After much discussion with both Principal Youkilis and Nurse Dewing, the Driscoll PTO has decided to cancel the Winter Session of Driscoll After-School Activities (DASA).

This was not an easy decision for us to make, or one we made lightly. While there were no issues during the Fall Session of DASA, we find ourselves faced with a different set of circumstances now. COVID numbers are rapidly rising, with the highly contagious Omicron variant spreading across the country. We are expecting those numbers to continue to rise in the weeks to come as a result of people traveling for the holidays.

We want to make it clear that our decision to cancel DASA does not indicate a lack of faith in the safety of our students at school. Social distancing, mask wearing, and other safety precautions have been working, and will continue to work in the weeks to come. However, as an after-school program, DASA has some important differences. DASA classes include children from different grades, which means a positive case could affect multiple classes. DASA students who are identified as a “close contact” are also not eligible for the “Test to Stay” program, which means than any unvaccinated students might need to quarantine at home for upwards of a week. Our priority has always been keeping our students in school for their learning hours during the school day.

Thank you for your understanding. We are still hoping that we will be able to bring back DASA for the Spring Session, although we will wait until later in the year to make a final decision. Refunds will be issued over the next week or two, although we do ask for some patience.