

A reminder that Town Meeting will take place tonight, Monday, December 12, beginning at 7:00PM in the Cohasset High School Gymnasium.

Also, please click on the link to access the Cohasset Public Schools MCAS Action Plan, which was presented to the Cohasset Community during last Wednesday's Cohasset School Committee Meeting. This action plan was also included in this past week’s Navigator Newsletter. We will continue to implement this plan to ensure that our students are receiving the maximum support to achieve.

Just a reminder that for the 2023 - 2024 School Year, the first day of school for students will be Wednesday, August 30th (before Labor Day), and all schools will be closed on Friday, September 1st.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

This notice is to inform you that the turf replacement project at Alumni Stadium is set to begin on Monday, November 7, 2022, at which time access to the turf and track will be prohibited until further notice. This turf replacement project, along with the recently completed track, is a welcome improvement to our athletic facilities. We are thankful for the school community and town support and understanding, as we work to provide the best facilities possible for our students and town.

Athletic Director Steve Rotondi and Principal Brian Scott recently sent a message to families of fall sports athletes to outline the potential adjustments to the fall schedule. We plan on maximizing our home facility use, including preserving some home playoff games at Alumni Stadium before the work begins on November 7. Information will be forthcoming about specific sports calendar adjustments in conjunction with this project.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Due to the forecasted inclement weather tomorrow morning (wind and rain), the High Five event with Cohasset First Responders will be postponed until the morning of Friday, October 21. During this event our students will have the opportunity to "high five" members of Cohasset Police & Cohasset Fire, as the students enter the school buildings. Due to this event, there will be police and fire vehicles parked at the schools on the morning of October 21. We are fortunate to have such wonderful police and fire in Cohasset, and we are appreciative of everything they do to keep our schools safe. We also appreciate them taking part in this celebration.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Greetings Cohasset Families,

We are excited to welcome everyone back to what promises to be a wonderful school year. This year we will continue to focus our efforts as a school community on the implementation of the second year of the Cohasset Public Schools Strategic Plan, created collaboratively by the entire Cohasset School Community.

We will strive to create an environment focused on the whole student, as we help students realize this year’s theme, “Find Your Compass.” We are excited to help students understand the gains that come from navigating their educational journey, as they recognize their strengths and opportunities for growth:

More than anything else, please know that we are here to support you and your child. Please do not hesitate to contact me or any staff member if we can help along this year’s journey.

Please see the email accompanying this phone message to access the Welcome Letter for the 2022-2023 School Year.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Greetings Cohasset Families,

We are excited to welcome everyone back to what promises to be a wonderful school year. This year we will continue to focus our efforts as a school community on the implementation of the second year of the Cohasset Public Schools Strategic Plan, which was created collaboratively by the entire Cohasset School Community. We will strive to create an environment that is focused on the whole student, as we help students realize this year’s theme, “Find Your Compass.” We are excited to help students realize the gains that come from navigating their educational journey, as they realize their strengths and opportunities for growth. Above all else, please know that we are here to support you and your child. Please do not hesitate to contact me or any staff member if we can help along this year’s journey.

Please click on the links to access the Welcome Letter for the 2022-2023 School Year, and the invitations to the District-wide Ice Cream Social, and the Superintendent’s Coffee. Principals will be communicating specific scheduling and opening day information in the coming days. Please enjoy the remainder of your summer.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Community Health Update:

As of June 23, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 6.83% with 268 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 19 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated per capita. Here is the complete report issued on June 23, 2022.

Please see the attached letter from Commissioner Riley and Public Health Commissioner Cooke about COVID-19 vaccination for children under 5 years old.

Community Health Update:

As of June 16, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 7.31% with 260 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 19 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated per capita. Here is the complete report issued on June 16, 2022.

Community Health Update:

As of June 9, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 8.87% with 282 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 24 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated per capita. Here is the complete report issued on June 9, 2022.

Community Health Update:

As of June 2, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 11.98% with 334 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 36 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated per capita. Here is the complete report issued on June 2, 2022.

Community Health Update:

As of May 26, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 11.87% with 379 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 42 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on May 26, 2022.

Greetings Cohasset Families,
I want to express my thanks to the Cohasset Police for providing extra police presence at all schools today, particularly at our Osgood music assemblies, in response to the Texas elementary school tragedy. Members of district leadership and all building principals met with Chief Quigley and members of the Cohasset Police today to discuss our safety approach and to establish any additional safety measures that will be implemented during the final weeks of the school year.

Also, thank you to our leaders, teachers, and counselors who remain ready to attend to anyone who needs support. Please do not hesitate to reach out if we can help you or your student.

Finally, thank you to everyone in the Cohasset community for your collaboration, as we continue to strive to keep Cohasset Schools a safe and wonderful place to attend school. Here are some additional resources regarding talking to children about violence:

National Association of School Psychologists: Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Cohasset Public Schools

Greetings Cohasset Families.

We are deeply saddened by today’s school shooting in Texas, and our thoughts go out to the victims and their loved ones. I have spoken with Chief Quigley from the Cohasset Police Department, and we will continue to have regular police presence in our schools during the final weeks of school, including police presence at our scheduled school events. Cohasset Schools and Cohasset Police meet often throughout the year to review safety procedures and protocols, and we are fortunate to have Officer Taylor with us as a School Resource Officer.

As students may be exposed to media coverage of this tragedy, guidance counselors at all levels will be available to meet with any student who needs to talk. I have included a useful article outlining ways to talk to children regarding traumatic events.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Community Health Update:

As of May 19, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 12.91% with 395 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 51 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on May 19, 2022.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Sadly, as a nation, we are dealing with another traumatic event with the recent racially motivated shootings in a Buffalo supermarket. Devastating events such as this carry with them media coverage that exposes children to images and reports that are troubling, and which lead children to ask questions of the adults whom they trust. Here is an article from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which offers advice regarding how we can talk to children about events such as this.

https://www.adl.org/blog/the-horrific-mass-shooting-in-buffalo-how-to-talk-with-young-people

The ADL website offers additional helpful information.

https://www.adl.org/

Our thoughts go out to the victims and their families. We will continue our work to promote equity, inclusion, and empathy.

Community Health Update:

As of May 12, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 10.08% with 387 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 39 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on May 12, 2022.

Community Health Update:

As of May 5, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 6.67% with 360 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 21 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on May 5, 2022.

Community Health Update:

As of April 28, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 6.62% with 423 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 24 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on April 28, 2022.

Due to the continued bus driver shortage, we will be observing the following bus schedule until further notice. We do expect improvements soon, as newly hired bus drivers become licensed.

MORNING TRIPS:

• Bus 4 will pick up CMHS bus 5&6 students. Bus 5 and 6 students should please be at their stops 15 minutes earlier than usual.
• Bus 3 students should please be at their bus stops 10 minutes earlier than usual.
• Bus 3 will pick up elementary bus 5 students about 15 minutes late arriving to school by 9:15AM.

AFTERNOON TRIPS:

• Bus 4 will drop off CMHS bus 5 &6 students.
• Bus 8 will pick up Bus 8 students from the elementary schools at 3:15 pm, so bus drop off at home may be a few minutes earlier than usual.
• Bus 8 will then pick up Bus 5 students from the elementary schools, so drop off at home will be delayed by approximately 10 – 15 minutes.

We sincerely appreciate the continued patience. We will keep you updated as we onboard our new drivers.

As of April 14, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 5.45% with 367 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 20 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on April 14, 2022.

Due to the ongoing bus driver shortage, the following bus schedules will need adjustments today, Wednesday, April 13, 2022.

CMHS morning bus routes:

Bus 6 students should please be at their bus stops 10 minutes earlier than usual

Bus 5 students should please expect bus pick up 10 minutes later than usual

DEERHILL/OSGOOD morning bus routes:

Bus 3 students should please be at their bus stops 10 minutes earlier than usual

Bus 5 students should please expect bus pick up 10 minutes later than usual

CMHS afternoon bus routes:

Buses 5&6 students will ride together

DEERHILL/OSGOOD afternoon bus routes: 

Bus 5 students will be dropped off 10 to 15 minutes later than usual, as Bus 8, will be transporting bus 5 students after completion of the bus 8 route.

Thank you for your continued patience.

Community Health Update:

As of April 7, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 4.63% with 367 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 16 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on April 7, 2022.

Due to our bus driver shortage, we will be making the following adjustments to bus routes tomorrow, Wednesday, April 6, 2022: AM CMHS ROUTES ​Bus 6 will pick up routes 6&8 Route 8 students will be picked up 10minutes early with route 6 students about 5 minutes late. AM ELEMENTARY ROUTES Bus 4 students will be picked up 10 minutes early. route 8 students will be picked up 10 minutes late ​PM CMHS ROUTES Bus 6 will pick up routes 6&8 together ​PM ELEMENTARY ROUTES Route 5 students will be released as bus 5 arrives Bus 5 will return to the Deerhill/Osgood for pickup of route 8 students Route 8 students will be delayed by 10-15 minutes, arriving home. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Due to a shortage of bus drivers this mornng, we are making the following adjustments to our morning and afternoon bus routes for today, Tuesday, April 5, 2022:

AM CMHS ROUTES

​Bus 6 will pick up routes 6&8

Route 8 students will be picked up 10minutes earlier than usual, with route 6 students being picked up about 5 minutes later than usual.

AM ELEMENTARY ROUTES

Bus 4 students will be picked up 10 minutes earlier than usual.

route 8 students will be picked up 10 minutes later than usual.

 ​PM CMHS ROUTES

Bus 6&8 students will be transported together

​PM ELEMENTARY ROUTES

Route 4 students released as bus 4 arrives 

Route 8 students will be delayed by 10-15 arriving home  

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for your patience.

Community Health Update:

As of March 31, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 6.91% with 391 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 26 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on March 31, 2022.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

I am writing to inform you that, due to a driver’s absence that we are unable to fill with a substitute driver, we will be making the following adjustments to our morning and afternoon bus routes for tomorrow, Thursday, March 31, 2022 only:

Cohasset Middle School and Cohasset High School Morning Routes:

Route 5&6 will ride together

Route 5 middle school and high school students should please be at their bus stop 10 minutes earlier than usual

Route 6 middle school and high school students should please expect a 5 minute later morning pick up time than usual

Elementary Morning Routes:

Route 3 elementary students should please be at their bus stop 10 mins earlier than usual

Route 4 elementary students should please expect a 10 minute later morning pick up time than usual

Cohasset Middle School and Cohasset High School Afternoon Routes:

Routes 5&6 middle school and high school students will ride together

Elementary Afternoon Routes:

Route 8 elementary students will be picked up at school 5-10minutes earlier than usual

Route 4 elementary students will be picked up by bus 8 and will arrive home 10 -15 minutes later than usual.

We expect this change to only impact tomorrow’s routes. We appreciate your patience and understanding, and we apologize for any issues that result from these changes.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Community Health Update:

As of March 24, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 5.19% with 366 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 19 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on March 24, 2022.

Community Health Update:

As of March 17, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 3.24% with 340 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 11 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on March 17, 2022.

Community Health Information:

As of March 10, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 3.08% with 325 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 9 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on March 10, 2022.

Due to a conflict with the scheduled District-wide concerts, the Cohasset School Committee Meeting, originally scheduled for March 16, 2022, will now take place on Monday, March 14, 2022 at 6:00PM in the Cohasset High School and Cohasset Middle School Learning Commons (library). In-person attendance is encouraged. The meeting will also be streaming live on Facebook and Zoom with participation available on the Zoom platform.

At the meeting, the Cohasset School Committee will be considering the following:

• Discussion of Potential Pre-Labor Day Start of School for School Years 2022 – 2023, 2023 – 2024, and 2024 – 2025 and Vote
• Discussion of 2022 – 2023 School Year Calendar and Vote

As always, community input at the meeting is paramount and welcome.

Community Health Information:

As of March 3, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 2.43% with 411 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 9 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on March 3, 2022.

At tonight’s (3/2/2022) Cohasset School Committee Meeting, the Cohasset School Committee voted that, in conjunction with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) guidance, that effective tomorrow, Thursday, March 3, 2022, masks are optional for all student and staff while riding on Cohasset Public Schools’ buses and vans. Thank you to all who participated in the discussion.

As of February 24, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 3.64% with 467 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 17 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on February 24, 2022. Have a wonderful day and evening.

Community Health Information:

As of February 17, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 6.67% with 435 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 29 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on February 17, 2022.

At last evening’s Cohasset School Committee Meeting (2/16/2022), the Cohasset School Committee voted, in conjunction with the recent decision by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), to lift the mask mandate, effective Monday, February 28, 2022 for all staff and students at Joseph Osgood Elementary School (JOS), regardless of vaccination status. Please remember that this allowance in no way prohibits or limits individuals from wearing masks at Joseph Osgood School, should they wish to do so. Masks are currently optional for all staff and students at Cohasset High School (CHS), Cohasset Middle School (CMS), and Deer Hill Elementary School (DHS), due to those schools previously meeting the 80% vaccination threshold requirement set by DESE.

In addition, the Cohasset School Committee voted for the following:  

• Beginning on Monday, February 28, 2022, masks will be optional for all visitors, in all of our buildings, regardless of vaccination status.
• We will continue to follow the DESE/ Department of Public Health (DPH) Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios - SY 2021-2022, which include requiring masking for students and staff returning from quarantine / isolation (for up to five days, while attending school / work).
• In accordance with DPH recommendations, we will continue to require masking in all nurses’ offices, throughout the District, until further notice.
• Per federal mandate, masking will continue to be required on all school buses for students and staff, until further notice.

Thank you to the Cohasset School Committee for their thoughtful consideration and decisions, and thank you to all who contributed to last evening’s meeting. 

Due to the snowstorm last evening and early this morning, we will be instituting a one-hour (1) delay for all Cohasset Public Schools for today, Monday, February 14, 2022. Morning bus pick-ups and start times will be delayed for one (1) hour at each school, with Cohasset Middle School and Cohasset High School beginning at 9:15AM; Deer Hill School beginning at 10:05AM; and Joseph Osgood School beginning at 10:10AM. Lunch will be served at all schools on a regular schedule. Due to the one (1) hour delay, there will be no morning pre-school session at Joseph Osgood School this morning. Please stay safe as you travel to school.

Community Health Update:

As of February 10, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 10.49% with 486 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 48 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on February 10, 2022.

This morning, Governor Baker announced that Massachusetts will not be extending the mask mandate for schools, and that, effective Monday, February 28, 2022 masking becomes a “local decision.” Here is the memo sent by Commissioner of Education Riley to district superintendents regarding this announcement. Currently, we are mask optional for all students and staff at Cohasset High School, Cohasset Middle School, and Deer Hill Elementary School regardless of individual vaccination status. At the Wednesday, February 16, 2022 Cohasset School Committee Meeting, the Cohasset School Committee will discuss and vote to determine if Joseph Osgood School will be mask optional for students and staff beginning on February 28, 2022. It will also be determined if masking will continue to be required of visitors in all or any of our buildings and if masks will continue to be required in our nurses’ offices.

The following requirements for masking will continue throughout the District:

• Masking will continue to be required on all school buses for students and staff, per federal mandate, until further notice.
• Masking will be required for students and staff returning from quarantine (for up to five days, inside and outside while attending school / work) in conjunction with quarantine timelines and guidance.

As a reminder, it is important to remember that anyone can certainly choose to wear a mask in any of our buildings, at any time. Also, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and Department of Public Health (DPH) strongly recommend that unvaccinated individuals wear masks in school settings. Once again, the masking policy will be discussed at the Wednesday, February 16, 2022 Cohasset School Committee Meeting, which takes place in the Cohasset Middle School and Cohasset High School Learning Commons and which is streamed live on Zoom, Facebook, and Cohasset 143 at 6:00PM. Your participation in that meeting is encouraged.

This morning (2/7/2022), we received official permission from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for masking to be optional for all students and staff at Deer Hill Elementary School. In following Cohasset School Committee policy, masking is optional, effective tomorrow, Tuesday, February 8, 2022, for all Deer Hill staff and students, regardless of their vaccination status.

At last Wednesday evening’s Cohasset School Committee Meeting (2/2/2022), the Cohasset School Committee voted to adjust the masking / face covering policy to make masking optional for all students and staff at Deer Hill School, once official approval was received from DESE. This policy adjustment was made in conjunction with the DESE and the Department of Health (DPH) allowance for schools that have reached the 80% vaccination threshold. In adopting the DESE guidance, the Cohasset School Committee highly recommends that unvaccinated individuals continue to mask at Deer Hill School.

Some additional reminders regarding masks:

• In conjunction with the DESE mask mandate extending through February 28, 2022, masking is still required for all students and staff at Joseph Osgood Elementary School. Like Deer Hill Elementary School, Cohasset Middle School, and Cohasset High School, if and when Joseph Osgood reaches the 80% fully vaccinated threshold status, a determination can be made by the Cohasset School Committee regarding masking requirements.
• All students and staff, in all of our schools, are required to wear masks in nurses’ offices.
• All students and staff, in all of our schools, are required to wear masks while on school buses, per federal law.
• All students and staff returning from quarantine must wear masks (indoors and outdoors) for the time connected to their quarantine (up to five days after return to school).
• Visitors are required to wear masks in all of our schools, regardless of vaccination status.

Community Health Update:

As of February 3, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 13.14% with 609 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 70 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on February 3, 2022.

After consulting with safety officials, and due to the timing of the intensifying sleet and freezing rain forecasted for tomorrow, we are moving to an early release dismissal for all schools for tomorrow, Friday, February 4. This decision is being made due the potential impact the weather could have on afternoon travel for our students living in Cohasset and for our students living in Boston. As is the case for our usual early dismissals, dismissal will be 12:30PM for Cohasset Middle School and Cohasset High School, 1:15PM for Deer Hill, and 1:20PM for Joseph Osgood School. All after school events, practices, and sporting events are canceled for tomorrow.

For those of you who opted your child(ren) into the state’s new “At Home Testing Program,” your child(ren) will receive one test kit tomorrow in a labeled bag. In that test kit will be two (2) individual tests that should be used over a two-week period. There will be specific instructions in the bag with the kits that will provide instructions for using the tests. Click here for a full “written “how to” in various languages. Click here for a video of an individual self-testing.

We are asking families to test their child(ren) on Sunday of each week, including over February break. Families should only report positives to their school nurse. Contact information for each school nurse will also be in the bag.

We will be reordering test kits every other week. Parents / Guardians who have yet to sign up their child for the testing program, but who would like them to be involved in future deliveries should contact their child’s school nurse. Thank you and have a great evening.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

At last evening’s Cohasset School Committee Meeting (2/2/2022), the Cohasset School Committee voted to adjust the masking / face covering policy to make masking optional for all students and staff at Deer Hill School, once official approval is received from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). This policy adjustment was made in conjunction with the DESE and the Department of Health (DPH) allowance for schools that have reached the 80% vaccination threshold. When official approval is received, Deer Hill will be mask optional for all students and staff, regardless of vaccination status. I will inform the school community in the coming days regarding the exact start date of this mask optional allowance for Deer Hill School.

In addition, at last evening’s Cohasset School Committee Meeting, the Committee was informed of the District’s intention to remove all spacing restrictions, in all of our buildings, beginning after February break. This change will fully re-establish our cafeterias as dining spaces and our gymnasiums as exercising spaces in all schools within the district. Have a nice afternoon.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Greetings Cohasset Families,

This afternoon I was informed that we have met the 80% vaccination threshold (staff and students combined) at Deer Hill Elementary School. Currently, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) provides schools who reach the 80% vaccination threshold with the ability to make a local decision whether masking will be optional for members within that school. I will be bringing this vaccination news forward during tomorrow evening’s Cohasset School Committee Meeting as a topic not reasonably anticipated within 48 hours advance notice of the meeting, so that the Cohasset School Committee can discuss and vote (pending receipt of DESE’s official approval) if masking will be deemed optional for students and staff at Deer Hill School. Our highly vaccinated middle school and high school are currently mask optional for all students and staff.  Joseph Osgood School has yet to make the required 80% threshold.

As always, community voice is paramount in the decision-making, and your voice is welcomed during tomorrow evening’s meeting, which begins at 6:00PM in the Cohasset Middle and High School Learning Commons. The meeting will also be live streamed on Facebook and on Zoom. Participants who are not attending in-person will need to utilize the Zoom link to have their comments and questions read by School Committee Members. Thank you in advance for your participation in this important meeting.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

This is Cohasset Superintendent, Dr. Patrick Sullivan, with a school cancelation message for tomorrow, Monday, January 31, 2022. After consulting with DPW and town safety officials, school is canceled for all Cohasset schools, tomorrow, Monday, January 31. The additional day of clean-up from this significant storm will provide the Cohasset DPW time to work on sidewalks and bus stop areas, and to clear secondary roads more thoroughly. Ensuring students’ ability to travel to and from school safely is paramount in this decision. All athletic contests, practices, as well as all other scheduled before and after school activities, are also cancelled for tomorrow. Thank you for your understanding.

We have an update on our bus delays:

• Beginning this Monday, January 31, students on Bus 3 and bus 5 can resume their beginning of the year schedules, as one of our drivers has returned to work.

The following adjustments will continue until further notice:

• Elementary students on bus 7 should please arrive at the bus stop 10 minutes earlier than usual in the morning. Also, we anticipate that there may be a slight delay for pick up for elementary students on bus 6 in the morning,
• In the afternoon, there will be a delay for elementary students on bus 6 in the afternoon with a last home drop off of approximately 4:25PM, although we are hopeful the drop-offs may be sooner.

Efforts are being taken to ensure that students have a positive, safe, and supervised experience when at school because of early drop off or late pick up. Thank you all for your patience, as we work together to get through these difficult times. If you have any questions or concerns, or if there is anyone who has a CDL license who is interested in employment, please feel free to contact our Transportation Supervisor, Ray Miscioscia, at rmiscioscia@cohassetk12.org or our Director of Finance and Operations, Susan Owen, at sowen@cohassetk12.org.

Community Health Update:

As of January 27, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 16.21% with 765 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 111 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on January 27, 2022.

With the incoming storm set to impact us this weekend, all activities scheduled to take place at Cohasset Public Schools, as well as all activities and sporting events, are canceled for Saturday and Sunday. Please feel free to follow @CohassetPolice on twitter for safety updates. I will also be providing information on twitter @SuperCohasset, and when necessary, over connect-ed throughout the storm. Please see the message below, which was sent this evening by Cohasset Police Chief Quigley to all Cohasset residents, on behalf of the Emergency Management Team. 

Good evening, this is Police Chief William Quigley, calling on behalf of the emergency management team, with a message for Cohasset residents.

We are bracing for the major winter storm that is predicted to impact our area this Saturday, we would like to pass along important information:

• The Library and Recreation Department will be closed Saturday and Sunday.
• The RTF will be closed Saturday so that DPW workers can assist in snow removal efforts.
• In the event of large-scale power failure, we are prepared to open a warming and charging center at Willcutt Commons on Sohier Street.
• Residents are encouraged to download the National Grid App from their app store to receive information on outages and restoration times.
• We would also like to remind residents that the winter parking ban remains in effect, and overnight on-street parking is not allowed.

Please monitor official Town of Cohasset social media pages and the town website for situational updates. We will have further updates as new information becomes available. Thank you!

Community Health Update:

As of January 20, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 20.34% with 934 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 184 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on January 20, 2022.

At Cohasset Public Schools, keeping your children and our students safe and in school is our top priority. We are writing to let you know, in accordance with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Department of Public Health (DPH), our district is updating our COVID-19 Testing Program, with an anticipated start date of the first full week in February. We are opting into an at-home testing program that will increase testing of our participating students and staff, regardless of vaccination status. For more information about this update to the statewide testing program, please click here. Although we are awaiting confirmation from DESE, it is anticipated that the at home-testing option will begin during the week of February 7, 2022, but perhaps earlier. In addition to this new at-home antigen test option, we will implement symptomatic testing, when deemed necessary by our nurses, during the week.

As part of this shift in the program, we will be discontinuing Test and Stay and contact tracing for in-school close contacts. This means that if your child is a potential contact in school, they may continue to come to school and do not have to quarantine. This new at-home testing opportunity is voluntary, and only those who opt-in will receive tests. Until we have fully implemented this new testing program, we will continue our current procedures. We strongly encourage you to fill out THIS ON-LINE FORM by the end of the day on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 to opt-in. If you have questions, please contact your school’s nurse. 

Overview: At-Home Rapid Testing Program

• About the Test: iHealth is a 15-minute at-home FDA-approved rapid antigen test
• Opt-In: To participate, you must opt in by completing the above on-line opt in form. By opting in, you will agree to review the training materials for test administration, report positive test results to your student’s school.
• Weekly: Every two weeks your child will receive an iHealth at-home rapid test kit. Each kit contains two individual tests. Details regarding this distribution will be forthcoming. Please ensure your child administers one test each week.
• Reporting Positive Test Results: If your child tests positive on an at-home antigen test, you will inform their school of the positive result by contacting the school nurse.
• Results: The school will keep the results confidential and will not make individual results public. In addition, it is strongly recommended that you inform your healthcare professional of the positive result.
• Easy, Free, and Flexible: This test is administered at home (not at school), reducing the burden on school staff and time to administer tests and increasing a family’s flexibility to do testing in the home for free.

How do I submit results?

• Submit Results: You must submit positive test results to your student’s school by contacting your school’s nurse.  
• Confidentiality: Positive test results are shared with your school district for informational purposes only. Individual results will remain confidential, and they will never be made public. 

Thank you for your help with this important initiative.

At last evening’s Cohasset School Committee Meeting (1/19/2022), the Cohasset School Committee voted to adjust their mask policy for Cohasset Middle School (CMS) and Cohasset High School (CHS) to match the current Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) guidance / allowances regarding schools that have met the vaccination threshold of 80% vaccinated staff and students. Effective immediately, masking for CMS and CHS students and staff is optional, regardless of the vaccination status of the individual. In conjunction with DESE’s guidance, the Cohasset School Committee strongly recommends that unvaccinated individuals continue to mask at CMS and CHS.

Some additional reminders:

• The Cohasset Board of Health (BoH) strongly recommendsthat all students and staff opt to wear masks through the month of January, which falls in line with their recommendations for all individuals in all indoor public settings town-wide.
• Masking is still required for all at our elementary schools, in conjunction with the January 10 mask mandate extension sent by DESE, through February 28, 2022.
• All students and staff, in all of our schools, are required to wear masks in nurses’ offices.
• All students and staff, in all of our schools, are required to wear masks while on school buses per federal law.
• Visitors are required to wear masks in all of our schools, regardless of vaccination status.

Thank you to all who participated in the discussion at last evening’s meeting.

Community Health Update:

As of January 13, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 21.24% with 890 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 186 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 94% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on January 13, 2022.

On Monday, January 10, 2022, I sent a message to the community indicating that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) extended the mask mandate for schools through February 28, 2022. I wanted to bring to your attention that within that message was the following change in guidance regarding masking requirements within schools that meet the 80% threshold:

“Whether or not a school or district avails itself of the 80 percent vaccination off-ramp is a local decision to be made by school and district leaders in consultation with local health officials. In alignment with statewide guidance, it is highly recommended that unvaccinated students and staff continue wearing masks.”

 This is a change from DESE’s previous guidance, which required all unvaccinated individuals to mask within schools who had reached the 80% threshold. At this point, per the vote at the November 17, 2021 School Committee Meeting, the Cohasset School Committee Policy for masking at Cohasset High School and Cohasset Middle School remains that unvaccinated individuals are required to mask (middle school threshold guidance allowance goes into effect on January 18). Staff and students in our elementary schools, vaccinated or unvaccinated, need to continue to wear masks while in the school buildings, as required by the mask extension guidance.

 The Cohasset School Committee will be discussing the impact this new guidance change has on their policy at the January 19, 2022 Cohasset School Committee Meeting. A reminder that the Cohasset Board of Health (BoH) strongly recommends that all students and staff opt to wear face coverings through the month of January, which falls in line with their recommendations for all individuals in all indoor public settings town-wide. The full language of the mask extension can be found here.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

This morning, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) communicated to public school superintendents that the mask mandate, previously extended through January 15, 2022, is now extended through February 28, 2022. This extension does not alter the exception for those schools who have reached the 80% vaccination threshold, where local decisions can allow vaccinated individuals to remove masks. On November 17, 2021, the Cohasset School Committee voted to make masks optional for vaccinated individuals at Cohasset High School, effective 12/6/2021. Subsequently, on December 15, 2021, the Cohasset School Committee voted to make masks optional for vaccinated individuals at Cohasset Middle School, effective 1/18/2022. Both Cohasset High School and Cohasset Middle School exceed the 80% vaccination threshold, both individually and collectively, though only a collective 80% is necessary pursuant to DESE guidance where the two schools are housed in the same building. This decision complies with all current guidance and/or requirements issued by DESE, the Department of Public Health (DPH), and the Cohasset Board of Health (BoH). A reminder that the Cohasset BoH strongly recommends that all students and staff opt to wear face coverings through the month of January, which falls in line with their recommendations for all individuals in all indoor public settings town-wide. The full language of the mask extension can be found here.

Community Health Information:

As of January 6, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 16.42% with 877 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 140 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 94% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 14% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on January 6, 2022.

Due to the current forecast of heavy snow for tomorrow, particularly during the morning commute to school hours, school is canceled for Cohasset Public Schools for tomorrow, Friday, January 7, 2022. All events, games, activities, and scheduled practices are also canceled for tomorrow. Please stay safe in the storm. Enjoy your weekend.

As I reiterated last week in my message regarding route changes, like many school districts we are currently experiencing a bus driver shortage. We will be discussing this shortage at tonight’s Cohasset School Committee Meeting. Until we have solved the current shortage, the following adjustments will continue:

• Elementary students on Bus 3 should please arrive at the bus stop 10 minutes earlier than usual in the morning. Also, we are anticipating that students and families of elementary students on Bus 5 may experience a few minutes of delay in being picked up in the morning.
• In the afternoon, elementary students on Bus 5 will experience some delays on the ride home. We anticipate that the last stop for the afternoon for elementary bus 5 will be approximately 4:25PM, although we are hopeful the drop-offs may be sooner.

In addition, beginning on Friday, January 7, 2022, we are adding the need for the following adjustments:

• Middle and high school students on bus 5 should please be at their bus stops 10 minutes earlier than usual in the morning.
• Elementary students on bus 7 should please arrive at the bus stop 10 minutes earlier than usual in the morning. Also, we anticipate that there may be a slight delay for pick up for elementary students on bus 6 in the morning,
• In the afternoon, there will be a delay for elementary students on bus 6 in the afternoon with a last home drop off of approximately 4:25PM, although we are hopeful the drop-offs may be sooner.

Efforts are being taken to ensure that students have a positive, safe, and supervised experience when at school because of early drop off or late pick up. Thank you all for your patience, as we work together to get through these difficult times. If you have any questions or concerns, or if there is anyone who has a CDL license who is interested in employment, please feel free to contact our Transportation Supervisor, Ray Miscioscia, at rmiscioscia@cohassetk12.org or our Director of Finance and Operations, Susan Owen, at sowen@cohassetk12.org.

As many of you are aware, like many school districts we are currently experiencing a bus driver shortage. Due to some unforeseen staffing issues, we will be readjusting some of the routes to facilitate continual bus service. We are hopeful that this is a short-term situation, and we are taking necessary steps to increase our staffing.

 In the morning, beginning on Monday, January 3, 2022, we are asking that elementary students on Bus 3 arrive at the bus stop 10 minutes earlier than usual. Also, we are anticipating that students and families of elementary students on Bus 5 may experience a few minutes of delay in being picked up in the morning.

 In the afternoon, beginning on Monday, January 3, 2022, elementary students on Bus 5 will experience some delays on the ride home. We anticipate that the last stop for the afternoon for elementary route 5 will be approximately 4:25PM.

 Thank you all for your patience, as we work together to get through these difficult times. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact our Transportation Supervisor, Ray Miscioscia, at rmiscioscia@cohassetk12.org or our Director of Finance and Operations, Susan Owen, at sowen@cohassetk12.org.

Community Health Information:

As of December 30, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 10.51% with 875 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 89 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 93% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 15% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on December 30, 2021.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

I wanted to update you regarding isolation and quarantine guidance that was adopted yesterday by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). As many of you know, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently made changes to their guidance related to COVID-19 isolation and quarantine durations. In a message to superintendents yesterday, DESE indicated that “The Department of Public Health (DPH) has updated the state-wide guidance which includes a reduction of the required isolation period for COVID-19 positive individuals in K-12 schools to 5 days (from 10 days in current guidance), effective immediately. We are currently working with our medical advisors and state health officials to further update the DESE/DPH Guidance on Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios, which we will post in the coming days." Therefore, anyone currently in quarantine or who will need to quarantine due to testing positive for COVID-19, should now follow the five (5) day quarantine guidance.

Finally, we have received a few questions regarding masking / face coverings at Cohasset High School. As DESE is currently maintaining the 80% vaccination threshold, we are maintaining our current mask status (same mask status at all buildings that was in place before vacation). We will keep you all updated as DESE updates its guidance on protocols for responding to COVID-19 Scenarios or if they change the 80% vaccination threshold allowance.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Click on the links below to view the 2021-2022 School Improvement Plan (SIP) for each school.

Joseph Osgood School

Deer Hill School

Cohasset Middle School

Cohasset High School

Community Health Information:

As of December 16, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 6.49% with 848 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 54 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 91% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 14% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on December 16, 2021.

Dear Cohasset Families 

We have been made aware of nationwide TikTok postings which claim there will be school shootings, without mention of location, on Friday, December 17. These postings contain no mention of state, school, time etc. Please be advised that there has been no direct threat to the Cohasset Public Schools.

While these postings have been deemed to be non-credible, out of an abundance of caution, we will have increased police presence at our schools tomorrow. The Cohasset Public Schools and Cohasset Police will continue to work together to maintain the safety and security of our schools.

Sincerely,

William P. Quigley

Chief of Police

Cohasset Police Department

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

At last night’s School Committee Meeting (12/15/2021) the Cohasset School Committee voted to move the date for approval for vaccinated individuals at the middle school to unmask until January 18, 2021. Waiting two weeks after winter break allows us the opportunity to view infection rates in our community and in the middle school population (which is still has a lower vaccination rate than our high school community) before allowing vaccinated individuals to unmask. Waiting two weeks after winter break also allows younger middle school students who may not yet be fully vaccinated, but whose families want them to be fully vaccinated, the opportunity to have more time to reach full vaccination before allowing vaccinated individuals to unmask.

Community Health Information:

As of December 9, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 6.71% with 805 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 54 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 89% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 15% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on December 9, 2021.

Good Morning Cohasset High School and Cohasset Middle School Families,

Please take a moment to log-in to Aspen under “Family Portal” to ensure that, if your child is vaccinated, that it is recorded as such under “Demographics” for each child. Under “Demographics” you will find a field identified as COVID Vaccination marked “Yes” if your child is recorded as vaccinated and “No” if your child is not recorded as vaccinated. This information, which can only be accessed by the appropriate and legally designated staff (nurses and school administrators), is used to determine if your child is allowed to unmask while in Cohasset Middle School and Cohasset High School per Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) approval. Beginning on December 6, 2021 at Cohasset High School and on January 1, 2022 at Cohasset Middle School, vaccinated students and staff are / will be able to remove masks. If there is an error in this field, please email your building principal and follow-up with proof of vaccination to your child’s school nurse. A reminder that proof of your child’s vaccination, submitted to your child’s school nurse, can be provided in one of the following ways:

• A signed self-attestation completed by a parent / legal guardian of the child indicating the brand of vaccine; or 
• Documentation provided to the individual by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health or a health care provider. Documentation may include but is not limited to a COVID-19 vaccination record card or a copy or digital picture of the vaccination record card, or a print-out from the Massachusetts Immunization Information System (MIIS).

 Cohasset High School administration has sent clear messaging to students regarding the need for compliance with masking and will be meeting individually with students about the mask requirements. Cohasset Middle School administration will do the same when the mask mandate is lifted at the middle school for vaccinated students and staff. If you have questions regarding accessing your Aspen Family Portal, please email:

CHS:

Lisa Tokarz ltokarz@cohassetk12.org

Or

Gail Saitow gsaitow@cohassetk12.org

CMS:

Deborah Simmons dsimmons@cohassetk12.org

Thank you for your assistance.

Community Health Information:

As of December 2, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 4.94% with 688 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 31 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 86% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 18% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on December 2, 2021.

Today, because Cohasset High School (CHS) and Cohasset Middle School (CMS) exceeded the 80% vaccination threshold (fully vaccinated staff and students in both schools combined), the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) granted approval for CHS and CMS (no other schools in the district) to lift the mask mandate requirement for fully vaccinated individuals (individuals who have two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna or the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson’s Jannsen). At the November 17 Cohasset School Committee Meeting the Cohasset School Committee voted that masks will not be required for fully vaccinated individuals at CHS once students and staff in the combined CHS and CMS building reach the 80% vaccination threshold, we receive DESE approval, and we are operationally prepared to make this adjustment. It was also decided by vote that vaccinated individuals at CMS will remain masked until January 1, 2022. As a result of these school committee votes and DESE approval, the following changes will take place for Cohasset Middle School and Cohasset High School:

• Beginning on Monday, December 6, 2021, the masking requirement will be lifted for fully vaccinated individuals at CHS only. Unvaccinated individuals are required to continue to wear masks in accordance with DESE guidelines.
• All Cohasset Middle School staff and students will continue to wear masks until January 1, 2022. As of this time, after January 1, masking will not be required for fully vaccinated individuals at CMS.

 Masks will continue to be worn by all individuals at both CHS and CMS in the following locations:

• On the bus (wearing a mask on the bus is a federal mandate)
• In our nurses’ offices (at both CHS and CMS)
• In our shared learning commons
• Masking rules for athletics will follow MIAA guidelines

 Masking will be required for all visitors to Cohasset Public Schools until further notice. This requirement includes all families who are attending sporting, theater, and musical events.

 It should be noted that, regardless of vaccination status, individuals at Cohasset High School (beginning on December 6) and Cohasset Middle School (after January 1) may certainly choose to continue to wear a mask while in school. Any choice to wear a mask should not be viewed as an indication of one’s vaccination status. As a reminder, if your child’s vaccination status changes from unvaccinated to vaccinated, please contact your child’s school nurse. DESE reserves the right, following consultation with medical experts and state health officials, to re-institute the Department’s mask mandate at the shared building housing Cohasset Middle School and Cohasset High School, if it becomes appropriate based on state and local public health data. Thank you for your collaboration and vigilance regarding the above rules.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

I am writing to you today to outline the process families should follow if they have a child who attends Cohasset Public Schools who has tested positive for COVID-19 or is a close contact to a COVID-19 positive individual and requires quarantine.

Step #1: Please contact your child’s nurse.

Step #2: Your child’s principal will then send you an email outlining the asynchronous (work provided for your child to complete) and synchronous (remote connection) learning models that will be available to your child during quarantine. Here is the letter that you will receive:

Dear Cohasset Family,

 If you are receiving this email you have informed your school nurse that your child is COVID-19 positive or is in quarantine from exposure to a COVID-19 positive individual. All students will have the opportunity to receive a combination of asynchronous (work provided for your child to complete) and synchronous (remote connection) instruction during periods of COVID-19 quarantine.

 All teachers will ensure that students who are COVID-19 positive or are in quarantine receive asynchronous work that is consistent with what the students are covering in the classroom at the time of the student’s quarantine. This work can be provided through Google Classroom, Google Slides, IXL, Dreambox, Lexia, independent reading, or other educational materials that connect directly to the information being taught in class at the time of the quarantine.

 All elementary teachers will provide COVID-19 positive or quarantined elementary students the opportunity for meaningful synchronous interactions daily for each of these areas: social-emotional learning, ELA and math. All middle and high school teachers will provide quarantined middle and high school students the opportunity for daily meaningful synchronous interactions with their teachers. Teachers will work collaboratively with students and families to ensure an appropriate work load and to successfully transition students into the classroom.

Your child’s teachers have been notified of your child’s quarantine; however, if you do not hear from them within one school day, please feel free to contact them directly should you wish for your child to receive synchronous connections, as outlined above.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Building Principal

Step # 3: Please follow up with your child’s principal and teacher if you have any questions.

Thank you for your continued collaboration during this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Community Health Information:

As of November 26, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 3.66% with 656 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 20 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 85% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 17% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on November 26, 2021.

Just a reminder regarding tomorrow’s dismissal schedule:

Cohasset Middle School & Cohasset High School: 12:30PM

Deer Hill School: 1:15PM

Joseph Osgood School: 1:20

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Community Report:

As of November 18, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 3.11% with 611 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 17 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 85% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 14% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on November 18, 2021.

Community Report:

Below please find the Cohasset Community Health Update as of November 11, 2021.

 As of November 11, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 2.69% with 557 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 12 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 85% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 11% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on November 11, 2021.

Community Report:

Below please find the Cohasset Community Health Update as of November 4, 2021.

As of November 4, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 2.22% with 540 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 7 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 84% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 10% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report  issued on November 4, 2021.

Community Report:

Below please find the Cohasset Community Health Update as of October 28, 2021.

As of October 28, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 3.8% with 579 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 16 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 84% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 9% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report  issued on October 28, 2021.

Moving forward, I will update the community regarding staff and student vaccination attestation percentages within these weekly updates. Due to the storm, data was not available for communication this week.

After consulting with town safety officials, due to the anticipated lack of electricity at our schools tomorrow, the still unsafe roads for walking to school and to the bus stop, downed trees and power lines, and generator problems in three of our four schools, there will be no school in Cohasset Public Schools, tomorrow, Friday, 10/29/2021. We do anticipate that clean-up will be at a point that we can resume athletic contests and practices, as previously scheduled, tomorrow afternoon. Therefore, at this point, practices and contests scheduled tomorrow will take place as scheduled. If it becomes necessary to cancel those practices and contests, we will inform the community in a separate communication. The PSO Trunk-or-Treat event scheduled at Osgood school is canceled. Please stay safe and take good care.

After consulting with town safety officials, and due to the extensive damage, potentially dangerous commuting scenarios, downed trees, and anticipated continued power outages, including for the schools, school is cancelled for all students and staff, tomorrow, Thursday, October 28, 2021. All scheduled after school events, practices, and athletic contests are also cancelled for tomorrow. I hope this message finds you and your family safe and doing well.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Due to the inclement weather, high winds, and wide-spread loss of power, Cohasset Public Schools is cancelling school and all after school events, practices, and athletic contests for Wednesday, 10/27/2021. Please be safe today.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Please click on the link to view the Press Release sent today by Massachusetts Education Commissioner Riley extending the mask mandate until January 15, 2022. It still remains that schools who can attest to 80% vaccination (a combination of students and staff) will not be mandated to have vaccinated individuals in that building wear masks, pending the approval of local authorities. Have a nice evening.

Dear Cohasset Families:

We have had an eventful first six weeks of school, so we wanted to take an opportunity to reach out to families, in an effort to communicate some important information and avoid further confusion on some issues of ongoing concern.

School Committee Meetings Now In-Person AND Virtual

First, the School Committee ("SC") has been meeting in a hybrid in-person/virtual format for several weeks now.  This means that we have returned to full in-person meetings, but continue to offer a virtual participation option, as such a format significantly increased community participation at our meetings and general awareness of SC business.  At the moment, we are holding our meetings at the Willcutt Commons, but it is our intention to establish the learning commons at the Middle and High School as the regular, default meeting location for our meetings.  We do not know exactly when we will move the meetings there, as the timeline is dependent on our ability to acquire the necessary hardware to maintain the hybrid format while in that space. Once we acquire the hardware necessary to move out of Willcutt, it is also our intention to intermittently host regular SC meetings in suitable spaces throughout various school buildings.  For example, if we have a spotlight on learning for a fifth-grade class, we may host a meeting in a suitable space at Deer Hill.  It is important to note, however, that we intend to continue the hybrid format for all future meetings.  This brings us to our next point: technological difficulties.

We are well-aware that there have been technological challenges in connection with our hybrid meetings.  We are actively working to refine the hardware involved and to configure an overall setup that provides optimal video and audio reception.  Obviously, we still have some work to do, which is frustrating for this day and age, but it is a reality that we are both aware of and confronting with haste.  It is unacceptable to have poor reception for those of you watching at home and we will deliver a better product in the future.

School Operations and Pandemic Measures 

Turning to school operations.  While we acknowledge that we continue to face pandemic-related challenges like spacing and masking, we are, overall, very pleased with our operations thus far.  There is a tremendous amount of positive energy within our buildings which, in many ways, even exceeds that which existed before the pandemic.  Overall, our students and staff are clearly very excited to be back with one another every day; curricula are getting back on track, classrooms are starting to look more normal again, and friendships, new and old, are flourishing.  While this is, indeed, generally very positive, it does not, in any way, mean that we are satisfied.  The students and staff are still masked and distanced (which we will address in a bit more detail below) and our new leadership team has, until now, been forced to focus on reactive pandemic triage, as opposed to proactive district improvement goals.  If your family is still struggling with current operations - for whatever reason - we assure you things will improve as the year progresses.  We continue to urge everyone to reach out to teachers, building and district leadership, and the SC with any problems or challenges.

Next, we want to offer some clarification on a few continuing concerns.  Although everyone is very tired of it, masking continues to be required for our district.  Please know that, while each of us may have different individual opinions on the matter, nobody on the SC wants the students in masks for longer than they need to be.  As Dr. Sullivan noted in his recent communication, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education ("DESE") recently granted approval that would have allowed the SC to rescind the current masking requirement for Cohasset High School, but that approval was withdrawn at the last minute because our middle and high schools are housed in the same building and, added together, the schools fall short of the minimum vaccination rate.  The shared building was an issue that Dr. Sullivan had anticipated and had expressly pointed out to DESE but, for whatever reason, DESE did not react until after it had already granted the initial approval.  Future FDA approval of vaccinations for younger ages, together with the natural aging of our middle school students, will concurrently work to increase our school vaccination rates, eventually allowing the SC to exempt vaccinated students from a masking mandate.  It will happen, just not yet.

Staff Vaccinations - At our October 20, 2021 SC meeting, Dr. Sullivan shared data relative to vaccinations in our district, and many families seem confused by what some of that data actually meant.  Specifically, many families have expressed concern that, as of Wednesday's meeting, little more than half of our staff were vaccinated, as the staff vaccination attestation rates were in the 50 and 60 percentile range.  This does not mean that only half our staff has been vaccinated.  There is a difference between vaccination rates and attestation rates.  As the President of the Cohasset Teacher's Association ("CTA") explicitly stated at the meeting, according to his polling, 99% of the staff is fully vaccinated.  The attestation percentage only demonstrates the low number of staff members that have responded to the Superintendent's request to formally notify the district that they are fully vaccinated.  Without speculating as to the reason(s) a staff member may or may not have attested to vaccination at this point, we simply wanted to provide some clarification, as this confused multiple families.  

"Test and Stay" ("T&S") - There has been much discussion relative to T&S throughout recent months and we want to provide a bit of clarification, as to avoid any further confusion on the issue.  T&S is different from "pool testing," which is now referred to as "Routine COVID Safety Checks."  T&S was conceived as a mechanism to avoid in-school close-contact quarantine-related absences.  Routine COVID Safety Checks involve random testing as a proactive measure against infection within the buildings.  With T&S, students who are deemed "in-school close contacts," would be exempt from the quarantine requirement and allowed to attend school if they agreed to subject themselves to daily testing for a prescribed number of days.  With Routine COVID Safety Checks, participating students would be randomly tested while in school, regardless of close-contact status.  Student participation in both programs would be voluntary.  The district does not currently participate in either of these programs.  Because we have been able to maintain minimum spacing and have imposed masking requirements, no student in the Cohasset Schools would be a "close contact," required to quarantine as the result of exposure to a COVID-positive individual within the school.  Thus, our district has created a natural "quarantine firewall," without the need to test our students.  As such, T&S could not currently provide any quarantine-related benefit, but it would, however, create another operational distraction for the district.  It is important to note how well our current system is working: so far this year, our district has had zero quarantine-driven absences for in-school close contacts.  Employing T&S would present an additional pandemic-related operational challenge and burden our nursing staff.  Many point to the assertion that T&S is managed by a third-party that the Commonwealth has contracted with in creating the program, so the district would not be burdened operationally in any way.  This is a fiction; not a fact.  By all accounts to date, T&S would still require a meaningful time commitment from nurses and staff for, as noted above, no actual benefit to our students.  Further, the demand for this program Commonwealth-wide far outweighs the available resources, which is one reason why the Governor has recently deployed the National Guard to assist with these efforts.  That said, the district has signed up for T&S, in the event a necessary operational shift (e.g., removing masking and/or distancing requirements) may warrant participation in the program (and in the event the program itself becomes more operationally sound) but, for now, we do not require this program. 

Assessments and Data Sharing with Families.  

Many families have communicated a desire to have ready access to assessment data that is used in tracking a student's academic progress.  The district hears this concern loud and clear and, of course, wants families to have access to whatever resources might be available and useful to them in assisting with their student's education and ensuring their success.  Improving transparency and sharing assessment data is, indeed, part of the recently created strategic plan and the district is actively working to create protocols for the uniform distribution of this type of material.  This type of reporting has never been employed by the Cohasset Public Schools, so district leadership needs time to evaluate what resources are available, how they can be uniformly shared, and how it can share data in a meaningful, easy to interpret manner.  This is, undoubtedly, an important issue, and that importance is reflected by the purposeful, deliberate approach that the district is taking in developing a data sharing protocol.  We know this is important to you, and there will be more developments to come on this front, but please continue to be patient.  We can assure you that there is no part of the district that is seeking to hide, obfuscate, or otherwise keep families from accessing information about their student's education.  If you have any concerns about this, please reach out to your child's teacher, the school principal, Superintendent Sullivan, or any member of district leadership or the SC.  As Dr. Sullivan has stated, the district fundamentally believes families should have access to the information they need and should be actively involved in their student's learning, and it is committed to establishing an effective protocol to realize that objective.   

In closing, the SC has, in recent years, intentionally endeavored to become a more user-friendly, transparent, and approachable body, as to gain important insight and feedback from the community we serve.  We hope that this change has been palpable and, if not, we invite you to share ideas on how we might better serve you.  We maintain a "never satisfied," "always improving" approach to our district and will never stop demanding more for our students and their families.  Education is the absolute foundation for any success and fulfillment in life and, as such, we approach our oversight of the Cohasset Public Schools with reverence.  At the most basic level, we are five parents with multiple students in the schools, and we are all firmly committed to creating a premier school district that produces amazing young adults.  We believe there is no reason Cohasset Public Schools cannot be among the best school districts in the region, and we, along with Superintendent Sullivan and his team, are committed to making that a reality.   

Onward and Upward,

Your School Committee

Community Report:

Below please find the Cohasset Community Health Update as of October 21, 2021.

As of October 21, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 3.31% with 693 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 18 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 83% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 8% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report  issued on October 21, 2021.

To date, since the start of the pandemic, we have had no know transmission of COVID-19 in our schools. Here is the Confirmed Positive COVID Cases Weekly Update Spreadsheet. This spreadsheet is also found on the district website under COVID-19 information. As always, all close contacts of COVID-19 positive individuals will be informed in a separate communication. When a positive case occurs, anyone who is determined to be a close contact is provided with specific instructions regarding testing and quarantining (if there is a need for them to test and quarantine).

Greetings Cohasset Families,

This message is to inform you that shortly after I sent the correspondence to the community last evening regarding the acceptance of our 80% vaccination attestation at Cohasset High School by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and shortly before last evening’s Cohasset School Committee, I received a call from DESE apologizing and rescinding the formal approval they had sent previously due to their reconsideration of our shared building space between middle and high school students. According to DESE we now have to meet the 80% vaccination threshold at both our middle school and high school (combined percentage of total vaccinated students and staff) in order to have the opportunity to remove masks for vaccinated individuals within the building. Although we are over the 80% attestation at the high school, when combined with the middle school we stand at 71.4% vaccinated individuals.

Our most up to date vaccination attestation percentages are as follows:

Cohasset High School Student Vaccination Attestation (per MIIS): 86%

Cohasset High School Staff Vaccination Attestation: 62.9%

Cohasset Middle School Student Vaccination Attestation (per MIIS): 57.5%

Cohasset Middle School Staff Vaccination Attestation: 51.8% (please keep in mind that currently only 35% of our sixth graders will be old enough on January 1 to receive vaccination)

Total Vaccination Attestation for Middle and High School Building: 71.4%

These percentages were presented at last evening’s School Committee Meeting. At the meeting, Cohasset Teachers Association (CTA) representation was reminded of the importance of their members attesting to their vaccination. We sincerely hope the CTA will cooperate with the community to help with this important effort.

If you have not yet attested to your child’s vaccination, please email you child’s school nurse. We will keep you informed as we move forward collecting data to reach the 80% vaccination rate. Please click on the link to access the Safety Review Presentation that was presented at last evening’s School Committee Meeting.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Greetings Cohasset Families,

I am writing to remind you that the mask mandate at Cohasset High School will be discussed during tonight’s Cohasset School Committee Meeting, which will take place at Willcutt Commons at 6:00PM. As is the usual, the meeting can be attended in-person, and it is being streamed live via Zoom and Facebook.

 Yesterday, due to Cohasset High School exceeding the 80% vaccination threshold, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) granted approval for Cohasset High School (not other schools in the district) to lift the mask mandate requirement for vaccinated individuals pending Cohasset School Committee and Cohasset Board of Health (BoH) approval. Please note that regardless of any decision made by the Cohasset School Committee and Cohasset Board of Health, in alignment with statewide guidance, unvaccinated students and staff at Cohasset High School will still be required to wear masks as indicated in the September 27 DESE guidance. It also should be noted that if the decision is made to modify the mask mandate at Cohasset High School, that, regardless of vaccination status, individuals at Cohasset High School may certainly choose to continue to wear a mask while in school. Any choice to wear a mask should not be viewed as an indication of one’s vaccination status. We look forward to your participation in the discussion this evening. 

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

This is Superintendent, Dr. Patrick Sullivan, with a message regarding bus stop relocation on Elm Street due to the water main work, which begins tomorrow. As the Cohasset Police have informed the public, tomorrow morning, work begins on the Elm Street watermain. Students who have stops on Elm Street should please proceed to the end of Elm closest to their stop. Elm street will be closed to through traffic, and there will be bus stops on either end for students. Please be aware that there may be some delays, and that detours will be in effect for some roads in town. We will keep you updated as the work progresses.

Community Report:

Below please find the Cohasset Community Health Update as of October 14, 2021.

As of October 14, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 2.1% with 687 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 14 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 83% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 8% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Green" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 15 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report  issued on October 14, 2021.

Community Report:

Below please find the Cohasset Community Health Update as of October 7, 2021.

As of October 7, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 1.29% with 619 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has seven (7) positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 83% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 8% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Grey" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 10 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report  issued on October 7, 2021.

Just a reminder that there is no school tomorrow, Friday, October 8 (due to Teacher Professional Development) and no school on Monday, October 11 (due to Indigenous Peoples Day being recognized by Cohasset Public Schools).

Child Vaccination Attestation:

As I made all of you aware in a previous communication, Massachusetts Commissioner of Education Jeffrey Riley has issued a memorandum, dated September 27, 2021, indicating that, if a school demonstrates a COVID-19 vaccination rate of 80 percent or more of all students and staff in the school, then, upon approval of the Commissioner and local authorities, vaccinated individuals in that school would no longer be subject to the mask requirement as of November 1, 2021.

In order to ascertain whether a school has reached the 80 percent threshold, we ask that, if your child is vaccinated, that each of you confidentially inform your school’s nurse of verification of your child’s vaccination status. As there is currently not a vaccination available for students under 12 years of age, we realize that this attestation does not currently apply to all students. However, we encourage you to communicate vaccination attestation to your school nurse upon vaccination of your child. Your verification must indicate that your child has received either the required two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna or the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson’s Jannsen.  

All documentation related to a child’s vaccination status will be maintained confidentially.

Proof of your child’s vaccination, submitted to your child’s school nurse, can be provided in one of the following ways:

• A signed self-attestation completed by a parent / legal guardian of the child indicating the brand of vaccine; or 
• Documentation provided to the individual by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health or a health care provider. Documentation may include but is not limited to a COVID-19 vaccination record card or a copy or digital picture of the vaccination record card, or a print-out from the Massachusetts Immunization Information System (MIIS).

Please submit this information as soon as possible, but no later than the end of the day on Thursday, October 7, 2021. Thank you for your understanding and for your assistance.

Community Report:

Below please find the Cohasset Community Health Update as of September 30, 2021.

As of September 30, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 1.44% with 624 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has seven (7) positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 83% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 8% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Grey" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 10 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report  issued on September 30, 2021.

To date, since the start of the pandemic, we have had no know transmission of COVID-19 in our schools. Here is the Confirmed Positive COVID Cases Weekly Update Spreadsheet. This spreadsheet is also found on the district website under COVID-19 information. As always, all close contacts of COVID-19 positive individuals will be informed in a separate communication. When a positive case occurs, anyone who is determined to be a close contact is provided with specific instructions regarding testing and quarantining (if there is a need for them to test and quarantine).

With the school year off and running, it is important for us to discuss and consider how everything is going with our safety measures, operations, and learning environments. As we look forward to our review of school safety measures at the October 6 School Committee Meeting, we are hosting a virtual meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, September 29 from 6:00PM - 7:00PM on ZOOM (also will be live streamed on Facebook). Remember that you will need to join via the below Zoom link to be able to interact and ask questions / provide comments.

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://zoom.us/j/97681406900?pwd=MmoyM1k3NXBGTkpzRGgxejRaZCtCQT09

Passcode: 649206

Thank you to those of you who provided input at last week’s in-person meeting. We look forward to additional input tomorrow evening.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

 Earlier today Massachusetts Commissioner of Education, Jeffrey Riley, notified school superintendents that he is extending the mask requirement for all public PK-12 students, educators, and staff (originally scheduled through October 1) through November 1, 2021. The Commissioner noted the additional time needed to continue to analyze data as being paramount in his decision to extend the mandate.

 Commissioner Riley added that school districts have until October 15, 2021 to submit an attestation to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) if a middle and / or high school can demonstrate a vaccination rate for students and staff (combined) of 80% or greater. Schools who attest to being at or above the 80% vaccination threshold will have the ability, after November 1, to make a local decision regarding masks for vaccinated individuals within those highly vaccinated buildings. Even if a district is able to attest that 80% of students and staff are vaccinated within a particular school, those who remain unvaccinated will continue to be required to mask, and school districts will not be able to make local decisions concerning unvaccinated individuals. Information will be forthcoming relative to how the district intends to identify vaccinated students and staff.

 We know that this continues to be a sensitive topic for many stakeholders, and we will continue to keep you promptly updated on any revisions to DESE’s mandate moving forward. Thank you and have a good evening.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Community Report:

As of September 23, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 2.75% with 618 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has sixteen (16) positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 83% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 8% of eligible residents partially vaccinated (Please note that vaccination rate information was incorrectly reported last update, as I communicated the proportions of town vaccinated, instead of presenting per capita percentages…my apologies). Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Yellow" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 25 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report  issued on September 23, 2021.

Just a reminder that this Friday, September 24 is an early release day for Cohasset students.

The dismissal times are as follows:

Cohasset Middle School and Cohasset High School: 12:30PM

Deer Hill School: 1:15PM

Joseph Osgood School: 1:20PM

During the professional development time SRO Greg Taylor will facilitate a review of building safety protocols with all staff. Elementary and middle school staff will also be trained in the new benchmark assessment tool for reading and math. Cohasset High School staff will continue work with consultant Carla Pugliese related to learning strategies for building culturally responsive teaching and inclusive and equitable practices.

As we look forward to our review of school safety measures at the October 6 School Committee Meeting, we are inviting you to two Superintendent Meetings (traditionally called coffees) to provide any input and feedback regarding the start of school, with a particular focus on safety. Your attendance at these coffees is welcomed, as your voice will provide important qualitative data, as we determine any adjustments we may need to make. Here are the two coffee dates:

Friday, September 24 from 9:45AM - 10:45 AM (IN-PERSON MEETING) in the Community Room adjacent the Superintendent's Office

Wednesday, September29 (VIRTUAL MEETING) from 6:00PM - 7:00PM via ZOOM (also will be live streamed on Facebook). Remember that you will need to join via the below Zoom link to be able to interact and ask questions / provide comments.

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://zoom.us/j/97681406900?pwd=MmoyM1k3NXBGTkpzRGgxejRaZCtCQT09

Passcode: 649206

We appreciate the collaboration from the entire school community to provide the best and safest learning environment possible for our students, staff, and Cohasset families.

Community Report:

As of September 16, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 3.18% with 566 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has sixteen (16) positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 90% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 8% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Yellow" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 25 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report  issued on September 16, 2021.

Community Health Report: September, 9, 2021

As of September 9, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 2.39% with 587 tests reported. Cohasset has eleven (11) positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Cohasset’s vaccination rate is currently 82% of eligible residents are fully vaccinated with 8% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Green" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 15 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report  issued on September 9, 2021.

This school year, I will be sharing data regarding school community COVID-19 cases within these weekly community health updates. To date since the start of the pandemic we have had no know transmission of COVID-19 in our schools. Here is the Confirmed Positive COVID-19  Weekly Update Spreadsheet that I will be using to indicate cases. This spreadsheet will also be found on the district website under COVID-19 information. As always, all close contacts of COVID-19 positive individuals will be informed in a separate communication. When a positive case occurs, anyone who is determined to be a close contact is provided with specific instructions regarding testing and quarantining (if there is a need for them to test and quarantine).

Greetings Cohasset Families,

We are very excited to begin the 2021 – 2022 School Year! As we prepare for the big day tomorrow, I wanted to reiterate the operational and Department of Public Health (DPH) / Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) requirements that will be in effect on our first day. 

In-Person Learning: “As noted in the Updates to DESE COVID-19 Guidance released on May 27, 2021, all districts and schools will be required to be in-person, full-time, five days a week this fall...” (DESE/DPH COVID-19 Guidance for Districts and Schools: Fall 2021).

All schools in Cohasset will begin the school year in-person, full-time, five days a week:

CHS & CMS: 8:15AM - 2:55PM

Deer Hill: 9:05AM - 3:25PM

Joseph Osgood: 9:10AM - 3:30PM

Masking: Effective immediately, public school students and staff in all grades are required to wear masks indoors in schools, except as noted in the guidance linked below. Masks are not required when outdoors. All visitors are also expected to wear a mask in school buildings. Please click on the link to see the full masking / face covering mandates.

Physical Distancing in Schools: All Cohasset schools will begin the year by doing all they can to maintain 3 feet distance (edge of seat to edge of seat) in the classroom and 6 foot of distance when eating indoors. Our classroom and eating space furniture has been arranged to maintain this distance. Maintaining this distance is essential because of close-contact and quarantining guidelines.

Close-Contacts and Quarantines: According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the following is the definition of a close contact: “Close contacts are defined as individuals who have been within 6 feet of a COVID-19 positive individual while indoors, for at least 15 minutes during a 24-hour period.”

Exemptions from testing and quarantine response protocols:

    “• Asymptomatic, fully vaccinated close contacts:         Individuals who are asymptomatic and fully vaccinated are exempt from testing and quarantine response protocols.

• Classroom close contacts: An individual who is exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual in the classroom while both individuals were masked, so long as the individuals were spaced at least 3 feet apart, is exempt from testing and quarantine response protocols.
• Bus close contacts: Individuals on buses must be masked according to federal requirements. As such, individuals who are masked on buses when windows are open are exempt from testing and quarantine response protocols.
• Close contacts who have had COVID-19 within the past 90 days: An individual who has been previously diagnosed with COVID-19 and then becomes a close contact of someone with COVID-19 is exempt from testing and quarantine response protocols if:
• The exposure occurred within 90 days of the onset of their own illness AND the exposed individual is recovered and remains without COVID-19 Symptoms” (DESE/DPH Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios - SY 2021 - 2022).

Synchronous Provisions for Students during Quarantine: At this time synchronous provisions for students experiencing quarantine are still being bargained with the Cohasset Teachers Association (CTA). Information will be forthcoming.

Test-and-Stay: At this time, Cohasset Public Schools does not plan on implementing test-and-stay in our school buildings.

Ventilation, Hand-Hygiene, and Staying Home When Ill: We will continue the successful practices of using Portable Air Cleaners (PACs) to improve the air changes per hour and ventilation in all buildings. We will continue the successful hand washing and hand sanitizing processes we had in place last year. We encourage students to stay home when sick.

Transportation Guidance: “By federal public health order, all students and staff are required to wear masks on school buses at this time” (DESE/DPH COVID-19 Guidance for Districts and Schools: Fall 2021). Windows will remain open on buses. No physical distancing is required on buses, and the DPH / DESE guidance indicates that no quarantines will result from riding on a bus.

Other Safety Considerations:

Cleaning Protocols: We will be sticking with our successful cleaning protocols established last year at all schools.

Sharing of Materials: We will be allowing students to share materials, although we will minimize this sharing when possible.

Locker rooms and lockers: We will be using lockers and locker rooms, but lockers will not be shared. Osgood will continue to use their successful outside of the classroom “hook” system.

Field trips: We will be allowing field trips and club trips...masks will currently be required on all buses and transportation per guidance.

Visitors in buildings: We will be allowing approved visitors into the buildings as we did pre-COVID). Per masking requirements, all visitors are required to wear masks while inside school buildings.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): We will continue to have masks available for anyone who wants / needs a mask. We will continue to have hand sanitizer available outside / inside classrooms.

Nurses’ Offices: We will continue to have separate waiting / treatment areas for individuals who exhibit possible COVID-19 symptoms.

As per. Guidance, all individuals entering a nurse’s office will require a mask.

Music: Music will be as it was at the end of the year, with spacing when playing and singing, and outdoor playing and singing when possible to do so.

Barriers: Plexiglas desk panels for use by classroom teachers when meeting individually with students within the classroom during instructional time will be in place, as they were at the end of the school year.

Heat Index: If masks are required, “heat days” may become necessary if the heat index rises to an uncomfortable and not learning conducive level. We continue to work to improve our air-conditioning in all of our buildings.

Tents and Outdoor Learning: We will resume use of tents and outdoor learning spaces.

Recess: Students will be allowed to unmask at outdoor recess.

Our main objectives remain to keep students, staff, and families safe; to provide the best academic and social-emotional environment and offerings that we can; and for everyone to remain in school. We are excited to see the students tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Community Report:

As of September 2, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 2.71% with 627 tests reported. Cohasset has thirteen (13) positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Green" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 15 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report  issued on September 2, 2021.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Welcome to the 2021 – 2022 School year. This year we are excited to focus our efforts as a school community on the implementation of the Cohasset Public Schools Strategic Plan, 2021 – 2024, which was created collaboratively by the entire Cohasset School Community. This plan aligns goals from the Cohasset School Committee, District and Building Leadership, and staff, and shapes our school improvement plans. Our mission states that “Cohasset Public Schools places students first. We provide an optimal teaching and learning environment by cultivating empathy, global citizenship, agency, inclusivity, and community engagement to empower students to realize continuous personal growth and achievement.” We will focus on teaching and learning, social and emotional wellness, resources, and communication and engagement, as we enact this mission in order to reach our vision to “Empower student to improve communities.”

Over the next three years we will create an environment that is focused on the whole student:

• We will encourage students to achieve their full potential socially, emotionally, and academically, as they embody equity, cultural responsiveness, inclusivity, empathy, and global citizenship.
• We will support student in developing agency (to act independently and make their own free choices) within an innovative and creative mindset.
• We will cultivate an environment of open communication, engagement, and collaborative learning opportunities among home, school, and community.
• We will support optimal teaching, learning, and leading through responsible funding that provides academic excellence, appropriate staffing, state of the art facilities, and quality instructional materials.

In conjunction with our Mission, our theme for this year is “Working Together to Place Students First.” We are committed to meeting students where they are academically and social-emotionally, and we will enact a student-centered approach to teaching and learning. Please never hesitate to reach out to me or to any member of the leadership or staff if you have any questions or if we can help your student in any way. Principals have either already or will soon send welcome letters with information regarding the start of school at each building. We are excited for the school year to begin!

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Community Report:

As of August 26, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 2.33% with 601 tests reported. Cohasset has eleven (11) positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Green" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 15 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report  issued on August 26, 2021.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Yesterday, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) issued requirements for masking that are to be implemented at all of our schools effective immediately. As part of these requirements, school districts have been asked to provide written notice to students and families about expectations and potential consequences for mask refusal. The following represents this notice informing the school community of our approach:

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has recently imposed a statewide mask mandate for all PK - 12 students in Massachusetts public schools. Accordingly, and until further notice, all Cohasset students are required to wear masks on buses, while inside Cohasset Public School buildings, and while attending school-sponsored indoor activities. Students will be provided masks breaks throughout the day, and masks will not be required during lunch while students are eating and distanced six feet apart. Students will not be required to wear masks during outdoor recess, if applicable, or while outside of the buildings for any other reason. A failure to adhere to this masking requirement will be treated as a school-readiness matter, just as if a student had arrived at school inappropriately dressed or otherwise not in a condition to attend school in a manner that is safe for the student and others in the building. As such, a student who does not comply with this requirement will meet with the building Principal or designee, to discuss whether the student can come into compliance and return to class in a manner that is safe for all. If necessary, the student’s parent or guardian will be contacted. Students may be subject to progressive discipline for deliberate non-compliance. Requests for exemptions will be considered based on the existence of a documented medical or behavioral issue, which might be aggravated by the wearing of a mask. Such requests and documentation may be subject to further review by the School Physician and Superintendent of Schools.  

Thank you, all for your understanding and for your compliance with these face covering / masking mandates.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

As was anticipated, earlier today the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) issued requirements for masking that are to be implemented at all of our schools effective immediately. These requirements state that public school “students (age 5 and above) and staff in all grades are required to wear masks indoors in schools…. Masks are not required outdoors. All visitors are expected to wear masks indoors. The mask requirement will be in place until at least October 1, 2021. The Commissioner will revisit the requirement in the near future to revise it as warranted by public health data.” Other stipulations and exceptions, as well as the role of schools in communicating plans to DESE and to students and families can be found in the guidance.

 As was presented during a Special School Committee Meeting this summer, we are excited to introduce the Cohasset Public Schools Strategic Plan for 2021 – 2024. I will be at this Thursday’s Cohasset Farmer’s Market from 2:00PM – 4:00PM, along with members of the Cohasset School Committee, in order to allow you an opportunity to provide input regarding the implementation of the strategic objectives present in the plan. These discussions will be informal and will take place within a relaxed setting. For your reference, please click on the links to access the Strategic Plan and the Charting the Course Strategic Plan Summary.

I look forward to being at the Cohasset Farmers’ Market on Thursday, August 26 from 2:00PM – 4:00PM. I also plan to be at the Farmers’ Market on September 2 from 2:00PM – 4:00PM to continue these important discussions. Thank you for your collaboration regarding this important initiative.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Shools

 Attached to this message is a memo to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in which Commissioner Riley states that the Board will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, August 24. At that meeting, Commissioner Riley will recommend that the Board declare exigent circumstances under the Student Learning Time regulations, 603 CMR 27.08 (1), to provide him with the authority to issue a mask mandate for public school students (age 5 and above) and staff in all grades through at least October 1, 2021. The attached memo contains additional details.

Also attached to this email is an FAQ from DESE regarding the 2021-22 school year. This FAQ document will be posted in the FAQ in the FAQ section of DESE's COVID-19 pages.

We will continue to keep you informed of any updates.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan,  Ed.D.

Superintendent 

Cohasset Public Schools 

Community Report:

As of August 19, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 1.85% with 540 tests reported. Cohasset has ten (10) positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Grey" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 10 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report issued on August 19, 2021.

Moments ago, a press release was sent out by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) regarding Commissioner of Education Riley’s intent to ask the Massachusetts Board of Education to grant him the authority to mandate masks for all K-12 Public Schools in order to provide time to increase vaccinations. This Massachusetts Board of Education Meeting is set to take place on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. We will be communicating the results of this upcoming meeting, as soon as it is made available to us.

Please click on the link below to access this press release:

Press Release from DESE, 8/20/2021

Below please find the Cohasset Community Health Report as of August 12. 2021.

Community Report:

As of August 12, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 2.39% with 460 tests reported. Cohasset has eleven (11) positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Green" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 15 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report issued on August 12, 2021.

Please click on the link below to view the Student Services presentation to the School Committee on August 4, 2021.

Student Services School Committee Presentation 8.4.2021

Below please find the Cohasset Community Health Report as of August 5. 2021.

Community Report:

As of August 5, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 1.6% with 375 tests reported.. Cohasset has five (5) positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Grey" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 10 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report issued on August 5, 2021.

Dear Cohasset School Community:
As noted at last night’s meeting, the School Committee intends to hold a special meeting at which various COVID-19 safety protocols and measures for the upcoming school year will be discussed.  At this meeting, the use of face coverings or masks will be discussed and the School Committee will make an affirmative decision about whether students will be required to wear masks when they return to school next month.

The special meeting will be held at 6PM on MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2021 VIA ZOOM.

Representatives from the Cohasset Board of Health and the Cohasset Teachers Association will be present as to share information and perspectives and to lend their overall insight in an effort to facilitate an open and collaborative discourse.  ALL members of our school community are invited to attend and voice their opinions, ask questions, articulate concerns, and lend their own insight(s).  Once all stakeholders have had an opportunity to participate, the School Committee will deliberate on any matters that require a vote, and decisions will be made.

We understand that some individuals would like to have such a meeting in person.  Nevertheless, August is a very popular vacation month and conducting this meeting in a virtual format allows everyone to participate, regardless of their physical whereabouts, and allows us to coordinate with the larger number of panelists that need to be present in relatively short order.  We understand that many families are anxious to know more about this facet of the upcoming year’s operations so, where time is of the essence, the virtual format works best.  The various schedules of the panelists involved is also the reason we could not hold the meeting the week of August 11, as the chair intimated at last night’s meeting.  August 16 is the earliest date that all panelists were available.  This timeline also serves to provide all stakeholders with sufficient advanced notice.

We will be sending out a specific posting for this meeting, along with Zoom information, in the coming days.We look forward to a productive discourse that ensures the best course of action for both our students and the school community at-large.


Craig MacLellan
Cohasset School Committee
617.750.0277

Community Report:

As of July 29, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 0.34% with 298tests reported. Massachusetts Department of Health has now “suppressed” the data for towns who have less than five (5) cases in a two-week period, so the actual count is not accessible. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Grey" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 10 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report issued on July 29, 2021.

Joint Guidance from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Department of Public Health (DPH) concerning school this fall:

Please find the fall school guidance just released to superintendents and school leaders.

Community Report:

As of July 22, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 0% with 246 tests reported. Cohasset has 0 positive cases over the past two-week period. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Grey" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 10 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report issued on July 22, 2021.

Please see the links to access the Cohasset Public Schools Strategic Plan for 2021 -2024 and Strategic Plan Dashboard Summary Document, which were approved by the Cohasset School Committee last evening in a special school committee meeting. This plan represents the work of the entire school community and is the result of analysis of quantitative and qualitative data regarding where we are and where we want to go over the next three years. We will be communicating and unpacking this plan from the district and building level and will inform the community regarding upcoming opportunities to discuss its implementation. We are excited for this new chapter in Cohasset Public Schools.

Community Report:

As of July 15, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 0% with 255 tests reported. Cohasset has 0 positive cases over the past two-week period. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Grey" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 10 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report issued on July 15, 2021.

Please see the attached message from the Cohasset School Committee regarding a special school committee meeting on July 20 at 6:00PM at which time the Cohasset Public Schools Strategic Plan for 2021 – 2024 will be presented. Have a wonderful day.

Community Report:

As of July 8, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 0% with 314 tests reported. Cohasset has 0 positive cases over the past two-week period. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Grey" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 10 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report issued on July 8, 2021.

Community Report:

As of July 1, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is .34% with 298 tests reported. Massachusetts Department of Health has now “suppressed” the data for towns who have less than five (5) cases in a two-week period, so the actual count is not accessible. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Grey" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 10 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report issued on July 1, 2021.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Attached please find the updated Cohasset Public Schools Face-Covering Policy, which was approved at today’s Special School Committee Meeting. The changes reflect the School Committee’s intention to have the policy evolve with any adjustments in guidance, and were prompted by recent changes to masking guidance at the state level. At this time, this revised policy allows for masks to be optional for all individuals attending or involved with the summer learning programs, as well as school in the fall. However, it does not preclude individuals wearing health related masks at any time in our buildings should they want to wear them. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will collaborate with the Department of Public Health (DPH) to issue any additional health and safety recommendations over the summer should they become necessary.

Community Report:

As of June 24, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 0.64%. Massachusetts Department of Health has now “suppressed” the data for District’s who have less than five (5) cases in a two week period, so the actual count is not accessible.  Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Grey" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 10 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report issued on June 24, 2021.

Beginning Thursday, June 24th, the central office summer hours are as follows:

Monday through Thursday: 8 – 3

Friday: 8 – 12

We will resume our school year hours beginning on August 30th.

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of June 17, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 0.29%, with 1 positive case out of 343 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Grey" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 10 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report issued on June 17, 2021.

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of June 10, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 0%, with 0 positive case out of 345 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Grey" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 10 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report issued on June 10, 2021.

Dear Families,

On June 16, the IT team will begin collecting all Chromebooks that were loaned out to students this year.

If your child borrowed a Chromebook from the District this year, please drop the Chromebook and its charger at your child's school's front office on any of the following dates:

June 16, 17 and June 18.

Thank you for your cooperation! If you have any questions, please contact me.

Sincerely,

Lisa Radden

Director of Digital Learning and Technology

LRadden@cohasssetk12.org

With the forecasted heat for tomorrow not being predicted to be as severe as it was today, with lower humidity predicted, we will be resuming full-day school for all schools in Cohasset Public Schools, tomorrow, Wednesday, June 9, 2021. Student safety remains paramount to us, and we will continue to recommend that students wear weather appropriate clothing and bring water with them to school. When the weather is hot, we will provide extra mask breaks and water breaks when needed, and we will move students from any rooms that are too hot. Thank you all for your understanding over the past two days.

Due to the forecasted heat, and in an abundance of caution for our students and staff who will be wearing masks in our non-air conditioned middle and high school, we are implementing an early release day tomorrow, Monday, June7. We will be following a regular early release day schedule (12:30PM dismissal for both schools).  Students and staff at Joseph Osgood Elementary School and Deer Hill School will have a full day tomorrow. I will be revisiting the weather forecast and conditions tomorrow and will make a decision for Tuesday by the end of the day tomorrow. At this time, we are continuing regularly scheduled sporting and after school events. We will communicate to families if we change this decision.

For all students, we recommend wearing weather appropriate clothing and bringing water with them to school. We will provide extra mask breaks and water breaks when needed; we will create cool zones in each building; and we will move students from any rooms that are too hot. If needed, Principals will follow this message with more information regarding individual building modifications.

As the weather conditions are forecasted to be oppressively hot on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week, with heat indexes reaching 100 and temperatures in the 90s, we have to consider safety of our students and staff who are wearing masks while in our buildings that have little air conditioning available. Currently, Joseph Osgood School has central air conditioning, Deer Hill has air conditioning through window units in most classrooms, and Cohasset Middle and Cohasset High School have nearly no classroom air conditioning. The Commissioner of Education, Jeff Riley, has made it clear to all superintendents that Districts and schools cannot shift all students to remote learning on days that are deemed too hot and have those days and hours count towards a districts’ Student Learning Time (SLT) requirements of 170 days and 850/935 hours. In other words, we would have to add days at the end of the current school calendar to meet the regulations. He is allowing for Districts to consider moving to half days when necessary to ensure the safety of students and staff when the high temperatures are an operational issue.

In an abundance of caution for our students and staff who will be wearing masks in our non-air conditioned middle and high school, we are considering implementing half days on Monday (June7), Tuesday (June 8), and Wednesday (June 9) at Cohasset Middle School and Cohasset High School. If we do move to half days for our middle school and high school on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, we would follow a regular half day schedule (12:30PM dismissal for both schools) each day, and lunch would be served. At this time, we are planning on students and staff at Joseph Osgood Elementary School and Deer Hill School continuing with full days on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday on a regular day schedule. I will be revisiting the weather forecast throughout the weekend, and I will confirm our plans by noon on Sunday. This message is being sent to provide you with as much notice as possible for this change in schedule possibility for our middle and high school.

For all students, we recommend wearing weather appropriate clothing and bringing water with them to school. We will provide extra mask breaks and water breaks when needed; we will create cool zones in each building; and we will move students from any rooms that are too hot. A decision on sporting events and practices will be made separately, and any changes in schedule will be communicated to families.

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of June 3, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 0%, with 0 positive case out of 369 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Grey" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 10 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report issued on June 3, 2021.

As was communicated yesterday by Principal Scott to families of our seniors, due to the forecasted rainy weather this weekend, we have switched the graduation date to be Thursday, May 27 (tomorrow) evening at 5:00PM on Alumni Field. This message is to inform the rest of the Cohasset School Community of this change. As the chairs and staging are currently being set, Alumni Field will remain closed to the public until Friday afternoon. We are excited to honor our graduates tomorrow. 

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of May 20, 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 0.85%, with 5 positive cases out of 588 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Grey" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 10 positive cases over the last 14 days. There have been no cases involving Cohasset school community members over the past two weeks. Here is the complete report issued on May 20, 2021.

 For your information, please find below a summary table of all confirmed positive COVID cases in the District as of today, Thursday, May 20, 2021.

Confirmed Positive Cases as of Thursday, May 20, 2021

At an emergency Cohasset School Committee Meeting that took place today, the Cohasset School Committee voted to suspend the face covering policy in so much as it conflicts with the relaxed guidance regarding the wearing of masks and face coverings by students that was sent out yesterday by Governor Baker and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and today by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA). Effective immediately, the school committee vote rescinds the requirement for students in grades PK- 12 to wear masks / face coverings outdoors, including in outdoor physical education classes, in outdoor learning environments, and during recess. The vote also allows all students playing a spring sport that takes place outdoors to play and practice without a mask or face covering. In short, students no longer have to wear masks outdoors, even if distance cannot be maintained. Students can still maintain wearing a mask / face covering outdoors if they wish to do so. It is important to note that, at this time, all adults and students must continue to wear masks inside all school buildings and on the bus.

Operationally, we are immediately also following the guidance regarding shared materials, and we will be lifting the gathering limits for school activities (when applicable) beginning on May 29, 2021, as advised. However, we will continue our current successful cleaning routines and practices throughout the remainder of the school year. Here is the DESE Frequently Asked Question Document, which highlights the change in guidance that impact schools.

Finally, after discussion with our Public Health Agents, it has been determined that seniors attending our outdoor prom this Friday, May 21, 2021, and participating in our outdoor graduation on May 28, 2021, will not be required to wear masks. However, all students who are riding the bus shuttle going between prom pictures and the prom will be required to wear masks on the bus only. Further details regarding prom and graduation may be discussed at tomorrow night’s school committee meeting, and will be communicated by Principal Scott to those participating in prom and graduation in the coming days. Have a nice evening.

As many of you are aware, Governor Baker and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released guidance yesterday that can allow schools to relax rules around shared school materials as well as to relax some of the masking requirements in outside learning environments and at recess. This guidance is a positive sign that vaccinations, social distancing, and appropriate masking are moving us in the right direction. We are also reviewing the use of masks at prom and graduation in accordance with the guidance. For now, the Supplemental Guidance for School Groups for School Year 2020 – 2021 still applies. In addition, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) and the DESE approved the removal of masks / face coverings during practices and contests for all outdoor sports and for indoor sports that are deemed “low risk” in the guidance. You may view the updated Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) guidelines HERE.

Our district leadership team is now in the process of working with town health officials and Cohasset Public Schools staff to review the guidance and to ensure we are able to implement it safely. As the Cohasset School Committee developed a mask policy, we will be discussing this new guidance as it relates to the mask policy at tomorrow evening’s School Committee Meeting, which takes place at 6:00PM. Once we are able to thoughtfully process all of this guidance with the appropriate parties, we will communicate any changes to the school community. Until that time, we are maintaining our current protocols. Thank you for your understanding and patience as we continue to ensure the safest possible learning environment for your children. Here is the DESE Frequently Asked Question Document, which highlights the change in guidance that impact schools.

Cohasset Public Schools

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of May 13. 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 2.16%, with 15 positive cases out of 786 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Green" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 15 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report issued on May 13, 2021.

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of May 6. 2021 the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 2.75%, with 23 positive cases out of 944 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Yellow" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 25 positive cases over the last 14 days. Here is the complete report issued on May 6, 2021.

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of April 29, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 1.75%, with 16 positive cases out of 1029 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Yellow" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 25 positive cases over the last 14 days.

It is imperative that we all follow the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued on Thursday, April 29, 2021.

During last evening’s School Committee Meeting (4/28/2021), the Cohasset School Committee voted to adjust the 2021 – 2022 Cohasset School District Calendar to show the first day for all students as Wednesday, September 8, 2021 due to the Rosh Hashanah Holiday. Also, as Juneteenth falls on a Sunday next year, we will have no school per state law on Monday, June 20 (observed day). I have attached the revised calendar. Please note that these changes move the opening for Kindergarten to September 9, 2021 and make the last day of school June 23, 2022 (half day).

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days. Also included is an update on the definition of close contact (per order of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), as it applies to in-school and on the bus close contracting scenarios, as well as an update of the extension of free meals throughout the remainder of the school year.

Community Report:

As of April 22, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 1.55%, with 13 positive cases out of 970 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Green" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 15 positive cases over the last 14 days.

As this change in designation for Cohasset to the Green Category shows progress in our community rates, it is imperative that we all follow the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued on Thursday, April 22, 2021.

For your information, please find below a summary table of all confirmed positive COVID cases in the District as of today, Thursday, April 22, 2021.

Confirmed Positive Cases as of Thursday, April 22, 2021

Updated Guidance Defining Close Contacts in the School and Bus Settings:

“The following update to the quarantine guidance for close contacts was approved by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services after consultation with the Governor’s Medical Advisory Board on COVID-19 and other medical advisors. This updated guidance is effective immediately!

Close contacts who were exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual in the classroom or on the bus while both individuals were masked do not have to quarantine unless they were within 3 feet of distance of the COVID-19 positive individual for a total of 15 minutes during a 24-hour period. This does not apply if someone was identified as a close contact outside of the classroom or bus (e.g., in sports, extra-curriculars, lunch, etc.) or if masks are not worn by both persons at the time of the exposure. All other close contacts must follow the standard protocol for when a close contact may return to school (the six (6) feet of distance protocols apply in these cases).

The full guidance is posted on the COVID-19 guidance page and available for download.” (Commissioner Riley’s Update, April 20, 2021).

Continuation of Universal Free School Meals:

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture has extended school meal waivers through the end of the 2021-2022 school year, allowing the continuation of universal free school meals at any school district throughout the state for the rest of this school year, through the summer, and through next school year. Schools nationwide will be allowed to serve meals through USDA’s National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option, which is typically only available during the summer months and which allows schools to serve free meals to all children. More information is available online.” (Commissioner Riley’s Update, April 20, 2021).

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of April 15, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 1.89%, with 18 positive cases out of 1057 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Yellow" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 25 positive cases over the last 14 days.

It is imperative that we all follow the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued on Thursday, April 15, 2021.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

As April Break approaches, please read the following April Break Reminders from our District Nurses. Thank you for your consideration and vigilance.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of April 8, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 2.17%, with 21 positive cases out of 1152 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Yellow" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 25 positive cases over the last 14 days.

It is imperative that we all follow the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued on Thursday, April 8, 2021.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Just a reminder that tomorrow, Monday, April 5, 2021, all middle school students will be attending school full in-person, five days a week (in-person lunch included). The school day will begin at 8:15AM and will end at 2:40PM. Earl dismissal on April 9 will take place at 12:30PM.

High school students are also coming back for full in-person learning, five days a week, in the following phased format:

• Tomorrow, Monday, April 5 through April 16, all students will attend school full in-person, five days a week, beginning at 8:30AM with dismissal taking place at 12:45PM (with the exception of our half day on Friday, April 9, where we will observe a 12:30PM dismissal). High school students will eat lunch at home (grab-and-go will be available) and join their last period class from home.

• Beginning April 26, 2021 (after April break), high school students will attend school full in-person, five days a week, with in-person lunch included, School days will begin at 8:30AM with dismissal taking place at 2:40PM.

Due to the increased traffic, it is important that we adhere to the following rules regarding drop off and pick up:

Drop-Off:

• Bus drop-off will be at 8:15AM for both schools and will take place in the middle school driveway. High school students who are taking the bus and entering the building at 8:15AM will be supervised until their classes begin.
• Cars at CMS: Cohort A & B = Gymnasium Driveway at 8:15AM
• Cars at CHS: Cohort A & B = Gymnasium Driveway at 8:30AM

Pick-Up:

• Bus pick-up will be at 12:45PM for CHS (from April 5 through April break) and 2:40PM for CMS, with CHS joining this 2:40PM dismissal on April 26. All bus pick-ups will take place in the middle school driveway.
• Cars at CHS: Cohort A & B = Gymnasium Driveway
• Cars at CMS: Cohort A & B = Gymnasium Driveway

Please note, the middle school driveway will be reserved for bus drop-off and pick-up only. All vehicles must drop-off and pick-up in the high school / gymnasium driveway.

We are excited to reunite the cohorts tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who collaborated to make this a reality for our students.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of April 1, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 2.72%, with 24 positive cases out of 1066 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Yellow" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 25 positive cases over the last 14 days.

It is imperative that we all follow the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued on Thursday, April 1, 2021.

Community Report:

As of March 25, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 2.04%, with 19 positive cases out of 1079 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Yellow" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 25 positive cases over the last 14 days.

It is imperative that we all follow the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued this evening, Thursday, 3/25/2021.

At this evening’s School Committee Meeting (3/24/2021), the Cohasset School Committee voted unanimously to bring all middle school students back full in-person, five days a week, beginning on April 5, 2021 (in-person lunch included). They also approved the return of all high school students to full in-person learning, five days a week, in a phased format. The approved phases have high school students coming back full in-person, five days a week:

• April 5 through April 16, being dismissed at 12:45PM. High school students will eat lunch at home (grab-and-go will be available) and join their last period class from home.
• Beginning April 26, 2021, high school students will attend school full in-person, five days a week, with in-person lunch included. A default option, which has a snack being served and a 2:00PM dismissal, is possible if lunch cannot be served; however, we are moving confidently towards the lunch option.

This is wonderful news. We are thankful to the School Committee, District Leadership, staff, and families who worked diligently to make this happen for our students. 

I want to bring a few details to your attention:

1. Bus routes and stops for those families who indicated their child(ren) require a bus will be communicated over the coming days.
2. Due to the increased traffic, it is important that we adhere to the following rules:

Drop-Off:

• Bus drop-off would be at the usual time for both schools
• Cars at CMS: Cohort A & B = Gymnasium Driveway at 8:15AM
• Cars at CHS:  Cohort A & B = Gymnasium Driveway at 8:30AM 

Pick-Up:

• Bus pick-up would be at 12:45 for CHS (from April 5 through April break) and 2:40PM for CMS, with CHS joining on April 26.
• Cars at CHS: Cohort A & B = Gymnasium Driveway 
• Cars at CMS: Cohort A & B = Gymnasium Driveway 

As we get closer to April 5, further information will be communicated by principals. I have included (please click on the link) this evening’s presentation to this email (a more concise version of the full presentation that was sent to families last week when preliminary approval was granted). We will be following this email within the next few days with a revised calendar indicating the changes that were voted on tonight. We are so excited to unify the cohorts and to bring back middle school and high school students to full-time in-person learning. Have a great evening.

We are all deeply troubled by the recent violence in Atlanta, which may have targeted people of Asian descent. We stand supportive of all members of our school community, and we are committed to providing a place where everyone feels included and respected. We also want to provide support for any student who might be in need of support. Please contact your child’s adjustment counselor if your child wants to talk about the recent tragedy:

Osgood: Dave Vinton dvinton@cohassetk12.org

Deer Hill: Laurie Dolan ldolan@cohassetk12.org

Robyn Costa rcosta@cohassetk12.org

CMS: Emily Manewal emanewal@cohassetk12.org

CHS: Leanne McCarthy lmccarthy@cohassetk12.org

Here are some resources for talking to your children regarding traumatic events:

Talking to Students About Violence.

Here are some resources regarding anti-Asian hate:

https://www.aacommission.org/resources/anti-asian-hate-resources/

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of March 18, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 1.78%, with 18 positive cases out of 1066 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Yellow" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 25 positive cases over the last 14 days.

It is imperative that we all follow the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued this evening, Thursday, 3/18/2021.

In addition, we have been informed that last week one (1) person in our Joseph Osgood Community tested positive for COVID-19. This individual was not in school during the potentially infectious time period, and there were no close contacts in Cohasset Public Schools connected to this school community member. I have made the adjustment to the data in our confirmed case summary table.

For your information, please find below a summary table of all confirmed positive COVID cases in the District as of today, Thursday, March 18, 2021.

Confirmed Positive Cases as of Thursday, March 18, 2021

At last night’s Cohasset School Committee Meeting, the Cohasset School Committee approved the preliminary plan to bring all middle school students back, full in-person, five days a week, beginning on April 5, 2021 (lunch included). They also approved the preliminary plan to bring all high school students back to full in-person learning, five days a week, in a phased format. The approved phases have high school students coming back full in-person, five days a week:

• April 5 through April 16, being dismissed at 12:45PM. High school students will eat lunch at home (grab-and-go will be available) and join their last period class from home.
• Beginning April 26, 2021, high school students will attend school full in-person, five days a week, with in-person lunch included.

Please see the attached presentation, which details the specifics of the plans. Continued collaboration will take place at the building-level, and the finalized plans will be brought forward for a vote at a special Cohasset School Committee Meeting, which is being set for 6:00PM on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. Your input and participation in that meeting is welcomed and appreciated. A recording of last evening’s School Committee Meeting can be found here. The presentation regarding in-person learning begins at 27 minutes and 16 seconds into the recording. I have also attached last evening’s presentation to this email. Families of middle and high school students who want their child(ren) to move to the remote only model, should please contact Dr. Leslie Scollins, Assistant Supertintendent, no later than Monday, March 22, 2021, at lscollins@cohassetk12.org.

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of March 11, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 1.48%, with 16 positive cases out of 1218 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Yellow" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 25 positive cases over the last 14 days. The “Green” category is less than or equal to 15 positive cases over a 14 day period.

It is imperative that we all follow the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued this evening, Thursday, 3/11/2021.

Greetings Cohasset Families & Staff,

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of March 4, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 1.81%, with 21 positive cases out of 1385 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Yellow" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 25 positive cases over the last 14 days. 

There have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Cohasset Public Schools this week.

It is imperative that we all follow the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued this evening, Thursday, 3/4/2021.

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of February 25, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 2.49%, with 27 positive cases out of 1287 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Red" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have more than 25 positive cases over the last 14 days.

It is imperative that we all follow the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued this evening, Thursday, 2/25/2021.

For your information, please find below a summary table of all confirmed positive COVID cases in the District as of today, Thursday, February 25, 2021.  There have been no positive cases affecting Cohasset Public School Community Members this week.

Confirmed Positive Cases as of Thursday, February 25, 2021

At this evening’s School Committee Meeting, the Cohasset School Committee voted unanimously to return all elementary students at Joseph Osgood School and Deer Hill School to full-time in-person learning (five days a week with full day Wednesdays) beginning this Monday, March 1, 2021. This is wonderful news. We are thankful to the School Committee, District Leadership, staff, and families who worked diligently to make this happen for our students. 

Although there will be more specific information forthcoming from principals, I want to bring a few details to your attention:

1. Elementary students will be returning to full-time in-person school beginning Monday, March 1, 2021. Wednesdays will be full days.
2. Our bus routes are set for Monday, March 1, 2021. There are no changes to bus stops. Those families who live outside of a two (2) mile distance, who answered the survey saying that they absolutely required transportation every day, have been afforded that transportation. Communication is forthcoming to those families. Other than for those identified families, we will be following the current cohort model of bus transportation (adhering to the current cohort model on the district calendar for alternating Wednesdays). We appreciate the additional consideration many families provided concerning this issue, as bussing has continued to be a major challenge for us in our efforts to increase in-person learning. We ask families for patience, as we ensure the timing of the buses; however, we feel the 10 minute rule should suffice (being at the stop 10 minutes before the scheduled time, and waiting at the stop 10 minutes after the scheduled time). It is likely that we will experience some “growing pains” regarding the pick-up/drop-off process, so please have patience as we get everything sorted.
3. Due to the increased traffic brought about by limited bus seating, it is important that we adhere to the following rules:

Drop-Off:

Bus drop-off will be at the usual time for both schools

Cars at DH: Cohort A should please drop-off at 9:05AM and Cohort B should please drop-off at 9:15AM

Cars at Osgood: Cohort A should please drop-off at 9:10AM and Cohort B should please drop-off at 9:25AM

Pick-Up:

Bus pick-up will be at the usual time for both schools. Walkers and bikers will be dismissed after buses, as usual.

Cars at DH: Cohort A should please pick-up at 3:15PM and Cohort B should please pick-up at 3:30PM

Cars at Osgood: Cohort A should please pick-up at 3:20PM and Cohort B should please pick-up at 3:40PM

Each school is in the process of distributing to families a color-coded last name sign identifying cohort for their windshield, which should be utilized during drop-off and pick-up at both schools. Please do not line up for pick-up and drop-off too early, as this could cause traffic issues.

Once again, further information is forthcoming from principals. I have attached this evening’s presentation, along with a copy of the district calendar for your review. We are so excited to unify the cohorts and to bring back our elementary students to full-time in-person learning. Have a great evening.

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of February 18, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 3.16%, with 29 positive cases out of 1203 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Red" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have more than 25 positive cases over the last 14 days.

It is imperative that we all follow the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued this evening, Thursday, 2/18/2021.

For your information, please find below a summary table of all confirmed positive COVID cases in the District as of today, Thursday, February 18, 2021. There were no reported confirmed cases involving Cohasset Schools Community Members this week.

Confirmed Positive Cases as of Thursday, February 18, 2021

IMPORTANT TRAVEL REMINDER:

• Travelers arriving in Massachusetts are required to immediately begin the 10-day quarantine until a negative test result has been received.
• COVID-19 test must be administered up to 72-hours prior to the arrival in Massachusetts.
• If you took a test prior to your arrival but have not received your negative result, you MUST quarantine until you receive the negative result. 
• If a test is not obtained before entry in Massachusetts, a test can be obtained after arrival, but you MUST quarantine until you receive a negative result.
• According to the MA DPH regulations, one must obtain an approved molecular PCR test.  Please note, a rapid-antigen test is not an acceptable test to end a travel quarantine.
• If choosing not to be tested after traveling, one must complete a 10-day quarantine upon arriving in Massachusetts. 

If you traveled over the break, please be sure to follow all travel orders.

Please click on the link to review the Massachusetts COVID-19 travel order

Please click on the link to review the Cohasset Public Schools Travel Protocol

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of February 11, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 3.24%, with 32 positive cases out of 1298 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Red" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have more than 25 positive cases over the last 14 days.

It is imperative that we all follow the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued this evening, Thursday, 2/11/2021.

For your information, please find below a summary table of all confirmed positive COVID cases in the District as of today, Thursday, February 11, 2021.

Confirmed Positive Cases as of Thursday, February 11, 2021

IMPORTANT TRAVEL REMINDER:

• Travelers arriving in Massachusetts are required to immediately begin the 10-day quarantine until a negative test result has been received.
• COVID-19 test must be administered up to 72-hours prior to the arrival in Massachusetts.
• If you took a test prior to your arrival but have not received your negative result, you MUST quarantine until you receive the negative result. 
• If a test is not obtained before entry in Massachusetts, a test can be obtained after arrival, but you MUST quarantine until you receive a negative result.
• According to the MA DPH regulations, one must obtain an approved molecular PCR test.  Please note, a rapid-antigen test is not an acceptable test to end a travel quarantine.
• If choosing not to be tested after traveling, one must complete a 10-day quarantine upon arriving in Massachusetts. 

As there are signs that our infection rates are stabilizing, please try to avoid travel, if possible, over the break. If you must travel, please be sure to follow all travel orders.

Please click on the link to review the Massachusetts COVID-19 travel order

Please click on the link to review the Cohasset Public Schools Travel Protocol

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of February 4, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 3.40%, with 46 positive cases out of 1440 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Red" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have more than 25 positive cases over the last 14 days.

It is imperative that we all follow the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued this evening, Thursday, 2/4/2021.

For your information, please find below a summary table of all confirmed positive COVID cases in the District as of today, Thursday, February 4, 2021. There have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Cohasset Public Schools this week.

Confirmed Positive Cases as of Thursday, February 4, 2021

Greetings Cohasset Elementary Families,

At last night’s School Committee Meeting, the Cohasset School Committee voted 5-0 to approve the preliminary plan (see attached presentation) to return PK-5 students to full in-person learning on March 1, 2021. A final vote will take place at the February 24, 2021 School Committee Meeting. The intent to bring back students full time, in-person at the elementary level on March 1, 2021 was first introduced at the January 20, 2020 School Committee Meeting following notice to the Cohasset Teachers’ Association (CTA). In addition to the approval of the plan, the Cohasset School Committee voted to approve the funding of voluntary weekly testing for staff at all buildings, through Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) Health, from March until all staff members have had the opportunity to receive vaccination. 

We look forward to the discussions that will take place with staff at each building, with families, and with the Cohasset Teachers Association (CTA), as we move forward with our plan to bring our elementary students back full time, in-person on March 1, 2021. Here is a video of last night’s School Committee Meeting for those of you who want to view it:

Cohasset School Committee Meeting, 2/3/2021

Please click on this link to access the Preliminary Plan to Increase In-Person Learningm PK-5.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Good Evening Cohasset Families,

This is Superintendent, Dr. Patrick Sullivan, with an announcement regarding our learning models for tomorrow, Monday, February 1, 2021, due to the forecasted inclement weather. Due to the anticipated intensity of the storm between 2:00PM and 4:00PM, which is during our scheduled dismissal times, Cohasset Middle and High School will be full-remote tomorrow, and Joseph Osgood Elementary School and Deer Hill Elementary School will be observing a half-day dismissal time with dismissal taking place at 12:05 at Deer Hill and 12:10 at Joseph Osgood. Lunch will not be served tomorrow at either elementary school. Start time will follow our usual schedule at the elementary schools. All after school activities are canceled for tomorrow.

This decision is being made in an abundance of caution after consulting emergency safety officials. It also keeps our young drivers off the roads during the height of the snow and allows us to facilitate the valuable in-person learning safely in our elementary schools. Middle and High School teachers will be communicating regarding schedules through Google Classroom. Our Central Offices will be closing at 12:20PM. APlease stay safe in the storm.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Although, at this point, forecasts indicate a mostly rain event for Monday and Tuesday, if the forecasted inclement weather dictates that students and staff need to say home, and if the majority of households in Cohasset have power on the impacted day, we will employ a remote learning day. In the event such a change in schedule is necessary, I will send a message to families and staff via Blackboard Connect. Student schedules will be sent out to students and families via Google Classroom following that announcement. Also, just a reminder that Cohort A is scheduled to be in-person this Wednesday, February 3, 2021. Have a nice evening.

As of January 28, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 3.76%, with 52 positive cases out of 1408 tests reported. Under the DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Red" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have more than 25 positive cases over the last 14 days.

It is imperative that we all follow the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued this evening, Thursday, 1/28/2021.

Please see the information below regarding the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID 19 rate and case count over the past 14 days.

Community Report:

As of January 21, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 4.77%, with 65 positive cases out of 1427 tests reported. Under the new DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Red" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have more than 25 positive cases over the last 14 days.

It is imperative that we all follow the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued this evening, Thursday, 1/21/2021.

After meeting with the Cohasset Emergency Management Team and analyzing the data from our recent sports quarantines, we are on track to resume winter sports on January 19, 2021. Athletic Director Rotondi will be communicating specific information regarding athletics protocols and procedures going forward in a separate email to the Cohasset High School Community. We will be constantly monitoring the safety of sports throughout the season.

As of January 14, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 5.30%, with 65 positive cases out of 1339 tests reported. Under the new DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Red" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have more than 25 positive cases over the last 14 days.

It is imperative that we all follow the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued this evening, Thursday, 1/14/2021.

As of January 7, 2021, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 4.34%, with 39 positive cases out of 1060 tests reported. None of the cases have originated from Cohasset Public Schools. Under the new DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset is in the "Red" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have more than 25 positive cases over the last 14 days.

Please keep following the protocols of handwashing / hand sanitizing and wearing face-covering masks when appropriate to do so. Here is the complete report that was issued on Thursday evening (1/7/2021).

Please find below a summary table of all confirmed positive COVID cases in the District as of today, Thursday, January 8, 2021.

Please see the links below providing reminders regarding travel responsibilities:

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order

Cohasset Public Schools Travel Order Protocol

The events of this week that took place at our Nation’s Capitol Building are disturbing, and the images projected in the media are difficult for our children to process. Our words and actions certainly matter in dealing with this difficult time; however, it is understandable that we may not readily have the words to help with the many emotions our children will be facing, as we ourselves process the happenings. As the images in the media cause some fear and uncertainty, we have provided the following guideline from the National Association of School Psychologists as a resource if you want to discuss today’s events with your children. Talking to Students About Violence.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Please click on the link to access this week’s Navigator Newsletter and Health Updates. As of November 19, 2020, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 1.58%, with 13 positive case out of 822 tests reported. Under the new DPH metrics, the town of Cohasset remains in the "Green" category for communities who have a population of under 10,000 who have less than or equal to 15 positive cases over the last 14 days. The full report can be found here.

A reminder that next week at the elementary schools, Cohort A will go in-person on Monday and Cohort B will go in-person on Tuesday. Deep cleaning will take place on Monday evening between cohorts. As was previously announced, we will remain in full remote at the middle and high school next week, with students resuming the hybrid model beginning on Monday, November 30.

Wednesday, November 25 is a remote learning day for all schools. Remote learning will end at the following times, as Wednesday is a scheduled half day.

Middle and High School: 11:15AM

Elementary Schools: 12:00PM

We feel very thankful to work in a District that has wonderful staff/faculty, families, and students. Have a wonderful weekend and Thanksgiving!

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Please refer to the CPS district website for up to date information on COVID19. Under the COVID-19 Information header on the main page, you will find helpful links developed by the district nurses in accordance with the recommendations of the DPH. These include a Symptom Fact Sheet on what to do/who to contact if your child has symptoms, and an updated Medical FAQ Sheet. 

As we look forward to the holidays and the potential for holiday travel, we refer you to the travel order in place when making your plans. Have a nice evening.

Sincerely,

District Nurses

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Please see the attached letter from our school nurses regarding flu, seasonal allergies, and COVID-19, which can also be found here. Have a wonderful evening.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Please click on the link to access this week’s edition of the Superintendent’s Newsletter, The Navigator. This edition also includes the Cohasset Community Health Update for 10/2/2020. Thank you for a wonderful start! Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Please click on the link below to find this week’s edition of The Navigator Superintendent’s Newsletter for 9/25/2020. This edition contains some great images from our successful start to the school year. Thank you to everyone who made this week a special week for our students and staff. We are excited for next week!

Also, please click on the link to access this week’s Cohasset Community Health Update. The percentage of positive cases in Cohasset over the past two weeks is 0%, which keeps us in the unshaded category indicating communities that have less than five (5) confirmed cases of COVID-19 over a two week period. Please remember the shared responsibility we all have to keep social distancing, to wash and sanitize your hands, and to wear masks when appropriate. Our collective vigilance with these safety measures is paramount. Have a wonderful weekend.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Please click on the link below to access the year’s first family edition of the Superintendent's Newsletter, The Navigator.We look forward to the start of school this Tuesday.

https://www.smore.com/0y9tu

Sincerely, 

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

& 

Leslie Scollins, Ed.D.

Assistant Superintendent

The following reports were completed by BALA Consulting Engineers on September 2 regarding our school HVAC systems.

Joseph Osgood School HVAC Report

Deer Hill School HVAC Report

Middle and High School HVAC Report

Please click on the link to view our HVAC Action Plan based on these reports.

Cohasset Public Schools HVAC Action Plan. Presented to the Cohasset School Committee on 9/16/2020.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

The following information was compiled by our district nurses and provides supplementary information to the protocols stated in the Cohasset Public Schools Fall School Re-Entry Road Map. A big thank you to our district nurses for compiling this information and for their leadership and guidance during this difficult time.

Cohasset Public Schools Medical Frequently Asked Questions

Cohasset Public Schools Decision Tree Regarding Health Situations Related to COVID-19

COVID-19 Symptom Checklist for Parents and Guardians to utilize with their children

Here are some useful videos regarding Mask Wearing, When to Stay Home, and Hand Washing / Hand Sanitizing prepared by the National Association of School Nurses (NASN).

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Greetings Cohasset Staff and Faculty, Families, and Students,

 The past few months have required a great amount of flexibility, patience, and understanding from all members of the Cohasset Public Schools Learning Community. I personally want to thank everyone for their continued collaboration with and support of each other. These difficult times have also required us to stay true to our core values of physical and social-emotional safety, teaching the whole child, focusing on the social-emotional and academic development of our children and students, and community outreach, collaboration, and communication. The following document represents the work of many parents/guardians, students, and educators who collaborated to create plans that reflect the guidance provided by Commissioner of Education Jeff Riley and his Fall School Re-Entry group, which is made up of state health and educational officials. The input gathered from the Family Forums and School Committee Meetings significantly aided in the development of this plan. Additionally, operational teams created plans for each school that are detailed in this Road Map.

It is important that as we implement our safety-conscious plans to start school in the fall that we remember the importance of "joy" within our schools. The Cohasset Public Schools are vibrant and warm places for staff to work and for students to learn, and as we move into the implementation of these plans, we will focus on keeping that warmth that makes Cohasset a special place. We will continue to view everything "Through the Eyes of the Student," and we will keep stressing that "This is Important, You Can Do It, and We Will Not Give Up On You" throughout any changes that come our way.

Please see the link below to access the Cohasset Public Schools Fall School Re-Entry Road Map 2020 - 2021, which was approved by the School Committee on 8/26/2020. We will be following this plan, as we begin school.

In addition:

• In the coming days, building principals will be sending out specific Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) documents that pertain to their buildings, as well as additional information related to the start of school, including a detailed explanation of the first week of school, which begins on 9/22/2020. 
• The Calendar for the 2020-2021 School Year with the changes that were voted on by School Committee is can be accessed by clicking on the link at the bottom of this email.
• We analyzed the possibility of bringing in the children of teachers for four or five in-person days, but due to a lack of space for the many children that fell into this category, we are unable to offer this service.
• Bus routes will be posted on the district webpage, and letters will be sent home to those families in grades K-6 outside of a two (2) mile radius who have signed up for a bus over the next few days.
• We are preparing videos of the school spaces and our approaches to safety in each of the buildings, which should be ready by the end of next week.
• In the coming days, I will be communicating with families regarding further opportunities to ask questions regarding our plan, if clarifications are needed.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Sincerely,

Patrick E. Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Cohasset Public Schools Fall School Re-Entry Road Map 2020 – 2021

Cohasset Public Schools Calendar 2020 - 2021

Greetings Cohasset Families,

In Commissioner Riley’s most recent Desktop Newsletter, he states the following:

Recognizing the critical need districts are facing to staff their schools this fall, and to provide support to teachers, I am making the following recommendations:

1. Our guidance has previously indicated that districts that have adopted a hybrid or remote learning model should prioritize high-needs students for full-time, in-person learning. I recommend these districts also further prioritize children of teachers for full-time, in-person instruction when feasible. Since the models will vary by district, districts will decide locally what constitutes full-time instruction for these students.  (Desktop Newsletter, 8/21/20)

In order to determine if allowing children of teachers full-time (or as near to full-time as possible), in-person learning is feasible, we are asking that parents / guardians who are teachers in public schools in Massachusetts please fill out this form if they wish for their children to be considered for full-time (or as near as we can create to full-time) in-person learning in Cohasset Public Schools. We ask that Cohasset teaching staff who have children attending Cohasset schools please also fill out this form if they wish their children to attend as near full-time in person learning in Cohasset Public Schools as we can provide for them. The form, which needs to be filled out by TUESDAY, AUGUST 25 at 3:00PM, can be found below:

Possible Full-Time In-Person Learning For Teachers’ Children Form

The Cohasset School Committee approved the following Cohasset Public Schools Fall School Re-Entry Road Map 2020 - 2021 on August 5, 2020. This version of the Road Map is approved pending further bargaining obligations with the Cohasset Teachers Association (CTA).

Cohasset Public Schools Fall School Re-Entry Road Map 2020 - 2021 Approved By School Committee on 8/5/2020

On 8/19/2020 an updated Joint Memo from DPH and DESE Clarifying Key Health and Safety Requirements for Schools was distributed to District Leaders. Also distributed on 8/19/2020 was final EOHHS School Health Regulation Guidance. This guidance includes the requirement for all students from Pre-K through Grade 12 to get a flu immunization by December 31, 2020. On 8/20/2020, the DESE released guidance that allowed for a Mobile Testing Unit to be sent to school districts that were experiencing an outbreak of cases.

Greetings Cohasset Public Schools,

Each Wednesday, the Department of Public Health (DPH) releases its Weekly COVID-19 Public Health Report that contains critical metrics for each municipality. Effective this week, there is also be a color-coded indication posted for each municipality calculated on a rolling two-week basis. Based on these updated weekly COVID-19 metrics, DESE’s guidance for how these data should inform each school and district’s learning model is as follows: 

• Red will designate communities with more than 8 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents. REMOTE
• Yellow will designate communities that have more than 4 and up to 8 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents. HYBRID
• Green will designate communities that have 4 or fewer COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents: FULL TIME IN-PERSON or HYBRID (if not able to fit all students under social distancing requirements)
• Unshaded will designate communities with small populations and fewer than 5 cases within the last 14 days: FULL TIME IN-PERSON or HYBRID (if not able to fit all students under social distancing requirements)

Currently, Cohasset Public Schools is in the “Unshaded Category,” indicating that in-person schooling is appropriate when social-distancing guidelines are followed.

I have included information regarding these metrics, as well as the Cohasset Community Health Update for August 14, 2020.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

In an effort to provide information in response to reoccurring questions regarding the proposed TECCA Full Remote Only option, I am sending forward the following clarifications:

Question:

"If I do not choose TECCA and my child gets sick or has to quarantine, will he or she be provided with a remote only program at that time for the duration of the quarantine, as my child will clearly not be able to jump into TECCA at that point?" 

Answer:

Yes...we will find a TEMPORARY Remote option ONLY for students who are under quarantine and isolating or are under a doctor's care for COVID-19. Students who are in that situation will return to the hybrid or whatever model schools are following when their quarantine period ends. 

Question:

"Will students who are enrolled in the TECCA for Remote Learning Only have to be enrolled for the entire year?"

Answer:

"Students at the elementary level and middle school level will need to be enrolled in TECCA until the end of the first semester (January 25). It is clear now that students at the high school level will need to be enrolled in TECCA for the entire year due to our semester delivery model of classes at CHS."

I hope these clarifications help those who had these questions. A reminder that we ask that if you are opting for fully remote learning for your child(ren) that you please should fill out the previously sent Full Remote Learning Option Form by Wednesday, August 12 at 3:00pm. If this form is not filled out before 3:00pm on August 12, we cannot guarantee your child(ren) a spot in the program.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Some families have expressed some confusion regarding the draft plan for the first six weeks of school that was a part of the School Committee approved draft of the Cohasset Public Schools Fall School Re-Entry Road Map 2020 - 2021 that was sent to families last Thursday evening. That section articulates our focus for the weeks, but it should not be construed that we will be waiting until after the first six weeks to begin academic instruction. The first week will focus on getting the students into the buildings safely and ensuring they learn protocols. However, social-emotional learning is always paried with academics, not separated from it. We will continue our rigorous academic offernings while at the same time ensuring those focus points articulated in the Road Map are met. My apologies for any confusion that the plan may have caused. Have a wonderful weekend.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Last evening the Cohasset School Committee unanimously approved the following draft of the Cohasset Public Schools Fall School Re-Entry Road Map 2020 – 2021 pending further bargaining obligations with the Cohasset Teachers Association (CTA):

Cohasset Public Schools Fall School Re-Entry Road Map 2020 – 2021 Draft Approved by School Committee on 8/5/2020

Thank you to everyone who attended the family forums which took place last week and earlier this week. I have also included a document that highlights the substantive edits since the July 24, 2020 draft. The forums were informative to these changes.

Changes Made to Cohasset Public Schools Fall School Re-Entry Map 2020 -2021 Since July 24, 2020 Draft

We will be sending out information regarding our proposed Remote Only option for families tomorrow along with a form to indicate interest in this model. Have a wonderful weekend.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Last evening, Commissioner Riley’s Fall School Re-Entry Group released their Full Remote Leaning Guidance and their Guidance for Courses Requiring Additional Safety Considerations. The courses mentioned in the Safety Consideration document include physical education, band, chorus / choir, theater, and visual arts.

Both of these documents further clarify information that is currently in our Fall School Re-Entry Road Map Draft (sent to Cohasset Families yesterday). Information from this new guidance will be included as a part of our final Re-Entry Road Map. These documents will also be helpful for families to review before the family Zoom forums, about which we communicated yesterday.

I have also included the Community Health Update for Friday, June 24, 2020. Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Greetings Cohasset Families,

Attached and in the link below, please find the Draft of the Cohasset Public Schools Fall School Re-Entry Road Map for the 2020 – 2021 school year. Thank you to everyone who collaborated to help create this draft. It is important to highlight that this is a draft, and that needed changes will be implemented as we continue in the planning process.

Draft of Cohasset Public Schools Fall School Re-Entry Road Map for 2020 - 2021

The Cohasset Public Schools Timeline for Re-Entry Road Map Development is also attached to this email. This document explains the steps that will follow in the development of the final draft of the Re-Entry Road Map.

In addition, there will be virtual family forums regarding this Road Map draft, which will take place for each school. Instructions for the forums, were sent out to families on 7/24/2020.

Dates and times for Re-Entry Road Map Draft Virtual Forums:

Virtual Deer Hill Forum on July 28th from 6 PM - 7PM

Virtual Cohasset High School Forum on July 29th from 6 PM - 7PM

Virtual Cohasset Middle School on July 30th from 6 PM - 7PM

Virtual Joseph Osgood School on August 3rd from 6 PM- 7PM

If you would like to watch the meetings on Facebook, just click the following link at the appropriate time:

https://www.facebook.com/cohassetlivestreaming/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Please note that you will need a Facebook account to watch the meeting on Facebook. Also, you will not be able to interact within the meeting unless you are accessing via Zoom.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Greetings Cohasset Families,

On Thursday, July 9 and Friday, July 10, the subcommittees of the Cohasset Public Schools Re-Entry Team met to discuss re-entry planning in the following areas: Family Connection and Communication, Instruction at Osgood, Instruction at Deer Hill, Instruction at Cohasset Middle School, Instruction at Cohasset High School, Facilities, Social-Emotional Support, Student Services, and Technology. These successful meetings were filled with important discussions, sharing of ideas, and passionate considerations for our students, families, and faculty / staff as we plan for the possibilities of returning in an in-person learning, hybrid, or remote learning model. Thank you to the many stakeholders (students, faculty / staff, parents / guardians, School Committee Members, Town Employees, and Town Leaders who participated in these meetings. It was a great showing of how paramount Cohasset holds the success of its youth and schools. These meeting were one important step along the planning cycle. The Cohasset Public Schools Fall School Re-Entry Planning Timeline can be found here.

As part of our approach to re-entry, the social-emotional wellness of all our students will be paramount. We are already taking steps to prepare and to implement a safe and supportive return. On Thursday, July 9, the Collaborative of Academic and Social-Emotional Learning (CASEL) issued its re-entry guidance for schools. This document reflects the approach we are planning for social-emotional support. The CASEL Re-Entry Road Map can be found here.

Also, on July 9, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) produced its Comprehensive Special Education Guidance document and shared it with superintendents and district leaders. This guidance can be found here. This guidance will be followed closely by all faculty and staff.

Yesterday, Commissioner Riley’s Fall Re-Entry Group issued a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the Initial Fall Guidance. The FAQ Document can be found here, and the Initial Fall Guidance, which was sent out to families on June 25, can be found here. Commissioner Riley also issued a memo to superintendents and district leaders that emphasized the importance of leaders not communicating official Re-Entry Plans until August because of information that is forthcoming regarding financial support, and because of the need to track COVID-19 rates within the community before making final decisions. This memo to school leaders can be found here.

Finally, the Cohasset Community Health Update for 7/10/2020 can be found here. Please read this document, as it emphasizes the importance of all of us remaining vigilant regarding the social distancing practices required to keep COVID-19 low in our community. I will keep staff and families updated as new information comes my way and as we continue through our planning process. Have a nice weekend.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Good Morning Cohasset Families,

Last evening, Commissioner Riley’s Planning Group released its initial fall school re-opening guidance (please click on this link to view the guidance). As Commissioner Riley declares in his memo, “the initial guidance for school reopening this fall prioritizes getting our students back to school in person—safely, following a comprehensive set of health and safety requirements. At the same time, DESE is requiring each district and school to also plan for remote learning and a hybrid school model, a combination of in-person and remote learning, should conditions change this fall or winter.”

We have already announced the formation of a comprehensive district planning team (please click on this link to access the Fall School Re-Entry Planning Team) and of a timeline for the development of our fall school re-entry road map (please click on this link to access the Fall-Rentry Road Map Development Timeline). Planning will take place at both the district and school level, and student, faculty / staff, and family voice will be paramount as we plan.

Cohasset Families, please take a few minutes to fill out the following survey, which will be used to help the planning teams (PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK TO ACCESS THE INITIAL GUIDANCE FAMILY SURVEY).

A similar survey will be issued to faculty and staff in the coming days. We also plan to send out an additional survey to stakeholders after the planning team has their work in draft phase.

I have also attached a brief video where I explain our approach to planning:

https://youtu.be/hcePl24ZNm8

We are Cohasset Strong, and we will get through this together! Have a great day.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Greetings Cohasset Families,

The first attached document presents the timeline we will use to create a Road Map for Fall School Re-Entry. We are committed to using a thorough process that is inclusive of stakeholder voice at every level. However, we do recognize the need to get information out as quickly as possible. Because of this need, I will be sharing information from the guidance that is set to come from The Commissioner's Re-Entry Group. The Commissioner has asked that superintendents not go deeply into planning before the guidance from his group is issued. It is expected that the Commissioner will send his guidance, which will serve as a foundation for our work with our own Re-Entry Team, to superintendents and district leaders within the next two weeks. Our timeline provides opportunity for staff and family input in forums before the final Road Map is published. (Please click on link below to access the document): 

Cohasset Public Schools Timeline for Fall School Re-Entry Road Map Development

The second attached document presents the Cohasset Public Schools Fall School Re-Entry Planning Team 2020 – 2021. Thank you to the students, parents / guardians, faculty, staff, community members, town employees, and school leaders who are on the Re-entry Subcommittees. The broad scope of this team will provide a great collective voice for the school community as we apply the guidance to make the fall re-entry work for our faculty and staff, families, and students. (Please click on the link below to access the document):

Cohasset Public Schools Fall Re-Entry Planning Team 2020 - 2021

“KEEP THE JOY”

It is important that as we create our safety conscious plans to start school in the fall that we remember the importance of "joy" within our schools. The Cohasset Public Schools are vibrant and warm places for staff to work and for students to learn, and we will focus within our planning on keeping that warmth that makes Cohasset a special place. We will continue to view everything "Through the Eyes of the Student," and we will keep stressing that "This is Important, You Can Do It, and We Will Not Give Up On You" throughout any changes that come our way.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Greetings Cohasset Families,

In an effort to support families and students dealing with the ongoing social crisis regarding the death of George Floyd, we are sharing some additional resources (please see below):

Resources recommended by METCO:

TIME for Kids Age-Appropriate Resources

Social and Cultural Literacy Resource for Classrooms

In addition, we are proud of the recent peaceful and positive activism (holding signs of solidarity for our students of color on the town common) on the part of our students, and we support their collective voice. We are also continuing our focus on cultural competency professional development with all our staff. In addition to examining the diversity of our texts this past school year and immersing our students in more culturally proficient and culturally diverse readings at the elementary level, we had a comprehensive professional development planned for staff on March 20 regarding cultural proficiency and race that was unfortunately postponed due to the COVID -19 outbreak. This professional development, which comes to us through the outstanding efforts of Aleisa Gittens-Carle, our METCO Director, and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Leslie Scollins, and which is funded by the Cohasset Education Foundation (CEF), is now on our Professional Development Calendar for the 2020 – 2021 school year. We are appreciative to the CEF for this opportunity. I have linked our plans for this event to this communication (see below).

Cultural Competency and Race Professional Development

Have a nice afternoon.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Greetings Cohasset Families,

The events resulting in the death of George Floyd in Minnesota last week have caused sorrow, outrage, and frustration. In a time when the need for compassion and empathy is paramount, we will continue to promote diversity and cultural competency, to teach the importance of open discourse, and to inspire our students to end hate through kindness and compassion. We stand beside and support our students and families of color, in this case particularly students and families in the Black and African American communities, and we are committed to do our part to end systemic racism.

This tragedy and others like it, paired with the ongoing pandemic, have produced a difficult landscape for our students. We want to provide the highest level of social and emotional support possible for our students during this difficult time, so please reach out to your child’s principal or our METCO Director, if there is a need for support, and they will direct you to the appropriate resources. We have also included some resources to support students and families in talking about recent events and in coping with the trauma that can arise from public tragedies.

Sincerely,

Dr. Patrick Sullivan, Superintendent

Dr. Leslie Scollins, Assistant Superintendent

Michael MacMillan, Director of Finance and Operations

Mary Buchanan, Director of Student Services

Alesia Gittens-Carle, METCO Director

Brian Scott, CHS Principal

Tara Noyes, CHS Assistant Principal

Steve Rotondi, Athletic Director

Sandy Crough, Lead Nurse

John Mills, CMS Principal

Dr. Kate Salas, CMS Assistant Principal

Alexandra L. Sullivan, DHS Principal

Lisa Farrell, JOS Principal

Resources:

Cohasset Public Schools Counselors and School Psychologist Contact Information

Resources regarding talking to children about race / racism:

http://www.childrenscommunityschool.org/social-justice-resources/

http://www.raceconscious.org/2016/06/100-race-conscious-things-to-say-to-your-child-to-advance-racial-justice/
https://booksforlittles.com/racial-diversity/

https://bookriot.com/2020/04/09/social-justice-books-for-teens/ 

National Association of School Pyschologists (NASP) Talking to Children About Violence, Tips for Parents and Teachers:

Racial Equity Tools: https://www.racialequitytools.org/home

Teaching Tolerance Website: https://www.tolerance.org/

List of 31 Books that support conversations about race – racism with children:

https://www.embracerace.org/resources/26-childrens-books-to-support-conversations-on-race-racism-resistance

Article regarding using children’s books to support conversations regarding race - racism:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2019/11/22/childrens-books-can-help-start-conversation-about-race-parents-have-continue-it/

Anti-Defamation League (ADL) website: https://www.adl.org/

Resources regarding trauma and support:

Child Mind Institute: Dealing with Trauma Guides: https://childmind.org/our-impact/trauma-response/guides/

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTN): Resources: https://www.nctsn.org/resources

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/01/health/protests-racism-talk-to-children-wellness/index.html

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/ptsd-trauma/helping-children-cope-with-traumatic-stress.htm

School facilities are closed. Please click on the image below to access

the Superintendent and Community Updates

Please click on the image below to access

Remote Learning Resources for all schools

Cohasset Public Schools is one of 250 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 10th Annual AP® District Honor Roll.

Click on the link below for the full article

CPS College Board's 10th Annual AP District Honor Roll Announcement

The 2020-2021 district calendar has been updated and approved by the School Committee on 5/6/2020. 

Click on the calendar below to view.

Please click on the image below to view the Cohasset Safe Schools Night Presentation

 All student registrations are now done by appointment at the appropriate grade level school.

• Joseph Osgood, grades K-2: 210 Sohier St., Cohasset, MA 02025 - 781-383-6117
• DeerHill Elementary, grades 3-5; 208 Sohier St., Cohasset, MA 02025 - 781-383-6115
• Cohasset Middle School, grades 6-8: 143 Pond St., Cohasset, MA 02025 - 781-383-6100
• Cohasset High School, grades 9-12: 143 Pond St., Cohasset, MA 02025 - 781-383-6100

Click here for more information