Two Rivers Closed for Students 12/20-21 in Response to COVID-19 Rise in DC

Dear TR Families,

To ensure the Two Rivers community has the best chance possible to stay safe and healthy during Winter Break, we have made the difficult decision to close all Two Rivers schools on Monday, December 20, 2021, and Tuesday, December 21, 2021 in advance of break. Like many of you, we have been closely monitoring the news about the impact of the Omnicron variant of COVID nationally and in our region. Based on the local data we are seeing, the District is already beginning to see extensive spread. Even as we continue to work diligently at mitigating the impact of COVID in our schools, we are receiving an increasing number of calls from families staying home due to close contacts outside of school. The cases are rising very rapidly.

We do not take this decision lightly and we value and plan to honor our commitment to in-person learning. A decision to close schools for even one day has a large impact on families, students and staff. We know that from events as large as our previous remote posture and as small as snow days. However, in this case, we believe closing school on Monday and Tuesday is critical to our community’s health and safety in this unique moment. Please know that we will most likely be required to make adjustments to our school calendar to make up for these days. We will seek input from staff and families as we work to determine the best path forward.

Additionally, we know you are eagerly awaiting an update regarding our plans for how we can return safely in-person after Winter Break in January. We are still awaiting information from the Deputy Mayor of Education, OSSE, and the PCSB in order to make this decision. We are hopeful that we will have this information early next week, allowing us to finalize our plan we have underway and communicate it to you and families by December 21, 2021. We understand your anxiety around the return and your desire to finalize plans as quickly as possible. We ask for your continued patience as we await this crucial information from the city.  

A powerful part of Two Rivers has always been its engaged and supportive parents. Thank you for your understanding and grace as we navigate the complexities of this pandemic and the health and wellness of our community together.  Should you have any questions or concerns with this significant change, please respond to this post or reach out to our team directly with your feedback so we can ensure we address any needs you may have based on this unforeseen closure.

In health,

Dr. Kristina
Executive Director