Marblehead High To Go To Remote Learning After Large Party
MARBLEHEAD, MA — A large house party Friday night in which "young people were gathered together without social distancing or face coverings, sharing drinks and generally ignoring the standards our community has set to manage COVID-19" has caused school and town officials to switch Marblehead High School to remote learning effective immediately until at least Nov. 9.
Superintendent John Buckey cited a "troubling pattern of behavior in play, which can be seen across our community" as a factor in the decision to close down high school classrooms as the town was looking to expand in-school learning to full days up to three days per week.
"It is difficult for me to state how frustrating this is to announce," Buckey said in a letter to the school community Sunday. "In my 26 years as an educator, I have never witnessed an effort such as the one undertaken this past summer to reopen our schools. Although exhausting, it has served as an incredible source of pride for our system.
"I am sorry for those who have worked so hard to make our reopening happen and (who work) to continue to improve it daily, to those whose lives have now been disrupted, and, finally but most importantly, to those who are at high risk of illness or who live with the fear of becoming sick.
"We must do better."
Buckey said the determination to go fully remote for at least two weeks came after a discussion with school and town leaders, and after looking at the ways districts such as Lincoln-Sudbury and Dover-Sherborn have responded to similar large student gatherings.
All athletics and extracurricular activities have been postponed through Nov. 7.
The superintendent said when police arrived at the party "the attendees scattered so as not to be caught."
"We all know this is not a new thing for teenagers. However, these are not ordinary times."
He acknowledged: "While today's discussion centered around one house party, we are aware that this is not, in fact, a singular event."
Marblehead High will go to fully remote through at least Nov. 6 with the plan to switch back to hybrid "if there are no new cases identified during this time." Buckey said new cases could cause the district to reassess the return.
Parents and guardians of those who attended the party, as well as parents and guardians of those who have had contact with those who attended the party, are urged to have those students tested for coronavirus. All students who were at the party, as well as those who have had contact with students at the party, should also self-quarantine.
Buckey said the families of those at the party, including younger siblings, are "strongly encouraged" to quarantine and voluntarily switch to remote learning effective immediately.
"I understand young people's desire to be together as far away from adults as possible," Buckey said. "In choosing to ignore the rules set down by the governor and our community in the pandemic, we are not just endangering individuals, we are potentially harming the community at large.
"This isn't just a school conversation," he added. "This is a community conversation. And the bottom line is that what we don't know about this situation absolutely can hurt us."
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This article originally appeared on the Marblehead Patch
