Good evening everyone. I apologize for being a little late. Um it is now 6:41 p.m. on um August 13th, Thursday night, 2020. Uh we're starting the regular section uh regular session of the school committee meeting at 6:42.
Um and uh I would like to state that those attending tonight's meeting should be aware that the meeting is being audio and video recorded by ASRSD and any audience members who wish to record of the meeting must inform the chair who will announce the recording
and this is to comply with the Massachusetts wiretap statute. The listings of matter are those reasonably anticipated by the chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion as to the extent permitted by
law. The um uh the uh agenda tonight is uh changing the uh public participation until after the superintendent's presentation. And uh every um everything
will have a every person will have a two-minute limit. And when you start, you need to uh state your name and address for the record. Uh this is the same as a public town meeting uh where that would be done. Um we will have a
clock on the screen to show the two minutes. And if anyone um doesn't mind, I will uh try to note when you have 15 seconds left. Okay. um since we probably will not have people speaking more than
once. So it would be good if you could make your point and um then allow someone else to make theirs. Um so that will be the that will be how the agenda will be handled tonight in this Zoom
setup. Um if the committee um uh we probably need do we need to do a roll call for the committee return? Yes. No. I don't I don't know that we do, but we certainly could do a roll call to open to open the meeting, which
we would normally. We did the pledge of allegiance already. Okay. Michelle Town, would you please um do a roll call vote for the committee? >> Mr. DeForage >> here. >> Mrs. Granger >> here. >> Mr. Leone.
>> So, he's in the chat saying here. I'm just a little I'm just kind of concerned that he can't speak. Do we know what's going on with him? We're working on it. We're kind of chatting back and forth. >> Okay. >> Uh Mr. Quinty,
>> I see him. >> Yeah, he just needs to unmute himself. >> Okay, Mrs. >> I don't know. We'll just We'll just accept that. >> There you go. Now, say here, Jim. Say here, >> Mr. and present. >> Sorry,
>> Mrs. Re-shoots here. Mrs. Simmons touch, >> unmute yourself, Cheryl. >> Sorry, I'm here. I'm here. >> Thank you. Thank you everybody. Um, so the u uh Dr. Malone has prepared a
presentation overview and a recommendation for a school remote reopening model. Uh Mary, we would be pleased to honor that. >> Thank you, Madam Chair, and welcome to uh all of our participants this evening
and viewers. Nice to see so many. Uh I think we have about 313 participants. So, Mr. TBO, could you please um start the PowerPoint presentation?
First, I uh want to um speak to the members. Uh there there is a blueprint to the reopening for schools and it's about 75 pages in in length and it's very detailed about all of the aspects of opening schools from health protocols
to transportation, student support, uh many many many details in the report and uh it will be released to the public after the uh school committee votes on a plan for opening schools. This presentation tonight is focused on the
recommended plan to open schools for the 2021 school year. And that's what I will be addressing in the PowerPoint presentation. But before I begin the presentation, I would like to read some excerpts from uh the message that is in within the uh blueprint.
There are no right words to describe how grueling, stressful, and challenging it has been to manage public education during a pandemic. We all want to make sure we open our schools with the best plan that keeps our students and staff safe and healthy and brings our students
in person, even if for a short time to start out the school year. Throughout the planning process this summer, we have grappled with many issues based on concerns and feedback from our families and educators. And then there is the concern by all of
the unmet needs posed by full remote learning captured um in these succinct uh terms. Loss of learning, social and emotional impact, reduced detection of child abuse, nutritional insecurity,
loss of parental employment, and lack of access to essential services. All feedback and concerns have been taken into consideration. And while the best model for return to school is full in person, this model is not viable at this time.
In light of all of these factors and concerns, a phased approach to the opening of schools meets the concerns and needs of our stakeholders. While I understand this model will not be the choice for some in the district, this model does provide students with
in-person contact for a minimum of two half days per week. I also understand that given the health and safety mandates, the educational experience is going to be different. But keeping students in a full remote model continues to widen the gaps of the unmet needs of all students and in particular
our high needs English learners and economically disadvantaged students. It is critical to continue to monitor the health metrics, reports, and data from scientists, health experts, the CDC, and our local Nobra Associated Boards of Health. The return to school
advisory board has developed excellent plans in each of the three models and we are well prepared to pivot to fully remote or the best case scenario a full return to school. I want to express my sincere appreciation to the parents, guardians, students, teachers and all
employees for your patience and support difficult and very hard. We all want to be back in person as we all know the negative long-term impact the closure has had already on students from lack of social emotional support to learning loss, lack of food security and frankly
neglect that goes unreported for so many students. Let us unite and together take care of every student in the district to the best of our ability. They are depending on us to be united without conflict and tension so they feel safe not just physically but emotionally.
Thank you for listening. Could you start uh to go to the next slide, please? So, u there's been some recent um publications and announcements from the governor and I wanted to point out that um with some of his new orders for uh
social gatherings that there are uh legal exceptions and public and private elementary and secondary K to2 schools are one of the uh exceptions to his uh new legal order. Next slide please.
This is a slide that has recently been released um by the governor and uh this slide is which US states meet recommended positivity levels. Positivity levels meaning the uh number of COVID cases uh that get reported. uh
37 states have higher than recommended uh positivity which if you look there's a 5% threshold here. So that is the threshold. Anything above at five or above 5% um is considered to be high positivity rate and you can see Massachusetts there's a little arrow. So
we are one of the states um that are below higher than recommended positivity rates and this was uh the source from John Hopkins University. Next slide please. The other um document that was released
uh just a few days ago was this new color-coded metric from the COVID command uh center and um it's uh aligned to the expectation for the learning model for opening schools. If you are in the red zone, meaning you have an
average daily cases per 100,000 is greater than eight, then you should be in remote. Uh if you're in the yellow zone, which is the average daily cases per 100,000 is between four and 8. There would be hybrid, you should be in a hybrid model or remote if extenduating
circumstances. The unshaded, the white um fewer than five total cases over the past 14 days. Generally, this is for communities with small populations and very few cases, which is um the context of Aaron Shirley. Uh the expectation from the Department of Education is to
open full-time in person or hybrid if extenduating circumstances and this is measured as a 14-day uh rolling average. Um next slide please. And this is a visual of um the balanced
view of risk. The decisions around the return to school must reflect a global view of risk. We must balance the risks of CO 19 infection within school learning with other significant risks to the overall health and well-being of our kids when they are out of school. So, um this is a visual again talking about
loss of learning um that um they're already going to return in the fall due to lack of inerson education with up to 30% less uh reading learning. Uh the social emotional impact, 29% of parents said their child's emotional mental health were suffering.
um reduce detection of of child abuse. Teachers serve as mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect. The national insecurity of providing food. Students rely on um breakfast and lunch while they're in school. The loss of parental employment, parents not being able to
work um when their students aren't in school to provide child care. And then lack of essential services. Um children have a diagnosed speech impairment. Approximately one in 54 children have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. These children and others that require specialized supports may
have missed the speech therapy and critical development services previously received at school. Next slide please. So the department of education um when school closed in June um department of education issued guidance and the
guidance was that each district and school needs to plan for three possibilities on the continuum continuum of reopening. So if you're looking at the the visual here return without restrictions student return in person and restrictions are lifted. And then um
in-person learning with new safety requirements. Uh students learn in person with new safety requirements. And the goal uh that superintendent were charged with was to get as many students as possible back into schools for in-person uh learning safely. And I will
tell you that that the work this summer has been um working in with our classrooms and the administrators and measuring and ordering and and um you know as I said earlier in my um letter that uh inerson is not a viable option for us at this time. Hybrid learning
students learn both in person and remote. And um the uh guidance here is that uh districts that are unable to bring all students back despite best efforts um or in case of CO 19 circumstances. And then the last uh
model is the remote learning. And um that would be if we uh couldn't go back to school and it's and it's available for individual students who cannot yet return in person for all students in the event of future closures. Next slide, please.
>> So, the reopening uh plan for schools that's being um recommended this evening has three phases. Uh the first phase, which is what was sent out to families and educators this past week, um is a slow phased approach to to returning
students to school. Students will attend school for 2 am half days in small groups of approximately 10 to 11 students and the remaining time in the schedule will be remote learning. Um then phase two of this would be to transition to full day two full days of inerson learning and three days of
remote learning. And I'll explain more when I show you the schedules. And then phase three would be full inerson return to school of course um when the conditions um on the ground uh dictate that all families have a full remote option that will be delivered by the
school district should they not want their children to return to school in any physical capacity. And I would just like to note that um there are many uh questions and comments that have been posed to the discussion board and we're trying um you know to get through those and uh so there was a lot of talk discussion about the learning management
system and with this uh plan a proposed plan for reopening schools um the learning management system will not be uh the selection that families who choose full remote will have to be uh learning on the we will be able to provide uh uh remote learning within the
district. Next slide, please. And uh so the preferred hybrid model, we worked through the RSAB board and when we looked at um you know, a hybrid model that would work uh for the school system was uh the 2-day inperson and the 3-day
remote. And we had this uh cohorted, if you will, cohorted as a group um of PK uh through 12 students. Um and that that group would be in person for two days on Monday and Tuesday and then remote on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. And then
cohort B would be in person on Thursday and Friday and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday would be their remote days. Wednesday would be a remote um a day for all in the district. And uh we started getting a lot of feedback on this model
because there were there were three um glaring issues for me as a superintendent and my team um that we heard uh repeatedly which one was um particularly from educators and parents that uh with this model yes you've
reduced the number of students the total students in the building but you have not reduced the density in the classrooms. So if a kindergarten class and I'm going to be using kindergarten as an example um as we move through this presentation because I think it's easier to understand. So in a kindergarten
class if you have 20 students and on those two in-person days all 20 students would be in your classroom. I've reported in uh prior presentations to the school committee that we did uh conduct a feasibility study which we were directed to do by the department of
secondary and elementary education and um the principles and the facilities uh department they worked tirelessly to try to uh reach the six feet. So the guidance that was given was we you know
minimum of 3 ft um to 6 feet and people uh had a lot of trouble uh with why we weren't uh trying to get to the maximum of six feet. Uh so that was um an issue uh the number of students in the classroom at one time um that was very concerning to people. They felt that the
the density was too large. And third issue that I heard uh mostly from the educators um is that they were very concerned that students who would um opt for the remote learning or families who would opt for the remote learning plan would be uh put onto a learning
management system that is an external uh learning system to the district and that the students wouldn't be taught by the teachers within the district. So um you know this plan was put out and I will tell you uh last about Wednesday Thursday um in consultation with Mr.
Clearary the assistant superintendent you know I I said this is this is a barrier barrier and concern and and I understand and um either we need to figure out a different plan that addresses those three issues um you know or perhaps it might be difficult. So uh
for the last uh five days uh Mr. Clary and I uh spent um you know all of our days and nights developing this model that's being presented to you this evening that addresses those three issues. The density in the classrooms, the six-foot distancing, and um teaching
our students in a remote platform by our teachers within the district. Next slide, please. So this is um this was sent out uh this week um and I explained why it went out this week because it was worked on um in
within the last week and uh it was really a challenging schedule to figure out. And so this is the district hybrid schedule and this is phase one. Uh it I I discussed earlier that there would be a phased approach to students returning
to school and this is phase one. So if you look over here, we have two cohorts in the district. We have a Panther cohort and we have a pride cohort. So that's a group of students that will be within these cohorts and this is how they will be in each school, how they
will be grouped and how they will attend school. Now, one of the things u another issue I'm remiss in not saying this, another issue was siblings and siblings being on the same schedule. And I can tell you that we have managed to cohort
students to group students either in the panthe cohort by siblings from peak prek all the way through 12th grade. Um and that's a a big advantage um in this plan. So, we're going to look at Monday
and on Monday, Panther cohort has a learning plan and the PI cohort has a learning plan. The Panther cohort, so I'm going to go back to the kindergarten classroom that I used. We have 20 students in the kindergarten classroom. And so, um, 10 of those students are in
the Panther cohort. So, those 10 students will attend school on Monday morning. Um, and they will be in school for half a day. the uh half a day schedule that we currently have and had um in the district will be adhered to um for the elementary schools and then the middle and the high school. So those
students would come in uh for a half day and they would have in-person direct instruction from their teacher. Um then those students um would uh take a bag lunch home and um they would be busted home and there would be time for a break and um some lunch and then at a time
prescribed time those students um that would go into what we call remote learning a asynchronous. Now, asynchronous means that uh a student is in a remote section uh where they uh might uh do some independent work uh
where they might watch some kind of video. But in our remote uh learning as synchronous plan, we're going to be able to provide a unified arts class. Uh we could provide some uh support from our counselors or psychologists. So this
this segment in the afternoon um and for those students that have in in the morning will not be uh complete asynchronous if there will be some synchronous um interaction uh with those students meaning live interaction from um school personnel. So that's what the
panther cohort will do on Monday. On the pride cohort which is the other cohort of students, the other group of student students in the morning they will be in this remote learning asynchronous insynchronous uh model. Uh they will
have a UA you know unified arts class or they could have some an intervention class. You know what I just described um for the remote learning group in the afternoon of the panther cohort. And then in the afternoon on Monday, their teachers, so the teacher of these 10
students that were in person in Monday will now log on uh with these students um the other 10 students in the kindergarten class and provide some synchronous learning um around maybe ELA and mathematics. Then on Tuesday, uh the same um the
Panther cohort, uh those 10 kids that came in on Monday morning will now be in the remote portion of the day in the morning. and they will be in this remote learning where they'll have asynchronous and synchronous learning and then in the afternoon um they'll go home and travel home for lunch with a bag lunch and then
they would have remote learning where their teacher would be in in direct um interaction with those students in ELA or mathematics class and then the the 10 students that didn't come in person on Monday will now be in person with the kindergarten teacher and that those
students will have inerson learning and then um they'll travel uh home, have their lunch and then they will go on to the asynchronous uh model uh that was their their uh counterparts were on um in the morning. Then Wednesday all um
all students will be in a remote um model. Then on Thursday, the group that came in on Monday is the group that follows the same schedule on Thursday. So the Panther cohort and the pride cohort that will mirror the schedule on
Monday, their schedule will be on Thursday and then the group um the Tuesday schedule mirrors the Friday schedule. So what is you know really nice about this is that the students have in-person um instruction from their their teachers um at the beginning of
the week and then they also have it at the end of the week. So I'll stop for a second just to let people process a little bit. Um, okay. Uh, next slide, please. So, now we're going to show you, um, some
slides, uh, of what a a schedule look like, uh, hybrid schedule. So, this is the high school schedule. Maybe you could, uh, scroll it up a little, uh, Mike, so I can see the bottom. No. Yeah, I guess. Okay. Uh so um this would be a
schedule uh for the high school. No, could you go back to the high school, please? Sorry. Yeah, this would be a remote schedule, a day schedule for the high school. So you can see um the Panther group that would be in school in the morning at the high school and the classes that they would have um you know
that the high school has a block schedule. So this would be their their classes. Now this obviously isn't a specific schedule that those these specific schedules will be uh developed by the principles and communicated to the parents. This is this is a model for what would happen and then those
students would be in that asynchronous group in the afternoon and then the pride group. So the model is the same throughout for all of the schools. Panther pride uh panther in person on Monday morning. Pride is in an asynchronous session and then in the afternoon they have live remote classes
with their teachers. So you can see for the high school it would be by periods um in in the afternoon for the synchronous section and then in the morning it follows their schedule and then this is their remote schedule there. The remote schedule's already been developed um approved by uh the
high school and the members of the teaching learning team on the return to school advisory board. And then again it repeats on Thursday and Friday. So the Monday schedule is the Thursday schedule and the Tuesday schedule is the Friday schedule. They both repeat and Wednesday
is a remote learning day. Next uh slide please. This is the middle school. Yeah, this is the middle school schedule and um their schedule is similar to the high school and would be uh divided by the periods and you can see um you know
the the morning time. There'll be there will be a morning meeting um in the inerson days there will be a morning meeting and some social emotional uh support and other um kind of group activities uh with the students and then you can see that um the the subject
areas haven't been defined here because the middle school will will develop this schedule but um they follow a period schedule remote in the afternoon and then it repeats and then they have the remote we have a remote period schedule for uh Wednesday. So the remote
schedules this year if you remember recall in March uh we didn't really follow a day schedule was about a three and a half day but the remote schedules uh these year this year will follow more of a in-person regular day.
Next slide please. This is the elementary schedule for Laura White and Paige Hilltop. Again it's the same model throughout. You know in the morning they'll have a a morning meeting. They'll have literacy and math. uh they'll have a travel time in and lunchtime and then in the afternoon for
that remote they may have a science and social studies or a block intervention group a small group support or UA art music fizzed class and then you can see the pride cohort on Monday we'll have that same model in the morning and then
in the afternoon um the teachers of that class let's go back to the kindergarten class uh will uh have a live remote session with those 10 students in kindergarten so it just again repeats um the same the same structure throughout the district.
Next slide please. So the pros and cons of hybrid schedule number six which is what I just described to you. Um some of the pros is asynchronous segment of schedule is minimal. Um so you know we heard from parents and and students even in the
feedback and the many surveys and again thank thank you to all of you who uh filled out the surveys. I know you probably said, "Oh, you know, another survey to fill out, but um it's the way we can gain valuable information and um that you preferred more synchronous and
more live direct uh uh remote um learning for your students. Um students will uh interact with their teachers every day because whether they're in person in the morning or they're in a remote live session in the afternoon or they're remote on Wednesday, they will uh be with their teachers every day.
Siblings will be on the same schedule. So, I'll use the Laura White for example. If you have a student in kindergarten and you are a student who's going into fourth grade, that kindergarten and fourth grade are going to be in the same schedule. So, those students would be in the Panther cohort. Um, so no matter which grade, they will
follow the same schedule. And and I have to say, you know, that that was um you know, the principles and Mr. Clearary, they all worked really hard to to um create groups of siblings. Uh the reduced densities in the classroom. So um like in fourth grade or fifth grade
some of our we might have a class of 22. So um instead of a 1 to22 ratio it'll be a 1 to11 ratio uh for teaching. Uh we will achieve the 6 feet or more distancing in every classroom.
Uh teachers meet uh face toface with students at the beginning end of each week. So on Monday, Thursday, Tuesday, Friday. Uh the curriculum instruction are consistent. So on a Monday, um you have a kindergarten class of 20, 10 are in person on uh Monday and then the
other 10 are in person on Tuesday and then so they the teacher plans a lesson the the same lesson is delivered um as you would if they had you had the whole class in front of you and then on Wednesday when the whole class comes together uh the teacher has uh you know
it's it's a it's a seamless uh transition for teaching and learning and the other piece is you know there was a lot concern about starting out um with a full day and in students being able to uh persevere through the day with wearing a mask. So this is a a slow
phased in start where they will uh be in school for about three and a half hours. Um all students um will be required to wear masks. You'll see this in the blueprint, but we know that it was recommended or strongly encouraged for K1, but we did hear from our educators
and we have made the decision that we want our kindergarteners and first graders wearing masks. So in that 3 and 1/2 hour time there certainly will be mass breaks and such uh within that time. Um so you know what are the deficits of the model? You know students
are not returning full-time. Um students do not have two consecutive days of instruction and and we originally had that model but um we we struggled with being able to transition to phase two which would be full day without
disrupting schedules and co and such. So that's why we had to and I know I've heard from a couple of people that liked um that model but in order to if if the conditions on the ground uh warrant us to extend this model to full days on those Mondays and Tuesdays and Thursdays
and Fridays it would be a seamless transition. There would be the only difference would be that your child would not be coming home at a half day that your child would be be staying in school for the full day. uh there is you know more remote learning time and there are ch child care challenges on the half
days and we know that you know the the the challenges with child care um we hear you we empathize you um one of the things that has been written in the plan is we have two two um child care programs so at the page health talk we
have the ear um ear child care program and um I've talked to the director Mrs. Russell. So once we know a plan um we're we're sure of what the return to school plan is going to be. We're going to look at um you know if she could um open up some seats we'll have some rooms and
would like to prioritize uh you know some of those seats for our educators um who have children and then um at the Laura White we have the extended day program and that program is uh child care before and after school and I've
also um been in discussions with Mrs. know and we're going to look at um that perhaps uh she could open that program up uh to be during the day to provide child child care. So I want you to know that we're thinking about it and that we're working on it and we understand
the challenges. But um you know I I guess I I could say that um when I think about education and I think about the impact the pandemic has. I mean education the landscape of education is is going to change and one of the things
that we've discovered um that I feel is a a positive is that there are different models of teaching and learning um to that can be uh presented to students that students might prefer. There are students who who who like the remote
model. Um the the family dynamic uh is is going to change. Uh more time at home with children. I mean, several students in the survey wrote, "I love being home with my family." And um so things the world has changed. Um I think I'm not a
historian, but um you know, this is this is a new era and this is a new a new world for us. And um I don't think we're going to see education um back as somebody commented to me the Horus man model um because we have found there there are other models that we can offer
and be innovative and creative in our school system and meet the many needs of different students. Next slide please. So I just wanted to show you the sample remote day schedule we on Wednesday. So we have a schedule the the left is the
high school schedule and the right is the middle school schedule. So again you can see um there are periods and um the letters uh symbolize a course or or um subject area and so the middle school and the high school are on pretty much
on the same um start and end time and those uh times uh have not changed. So I I guess we want to assure our families that our remote learning is going to be more more robust and um and it's going to um you know be more of a full day of
learning rather than a three and a half hour day. Um I just saw a a question in the chat and I want to address it about cleaning. So um we have the cleaning plan is in the blueprint as I said it's about 75 pages. um it's pretty dense and
uh so on those half days when students go home there will be deep cleaning daily the uh custodial department under the direction of Mr. Robert Briggs has a uh a system um of cleaning and disinfecting we have these misting machines and the system has already been
set up and they've already you know uh have been uh adhering to a systematic uh schedule of cleaning and disinfecting. So each half day uh the buildings uh will be cleaned and disinfected and then of course on on remote Wednesday um they
will be cleaned as well. Uh next slide please. This would be a uh sample uh remote schedule for Wednesday for the elementary schools. So as I said starts out with a morning meeting. You know we might have some social emotional learning. We have um a program called
second step that delivers uh social emotional uh skill building. Our school counselors would be checking in of course our pledge of allegiance and then you could say they might have ELA. Now this is just a sample as I said the individual schools uh led by the principles and their administrative team
would be developing these schedules and and that schedule uh will be so communicated to you from those building principles as well as the cohort that your child is in. Next slide please. Just a couple of pictures. Uh this is
Laura White um submitted by Mrs. Lewis with desks 6 f feet apart. And in this classroom there the we set the classrooms up for the the enrollment size. So there's more uh desks in here than there would be students. So there there's plent the uh physical distancing
will exceed six feet in many of the classrooms. Thank you Mrs. Lewis for sharing this. Uh next slide. Uh this is a high school uh classroom with a desk six feet apart submitted by uh Mr. Uh Christie,
thank you Mr. Christie. And and just hot off the press today, next slide is uh uh a picture sent from Mrs. Lewis. So um I think I've said in presentations that we're purchasing canopy canopies and tents for outdoor classrooms. Of
course, this time of year is um you know, if we don't have extreme hot weather, but it the weather tends to get um really nice and mild and going outside and you know, not being in the hot sun and setting up classrooms. So, that's uh Mrs. Lewis set that up today. So, thank you, Mrs. Lewis.
Next slide, please. Uh so, tonight I am recommending to the school committee um that we open schools on this hybrid model that's being presented to you this evening. Um this is again uh a district uh view of the
model where the Panther cohort we have two cohorts, two groups of students all um all created um to uh cohort siblings uh and uh again you have a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday, Friday
schedule uh in person um for the Panther cohort on Monday, asynchronous in the afternoon. The pride cohort has the asynchronous and synchronous session in the morning and then a uh remote learning synchronous session with their teacher in the afternoon and then uh
Tuesday it uh reverses so that the panther cohort is in the asynchronous in the morning and then they have synchronous uh learning from their uh teacher in the afternoon and then the pride cohort would be in with their teacher in the morning and then they
would have um remote learning in the afternoon and then Wednesday, remote learning for all and then it repeats on Thursday. So the schedule for Monday is a schedule for Thursday and the schedule for Tuesday is a schedule for Friday. And then of course Wednesday is the the remote learning day.
Next slide please. Uh thank you for your attention tonight. I just want to bring to parents attention that we have scheduled a uh meeting for all parents on Monday, August 17th uh at 6:30 p.m. And um this will be to you'll have the blueprint and
um the school committee will vote on a plan this evening and um we'll further provide you clarification and information at that Monday night meeting. And I'd like to close uh with a video, a special thank you to Dr. Michelle Durma and our star student Scarlet and Mrs. Seavoy, a school
counselor at Paige Hilltop, and Tara Bozac, who's the director of special education. Um me, the video is about uh two and a half minutes, and um we the title is reinventing the school day. Mike, could you please play the video? Hi everyone, this is Tara Bozac, the
director of special education for the Air Shirley Regional School District. I hope you're all having a nice summer and you've been able to find some restful and peaceful moments this summer with your family and your friends. I am joined today by Mrs. Rachel Seavoy, one of the school counselors for our school district. She worked this summer during
our extended school year program. So, she's going to talk to you about some of the things that we saw and did differently that we weren't used to before. >> Hi everybody, it's Mrs. Seavoi. I wanted to talk to you about what it was like during extended school year. You're going to notice a few differences in our
school. During drop off and pickup, walking in the hallways, we're going to always make sure to wear our masks, do lots of hand washing with soap and water. There will be hand sanitizer available, and best of all, you will still have a wonderful time learning.
So, these paw prints are going to be in the hallways, and they'll show you how far away you need to stand from the person in front of you. So, always make sure there's a paw print between you and the other person when you're walking in line. The yellow line keeps us safe, so
we know we're walking on this side and other people will walk on that side, so you'll always know which side you need to stand on. We have paw prints in lots of places to show you how to stay far away from the person in front of you. There's tape that helps us remember in
case you don't see a proper, you'll be able to know where to stand on the tape. There were some challenges in the beginning, but once we got used to it, I knew exactly what to do. >> Hi again. I have our friend Scarlet, and she's going to show you some of the things that are a little bit different
now in school and some of the things that we need to do differently. >> My name is Scarlet, and we need to get ready for school. I need a little drop. I can't figure out this word. >> Sure. >> Things.
>> Oh, that makes a lot more sense. >> Good job. >> Thank you everyone for letting us give you a sneak peek of what our extended school day looks like here this summer. Please let us know if you have any questions. Take care. We'll see you soon. Bye
>> bye. Heat. Heat. N. Heat. Heat. N. Thank you, Mr. TBO. And uh thank you to uh all of our participants this evening who's joined the school committee meeting and thank you to school committee um uh for allowing me to make
this presentation this evening. Thank you. >> Thank you Dr. Malone and thank you Tara for that wonderful little presentation to finish things up. Um our uh next thing is to have public participation.
>> Joyce, may I interrupt for a moment please? >> Would you please Jonathan? >> Um so we have a a large number of questions in the chat. Um may I suggest that we sorry that we go through some of those first? Um maybe have Mr.
call out some of them um and maybe get those answered first before we do public participation. Perhaps that will answer some other people's questions or concerns. Um if that's agreeable, I would propose that. >> Is that agreeable with the committee?
>> Hearing no problems. Um yeah, I think so. I've been reading them as we go along and it seems like some of them were fantastic questions that were concerned with how's this going on? Uh and so Mr. Clary, do you want to take on that chore?
Honor. >> Sure. Yep. Sure. Sure. >> You take on that honor. >> Thank you, Mr. Clary. I do appreciate this. I didn't put you on the spot there, but um I thought you've done an excellent job at other parent presentations. So, >> sure. Thank you. >> Work is immediately rewarded.
>> Yeah. M starting with Miss Lissa Curtis. Mr. Clary, >> I just have to work. I have to work bait to the beginning of the chat because I've been scrolling through. >> All right, I'll start. What is the difference in the district's remote learning and the learning management
system? Will it be teacherdirected? So, the district's remote learning system um will be teacher directed. Uh the learning management system was a system that the department of education uh was working on to provide districts uh that would have to offer a a full
remote option to families that chose that option. But with this uh schedule that we've developed, we um will be able to uh have our students in the district learn from our district on our district's curriculum with our teachers.
There you go, Mr. Clary. Next. >> Sure. The next question. Um do parents have the ability to choose between Panther or Pride cohorts or are they already determined? And connected with that is that I know siblings were mentioned as being in the same cohort.
What about other family members, cousins for instance? And I know that there were additional questions in the chat that were about uh cohorting between schools. Uh there are specific questions relative to cohorts. >> Yeah. So, thank you for this question.
Uh the uh no, the Panther and Pride cohorts have been uh developed uh by the principles and the siblings uh are in the same cohort. uh I can't we weren't able to uh cohort cousins uh but certainly you know uh when when the
cohorts are published and the the cohorts will be published by the principles in each school uh you will um you know if there's if they can make changes I'm sure uh they'll do do their best to accommodate families uh when when you learn each which cohort um that
will be uh uh you know in in time uh soon um you know the principles once we have a plan And then we now uh move into the next phase of opening schools. Um go ahead. >> The next question, there were several
questions, several folks that inquired about this uh same question is why are we approaching this from a half-day standpoint uh as opposed to a full day standpoint during this phase one opening? >> Uh that's an excellent question. Uh but
we really wanted to uh you know um this is this is a a huge undertaking to to go back to school and um you know serving lunch uh in some of the other aspects of the day. We we really felt that a soft what we're calling a soft phased in
approach uh because we have to learn as you saw in the video uh learning some of the the um new um new uh experiences and things that we have to do in the school and we thought the half-day model uh would would be most fitting for this and
um the fact that you know getting students used to wearing masks during the school day and interacting with teachers and things. we thought this approach uh would ease uh ease us in. >> Uh there was a question regarding uh the
Panther Pride slide. Um I think they may have confused the two uh slides of the hybrid schedule showing our initial model uh that had students reporting Panther reporting on Monday and Tuesday. Uh and then this model that we presented
this evening was presented to have students in Panther attending on Mondays and Thursdays and the pride cohort students would attend on Tuesdays and Fridays. So that's just providing some clarity around that. There were a few questions in the chat about that. Uh the
next question are Wednesdays all virtual synchronous or asynchronous? And then there were some follow-up questions about synchronous and asynchronous instruction regarding uh what happens if parents are not able to um provide kids with synchronous instruction or make
sure that kids are uh able to attend synchronous instruction times on those afternoons or on those Wednesdays. >> Uh the confusion on the Pantha Pride slide originally it said one group would come in half days on Monday and Tuesday the second group would come in on
Thursday and Friday. Uh so one of the changes that was made uh was as I was explaining uh so uh we need a transition plan right so the goal you know is a full inperson return when the condition is on the ground um and the health
metrics uh will make that possible and um so when we developed this plan to meet the needs of of our families and our educators it was really difficult to have a transition plan where the students could start going full days. And when we had
um the same cohort learning on Mondays and Tuesdays and then the other half uh the same cohort having two days of of um consecutive instruction, we weren't able to make a transition. We would have had to uh change cohorts, change schedules,
and certainly that's the last thing that we would want to do for for the teachers and for our families is to um upset and have to you know retool everything. So we um it took us a while to figure out I will tell you. So then we figured out
well if we have the class you know come in um you know half the class on Monday and the other half of the class on Tuesday um then we can seamlessly transition to the full days from Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The
question on are Wednesdays all virtual synchronous asynchronous they will be both. Yes. Uh what about students and IEPs? Um, so Mr. DeForge, I I I'm just wondering if we wanted to go uh to the public
because the questions um I I I'm just wondering what was best because we're getting more and more questions and I I would like to answer them, but I think um you know, we might want to move to the to the next section. That's
>> that's fine for me. It's >> okay. I think you're going to see some questions repeated over and over and if people hear them then they will be answered. >> Yeah. Um I just want to clarify that question about do parents have an option fully remote? Yes, they do. And uh what
will happen is once the plan on the school committee votes on the plan moving forward we will reach out to people next week and um we will you know after the meeting on Monday night and a lot of these questions that are in here uh we'll certainly address uh at that meeting and once you get the um the
blueprint um a lot of your uh questions may also be addressed and um and then we'll be asking parents to commit you know if the vote tonight is the hybrid model as presented I would ask parents to indicate to us if they would be attending in that model or
if they will be um opting for the full remote model. >> So I guess I didn't realize that the participants couldn't see the chat only us as panelists could. Um so if if that's an issue then um I guess I would
ask that we do switch over to public participation. Um, I guess one maybe one last question we can get out because I've seen it go by a couple times. Um, just is staff going to stay in the building when deep cleaning takes place after the students
leave on half days? >> Yeah, that was a question that was asked and uh, Mr. Bre has assured us that they can work around the teachers to do the cleaning. >> Thank you, Jonathan. That was a good suggestion. I think we probably answered a fair hopefully answered a fair number
of questions. Um and so um moving on then um to open up to um public participation. Um, so just prior to that, I think everybody and looking at the questions and the positivity of so
many of them just wanting to know when and how and some real good things and I think we all need to think that our best days are going to still lie ahead and we are working for kids and the kids safety is our priority and so it's very
important that we keep this in mind and we're going to have hope over fear and we will continue on to do our best with unity over division. So I know that what I've heard many many times we're going to have as much flexibility as it as
possible. So moving opening up the public participation I would like to invite Steve Tully. Um and remember everyone please identify yourself and your address please. >> Are you with us? >> I'm sorry Joyce this is Mike Tibo
director of technology. Good evening everyone. Um, if you could do me a favor, if you would like to speak, if you could just go to the chat and type um your full name and that you'd like to speak and we'll give you access to speaking. Thank you. Sorry for interrupting you, Joyce.
>> No, no, fine. I I got lost. Um, so, uh, does everybody understand that? Okay. Uh, so they're lining up already for you, Michael. So, um, Mr. are you with us?
>> Yeah, Steve will be joining us very shortly. He's coming on now. >> Okay. And um I will try everyone can see the countdown. So if you're having problems seeing a countdown, please uh contact um Mr. TBO
>> to unmute myself. So you can hear me now. Everybody can hear me >> just fine. Yep, we can hear you. >> Okay. So, uh, let me know when you're ready to pat me down and I'll start. >> Go ahead, Steve. Thank you so much.
>> Okay. Thank you, Madam Chair. Uh, Steve Tully, the president of the teachers union and also other educators on the Azria unit. um we would like to start remotely to start the school year uh and also have a
mini hybrid piece to it. Now let me explain this a little bit. Remote start with buildings and uh students and small groups not all in one day okay but small groups of numbers of students would come
in for the services that they need and also for extra help perhaps five to 10 students per day. uh and a different five to 10 students another day. So you wouldn't have any more than five to 10 students per day that would be in our buildings with staff being in the rooms.
Of course they would wear masks, students would be wearing masks, staff would be wearing masks. Now, why do I say this remote start slash mini hybrid piece? We pulled our members, 148 dues
payers of our unit, which is the largest unit of both towns for the collective bargaining purposes and all three surveys that we had indicated overwhelmingly support for a remote model.
hearing the questions tonight just the small group that Jonathan had done uh and Charlie had moderated there is no way that I believe we can start in any kind of physical model in the building there's too many questions out there
that people have unanswered there are too many questions that people have uh still okay and the piece is is that our health and our safety of our students and our staff >> 15 seconds please >> are prominent Okay. So, why not begin
slowly and add in as it as it progresses through the year based on COVID throughout the state because many are coming from all over the state. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Mr. Tully. Thank you so much. >> Okay, thank you, Steve. Uh, next up is uh Janette Wade. If you could just
introduce yourself and give your address, please. Uh Janette, wait. Have we lost you? >> Okay. No, Janette, if you can just chat me and uh we can go back to you. All right, the
next up is Robin Michelle Pascuchi. My apologies if I mispronounced that name. Uh I just want to remind people too that you have to unmute yourself when you're promoted to panelist. Thank you. Hello. >> Hello. Yes, we can hear you just fine. >> Okay. Uh, hi. Sorry. Um, so I am an
educator as well. I work in a different school district. Although I did work in uh Air Shirley uh for a period of time. And of all the hybrid models that I've seen in surrounding school districts, this is the only one that I've seen that
has a half-day model. And my concern is that as other school districts and the state try to return to some sort of in-person learning in a hybrid model that this is going to uh make it difficult for educators who work outside
of the town to return to work. If my kids have the half day schedule um by the time I get into school I'm going to have to return to pick up my children. So this is going to make it tougher for u the state as a whole. And I'm just interested why uh this you know Air
Shirley has come up with this unique hybrid model. I understand the benefits but if we're talking about working together um as a as a state as a whole I think it's really not going to be uh
conductive to other schools whether remote or hybrid getting back um having one school that has such a unique approach to it. Um, and my other question um that I don't know if someone can address now or maybe at another time
is I have two students uh entering the school system, but I only received one Chromebook and I don't know if that was uh supposed to be one per family or if we just should have received another Chromebook. So, um that's really all I
have. But I do I do think that um with most schools doing a hybrid model using uh two days a week full days uh having air surely do something different is going to make it difficult uh across the board. >> Thank you. >> If I may answer that the misconception
is that every student from kindergarten on up every student will be receiving a Chromebook. There could be some some still coming. Thank you. >> Yeah, that is correct. Uh if I could just quickly add um if you have two or three children in the house uh we will
providing a Chromebook for each child. All right. Next up is Britney Eler. Just give me a minute, please. Hey, Britney. Um, if you could just unmute yourself. >> Uh, hi, I'm Britney Effler and I live uh
at Little on Littleton Road. Um, I just have a couple of questions. Um, one is in regards to um, you know, what is the flexibility to moving between the remote and in person? Like for example, if I don't want my
children in person for at least a month to start the year or if before holidays I decide that I may want to quarantine for 14 days prior to those holidays um to make sure that I can see at risk
family, etc. Um, and additionally, what do you estimate the time on learning loss would be implementing these new protocols, especially in such a short amount of time in in person? Um, I understand that obviously there would
be a learning curve, especially for younger children. But it just seems that in order to get everybody into the school, everybody social distanced, everybody's hands washed, everybody sanitized, everybody's sitting down. I
mean, it could go on and on, right? And then you have snack time and break and then you're kind of it's rinse and repeat. Um, so I was just wondering what you estimate that loss would be and if it's easier to do that in those three
hours or if it would be easier to have a full remote person uh full remote start. I do understand that it is important for children to see their teachers and be in person. Um, I just don't know if it's necessarily
easier in terms of time and what teachers really feel the benefit would be. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. >> Okay, we're going to go back to Janette Wade. Oh, I think it's important that we
Sorry, I >> could you answer that question? I was going to say I think it's important that we answer that's that's a a question that we've seen come across the chat is is what's the commitment level um based on
hybrid versus remote and um uh you know I think that's an important question that many people have. >> Hi uh Dr. Malone here. Uh we're looking at a commitment of uh a term, a quarter if you're at the high school and the the
elementary schools and middle schools are on trimesters which they have about a two week period difference. And so we would ask that parents the families stay on it for a quarter or uh a trimester. >> And do you have do you have an estimate
on what loss of learning time would be due to new protocols? >> Yes, we have we have figured out the time on learning. uh we have uh minimal uh loss on learning time at the the high school and the middle school, but the
elementary uh we we meet the the new um uh relaxed learning requirements. It's 9:35 for middle school and high school and uh 850 for the elementary. Uh but one of the things in the plan is you
know once we um this is to be the model uh you know the bus the bus travel uh takes about 45 minutes to and from school but um with the with uh the numbers of students coming uh significantly reduced. Um we we we have
12 buses in the fleet. So, we're hoping that um once uh we plan all this that the uh bus routes we can add some more bus routes so students we can shorten the the uh bus ride. >> Thank you. >> All right. Uh Miss Wade, would you still
like to speak? So, Mike, >> yep. >> I don't know if I'm muted. Hold on. >> Oh, yeah. We can hear you just fine. >> Yeah. Well, then now I just put the chat down. She I believe she wanted us to read her question from the chat. Um, >> so her question was, "When will you be
able to communicate what the LW afterare program will be? Will the program be set up like a classroom to facilitate remote learning because the children will have laptops. Will there be teachers available to assist? >> Uh I I don't have those specifics right
now. Uh Miss Granger. Uh so we don't have a a plan yet. So I haven't been able to uh work with Mrs. Null uh and um with with a plan there. So um once the once we know the return to school plan, then we can start uh playing those specifics.
>> Okay. >> No, thank you. And Janette, if that was not your question that you wanted read, could you please um add it to the chat? >> Thank you, Michelle. >> Next up, we have uh John and Kim Chabot.
>> Can you hear us? Yeah, we can hear this. Fine. >> Okay. Uh hello uh John Shabet, Kim Shabet for um justing Willow Road um ACP. Um just a couple of quick questions.
Um on the halfday model, uh which seems almost incredibly impractical on every level. Um but it seemed like the primary reason against the half day model was masking for the kids the whole day. Now, our son has been in ACP all summer and
fully masked throughout the entirety of his participation in that, which is actually longer than a regular school day. He's been fine with it. He's in first grade. So, I think that may be an overreaction to think that the kids can adjust to that very, very quickly. They seem to be able to do so. >> Seem to do better than the adults I've seen.
>> Yeah. Quite a bit actually. He enjoys it. He thinks it's like a spider mask and it's great. Um, so I think that's kind of a silly argument. um as far as a primary reason not to go to a full day model um which again as uh one of the
previous uh callers uh mentioned earlier that seems uh horrendously impractical for everyone involved. The other issue is on kindergarten, first grade, probably second and third grade. I do not know how you expect them to stay
active and attentive to a computer uh for an eight hour period or a seven hour period. um at you know last summer uh last spring during the uh remote learning period when using kindergarten uh it was challenge just to get them to
do kind of the very engaging entertaining sort of game programs that we used for reading. I have no clue how we expect them to uh be able to stay attentive to the teachers over that period barring full parents sitting on
them the whole time. uh which again I'm sure most people are in our boat where they're working remotely if they've got the kids with them. Uh and that's simply not practical um to expect the parents to basically act as de facto teachers for you. So I
don't know how it works. Yes. Go ahead. >> Also we were wondering with ACP um how are they going to be able to facilitate getting students to focus in on computers and join into Zoom meetings when they're not really staffed to do so? I don't see them having that ability
to actually interact with the kids in that capacity without it being a larger amount of people in the room than a classroom would be. I think that's our time. >> Yes. Sorry. Over. >> That's okay. Thank you.
>> Mr. TBO. >> Yes, Miss Malone. make one comment about um the uh the question about the childcare program over at Laura White. Uh so, um Mrs. Null has been reaching out to some of the
families, but I I hope I'm not trying to be um to give an answer that's not specific, but we don't know what the model is, you know, was going to be. So, she has been in her her space over there and looking at the number of students and things that she can take and looking
at the staffing she can provide. So once we have a model and then we'll meet to to um then prepare and then get our communications to parents. So I'm sorry if that seems confusing but um there's been some preliminary work done
and and once we have a model then she will be able to determine um the the hours that she can make available and the staffing um that she will need. Thank you. >> Dr. Malone, can I say something real quick? Can you hear me?
>> Yeah, we can hear you just fine. Cheryl, >> um, so it was in the presentation, but I think several people missed it about the reason why we moved to this um, slower phase in with a half a day. Um, a lot of
concern came through from both parents and staff about um the numbers of students in classrooms and not being able to hit that six-foot distance or
more um in in every single classroom. and by and the other concern was around um lunchtime, the amount of kids that would be in lunch and how would they be spread out. So the half day model was
sort of a slower approach to this and would allow those classrooms to have half the amount of students. So if there are 20 kids in a class now there would only be 10 and you could actually um create the six feet um if not more
because people were very uncomfortable with three and a half ft. >> Uh and Mrs. Um Simmons, if I may add, uh that you know, if this uh is the plan moving forward, uh the school committee would do an evaluation on the efficacy
of the program in uh the on their October 6th school committee meeting. >> All right. Are we ready to uh move on to the next participant, >> please? Would be Chad Pierce.
All right, Mr. Pierce, you are up. >> Hello everybody. Can you hear me? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Excellent. So, my question mostly comes from uh IEPs. That wasn't really covered here. Um we have we have obviously have a child that has an IEP
and there's very strict instructions associated with that. Can you expand on that a little bit? How that's going to be handled? And and obviously of course um regarding uh Pride versus Panther, assuming Mr. Depy, my kid goes to Paige Hilltop, will be um assigning those.
We'll get an email on what our kids going to be. That's probably just some parents have questions on that. But again, back to the IEPs. If you could expand on how that's going to be handled, what we're expecting to see um from the school in that regard. Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Uh if I may, Mr. T-Bot, Mrs. Bozac, could you um address that just for a few minutes, please? >> Terry, you're muted. >> Thank you. The students with
disabilities will follow one of the cohorts either the Panthers or the Pride cohort unless they are already categorized with um high needs with complex and significant needs. And with following one of the cohorts, either the Panther or the Pride cohort, they will
get as many as the related services that they need in person. It will look a little bit differently obviously because we'll be doing some in-person and some remote services for students, but we'll still be following the grids of the IEPs.
It'll vary individually per for each student. Collaboration with the special educator and the general education team will be really key during this time. Does that help? >> I actually uh let me bring Chad back up
for you real quick. >> Okay, you you got me again. Um >> All right. Thank you for that. And thank you, ma'am, for uh calling in on your vacation from the tropics, apparently according to your background on the Zoom video. That's awesome. Um okay, that's good. Well, I I assume then we'll just
wait to hear from the special ed team and um it's just good to hear that that will be in person. You answered my main question. Appreciate it. Thank you. >> You're welcome. And you can always contact me too if you want to speak more specifically around your student and their needs. >> Very good. Appreciate it.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay, next up we have Megan Marshall. >> Just let you know we can't hear you just fine. Okay, we can go back to Miss Marshall. Next up, we have Chris Paige. >> Hello.
>> Oh, >> there we can hear you just fine, Miss Marshall. >> Hear something? Hello. >> Okay, Mr. Paige, hopefully you're still with us. I'm going to promote you to panelists now
>> and you should be all set. Hello. Can you hear me? >> Okay. >> Yes, we can hear you just fine. >> Okay, great. I I have a couple questions. It's been emphasized a few times tonight that this plan is uh a
slow start or temporary. Um and as I understand it, the primary motivator for doing this model has simply been the inability to comply with the six-foot distance rule. Can you please give some specific public health metrics that you'll be using to determine when a full
in-person um schooling would be possible? >> Hi, uh this is Dr. Malone. Uh I I don't want to speak for the school committee, but uh the I I stated that on the October sec October 6th meeting for school committee um they will be
evaluating the efficacy of this program and um whether the uh metrics on the ground if they continue. So for Eron and Shirley I think uh is like at 1.25% earlier in the presentation I mentioned that 5% positivity rate is a threshold.
uh anything at five or higher would be considered um uh you know the frequency of cases if you will and um so I think as long um you know that the cases continue um to trend the way they are in in the towns of Shirley and in the state
of Massachusetts again I don't want to speak for the school committee what their metric would be but that's the metric that's being used >> so if I understand that right you said you're using a 5% positivity metric but air right now is at a 1.2% 2% positivity metric. >> Yes. ERA is at 1.25. I it's not what I'm
>> So, we're below the threshold that you you would use to establish going back to full-time. >> Well, it's not I'm not saying personally me. What I'm saying is that 5% is the threshold that is used um in in the state and the country for positivity
rates and when you get to that 5% or above it uh I believe that the interpretation is that um you have increase in cases and and um there may be a concentration of cases in that community but at this time um so in the
last two weeks in air I believe uh there were four cases so this is through August 5th this data Um the uh and um that was at 5 1.25% and then Shirley I think had one case so they're like at 0.57
positivity rate. >> Thank you. I would suggest that the school committee in in terms of accepting any plan make sure that there is a plan to get out of the temporary schooling because I would be concerned that there is no no way that you'll
really get out of this plan um without a quantifiable public health metric that makes sense. Thank you. If I might, I'm not allowed to answer as as the committee, but um I think the
feeling has been all along that this is going to be constantly revisited and there will be a plan to move forward. Um and it's all going to be it'll all it'll come together. But you're right, uh you have to know what
your next step is going to be. It's very important always and maybe the five steps after that. So, thank you for that comment. Thank you, Mr. Paige. Next up, we have Paige Leon. >> Hello.
>> Hello, Paige. We can hear you. >> We can hear you. >> Okay. My name is Paige Leone and I am um an air resident. I have three kids in the school system. I also am an educator myself and the question I I would like to see addressed um I had written in the
bar before is what we are doing to ensure the safety of our educators, our staff in the buildings. I know it's I know it's a statewide thing. I'm dealing with it in my district, but it seems like we are limiting the exposure for students having them come to school two
half days, yet the teachers are there pretty much all week, all day. And in theory, in theory, the kids are limited. But if we are being as educators being exposed to everybody, we are then exposing our children to everybody. So I I kind of just want that question
addressed about how we are keeping our educators and staff in the buildings safe because especially in our small community, one serious illness, someone who ends up in the hospital or god forbid dies is going to devastate our children in the school. So, that's my
that's my request is to see how how we're going to keep our educators safe and keep the metrics on that as well, not just the children. >> Thank you, Miss Leone. >> Next. Oh, I'm sorry. I actually would prefer if Dr. Malone could sort of touch on
that a bit. Yeah. >> Um I know we've talked in previous presentations about um the amounts of PPE we've worn, but maybe a brief uh covering of of that sort of what we're
doing with our staff to make sure that they they feel safe as well. Please. >> Sure. Thank you. Uh Mr. DeForge. Uh so the the um the reduction of the the modified hybrid model that uh brings uh
students in half a class uh was uh for uh in the interest of the staff and the students. So I I would um I would say that the the plan is approached with the safety of staff and students in mind and and the students would be going home,
you know, after the half day and there would um not be any students in the building. And um so I I believe uh that this model uh was built and developed in in with the safety of not only the
students but of course the staff. Uh in earlier presentations uh we uh talked about u we're going to have health protocols training and the sixoot distancing when when you travel in the building and the cleaning and the disinfecting and that u all of the the
personal protective uh supplies that will be applying uh supplying each teacher in their classroom. >> Doc Dr. Malone thank you for your answer. I understand that. However, um the students are going home. The teachers are not. So we are they are being exposed to each other and they are
still being exposed to the same amount of students. The half day is only saying one day they're exposed to half and the next day they're exposed to the other half. So in reality that your educators are going to be exposed to everybody. Um and God knows what happens when they kids go home. Every family has a
different safety measures. So that's kind of what I'm saying here is that how can you ensure that pod B coming in isn't going to expose the teacher to something who then is going to pass it along to pod A when they come in the
next day and the staff to each other. We've seen the articles in the newspapers all summer about staff being together remotely and them exposing each other. >> And that's that's it for me. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. The next speaker is Frank
Deon. >> Oh, excuse me. Uh Jason Leone had a question in there, too. >> Oh, I'm sorry about that. >> Can I Can I go on my own two minutes? >> I'm sorry about that. Yeah, feel free. Go right ahead, Jason. >> I appreciate it. So, I mean, similar to
Dr. Malone's um uh answer to the staff safety. Uh it seemed like the last meeting there were massive amounts of unanswered questions uh with this hybrid. Uh whether it be the isolation or what is done when someone comes in that's possibly positive or might have a
cold or uh there were just is the ventilation good? Is it not good? There were just so many questions uh for a model that seems to me offers less synchronous time on learning than the remote option does. It offers less
opportunity for students to connect individually with teachers than the remote option. Um, and it off it it really doesn't seem to free up a whole lot of um working time for for parents because students are really only in the
building for 3 hours 2 days a week. Um, I agree with the people that are talking about the full return to school. That seems to be the idea that everybody is going for. We all want to be fully back in school. Uh, the hybrid seems to be a band-aid. Let's get the remote done. It
seems like a very very good plan for the remote as good as it can be and then get everyone back to school as as soon as we can. Uh the hybrid just seems like there's too many unanswered questions. >> Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Any comments? We ready to move on to the next speaker? >> Any comments on on that from anybody? Um I think um I have worked with the public now since uh April 2nd and um the rules
that I made for my staff since they were being exposed to the public all the time. Uh and I laid out something so you walk in, you wash your hands. We talk about the kids washing their hands and wearing their masks. It's the same for staff. Keeping six feet apart. It's the
same for staff. And I think that's what we all have to think out. And then eventually if we get into full opening, this is still going to be habits that will have been um set up. So it's you're right, but I think I think you have to
think of everything that everybody everybody needs to do. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right, Mr. Devon, you are up. >> Hello. Can you hear me? >> Yes, we can. We can hear you.
>> Okay. Thank you for taking my question. No problem. Um just two weeks ago we were told in a Zoom meeting that the current uh precautions you were taking were fine with a 3-foot distancing, the mask and the hand wash that was safe to
fully go back to school. Um now you've increased the distance that kids will be separated and from staff yet we're doing half day models because all of a sudden it's not safe. I I don't understand. And this is completely contradictory that
there's no reason why we can't go why a student can't be in class full day even in a hybrid model. Um I I just think that um as somebody pointed out earlier, the idea that a kid can't wear a mask all day when you see them traveling all
over the place with masks. My kids wear them all day. They don't have a problem with them. I I really think it should be um that the district should really look at having at least full day
hybrid models. And again, where we're already met, we're already well below the health metrics you just mentioned in the presentation. So, I I don't see any any uh safety precautions. I don't see any safety hazards from preventing us
from returning to a full day even in a hybrid model. So I'd like you to address that please. >> Anyone wish to add make a comment on that? >> Sure. Uh Dr. Malone here u that we it
wasn't just about um you know students can't wear the mask. I mean we just you know that was one of the pros uh for students um that you know we could get used to this uh model and uh we just uh felt that to bring students back on a
half day and then revisit it as I said I stated October 6 is the date so it would be a couple of weeks um that we felt that a more soft opening uh to begin and um I know there was a couple questions in the chat about the cohorts and if we
were to transition it to full days. So nothing would change about the model. Your child's uh schedule that they have now in a half day would just become full day and and they would stay in school all day. That's why it it's a pretty seamless transition. >> Yeah. But the parents also in every
survey overwhelmingly wanted full days to start too and that doesn't seem to be considered. It's I mean uh in every survey it was well over a thousand parents want full day uh full day class participation but that
doesn't seem to be factored into the metrics here. >> May I say something if you don't mind Dr. Malone? When >> we can't hear you. >> Oh no. >> Are you out?
>> Hold on, Cheryl. We can't hear you. >> Oh no, >> Cheryl. You need to start over. I just texted her. >> Yeah, I'm not even sure what you heard. My computer spontaneously >> muted. Heard nothing. So, you may start
have to start over. Okay, let me try to condense what I said. Um the if you have kids in a full day hybrid um then the the kids who are at home are pretty much left on their own that there isn't going
to be any length of connection to um teachers and directed um learning and that sort of thing. What we did hear from parents with uh the fully remote in the spring was how difficult that was.
um for the parents to kind of have to become the teachers. Um so it's so it's multiple things. It it's that it's trying to keep the numbers down actually inside classrooms. It's trying to keep um kids separated the the amount of
space needed on a bus. Um, so all of these these issues come into play um when you're trying to come up with um with a model. And what what I think we're trying to do is
start to slowly introduce kids to the building and then really look at how that is working on a on a variety of levels. >> Thank you, Cheryl. Okay, none. Miss Megan Marshall has resolved her
technical difficulties. So, you're up next, Miss Marshall. Miss Marshall, if you could just um either ask your question in the chat or just let me know when things are back up and running. >> Hello. >> Oh, there we go. Excellent.
we can hear you just fine. >> I I apologize. So, one quick question is um in terms of synchronizing family schedules to clarify, if you have a child who's in elementary school and children who are in middle school and in
high school, they will all be on the same schedule. >> Dr. Malone here. Yes. >> Okay. And then um both my husband and I are um public high school teachers and we are going to be teaching fully
remotely from our building while some of our students are in the building. And I would really like the school committee and Dr. Malone to consider allowing the teachers in the Shirley district to use their professional discretion when they
are exclusively teaching remotely, especially on those Wednesdays to be able to work remotely themselves from home and allow them the same flexibility that we as parents all need with child care.
And that's all. And thank you so much for your patience with my questions and tech issues. I appreciate it. Okay, next up we have Megan Gary. >> Hi. Can you hear me? >> Yes, we can. Megan. >> Great. Um, so as you said, I'm Megan
Gary. I'm actually um new to the town of Air. We just moved here over the summer. Um, I work as a child clinical psychologist in Chelmsford. And so I've really had a good firsthand account of a lot of, you know, what's been happening
with, um, my own child who's a kindergarter. Well, he'll be going in first grade. Um, and also with a lot of the children that I've been working with. And so, you know, they're primarily in other school districts, but um I just have
some questions about things like, okay, there's, you know, a lot of children that I work with who have a lot of difficulties with completing the work at home. They have a lot of difficulties with remote learning and being able to
attend and their parents being able to wear the teacher hat and the parent hat at the same time. Um, I've had a I had a lot of parents in tears in the spring and I just I guess I want that to be taken
into account when the vote is taken and being able to look at, you know, obviously balancing our physical safety along with our mental health concerns and safety. Um,
and so I guess the the main questions would be what do parents do um, if their child is being non-compliant or they're really not accessing the curriculum? Um,
and what do we do to address like mental health concerns? I mean, obviously we can go to the guidance counselor and things like that, but from some of the clients I work with, it's much more extensive. you know, a a meeting with a guidance counselor is just not going to
be enough. Um, so and good job everybody in trying to figure this out. There's no um decision that's going to make everyone happy. Um, but I definitely want to look at the mental health piece. >> Thank you, Megan. Appreciate your
question. Any comments from anyone else? I I guess I would just ask if if either Dr. Malone or Mrs. Bozac could could sort of address that and and what resources we may be able to offer um students and families uh as they if they do struggle
with with this. Um I know we maybe they don't quite fit into a traditional uh extended help, but maybe they just need a little maybe they need a person to vent to if nothing else or get some ideas. I would appreciate that. Please.
>> Sure. Uh Dr. Malone here. Uh those are excellent questions and and we we do um understand uh you know the issues for parents um trying to teach at home and that's why the plan includes
uh a phased approach so we can get to full inerson return. uh but you know for a parent uh the questions I mean they're not easy questions that you've asked and and and certainly I wouldn't be able to um give them uh a a really uh succinct
answer but uh you know in when we were doing the remote learning in in March uh we did have a a I I felt a very strong support system uh for parents and and students when students weren't complying at home or weren't logging on uh our our
rate of uh students not logging on. I think uh we had just about every student um you know we're a smaller district but uh we did have um you know most most students were engaged uh for the most part and you know the mental health piece so we have excellent school
counselors we have two school psychologists and we also sub subscribe to the William James interface which is a referral um agency uh that uh we could use uh if encourage families to call and then their counselors It's like a
screening and they try to match uh the family's issues with a an experienced counselor. But I really would like to start with the school piece and the school support that um you know it's really um for us to to to work with that
student first and then to be able to um recommend and provide that parent external support services around the mental health and and perhaps non-compliance um in in the remote model. I think is what you're referring to.
>> Sure. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Our next speaker is Mr. Tom Boli. >> Yes. Hello. Can you hear me? >> Yes, we can. >> Yes, we can. Yes. >> Can I please ask that people uh give their address publicly, please?
>> Sure. This is Tom Boli. I'm on Oakridge Drive in Air. >> Thank you so much. >> Uh thank you for letting me participate. Um I just wanted to say, you know, thank you. I'm glad to hear that the district is, you know, entertaining a component of in-person learning. Uh my wife and I
fully support uh as much in-person learning as possible. Um my wife and I would prefer the committee strongly consider h having the component of full days rather than half days. Um it's extremely
difficult as I'm sure it is for many parents um working parents that work full-time remotely trying to juggle that with trying to homeschool their children. Um, so as much in-person learning in the school I think would be
most beneficial for our kids. Um, as far as safety is concerned, I'm also glad to hear that the district is allowing full remote learning options. So for those parents who are um very concerned about their uh children's or their publica uh
safety and health that they have the option to keep their kids at home. Um and I don't think that should negatively impact those parents who wish to send their kids to school um with the proper safety precautions that what I've heard has been done. Um everyone's going to be
wearing masks. Um as I we as we understand everyone's going to be maintaining proper social distancing of six feet um which is greater than current literature of three feet suggests for children um proper sanitizing.
So, you know, I I feel that the proper precautions um will be taken to allow safe entry into school uh for in-person learning. And if I may add, if I have a little bit of time, I can't see the timer. Um you know, but our our kids are going to the ACP, the um you know, the
afterchool program, the day camp that's going on now. And I will echo another person's uh comment earlier that our kids wear masks. They don't have any problems. I have a feeling that kids have less of a problem wearing masks
than adults do. So again, um my only question that come out of this is to ask what metric and this was echoed earlier will be measured to allow us to go back to full in-person learning. Um
as was mentioned, we're below that um you know positive 5% already. and you know what's going to be and I understand folks are going to be meeting early October to uh re-evaluate what type of model we may adjust to but
having some specific metrics that once we hit that to allow us to go to more in person um I think would be very helpful for us to understand how we move forward. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Mr. BLC. >> Any comment from anyone? >> No, I I I would actually just add something. I I think that um and and so I'm a a list served with a number of other school committee members statewide. Um, and that's a that's a
very interesting topic. Um, or or the metric is is a you know, people want to come to a consensus on what a metric is across the state that's appropriate for everybody or at least for local districts. Um and and one of the members of this listerve has actually developed
a a chart that is easily used for um to show where we are locally and where we are in the state and whether that means what we should be doing. Um and I think that's something at least as a committee personally I think we should explore so
that you know very easily our parents know what where to look on our on our website for what we're seeing. um and also what phase we're in and and you know they can hopefully help judge um so we know as well where where we're headed
um you know in short order. >> Thank you Mr. Deorge just want to let the committee know that there are no other requests to speak at this time. >> Mr. I apologize. >> There were a couple of questions and I know the answers to these, but there
were a number of questions um about getting Chromebooks and having Chromebooks replaced etc etc. And since you are our lead on this, I didn't know if you wouldn't mind making a small statement since there were a number of questions on that earlier.
>> Sure, I don't mind making a statement on that at all. And real quick, there is one other participant that would like to speak. So, uh, in terms of Chromebooks, uh, I have received several emails from parents um about um when their child is getting a Chromebook or they have
already received a Chromebook, but um it wasn't in the best working order when it was received. And I apologize for that if you didn't get a fully functioning Chromebook. Um, so what we're doing over the next uh few weeks is we're handing out Chromebooks by grade level, one day at a time. We're being mindful of uh
social distancing. Um when a grade is ready, an email is sent out to the parents um with a date to pick it up. And we're also going to try and schedule a second pickup time um in the evening for every grade level just to accommodate uh family schedules. If you do have a damaged Chromebook or
something just isn't working correctly with it, uh you can reach out to myself um and Erica Crawford. Um I can't really I'll share it on the screen um before the end of this meeting. Um just let us know what the issue is with the Chromebook and we'll do our best to u provide you with a new
one. But as I mentioned earlier, we're going to make sure every child has a device. Uh we know this is a big component u not only for inperson but also remote learning as well. >> Thank you Mike. It just seemed like there were a number of comments and questions around that. So my emails to
to talk about it. >> The emails you will be receiving an email soon. Um, like I said, we're just doing one grade at a time so that we're not having everybody show up uh at once. >> Thank you very much. >> You're welcome. >> And you said we had someone else who wishes to speak.
>> Yes, Mr. Bill Ethler. Just give me a moment, please. Okay, Mr. Eler, if you could just unmute yourself. >> Ready to go. >> All right. Can you hear me? >> Yeah, we can hear you just fine. >> All right. Thank you. Yeah. Um, I'll try
to keep this. So, I just want to um, you know, go back to a point that I think's been overlooked. There's been the questions about the safety of the teachers, but really, you know, the the educators came out and they stated that they would like a remote start. And you
know, I know like every teacher, they want to get back, but only if it's safe. And they've come out now and said that they do not feel safe. And I feel like a lot of people are forgetting, too. It's about keeping the kids, the teachers,
the staffs and all the families associated with that. So, I just want to know, you know, the teachers have come out saying that they would like to start the remote. Why is that sort of being disregarded and not being taken into account?
Thanks, Uh I I I can give a a response to that. Uh thank you. This is Dr. Malone. Uh uh yes, respect uh with the teachers, but it doesn't um there is a split if you will. Um I think we looked at it today.
I don't know if it was like uh a 40 45 to 55. 45 wanting to come back and 55 going for the That is percent. I'm sorry. You know, I'm speaking in percentages. Thank you.
>> Is just quickly is that the actual teachers or does that include like the the support staff like the pair professionals and all that? >> Uh is disagre disagregated by uh professionals and then teachers.
So, I'm I'm I'm citing uh the percentages from from the teachers and the surveys that we sent out to teachers. >> Does that was that help you? >> Uh well, yes and no. Like, yes, I appreciate the
answer and the numbers, but again, I still feel like the teachers are going to be there, right? They're the the people that are going to be in here teaching your kids. If they don't feel safe, I feel like there should be additional weight put into that in
regards to the decision of how you start the year. >> Thank you. >> Um >> I was going through the chat and there is a Lynch, but it doesn't refer. I'm not sure who it is. and they were asking about their own child's um allergies.
And my experience with the school with a son with allergies was that the nurses tend to know about this and tend to take it into effect. And um I think with all the sanitizing we're doing in the schools, anything that's being uh
affected by that um would be much improved because of everything else that we're doing. um if you wish to speak privately with the with the medical staff um to see if that helps you and I don't know whether it's Miss or Mrs. so
I apologize. I tried to answer it personally but it didn't seem to work. >> Okay, we do have another participant that would like to speak. Miss Angela Kthers. Hi, can you hear me?
>> Yeah, we can hear you just fine, Angela. >> Okay, so this is Angela and Matthew Kthers from Greten Harvard Road. Thanks for letting us chime in here. Um, first I just want to start by saying that I think that we are really pushing for full days as well. Um even if it is a
hybrid model um we think that it's extremely important that kids get to go back to school, see their teachers, get instructions directly from their teachers, see their friends even in this new COVID world. Um and of course take
precautions and be prepared to re to move back to remote learning on a dime. Um, you know, CO's not going away anytime soon and I feel that we have to learn how to live in a world with COVID and we have to teach our children how to live safely in a world with COVID. Um,
and as far as, you know, just going off of, you know, teachers feeling safe going back to school. I absolutely love my teachers. I love our teachers here in ERI and all the staff. Um, but I think back to, okay, there are many of us parents who have to work every day.
Whether we're scared or not, we have to work. There are people in grocery stores who see hundreds of customers and they're making minimum wage, but they have to work. I think that if we set up all the safety precautions that we're trying to set up, we will find solutions
so that we can all feel safe sending our kids to school and having our teachers go to school. I think that we just have to get, you know, push forward and be ready to step back. And then I didn't know Matt, did you have anything you wanted to
>> No, I just I just want to just touch upon this. Um my wife and I have we have our own food company. Um it's a retail national we retail and we see the people every day that are putting out groceries stocking shelves have been since the beginning making nothing and they are
out there every day doing that for everybody and making no money doing it. and they're able to go to work safely, be in contact with thousands of people a day, and maintain a pretty low uh transmission rate in, you know, there are some outliers, but they do a pretty
good job, and I think we could figure a way to do that with schools as well. >> Yeah, it's essential, and I think education is also essential. So, I think that's it. Thank you so much. You >> Thank you. Mr. KBO, is there going
>> I'm going through the chat right now. Um there are no other requests for people to chat unless you there are some people that would like to speak again that have already spoken. I think um some guidelines were set to allow people speak once, but I just want to make sure
uh that's how you want to handle it. >> Does anybody have an opinion on that on the board? Keep it keep it to one time. >> Okay. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Have another person that Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we do have another person that would like to speak. Miss
Julie Murray, >> Julie, we just promoted you to panelists, so hopefully you can uh unmute yourself. Uh, hello. It's uh actually Julie's husband, Scott, who's lurking under her name. My apologies. >> No problem. My apologies on the name, Scott.
>> No apolog. >> So, so, so my question is is so my background is I'm a physician that works at controlling COVID outbreaks in institutions. Um, and my question specifically has to deal with masking, which is probably the single most
effective means we have at preventing spread from person to person. There's been some new data out about uh masks and not all masks are created equally. Specifically, there's been a lot of people using more popular, more breathable masks that are very thin and
stretchy that are called necrovats that stretch around the neck and kind of hang up over the over the nose. Um, we know that bandanas are essentially useless in preventing the spread of COVID or preventing the spread of the droplets that CO uh lives on. And it seems that
the necrovats, the super stretchy ones that are very easy to breathe through, may increase the spread of the droplets because the droplets shatter into smaller sizes and then travel further distances. I I'd be curious to know if the um district has any plans to either
set standards for masks that either students or staff can wear. Um, and if there's any plan to on what to do if people choose not to wear masks when they come to school, whether they're claiming some sort of medical or
religious or political exemption from wearing masks um or if there's a behavioral issue where they just cannot wear masks. Um, how does the district hand plan to handle that? Um, essentially the the general guideline
that's been found from recent studies is that if you hold a mask up to a bright light and you can see light through the mask, the mask is ineffective at preventing the spread of the droplets that carry Corona virus. Thank you for your time and I just would like to say
that I really do appreciate all the deep thoughtful interest that is going on at the superintendent level and at the schoolboard level to balance all the issues and the needs that everybody has from the school district. Thank you very much.
>> Um if I might if Dr. Murray is still here. There was a question in the chat about mass and um if you could um my uh reference was of some articles that talked about three layers um and I know
that we have quite a few masks for kids to use. Can you comment on that, Dr. Murray? I think the data suggests that at a three ply cotton and possibly a two ply cotton on either side with a um a
polyester layer in between or some sort of monofilament in between is the most effective. However, truthfully the most effective mask is probably the mask that somebody wears and doesn't take off intermittently. Um just from personal experience at trying to manage this problem.
However, if you Mask efficacy really has to do with how well the droplets are stopped on the inside of the mask. Um, and also about leakage around the mask. If you were planning to space children many feet
apart, and six feet is a very noble goal, then allowing some air to escape around the mask to the sides or at the nose level at the eyes is less of a problem because the droplets tend to eddy around the face rather than spreading 6 feet out as the velocity
decreases when people exhale. But when people wear masks that are made of gym short materials that are essentially perforated polyester that have like 1 to 2 mm gaps in the perforations, those masks are useless.
As are masks that um are very very thin cotton poly blends like a bandana that you can see through essentially. >> Thank you because I have a question that comes up quite a bit and it's good to hear from someone directly.
Yeah, just to just to sort of go on with that, I I do think it's important that we sort of define what we're expecting from Square >> wearing just because I have seen other um I mean everyone knows I love Walt Disney World and so I see what goes on
there. Um they they have banned those sort of neck gators, bandanas, um masks with the exhale port on them. Um, so I think it it may be prudent to work with our local board of health and our
our district doctor, Dr. Godfrey, to make sure that we are giving guidelines um on what masks are going to be acceptable. I don't want to make that a school bus decision or a, you know, I would like to set that expectation ahead
of time um for for everyone involved. There al there also is a question that people have about what will happen if kids refuse to wear masks. They have not seen the the blueprint. So they they
don't know the answer to that. What will happen to kids if they do not wear their masks? >> Uh sure. Dr. Malone here. Uh thank you to uh the doctor for uh providing the information. uh the nurse leader for our district Rene Payne um is on this
meeting tonight and um works very closely with the uh the boards the associated boards of health and um you know we we're going to look into that new data that came out and um we will follow the CDC guidelines uh with
respect to uh students refusing to wear mask there is a protocol that is in the blueprint and of course um you know we would try uh you know this teacher would try to redirect and um then the next uh phase might or step would be involving
the school counselors to work with the child and and and talk about the that this is a requirement and that um masks are mandatory in school and um at that point you maybe get the family involved and um but it is it is it is going to be
mandatory and if we are not able uh to uh get the students to to wear the mask can comply. Uh then we would u probably have to send the student home because we are we we are going to adhere to the mandatory requirement of
maskearing um in in our schools. >> Thank you Dr. Mary. >> Thank you. >> Uh Madame Chair, just wondering how you uh would like to move forward. Just being somewhat mindful of the time. We we have really wanted to give everybody as much of a chance and and be as
liberal as we could with this. Um we are approaching um my watch is wrong, I'm sorry, a quarter to 9. And um I know that we are going to have a couple of more um meetings. We also have a school committee meeting next Wednesday night which is going to go on to other
details. Uh but I think at this point our requirement is that we turn into the department of ed tomorrow a plan and um so I would open up to the committee now um and limit it to to the committee um
to say um uh anyone who wishes to make a motion or to open a discussion um please speak up. Joyce, >> if we have if we have a motion, then we can motion it to the floor for discussion. Was that you?
>> Yeah, that was me. I just because we just established the um we just now the cut off for public participation. There are two people that were on there before you did that. So, I don't know if we want to go back. >> Do those people still wish to speak? Can
you tell Mike if they still wish to speak? I saw one, but I didn't see them come up again. >> Yeah, I will uh >> I just I mean, we've announced it now, but there are there are some people that had put in a request before. So, >> okay, if Liz would forgive me for not
saying her name. >> Yeah, we do have two people. >> I think that's the one I saw. >> Lizowski and Mr. Eric Lopez, I believe. So, >> yeah. And Mr. Gubalini was in there as well. So I think those three would be uh
>> okay if possible. >> I I have no problem with continuing. I think it's very important. >> Right. >> I mean I think we've cut it off but I think those people that um had put in a request prior to us cutting it off should be heard.
>> Great. Thank you Michelle. >> Thank you Michelle. Okay. Miss Rancowski you up next to speak. Hi, can you hear me? >> Yeah, we can hear you just fine. >> Great. Thank you. Um, Liz Ranchowski from Howard Street in Air. Um, thank you
for comment. I know it is really late. Um, and thank you to um, everyone that's been involved in the development of this plan because I do feel like a lot of thought and care um, has gone into um, developing a plan that, you know, tries
to be the least lousy of a lot of lousy options. Um, so um, I really I really do appreciate and want to thank um, everyone that's been involved in the development of the plan. Um, it seems to me one of the benefits of the of this plan, the hybrid model,
is the ability to phase back to a full day hybrid model or even a full day in-person model. Um, and you know, the agility to move back to remote learning um, if, god forbid, there's a spike in cases in Massachusetts or in our
community. Um so I would just like to ask a question or or just uh pose a request I guess um for um with regard to what is the plan for notifying parents about shift between plans? Um how much notice do you think you'll be able to give to parents? And I know the answer
will probably be um as much notice as possible. Um but and in the event of a spike in cases and it needs to be quick. I I totally understand that. But um it would be great if um you know parents could be kept in the loop um either on a
a weekly basis or on a regular basis about what the thought what the thought process is and what the thinking is um so we have as much advanced notice about a shift in plan as possible. Thank you. >> Thank you very much.
So, can I just jump in with a suggestion to that? I don't know in what form it would be at, but perhaps maybe um one of the ways we can keep parents updated is through Dr. Malone's weekly um email that she sends out. I mean, I don't even
know what that would look like, but it could be a a a vehicle for current, you know, air and surely case loads or, you know, what the what the data is saying at the time that that might be a way um we can pass that um information along to
families is through that already existing method of communication. >> Yeah, I would agree. I think that's a a great um a great starting point um uh for the communication um you know
maybe even something on a Friday or uh over the weekend that yep we're we're planning to come in this week be ready or you know we need to and I'm going to say it and I don't like to pivot um
um that we're you we're going to pivot this week or in the second half of the week or something. So yeah, I think between Blackboard and obviously we have the uh you know reverse uh phone calls that we do with snow days anyhow. Um so I think we have those things. It's just
sort of defining the severity of the of the change we need to make. >> Thank you. And I certainly will uh keep families informed. Uh I know the metrics are being published weekly and um the uh we will closely monitor the metrics and
I will keep school committee informed as well as parents. And as far as a shift, so for example, uh if at the October 6th meeting, uh there was a decision to uh move to the full day model of this plan right now so that students that are in for half day, uh we would make sure we
give parents enough notice to make that shift. Or if um if there's if we had to go to full remote, that that could happen um in a moment's notice depending on, you know, what what the health metrics do and if there's a surge and such. Um, you know, there's many that
are talking about, you know, when flu season hits in October. Um, and so certainly if we had to, we could have to go to remote um, full remote um, with not a lot of advanced notice, but certainly we'll we'll do our best to
keep our families um, informed. >> Thank you everyone. The next participant that would like to speak is Mr. Eric Lopez. Hello, Mr. Lopez. Oh, there you go. >> Can you hear me? Sorry about that. >> Oh, quite all right. We can hear you just fine. >> All right. Uh, Eric Lopez, uh, Hickory
Way in Air. Um so you know part of the dilemma I think a lot of us going through is the balance of managing the social social aspects and the in-person contact uh you know with our students with the teachers and and the peers. Um
the other thing is the consistency of being on a consistent uh like uh regimen. um going in for a half day uh taking a you know then three days on a different type of uh schedule may not
work for a lot of of the students uh uh especially when you like my household I have one child in every school um so it's kind of hard to keep pace with that um to make the decision of whether to you know go to school or do the full
remote is kind of hard um when we really don't know what we're comparing against you know like who's teaching it with respect to the third party? What standards are they're teaching by and how how closely does it align um to what
the uh hybrid uh you know uh in-class uh and remote is so that there's parody between uh the systems so that we can make a decision um uh as a as a parent for any of the three. Um um so that's
one part of it. So I don't know when we can my one question is how do we push out that part um to to parents of what these things consist of and the second one is if there's an illness at school when we have kids at their um going
there um how does that get reported and still meeting HIPPA right like you know someone goes in and has sniffles do we have a a big panic attack of type of uh someone is ill and we don't know what it is does everyone have to be tested now uh is my other concern that's all I Thanks.
>> Thank you, Mr. Lopez. If >> I could just um Dr. Malone again to the school committee if I just may address that the um there is a very detailed plan about handling that within our school and uh we do have our nurse leader uh Renee Payne. If Renee, do you
want to uh just provide the response that of the plan? Uh one of the one of the you know in the plan it it does say we you know do not send your child uh to school if ill and certainly we do not want any any employees to come to school
if they are ill. uh but uh you know in the case of allergies I mean there's things that are documented about students and that the nurses we have excellent nurses in all four schools and we have an excellent nurse leader and uh certainly um they will be on top of this
and and they know students who have allergies and and they know you know the the medical uh conditions of students. Um Renee P. >> Yes. Hi. >> Thank you. >> I am here. Can everybody hear me? Okay. Yeah, we can't.
>> Okay, so we do have a detailed plan. If somebody gets sick and I I can answer that. It's just it is a little complicated. If it's one individual student, we have a plan. They go to an um isolation room that we have. They're
designed in all the buildings. That student would not go home on the bus. He would he or she would remain mass um six feet apart and we would call for a parent and we would have them go and be tested.
If it's the you know if they come down and they're not feeling well that day, the rest of the desk is cleaned but the rest of the kids in the class remain in the class. We don't send them home because there was one in particular
child who had come down sick that day. That changes if a few days later, you know, um that child who we sent out comes back positive for COVID. At that time, that classroom would be notified.
We do contact the board of health immediately. um we are in um talks with them quite frequently, but if this were to um be a case, they're results do go to the board of health and it is something that we
are able to discuss with them. Yeah. Yeah, thanks for the the part on the health. Uh, as far as the comparison between third party and the remote hybrid, uh, is there any literature
about that to be pushed anytime soon? >> I'm sorry, I missed that. The literature on what part? >> I actually think that's a question for Dr. Malone. That's it has to do that's okay. Um it
has to do with the remote piece. Um >> so if I understand your question, are you asking um if the remote because the remote portion is taught by our staff? It wouldn't be the third party. Are you asking if a third party is still
available if you desire that? >> Yeah. So, what is the third party and how does it align with the remote hybrid that Air Shirley is doing? Right? It's hard to decide on one when we don't know what the other is. You know, I obviously want to do something that keeps pace
with everyone else. I don't want to try something, come back and find out my kids are, you know, three, four weeks uh behind or ahead. I don't move ahead would be nice, I guess. But, you know, um falling behind is a big thing. As a former military person, I have to deal with this every time I move and how to
keep get my kids caught up and I think when we have two different education systems going in with the same uh you know district that causes a problem. >> Sure. So, Dr. Malone, can you address that? >> Sure. Thank you. So, the wi with this
plan um that's being proposed the uh remote learning portion would be um taught by our educators. So, we're not um we may you know at the high school we have this there were two learning management systems that the
state provided to us um egeneuity and the Florida virtual system >> and um at this time uh we wouldn't be using them. We would be using our in district program because we feel it would be more robust and certainly we prefer that our teachers are are in the
remote portion with the students. uh the high school. Um it we may use egeneuity for some um singleton what we call singleton courses uh depending on um what what the student uh needs to take for a course and you know the high
school um the administration would be addressing this but right now we do use eenuity at the high school for certain students. So um that's where we're thinking right now or that's what that I shouldn't say that's what we're thinking that is what the plan is. Thank you. And while while um uh Renee
is still here, uh there is a question about a child testing positive and if you could go into what the make sure the board of health will be doing. >> Sure. I'm just trying to find the question. If a child tests positive for
COVID, is that the question? >> Yes. >> You let the whole class know. However, uh what about the kids on the same bus? So, yes, we have different cohorts. That was one of the questions that had come up um at another meeting and we do. So,
the classroom would be one cohort, a bus is another cohort and extracurricular activities is considered another cohort. So, if a child does test positive, we are looking at all three of those. Does the child participate in sports? Does he
ride the bus? he or she um in the classroom. So yes, we we would be addressing the bus. >> Um how will kids with seasonal allergies be handled? So um one of the things that
has been released by the CDC is a guideline for what symptoms >> Anyone hear my question? Did did anyone hear my question? >> No. told Joe we didn't >> I I asked so the teacher in the room
>> then goes into another class so the kid has COVID and the and the teacher is in the classroom then the teacher goes into another classroom so was that classroom also informed >> well see this is where
it sounds like a teacher is going to leave one classroom and go to another classroom which they may do, but you're not going to know that day whether a child tests positive for COVID when they're sent down to the nurse feeling
ill. You will probably know 24 to 48 hours. So, yes, at that time, we would have to backtrack. It goes back two days. So, yes, we would have to do that. And I think that's why we're trying to keep teachers in their classrooms as
much as possible and cohorts for that reason. Well, at some point the teacher teaches different classes. So, he would be he or she would be with different classes whether they move or or the teacher moves. So, that would be inevitable that
there would be other classes that that teacher would be in contact with. >> That's correct. They would move around. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Renee. I think those I'm so glad that you were here to delve into some of those questions because
everybody is is uh needs to have needs to feel that things are moving forward. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Is there anybody else, Mr. Tibo? >> Um no, there is no one else wishing to speak. However, we do have uh high
school teacher, Mr. Peter Gubalini, who would very much like to thank Dr. alone and yourselves, the school committee for all the hard work you put into this. >> Thank you. >> Thank you.
So, >> you're muted. >> There you go. There you go. Okay. So, I think we might try again to close the public participation. Uh, anybody on the committee feel um that we shouldn't?
>> No. >> Okay. Um, so then we would move on to item number nine, school committee votes on the school reopening plan. Um, the way this would work is that if you wish to make a motion and it's seconded, it
puts it on the floor for discussion. >> Don't everybody speak at once. >> Can we have discussion without a motion on the on the table? Well, >> I I would if if you would like to have uh five minutes of discussion or 10 minutes of discussion, I would limit it
with a time limit. >> What would be the consensus of the committee on that? >> Yeah, I I would prefer to have a discussion before we have a motion. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> So then if we open the floor to discussion to the committee, >> right?
>> Yeah. We all probably want to speak. Do you want to put put us in order, >> Joe? I'm having trouble hearing you. >> I just um >> he he he just wants us to go in order. That's all that's all he's asking. Just start in order.
>> So, we have our two minutes or something. So, you know, we all want we just have an order instead of us trying to jump in. Do you want to go alphabetically? I think that puts Jonathan up first.
>> Wow. No pressure there. Um, >> you asked for it. >> No, that's cool. No. Um, no. So, first, obviously, thank you to everyone who's worked on this. That's that's the the key thing, right? There's hours and hours of work here for plans that may never even see the light of day. Um but
I I think as a committee we have heard t at least from my perspective I've heard a lot of um you know full hybrid is or or a full day hybrid is something that we don't start it we need to set a goal of getting there. Um, and I would
prefer, you know, I would like to say that, you know, we will evaluate um, uh, at that October 2nd meeting and and I'd like to establish what that time frame would be. Um, certainly with Dr. Malone's input for if it's if it's
working well and we're staying within good metrics, that that push to to full day um, uh, full day hybrid model. Um, I think that's what I've heard a lot of parents say that they would prefer. Um, so
that's just my two cents. Um, otherwise I am in support of the uh this the hybrid model. Um, so that's that's my two cents. >> Thank you, Jonathan. Uh, Michelle, >> I wish I had my maiden name. Um,
>> you could pass. We could come back to you if it's really difficult. No, I I do want to I want to thank everyone that um worked on the return to school um board. Um I also want to thank
Dr. Malone and Mr. Clary. Um this been a huge undertaking. Um and I appreciate your responsiveness. um you're listening to feedback and um you're adapting the plan to um try to get it to
as much of a um palatable plan for everyone. Um personally for me, this is an extremely difficult decision. I've joked that I've made personal life decisions that didn't cause me the same angst that this decision is causing me.
So um you know I I I do want to say that um that this is really tough for me. Um I want to support everyone. I want to support all the stakeholders. Um but at some point we do need to get our kids back in a building. Um this plan to me
um allows us to do that in a safe way slowly to get the kids comfortable with the building, get the staff comfortable with the kids in the building, not serve lunch initially. So, we're not worrying about that. And then when we feel comfortable and we see the metrics um
staying the same or getting better, we move to um a full day model. Um so, I guess I would um also echo my support for this um plan as it is. I worry um when uh Mr. Telly
mentioned the slower phase in I worry about what look like as we get close to the cold and flu season or if there's going to be spikes um you know a second round a second wave that people have predicted. So I worry about whether we
might need to to pivot um to a remote model and um so I I would prefer to do things now while we have good numbers. we know things are good um and our weather is good so our kids can get
outside. I just think that um all those factors um just allow for um you know the optimal to open. Obviously we're watching this is a decision we're making as of today and the condition um of the COVID situation
as of today. I'll constantly you know be looking at that and seeing if things change. So, um, that that's my take on it. Thanks, >> Mr. Quinty. >> Oh, we going alphabetically.
>> I'm sorry, Joe. >> I I went to very poor schools. I apologize, Mr. Le. >> Thank you. Uh, first of all, uh, I cannot say enough how much, um, I
appreciate the work that, uh, Dr. Malone and the committee has done. I um you know I I often think how how are you still standing up Dr. Malone with uh what you've been going through. Uh that said um I want to start my statement
with we haven't come this far to only come this far. The reason why our our numbers are down in our um in our community is because we've done our due diligence. We've done what we had to. We closed our schools just like everyone
else did and we maintained um that uh that diligence. So I think our hybrid plan is a decent hybrid plan. Um, I think that live
streaming would make it even better, but I don't think that any hybrid plan is a good plan. The reason for getting kids back to school for socialization, 10 room,
uh, uh, 10 person classroom, maybe not with their friends, they're not going to see their friends. They're not having lunch with their friends. They're not socializing with their friends. They're not having the same kind of interaction with their teachers. I believe that the
only safe way to get our kids back to school at this point in time to get as best an education as they can is to be a fully remote program. And once we get to the metric which I believe is a vaccine
but um obviously there are different metrics for that um then we can go back full. So my feeling is that the that the hybrid hybrid model we can transition
that way. That's what what um you know all the metrics say to do. But I believe the best way is just go back full because hybrid will not be the kind of experience that our kids uh and parents
will be looking for. And and the last thing is that remote will not be what it was in the spring. Um there will be much more robust uh learning going on during the remote uh
the remote teaching. Thank you. >> L Q Mr. Quinty >> mute. >> You're muted, Jim. >> How's that? >> Much better. Thank you. >> All right. Oh, I'm an engineer. I kind of, you know, this is where I would
prefer to be an oligarch probably. When I I take a look at the numbers around, I think the communities in Aaron Shirley have done a superior job getting their hands around this. Everybody's has adjusted their behaviors and we're seeing the numbers. When I went on to
the state website, if you take a look around us in the last two weeks, new cases air four, Shirley one, Bolton one, Littleton 3, Townsen 2, Grton zero,
Harvard zero, Stow 1, Ashby zero, Aspirham 2, Westminster zero, Baldwinville, Berneston zero. People in this part of the state, you know, people are looking at state metrics. I'm looking at northern Middle Sex County
and people here have done the work, you know, and safety is kind of an artificial construct. We can't play loose with it, but we have to play smart. I think with three-foot spacing, we could go back full. But clearly,
after looking at the results of the surveys and hearing the discussion, I know the votes clearly are not here for going back full time. I understand that. So I think we have to absolutely have to start with someone in the building. The
initial the half-day format that we're looking to hear does allow contact between the teacher and the student. And the one thing I do like about it is that you get the student in the morning in person and in the afternoon they get to carry through. So you get some sort of
continuity with the teacher itself. And I think that part of it is important. I would be fine if they went to just two full days. I think half days. I understand how difficult that's going to be for all the parents trying to work
that schedule out. And I'm hoping that if things go well over the first couple of weeks that we'll be able to move to full days. Um the teachers, this is going to be kind of splintered, but the teachers working from home on Wednesdays, I would consider that a
decision to the superintendent. that's a day-to-day thing that wouldn't involve me. And if the 10 days of PD go well uh that they're planning to have before we open the schools and things work well, then I don't see why that wouldn't be possible. But we'll wait and see how
that works out. Um we have to think I'm most concerned with the mental health and socialization. You have to think more like an adult. I mean we and adults in at large are comfortable studying at home. We've all done our
college allnighters by oursel. Um, kids want to be around. Not every kid is going to be as motivated, especially in the early grades. And just to be able to get them out of their house in into the schools means a great deal to me. We
clearly have some work to do on whether it's going to be policywise or in the student handbook over what masks are going to be allowed. that's going to happen before we open the schools. Um, and I think the um I I would press the
regardless of how we open that I believe the athletic camps should all open right after Labor Day. I think with the it's all outside work. I think with the numbers in Northern Middle Sex County is certainly safe. I don't know what MIAA
is going to do, but I think we should be out there training. And if our athletic director has to schedule a couple of friendlies to keep kids moving and engaged, I'm all for that. Any other clubs that can meet after school, I would certainly be in favor of that.
Whatever decision we come here tonight, when we finally close off, everyone's going to feel like they got punched in the stomach. But when we finally leave, for us to move forward to a full day full-time program, we are going to have to maintain as the two communities that
Aaron Shirley the discipline that we have already shown. There's no COVID generator in the school. The school is a predator a uh is a spreader. But if we keep doing what we've been able to do since April and May, it will certainly
accelerate our decision to move forward to full-time in person. Thank you, >> M. Simmons. >> I um I I think I've I feel like I've been punched in the stomach every day for the past week.
Um, so I I agree with um Miss Granger that this is probably been the most difficult um process and I really thank Dr. Malone
and the rest of um the administration that's been working on this. This has not been easy. I I think we can all say we're in agreement about some things. We miss kids being in school. I am an
educator myself. Um so I I wear a couple of different hats. I'm also a parent. Um we all want kids to be in school. Um as parents, we want to send our kids to school. Um we miss the excitement of the beginning of school. Nothing about this
feels good. Um what I know through this process is that um people are re really afraid of the unknown and what's logical in that fear can change from one moment to the next.
We have all felt it ourselves going through this and certainly all the parents and the staff do. My husband off often uses this phrase um he he says perception is king. Um so if you
perceive that you are at risk then you're at risk because your perception is what rules. Um what I also know is that people have really sacrificed in a lot of ways that are immeasurable. Um this is especially
true for um the social emotional health of our community, our neighborhoods, and certainly within our own families. Um I also know that people's understanding of the pandemic and their own personal
circumstances around that vary widely. um what one prioritizes is different from what another prioritizes and neither is right and neither is wrong. Um that's what makes this so difficult um because we as a
committee choose um if if we choose one option, it feels really disrespectful to another option or even attack on that option. and we know that there are real people be behind all of the decisions
that we make. Um so, you know, we we look at safety and also meeting the trying to meet the needs of a diverse population. Um we're going to have to make adjustments um to this plan. We have to follow
safety protocols, COVID safety protocols based on um live numbers based on recommendations from the CDC, from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the American Pediatric Association, and certainly from our
regional um board of health while addressing the needs of kids with no perfect solution. Um I have been back and forth on this and everywhere in between. Um
we know that whatever decision we make is not final and can move in various directions um at at any at any time. Um I can almost assure you that this is not
over. um we need to review, discuss, revise plans on um a regular basis. Um what I and when I say I've gone back and forth, I I have gone back and forth and
have been um up very late at night texting and um leaning on on some of the folks that um are right here in front of me on the Zoom. Um, what's really hard
for me about purely remote is that it um that that lack of in-person connection really hurts lowincome kids, minority children, um, kids with
disabilities, and it really um continues to widen that gap between the halves and the haveotss. and that that's because of of what I do for my for my career th those kids are are
who I focus on. Um so that's what makes it really difficult. We all like I said we all want kids to be back in school. I think this sort of slow approach to doing that and really looking at how it actually works in the moment and then
being able to um reconvene and talk about um how you know what is working and what is not working um what is needed and how to make adjustments is is going to be needed. Um we obviously are
going to be meeting a lot and having these discussions off often. Um I I I just want to close by saying that um this is a challenge unlike any of us
have ever seen both professionally and for families. Um and I do want to say that um that I have I have empathy for everyone involved. This is this is
tough. There is no good choice. no perfect choice. Um, and we're just going to have to um try to work together to do the best we can with what we have and um moving forward. So, thank you, Madam
Chair. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. Does anybody wish to add anything? >> Seeing no one. Um the um I think what all of us are feeling is that this is a time of our life that we
never anticipated. I always said that what makes your brain rot is worrying about your kids. It kind of goes to the base of the brain and you can't think of anything else. And we yet we have other things to consider. Health, uh the economy, elections, all kinds of stuff.
And we never expected to have all these at once. Um but we do and I think that we have to think that this is a fluid situation. uh just because we have to let the uh department of education uh
give some kind of plan that doesn't mean that plan isn't going to evolve and change and we can we can have uh the committee will have meetings it looks like just from now maybe once a week and there's always a possibility of
emergency meetings and there is a procedure for that um so at that uh I would entertain any motions that anyone on witz to make to put him open for discussion on the floor. I need a motion and a second, please.
>> Um, so I guess I'll I'll make a motion here in a second. Um, I just did want to respond to that every week meeting. Um, I'm okay personally with doing that. Um, at least for the first, you know, two to six weeks just to understand what's
working, what's not, what we might be able to do to help administration and teachers. Um obviously from our capacity it's sort of limited right we're not the ones in the schools but at the same point um you know whatever we can do is
is I think we need to do that. I think it's sort of our responsibility to hear what's going on um again every week at least for to start. Um so that's was just my comment but um I guess with that
I will um I will make a motion that we um accept Dr. Malone's hybrid plan for as presented this evening start the uh school days uh school with the hybrid plan of and including half days
um with the intent to move to full days and I'll just end it at that with the intent to move to full day hybrid. >> Is there a second? Michelle, you're you're muted. Sorry. Yeah, I'll second it.
>> Okay. Uh on the floor is a motion. Um Jonathan, would you just repeat that more concisely, please, so that everyone >> uh Yeah, that's fine. >> Thank you. >> I make a motion that we accept Dr. Malone's recommendation of starting the
school year uh with the hybrid half-day plan with the intent to move to full day hybrid in the future. >> Okay, the motion has been made and seconded. Does anybody have any questions or comments? >> I guess the only other I have one
choice. Oh, go ahead, Jim. >> I I don't know. Can I go? Um I I'd rather not go backwards and um and that's another point that I wanted to make starting hybrid um things change.
If we look around the country people who have started in school there are there are increased cases of of thing of hybrid I mean of COVID going on. um starting hybrid, having to go
backwards to remote um I think will be more detrimental. I think if we start remote and work our way towards uh going hybrid uh and and eventually hopefully fully fully in um uh I think is a is a
much better plan. >> Joe, I I I just I just want to I appreciate Joe your perspective. Um, I guess my concern is kind of the opposite and I think I I said that um when um I spoke earlier, but I think for us
knowing what we know right now, we know our case counts. We know um how low it is. We know that the weather's going to be good. Um, I worry about um starting remote with the hope to come back um
when we don't know what two months is going to be, especially where we're starting a school year um with kids that don't know their teachers. being able to have that face tof face meet their teacher before they do switch to um a remote model. At least they've had that
that relationship building time so that they can have a face tof face and they're not just starting a school year with a new teacher on a remote platform. Um so I I I completely hear what you're saying and I understand what you're saying. Um, but I feel like knowing what
we know now and knowing the circumstances as they exist and knowing that they're good, um, you know, that that that's kind of why I lean to towards the other model >> and and I find that interesting because it's the data. I agree with the data and
and your assessment. I I just come to a different conclusion and and and um you know and I certainly respect yours but uh right um uh yeah >> yeah I I I think the thing that needs to
be stressed is that we're all on the same side. We all want we all want the same things. We all want to get our kids back to school. We know there's no one-sizefits-all approach to this and and unfortunately we have to make these really difficult decisions that not
everyone is going to be happy with, but we're trying our best and and that's all we can do and and we have to respectfully disagree sometimes even though that's very difficult for me. Um so um I
certainly appreciate your perspective. >> May I say a few more things? It's on the floor for discussion. >> Um, I agree with both. I I agree with everyone. That's what makes this so
hard. Um, because when you look at at at one issue, the the decision is easy, but there's so many things to consider. Um, in a perfect world, every kid would be
completely engaged and committed and all of that remotely if we had this strong program. Um, but my experience is um without the relationship piece that doesn't work.
Um, and that's I just have a different perspective. And so, you know, with all these other safety protocols and keeping the numbers low, um, trying to create
some of those moments of developing relationships in a time when we can have kids outside with teachers and, you know, much smaller numbers. Um because I I I really I really feel like we're
going to end up going remote anyway. When co cold and flu season hits, I don't know how the state is going to manage all of this. Um so I'm I I'm kind of leaning towards um Michelle on this one is that um if we don't if we don't
grab that moment now, we might lose it. And that and that's what I what I am why I'm leaning more towards the um starting this this sort of shortened hybrid program. Anyone else wish to comment or question
or make a and you can repeat again please that this is the important motion and we shouldn't let it lie. >> Right. I Joyce, um I just want to say I know that we're we're going to vote on what we have to submit to Jesse
tomorrow. All right. And I know that we're going to have a number of meetings before school starts, but I think at this point when we have this vote that whatever format that we're electing here is how we're going to start school. So I I I
would feel I unless of course the metrics change with regard to infection rates in the area. That's the wild card. But I'm saying it's like the half day versus the full day program. All that sort of stuff. I would I would think that as we vote tonight that will close
it to allow the families to plan for what the start of their school year would look. They'll have a month to try to set things up. Um, even if there was some movement to move to full day before, I think at this point as we vote tonight, we would say, look, we're going
to vote on this tonight and this is how we're going to start the school year. We're going to evaluate how it goes, and the earliest anything would change would be October 6. That's how I read tonight's vote. How do you feel about that? >> How does everybody What is everybody's
comment on on Jim's comment? I would agree except I wouldn't put the earliest it would change is is October 6th just because that could there could be something uh like we know Labor Day is happening 10 days before
uh school is supposed to open. So I wouldn't say it could change at the I agree with everything except putting a date that the earliest it could change is excuse me October 6th. That's all >> I would agree with that there there needs to be constant monitoring of of
what's going on constant. >> So if I understand um no one that would maybe be a separate motion um or that would be an add-on to the motion and um so that would be a secondary thing. We
could vote on that first if seconded. I I don't think I I I my intent is that it's just a general it's just a general understanding I have that barring some great increase in infection rate that would cause us to do something different. We're not going to change the
road map for this start of school. If the infection rate changes then everything's off the board. But we're at exceedingly low rates now and unless there was a a great great increase in that we wouldn't be changing what we're
doing. >> But I think too it speaks to the point that we as a committee need to set an expectation that we are at least checking in every every week >> to to you know Dr. Mullen to just apprise us what's going on. It it might
be 30 minutes and I'm sorry Dr. and I'm taking 30 minutes another 30 minutes out of your day during these busy times. But um I think that's just you know so we can plan so that we're not trying to go too long without being updated. So
that's all >> I I would also just say to that, Jonathan, for convenience sake um that if we are going to do those check-ins, we might want to um continue to do them um via Zoom just as a quick check-in um
in the convenience that that Dr. Malone and other administrators, if we need to do them at night, could be at home to do that and and wouldn't have to have an in-person meeting. our other school committee meetings. If we're moving to an in-person model, of course, that's that's a different story. But these these meetings that we're
designing just for check-ins, um I would suggest maybe we do it by Zoom for convenience. >> Well, and I think we're getting such a good participation by Zoom. Um we've never had anything like this before. We've never had this much um feeling
before on anything that we've ever done. And um Zoom allows people to be in on it. So, I know our next meeting on August 19th um is set up for Zoom already and we can we can make a decision from there as to what we think we need to do. Originally, we had said
we were going to be in person beginning of August. Well, that didn't happen. Um so, uh but that was a couple months ago too when we when we considered that. Um anybody else? So, the motion on the floor and it's been made and seconded.
Is there any more discussion or questions when people and do we want to um make um Jim's uh do we want Jim uh Jonathan do you want to incorporate Jim's suggestion of October? I'm sorry I just lost the date went on my head.
>> No, I don't I don't want to have any dates in the motion. >> Okay. >> I just want to set the expectation with the committee that this is what we're going to do. I don't think it needs to be formally part of the motion because it doesn't have anything to do with the plan. I think it's just
important that we set expectations here and that we set with our audience that yes, we are going to meet every week for a checkin. And and again, it can be 30 minutes or it can be three hours, whatever it needs to be, but you need to be able to dare I say pivot very
quickly. And I don't want to go two weeks. I I feel like two weeks is too long. I mean, I know we can schedule emergency meetings, but I think a week is appropriate right now. >> And and I understand what you just said that you think that we should be meeting
every week. >> Yes. >> So that we keep totally updated and ready to go. >> And I'd like to add that that if our kids are back at school and our teachers are back at school, then our meetings
should be live in person. Yes, we >> should we should um we should certainly be uh walking the walk. If we're if we're saying safe for our kids to be back at school, then we should certainly be meeting in person.
>> Agreed. >> I think that's >> absolutely >> I think that's an agreement. I think everybody is a little um restrained by these Zoom meetings. There really can be difficult and being in person is what we need to do. Um but we can cross that
bridge and it really doesn't have anything to do with the motion that's on the floor. Uh so if I hear any um um changes or additions to the motion um then um and we can do some of those
again and later also um I would ask for a vote. So Michelle Town if you would call the role please and I would restrain from voting as the chair. >> Mr. DeForge
>> I >> Mrs. Granger >> I >> Mr. Leone >> no. >> Mr. Quinty I m >> Mrs. Simmons I
>> Mrs. >> I I would voting as the chair. >> Okay. >> Um and I would thank everybody um for everything that they've worried about and agonized over as we all have and this is an ongoing world that we live
in. Um, so we will turn that uh decision into the state uh tomorrow by the deadline and our next meeting is going to be uh Wednesday the 19th. Is there any other topics that need to come before discussion?
>> Hi, can I just jump in? Sorry, Joyce. I just noticed this in the chat and um hopefully maybe uh we can take this offline but um for these future meetings can we continue to look at putting them on Zoom in this webinar format? Um it
seemed to work well. >> We can always live stream them. Is that right, Mr. TBO? >> Yeah, that's correct. Um we've actually thought about that already. um getting the equipment to live stream that in the LGI. >> Awesome.
>> Good. Good. So, um there's there's silk lines linings in this super clean schools with great with great air conditioning, air air quality, and all kinds of wonderful stuff. They're going to come out of this, but it would be painful in the meantime. Uh is there any other topics to come before the
discussion not reasonably anticipated in 48 hours? And are there any communications for the committee tonight? You're looking like you want to say something. >> Oh, you're on mute.
>> Sorry. Should just leave it unmuted. But um I just was wondering if maybe Dr. Malone could speak to what the next steps will be as far as our school community and um how notification will go out, what the process will be for parents um to decide whether they're
going to um opt for the hybrid or a remote option um just so because we do have some um a significant amount of um people that are that are here that maybe that will be helpful. I know you did announce um a Zoom meeting with parents,
but if you could just elaborate Sure. Thank you. Are >> you prepared to do that, Dr. Malone? >> I I can give a brief overview. So, um the the blueprint that I mentioned um I'll be uploading to the Department of Education and um we will get it out to
the public uh uh tomorrow probably. And um so I'd like uh the faculty and uh the parents to review it before our meetings on Monday. Uh and uh early next week uh the first step will be to um ask parents
to commit uh to either the hybrid model or the remote model. And uh so we'll be uh sending out um it would be a survey or a form I would say a form uh to indicate to them. And then we can look at uh the number of students that will be attending uh versus the number of
students that are going to be in the remote program. And um once we have that information and the principles can um do their own analysis for their buildings um and then at some uh point I know parents anxious to hear what cohorts their students are in and uh that will
be I will talk to the principles and in and their timeline for managing that information getting out to parents. Uh but I I um you know I'm always available by email. I I will uh be the first to uh I have not been getting back to emails and you
know the discussion board. Hopefully a lot of the questions were answered here. We just uh we've just been um really um you know working on trying to get a plan that would meet the needs and the feedback uh has been very challenging and I appreciate all the parents that
participated tonight and guardians and comments. um in the public participation and thank you to the school committee. I know uh that you know it's been this is this is tough. This is really hard. It's been hard since March 13th and um I hope
that uh another pandemic is not around for another hundred years because those that have to live through it uh personally and professionally uh it certainly has had uh its challenges and but as I stated at the beginning of the meeting you know looking at different ways of
teaching and different models um you know I think it's um it gives us pause to think about how we reinvent education and how we innovate and create in ear surely and and what are the ideas of the teachers and meeting the needs of the teachers. I think it might be an
opportunity um you know to change maybe what you know Mr. Leone mentioned uh live streaming um you know teachers teaching remotely there are teachers that that love it and and kids love it and I I think uh if we get to offer
students more variation models I think um we'll strengthen our school system. So thank you. I hope that answers the questions. I know it's not that specific, but um we do have I have a plan and uh we will be communicating such and I just wanted to give the parents an opportunity uh a lot of these questions that are in the chat uh for
the team here in the district to answer those questions and respond to parents um you know this way rather than through emails or on discussion boards. So thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you Dr. Malone. Um is anything else to come before the committee tonight?
Uh Joyce, just as a matter of housekeeping, um you should probably announce that the motion did pass there. >> Oh, I'm sorry. I think you're quite right, Jonathan. Excuse me. I'm just getting carrying
carrying forward, I guess. Um so, um the motion did pass um by by a majority. Um, thank you everyone for all your commitment and um, knowing that as the school committee our first concern are the kids and the students and their
safety and welfare and I think we've everyone has done due diligence and tried to arrive at the best they could best they could. So, thank you all for all your work. Um, and is there anything else that someone would like to bring up that was very good thing to add,
Michelle? Is there a motion to adjurnn? >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> Uh would you call the role please? Miss town. >> Mr. DeForge. >> It says clarification that was at 944.
Uh here. Uh yes. I >> I didn't want to say anything because my watch is wrong. >> Mrs. Gr Mrs. Granger. >> Actually, it's 43. Um I >> Mr. Leone.
>> Hi >> Mr. Quinty. >> Hi >> Mrs. Reishoots. >> Hi >> Mrs. Simmons. >> Hi. We are adjourned at 9:43.