Dear WMS Community,

As the pandemic rages, with new, more contagious variants appearing and a
vaccination distribution system under enormous pressure, our school continues
to focus intently on its two primary goals, keeping the school physically open and
keeping our entire community as healthy and safe as possible. While we see both
as important, during this extraordinarily challenging period, balancing these two
goals require constant attention and sometimes a shifting emphasis.

As a result, keeping all our classes and our sites continually open cannot be
guaranteed and we must remain vigilant as well as flexible as we move through
the coming months. Also, as we begin pool testing, where 100% of the staff and
children are tested every week, as opposed to the current program where 15%
are tested every week, there is a strong possibility that we will discover a higher
number of positive tests, requiring additional classroom or site closings. But, as
frustrating as this will be, it provides us the strongest chance of keeping the virus
at bay.

So, please understand that we must be patient and attentive during this difficult
time and give thanks to our dedicated staff and teachers, who have worked
relentlessly since last March to provide the best environment for our own
community, to the children who express such joy when they are able to be with
their teachers and friends (my favorite line from a child after the first day back at
school in September was, “This is amazing!”) and to our parents who have
contributed so generously to our Covid relief fund.

Please remember to bring your completed Covid test kit to school, for Hudson
Street children and staff, on Monday and for Duane Street children and staff on
the first day the site is open, most likely on Tuesday.

We are in this together and will see it through,
Ronnie