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Halifax hears BOH concerns

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Thursday, August 6 for their bi-weekly meeting with the town’s emergency management officials regarding COVID or other emergency concerns. Halifax Board of Health agent Bob Valery told the Board that there were no suspected or confirmed cases of COVID in town. Valery also told the Board that the message board at the fire station will refer residents to Mass.gov for updates on Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).

According to Valery the CDC is warning about acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a rare but serious neurologic disease with polio-like symptoms occurring most frequently in young children. While AFM cannot be spread person to person the viruses associated with it may be spread by mosquitos or other vectors and is most active during the months of August to November. Selectman Gordon Andrews asked if there was an outbreak in New England was told there was not.

Andrews gave an update on the school’s reopening plan. He explained that per the last survey, 48 percent of parents favored full, in-person learning at three feet. The plan sent to the state was the hybrid model which would see the majority of students attending school in person two days a week and remote three days a week.

Another cohort of high-needs students would attend school in person four days a week. Families can also opt into a full remote option. Selectmen Troy Garron pointed out the difficulties of keeping elementary school aged children facing forward and adhering to social distancing. He said he thought a monitor would be needed in the classrooms in addition to the teacher. Selectman Tom Millias said of the 3 ft distancing if facing forward, “I don’t see that as being enforceable… they’ll be a thousand infractions the first day.”

Andrews told Police Chief Joao Chaves that he believes a detail officer will be necessary during pickup and drop off times at the school. He further explained that given the distancing requirements on the bus, it would cost an extra $400,000 just for Silver Lake to be able to cover the additional buses and/or runs for half the year. With buses at one-third capacity, Andrews also brought up the question of how students would be transported to and from opposing teams’ venues if sports were allowed. Andrews said that as of right now, students are not allowed to drive themselves. “I pretty much think sports are done, for at least the fall and probably all of next year,” Andrews said.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said that he was speaking with Maintenance Director Scott Materna about fogging the town hall more frequently as the number of in-person meetings were increasing. Seelig said that fogging the building would likely need to occur on Tuesdays or Wednesdays given the building schedules.

Garron asked why the building couldn’t be fogged on Fridays when empty. Seelig explained that the fogging was used to kill the virus and if the building sits empty for several days as it would over the weekend, the virus would likely be gone by the time it was being occupied again.

Seelig and the Board discussed the possibility of rearranging meeting schedules to end them earlier to allow for the fogging to occur.

Seelig told the Board that they needed to start to move forward with the process of allocating the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds that are available to the town through Plymouth County. According to Seelig, Halifax has made three submissions to Plymouth County thus far totaling $40,000. The amount spent to date is just a fraction of the $884,000 available to Halifax. Expenditures to be reimbursed through the CARES funds must be spent by December 31. Seelig said that of the requests he had received from departments thus far, he didn’t see any of the items being big ticket items. He said that the requests were too vague and that he would need to go back to departments to specify what exactly was needed. Instead of a request such as signage, Seelig said he would need to know exactly the type and quantity needed. Seelig said that money would likely be available for use by the school system. Andrews asked the Board if they would be in favor of potentially using some of the funds for either additional school staff or additional buses. The Board agreed.

Seelig said that another source of funding is the Massachusetts IT Infrastructure Bond Bill. The bill has already been through the legislature and is currently with the governor awaiting his signature. The $185,000 available to Halifax can be used for specific systems. If the costs don’t exceed the available limit, those will be expenditures that don’t have to use any CARES Act funding. Seelig also told the Board that Council on Aging (COA) Director Susan Lawless told him that the Old Colony Elder Services will be giving out grants in the amount of $3,000 to each COA to be used toward activities.

Plympton chooses hybrid model

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The Plympton School Committee voted at its Thursday night Aug. 6 meeting to adopt a hybrid model to open school on September 16.  The first two weeks will be remote learning as teachers, administrators, and transportation services all ease into the new protocols.

More than 160 attended the virtual meeting via ZOOM.

Silver Lake Superintendent Jill Proulx introduced the three plans for opening school required by the Massachusetts Department of Education.  These plans needed to be submitted by Monday, Aug.  10.  They include:

1. In-person learning with new safety requirements: All students return in person; classrooms, schedules, protocols modified to meet health requirements

2.  Hybrid learning: Students learn both in-person and remotely.

3.  Remote learning: All learning takes place remotely.

Proulx told the committee that a survey was sent out to all parents August 2 and out of 3,572 sent, 2010 responded, or 56%.

Respondents in all three towns narrowly favored in-person learning, with the hybrid model a close second. Full remote learning, available to all students, was a distant third.

A new survey, based on the vote at Thursday night’s meeting, has been issued to parents, asking how many will commit to utilizing the remote model for six months and how many will commit to providing transportation for their students for six months.  These numbers are critical because with bus capacity diminished by distancing rules, the administrators need to figure quickly the number of vehicles they will need and how they will be deployed, as well as how best to utilize staff..

Matt Durkee, the new facilities manager, has acquired hospital grade electrostatic sprayers to clean and disinfect the school at least daily, and several times a day for high touch surfaces such as light switches and door handles.

To increase air filtration as much as possible the ventilation system at Dennett Elementary will be adjusted to maximize fresh air and minimize air recirculation.  Indoor spaces without windows and adequate HVAC will not be used for classroom space.

Arrival and dismissal procedures, classroom configuration and physical distancing, meals for students, facility configuration and changes, and training for safety measures including cleaning and disinfecting are all subject to state approval. Student and staff commitment and assignments, are subject to state approval and bargaining, Proulx said.

Proulx told the committee that the Commissioner of Education has agreed to change the school year from 180 days to 170 days, allowing up to 10 days for training purposes with the staff for the new school year.  Proulx said that taking that into consideration, the new school start date will be Sept. 16.

Dennett school principal Peter Veneto explained to the committee and parents attending the ZOOM meeting, how the scheduling would work.  He showed as an example the actual third grade model with 32 students served.

Separated into four cohorts, A and D would be Monday and Tuesday, B and D would be Thursday and Friday.   Cohorts A and D will experience remote learning on Thursday and Friday, as B and D will experience remote learning on Monday and Tuesday.  Wednesdays will be for professional development, specialists and interventionists, (SPED, reading, math interventions, Title I) will be remote learning.  Office hours will be made available as well.

School committee member Jason Fraser congratulated Veneto, “I think the plan you’ve laid out for us is beautiful.”   He wanted to be sure that the plan submitted to DESI will specify the 6 foot distance rule.

Committee member Daniel Cadogan  pointed out that the 3 feet distancing rule for him is a “non-starter”.  “I’m not willing to compromise,” he said, “just to get my child back into school.”

Amy Hempel asked “What about the smaller classes, under 15, could they go back to a 4 day a week school?   Veneto answered that in theory, yes, but it would also impact transportation.

Hempel asked, what about cafeteria?  Could kids eat in the classrooms?  Veneto said that while scheduling lunches was a challenge, having kids eat in classrooms would present its own challenges.

Chairman Jon Wilhelmsen answered that this plan is fluid, and will need to change as circumstances change.  “As a school committee, we are committed to making this work.”

Dan Cadogan asked  “if we will run into problems” with the six feet distancing with any of the classes.   Veneto said no.

“Our job here is not to open schools, but to open them in the best way that we will stay open,” Fraser commented.   He noted that numbers of COVID-19 cases are very low at the Dennett.  “But if those numbers creep up, we won’t have a decision to make today – those [decisions] will be made for us.”

Amy Varnum asked what the protocol would be to protect students and staff should a student or staff member test positive.  Wilhelmsen answered that these steps are being considered, “at a very high level”.  There will be clear, standard protocols to deal with the situation, he said.

Fraser responded that DESE gave the committee 19 pages of guidance to respond to various scenarios with regard to COVID-19 but said that the committee would have the choice to tailor the recommendations to each local situation.

Varnum said she woud like to hear more from the school nurses to get their input.

Superintendent Jill Proulx responded that prior to school closure, the administration met with school nurses to get their input on how to meet student needs and best deliver training for staff and developmentally appropriate training for students.  There were nurse representatives in both elementary and secondary working groups and features of their recommendations will be worked into their implementation plan.

Scott Devonshire shared his concern that with the complexity of the hybrid model and with some kids choosing to be totally remote, how does the [hybrid model] serve  those students?  “My fear is that some kids who are totally remote become home schooled.”

Jill Proulx responded that remote learning will be scheduled.  In addition there will be staff assigned to those specific times to support students’ learning.  “There will be attendance expectations and there will be grading expectations.”  We have the support of our school committee, she continued, to consider a new learning mentored platform – Schoology – to help some of the younger students who do not have email to communicate effectively with their teachers.  It also is a content platform.

Devonshire said he wanted to be sure fully remote students would not be overlooked.

Proulx said she was trying to devote staff to completely remote learning.  Some students will have the same teacher, much like in-person learning, throughout.

Fraser told Devonshire that the school committee voted to have all of the classes, including remote learning classes, taught by Dennett teachers.  Once the principal has the count for remote learners, he will be able to make the staff assignments.

As to the question of COVID-19 testing, Proulx responded that there has been no decision from DESE regarding testing, but that doesn’t mean that this won’t change.

Fraser, in an attempt to dispel rumors that school funding and school sports programs will be negatively affected by remote school opening, said that MIAA is not governed by the state.  Also, that a bill to hold back school funding to those schools that open remotely may be in congress, but “That bill won’t pass.  It has nothing to do with us.”

Fraser made the motion to accept the hybrid model as the Plympton entry with a phased-in approach as discussed.  With the understanding that Plympton will maintain 6 feet of distance, masks for each student if medically able, and not to consider full in-person schooling until Massachusetts reaches Phase 4.

Amy Hempel was the only dissenting vote from the committee, although she did not say why at the meeting.

The board also voted unanimously to approve the school calendar as presented, with a start date of Sept. 16 for students, and the understanding that the calendar may change as needed as situations present. It passed unanimously.

Proulx said the administration will send a letter to parents detailing of the opening of school as voted by the committee.

Ann Walker, fourth grade teacher at the Dennett, told the board that she truly appreciates the efforts the administration and board has taken to make returning to school safe for the students and staff.

“We will do what we can to make this unique situation the best for our students, no matter how this develops… This is the first day of school for all of us.”

Plympton’s Dennett parents ZOOM

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On Monday, August 3, Plympton School Committee chair Jon Wilhelmsen hosted an informal, virtual question and answer session regarding the reopening of school at Dennett Elementary. This was not a school committee meeting. Wilhelmsen told the fifty plus parents and teachers assembled that comments made were his own and not those of the school committee unless otherwise specified. Dennett principal Peter Veneto was also in attendance.

Wilhelmsen began by giving a quick overview of the preliminary plan submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) last Friday, July 31. Per DESE’s request, the plan consisted of a model for remote learning, a model for full in-person learning, and a model that was a hybrid of the two. The final, comprehensive plan will need to be sent to DESE by August 10. The separate school committees will need to vote to approve the plan prior to that date. Each committee will vote independent from one another, meaning Halifax Elementary, Kingston Elementary, Plympton Elementary, and Silver Lake Regional could all choose different models.

Wilhelmsen emphasized that the remote learning plan will be the cornerstone of whatever model is selected and noted that it will not look like what he referred to as the “crisis education” that occurred during the spring. He also said that all three plans must follow a consistent schedule as it is vital that they retain the ability to move from one mode to another as seamlessly as possible. The school committee had decided against any in-person plan that would involve 3 feet of social distancing instead insisting upon 6 feet until Massachusetts enters Phase 4. “I don’t think three feet is safe; I don’t think that we want to take that risk,” Wilhelmsen explained. Buses will only be at 32 percent capacity and additional bus runs will be prohibitively expensive. If in-person learning resumes, new protocols for pick-up and drop-off will have to be established.

Parents and teachers were then allowed to ask questions. Someone asked why the committee would elect to delay implementing a hybrid plan in favor of beginning school remotely. Wilhelmsen said that the school committee is fully in support of getting students back in person but noted, “we want to do this thoughtfully, we want to do this carefully, and we want to do this right.” Even if school begins remotely, it does not necessarily mean that all children will be at home. There may be a possibility to bring children with high needs into school or perhaps the kindergarteners who could benefit from in-person initiation into school. Of the kindergarten class, Veneto said that one benefit for them would be that they don’t know anything else so the changes may not seem as unfamiliar to them.

There were a number of questions regarding remote learning including if there will be a specific learning management system (LMS) used. Wilhelmsen said they will be using Schoology which he noted was superior to Google Meet which was used in the spring. He said they were still figuring out how to get everyone trained on the new LMS. Wilhelmsen said that while they do anticipate some supply chain issues, they have already been purchasing additional chromebooks for student and staff use. Wilhelmsen and Veneto said they have done their best to stay ahead of technology needs in order to ensure that teachers have the tools they need. Another parent asked what happens if they have a hard time getting their children to cooperate remotely. Wilhelmsen said that there will need to be a lot more communication between parents, teachers, and students in order to help with that. He also assured parents that there will be more engaging content than in the spring.

Another parent asked, “If we go to a fully remote model, will all learning be synchronous or will there by asynchronous instruction for working parents?” Wilhelmsen and Veneto confirmed that any learning plan that involves remote education will involve both synchronous and asynchronous learning. Also asked, “If a family decides to go full remote, will they still be part of the Dennett community or doing some off the shelf program state-wide?” They were assured that they will still be part of the Dennett community.

Several other questions were asked regarding the hybrid model. Any hybrid model selected will involve multiple cohorts of students. Cohorts A and B would attend school on alternating schedules with Wednesday remaining a fully remote day for all students. Cohort C would be those electing to be fully remote and Cohort D would be students designated high needs who would be eligible to attend school 4 days a week. Wilhelmsen said, “To the best of our ability, our goal is to keep children in the same family in the same cohorts.” One parent asked, “Wondering if you have a child on a 504/IEP that goes 4 days as cohort D, do siblings stay with them in the same cohort even if not 504/IEP?” Wilhelmsen admitted to not having thought of this scenario and said it would be explored.

Asked about how pull out services will be handled, Veneto responded, “we will be handling this and we will be doing it in a safe manner.” Yet another question, “If the students on IEPs are grouped together how will you ensure a Least Restrictive Environment for them?” Wilhelmsen and Veneto said they don’t yet have a plan for that but said it is being worked out. Another parent inquired, “If we have specific concerns about our own children with disabilities are we able to contact Mr. Veneto?” Veneto was quick to reply, “absolutely.” Wilhelmsen also offered that people were welcome to email him as well regarding any specific concerns (jwilhelmsen@slrsd.org).

Some questions centered around protocols in the event that there is a positive case or exposure within the school. One of those on the call asked, “What is the policy for contact tracing if someone is diagnosed with COVID?” Wilhelmsen affirmed the need to have such a plan saying, “When we’ve written it, we will let you know. We will have one.” Piggybacking on the aforementioned question another person asked if the entire classroom will be quarantined for 14 days should there be a positive case in that class. They also asked if that person had siblings would they quarantine the sibling’s classroom as well. It was confirmed that such decisions would be part of the yet to be fully developed plan.

There were a few other questions including whether or not the option to have outdoor classrooms was being explored. Wilhelmsen and Veneto said that they were looking at the possibility but noted that Plympton had just been moved to a high EEE threat, complicating the efforts to get kids outside more. Those on the call also asked about kindergarten orientation and were told that while there would be some version of one, it would be different than in the past.

Other comments from the public were offers to help. Parent Darcy Kennedy said she runs three childcare centers and offered to provide insight on the removal of items and the relative success of such protocols. Michelle Ruxton said she reviews reopening plans all day long and offered, “what’s one more?” Veneto and Wilhelmsen said they were not shy to accept such help. Still someone else pointed out that Plympton is a small town and asked what parents can do to help get the kids back in school. They asked if volunteering in some capacity such as a bus monitor would be helpful. Wilhelmsen who called the suggestion “awesome” said that the school committee would explore it but did note that they wanted to be careful not to introduce more people into the school setting. Someone said their workplace was utilizing Litum contact tracing badges and asked if it was something the schools could potentially explore. Wilhelmsen said he thought it was unlikely due to the costs associated with it.

Wilhelmsen thanked those on the call for attending and said, “I’m really thrilled to have been able to do this because I don’t necessarily hear from you all the time… thank you for being understanding, I know this isn’t easy.” He also offered to hold another similar session in the future.

Wilhelmsen also told those assembled that since open meeting laws are quite strict regarding social media, if more than one member of the school committee comments on the same post, they are in violation of that law.

He said for that reason, the committee plans to designate a single member to answering questions as they appear on pages such as the Facebook group Friends of the Dennett.

Halifax employees required to quarantine after travel

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Thursday, July 30 for their regular weekly meeting with the town’s public safety officials to discuss COVID or other emergency related items. Health agent Bob Valery said that there had been no new cases of COVID in Halifax telling the Board that he has seen “good discipline” and “lots of compliance” from residents. He did warn about the first confirmed human case of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in the state this year. It occurred in a Middleborough resident. Valery said that residents should be careful that they are following protocols for reducing standing water in their yards.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig told those assembled that the state had voted a three-month budget for August to October. He said normally that would mean a state budget by Halloween but given the election in November he said he believes that is unlikely. “One way or another we’re not going to have a state budget and won’t know our local aid numbers for at least a couple more months,” Seelig explained.

Seelig said that the most likely scenario for Halifax will be an estimated tax bill for the first half of the year on Nov. 1; these will be a duplicate of what residents received in May with the old valuation and the old tax rate for fiscal 2020. Seelig said there would likely be a great deal of confusion over the estimated bills, “we know we’re going to get a lot of feedback because we haven’t done this in decades, but we’re prepared to deal with that.”

“We’re going to have to educate people so they won’t get particularly shocked, even though they will,” selectman chair Tom Millias agreed. Seelig said later in the year residents can expect to have a bill that states what their taxes should have been for fiscal year 2021, how much they were already billed in November, as well as the remaining total. Selectman Gordon Andrews recommended putting the word “estimate” directly on the bills going out in the fall. Seelig said that they will put an explanation of the process directly on the bill as well as publicizing the process in available media forums. The abatement period will be in the spring.

Seelig also addressed Governor Baker’s mandate that Massachusetts residents traveling to states outside of New England, New York, or New Jersey, quarantine themselves for 14 days upon return. A fine of $500 a day will be incurred if residents fail to comply. Another option would be to secure a negative COVID test. “There are a number of exceptions to that but that probably covers ninety-nine percent of it,” Seelig said.

Seelig said that as a subdivision of the state and as an employer, the town of Halifax needs to notify employees of how they will deal with employees returning from states outside of those specified. Seelig said if employees are able to work from home during the two-week quarantine period, that would be fine. Otherwise, they would likely be eligible for a federal COVID leave if they haven’t already used theirs. If already used, however, employees would have to take leave through the town in the form of vacation or sick time. If no leave remains, they will need to be unpaid for those two weeks. Seelig emphasized that no one would be fired as a result of their quarantine.

Seelig further said that the town would have an obligation to report if someone is knowingly violating the mandated quarantine. If someone traveled outside the designated area but claimed not to have traveled anywhere, they could be subject to discipline as they could have potentially endangered others’ safety. If employees choose to get tested upon return, the town will not cover the expense unless the travel was required for work-related purposes. The Board voted unanimously to approve the policy.

The final order of business was an open meeting law complaint that was received the week prior. Seelig told the Board they had two weeks to reply to the complaint. The complaint was filed by Amy Troup on July 23 regarding the June 23 Selectmen’s meeting. Seelig said he had received a letter from chair of the Conservation Commission Gerry Fitzgerald asking that certain actions be taken concerning Troup. Seelig said that he referred to Troup as “her” rather than by name when writing the agenda for that week’s meeting. “It was not meant to be derogatory, uninformative, or anything like that, it was a mishap on my end, and I take full responsibility,” Seelig said. Seelig said that he was in no way denying that an open meeting law violation did occur. He emphasized to the Board that the portion of the June 23 meeting referencing Troup was not a hearing. “I’ve read this twice now, I think it’s an adequate response and I wouldn’t have a problem signing this document,” Millias said. Andrews and selectman Troy Garron agreed.

Halifax parents voice questions and concerns

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The Halifax Elementary School Committee met on Tuesday, August 4 to discuss and vote through the comprehensive plan for reopening. The plan is due to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on August 10. They ended up delaying the vote, however, as they wished to have the results of the most recent survey before voting. Over 150 people were in attendance for the virtual meeting.

President of the Halifax Teacher’s Association, Stephen Ruisi, asked chair Gordon Andrews for permission to address the committee. Ruisi expressed concerns on behalf of the teachers that some members of the school committee had previously expressed a preference for a return to full, in-person learning in the fall. He said that an internal teacher survey conducted this past weekend indicated that not even one teacher was in support of full, in-person learning. He expressed dismay that 3 feet would be considered adequate social distancing in schools.

Daniel Beshers also asked to speak. He referred to a return to full, in-person learning as a naïve choice. Beshers referenced concerns recently shared by Dr. Ashish Jha, the director of the Harvard Global Health Institute regarding the current state of Massachusetts’ COVID response. Jha said, ““They’re heading in the wrong direction… I worry that a lot of people living in the Northeast think that we’re done with the pandemic.” Beshers also referred to students as the most precious members of our community noting that even if they were less likely to get ill from the virus, they could potentially spread it to family members and other members of the community.

Jennifer Carroll also elected to speak saying she was in favor of kids returning to school as much as possible. She called the remote learning that was offered in the spring “awful” and suggested that those that wish to return to in person schooling are allowed to do so while those wishing to stay fully remote are also accommodated. Ryan Adams also offered his thoughts saying that it was, in his opinion, inevitable that COVID comes to Halifax Elementary School. He said that full in-person learning is not the way to go.

Committee member Summer Schmaling also offered her thoughts which can best be summarized as a list of concerns over each of the three possible models. She said that she had responded to every member of the faculty or public that had taken the time to reach out to her and said she admired everyone for advocating for their children.

Andrews asked that during Superintendent Jill Proulx’s presentation, the discussion available in the chat area of the remote call be reserved for discussion of the school committee members. Proulx gave an overview of the preliminary plans submitted to DESE the previous week and shared aspects of the fully in-person plan, the fully remote plan, and the hybrid option. She said that the school committee must approve a comprehensive plan by August 10. That plan would still be subject to bargaining by the union as well as approval from the state. Proulx also noted that the Commissioner of education in Massachusetts has approved the use of 10 days for the safety training of teachers and other staff. This reduces the required number of school days from 180 to 170 days.

The comprehensive, hybrid plan is over 30 pages long and is based on hundreds of pages of guidance from DESE that continues to be issued every couple of days. Halifax Elementary School principal Kayne Beaudry shared a sample schedule. As has been mentioned in previous meetings and articles, the hybrid option would consist of four cohorts. Cohort A would attend school in person on Monday and Tuesday and be remote Wednesday through Friday while Cohort B would be remote Monday through Wednesday and attend school in person on Thursday and Friday.  Cohort C would consist of those choosing to be full-time remote. Cohort D would be those students classified as high needs who would be eligible to attend school 4 days of the week. Wednesdays would be reserved as a fully remote day for all students in order to allow for deep cleaning of the building as well as teacher training. The schedules as shared by Beaudry were identical for both remote and in-person with the only difference being a Google Meet in the place of pickup and drop off. For Grades 4-6 who normally rotate classes, the teachers will rotate instead. Core requirements will be prioritized for in person learning while physical education, art, music, etc. will likely be taught remotely. Beaudry also told everyone that they had enough chromebooks in the district for each student to be guaranteed one.

Committee member Alex Meade inquired if Cohorts A and B would be sharing classroom space with Cohort D. Beaudry confirmed that that was the plan. Meade expressed concern that it seemed to narrow the benefit of the hybrid model as there was more potential for cross contamination amongst cohorts that way. If a positive case was discovered in any of Cohorts A, B, or D, they would all have potential exposure.

Committee member Alison Vance asked both Beaudry as well as assistant principal Brian DeSantes what mode of schooling would be their preference. Beaudry noted that all models have their strengths and weaknesses. “I see a lot of strength in the hybrid model; I think it would be a nice balance,” he said. He said that the remote portion of the plan would be more robust than what was seen in the spring. He also noted that based on social distancing guidelines, the school would need an additional 10 overflow classrooms to accommodate everyone for full time, in-person learning. Beaudry mentioned the lack of social and emotional support found in the fully remote option and said that he believes the hybrid model to the be most comprehensive option. DeSantes agreed with Beaudry’s assessment. Both laughed about their personal experiences with remote learning as they have a combined 7 children between them.

Schmaling asked for clarification that no one would be forced to send their children for in-person learning if their preference was to keep them remote full-time. The administration confirmed that the choice will be given and said they are factoring in 5 percent of the student population that will elect to be remote.

A myriad of other issues were also discussed. Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch said that schools will have plentiful supplies of masks for students and staff though the expectation is that the families will provide them for their children. Andrews asked if Halifax could enforce a policy requiring kindergarten and first grade to wear masks despite DESE saying they were only mandated for those in Grades 2 and above. The administration said that the school could create a policy that was more stringent than what was found in DESE’s language though they couldn’t make one that was less.

Another issue that arose regarding the youngest learners was the possibility of sending kindergarten students to school 4 days a week. While ideal, Lynch said that wouldn’t be practical. “There’s a set amount of in person learning you can execute and if you were to allocate that to kindergarten you would have to minimize it in other places,” he explained.

Despite not being able to answer all the questions asked by the public during Tuesday’s meeting, Andrews said that he didn’t want anyone to feel that they were being ignored. He told them that he had personally spent 60 hours over the last week working on issues pertaining to reopening. He encouraged everyone to reach out to the school committee members and acknowledged that everyone had valid concerns. The committee voted to hold off voting a comprehensive plan until Thursday evening’s meeting.

Region votes for hybrid model

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A three-hour plus virtual Silver Lake Regional School Committee meeting on Wednesday, August 5, had roughly 230 participants including school committee members, administration, staff, and parents. After considerable debate among the committee members, two votes were taken regarding the reopening plan for the fall. Committee member Leslie-Ann McGee moved to approve a hybrid model. Member Eric Crone asked for an amendment to approve a phased-in approach to the hybrid model with an initial two weeks of remote learning to start. Three committee members voted in favor of Crone’s motion – Eric Crone, Laura Tilton, and Mike Antoine. The motion failed. The committee then voted on McGee’s motion which need a majority to pass. It passed with a majority with committee members Laura Tilton, Mike Antoine, and Ed Desharnais voting no. The result was the school committee voting to have Silver Lake Regional High School and Middle School begin the school year in a hybrid model which will employ a mix of in-person and remote learning.

At the outset of the meeting, Jennifer Chaffins spoke on behalf of the SLEA saying that 73 percent of the Silver Lake Regional staff preferred a remote return to school. She told those assembled that 40 percent of Silver Lake staff is either at high risk for coronavirus or lives with someone who is high risk.

Superintendent Jill Proulx gave a presentation on the results of the most recent survey sent to parents and caregivers. Across all schools there were 2,010 responses for a 56 percent response rate and across just the middle and high school there were 899 responses for a 55 percent response rate. For the middle and high school, 45.6 percent of parents were in favor of a return to full in person learning with 3 feet of distancing, 40 percent were in favor of returning to school with 6 feet of distancing, and 14 percent were in favor of full remote learning. Based on a pressure test performed by building principals, a full, in-person return would not be possible with 6 feet of distancing. At the previous school committee meeting, Proulx had recommended the hybrid model to the committee.

High school principal Michaela Gill and middle school principal Jim Dupille presented sample schedules. As was discussed at previous meetings, the preferred hybrid model would consist of Cohorts A and B who would attend school in-person on alternate schedules. Cohort C would be those wishing to opt into a full-remote option and Cohort D would be those students deemed high needs and eligible for 4 in-person days a week. Even if a student is eligible for Cohort D they do not have to attend school in-person all 4 days or even at all. Wednesdays will be a remote day for all students. The basic schedules for hybrid and remote will be identical to ensure as seamless a transition from one mode of learning to another as possible.

Committee member Laura Tilton brought up a concern that had also been raised earlier in the week during a question and answer session for Dennett Elementary parents. Tilton inquired if Cohort D would interact with both Cohorts A and B in some capacity during their in-person stints. The administration confirmed that based on the individual needs, this would occur with at least some of the students. Tilton’s concern was the added cross contamination amongst cohorts.

It was a concern shared by Chaffins who said in the chat portion of the remote call, “I am concerned about the exposure for Cohort D – our most vulnerable students… while they are no doubt the individuals we want to prioritize for education, if they have an inclusion class or any class within the general education setting, they will be exposed to both the Mon/Tues group and the Thurs/Fri group.”

The committee’s opinions were varied. Desharnais and Tilton were strongly in favor of a full remote option. “Something that jumps out at me from Jill’s slides is where it says the remote option is the safest option possible,” Tilton said. She stressed that she would be hesitant to move to a hybrid model without some kind of public health benchmark. Desharnais said, “safety is more important than anyone’s inconvenience.” The preference for a full, remote option seemed to be the prevailing one among the staff who were active in the chat portion of the remote meeting. Those in favor of the remote plan emphasized that the quality of remote learning would be significantly better than what was provided in the spring.

Committee member Christopher Eklund said that he was in favor of giving families choice and pointed out that electing to go full remote took away that choice. Someone in the chat asked if staff would be given the option to elect to be fully remote.

Unfortunately, time prevented most of the staff’s questions and concerns from being addressed. This was upsetting to many of the teachers in attendance and they expressed that in the chat, asking if staff would be given any say. Crone offered to them, “Teachers were on the reopening working groups.  Once we vote our plan, we move on to impact bargaining.”

Eklund said that the state is putting forth a remote learning platform that can be employed by those electing to be remote despite their district’s decision to go with another model. Both Plymouth and Pembroke are planning to ascribe to the state’s remote offering. One version will offer a learning management system only and another option will offer a learning management system with teaching support. Proulx said that the guidance on the plan had only just been released that day.

Both Crone and Antoine were in favor of the phased-in approach. They were advocating for the first two weeks of school to be remote for the majority of students. This, they argued, would allow the staff additional time to further work out their in-person plan as well as allow Silver Lake the opportunity to see how other districts handled the first two weeks of in-person learning.

Under this plan, Crone and Antoine were asking that Cohort D as well as CTE students be prioritized for in-person learning, returning on September 16 while Cohorts A and B start in-person learning in early October.

The majority of the committee was in favor of the hybrid approach as evidenced by the results of the vote. Crone pointed out that while they were voting on the comprehensive plan to be submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on August 10, they were not implementation plans. He pointed out that they are not going to have all the answers until those implementation plans have been established.

Proulx perhaps summed things up the best at nearly 10 pm with the remark, “It’s been a long March.” Committee Chair Paula Hatch thanked everyone for their attendance and “tremendous thoughtfulness.”

160+ attend Silver Lake board meeting

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Over 160 participants joined the virtual Silver Lake Regional School Committee meeting on Wednesday, July 29 to hear the presentation on the preliminary reopening plan that is to be submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on Friday, July 31.

Superintendent Jill Proulx and Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch began by sharing the results of the Parent Intentions Survey for the regional schools. It should be noted that the reopening plans are voted by the separate school committees and therefore the plans for Halifax Elementary, Kingston Elementary, Plympton Elementary and the combined Middle School and High School could all be different. Asked whether they plan to send their students to school in the fall under the current conditions, 61 percent of respondents said yes, 7 percent said no, and 31 percent were undecided. Asked their preferred mode of transportation to and from school, the majority of respondents said they planned to drive or be driven.

The staff was also surveyed with the majority of responses coming from teachers. Sixty of the staff members surveyed said they planned to return in the fall while 38 answered they were undecided and another 6 said no, they would not. Of the three models offered, 45 percent said they preferred remote, 25 percent said they preferred full, in-person, and 28 percent said they would opt for a hybrid model.

Proulx presented the reentry proposal that is to be submitted to DESE Friday. DESE mandated that each district provide a plan for full, in-person learning, full remote learning, as well as a hybrid approach. Proulx said that regardless of the approach chosen, everyone will have the option to choose full remote learning. Both staff and students electing remote will need to sign a commitment for at least half the year as switching between models will not be allowed. Students electing to be fully remote would likely be in separate classes from those receiving some sort of in-person instruction.

Highlights from Proulx’s in-person model include using 6 ft of social distancing wherever possible and DESE’s recommended 3 ft wherever 6 ft is not possible. Safety precautions including signage, both floor decals and signs, would also be included. Proulx also told those assembled that with buses limited to a third of their usual capacity due to distancing mandates, parents wishing to utilize the bus are likely to have to submit a bus commitment each semester.

Proulx presented two potential models for hybrid learning. Each would consist of four cohorts of students. Cohorts A and B would attend school on alternating schedules. Cohort C would be those students electing for full remote learning, and Cohort D would consist of students that qualify as high needs and therefore are eligible for 4 full days of in-person learning a week.

Hybrid Model 1 would have Cohort A attend school in person on Monday and Tuesday with Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday being remote. Cohort B would be remote Monday through Wednesday and in-person on Thursday and Friday. All students would be remote on Wednesdays in both models. This day is intended to be used for disinfecting the buildings as well as professional development for teachers. Hybrid Model 2 would have Cohort A attend school Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday followed by a full week of remote learning. Cohort B would be on the opposite schedule each week. Proulx and Lynch said that early research seemed to indicate a preference for Hybrid Model 1 as it provides more consistency for families.

A focus would be placed on in-person learning of the core requirements in both hybrid models while art, music, and physical education would be held remotely. Also of note, Proulx said that the district will do its best to ensure that siblings are placed in the same cohort to limit scheduling confusion for families.

With a large number of attendees from the public, committee chair Paula Hatch opened the floor to questions regarding the reopening plan. There were some questions as to how the cohorts would be selected. While friendship groups will not be considered, Proulx said there was a possibility that the cohorts would be separated by neighborhood for transportation reasons. Some questions were also asked about chromebooks and participants were told that the goal is for all students to have their own chromebook. While questions were asked about the CTE program, Proulx and High School Principal Michaela Gill told the crowd that those guidelines had just been released from DESE that afternoon and that more information would be forthcoming. Some in the audience had questions about sports but Proulx told them they didn’t expect answers regarding fall sports until sometime in mid-September.

Finally, the committee was asked to vote on the preliminary, non-binding plan to be submitted to DESE. In addition to submitting the plan, DESE requested that districts also indicate which way they are leaning. Proulx said the plan, as written, indicated a leaning toward one of the hybrid models.

Committee member Gordon Andrews was the sole no vote from the committee saying he wouldn’t vote in favor of the plan unless the leaning was changed. Hatch also asked the committee to take a straw poll to indicate their preferred approach to reopening.

Hatch, Andrews, Leslie-Ann McGee, and Chris Eklund were for full in-person. Laura Tilton and Eric Crone were for a hybrid approach. Both Edward Desharnais and Mike Antoine voted to begin school remotely.

Antoine indicated a preference for starting remotely and slowly rolling into a hybrid approach as was voted by the Plympton School Committee earlier that week.

The committee plans to meet again next week to select and vote on a more comprehensive plan that must be submitted to DESE by August 10 and made public.

No good answers at Halifax BOS

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen held their weekly meeting with public safety officials on Wednesday, July 22 to discuss COVID-19 related issues. Much of the meeting was spent discussing the difficulties surrounding reopening of the schools in the fall.

Selectman Gordon Andrews is part of one of the working groups that has been established to brainstorm ideas for reopening the schools. The working groups include teachers, nurses, counselors, etc. Andrews told those assembled that he would like their opinions so that he might take them back to the group.

Andrews said that guidelines regarding distancing on buses allow for only 25 passengers on a 77-person bus or 15 passengers on a 47-person bus. The only exception would be for siblings who could share a seat.

While official feedback from the surveys hadn’t been made available as of the meeting, Andrews said that initial feedback he was hearing was that roughly fifty percent of parents anticipated dropping their children off rather than electing to take the bus.

With only one-third of students potentially being able to be bused to school, there will have to be a significant increase in students that are being dropped off and picked up which could create a bottleneck. Possible suggestions offered at Wednesday’s meeting included changing the location of where the buses drop off and expanding the library parking lot for staff parking to open other areas for parent drop-off.

Board of Health agent Robert Valery met with head custodian Matt Durkee at the Halifax Elementary School to talk about a plan for lunch. “I think it was a good meeting that brought out a lot of good ideas,” Fire Chief Jason Viveiros told the selectmen.

One possibility is to use both the cafeteria and the all-purpose room for lunch. Students would have assigned seats and lunch would likely be brought directly to them. Another possible suggestion was to have someone who sprays sanitizer onto the kids’ hands as they enter the rooms for eating. The plan would be for the first shift of students to eat in one room and the next shift, the other. This would allow for rooms to be disinfected in between shifts.

In addition to transportation and cafeteria plans, those assembled also discussed pros and cons of both COVID testing prior to the start of school and regular temperature checks once school is in session. Viveiros mentioned the invasive nature of the COVID tests, particularly for young children.

Several of those present felt that temperature checks made sense though when to do them and how to ensure privacy were of concern. One suggestion was to check temperatures on the bus though the majority of students would not be able to ride the bus with capacity limited to one-third. Someone suggested doing temperature checks at drop-off while the parents are still present but that would likely complicate an already prolonged process.

Other questions involved how best to handle a situation where a student did produce a high reading. How would that student be removed without an invasion of privacy? Would students that had been in close contact with them also need to be sent home? “There are no good answers to any of this,” Selectman Tom Millias bemoaned.

Perhaps the most difficult question of all was whether schools should even reopen for in person learning. Andrews said that he felt that regardless of whatever decision is made, fifty percent of parents were likely to be unhappy. He said he felt that most people fell into one of two camps – those wishing to return to some sense of normalcy and those concerned with a potential outbreak in the schools.

He admitted to being confused himself saying, “There’s the part of me that says we should go back – we need to deal with it. There’s another part of me that says the logistics are so hard to understand does it make more sense to just plan for remote at this time?”

Valery said he felt that school should begin remotely as it will be difficult, if not impossible, to decipher COVID symptoms in students or teachers from more run of the mill viruses and infections that typically circulate once students are back in school. Both Viveiros and Andrews asked what the protocol would be if a teacher or student tested positive for the virus.

Valery pointed out that decisions would have to wait until test results were received. He also said that steps might depend on the kind and length of contact others had with the infected individual. If that student used the bathroom at some point, the potential for contamination would extend beyond the classroom or bus. “If you have a confirmed case in the school, you should probably be looking at closing down the school for 14 days,” Andrews said.

Andrews told the group that a preschool teacher in his working group pointed out the potential difficulty of trying to teach speech to young children who are not able to see their teachers’ mouths. A stumbling block for remote learning that was also mentioned was that at the time of the first shutdown, both teachers and and students were already familiar with one another. If school were to start remotely, students and teachers will be working with one another without that pre-established connection.

Of reopening, Viveiros said, “I don’t see how all of this could possibly get done.” He went on to say that some states have postponed the opening of schools until October to allow more time to prepare. Millias probably summed it up best saying, “this is just a pure horror show.”

In non-school related news, Valery told the Board that he had been notified that morning of one contact case of COVID in town though it was not confirmed. Valery also updated the Board on some local restaurants plans. Grille 58 planned to open on July 28 with tents setup in a small area outside for outdoor dining. Rodney’s Kitchen also planned to open for outdoor dining.

Plympton votes on school reopening

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The Plympton School Committee began their July 22 meeting by reviewing the results of the Parent Intentions School Re-Entry Survey that had closed that afternoon. Superintendent Jill Proulx and Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch presented the findings for Dennett Elementary. The survey was non-binding and intended only for informational purposes.

Results of Parent Intentions Survey

Response to the parent survey was strong with 122 people answering, accounting for nearly 70 percent of caregivers. When asked if they plan to send their student(s) to school on site and in person in the fall, nearly 65 percent said they were. Only 5.74 percent said no and nearly 30 percent responded they were undecided.

Caregivers were also asked to respond about their intended mode of transportation. Nearly 46 percent said they intended to use bus services, 53 percent said they were going to drive and drop-off, and only one respondent said they planned to bike or walk. With social distancing guidelines, only one-third of students can fit on the buses.

Preferences for the manner in which school will resume were also explored. The majority of respondents chose some version of a hybrid model that includes six feet of social distancing. Options in this category included attending school with six feet of distance on alternating days (14.88 percent), attending school with six feet of distance on alternating weeks (13.22 percent), or attending school with six feet of distance for half days (9.09 percent). The next largest number of participants or 42.15 percent said they would choose in person learning with three feet of distancing. Only 13.22 percent said they preferred fully online learning. Nearly eight percent responded other.

General concerns of in-person learning included safety, health risks, difficulty of wearing a mask, and staffing levels. Concerns with remote learning included the quality of online learning, loss of social interaction, loss of academic content, and the inability to work with children at home.

Results from the Staff Intentions Survey

The staff survey responses were also presented to the committee. Most responses came from teachers with paraprofessionals making up the next largest number of respondents. Based on the current circumstances, 72 percent of staff said that they do plan on returning to school in-person in the fall. Only one person said no and six said they were undecided. Proulx told the committee that most staff preferred returning to school in person, followed by a hybrid model, with fully remote learning coming in last in the survey. Nearly 74 percent of staff surveyed said their greatest concern with in-person teaching was safety. The greatest staff concern with remote learning was being able to effectively engage students online. Regardless of the mode of schooling, staff also shared concern for the social and emotional health of their students.

July 27 Plympton School Committee Meeting

The Plympton School Committee met again on July 27 this time to review and vote on the preliminary reopening plan that is being submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on Friday, July 31. The preliminary plan consists of three plans – one for full time in person learning, one for full time remote learning, and one that is a hybrid of the two. Superintendent Jill Proulx said the plans are a result of the efforts of the elementary and secondary working groups who have met twice to work on devising a safe reopening plan. The working groups are made up of staff, counselors, parents, nurses, association leaders, and even students at the secondary level. Proulx noted that the plans also consider the feedback accumulated from the various surveys that have been conducted. By August 10 districts must finalize their comprehensive plan and release it publicly.

Model One: Full In-Person Learning

Proulx and Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch gave a presentation outlining the three versions of the preliminary plan. All three models will follow a consistent schedule in case the school needs to shift from one mode to another. Proulx said the plan for in person learning would use six feet of social distancing wherever possible while meeting DESE’s requirement for three feet, where six feet is not possible. She also noted that the administration recognizes that there is no substitute for in-person instruction and that school plays an important role in social and emotional learning. Proulx said that under the first plan, an option would remain for those that need to remain remote for either health or safety reasons. Just as will be expected with either the in-person or hybrid plan, safety protocols will include masks, ventilation, handwashing, and signage (including floor stickers to indicate appropriate distancing).

Limited Bus Capacity

With social distancing, buses will be at one-third capacity, with a maximum of 24 students on a 77-passenger bus. Students from the same family may share a seat. The state has recommended bus monitors, something Proulx said is estimated to cost $27,000 per position. During the previous meeting vice chair Jason Fraser, the son of two school bus drivers, said it would be too much to ask the drivers to monitor the students. Of the drivers, Fraser said, “I want to be sure that we’re doing right by them as well.” Concerns over adding additional bus runs to accommodate more students include feasibility as well as financial strain. At the elementary level, the cost of the additional runs would be $5,000 per day or $450,000 over the first 90 days of school.   

Model Two: A Hybrid Approach

Two different versions of the hybrid model were presented as potential options. Both options would include live instruction daily regardless of whether students were in-person or remote on a given day. Proulx said that the Massachusetts Association of Superintendents is leaning toward the hybrid approach. Under the hybrid models there would be four cohorts of students, those that remain fully remote, those that are eligible to attend 4 days a week in person due to high needs, and two cohorts of students who would attend school remotely and in-person on alternating schedules. One schedule calls for the alternating students to attend school for two consecutive days each week and the other calls for those students to alternate on a weekly basis.

Under both plans Wednesday remains a fully remote day which would allow for the disinfecting of the building as well as professional development for staff. In both plans Wednesday afternoons are reserved for synchronous instruction between students and teachers.

Model Three:  Full Remote Learning

Proulx and Lynch also presented the plan for fully remote learning. The model would follow a daily schedule and would consist of both synchronous class meetings and asynchronous learning. The administration said they understand the need for professional development for teachers with respect to not only technology tools but also best practices for remote learning. Social and emotional support would be available. Proulx said that while no formal decisions have been made, Schoology seems to be the favored learning management system.

Once the plan is approved prior to August 10, teacher assignments will need to be made as well as student cohorts established if necessary. The building will also need to be physically prepared. Dennett Elementary School principal Peter Veneto, who will play a large hand in preparing the building, praised head custodian Matt Durkee saying the Dennett is in as good a shape as any school. “It is really nice to have somebody that is as on top of it as he is,” Veneto said. At their previous meeting, bathrooms were discussed as an area of cross contamination. Some studies have shown that coronavirus aerosols from toilets can linger either in the air or on surfaces.  The need for things such as automatic soap dispensers and automatic paper towel holders are being considered. These types of expenses may potentially be reimbursable.

Six Feet Minimum

Following the presentation, the committee reiterated some of their preferences, or non-negotiables, from past meetings. Fraser thanked Proulx, Lynch, and the rest of the administrative team for the level of dialogue they have had with the committee regarding the plans. “I appreciate the level of engagement,” he told them. Fraser went on to say that he understood the need to show plans that include three feet of distancing per DESE’s request but reiterated the committee’s decision that six feet is the minimum acceptable distance for any setting at the Dennett. Fraser said he would only allow for a reduction should Massachusetts move onto Phase 4 during which therapeutics or a vaccine would be available. Newest committee member Daniel Cadogen concurred. Chair Jon Wilhelmsen said, “If we can do six feet plus, we should do that.” Dennett teacher Ann Walker added, “Six feet for a child is three feet, three feet – they’re going to be right on top of each other.” Teacher Christine Marcolini thanked the committee for holding to six feet as an acceptable minimum.

Lunch and Recess

The committee and administration also tackled the complicated issues of lunch and recess in school. Proulx said that many students surveyed cited looking forward to lunch and the corresponding socialization it provides. Veneto said that with the current guidelines lunch would likely look quite “military” with only a few students to a table and all facing the same direction in assigned seating. Everyone at the meeting agreed that children need to have some movement during the school day and cannot be expected to sit for six hours. Fraser said that there is a big push for counting outside play as part of the required learning hours this year since the commissioner is citing students’ social and emotional welfare as a big reason for the push to get kids back in school.

A Remote Start

Fraser shared with the committee his feeling that it would be in the best interest of all involved to start the school year remotely, not necessarily for months but perhaps for several weeks. “We do not need to be the canary in the coal mine for Massachusetts,” he told those assembled. He also told them that years from now no one would remember if they took a few extra weeks to get it right, but they would remember if they rushed and something went wrong. Wilhelmsen agreed saying, “not rushing is not a bad thing.” Committee member Amy Hempel said that as a working parent, the hybrid model was appealing. She said that while nothing was ideal, the schedule with two days in school each week and three at home at least offered a sense of consistency around which her work schedule could be planned. In the end the committee voted to approve the preliminary plan with  the caveat that Plympton will only accept 6 feet of distancing until Massachusetts enters Phase 4. The preference voted upon would be to start the year remotely and slowly roll out a hybrid plan. The committee plans to meet again on August 6 to vote through a more complete plan. At the July 22 meeting, Wilhelmsen stressed the importance of constantly reassessing the school’s plan and making small, incremental changes to reduce risk. The goals of Plympton’s plan to reopen remain providing the highest quality education for students while also providing the highest level of safety for the community.