Darien Coronavirus: More Details On Closing Of Public Schools

DARIEN, CT — Darien Public Schools will be closed from March 12 to March 26 due to concerns over the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), district officials announced Wednesday night.

"The Darien Public Schools will be closed beginning March 12, 2020," officials wrote on the district's website. "Schools will resume on Thursday March 26, 2020. Please come back for additional updates."

The move follows similar actions by the New Canaan and Westport school districts, both of which issued statements on closures earlier in the day. Wilton, Greenwich and Weston also have closed schools.

As a result of the shutdown, the last day of school in Darien will be June 30, said Schools Superintendent Dr. Alan Addley.

"As we learn more over the next several days, the Board of Education may be required to use some or all of the April break to make-up missed days," Addley said. "We will keep you apprised of how we intend to make up the days and reschedule meetings and activities."

(Don't miss Connecticut coronavirus updates as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.)

On Tuesday, the school district and Darien officials said schools and government were staying open at that time because both are considered "essential services."

The situation changed on Wednesday, in part because a confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in New Canaan (the patient is being treated at Norwalk Hospital), and news broke of 14 people in Westport possibly contracting the virus.

First Selectman Jayme Stevenson said on Twitter that the situation was now an "emerging COVID-19 crisis" in the region.

In addition to the schools, the Darien Library also is closed until further notice. See the announcement below.

Below is the full text of Dr. Addley's Wednesday night announcement:

Earlier this evening you received notification that the Darien Public Schools is closing for fourteen
calendar days, beginning tomorrow, Thursday, March 12. The scheduled date of return to school is
Thursday, March 26. We will communicate with you throughout the period of closure as we learn
more information. The closure includes the cancellation of all academic, athletic, and extracurricular activities. District and school facilities may not be used for any event during the period of closure. All schools and facilities will be thoroughly deep cleaned while closed.

This decision to close schools was made late today in consultation with the First Selectman and town and school health officials. Today, the State Department of Health shared that the spread of the Coronavirus is not only imminent but is actively occurring across local communities. While no Darien resident has been diagnosed with the Coronavirus, in an abundance of caution, the District is being proactive in its response to close schools in order to prevent the potential spread of the virus.

Presently, with one snow day and ten days of closure due to the Coronavirus, the last day of school
would be scheduled for June 30. As we learn more over the next several days, the Board of
Education may be required to use some or all of the April break to make-up missed days. We will
keep you apprised of how we intend to make up the days and reschedule meetings and activities.

Our dedicated and talented staff has worked tirelessly over the past weeks to create enrichment
experiences that all students will be able to access while schools are closed. Resources are accessible for all students in both general and special education. You will receive a separate
communication with instructions on how to access these materials, which will be available through our website or Google Classroom beginning on Monday March 13. These activities are completely voluntary and students are not required to participate. The activities are not intended to replace classroom instruction. Our goal is to offer opportunities for students to access enrichment, practice skills, and have structure to the day.

Schools will be open for students and staff tomorrow from 8:30am-11:00am. During this time,
students in grades 3 and 4, who do not have a device at home, may sign-out a Chromebook at the
main office for use during this closure and other students may stop in briefly to pick up any items (i.e., Chromebooks and musical instruments) that they may have left behind.

We understand that school closure affects all families, and we are committed to addressing the needs of all our learners. Our administrators will reach out to individual families in the days ahead to explain the process we will use to provide services to their children once school reopens.

Tomorrow, after consultation with the Connecticut Commissioner of Education, the District will decide whether or not it meets the criteria to submit a waiver to have eLearning days count towards the 180 days of school. We will advise you of the decision.

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Take care of yourselves
during this time and follow the health guidance and recommendations shared with you in previous communications. In particular, we ask parents and students to be mindful of the guidance to avoid activities involving large gatherings.

Thank you for your understanding and collaboration as we make decisions for the health and safety of our students. Together we will successfully navigate these turbulent and uncertain times.

My apologies for the late notice.

Sincerely,
Alan Addley, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Below is the announcement from Alan Kirk Gray, director of the Darien Library:

We are closing Darien Library effective immediately until further notice due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Please hold onto your library checkouts until we reopen as our outdoor book drop will not be accepting returns. No fines will be incurred during this time.

Tax-Aide appointments are cancelled while the Library is closed. Please seek out alternate sites of tax preparation. Check AARP's Tax-Aide website for additional locations.

While our building is closed, we are always open online at Digital Darien.* Use your Darien Library card to download books, movies, magazines, music, and TV shows. Or conduct research with our online databases.

We will email you again when the building reopens.

Best,
Alan Kirk Gray
Darien Library Director

*Do you not live or work in Darien and are not a Friend of the Library? Please check your home library's digital content. All libraries in Fairfield County offer access to great online educational and entertainment resources.