Superintendent's Weekly Update 3/19/21

 


Hello,


This was an exciting week here in the Douglas Public Schools as we prepared for the return of students on Monday. I do not want to sound like a broken record, but this could not have been done without a complete team effort. Again a huge thank you to everyone who made this all possible. I am looking forward to seeing students back in school full time and Ms. Socha and Mr. Bell have a few small surprises in store for everyone on Monday. Next week we will shift our focus to prepare our Middle and High Schools for a return on April 5.


Social and Emotional Concerns:

As we have prepared for our safe return to school we have made certain to put together a comprehensive and well thought out plan to ensure everyone and everything is safe and ready. I would like to highlight some of what we have done to make certain our students feel safe coming back. As we know, students are always nervous and anxious returning to school after summer vacation and a long break. Although we have been back in school for 6 months, this is a change that we need to prepare for and feelings that we need to make sure we address. Below are some highlights by building of what we have done and will do for kids.


PRIMARY

  • Nurse Heather will be meeting with each class with a presentation reminding students of the safety protocols.

  • Adjustment Counselor, Tracy Purvis has been in contact right along with parents of children who are struggling socially, emotionally, and academically.

  • Classroom teachers have been preparing students this week with changes in procedures.

  • We have had students eating in the new locations (gym and Cafe) so they are used to it.

  • Starting Monday in celebration with a visit from our ST Math penguin- JiJi along with music, noise makers, and bubbles!



ELEMENTARY

  • Provided tours to any students coming back to in person learning. We had 5 overall take us up on it.  

  • Classroom teachers have been helping the students mentally prepare for the transition all week.

  • Teachers are ready to spend time on Monday going over routines/procedures so that everyone feels comfortable.

  • We held transition meetings for some students to make sure that we had a plan for the change in model.  

  • On Monday, we will have music, noise makers, and even our wonderful school mascot, the Douglas Tiger at the elementary school in the morning.  

  • Jocelyn Blessing, Melanie Brundage, the teachers, and myself have talked to many parents and students that had questions or concerns over the past week to make sure that they felt comfortable.  


MIDDLE

  • We will have meetings with all cohorts during lunches to review safety protocols for all aspects of the school day from arrival to departure during the next two weeks.  

  • Staff have met with students that have expressed concerns about the return to school.

  • Phone calls and meetings have occurred with families that have reached out to the school.


HIGH 

  • Hold a meeting(s) with students to go over what school will look like (safety protocols, lunch, spacing in classrooms, mask breaks, etc). We are doing these next Wednesday with each class.

  • Send out a survey to find out how students are feeling about the return. Allow them to list their concerns. This is being done prior to the meetings so we can address their concerns then.

  • Do a zoom during Advisory. Next week's advisory is all about managing stress. The activity will take most of the Advisory time.

  • The Counseling Department is offering an anxiety group as a Tier II intervention

 

This is not a complete list, but just some highlights that I felt important to share with you.


Substitute Teachers:

We are always looking for substitute teachers. If you are interested, even if it is only for one day a week. Please contact one of the building principals to set up an interview with them. This will be very helpful to us, especially as we are getting everyone back to school 5 days a week.


Pooled Testing:

Our Pooled Testing program starts on Monday at the High School and we will add a school a week to the program. At this time we have about 45 students per school that have elected to be tested. If you are interested in being tested for free, please reach out to the building nurse in your child’s school. We will evaluate the program to see if we continue beyond the pilot on April 18.


Safety Precautions:

I would like to stress the importance of continuing to follow our safety guidelines. These are critically important if we are to safely stay open for the remainder of the year.

  1. Avoid large social gatherings

  2. Wear a mask

  3. Practice social distancing

  4. Wash your hands frequently

  5. Follow the guidance set forth by the Governor

  6. If the Board of Health calls, please answer and provide them with the information they need

  7. If you are sick, stay home

  8. If you live with someone that is symptomatic, stay home until they test negative


Travel Order: 

Effective Monday, March 22, the Massachusetts Travel Order will be replaced with a Travel Advisory. The new travel advisory will urge all persons entering Massachusetts, including returning residents, are advised to quarantine for 10 days upon their arrival if they have been out of the state for 24 hours or more. 

 

The advisory does not apply to anyone in the following categories:

 

  • Anyone who is returning to Massachusetts after an absence of fewer than 24 hours. 

 

  • Travelers who have a negative COVID-19 test result that has been administered up to 72 hours prior to their arrival in Massachusetts. 

 

  • Workers who enter Massachusetts to perform critical infrastructure functions (as specified by the Federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) while they are commuting to or from or while at work.

 

  • Travelers who are fully vaccinated (i.e. who have received two doses of either the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines OR who have received a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 14 days or more ago and who do not have symptoms). 

 

Travelers are additionally encouraged to consult and follow the CDC’s guidelines and requirements for travel.



COVID Data

Attached is a link to our COVID Dashboard along with guidance and information for families. Link To COVID Dashboard  guidance for families 


Paul



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