Milford School Cafeterias, Field Trips To Return

MILFORD, CT — Milford Public Schools will be reducing or removing many of the remaining COVID-19 restrictions in schools beginning March 14. The school system went mask-optional at the beginning of March.

Social distancing requirements will be lifted and students will be able to work together with no separation restrictions beginning March 14, Superintendent Anna Cutaia said in a letter to families.

Cafeteria spaces will be used again as logistically feasible, Cutaia said.

Visitors will be allowed into buildings beginning March 28, though parent conferences will be held virtually due to scheduling factors.

School-based events and field trips will also return.

Below is the full letter:

Dear Parents/Guardians and Staff Members,

In a few days, we will mark the two year anniversary of our collective response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. It has not been easy but we would not be in this place today had it not been for the support, partnership, and hard work everyone has done toward preserving the health and safety of the Milford Public Schools community. Today, I am pleased to share some good news that will make it clear we can now reap the benefits of that work.

Beginning Monday, March 14, 2022, we will be reducing and/or removing many of the restrictions that have been in place throughout the district as we addressed the global pandemic. Our continued tracking of COVID-19 cases, particularly since putting the mask-optional status in place a few weeks ago, proves it is time to move in this direction. In addition, the Milford community has moved out of the ‘Red Zone,’ as related to COVID-19 metrics.

What Will Change?

Beginning on Monday, March 14th, social distancing requirements will be lifted and students will, once again, be able to work together with no separation restrictions. This will do much to bring collaboration and building relationships back to the classroom.

Beginning on March 28th, visitors will be granted access to our schools once more. Appointments will still be required for anyone who needs to enter the building, just as they always were, but this will give our families the ability to participate in in-person meetings, when needed. Parent conferences will continue to be held virtually this week due to scheduling and logistical factors.

School-Based Events and Field Trips to Return. We have longed for the day when events would be allowed in our buildings once again. We anticipate this transition will enable students, staff, and families to gather together for the various school-based celebrations that have always been considered the lifeblood of the School-Family-Community connection.

We are working with our school facilities department to prepare our cafeteria spaces for more traditional use for meal times. As logistically feasible, our school cafeterias will once again be used by students as they were prior to the pandemic. Students will walk to the cafeteria, receive their lunch, and be able to sit with classmates, as had been common practice for years before the pandemic.

Over the next two weeks, the school and district leaders will be working on the details as to how these changes will be implemented. As details emerge, we will continue to communicate with you.

In closing, we wish to remind everyone of the importance of continued self-monitoring as one of the most important ways to help keep transmission rates low. If you are sick, stay home and contact your school nurse and/or health provider for additional guidance. This practice has played a pivotal role in helping us get to this place today and we appreciate your individual efforts toward keeping yourself and others healthy.

Thank you, for your continued partnership and support.

Sincerely,

Anna Cutaia, Ed.D.
Superintendent