Raymond School District Provides Update on Remote Learning for Iber Holmes Gove Middle School and Raymond High School Students

Group A Hybrid Seventh Graders to Continue Remote Learning, all Other Hybrid Students to Resume Regular Schedules 

RAYMOND — Superintendent Tina McCoy reports that one group of seventh graders will continue remote learning for the next two weeks, while all remaining Iber Holmes Gove Middle School and Raymond High School students will resume their normal hybrid learning schedules this week.

Iber Holmes Gove Middle School seventh graders in hybrid education Group A will continue to engage in remote learning through Nov. 13 and will return for on-site learning as scheduled on Monday, Nov. 16. All other students at the middle school will resume their normal learning schedules on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

This change comes after an individual at the middle school tested positive for COVID-19. That individual is self-isolating in accordance with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NH DHHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocol. The individual will be able to return to school in approximately two weeks, as long as they have been cleared by DHHS to do so. Under state and federal privacy laws, no further information is available about the affected person.

Raymond High School students will also be able to resume their normal learning schedules on Wednesday, Nov. 4. These students participated in remote learning on Monday as well after the district was notified that an individual at the school was in close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19. The district was notified Monday afternoon that the individual has received a negative test result for COVID-19.

There will be no school on Tuesday, Nov. 3 due to the presidential election.

Any families of the affected seventh grade students who are immediately in need of a Chromebook for their student to participate in remote learning should call the Technology Support Hotline at 603-690-9005 starting at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

The district is continuing to work with DHHS to identify and contact all close contacts of the positive individual the middle school. Those who are identified as a close contact (anyone who was within 6 feet of the infected individual up to two days prior to the positive test result) will be contacted by DHHS and required to quarantine for at least two weeks, and will be directed to get tested and keep themselves or their children quarantined until 14 days following their last possible exposure. If you do not receive a call from DHHS, this means you have not been identified as a close contact and you are not required to quarantine.

As a reminder, any student or staff member who is sick or showing any symptoms related to COVID-19 should stay home from school and participate in remote learning. Students and staff will need to stay out of school for at least 14 days after the onset of symptoms, with signs that symptoms have improved, and at least 24 hours have passed since the resolution of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medications. Parents and guardians should stay in close contact with school nurses in relation to all student illnesses. While a negative COVID-19 test result could hasten a student’s return to school, please note that it is not possible to test out of a quarantine period.

To prevent further spread of the disease in the community, the Raymond School District asks that students, families and staff take the following precautions to prevent the spread of the disease:

• Stay home if you have a fever or are not feeling well. Students should stay home from school should any new or unexplained illness, no matter how mild, develop. This precaution is meant to keep all staff and students safe.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid close contact with others. When outside your home, please adhere to social distancing guidelines and keep a distance of at least 6 feet between yourself and others.
• Wear a cloth face covering that covers your mouth and nose to protect others when in public areas.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Keep your child home if there is a chance that he or she has recently come into contact with someone with COVID-19, and consult the NH DHHS as needed by calling 211. 

Children may worry about themselves, their family and friends getting sick with COVID-19. Tips for talking to children about COVID-19 can be found here.

To learn more about COVID-19, please check these trusted resources:

• New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
• United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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