The school board just announced they are moving forward with outdoor lunch and a surveillance testing program for all students. This win proves that consistent pressure on our local officials works. Keep watching our district updates to ensure these safety measures are carried out exactly as promised.
September 4, 2021
Final supporters
Dear Dr. Taylor, Members of the SOMSD Board of Education, Maplewood Health Officer, Candice Davenport, and South Orange Health Officer, John Festa:
We want to start by acknowledging the hard work, planning and collaboration it has taken to roll out the most current version of protocols for a return to full-time, in-person instruction this fall. We are writing to ask you to employ additional mitigation strategies which will protect our students, staff and community from the highly transmissible Delta variant as they will be returning for full-day, in person instruction in a matter of weeks. We ask that you act now to implement the following:
- a district-wide plan for outdoor lunch and snacks, and
- regular surveillance testing to prevent asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic community members from transmitting the virus to others.
The Delta variant is on the rise and can make children and even vaccinated adults seriously ill (see FN 1, 2). The state has mandated that all students attend school in person, yet half of our student population cannot be vaccinated, and some of our students, teachers, and family members are at risk for serious illness. This situation demands that the district take more protective measures than they have in the past. We are grateful that you implemented a mask mandate early, but the current risks require more.
Outdoor eating and surveillance testing would decrease virus transmission, which would result in fewer interruptions, quarantines and shutdowns. They would allow for more consistent in-person instruction and fewer sick kids. These are goals the entire district can support.
It is clear that removing masks indoors poses a high risk of transmission. This is especially important as your recent communication noted that some classrooms will not even allow for recommended distancing when masked. Removing masks in these settings is particularly dangerous, and is still high-risk even in cafeteria settings. Outdoor eating would eliminate the need to unmask indoors, providing necessary protection. It is not enough to ask principals to develop creative solutions around eating; it is incumbent upon you to lead, to set a standard of outdoor eating for all students at all schools, to make a policy that would provide the same protection to every student in the district.
Surveillance testing is also necessary at this point in the pandemic. It is impossible to keep children safe without knowing where cases are coming from. Testing is how you control spread -- not testing puts lives unnecessarily at risk.
Many districts will be implementing testing this fall. The second largest district in the country, Los Angeles, will be doing baseline and ongoing weekly testing of all faculty, staff, and students as will many other districts across the country, including local districts like Newark and Millburn (see FN 3). With federal support and funding, coupled with our local town leadership support, and the support from our community, we believe testing is attainable and urge you to implement testing protocols. Pool testing would keep our SOMSD community safer, and act as a “guard rail” for the hard-won return to full-time, in-person learning, by helping to prevent the outbreaks and community spread that can jeopardize consistent in-person school.
We know these measures are not without challenges, but we believe they are necessary. Necessary to keep all of our students in school as much as possible. Necessary to protect the health of our students, staff and families, especially those most vulnerable during this pandemic. Implement testing and outdoor eating to provide equitable protection to all in our district. We look forward to your thoughtful consideration of these matters.
FNs
Updates
August 14, 2021
We just hit 250 signatures. Post this link on your Facebook page today and tag the school board members to keep up the momentum.
Reached 250 supporters
August 12, 2021
August 12, 2021
We hit a real milestone today and the momentum behind this demand is growing fast. Post the link to your Facebook page right now and text three friends to get them involved. We need to keep this energy high until the board responds.
Reached 100 supporters
August 11, 2021
52 Comments
Our family has not eaten indoors at restaurants because our kids can’t be vaccinated yet. We really need to have kids eat school lunch outside. If they can go out for recess then they can eat outdoors as well. Thank you!
Parent to a SOMS 6th grader and a SMS K'er. Please help keep our kids safely IN school and reduce the number of mandatory 14-day quarantines required when identified as a close contact.
Parent of an unvaccinated SOMS 6th grader (and very willing to fundraise or help organize a catering tent outside of SOMS!)
parent to SOMSD 3rd and 1st grader, ineligible for vaccinations at this time. Thank you in advance for taking extra steps to ensure as safe an academic year with as limited interruptions as possible to in person learning!
As a concerned parent of a kindergartener with asthma, I sincerely hope the additional measures described in this petition are implemented.
I agree 100% but please also implement the simplest way to stay healthy in class OPEN THE WINDOWS !!!
Forget COVID, our kids don’t get enough fresh air and run around them either way. Let them outside when the weather works and keep this option forever!
Share this petition
Share this petition to help it reach more people.
Your share link
The school board just announced they are moving forward with outdoor lunch and a surveillance testing program for all students. This win proves that consistent pressure on our local officials works. Keep watching our district updates to ensure these safety measures are carried out exactly as promised.
September 4, 2021
Final supporters
Dear Dr. Taylor, Members of the SOMSD Board of Education, Maplewood Health Officer, Candice Davenport, and South Orange Health Officer, John Festa:
We want to start by acknowledging the hard work, planning and collaboration it has taken to roll out the most current version of protocols for a return to full-time, in-person instruction this fall. We are writing to ask you to employ additional mitigation strategies which will protect our students, staff and community from the highly transmissible Delta variant as they will be returning for full-day, in person instruction in a matter of weeks. We ask that you act now to implement the following:
- a district-wide plan for outdoor lunch and snacks, and
- regular surveillance testing to prevent asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic community members from transmitting the virus to others.
The Delta variant is on the rise and can make children and even vaccinated adults seriously ill (see FN 1, 2). The state has mandated that all students attend school in person, yet half of our student population cannot be vaccinated, and some of our students, teachers, and family members are at risk for serious illness. This situation demands that the district take more protective measures than they have in the past. We are grateful that you implemented a mask mandate early, but the current risks require more.
Outdoor eating and surveillance testing would decrease virus transmission, which would result in fewer interruptions, quarantines and shutdowns. They would allow for more consistent in-person instruction and fewer sick kids. These are goals the entire district can support.
It is clear that removing masks indoors poses a high risk of transmission. This is especially important as your recent communication noted that some classrooms will not even allow for recommended distancing when masked. Removing masks in these settings is particularly dangerous, and is still high-risk even in cafeteria settings. Outdoor eating would eliminate the need to unmask indoors, providing necessary protection. It is not enough to ask principals to develop creative solutions around eating; it is incumbent upon you to lead, to set a standard of outdoor eating for all students at all schools, to make a policy that would provide the same protection to every student in the district.
Surveillance testing is also necessary at this point in the pandemic. It is impossible to keep children safe without knowing where cases are coming from. Testing is how you control spread -- not testing puts lives unnecessarily at risk.
Many districts will be implementing testing this fall. The second largest district in the country, Los Angeles, will be doing baseline and ongoing weekly testing of all faculty, staff, and students as will many other districts across the country, including local districts like Newark and Millburn (see FN 3). With federal support and funding, coupled with our local town leadership support, and the support from our community, we believe testing is attainable and urge you to implement testing protocols. Pool testing would keep our SOMSD community safer, and act as a “guard rail” for the hard-won return to full-time, in-person learning, by helping to prevent the outbreaks and community spread that can jeopardize consistent in-person school.
We know these measures are not without challenges, but we believe they are necessary. Necessary to keep all of our students in school as much as possible. Necessary to protect the health of our students, staff and families, especially those most vulnerable during this pandemic. Implement testing and outdoor eating to provide equitable protection to all in our district. We look forward to your thoughtful consideration of these matters.
FNs
Updates
August 14, 2021
We just hit 250 signatures. Post this link on your Facebook page today and tag the school board members to keep up the momentum.
Reached 250 supporters
August 12, 2021
August 12, 2021
We hit a real milestone today and the momentum behind this demand is growing fast. Post the link to your Facebook page right now and text three friends to get them involved. We need to keep this energy high until the board responds.
Reached 100 supporters
August 11, 2021
52 Comments
These are common sense ideas that need to be carefully considered. If outdoor eating is impossible at some schools, please consider the Japanese method and feed the students in their classrooms/home rooms. It may be far safer than cafeteria style which broadens unmasked interactions between classes and grades.
Our family has not eaten indoors at restaurants because our kids can’t be vaccinated yet. We really need to have kids eat school lunch outside. If they can go out for recess then they can eat outdoors as well. Thank you!
Parent to a SOMS 6th grader and a SMS K'er. Please help keep our kids safely IN school and reduce the number of mandatory 14-day quarantines required when identified as a close contact.
Parent of an unvaccinated SOMS 6th grader (and very willing to fundraise or help organize a catering tent outside of SOMS!)
parent to SOMSD 3rd and 1st grader, ineligible for vaccinations at this time. Thank you in advance for taking extra steps to ensure as safe an academic year with as limited interruptions as possible to in person learning!
As a concerned parent of a kindergartener with asthma, I sincerely hope the additional measures described in this petition are implemented.
I agree 100% but please also implement the simplest way to stay healthy in class OPEN THE WINDOWS !!!
Forget COVID, our kids don’t get enough fresh air and run around them either way. Let them outside when the weather works and keep this option forever!
Share this petition
Share this petition to help it reach more people.
Your share link
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
These are common sense ideas that need to be carefully considered. If outdoor eating is impossible at some schools, please consider the Japanese method and feed the students in their classrooms/home rooms. It may be far safer than cafeteria style which broadens unmasked interactions between classes and grades.