Letter To Families From The Superintendent
January 8, 2021Dear Parents and Students,
I am writing to provide an update to the Peabody Public Schools community regarding the impact of Covid-19 on
our schools. As you know, our community has seen a dramatic increase in positive cases over the past several
weeks. In addition to the devastating impact this virus has on individuals testing positive, the number of close
contacts requiring quarantine continues to grow.
We are extremely grateful for the public health department and our nurses for their tireless efforts with contact
tracing. The safety protocols of mask wearing, social distancing and hand hygiene have mitigated the spread of
this disease. We currently have no conclusive evidence of spread in our schools. The majority of positive cases
seem to come from household exposure and attendance at social gatherings.
The staff and students at Peabody Veteran’s Memorial High School have been impacted with more frequency
than any other school in our district. Since December 1, 2020, there have been 90 individuals that have tested
positive and an additional 121 individuals that have needed to quarantine. I have previously stated that we will
remain committed to our hybrid learning model until we have evidence in-school transmission or if we are unable
to safely supervise our students in-school. Unfortunately, PVMHS has reached a critical point where the number
of staff needing to quarantine due to positive cases or being close contacts prohibits our ability to effectively
remain in an in-person learning model.
As a result, Peabody Veteran’s Memorial High School will engage in a fully remote learning model
beginning Monday January 11, 2021. Students will return to in-person learning on Tuesday January 19th.
Please see the attached schedule for PVMHS students effective 1/11/21 through 1/15/21. Since we do not have
any conclusive evidence of in-school transmission, PVMHS winter sports will continue as scheduled. All out of
season practices will be postponed until January 19th.
All other Peabody Public Schools will remain in our in-person hybrid learning model. We will continue to
closely monitor this situation as we navigate the challenges and complexities of COVID-19 together. Please be
assured that the health, welfare, and safety of our school community will remain paramount.
Sincerely,
Dr. Josh Vadala
Categorized in: District, PVMHS, Superintendent