From the Principal
Dear Messmore Families,
Over the past year our practices have changed and the paradigm of learning has shifted, however, our school‘s vision, mission, and core values remained the same. The mission of Messmore Elementary School is to provide a Montessori environment that fosters motivated, responsible, life-long learners. To live our mission, we will continue to improve our school environment that fosters respectful and responsible students. It is important to us that we reflect and hold ourselves responsible towards fulfilling our mission during a time of constant change. Together, in partnership, we will maintain our culture of high expectations for learning as we nurture relationships that help students be successful in life.
International Traveling
We greatly appreciate your continued partnership to keep our students and staff safe as we have moved to face-to-face learning. Your support of self-screening procedures for your child(ren) each morning is key to our continued success in providing a safe and positive learning environment.
It is important that families who may be traveling over mid-winter break follow closely the additional guidelines to mitigate any spread of COVID-19 in our community. These guidelines were issued in the recent Presidential Executive Order and Center for Disease Control (CDC) Travel Guidance (links below).
Families planning to travel internationally should know and comply with the Presidential Order requiring the CDC recommendations for international air travel. For Utica Community Schools students this means that they must follow the below procedures following their return and before returning to school.
1) Student must quarantine at home immediately upon return from international air travel. This should be for a minimum of seven (7) or ten (10) calendar days (see below).
*Student should get tested for COVID-19 upon return from international air travel. This is best conducted during the window of three to five days after return.
*If test result is positive for COVID-19, follow all applicable quarantine requirements.
*If test result is negative for COVID-19, continue to self-monitor, and may return to school after the full seven days, provided no symptoms emerge.
2) If the student does not get tested within the window indicated above, she/he is to self-monitor for ten days and may return to school after the full ten days, provided no symptoms emerge.
3) Even upon completing quarantine, students who have engaged in international air travel should continue to distance from medically fragile persons for fourteen days from return.
Parents should make us aware in advance of any international air travel so that any quarantining absence is appropriately recorded. Please be advised that Utica Community Schools is not obligated to provide expanded remote learning for students quarantined following voluntary international travel.
Below are links with additional information:
CDC Guidelines: After You Travel Internationally | CDC
Executive Order: Executive Order on Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Domestic and International Travel | The White House
Sincerely,
Renee Fiema, Ed.D.
Messmore Principal