Norwalk Schools Superintendent Steven Adamowski made the announcement to parents as the state's second coronavirus was confirmed.
During the closure, Adamowski said the district will be taking the next step to organize lesson plans and materials to continue student learning at home, in the unlikely event of a long-duration closure.
The first case involving a Fairfield County resident was confirmed on Sunday, March 8, when a Wilton man tested positive. That person is at Danbury Hospital.
Prior to that, two employees who worked at hospitals in Danbury, Norwalk, and Bridgeport and reside in New York tested positive.
The district is also restricting certain activities and travel including:
- Schoolwide assemblies are on hold.
- Large group events will be postponed. This includes next weekend’s STEM Expo, as well as musical performances.
- Out-of-district and out-of-state field trips will be put on hold. Trips out of the country and groups scheduled to come to Norwalk have been canceled.
- Visitors, mentors, and volunteers from outside the direct school community will be put on hold. Professional development sessions will be rescheduled.
- Parent-teacher conferences scheduled to begin shortly will be conducted by telephone or video chat.
- Athletic games and competitions can be held but without outside spectators. There will be no travel to tournament games.
- Any student or teacher traveling during April break to a country rated under a level 2 or 3 travel advisory by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will be subject to a 14-day quarantine before returning to school.
- Aggressive cleaning and disinfecting protocols will be continued in schools and buses.
'I know this is an unsettling time for parents, children, teachers, and staff,' said Adamowski in his statement. 'By working together, we can do our best to keep our community safe and healthy during these unusual circumstances."
Parents and students are encouraged to watch for district emails and to check social media pages as well as the City of Norwalk website for updates.
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