Superintendent's Welcome Email

Dear Douglas Community and Families,

I would like to take this time to welcome myself officially to each of you on what is my first day as your Superintendent. I will reiterate to you what I said to faculty and staff earlier today and that is I could not be more honored and humbled to have this opportunity. I want to echo that the enormity of this responsibility, especially during this pandemic, is not something that I take lightly. As I stated in all my interviews and meetings to date, and it is something that I believe to my core, is that all students can succeed at a high level and it is my responsibility to provide principals and directors with the support and resources necessary for that to occur. This will guide the work that all of us do for your students; I want to see them succeed.

Over the next few weeks, it is my goal to meet with as many school, town, and community representatives in order to gain a deeper understanding of the district and community. This is important to me in order to fully understand and become integrated with the community. If you see me, please feel free to say hello and introduce yourself; I welcome that!

Last week DESE released guidelines for our re-entry to school in September of 2020. The full document can be found at DESE Reopening Guidance: Fall 2020.  The following are some key components from the guidance:

  • Current medical research supports a safe in-person return to school - with preventive measures in place - as infection and transmission rates are lower for children than adults.

  • Preventive measures include masks/face coverings, physical distancing, hand washing, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.

  • Masks/face coverings will be required for all students in Grade 2 and above and for all adults; they are recommended for students in Grade 1 and below.

  • Based on current medical research, and in conjunction with other preventive measures, a minimum physical distance of 3 feet has been established.

  • The goal is to get all students and staff back in school safely

  • Districts will be asked to submit 3 plans to DESE so that districts can be as prepared as possible for the scenarios that could arise next school year:

    • In school learning

    • Hybrid (in and out of school)

    • All remote learning

  • DESE consulted with a broad number of stakeholders in developing this guidance, including school leaders, public health officials, and doctors

The guidance document certainly provides direction and insight into the medical research behind the decisions, and some of the more significant requirements for a safe reopening in September. There are also dozens of unanswered questions and many operational issues need to be resolved. I am confident more information will be shared by DESE in the weeks ahead. As I get this information I will be sure to pass it along to you.

Even though today is my first official day, we have begun some preliminary work on a plan and I am pleased with our progress. The next step is to create a task force to help me with this plan over the next 6 weeks. This task force is scheduled to meet twice in July; on the 8th and 22nd at 7PM via Zoom. I will send out a link at a later date. We have about 20 representatives from the school district and I would like to have 5 community members participate in this task force. If you are interested please email me. If I have more than 5 people, there will be a lottery for the 5 slots. I will also host community-wide forums on July 14 at 11AM and 7PM and again on July 28 at 11AM and 7PM to review the plan and answer questions you may have. It is important for all of us to remember this is an extremely fluid situation and being adaptable and patient is going to be essential. Today’s plan may be different tomorrow and we must be prepared for that and be ready to pivot. My plan is to keep you informed through these Zoom meetings in July along with weekly newsletters. I will also schedule more informational meetings in August as we get more information.

I have also created the following social media platforms to share information during the summer and school year.
Twitter: @douglassuper1
Facebook: Douglas Tigers
I plan on using this service as a way to communicate with you. Links to my newsletter will be emailed to you, posted on Twitter, Facebook, and the website. You can also subscribe to have this automatically sent to you by clicking on the subscribe button at the top of this newsletter.

I hope you have the opportunity to relax and enjoy the holiday weekend. I will continue to update you regularly on what is happening in the district and what our plans are for September 2020.

All my best,

Paul D. Vieira, Ed.D
Superintendent of Schools

Popular posts from this blog

Superintendent's Weekly Update July 24, 2020

Newsletter Highlights Returning to school information Community Forum Zoom links and information Information on the District’s plans if someone tests positive or is exposed to someone that tests positive Webpage updates Summer Learning Grant One Call   Hello,   I do apologize for the lengthy newsletter this week, but there is a lot of information to communicate with you. I am grateful for all the help and support from everyone on the school and municipal side in helping build a plan to get students back to school safely in September; their collaborative approach has been wonderful.    I want to state publicly that I know there are a lot of emotions and questions about coming back to school in September. People want answers and information so they can plan their lives; I fully understand that and I am cognizant of it. I also know that any of the three options that are selected will not be easy for some people to make work; again I am fully aware of that and understand that as a Superint
Read more

Back to School Survey July 15, 2020

Greetings, Over the last few weeks we have been working on creating a Blueprint for returning back to school in September. The purpose of this survey is just for us to gather information to continue planning for a safe, smooth, and successful return to school. There are 4 areas that I would like to get feedback on from you; will your student return back to school in September for in-person learning, will your student return to school in a hybrid model, will your student take the bus to school, and pre-school tuition. Please note that your responses are not binding and may change as more information becomes available to us in the next few weeks. Please fill out one survey per student so that we can have accurate information. The link to the survey is attached below. Thank you for your help with this. Paul https://forms.gle/hjSGZQSa4sTM88HD9
Read more

Superintendent's Weekly Update 7/30/2020

Image
Newsletter Highlights Include: Update guidance from DESE Two proposed back to school models Town Hall Forum and Zoom Links Student Forum   Hello,   This week I hosted both staff and community forums. In these 4 zoom sessions I had over 200 participate, offer feedback, and have the ability to ask questions. I thank all of those that attended, asked questions, and sent me emails. Your voice matters and is being heard. Many of your suggestions and feedback have been discussed with our administrative team and we have modified some of our thinking and planning as a result of it. THANK YOU. I have sent out in different emails and social media platforms some of the changes and new guidance that we have received from DESE this past week. Below are some highlights:   Transportation: Masks : All staff and students on the bus, regardless of age, are required to wear masks at all times.  Distance : Students should be seated no more than one student per bench, alternating sides for each row, which
Read more