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Unvaccinated teens at high school prom marked with numbers

School says marks used to aid contact tracing

Unvaccinated teens at high school prom marked with numbers

School says marks used to aid contact tracing

BUT USING A SHARPIE TO WRITE ON THE ARMS OF THOSE VACNACITED IS NOT SITTING WELL WITH PARENTS. SENIORS AT EXETER HIGH SCHOOL GOT TO HAVE A PROM FRIDAY NIGHT, HELD OUTSIDE ON SCHOOL GROUNDS, COVID STILCLL EARLY A CONCER >> THE PROM HAPPENED ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY, I STARTED RECEIVING MESSAGES FROM PARENTS, CONSTITUENTS. JENNIFER: STATE REP MELISSA LIHFTCIELD SAYS THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT CHILDREN WERE SINGLED OUT FOR NOT BEING VACCINAT.ED IN AN EMAIL, THE SCHOOL EXPLAINED ATTH STUDENTS WHO WERE UNABLE TO PRODEVI A VACCINATION CARD HAD A NUMBER WRITTEN ON THEIR HAND. DURING THE DANCING, AFTER EVERY FEW SONGS THEY WERE ASKED TO RAISE THEIR HANDS TO DETERMINE WHO THEY WERE AROUND. >> UNDERCLASSMEN WENT AROUND AND THEY TOOK DOWN THE NUMBERS OF THE CHILDREN ON THE DANCELO F, APPROXIMATELY EVERY THREE SONGS. AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT I WAS TOLD BY PARENTS -- I WAS NOT THERE -- AND THEY HAD TAKEN DOWN THE NUMBERS FOR CONTACT TRACING. JENNIFER: IN A STATEMENT TO NEWS 9 THE PRINCIPAL SAYS, IN PART, "WE ARE AWARE THAT SOME CONCERNS HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED THAT STUDENTS WERE SINGLED OUT OR HAD THEIR PRIVACY VIOLATED. WE MADE EVERY EFFORT POSSIBLE, WHILE ADHERING TO CONTACT TRACING GUIDELINES, TO ENSURE THAT THIS DID NOT HAENPP WE HOPE THE COMMUNITY WILL UNDERSTAND THAT WHILE NO MODEL IS PERFECT, THIS MODEL LET THE STUDENTS ENJOY A CLOSE TO NORMAL AND HIGHLY DESIRED EXPERIENCE TO CAP OFF THEIR SENIOR YR. THAT’S THE MEMORY WE WANT TO LEAVE THEM WITH." WHILE SOME PARENTS SAID THEY DIDN’T KNOW THIS WOULD BE HAPPINEN THE HIGHSCHOOLER SCHOOL SAYS THE PROMPT BACKGR
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Unvaccinated teens at high school prom marked with numbers

School says marks used to aid contact tracing

Unvaccinated teenagers at a high school prom had numbers written on their hands with marker, a practice that drew criticism from some parents.The prom was held June 4 outside at Exeter High School in New Hampshire, but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was still a concern."The prom happened Friday night, and on Saturday, I started receiving messages from parents, constituents," said state Rep. Melissa Litchfield,a Republican. Litchfield said those parents were concerned that children were singled out for not being vaccinated.In an email, school officials said students who were unable to provide a vaccination card had a number written on their hands. Dancing was divided among three dance floors. After every few songs, they were asked to raise their hands to determine who they were around. "Underclassmen went around and wrote down the numbers of the children on the dance floor approximately every three songs," Litchfield said. "Again, this is what I was told by parents — I was not there — that they had taken down their numbers and this was for contact tracing."In a statement, Exeter High School Principal Michael Monahan said, in part:"We are aware that some concerns have been expressed that students were singled out or had their privacy violated. We made every effort possible — while adhering to contact tracing guidelines — to ensure that this did not happen. We hope the community will understand that while no model is perfect, this model let the students enjoy a close to normal and highly desired experience to cap off their senior year. That's the memory we want to leave them with." While some parents said they didn't know what was planned for the prom, Monahan said the plan was provided through a dedicated website.

Unvaccinated teenagers at a high school prom had numbers written on their hands with marker, a practice that drew criticism from some parents.

The prom was held June 4 outside at Exeter High School in New Hampshire, but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was still a concern.

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"The prom happened Friday night, and on Saturday, I started receiving messages from parents, constituents," said state Rep. Melissa Litchfield,a Republican.

Litchfield said those parents were concerned that children were singled out for not being vaccinated.

In an email, school officials said students who were unable to provide a vaccination card had a number written on their hands. Dancing was divided among three dance floors. After every few songs, they were asked to raise their hands to determine who they were around.

"Underclassmen went around and wrote down the numbers of the children on the dance floor approximately every three songs," Litchfield said. "Again, this is what I was told by parents — I was not there — that they had taken down their numbers and this was for contact tracing."

In a statement, Exeter High School Principal Michael Monahan said, in part:

"We are aware that some concerns have been expressed that students were singled out or had their privacy violated. We made every effort possible — while adhering to contact tracing guidelines — to ensure that this did not happen. We hope the community will understand that while no model is perfect, this model let the students enjoy a close to normal and highly desired experience to cap off their senior year. That's the memory we want to leave them with."

While some parents said they didn't know what was planned for the prom, Monahan said the plan was provided through a dedicated website.