“Everyone Must Wear A Mask”

On Tuesday September 21st 2021 all students of Bedford High School received an email from Mr. Jozokos that read:

Hello students,

With our multiple classroom clusters of COVID-19, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has determined we have had an outbreak of COVID-19. That means we will all wear masks for the next 14 days. This is effective starting now and will go through Tuesday, October 5th. If all goes well and we have no more clusters (three or more cases in a classroom), mandatory masking will end on Wednesday the 6th.

Here are the details:
Everyone needs to wear a mask when indoors
It must cover your mouth and nose
If someone isn’t wearing a mask properly, they get sent home for the day…no warnings, no three strikes. You did it last year, you can do it now.
Visitors to BHS and spectators at indoor games will wear masks.
You don’t need to wear a mask while eating in the Commons.
You don’t need to wear a mask when you are outdoors (for example: outdoor Wellness classes, outdoor practices and games, in the Courtyard)
When you are outdoors with your mask off, try to distance yourself by at least three feet.
Riding the bus still requires masks; that hasn’t changed.
The whole point of this 14 day masking is to stop the spread of COVID-19 within BHS. We have staff and nearly 40 students who have had COVID-19 and have had to be out of school for 10 days. That is no fun; missing that much school is hard and causes unneeded stress and worry. Let’s mask up and beat the virus back down.

Thanks everyone.

A similar message was sent to your parents. It’s copied below.

Mr. Jozokos

cc BHS staff

Dear BHS Parents,

Over the last two weeks, I have emailed you about multiple cases of COVID-19 at BHS including recent classroom clusters. We have been working closely with DHHS when reporting these cases and responding. DHHS has now identified BHS as having an outbreak.

As part of our reopening plan, an outbreak of COVID-19 requires universal masking for up to 14 days. Look here for our targeted masking plan.

Effective today, all BHS students and staff are required to wear a face mask indoors during school, and during before school and after school indoor activities. This is in effect through Tuesday, October 5, 2021. When outdoors, students and staff do not need to wear a mask (e.g. outdoor Wellness classes and outdoor practices and games). Students will not be masked while they eat in the Commons. Visitors and spectators will be masked whenever they are indoors.

Face masks slow the spread of COVID-19. It is our hope that in the next 14 days we will get back to a baseline (no clusters, no outbreaks) and be able to keep students and staff in school as much as possible.

Please know that school districts are not permitted to require masks of only their unvaccinated populations. Our 14 day masking applies to everyone.

Thank you.

Bob

cc: students, Superintendent, School Board

—
Bob Jozokos, EdS
Principal
Bedford High School
Bedford, New Hampshire