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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.

Plympton looks to ‘New Normal’

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Chair of the Plympton School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen updated selectmen at their Monday, July 20 meeting on the plan for restarting school in the fall. Wilhelmsen said that the school is required to submit a preliminary plan to the state by July 31 that accounts for all three possible scenarios – in-person, remote, and a hybrid approach. Wilhelmsen told selectmen, “It’s a little bit of a fool’s errand for the first of those.”

Wilhelmsen said even if there is a full return, it would “not be a return to normal; it would be a return to different.” The administration is focusing a lot of their efforts on the remote learning aspect as Wilhelmsen said that it will likely be the backbone of whatever plan is put into place.

Working groups have been established to devise the plan.  According to Wilhelmsen the top two priorities are providing an education that ensures academic growth and balancing safety and risk to keep everyone as safe as possible. Wilhelmsen said that there will likely be an element of choice involved as some families may need to opt for remote schooling due to high-risk family members or other extenuating circumstances. He also said that there likely isn’t the physical space required to have all students back in school while upholding social distancing requirements. Possible advantages for Dennett include the HVAC system that circulates air to individual rooms as opposed to throughout the whole building as well as the smaller student population compared to neighboring towns.

Selectman Christine Joy asked if the school has the technology in place to meet the needs of students and teachers. Wilhelmsen said that CARES Act funds were used to purchase additional chromebooks but said that the administration needs to evaluate the technology available in terms of which platform would best support remote learning.

The Plympton School Committee will be holding meetings throughout the summer to allow the administration to provide updates to the committee. The public is encouraged to attend as the meetings are held virtually. There likely won’t be a clear picture of what the return to school will look like until well into August. Later in the meeting Joy would say that her rave for the week is for “The parents, teachers, school committees, administration, and everybody who’s trying to navigate in these incredibly difficult times… these people are working so hard to come up with a workable solution.”

$18,000 FEMA grant for hazard mitigation

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy said that Plympton was the recipient of an $18,000 FEMA grant that would enable them to update the town’s hazard mitigation plan. Currently the town doesn’t have its own stand-alone plan but rather a sub section in the regional plan which was created in 2015. The grant would allow for a consultant to walk the town through the project and create the plan. Dennehy said that she had one response to her RFQ from Woods Hole Group for $17,730 to complete the project in its entirety. On Dennehy’s recommendation, the Board awarded the project to them.

Dennehy told the Board that all three lots on Prospect Rd. have now been successfully sold and that as of that morning, the town treasurer was in receipt of those payments. The funds from the sale of the three lots will be put toward the repayment of the bond that was taken out in 2018 to secure the purchase of Two Brooks Preserve. Selectmen Chair Mark Russo said, “Thank God, it’s done… with this we get to now look forward to hopefully retiring the bond that’s due in October.” Russo said that even with the sales and some additional fundraising they will likely still be around $25,000 short. The hope is that the Board and the Finance Committee will allow an amount under $25,000 to be borrowed from the Capital Stabilization Fund. An amount in excess of $25,000 would require a vote at town meeting.

Dennehy also told the Board that the eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) threat for Plympton has been raised to moderate due to a positive mosquito sample having been found in nearby Carver. “Mosquitos don’t know town boundary lines,” Dennehy joked. She continued, “It is something that everybody needs to remain vigilant about.”

Dennehy said that the townhouse was fogged on July 11. She explained that the plan was to fog the building periodically since it is a reimbursable expense. Dennehy said the decision was made to fog the building as it had not been done since April and the building had been open to the public for six weeks. In another update, Dennehy told the Board that after conferring with town counsel, it was established that town employees that fall under wage and personnel are to be reappointed each year with a select few exceptions including the assistant town clerk who is appointed directly by the town clerk.

Russo provided Dennehy and his fellow selectmen with some highlights from the presentation by the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Senator Michael Rodrigues. Russo credited Senator Michael Brady for putting it together. Rodrigues reminded the audience that a consensus revenue forecast is released each year in December or January which is used to inform the state budget. Back in December, the projected revenue was estimated at $31 billion. After reconvening to re-assess due to the pandemic, it is now believed that the state revenue will be $26 billion leaving a $6 billion shortfall. While it may be possible to pull $2 billion of that shortfall from the rainy-day fund, the remaining amount will need to come from cuts, taxes, or borrowing. Rodrigues made note of the types of cuts that were seen during 2009-2010 when the state faced a similar kind of decline. Cuts were seen to education, transportation, energy, the environment, and healthcare for state employees. Wilhelmsen pointed out that the budgets that the school committees voted on couldn’t really take into account any cuts to education. While the Dennett does not rely heavily on state aid, a large portion of the Silver Lake Regional budget is reliant on it. This could mean cuts to programming, etc., at the middle and high school levels.

Rodrigues also said that the main economic evaluators were unemployment which was around 2.9 percent in December/January and 16.9 percent by May.  During the first quarter of 2020, the GDP decreased by 4.8 percent and it is anticipated that by the end of the second quarter that decrease would be over 8 percent. Rodrigues also spoke on the challenges associated with creating a state budget while not knowing the funds that will be available from the federal government.

The Board of Selectmen also voted to appoint Zachary Bowden as a full-time officer in the Police Department to replace another officer who sent in their resignation. They also briefly discussed the possibility of retirement regulations eventually necessitating the search for a new police chief. Dennehy said that Police Chief Matthew Clancy asked that the discussion be tabled until the Board’s August 10 meeting.

North Plympton Cemetery

Selectman John Traynor requested the Board’s permission to work with the owner of the North Plympton Cemetery so that it might be improved. Traynor said that the owner is a woman located in Washington state who is part of a family that has owned the cemetery since the 19th century. Traynor said, “I would like us to be able to take care of it because it is in terrible shape right now.”

Halifax Town Meetings recessed once again

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Thursday, July 16. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said that as of the time of that meeting, there were no new reports of COVID in town. Health Agent Bob Valery said there is a new reporting site on the Department of Public Health (DPH) website for the general public to call the Board of Health with any concerns they may have with restaurant re-openings. Valery said that Lakeside Villa was reopening soon and said that he planned to head there for an inspection. Valery also said that Grille 58 will be opened early next week and that a walkthrough was scheduled for this week to ensure 100 percent compliance.

Valery said of the horse show in town, “I have to admit, I was very pleased. They are taking temperatures right when you get inside the entrance, everybody had masks on, there’s markers for social distancing, there is extra sanitizer and hand washing stations around… so far things seem to be going well there.”  Valery also said that they hired an outsider to head up their COVID force. No spectators are allowed.

Valery told the Board that he planned to visit 163 Plymouth St. that afternoon to address some boats that are sitting on the property. Police Chief Joao Chaves said he had been alerted that some activity was going on there that may have included placing tarps over the boats or moving them. “From a public health perspective, I told him I had environmental concerns and health concerns,” Valery said of the property. “Boats being open they’re just going to take water on and that’s a mosquito breeding ground, all kinds of paint cans and buckets which could easily get spilled into our ponds or grounds,” he continued.

Fire Chief Jason Viveiros asked Seelig about the discussion the Board had earlier in the week regarding what to do with the CARES Act funding. Seelig said that most of the ideas presented centered around PPE and building infrastructure changes. He said that Holmes Library Director Jean Gallant had requested changes to the ventilation system there. Seelig said he plans to make copies of everything for the Board to review at their July 28 meeting.

Town moderator Dennis Carman also phoned in to the meeting to address yet another recessing of town meeting. The moderator is only allowed to recess the meeting for 30 days from the currently scheduled date of the meeting. This time, the Board of Selectmen, the Health Agent, and Carman decided to move it from August 1 to 9 am on August 29.

The meeting is set to be held at the Halifax Elementary School. “I’m aiming for September 12, that’s the last Saturday that’s doable in order to get the tax rate and the tax bills done on schedule; my hope and expectation is that the state budget will be done by then,” Seelig explained. Carman said that he wants to be sure that residents understand not only what decisions are being made regarding the continuations, etc. but also why. “We would love to meet earlier and get this resolved but we can’t until the state does its business and we want to do it in a way that’s safe, that’s why we’re looking at it in the way we’re looking at it in terms of what date and where we’re going to do it,” Carman said.

Selectman Gordon Andrews asked Carman if he had a preference between holding the meeting between two rooms (to ensure distancing) or outside.  Carman said that due to his struggles with his vision, if the crowd is separated by rooms or great distances, he will need some expert spotters to ensure that no one attending feels disenfranchised. He said he is happy with whatever solution proves safest while still allowing people to feel that they are an active part of the process. Selectman Tom Millias said the problem with outside is the potential for inclement weather.

Viveiros said he spoke to Director of Building Maintenance Scott Materna and head custodian Matthew Durkee regarding concerns over the safety of the spray used during fogging, with particular regard for the schools.

He said they never heard back from the manufacturer, but the distributor said that educational and school settings do constitute a recommended use. The distributor also said it is safe after it is either dried or wiped off.

Viveiros said that it would be very difficult to implement the U.V. light method of disinfecting which had been proposed as a possible alternative. Andrews, who is part of the school reopening committee, said they had received a letter from the unions asking all sorts of questions about the reopening. He said that he would likely come back to the Board with more questions regarding the issue after the reopening committee’s first meeting.

Andrews asked the chiefs and Board if they had any issues that they would like him to address with the reopening committee and also asked if they had a preference regarding the reopening of schools. I understand the urge to reopen schools in the sense of educationally, it’s probably the best thing for everybody… but the big asterisk and its not any surprise, is you’ve got to do it safely,” Seelig said. Admitting to not having any solutions, he continued, “I don’t want Halifax or Massachusetts in general to end up part of any big slide backward due to the school system.” He pointed to Israel where schools seemed to play a large part in the transmission of the virus. He shared with the Board a sentiment he had heard as well saying, “You can always make up education, but you can’t make up lives.”

Andrews also shared that he was informed the day before that there was a 12-year-old baseball team in Marshfield that was under quarantine due to one of the players testing positive for COVID. “I guess my feelings have changed in the last day or two about whether I’m leaning toward reopening or not,” Andrews said. Viveiros pointed out that the issue is a polarizing one saying that regardless of what decision is made it is probably going to upset at least half the parents.

Selectman Troy Garron asked if there had been any discussion regarding having students tested prior to the start of school as he felt it would make common sense to know we’re you’re starting.

Andrews pointed out that DESE is recommending against temperature checks. Valery said from a public health perspective, he didn’t feel that a full reopening was the right choice.

A socially distant return to the ball field

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Despite significant restrictions on most sports under Governor Baker’s phased reopening plan, baseball and softball are in the unique position of being able to still play games due to their status as moderate contact sports. Both Halifax Youth Baseball and Halifax Youth Softball have moved forward with their summer seasons after having cancelled the spring seasons due to the pandemic.

The Express spoke with the president of both leagues, Pete Barone who has been involved with youth sports in Halifax for more than 24 years.

The boards of both leagues felt that it would be too difficult to ask the youngest players to follow strict safety guidelines so they decided to move forward with those in third through seventh grade playing in the softball league and those in fourth through sixth grade in the baseball league. An instructional baseball session was recently added for third graders on Sunday mornings. Barone was pleased with the level of interest at the instructional level, saying 23 boys had already signed up to play. In addition to the younger players, there is a baseball team known as the Major Team made up of seventh graders who play against Kingston, Marshfield, Duxbury, and Pembroke. Barone said that participation is down by about 10 to 15 percent for baseball but that the numbers for softball have been consistent with past years.

Plympton also has a number of kids participating in both the Halifax baseball and softball leagues. Barone said that the inclusion of the Plympton players and parents makes the program better for everyone. “It works out great. The kids all get to know each other before going to middle school; we have a couple of excellent volunteers and coaches,” he explained.

Barone also serves as president of the South Shore Softball League as well. As a result of his involvement in that league, he said he felt comfortable moving forward with the girls competing against the other towns. Sacrifices do have to be made, however, including the cancellation of the largest girls’ softball tournament in the South Shore known as the Summer Smash which has taken place in August since 2005.

“We have done extensive work in setting up safety guidelines for games and practices, not only for the players, but for families and spectators that come to watch the games,” Barone said. While players are not required to wear masks, all coaches are required to wear them. Barone said that many players elect to wear them to and from the field removing them only while playing. He pointed out the sometimes oppressive heat as a deterrent for wearing them while playing. There are designated areas at each of the complexes telling parents and other spectators where they can sit as well as brightly colored signs that encourage social distancing.

Other safety protocols include limiting the dugout to only three players at a time who are spaced out from one another. Orange dots have also been painted outside the dugout at six-foot intervals indicating to kids where they should stay throughout the duration of the game. The girls have red buckets with their names on them that get carried to one of the dots, turned upside down, and designated as their spot for the game.

Players are not allowed to share equipment and must use separate bats, gloves, and helmets. Barone said that coaches are equipped with disinfectant as well as hand sanitizer. He said they regularly clean the bucket of balls as well as the handles of bats. Players are lined up for a spritz of hand sanitizer at the end of games as well. “The coaches are all getting into a good little rhythm with it,” Barone said of the new guidelines. Barone said he was very proud of the other coaches involved saying it was difficult to implement these new protocols while also coaching. “I’m very proud of what everyone has been doing and God knows these kids need it.”

Without naming names, Barone did say that some of the other towns have not been as organized in their attempts to maintain distancing and disinfecting. He cited issues such as crowding in the dugouts. “You can only concern yourself with our own kids,” Barone explained.

Fall baseball and softball will begin in September and will include some of the younger grades not playing during the summer. Barone said that while he respects the opinion of those caregivers who don’t feel comfortable letting their children play, he hopes to show people how safely everything has been set up and wants to stress the efforts being made by coaches and staff to enforce all safety measures. He said he hopes to be an example to other sports as they eventually begin to allow for participation in some manner.