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Few opt to change learning models

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Caregivers in the Silver Lake Regional School District were given a choice of learning model at the outset of school this year. They could either choose to send their child to school in the hybrid model or keep them remote full-time. For most students, the hybrid model means two in-person learning days and three at home. Students with the highest needs are in person more often. Agreeing to a learning model came with the understanding that at certain intervals throughout the year caregivers and students could elect to change models.

Superintendent Jill Proulx told the Express that parents were asked to respond by November 16 to request a learning model change for the second trimester at the elementary level and the second semester at the secondary level. The trimester begins on December 10 for those at the elementary level and the semester begins February 1 for those at the secondary level. “We ask for this commitment so that principals may plan for any changes. Schools may need to shift staff/resources to remote or to hybrid based on families’ requests,” Proulx explained. There will be another opportunity for change later in the year as well.

Despite the designated dates for switching models, parents may elect to switch to full remote learning at any time. “Parents and guardians may contact their student’s assistant principal or guidance counselor at any time to discuss a learning model change,” Silver Lake Regional High School Principal Michaela Gill explained.  Requests to switch to in-person learning outside of the designated timeframe is allowed per DESE guidelines but can take up to a few weeks to accommodate. “Staffing and spacing for social distancing may present us with challenges,” Proulx said.

Gill said that at the secondary level, only about 2 percent of students have requested a learning model change for the second semester. Proulx said that across the Silver Lake schools, there were only a small number of requests made.

Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto said, “I did not receive many requests to change cohort models. We are all working hard to accommodate the needs of all of our students and families.” He continued, “Given the circumstances, I would say that our first trimester was a huge success.”

Despite the numbers being small, there were a handful of families that elected to switch from full-remote to hybrid at the Dennett. The Express spoke with Plympton mother of three Kaitlyn Brosnan who recently chose to move her two school aged children from full remote to the hybrid model. Brosnan is the mother to third grader Wes, first grader Benjamin, and 3-year-old Maria.

“We chose full remote to start this fall because I originally wasn’t thrilled with the hybrid plan,” Brosnan said. She cited concern with additional exposure should students have to go somewhere other than home during the three remote days. Even at the outset, Brosnan said her family always intended to switch learning models in November assuming they felt safe doing so.

Brosnan said that her third grader was very independent working remotely. “I was very happy with his remote lessons but he expressed his sadness as the weeks went on that he wasn’t seeing any friends. He’s a very social kid and the remote life was hard on him in that way,” she said.

As expected with the youngest remote learners, Brosnan said that her first grader required significantly more assistance. She credited the teachers for their efforts but noted the inherent difficulties in teaching such young children in this manner. “I have talked to many moms in this grade level and remote learning is a struggle for these younger kids. It’s hard to keep them focused and learning via a computer,” she explained. Her children were able to enjoy some safe social distancing fun outside, however, thanks to neighbors who also chose the remote option. “I am very grateful my kids had that.”

Brosnan said her youngest was slated to attend the Silver Lake Regional preschool this fall. She said that since there are high school aides that help at the school, a decision was made to completely cancel this year. “It just wasn’t going to be safe to have all those extra high schoolers coming in and out of the preschool… I was really sad about that because my boys went there and they loved that program but I totally understand why they had to make that decision,” Brosnan said. In lieu of preschool, Brosnan said that her daughter was able to take advantage of a one day per week outdoor farm program at Soule Homestead in Middleborough. “She absolutely loved that! The kids stayed outside and helped with the farm animals and played many fun games and activities.” Brosnan said they are exploring the possibility of sending her daughter to a local preschool in Plympton for the remainder of the year.

Brosnan credited the low number of cases in Plympton as well as the safety protocols in place at the Dennett with helping her family decide to switch to the hybrid model. Despite 22 cases of COVID across the six schools in the Silver Lake district, as of press time there have been no cases at the Dennett. “The school has done a great job keeping everyone safe. It’s a nice small school and I feel they are able to distance the kids safely.”

Brosnan switched learning models just ahead of the designated timeframe and said that her family has already reaped the benefits of that decision. “The kids are so happy to see some friends, even for a couple days. Both are benefiting much more from in person learning. I am able to give some much-needed attention to my 3-year-old those days,” she explained.

Brosnan also shared a sentiment that many parents are likely to share during these unprecedented times. She expressed gratefulness for being able to stay home with her children to help them but also acknowledged the difficulties in trying to assist multiple children with their learning while also caring for a younger sibling. “It’s a lot of work and I’m exhausted every day. It’s a lot of juggling and it’s hard to be everything to them at this time with little breaks,” she said.

The Express also spoke to a parent of a Halifax Elementary School kindergartener who has decided to stick with the hybrid model. Ethan’s mother explained that being home more has had a negative impact on his mental health particularly as an only child. “The hybrid has been going well for us. He doesn’t do well on the computer and has a very hard time focusing, so any time we can safely get him into school is welcome,” she explained.

As of press time there have been 4 cases of COVID at Silver Lake Regional High School, 6 at Silver Lake Regional Middle School, 6 at Kingston Intermediate School, 3 at Kingston Elementary School, 3 at Halifax Elementary School, and none at either Dennett Elementary School or the integrated preschool.

Halifax to start COVID testing

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Halifax Selectmen Chair Tom Millias began the Nov. 19 meeting saying, “Welcome to another exciting episode of the town of Halifax Board of Selectmen. This is our meeting in-line with our policy during this COVID era to have extraordinary meetings.” He then turned things over to Halifax Board of Health agent Bob Valery.

Valery told the selectmen that there had been 4 cases of COVID in the town since the previous meeting. He also implored residents to consider safety protocols such as social distancing over the Thanksgiving holiday. “Proceed with caution,” he warned.

Millias said he had noticed the stores in town becoming more lax with counting heads as shoppers entered the door. Valery said he spoke with establishments such as Walmart and Stop and Shop and they ensured that they will be monitoring the numbers moving forward. “This is going to be the telling season when people are out doing their shopping though I think a lot of it is going to be online,” Millias said. “Hopefully people are going to be responsible,” he continued.

Halifax Police Chief Joao Chaves said that Walmart had been holding Black Friday sales the last few weekends in an attempt to minimize the number of shoppers on the actual day following Thanksgiving. He also said there will be detail officers assigned to the store that day.

Fire Chief Jason Viveiros gave an update on the portable coronavirus testing site in town which he said should be ready to begin testing in a week or two. Viveiros said they will be utilizing an antigen test which is administered via a nasal swab rather than an antibody test. “If someone has antibodies it doesn’t give us any true information whereas the antigen test gives us useful information; if the person tests positive they’ll be considered contagious for the virus,” he explained. Halifax received 350 PCR tests with Fedex labels. Results will be available within 24-48 hours. “PCR tests are the gold standard,” Viveiros said. The town was able to get the cost of the tests down from $140 per test to just $75 apiece.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig asked the Board to approve buying thermometers for each town department. Seelig said that at $60 apiece, the town would likely need to purchase 10 at a cost of $600.

It is yet to be determined if CARES Act funds can be used to pay for the devices or if the money will need to come from elsewhere.

Selectman Gordon Andrews said, “I’m okay with the expense if we think it’s valuable.” He added, “The data seems to be conflicted.” Millias said, “It’s at least something we can do that’s minimally invasive and quick.” He noted, however, that the temperatures are “not necessarily telling.” Seelig said that he was envisioning the new safety protocol to be managed by each individual department.

Seelig also reviewed the mask mandate. Unless you’re in a closed building not open to the public or in an enclosed office not open to the public, you are supposed to be wearing a mask regardless of whether 6 feet away from someone. Seelig said that while he expects pushback from town employees, it would be better than dealing with complaints from residents.

“I’d rather deal with it internally than deal with it externally,” he explained. Viveiros said that while there was a bit of Covid fatigue going on in the middle months of the pandemic, for the last three weeks, everyone has been wearing a mask at all times at the fire station.

Seelig also reviewed some updated guidance from the state. While the initial guidance of quarantining for 10 days after exposure still stands, people can now test out of quarantine after 10 days as long as they meet certain parameters. Individuals must have had no symptoms of COVID and must continue not to have any symptoms. A negative PCR test after day 8 of quarantine must also be achieved.

Finally, individuals must continue to monitor themselves for the full 14 days and must get tested should any symptoms arise. Valery also added that this set of qualifications is based on the assumption that no one else in the household has tested positive for the virus.

Various Boards of Health in the state are sending a request to Governor Baker and other legislative leaders asking for $15 million in supplemental funding for Covid activities performed by the Boards. Seelig pointed out that if you breakdown the expense per person in the state, it was a really small amount of money.

“It can go a long way in a lot of communities to help staff in whatever community it is to perform the functions related to Covid,” Seelig explained. The selectmen voted to sign a letter of support for the measure.

The selectmen also signed the annual contract with the dog shelter in Lakeville.

Health agent Valery, TA Seelig, review COVID policies in back-to-back meetings

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Monday, November 9 for one of their extra meetings they’ve been holding each week since the onset of the pandemic. Board of Health agent Bob Valery told the selectmen that Halifax continues to be in the yellow for COVID risk level. Valery said that he visited all local food establishments and hair salons the previous week to place notifications regarding mask guidance in their windows, remind them about the new hours of operation, and ask if they need any assistance with anything COVID related. Both Fire Chief Jason Viveiros and Police Chief Joao Chaves were in attendance but neither had a specific COVID related update.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said internal policies outlining action steps should a town employee test positive for coronavirus needed to be updated. Seelig said there was considerable confusion with department heads and employees regarding what individuals, including close contacts, should be doing. Seelig acknowledged that back in June when the policies were initially drafted, there wasn’t enough thought given to the effect a positive case would have on other employees. The new draft of the policy that Seelig shared with the selectmen and Chiefs will include a flow chart with instructions for how employees should proceed.

Andrews asked if someone can work from home if they test positive but are asymptomatic. Seelig said he could make that change as currently employees testing positive were being asked to take leave.

If employees exposed to the infected individual elect not to get tested and remain asymptomatic, 14 days would need to elapse before that individual could return to work. Should a close contact elect to get tested, they would need to produce a negative test at least 3 days after the date patient zero tested positive before returning to work. If an exposed employee is deemed essential and they have not tested positive, then the employee can return to work at the discretion of the department head. Chaves asked who is responsible for paying for the tests and Seelig told him an individual’s health insurance.

Seelig also asked the Board’s approval to update the mask policy to indicate that everyone has to wear a mask in municipal buildings at all times even when the building is closed. Exceptions will only be made for eating and drinking or where documentation of medical exemption is provided.

DEP Municipal Assistance Coordinator Todd Koep is meeting with representatives virtually from Halifax, East Bridgewater, and Holbrook about a potential regionalization of recycling processing services. The processing would take place after the recycling was collected. “The idea is if we can team together, because our individual contracts are ending in June, we might be able to bargain a better price from one outfit with having all three towns combined,” Seelig explained.

The selectmen approved a few more requests before adjourning. The first was for a socially distant wedding on the town green on Saturday, November 21. The second was to approve the town allocating $445.15 of their CARES Act funds to South Shore Regional Technical High School to account for the share of Halifax students attending the school.

November 10 Meeting

As has become customary at the Halifax selectmen meetings, the selectmen had a number of recycling abatements to deal with at their Tuesday, November 10 meeting. Regarding the requested recycling abatements Selectmen Tom Millias said, “Unless you be consistent, you have nothing.” The Board has been of the mind to deny nearly all such requests.

Resident Ryan Scott had an appointment with the selectmen to discuss one of these denials. Millias stressed his distaste for dealing with recycling abatements saying he dislikes them even more than dog hearings. Scott’s request was denied because his abatement was stamped October 2 instead of October 1. “Our only issue is trying to be consistent,” Millias said to Scott. Selectman Troy Garron called Scott’s case “unique” and said, “My motto is to try to be fair, firm, and consistent.” The selectmen agreed to speak with the appropriate parties at town hall about the possibility that the wrong date was stamped.

Another case came before the Board for a house that has been abandoned for 15 years. Millias said, “we’ve given abatements for abandoned houses before.” Selectman Gordon Andrews said he would take the opposite approach and pointed out that as of late they hadn’t been issuing abatements to anyone. In the end the selectmen voted to deny with Millias adding “with regret.”

“This whole thing is getting somewhat dysfunctional, so we have to come up with a new plan or at least handle it differently… there’s so much controversy and so many issues surrounding it, that it’s becoming ridiculously time consuming,” Millias said. Seelig suggested, “Do we say to the residents… to make sure the recycling center is open when they need it, do we pay the property tax rather than the recycling fee?”  Seelig said that doing so would eliminate the need for abatements.

DiSesa named to HES School Committee

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The Halifax Selectman and the Halifax School Committee held a joint meeting on Monday, November 16 to conduct interviews with several candidates for the open spot on the School Committee left by the resignation of Robert Johnson. Each candidate was allotted 10 minutes during which they were asked to provide some background on themselves and to field questions from members of both the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee. Candidate Karen Hart was scheduled for an interview but did not attend the meeting.

Ashley DiSesa

The first candidate to take the hot seat was Ashley DiSesa. DiSesa, a mother to a kindergartener and second grader, said she has been a resident of Halifax for the last seven years. She also said that she has attended most school committee meetings as well as some PTO and selectmen meetings. School Committee member Summer Schmaling asked DiSesa, as she would go on to ask all the candidates, if she considered herself fiscally conservative as well as what model (full remote, hybrid, full in-person) she believed should be the goal for this school year. DiSesa said she would consider herself fiscally conservative. Regarding the model of schooling, Disesa said, “That’s a tough one not knowing what’s going to happen; ideally I think all the kids should be back in school.” She went on to acknowledge the difficulties that a return to full in-person schooling would pose including busing and financial constraints. School Committee member Alison Vance asked DiSesa to speak to her favorite things about Halifax Elementary School. DiSesa, who called the Halifax teachers “amazing,” said that growing up in nearby Carver she always planned to move to Halifax and send her children through the Silver Lake district. Wearing two hats, Selectman and Chair of the School Committee Gordon Andrews asked all candidates if they were registered voters and if they had attended the last two town meetings. DiSesa said yes to both.

Marline Amedee

Marline Amedee described herself as a mother, social worker, community activist, and a small business owner. Amedee said she moved to Halifax a little over a year ago and said that while she has not had the opportunity to volunteer at Halifax Elementary School (HES), she was very involved in the schools in Brockton prior to her move. “For me serving children to young adults is not my passion, it is my life… I believe it is important to serve the community you live in,” Amedee told those assembled. In response to Schmaling’s question as to whether or not she considers herself fiscally conservative Amedee said that while she was very aware that the school budget is the taxpayers’ money, the budget still needs to serve the best interests of the students, staff, and the facility. In response to Andrews question, Amedee said that she was a registered voter and that she had attended one of the recent town meetings.

Michael Regnetta

Michael Regnetta, who moved to Halifax a year ago and referred to himself as a small business owner, told the Selectmen and School Committee members that he has spent most of his adult life working with children, mainly as a coach. While his own children are grown, he said that he has young grandchildren who will eventually be attending HES. In response to the first part of Schmaling’s question he responded that he is “pretty conservative [fiscally] but more fiscally responsible.” Regarding an ideal model for school this year, Regnetta responded, “Obviously I would like to see all the kids in school full time… as normal as we can get it sooner rather than later.” While Regnetta said that he hadn’t yet attended a school committee meeting, he has attended town meeting and is a registered voter. Regnetta said that negotiating would be a strength of his that he could bring to the Committee.

Karyn Townsend

Karyn Townsend, a mother of two HES students, brought to the table the most education related experience of all the candidates. A 20-year resident of Halifax and an educator for 23 years, Townsend was previously a teacher at Silver Lake Regional High School and is currently a science teacher in Pembroke. She also serves as the negotiations chair for the Pembroke Teacher’s Association where she has successfully negotiated 3 contracts with the school committee. While she said that the financial aspect of things would be a weakness of hers, she did intend to take the course offered by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) on the topic. Townsend said that while she is a registered voter, she has not attended town meeting recently. Committee member Alison Vance told the other members that Townsend is one of the only members of the community to regularly attend their meetings.

Asked whether she has volunteered within the school, Townsend said despite it being difficult with her work schedule she has done guest lessons for teachers, attended some PTO meetings, and coached both soccer and baseball. In response to Schmaling’s question about fiscal conservativism, Townsend said that she believed it to be too subjective of a question to provide an accurate answer. She also said that she felt unequipped to answer the question about the best model of schooling for this year without having all of the information.

James Keegan

Lifelong resident of Halifax and former Halifax police officer James Keegan was the second to last interview of the evening. Keegan, who is currently a Plymouth police officer, is the father to two daughters aged 9 and 11. He cited school safety as a major interest of his and said that he is currently a school resource officer at one of the Plymouth middle schools. He is a member of the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) and is Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate (ALICE) trained. Keegan said he is a registered voter though he did not participate in the most recent town meetings.

Asked if he considers himself fiscally conservative, Keegan said, “fiscal responsibility is something my wife and I are extremely passionate about.” Regarding whether students should return to full, in-person learning Keegan said, “my wife and I believe, whether it’s good or bad, that the children should be back in the school. I’m looking at science… we’re just two parents who believe that the children should be back in school with parameters.”  He did go on to acknowledge that it wouldn’t be financially possible to do so in the very immediate future. Keegan ended his interview by saying that while he had always wanted to volunteer in town between his career, his wife’s career, and their family, he didn’t have the time until now.

Kathleen Deblois

The final interview of the night was with Kathleen DeBlois. DeBlois said she has lived in Halifax for the last 7 years after moving from the North Shore. DeBlois complimented the other candidates telling the Selectmen and School Committee that they had a multitude of good options. DeBlois, a mother to a third and fourth grader at HES, said she has a degree in public policy and previously worked in the office of the MA state senate president. She described herself as fiscally conservative but acknowledged that good schools result in good property values in town which is beneficial even to those who don’t have students in the school. Regarding her opinion on a model for the current school year, DeBlois said, “I would love to see… every kid back in school depending if it was done safely.”

A registered voter who has attended town meeting, DeBlois said she is heavily involved with HES, volunteering regularly in her children’s classes as well as at events such as book fairs and field trips. Asked if she has the time to dedicate to the Committee, DeBlois said that she has the fortunate ability to stay home with her children and that time constraints would not be an issue.

Discussion and Vote

Andrews addressed the candidates saying, “Thank you everyone for your commitment to our community.” He said that he was looking for someone who has the availability as well as has shown a commitment to the school and a knowledge of what the schools have gone through in the months since the pandemic began. Schmaling also thanked the candidates and said she was impressed to see so many people interested in the position. “Frankly, I think that all of these candidates bring something a little different to the table, it’s just up to us to decide what we’re looking for,” Schmaling said.

Before voting, Selectman Tom Millias asked each candidate if they would consider running for the same open position during the general election as the current position would only be an interim one until the next election. All candidates replied that they would.

The vote was based on the majority of all the Selectmen and School Committee members present. Andrews only had one vote despite being a member of both. The only candidates receiving nominations were Deblois, DiSesa, and Keegan. Deblois and Keegan received three votes a piece while DiSesa received four and was named as the newest member of the Halifax School Committee.

Halifax BOS ponders COVID strategies

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Much of the Thursday, Nov. 5, Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting was spent discussing measures to curb the spread of COVID both at the town level and within the Town Hall.

Board of Health agent Bob Valery told those assembled that there had been two new cases of COVID in town reported just that morning. Valery also mentioned Governor Baker’s new restrictions released on Nov. 2 and taking effect on Nov. 6. Baker’s guidelines include a 10 p.m. curfew as well as an order for restaurants and other establishments to stop serving by 9:30 p.m. Valery said he visited local establishments to make sure everyone would be adhering to the new guidelines.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig added, “That order comes with you shouldn’t be over a friend’s house after ten o’ clock. You should be back in your house by then.” Selectman Gordon Andrews clarified that he didn’t believe it was an order, but rather an advisory. Co-Chair of the Board of Health Alan Dias said he was under the impression it was an order rather than an advisory. He also said that he didn’t believe it to be enforceable by the town. Police Chief Joao Chaves said he believed the enforcement of mask wearing and limits on gatherings to be an order while the travel restrictions were an advisory. For his part, Chaves said he wouldn’t feel good about pulling people over after 10 pm if there were no other violations.

According to Valery, Plymouth has hired an outside security agency to monitor activity in the town. Selectman Troy Garron wondered aloud about what kind of authority would be granted to such an agency. Valery said, “We’re not at that point here in Halifax.”

Dias asked the Board if they would consider a policy requiring a sign-in and temperature check for all town employees upon the start of each day in order to better aid with contact tracing. The Fire Department is already following this procedure. Selectman Tom Millias said it was “certainly something we can think about.”

Seelig agreed that the proposed procedure may help with contact tracing but clarified that it would not help curb the spread of the virus. Referring to a recent case in a town employee, Seelig said, “the situation we had earlier was more … employees making decisions that they probably shouldn’t have made. Not, in fact, who was in and out of the building.” He continued, “… if people had, in fact, stayed the six feet away and kept their mask on and such we should have been able to say, ‘okay, you weren’t within this person for 15 minutes.’” Regarding the proposed policy, he said, “We can do this, but the big thing is the behavior. It’s not getting a list of people and getting them checked in by 8 a.m. – it’s what they do after 8 a.m.” A reminder of proper safety protocols was sent out to all town employees with the last paycheck. Andrews said, “Seems like the protocol wasn’t followed, not that we don’t have one in place.”

There was some additional discussion between Valery, Dias, Seelig, the chiefs, and the selectmen as to whether residents should also have to sign in before entering the Town Hall. Dias said that Plymouth residents are not allowed into the town hall without first leaving their name and phone number. Seelig pointed out that residents don’t typically spend 15 minutes or more inside the building and therefore their information wouldn’t be needed for contact tracing.

The selectmen voted unanimously to put a policy in place that all town employees must wear a mask at all times and in all areas of the buildings unless eating or drinking. The only exception would be for those providing a doctor’s note for a medical exemption. Chaves said that since a member of the Police Department tested positive, all members of the department have been wearing masks diligently. “The next ninety days are going to be very difficult the way the numbers are going,” Dias said.

COVID Testing

Fire Chief Jason Viveiros gave an update on a potential testing program in Halifax. Viveiros said that they certainly had the ability to do both the antibody testing as well as the nasal swab testing. He said that the big question would be determining the goal behind the testing. Of the antibody testing, Viveiros said, “There are plenty of communities that are doing the molecular level tests… how much money are we willing to invest into that?” The department is still working on a plan.

Annual Toy Drive

The selectmen also discussed the logistics behind the toy drive that is run annually by the Fire Department and the Girl Scouts usually on the first Saturday in December. In a normal year, Santa would ride through on one of the Fire Department vehicles. Viveiros said that typically about 6-8 people participate from the department with twice that many volunteering on behalf of the Girl Scouts.

While the majority of the event is outside, keeping people six feet from one another could prove difficult. It is an all-day event usually running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Seelig said, “however they do it, we don’t want a large group of people intermingling.” Viveiros said that typically the back of the Fire Station is loaded with toys and said that it would be important to stress that large groups of people cannot gather there.

The selectmen agreed that those running the event would need to touch base with Valery and decide on what restrictions would need to be put in place in order to ensure it is a safe event. The selectmen will approve the event at a later meeting after hearing the final plan.

Recycling abatements

The selectmen then turned their attention to dealing with requests that were submitted late for recycling abatements. The selectmen voted unanimously to reject these requests. Millias said, “this is all uncomfortable… this isn’t something that anyone wants to do.”

Andrews, who has not always been aligned with the other selectmen regarding whether to issue abatements, said he agreed that it was necessary to have a building available and a recycling program. He went on to say, however, “we’re acting like this is a tax, so if it’s a tax to keep the building open then it should be coming out of tax… if people aren’t using the service, they shouldn’t be paying for it, the other people should be paying the amount necessary to run the service.”

Millias said that there were a myriad of options to consider when deciding the fate of the current recycling program. Millias suggested the possibility of eliminating the curbside pickup and asking, instead, to have residents bring it directly to the facility. Garron said he would just like to see people alert the town if planning to use a private recycling company. Millias said, “at some point, I think even the fees won’t sustain the program.” The plan is to schedule a dedicated time to explore and discuss the options.

HOPS to get help

Seelig said that they had received correspondence from a resident concerned with some maintenance issues at the HOPS Playground. According to Seelig a downed bench would be dealt with as would some broken equipment and overgrowth outside the fence.

Plympton School Committee

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A wide-ranging number of topics were discussed during the Monday, November 2 Plympton School Committee meeting. Chair of the Committee Jon Wilhelmsen said that he had seen a lot of recent discussion on the Dennett Facebook page regarding a return to full, in-person schooling given the success thus far in keeping COVID out of the school. Wilhelmsen said that for his part, he didn’t feel that it should be considered until Massachusetts is at a Level 4, from the state perspective which would mean the development of either a vaccine or effective therapeutics. He said the only other way to allow for a full, in-person return would be to fit everyone into the building with 6 feet of social distancing – something that isn’t possible currently. Committee member Daniel Cadogan said, “If we didn’t do it a month ago when things were looking well, I think doing it now would be a really bad idea.”

CARES Act Funds

Wilhelmsen said of the CARES Act funds directed to the school, “the town of Plympton has been very gracious and very generous in trying to make sure that the Dennett has what it needs.” Thus far, $79,000 in invoices have been submitted. That funding went toward technology, PPE, HVAC repairs, air purifiers, hands-free paper towel dispensers, and a number of other COVID-related items. The Committee thanked the selectmen, the fire chief, and the town administrator for their support.

Building-Based Substitute

Speaking about a lack of available substitutes, Dennett Principal Peter Veneto said, “It’s been an incredible challenge…. Not just a Plympton/Silver Lake challenge.” He added that finding a funding source for a building-based substitute remains difficult. Despite putting feelers out into the community to see if those with availability and ability would volunteer time to substitute, there was no response. Wilhelmsen pointed out that without substitutes the Dennett will, at some point, be unable to hold classes.

While a portion of the funding could come from CARES Act funds, there are no assurances that that money will be available after the end of December. The money to pay for the substitute after December would likely have to come out of the Dennett budget which Director of Business Services Christine Healy described as “traditionally pretty tight.” Committee member Jason Fraser said that there is a small group in D.C. trying to make sure that CARES Act funds not spent in 2020 get carried over to 2021. The Committee voted to move forward with hiring a building-based substitute.

MASC Conference and MCAS Testing

The Massachusetts Association of School Committees MASC Delegate Conference will be held virtually this year on Saturday, November 7. A keynote speech will be available to all members of school committees and administration. The afternoon is the delegate assembly, which is open to all members of school committees, but only designated members have the right to vote on behalf of their school committees. Fraser was voted in as the delegate for the Plympton School Committee during Monday’s meeting. “The point we’re really trying to push is looking at the MCAS, especially for this year, not be held at all for any purpose considering what our kids have been through and what our teachers have been through,” Fraser explained. Fraser said that when he first made the proposal, he expected some pushback, but instead other delegates are now pushing for a four-year moratorium.

Curriculum Coordinator Presentation

Curriculum coordinator for Grades K-6 Melissa Farrell gave a presentation to the Committee regarding the FY 2021 budget. Farrell said that there has been a significant cut in Title I funds from 2018 to now. The impact to Plympton specifically, however, has been relatively insignificant. The main impact has taken the form of cuts to professional development. Savings in the Title 1 budget will be used to provide summer programming for students that could most benefit from it.

Farrell also provided a curriculum overview for the district. This year marks the second year of the new math curriculum. Farrell said that they are working backward by grade level to address the social studies curriculum. Sixth grade is officially teaching ancient civilization outside of the pilot program this year. Instructional technology is being implemented in 5th grade social studies. Third grade social studies has also been addressed since Farrell said the implementation of a new social studies textbook was an easy fix. The new textbook aligns with the changes to Plimoth-Patuxet.

Farrell also touched on Parent Academy, something she referred to as a resource for remote and hybrid learning. “The idea was that in the spring when we went remote, everything and anything was free. If we were going to go into the fall and still have a remote or hybrid model, I felt that it was my job as the curriculum coordinator to have a resource that would fit ELA, math, science, and social studies, and social emotional k-6. In essence, that website represents sort of a balanced approach to make sure that everything is covered under whatever circumstances we were,” Farrell explained. She also said that the website includes additional resources for parents to utilize that are high quality, don’t contain advertisements, and have been vetted.

Farrell told the Committee that the Reading Street ELA curriculum that has been used for the last 8 or 9 years is disappearing after next year. She said that many teachers have been wanting to switch to something new for years as they see a variety of different ways to teach students and would like different resources to support that. Farrell said that it could cost $500,000 to implement a district wide curriculum, a number that is up from just a few years ago. She said one possibility would be to split the cost between two fiscal years with purchases being made in June and July. The subscription to the science curriculum is set to end in fiscal year 2023 but Farrell said the staff feels that they can create their own using instructional technology resources.

Farrell spoke highly of Instructional technology saying that regardless of whether we are in a pandemic year or not, much of it including the use of IXL, should be sustained. She also lauded Newsela, an online platform made up of various articles and often used for social studies. Typing Club, Mystery Science, and Lexia were also mentioned. She did note, however, “our kids still need to have books… I feel like there’s a balance.”

Farrell also told the Committee that she is still trying to assess what the impact of the school closure in the spring was on student learning. “Still trying to be the best that we can be with data to understand our students,” she assured them.

Technology Director Presentation

Silver Lake Technology Director Steve Pellowe also gave a presentation to the Committee regarding budget needs. Pellowe said that there is a need to replace the current phone system. The department is also in need of another technician as requests for technology help was triple what it would be in a normal year. Pellowe said that by the end of the year, the department would be supporting over 10,000 devices across grades K-12. Fraser said that he would be in support of adding an additional 0.2 tech person to the Dennett budget.

Laptops were purchased for the teachers at Dennett using CARES Act funds. Pellowe said, “I do believe as much as I’m concerned about being able to support them [laptops], they really are a critical piece of equipment for our staff to have.” Teacher Ann Walker thanked the Committee on behalf of the staff saying, “it has made everything so much easier for us with our mobile classrooms… and just getting our work done at home… I really appreciate you listening to our needs.” A few docking stations were also purchased.

Pellowe also said that an additional 38 chromebooks were received by Dennett a few weeks ago with 1,450 more coming to the rest of the district that week. “I will sleep a little bit better knowing should we have to go full remote, we have what we need to support the students.”

Principal’s Report

Veneto began his update saying, “Considering that none of us have ever taught during a global pandemic, I think that all of us are doing absolutely terrific.”

The Committee learned that teacher Bea Reynolds will be retiring at the start of 2021 after more than twenty years at Dennett Elementary. Veneto spoke of the huge impact she had on not only the staff and students but the town as well. Fraser added, “Bea Reynolds is the best… she is a gem and she has made Plympton and Dennett a better place for having been there.” His sentiment was met with a chorus of agreement.

Veneto told the Committee that air movement testing had been done at the Dennett. There were several issues that were found that need to be addressed. Veneto said that as a result they have spent more on HVAC than what would typically be spent at this point in the year. Veneto commended Matt Durkee for his assistance with building related fixes.

Superintendent Update and Enrollment

Superintendent Jill Proulx provided an update on enrollment at Dennett Elementary as of October 1. Total enrollment at the elementary level is 209 compared to 226 last year. Plympton students at the middle and high school levels total 190 this year compared to 196 last year.

The most jarring decrease was found at the kindergarten level where there are only 30 students enrolled compared to 54 in last year’s class. Proulx said that several parents are electing to “redshirt” their kindergarten age children in the hopes that next year will be a more normal year. Veneto said based on surveys, etc. he was expecting 42 rather than 30 students at that level this year. Proulx said it is a possibility that next year’s kindergarten class could be an extraordinarily large one.

Additionally, Proulx said that seven students are being homeschooled this year compared to 0 last year. Two students transferred out to private schools while six more transferred out to parochial schools.  Proulx said the data for those attending charter schools was still not available.

The Massachusetts Association of Superintendents is growing increasingly concerned with the number of students transferring out to either homeschool or attend private school. “It’s a concern that we have as our funding is often tied to our enrollment numbers,” Proulx explained.

Plympton’s assessment is down by two-tenths this year whereas Halifax and Kingston have both increased by one-tenth. Plympton is also down six-tenths of a point in shared costs.

Proulx also told those assembled that mid-November will be the deadline for parents electing to switch from either the full remote model or the hybrid one as the next trimester begins on December 9. There is concern that if too many people elect to change from full remote to hybrid, there won’t be enough space within the school (or buses) to maintain proper distancing.

As of the Nov. 2 meeting, Proulx said there had been no positive cases of COVID at the Dennett. She did, however, review the protocol should that change. The principal and the school nurse will notify close contacts. The nurse will notify the Board of Health and the nurse leader will contact the Department of Education.

Proulx also reminded the Committee that the CDC guidance on what qualifies as “close contact” was recently changed from 15 minutes to a cumulative 15 minutes of exposure. This could alter how many people would need to quarantine should there be a positive case in the school.

Should it be a snow day or remote day?

Regarding the possibility of potential school closures, Proulx said, “It’s important for the public to know… we rely on the expertise of health experts such as epidemiologists to help guide us in those decisions.” She also said that Cohort D, which consists of highest needs learners, will be prioritized for in-person learning to the greatest extent possible.

The Commissioner announced recently that school districts may elect to have remote schooling days in lieu of snow days.

Fraser said he was in favor of the idea as long as advanced notice could be given and curriculum materials sent home with students to be done asynchronously at home. Wilhelmsen wondered aloud if it would be easier for parents to deal with a snow day or a remote day and asked Veneto if he could get some input from parents before deciding one way or another.

Wilhelmsen wins MCAS Div.III award

Proulx also read some correspondence from the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) awarding Chair of the Plympton School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen with the MASC’s Division III All State School Committee Award for 2020.

The award was in recognition of all of Wilhelmsen’s contributions to the district as well as his guidance as the district deals with the pandemic. Proulx said, “We appreciate your advocacy and your hard work.”

For his part, Wilhelmsen credited his fellow Committee members saying, “It is also a testament to all of the work everybody on this call does on a regular basis.”

Silver Lake Pathways students learn the art of Film Production

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The relatively new Pathways program at Silver Lake Regional High School is intended to support young adults with disabilities in learning life and vocational skills. The students, who range in age from 18 to 22 years old, have the opportunity to visit community-based work environments through the Pathways Supported Internship Program. Through that program, they are given the opportunity to engage in a variety of work-based activities related to the job site.

Special Education Director Marie Grable introduced the Transition Coordinator for the Pathways program Laura Courage during the Oct. 22 Silver Lake Regional School Committee Meeting. “We are just so fortunate to have the students and the staff members that we have; this program is so exceptional,” Grable said. She credited Courage’s public relations efforts for allowing the program to begin to tuition in students from neighboring communities. Recently, a new student has joined the program from Duxbury.

Courage and three of her eleven students appeared before the Committee virtually. The students were third year Pathways students Adam Brooks and Colin McSherry as well as Robert Silenzi, a second year Pathways student. Courage said that in a normal year there are 13 local job sites that participate in the program but said that only 8 of them are participating this year due to COVID restrictions.

Most recently, students had the opportunity to visit Harbor Media, a leading video services provider for the towns of Hingham and Norwell. In addition to touring the facility and shadowing the employees, the students produced, directed, and edited their own production. The final product was played for the School Committee. The video included student led interviews of their parents as well as a comprehensive overview of the Pathways program.

Speaking on his experience at Harbor Media, Silenzi said his goal was to “become a famous Hollywood screenwriter, mostly for Disney.” He added, “to the people at Pathways, I’m eternally grateful.” Brooks said, “I actually got to feel like a director, I got to lead by being an interviewer and a cameraman, I enjoyed the editing process really well.” McSherry noted, “editing was the most challenging part of the Harbor Media experience.”

After watching the production, Chair of the School Committee said, “That was a brilliant and heartwarming and very informative production. It was superbly done and the young adults that participated were wonderfully articulate… I literally sat here smiling the entire time at it.”

Superintendent Jill Proulx said, “It’s wonderful to see the quality of work that has been produced by your students and we are very proud of them… It’s nice to see them engaged in such relevant and meaningful activities.” She continued, “It is very clear from the video that they are learning and having fun at the same time.”

Courage thanked the Committee and administration for their support saying, “I feel very lucky to be a part of this community and to have such exceptional students and such exceptional support.”

Marijuana cultivators set sights on Halifax

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Oct.r 27, for their regular, non COVID specific weekly meeting. Selectman Troy Garron was absent.

The selectmen had an appointment with owner of High Hopes LLC Russell Bogartz, who hopes to open an indoor marijuana cultivation facility in Halifax. Bogartz, who said he spent 20 years as a business analyst, also introduced his CFO as well as the cultivator that would run the proposed facility.

“We are a small company. We don’t have a multi-state presence… we do have a decent investor pool to make it all happen and we do have big plans for the future and are hopeful that Halifax can be a part of that,” Bogartz explained. Currently, High Hopes has spent the last two years working on opening a cannabis dispensary in Hopedale, MA which is set to open in March of next year. Bogartz said that the hope would be to start with a cultivation site in Halifax and eventually open a retail store there as well. Bogartz confirmed with town administrator Charlie Seelig that Halifax does not have a limit on the number of retail marijuana stores that can take up residence in the town.

Selectman Gordon Andrews asked about location and was told they are looking at a few vacant lots near Dunkin Donuts on Route 106. Bogartz said the plan is to construct a building that is roughly 3500 – 5000 sq. ft. In addition to saying that there would be no pesticides or harmful chemicals used in the facility, Bogartz also ensured the selectmen that there wouldn’t be an odor. “You could literally have people be next door and not even be aware it’s there,” he said. “Our goal is to have the smallest footprint possible,” he added.

When asked what the benefit to the town would be, Bogartz answered property taxes. Andrews asked if the facility would even bring in the average amount in taxes as a typical residence in Halifax. Cities and towns can subject marijuana retailers up to a three percent tax on gross sales, but this does not extend to growing facilities.

Bogartz said he wouldn’t want to pay 3 percent to Halifax as he will already be paying it to the town of Hopedale for the retail establishment. Andrews pointed out, “We’ve had growers tell us they’re going to give us a percentage of what they’re grow business is.” “What we could do, there’s lots of flavors of compromise that would make it worthwhile but doesn’t make us get zinged twice for three percent,” Bogartz said.

Seelig told Bogartz that property taxes would likely not be enough of an incentive to abutters to make it worth whatever sacrifice they would have to endure. He said it was unlikely that the abutters would go to a hearing and support the idea if the additional property taxes were the only benefit to the town. “You’ll have to build political capital with the abutters,” Andrews said.

Selectman Tom Millias told Bogartz to come back when they have something more definitive. Bogartz agreed to nail down a location and a plan. Andrews also recommended that they watch the presentation Bud’s Goods and Provisions gave to the town and they agreed.

The selectmen also met with a representative of Area 58 Community Access Media to discuss a new contract. The current agreement between Area 58 and the towns of Carver, Halifax, and Plympton is set to expire soon.

Millias said that the only issue he has is the same one he has always had – a lack of transparency in what people are paying for the service. Millias said that Comcast subscribers are paying for the service on their cable bills and noted that the service is not coming from the town and therefore, they are not paying for it via taxes.

Millias also noted that the service is not clearly labeled on Comcast bills and said he believes it is referred to only as a franchise fee. According to Millias, there is no opt out clause. “I had less of a problem with it before it became available on Youtube… so now the subscribers are paying for everybody,” Millias explained.

Andrews said he would like to see Area 58 begin to provide the towns with a list of which meetings they plan to cover. The representative told the selectmen that if there are any specific meetings that they would like to see covered, they can put a request in through Seelig and Area 58 will do their best to cover it.

It was also said that Area 58 has the ability to host Zoom meetings in order to livestream it for viewers. This is something that has been done for many meetings in Carver. “We are always looking for additional ways of serving the community and are proud to do so and have enjoyed the relationship we’ve had with Halifax and Plympton over the years,” the representative said. Area 58 said they don’t anticipate any changes to the contract other than amending the dates.

The selectmen also engaged in a lengthy conversation about whether to grant recycling abatements for a number of different cases. They denied all those that missed the deadline but were less sure what to do in other situations.

Some claimed to never have received their first bill while others said they mistakenly believed an abatement was good indefinitely. Despite being “sympathetic,” Millias said, “I always think everybody knows this comes around once a year like your taxes.” The selectmen agreed to carry the recycling abatements conversation over to a later meeting.

Seelig told the selectmen that the option to sign up for a Webinar subscription is available for $450 per year. This would help in holding meetings virtually during the pandemic. Seelig noted that if they chose to go this route, if accepted by Plymouth County, CARES Act funds could only cover the cost for the next two months.

Seelig also told the selectmen that the Pope’s Tavern roof project is scheduled to being in the middle of November. The Council on Aging has already been moved over to the police station for the time being.

Thompson named new Zoning Enforcement officer

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met virtually on Monday, Nov. 2, for one of their bi-weekly meetings. Chair Mark Russo said he would like to do a mailing that would inquire about residents’ interest in joining various boards and committees in town. Russo said there are a lot of vacancies at the moment. The eventual hope is to establish a volunteer bank. Selectman Christine Joy suggested including job descriptions or perhaps just directing residents to the town website for more information on the boards and committees. “The other cool way to do this is to remind people that boards and commissions and committees have open meetings and a good way to get a sense is attend a meeting or two and see what it’s about and see if there’s interest,” Russo said. Older recordings could also be watched when available.

The selectmen also reviewed the Board liaisons document as it hadn’t been reviewed for a year. Despite some debate about whether to change the Bylaw Review Committee liaison from Joy to Russo, it was decided that it would be best left on Joy’s plate as Russo’s wife serves on the committee. An exchange was made, however, to make Russo the liaison to the Highway Department as he has been working on a number of highway related projects.

Selectman and acting interim Director for the Council on Aging (COA) John Traynor gave an update on the COA who last met on October 26. Traynor who said, “we definitely need to find a director,” asked town administrator Elizabeth Dennehy how the search was going thus far. Dennehy said that the posting period had closed for the position and that there was only one applicant. Traynor asked if it would be possible to open it back up again but Dennehy said that she would like to interview the candidate first as they came highly recommended. Russo recommended holding an interview with the COA Board of Directors, the Board of Selectmen, and Dennehy. Dennehy said she would schedule it.

Traynor told his fellow selectmen that the town needs to “broaden our reach to our seniors… hopefully over time we can encourage more seniors to come into the process.” He brought up the robocalls that are sent out to senior residents and said that due to a lot of people moving from landlines to cell phones, updated information is needed for many people. Traynor said they would address that topic in the next newsletter.

Traynor also cited a shortage of money and difficulties posed by the pandemic as reasons why it is difficult to organize programming for the COA at this time. Despite those obstacles, Traynor did say that they are working on things including a possible Zoom bingo. According to Traynor, Kingston has been holding COA events online in addition to a few, limited in-person programs such as quilting.

Jim Mustacaros and Traynor went together to pick up brown bags in Brockton as part of the Greater Boston Food Bank for delivery to residents. Traynor said the bags went to 27 residents at the Woodlands, 6 went to people in town, and another few to Marshfield. He also said that there is a plowing program where $25 will be reimbursed for plowing through a grant. Similarly, seniors can be reimbursed up to $25 for hiring a handy person. According to Traynor, volunteer drivers are needed for the COA as Mustacaros has a full schedule.

With Tom Millias’ resignation, the Zoning Enforcement Officer position was recently left vacant. Ken Thompson sent in an application and met all requirements. Both Millias and Dennehy met with Thompson and recommended him to the Board for an interim appointment through the end of the fiscal year. Thompson has served on both the Zoning Board of Appeals (a position he currently holds and will need to resign from) and the Bylaw Review Committee. Of the interim basis, Dennehy said, “it will give both him and the town a chance to see if it’s a good fit or not.”

Russo said he really admired Tom Millias and his approach to the position calling it both “measured” and “balanced.” He did note that as of late there had been some tension with the Bylaw Review Committee. Russo also said that he served with Thompson on the Community Preservation Committee and said that he admired his work adding that he has good legal opinions and knows his bylaws. “I’m actually excited about this and think its worth a try,” Russo said. The Board voted unanimously to appoint him.

Dennehy provided an update on a number of projects. She told the selectmen that the Town Properties Committee has been extremely busy. She said the town is in receipt of specs for the bid process on the highway barn roof project. It needs to be determined if the funds appropriated during the last town meeting will be enough to cover the cost of the project. According to Dennehy, the town is also looking into obtaining pricing and proposals to make an entrance on the second floor of the Townhouse handicap accessible. There is also a plan in place to do an assessment of the plumbing and septic issues at the Townhouse.

Dennehy also touched on some of the guidelines that were released that day from Governor Baker. Those included limiting indoor gatherings to 10 people and outdoor gatherings to 25. There is also a DPH curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily with the exception of work. Additionally, indoor recreation, theaters and casinos will close at 9:30 p.m. and restaurants will stop seating at 9:30 p.m. The updated guidelines go into effect on Friday, November 6.

Dennehy said that they were made aware of another positive COVID case in town that day and said that they still had not received confirmation that all the previous cases in town had been cleared. Regarding the number of cases rising, Dennehy said, “it’s something we need to be made aware of and we can’t really let our guards down.” She also said that everyone seems pleased that the Townhouse will be professionally disinfected following Election Day. Chair of the Board of Health Art Morin was in attendance Monday and commented on the emergency public health alerts that had been issued by the state for several neighboring towns.

The selectmen ended with their raves for the last few weeks. Joy said that her rave was for everyone working at the Town House and for all town employees. She called out both Cathy Ferguson and Dennehy for their efforts and noted the increased stress level of both residents and employees. She said that given the current climate, it might be a good idea to revisit the idea of de-escalation training. Traynor said that his rave was for the Emergency Management Team saying, “they’ve done a stellar job getting us through this.” Russo said that his rave was for the election process in Plympton saying, “it looks like it has gone unbelievably smoothly.”

School committee reviews new COVID procedures

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The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met for three hours on Thursday, Oct. 22. Newest member Lukasz Kowalksi was in attendance representing Plympton.

Principals’ Reports

High school principal Michaela Gill and middle school principal Jim Dupille provided the Committee with updates. Gill began by saying that the graduation date this year will be moved from Saturday morning to Friday evening as was done this past summer. Gill said they received a lot of positive feedback regarding the switch and also said that it allows the rain date to be the following day. The new date will be Friday, June 4 with a rain date of June 5.  Committee member Eric Crone said that as a parent of a graduating senior last year, he agreed with the change and noted the cooler temperatures during the evening. Gill also said that due to the overwhelming success of the senior parade held due to COVID restrictions, it may become a new tradition moving forward.

The school hosted its first ever virtual back to school night with teachers creating slide presentations and videos for parents to view at their convenience. The presentations remain on the website should anyone still wish to view them. Parent-teacher conferences were also held virtually and Gill said that there was a 10.5 percent increase in parent participation over the previous year. She attributed the increase to the convenience of parents not having to take time off from work or schedule a babysitter in order to attend. Gill said that they will consider restructuring both the back to school event and the conferences in the future, perhaps offering a remote option even after the pandemic is over.

Gill also brought before the Committee a request to approve both drama and band beginning in a limited capacity after school. Band would begin as just one day a week and would include percussion instruments only to avoid the possible risk posed by wind instruments. The drama program, which will include only one show this year during the spring, would also be meeting one day per week after school in the auditorium. Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch said the requests complied with DESE guidelines and the Committee voted unanimously to approve.

Due to the pandemic last year, the requirement for seniors to complete community service hours was waived. Gill said she has been fielding questions regarding whether the same accommodation will be made this year. Given that there have already been some opportunities for students to complete hours either virtually or with safety protocols in place, Gill said she would like to hold off on making a final decision on whether or not to waive the requirement until after the new year.

The school participated in raising funds for breast cancer research in October through a small staff fundraising event which was held virtually. Students were also encouraged to wear pink to help raise awareness. Students also participated in a global Unity Day that entailed wearing orange to stand in solidarity against bullying.

Gill also recognized several teachers and staff members for their outstanding efforts in getting school started this year including the school nurse who Gill said is the first one in the building every day. “Without her obviously we would not have been able to open our doors this year… I don’t think she’s slept since March 12,” Gill told the Committee.

Dupille said that parent teacher conferences were coming up at the middle school on November 18 and 19 and said the format would be the same as the high school. He also said that Term 1 progress reports would be issued electronically. Like the high school, Dupille said they held a virtual back to school night. Parents were able to speak virtually with their children’s teachers.

A Halloween costume contest was planned by student council and students in the in-person cohorts were encouraged to wear their costumes to school as part of Spirit Week.

Dupille said he wanted to thank his teachers and other staff such as the custodial staff. He noted their dedication saying, “students are the recipient of all that hard work.”

CARES Act Funds and Technology Needs

The administration was able to speak to the towns of Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton about sharing their CARES Act funds with Silver Lake Regional. A meeting was scheduled so that the three towns and the school could discuss how best to ensure that an adequate share of each town’s allocation is going toward the region. Committee member Christopher Eklund said, “whatever is proportionate to our portion of the towns’ budgets is fair to ask for.”

Director of Business Services Christine Healy said that Representative Kathy LaNatra was able to secure $120,000 in CARES Act funding for Silver Lake to be used for technology infrastructure as well as $26,000 to be used for PPE.

Considerations for technology expenditures include laptops for faculty instead of chromebooks as well as a technology paraprofessional position through the end of the year. Teachers have been finding that the chromebooks don’t support the kind of work they are doing. Silver Lake Technology Director Steve Pellowe told the Committee that chromebooks are not designed to run Google Meets while also having multiple tabs open.

There was some discussion among the Committee regarding the need for laptops for students as well. Pellowe said that in an ideal world, laptops would be issued for all students in Grades 7-12 but noted that laptops run approximately $1000 a piece while chromebooks are only $230. Pelllowe also said that the repairs and upkeep for laptops are far costlier. Even if CARES Act funds could be secured for the purchase of laptops for students in older grades, Pellowe said, “the ongoing costs would be so high I think it would be unsustainable.” Crone cited the durability of chromebooks as another reason why they are ideal for students.

The Committee voted to approve laptops for the faculty as well as the tech para position through the end of the year. The estimated cost for these items is roughly $184,000.

Some members of the Committee expressed concern over spending CARES Act funds on technology expenses that assume a remote or hybrid model through the end of the year rather than a return to full-in person learning. Committee member Leslie-Ann McGee stressed that with guidelines and budget restrictions what they are, it would be impossible for schools to open up full time even if the communities stay out of the red zone. Committee member Gordon Andrews noted that the busing restrictions prevent a return to full in-person learning but did note that a change to that guideline might change how best to spend CARES Act funds.

Superintendent Jill Proulx said, “I recognize the hardship that the hybrid model and remote model and basically just not returning to a traditional classroom setting has caused for many students and families and so I am aware of that. We have discussed before some of the issues that will arise with returning to full, in-person and that is the need for the regulations with regards to busing to change because we had determined a while ago that that would be cost prohibitive for us as a regional school district and we are required to provide transportation.”

Proulx said the other issue that would make a return to full, in-person learning difficult is the 6 ft social distance mandate during lunch. While DESE guidance allows for less than that in a classroom setting, lunchtime requires more distance.

Enrollment

Proulx said that as of October 1, enrollment at the middle school was 524 and 1,082 at the high school for an overall decrease of 19 students over last year. Assessment percentages for 2022 stand at a 10 percent increase for both Halifax and Kingston and a 20 percent decrease for Plympton. The shared cost percentage for Halifax will be increasing by 20 percent and increasing by 10 percent for Kingston. Plympton, on the other hand, will see a 60 percent decrease. Proulx told the Committee that there has been an increase in students attending private and charter schools as well as being homeschooled. Additionally, many elementary school aged children have chosen to take a year off before entering kindergarten. Proulx said it was not a Silver Lake problem but rather a problem for all of Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Association of Superintendents has asked the state not to hold these numbers against individual schools given the unusual nature of this school year.

School closures

Proulx told the Committee that there has been a change in regulatory language that would allow communities in the red for more than 3 weeks to remain in a hybrid model. While still subject to change, Proulx said that even If a community remains in the red for three or more weeks, if there isn’t school spread, the schools may remain open. As the schools’ largest population, Proulx said that Kingston is the primary metric for consideration in deciding whether to change models at Silver Lake Regional. Both the Board of Health and the state has allowed Silver Lake to remain in a hybrid model as there hasn’t been school spread. Proulx said that should there be a cluster of cases or school spread, an epidemiologist for the Department of Health may make the determination to close the schools. She said that Cohort D students would be prioritized for in-person learning in whatever capacity would be allowed.

John Lay spoke on behalf of the Silver Lake Education Association (SLEA). He said, “This year will only work with compromise… Since the start of the year, our teachers have worked without any contract because we hold the best interests of the children of the town higher than our own. We’ve been holding up our end of this compromise.” He continued, “Tonight I’m calling on the School Committee to recognize the efforts and the sacrifices of the faculty and staff of Silver Lake by offering the teachers a fair contract and settling the memorandum of agreement.” Before closing, he added, “We’re overwhelmed. We quite literally couldn’t be working any harder for our students. The School Committee has the power to thank us for all that hard work by settling right now.”

Committee Chair Paula Hatch responded to Lay telling him how appreciative the community and Committee are of the staff’s efforts. “The only thing I’m going to say to that is a lot of people put a lot of time in to try to come to terms, your side and our side. I think we are where we are with mediation and fact-finding because both sides have an idea of where we need to be and we just haven’t been able to come to terms on that,” Hatch said.