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Halifax BOS interviews candidates for new ACO

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Aug. 11 for their regular, bi-weekly meeting. The  in-person meeting was limited per state orders to 12 participants at a time in the room making it necessary for someone to elect to step outside at certain points when the meeting attendance was over the threshold. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig also had to ask that everyone to put on their masks once there were 11 or more individuals in the Great Room. For meetings with 26 or more participants, the town will need to either do it entirely over Zoom or attempt to do a hybrid of in-person and Zoom. Seelig acknowledged that it is difficult for people to be recognized over Zoom if wishing to speak. Seelig asked the Board’s permission to obtain quotes to purchase wireless microphones to help in the process.

Animal Control Officer Interviews

The Board had several appointments for candidates for animal control officer. Amanda Feighery, who was born and raised in Halifax, said she has a great deal of experience in wildlife management. Selectman Troy Garron asked, “I understand you said you’ve dealt with aggressive dogs, but how would you deal with the people who are just as vicious as the dogs?” Feighery cited past jobs where she worked customer service as well as managerial experience. Police Chief Joao Chaves asked about her scheduling flexibility as the position requires attending the academy. Feighery said she had a great deal of flexibility.

Kaitlyn Grispi was next to interview for the position. Grispi said she has been around animals her whole life and told the Board that her parents bred and showed dogs. In addition to horseback riding she said she has also owned and bred pigs.  Like Feighery she said she had flexibility with her schedule and wouldn’t have an issue attending the academy. Michael Sampson followed Grispi. Sampson said that while he didn’t have any experience with animal control, he did have experience in policing.

Laura Howe was the final applicant to interview. Howe is currently serving as the animal control officer in Whitman. She said she also assists on calls in Hanson, Abington, and Halifax. She brought up the possibility of having it be a regional position.

“I don’t do anything for the money, this town, that town, all the towns together don’t pay me enough to do the job, I do it because I love the job and I want to be the best help I can be,” Howe explained.

“Joe and I do mutual aid for free, it’s part of what animal control officers do,” she added referring to Abington’s ACO Joseph Kenney. Howe said she has already graduated the academy. She also told the Board that residents of Halifax requested that she come and interview for the position. “Clearly you have the credentials and I don’t want to take up too much of your time,” Selectmen Chairman Tom Millias told Howe.

Beautification Committee Appointments

Adrian Barclay and Michelle Barclay met with the selectmen to be appointed to the Beautification Committee. “We appreciate you stepping forward,” Millias said. Kristen Lofstrom was also scheduled to be appointed to the committee but was unable to attend the selectmen’s meeting. Since Lofstrom came with the recommendation of the Chair of the Beautification Committee, the selectmen voted to approve the appointment of all three.

Eagle Scout Project

Richie Green met with the Board to discuss his Eagle Scout project which he plans to complete before the winter. Green plans to create signage for the cemetery including a directory. “I think this is a great project, especially in a town that’s had so many great projects, it’s getting harder to come up with them,” Millias joked of the many successful Eagle Scouts’ projects over the years. “This is a good one,” Andrews concurred. Andrews asked if Green could also share the map with the selectmen electronically so that it could also be shared online. Green said he could.

Garron complimented the Eagle Scouts for their efforts to better the town. The Board voted to allow Green to move forward with his project.

Complete Streets Program

Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward and a representative from Green Seal also attended the meeting to speak with the Board about the state’s Complete Streets Funding Program. Green Seal is the engineering firm that Hayward has been using on several projects over the years.

The program, as explained by Green Seal, could fund the prioritization of projects in town. Green Seal would work with the town to hopefully be awarded up to $400,000 in grant money available for construction, but not design costs.

Town Meeting/Election

Town meeting was once again recessed, this time to Saturday, Sept. 12 at 9 a.m. Seelig said that after speaking with the Finance Committee, the intent is to try everything possible to hold that date. Seelig said that the September date would allow them to have a tax rate hearing and avoid sending out estimated bills to residents. The Board discussed the pros and cons of various locations for town meeting as well.

Seelig asked the Board if they had any questions regarding the list of the town’s election workers. “The list is getting smaller and smaller,” Selectman Gordon Andrews commented. Seelig said that he recognized that there was a shortage of election workers nationwide as many elderly and other high-risk individuals that typically volunteered for the work, were not this year due to COVID. Seelig said, however, that Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor felt satisfied with the number of workers she had.

Officer Commendations

Seelig read a letter from Chief Chaves regarding commendations for Sergeant Patrick Sterling, Officer Patrick DeRoo, and Officer Andrew Lyczynski. The three officers responded to a call on July 31 indicating that a male was unconscious.

The officers arrived on the scene and found the male in cardiac arrest and immediately began life saving measures. They were able to get a pulse on the patient before fire and EMS personnel arrived and took over life-saving techniques. The patient is recovering.

Chaves said in his letter that according to Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, “Had it not been for the quick actions of the officers at the scene, the patient would not have survived this medical emergency.”

Other News

Seelig said that aerial spraying had taken place in Halifax and that the town is now in the high-risk zone.

He said a second round of spraying may take place to achieve maximum effectiveness.

Seelig also told the Board that Robert Johnson has resigned from the Halifax Elementary School Committee. A new member will need to be appointed until the next election.

Amy Troup alerted the Board to her concerns over non-residents causing problems, including violent confrontations, on Halifax’s beaches.

The selectmen had approved non-resident taxpayers to use the beaches but not nonresident, non-taxpayers.

Seelig said it will really come down to asking the Police Chief if he has the capacity to allot more resources to monitor the areas.

Schools prepare for ‘New Normal’

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After numerous summertime meetings and extensive debate, all four school committees – Halifax, Kingston, Plympton, and Silver Lake Regional – have all made decisions regarding their reopening plans for the fall. All but Plympton have chosen the same hybrid approach and model. Plympton plans to begin with what they are referring to as “a phased-in hybrid approach” where most students will begin remotely at least for the first several weeks.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) required school districts to submit a preliminary plan for full remote, full in-person learning with 3 ft or 6 ft of physical distancing, and a hybrid of the two on July 31. Schools have been told that they need to be able to easily move from one mode to another should circumstances necessitate a change.

DESE has released an abundance of oft-changing guidance regarding reopening. It should be noted that school districts can elect to enact policies with stricter safety requirements than what is found in DESE’s guidance but cannot mandate anything less stringent.

Included amongst the state’s guidance is a mandatory minimum of 3 feet of physical distancing between occupants wearing masks with 6 feet being preferred. There is no maximum number of students per class as it will depend on the size of the rooms. The school can fit as many students as space will allow while still meeting the selected distancing requirement. While DESE has allowed for 3 ft (from seat edge to seat edge) when wearing masks and facing the same direction, many districts have elected to insist upon a minimum of 6 ft while still others have gone with something in between such as 4 ½ feet. Students and staff are required to maintain 6 ft of distance whenever masks cannot be worn such as lunch periods or breaks. DESE’s guidelines state a “preference” for students not wearing masks to not face one another.

Per the state’s guidelines, masks or face coverings are required for Grades 2 and up and strongly encouraged for those in preschool, kindergarten, and Grade 1. Masks must be worn on school buses regardless of age. Some districts, such as Whitman-Hanson, are requiring masks be worn even at the preschool, kindergarten, and Grade 1 levels. Exceptions must be made for those who are unable to wear a mask due to health or safety factors.

Under DESE’s guidance, schools are required to provide a remote option for students who cannot or choose not to attend school in-person. A frequent refrain heard during many meetings this summer has been that the remote education that will be offered this coming school year will not be the same remote education that was offered in spring. Amongst other changes, the state has required that attendance and participation is tracked and that a policy for issuing grades is employed.

All four school committees in Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton assessed that a full, in-person return to school is not feasible due to operational, fiscal, and safety constraints. The schools don’t have the space or staff necessary to bring all students back in person while also adhering to the physical distancing requirements. Additionally, there isn’t enough money in the budgets to be able to hire more staff to accommodate the smaller class sizes even if the space was available.

Another factor preventing a full, in-person return to school is transportation. With current physical distancing requirements, buses are limited to one-third of their usual capacity. Silver Lake investigated the cost of adding either additional bus runs or additional buses and found them to be prohibitive. Additionally, bus runs are an average of an hour long so additional bus runs could potentially mean needing to negotiate an extended school day. Even with the hybrid approach, the school will need as many caregivers as are able to transport their students to and from school. Windows and roof hatches will be kept open to the extent possible to increase ventilation. Only students from the same households will be allowed to sit together on a bench.

The hybrid approach that will be employed at Halifax Elementary, Kingston Elementary, Silver Lake Regional Middle School, and Silver Lake Regional High School will be a combination of in-person learning at 6 ft two days a week and remote learning 3 days a week for most students. There will be four cohorts of students. Cohorts A and B will attend school on opposite schedules. Cohort A will attend school in-person on Monday and Tuesday and be remote on Wednesday through Friday. Cohort B will be remote Monday through Wednesday and attend school in person on Thursday and Friday. Cohort C will be those students electing for 100 percent remote education. Cohort D will include high needs learners that will attend school in person four days a week. Not all students on an IEP will qualify for Cohort D. Qualifying for Cohort D does not mean you will have to attend school in-person all four days (or even at all) but rather that the choice to do so is there. Wednesday will be a remote learning day for all learners.

Under the hybrid plan, core subject areas will be prioritized for in-person learning as will some AP and CTE programs. Wellness, art, music, and other electives will likely be offered remotely.

In several of the school committee meetings, members have inquired as to whether Cohorts A and B will have contact with Cohort D during their in-person days and were told that they would. This was of concern to some as it reduces the benefits of the hybrid model to just the literal physical distancing that can be achieved through smaller class sizes while failing to eliminate possible cross contamination amongst cohorts.

All public schools in Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton are implementing facilities changes to improve safety. Efforts are being taken to minimize the use of recirculated air. No classrooms will be used that do not have working windows and adequate HVAC. Heightened cleaning and disinfecting, particularly of high touch areas, will be implemented. All schools will now be equipped with hospital-grade electrostatic sprayers as well.

Despite the best laid plans, everything is always subject to change as circumstances surrounding the pandemic change. The state also holds the authority to mandate full remote learning at any time.

Town Clerk preps for primary

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Plympton Town Clerk Tricia Detterman is getting ready for the Sept. 1 State Primary Election.  Polls at the Town House, 5 Palmer Rd., Plympton, will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Vote Early, in-Person, on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.   This is also the last day to register to vote.  Also vote on Sunday, Aug. 23, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, and Monday, Aug. 24 through Thursday, Aug. 27, from 9 a.m to 2 p.m.

“Know before you Go!”  Detterman advises residents to save time and aggravation by asking these few questions:

• Am I a registered voter & what is my party enrollment?

The deadline to register to vote or change your party affiliation for the State Primary Election is Saturday, August 22. You may register to vote or change your party enrollment online at: www.registertovotema.com

Unenrolled (independent) voters will need to choose which primary ballot type they want to vote on).  Voters who are registered in a particular party (Democrat, Republican, Green-Rainbow, Libertarian) can get that ballot only.

• Is my voter status “active”?  Check your voter status online.

• What will I be voting on?

Educated voters will reduce the amount of time necessary in the voting booths. View sample ballots at the Town House outside the main entrance. Our commitment to keep voters safe:

• Voting Booths will be cleaned throughout the day

• Unused / sanitized pens will be provided to those who need to borrow one

• Hand sanitizer will be provided at the check-in and check-out. Do not go to the polls if you are sick or have been exposed to someone who is sick prior to election day.

Wear a face covering.  Bring a pen with black or blue ink to mark your ballot.  Bring a clipboard or book to mark your ballot on if you don’t want to use a voting booth.  Bring your identification – in some cases you may be asked to show your ID.

This can be a license, a bill with your name and address on it, and this must match how you are registered.  Don’t touch your face while at the polling location.  Maintain social distancing – keeping six feet away from anyone who is not in your household.

Chief Clancy updates BOS with COVID-19 concerns

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The Monday, Aug. 10, Police Chief Matthew Clancy updated the Plympton Board of Selectmen on the challenges facing the police department. Clancy told selectmen his department was facing a number of challenges both pandemic related and not, some operational and some financial. He told the Board that the court system has been completely upside down for the last few months and that they are just now starting to embrace Zoom. He said delays on their end have had a tremendous impact on the need to hold people longer than normal.

Clancy also said that half the full-time patrol staff in Plympton has recently left. One left for the state police, another for the Mashpee police, and some staff retired. New hires have been made in their stead and he praised the new members of the department. Clancy said that one of the goals for this year was officer professional development but many of these opportunities had all but dried up due to the pandemic. He said they are beginning to be offered once again, this time online.

Clancy also told the Board about a number of improvements including upgrading the portable radios to digital. If not converted, it would soon be difficult for Plympton officers to converse with their neighbors.  The Regional Old Colony Communications Center (ROCCC) did well through their 911 grant which allowed for a number of upgrades that were done without expense to Plympton. The process of replacing a number of workstations and a network server at the police station is in the final stages. Some of this work was supported by the ROCC and some by the town. The fiber connection to the regional dispatch center is up and running. The campus fiber project is also being completed in phases. The townhouse, library, fire station, and police station will all be connected. The phone system is anticipated to be complete by December at the latest.

Clancy also said that the drug disposal program has been a success. The kiosk is located in the police station lobby. Clancy said it is open despite COVID and that if the door is not open residents should use the intercom button.

Clancy addressed the Massachusetts’ police reform bill saying that he wants residents to know that Massachusetts and the northeast have always been progressive and already adhere to many of the reforms in the bill. Even prior to the tragic events in Minneapolis, Clancy said the department had already revised their use of force policy. It has been reviewed yet again. He emphasized that Massachusetts’ officers have never been trained to use chokeholds. The Plympton Police Department has also submitted their first annual use of force analysis to the Board of Selectmen. Officer Daniel Hoffman has been named as the Plympton’s civil rights officer.

Clancy also told the Board that he was happy to hear that the state will be reestablishing the accreditation process. He said that the old process was removed due to budgetary reasons many years ago. He said it was reformed as a non-profit back in the mid-nineties. Regarding the bill, Clancy said, “the main pieces of this are things that we embrace and we have been asking for.”

The Board took up the matter of the potential declaration of a safety zone at the intersection of Main St. and Ring Rd. as well as at Winnetuxet crossing. Plympton voted at town meeting to give the Board of Selectmen the authority to declare a safety zone of 20 mph where they deemed necessary. Selectman Chair Mark Russo described it as an inexpensive way to slow people down, noting the tight economic times we are living under. Selectman John Traynor said he had heard that once implemented, the speed limit of 20 mph could not later be rescinded. Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy said that she didn’t know of anything that would prevent it from being changed later but agreed to verify with town counsel prior to moving forward with the vote to designate the safety zones.

Traynor initiated some conversation about possible reconstruction of the Main St. and Ring Rd. intersection including the difficulties posed by the telephone pole located there. Traynor said that estimates to remove the pole were in the $200,000 range. Russo said that he in no way intends for the safety zone designation to replace a plan for redesign and reconstruction. He referred to it as “…a short-term strategy that in no way excludes a bigger project.” Russo said he had promised that this week’s meeting would not include extensive talk of reconstruction and said it would be put on the agenda for one of the next two Board of Selectmen meetings.

Traynor gave an update on his efforts to reach out to the owner of the North Plympton cemetery. The cemetery is on Route 106 on the Kingston/Plympton line and is considerably overgrown. The owner lives in Olympia, Washington and while the cemetery itself is only about a third or a half of an acre, they own 10-15 acres. There are approximately 60 graves in the cemetery. Traynor said that at one time the Boy Scouts had gone in and cleaned it as part of a project. Traynor said he hopes to reach out to the owner to find out if they would be so inclined as to let the town clean the cemetery grounds. Selectman Christine Joy said she hoped they would consider donating the land to the town.

Russo and Dennehy touched briefly upon protected health information for town employees and officials. The subject came up while waiting for test results. Town counsel was conferred with to establish what the town’s obligations were regarding privacy. Russo said that it is a tricky subject that requires a balance of individual good versus communal good. The town plans to adopt a policy that will put the information into a concise format that will be easily understood.

Chair of the Plympton School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen provided an update on the reopening plan for Dennett and Silver Lake Regional. Both school committees plan to take advantage of the DESE commissioner’s offer of 10 days for professional development that must take place prior to the start of school. This reduces the number of required school days from 180 to 170. As a result, the first day of school for students will be Sept. 16. The Dennett will begin with a phased in hybrid approach. Under this model, the majority of students will begin remotely with the intention to have everyone on the hybrid plan within a few weeks’ time. High needs and the youngest learners will be phased in first. Silver Lake Regional voted to immediately go into the hybrid model.

Wilhelmsen said the schools are currently working with the emergency management team on the health portion of the implementation plan including contact tracing. According to Wilhelmsen, self-reporting is going to be key to keeping the doors open at the Dennett. Wilhelmsen also said that some people view the comprehensive plan consisting of a full in-person model, a full-remote model, and a hybrid model as being three distinct plans but Wilhelmsen said it was actually a single plan that is built to move. “We have to quickly recognize when something isn’t working and adjust course immediately,” he said. Wilhelmsen also pointed out that the Dennett has a lot of advantages compared to other districts with respect to reopening. He said that they plan to leverage those as much as possible. Joy thanked Wilhelmsen for all of his work keeping the parents informed of the reopening plans. Traynor agreed saying, “The strength of the Dennett is that everybody is involved.”

Dennehy addressed rumors she said she had seen circulating regarding the dissolution of the Plympton Council on Aging (COA). Dennehy said this was not true and noted that the Meals on Wheels program is still delivering food to Plympton residents five days a week.  The Council on Aging has also purchased some pop-up tents and tables and chairs with the intent of safely holding some outdoor activities.

Dennehy also mentioned that Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth has a COVID related program that supplies one-time rent assistance to low income households. She said that she plans to share the link on the town website as well as social media as the deadline for rent relief is approaching. Dennehy also notified Council on Aging Director Joy Marble of the program.

Finally, the Board and Dennehy reminded residents that outside activities on town owned land are prohibited by the Board of Health from dusk to dawn due to the threat of EEE.

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 ([email protected]).

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.”