Dear WMS Community,

I am grateful for your understanding of our need for our school to enter into Pool Testing at this point in the pandemic. While there are certainly rays of light (our staff has begun getting vaccinated), there are also dark storms at this cold time of year as new strains, the most recent one in Japan, have increased viral transmission. The number of children exhibiting Covid symptoms is rising and while thankfully not resulting in increased hospitalizations, it is a clear indication that children who are infected are not always asymptomatic.

We appreciate that the nasal anterior swab can be cumbersome and it is not pleasant to have to submit your child to this weekly procedure. It might be helpful, if your children are resistant, to remind them that this is being done by their teachers as well, and that everyone in the school is doing it to stay safe.

Thank you,

Ronnie