Greenwich Catholic students return to school
GREENWICH — Middle school students at Greenwich Catholic have returned to the building after two weeks in quarantine.
Two classes at the private school were sent home Sept. 11, after school officials confirmed a seventh-grade student had tested positive for COVID-19. The other seventh-graders, as well as the eighth-graders and the siblings of the affected students, were forced to quarantine until Monday, school officials said.
In total, about 90 Greenwich Catholic students participated in distance learning over the twoweek period, school officials said.
“The decision to send those students home from Sept. 14-25 was made out of an abundance of caution, and we have had no other positive cases,” Noelle Debes, the school’s director of advancement, said Monday. “As the school year progresses, the GCS administration, in cooperation with local health authorities, will continue making decisions in the best interests of our students, teachers, staff, and the community at large.”
Greenwich Catholic Principal Patrice Kopas said at the time that all of the middle school needed to quarantine because they are considered a cohort, since they travel within and share the same classrooms throughout the day.
After learning of the positive coronavirus case, Kopas said the school consulted with the Greenwich Department of Health, Greenwich Public Schools and the superintendent for the Diocese of Bridgeport, which operates the pre-K through eighthgrade school.
The school building was thoroughly cleaned, too, officials said.
The school, located on North Street, reopened Sept. 2 with in-person classes for all grade levels. Enrollment at the school is capped at 360.
At the time of the positive case, Kopas urged parents interested in distance learning to contact school administrators. Debes could not be immediately reached on Monday for information on whether students have opted for distance learning.
However, Monday morning she touted the school’s remote services provided to students in quarantine in the previous two weeks.
“During their time at home, those students were engaged in our robust distance learning program, which allows for consistent and live instruction with their teachers,” Debes said.