Serving in this role, I hold a seat that gives me the ability to ask my questions and yours to our administration with the hope that the questions reinforce our strategic goals. I've long relied on the value that, "two heads are better than one."
So here are some of the questions that the School Committee has been asked this week by parents and constituents:
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| Cameron Middle School in Framingham |
1) Will outdoor structures be used in the fall to allow for outdoor mask breaks when the weather is poor or lunch in a safer setting?
- While this falls into an operational issue at the school and is not typically in the purview of the School Committee, because of COVID we have an interim COVID policy (page 120) where it is stated that the school committee establishes an emergency, interim policy to promote public safety and safety of students and faculty.
- Perhaps one example of the use of the application of this policy could be seen in the March 15th School Committee meeting where the School Committee advised the administration about busing to ensure it would be safe for the return to school. Video link here (see 2:04 - 2:20 to watch the discussion.)
- Answers that have been given thus far about not having tents in the fall are that the tents were not used often in the fall, there were concerns about high winds and snow and that the tents were not accessible to all students.
- My questions as your elected official become - Did the teachers find them helpful in the fall? Did the students benefit from them - not wet on a rainy outdoor snack for example? If accessibility is an issue, what have other districts done to allow the usage of them? Should we be considering tents for the fall as we plan for a safe return to the full school day with lunch?
2) Where is Natick heading with the microaggression policy?
- I'm happy to share that I've accepted the committee's nomination to join the Policy Subcommittee and will join members Dr. McKenzie and Ms. Collins in this work.
- The sub-committee is working to create a schedule to begin meeting on a regular basis and take a deep dive! I will share updates.
3) What is the protocol for vaccinated Students with regards to pool testing and quarantine?
- Leaning on information provided by the Director of the Board of Health, Mr. Jim White, the leader of a Natick Department that has poured hours of time into supporting the Natick Public Schools during this pandemic, we've learned:
- That there is evidence that a small fraction of vaccinated individuals have tested positive for COVID. What we do not know at this time is whether those individuals can transmit the virus to others
- What is required currently, fully vaccinated individuals that do test positive are required to be isolated.
- What's different is a fully vaccinated individual that is determined to be a close direct contact does not have to quarantine.
- Pool testing is recommended at this point, and mandatory for students participating in high school sports or after school clubs, in order to keep looking for any positive cases to help stop the spread.
- Personal opinion: I am grateful to this community for all that you are managing and all you doing in a 1,000 different ways to keep people safe. I understand that it looks different depending on each family's circumstance and I am grateful for the thoughtfulness that I have experienced this year around all things COVID!
Please feel free to always reach out - cbrunell@natickps.org.
Also, I was thrilled to offer my first office hours this week and grateful for the small number of people who utilized it. If it is helpful in the future - please come! Dates tbd soon.
Have a middle school student who is interested in these kind of civic minded questions? Senator Rausch is holding a special session for them on Monday, May 3rd. Youth Legislative Forum - 6- 7:30 p.m.