Category: News

Joe Biden implements new mask wearing mandates just days into his term

Throughout Joe Biden’s campaign trail he discussed mask mandates on public
transportation, now it’s a reality.

January 26, 2021

Newly inaugurated president Joe Biden signed executive orders mandating mask-wearing on federal property as well as on all public transportation including busses, trains and planes. Biden has put a...

Westport COVID-19 numbers increase

With rising case numbers across the state and in Westport, things like winter sports and a model change are up in the air.

January 22, 2021

With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging across the world, Connecticut and Westport continue to level with the fallout from it. However, there is more bad news on the horizon. This includes the steadily...

Westport schools set to shift to full in-person model despite teacher, student concerns

With the impending change to full in-person learning district-wide, schools at all levels are going about the process differently.

January 22, 2021

All Westport Public Schools plan to transition from the hybrid model to a fully in-person school model per Superintendent Thomas Scarice’s directive, the Board of Education (BOE) announced during a meeting...

Longshore ice rink full opening remains in question

The Longshore ice rink remains closed to the public for open skating but still allows for private lessons. This decision will be reevaluated by Governor Lamont on Jan 19.

January 20, 2021

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced that all indoor and outdoor rinks, including Longshore, are restricted to “four plus one” until Jan 19, when the decision will be reevaluated. The “four...

New COVID-19 strain found in New Haven County

The COVID-19 pandemic took a turn with UK variant B117, which was found in Connecticut in early January, and may soon hit Staples as the state’s COVID-19 positivity rate jumps to 11%.

January 20, 2021

Connecticut governor Ned Lamont announced on Jan. 7 that the new UK-discovered variant of COVID-19 was found in New Haven County, just 35 miles from Staples High School. The B117 COVID-19 variant has...

Connecticut allows health care professionals to join vaccine administration efforts

The Connecticut Department of Health informed certain health care professionals that they may participate in administering vaccines in an email on Jan. 13. Recipients were asked to respond by Jan. 15 if they decided to help assist in the vaccination efforts.

January 17, 2021

COVID-19 vaccines may now be administered by certain Connecticut licensed health care professionals, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH). “The Department is interested...

Post-winter break COVID-19 cases increase within state and school district

Following the holiday break, cases have been surprisingly average in the state as a whole. In Westport and Staples however, it seems that cases are starting to rise as a result of travel or holiday celebrations.

January 13, 2021

As of Monday Jan. 11, the number of COVID-19 cases are spiking in Connecticut with a positivity rate of 8.46%, compared to last week’s 6.3%. With 213,358 cases in the state, and over 25 just in our school...

Substantial pleading for COVID regulations end in failed attempt

Yale New Haven Hospital is almost at critical capacity of their ICU filled with COVID-19 patients and overwhelmed doctors attempting to take care of their patients.

December 23, 2020

During the holiday season, hospitals in Connecticut have become overpacked with 84.5% of Yale New Haven’s ICU filled with COVID-19 patients. As doctors encouragingly plead Governor Ned Lamont to shutdown...

Lamont warns of spike in cases as holiday season approaches

Just days after Thanksgiving, the number of cases per day in Connecticut nearly doubled. Governor Lamont, President-Elect Joe Biden and many top scientists are predicting a bigger spike of cases throughout this holiday season.

December 23, 2020

Governor Lamont advised in a Dec. 17 press conference that Connecticut residents restrict how much they travel, aiming to avoid the same rise in cases that the Thanksgiving break brought. "We all paid...

New travel guideline creates an alternative to quarantining

The Connecticut travel form is required to be filled out when traveling out of the state to an affected area. If it is not completed there is a large fine for all citizens who did not follow guidelines.

December 18, 2020

The new Connecticut travel guidelines issued by Governor Ned Lamont enforce that anyone who leaves the state of Connecticut for more than 24 hours has to either fulfill the proper self-quarantine requirements...

As winter break approaches, number of distance learners increases

Prior to Thanksgiving break 190 students were fully distance learners. After the break over 176 additional students decided to go fully remote, with the numbers anticipated to grow.

December 16, 2020

The number of distance learners at Staples has tripled since the start of the school year with 363 students, roughly 20% of the population, fully remote as of Dec. 7. 125 students were distance learners...

Governor Lamont implements vaccine distribution plan to combat rising COVID-19 cases after White House warning

Connecticut Gov. Lamont plans vaccination distribution after state COVID-19 rates reach record high in early December. The White House encourages residents to abide by protocols as holiday season approaches.

December 15, 2020

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced a vaccination distribution plan on Dec. 13 after the White House Coronavirus task force specifically cautioned Connecticut about their rapidly rising COVID-19...

Students exceeding 10 days APO will move to Cohort D

December 13, 2020

Students who are absent from school but present online for more than 10 days will be required to switch over to Cohort D/full remote learning. This announcement came from an email from assistant principals...

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