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Dear North Smithfield Families and Staff,
It is hard to believe that we have only been back to school for only seven weeks. I am sure it seems longer than that for most of us. I have to express my sincere thanks to everyone. Thank you to our teachers and support staff who have been giving 1000% to their students and colleagues. Thank you to our many students who have been amazingly resilient working under the constraints that COVID has imposed on them. We are very aware of the social-emotional burden, depression, and weariness felt by many of our students, which is driving so many of our efforts. And thank you to parents who have been patient, who are working with our teachers and encouraging their children to engage and succeed, despite the challenges. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions. It was with all this in mind that we addressed the North Smithfield School Committee at a special meeting Thursday, November 5th. The video from the meeting can be viewed at https://youtu.be/Hcj2e-v_GKQ. An outline is included below. Progress
Cautions
Other Updates
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Dear North Smithfield Families and Staff,
At Tuesday’s School Committee Meeting, I recommended the next phase of student returns. We are looking forward to seeing our students with 504 plans and our 4th graders next week. The following week is a big week with the scheduled return of Grades 2 and 3. Returns to date:
NSES Grades 2 and 3 have been a challenge with their return as they are both large classes and we are trying to maintain as much classroom spacing between students as possible. Our ELA and Math Specialists have come to the rescue and volunteered to switch their roles and become classroom teachers. This will enable us to open an additional classroom in Grades 2 and 3 as well as help permit greater social distancing in the classroom and better balance to meet the needs of both our in-person and at-home learners. More information will be coming from NSES as we coordinate the return. This is truly a wonderful solution for NSES. I thank our teachers and administrators at every school as they continue to brainstorm solutions. We are in the process of hiring more substitute teachers to provide additional coverage and supports at all schools, with a focus on NSES. Our admin team (including myself) has been taking turns to provide extra classroom coverage and supports at NSES. Working with the NSES students has been among the highlights of our week. We have a new drop-off procedure at NSES which appears to be very effective. Our transportation company is re-analyzing the bus routes with the return of new grade levels in mind. We will certainly notify everyone of any changes. Quarantine, Contact Tracing and Precautions As we move forward with our phased-in reopening plan, COVID cases across the state are increasing, and yes, we are seeing positive cases in our schools. By HIPAA law, we are limited in the amount and types of information we can share in order to assure privacy protections for families, students, and staff. When a positive case is made known to us, we are obligated to follow the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) procedures and directives around quarantining. We are aware of many of your concerns and frustrations around contact tracing timelines and notifications. Improving the speed of testing and tracing has been been a continued topic of discussion at state-level meetings between schools, RIDOH, the Department of Education, and the Governor’s office as we emphasize the need to improve speed, efficiency, and communication because of the confusion, stresses, and anxiety it creates within our communities. While we are doing what we can within our schools to mitigate risks and follow the guidelines and procedures defined by RIDOH, we are increasingly concerned about what is happening outside of school which may negatively impact our ability to remain open. To date, we are not aware of any positive cases connected to being in school and any spread seems to be coming from outside activities and interactions. When in school we want our kids to be with their friends and learn. During the evenings and weekends, we want our kids to be kids, to have birthday parties and sleepovers, and to play and have fun. We want to be able to travel again, but unfortunately, many locations are still considered “hotspots” and carry mandatory restrictions upon return. We all want to support one another and keep each other healthy. My hope is that we can collectively keep everyone well, both inside and outside school, by following all the recommended health and safety guidelines, precautions, and restrictions no matter how inconvenient. As a reminder please use the health screening forms (NSES Admit One Ticket and MS and HS students and district employees on the district website https://www.nsps.us/) every morning. Parents, if your child is exhibiting any of the symptoms as listed, he or she should remain home. If symptoms persist, or by recommendation of the school nurse or RIDOH, please use the free COVID testing services for K-12 provided by the State. Thank you everyone and have a healthy and safe weekend. - Michael St. Jean, Superintendent Testing Children and K-12 Testing Sites: https://health.ri.gov/covid/testing/children/ Back to School RI: https://www.back2schoolri.com/what-you-need-to-know/ RIDOH Outbreak Response Protocols https://reopeningri.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2020-09-14_K-12-Playbook_edited_v2.pdf Alignment to the NSPS District Strategic Plan
The NSPS District Strategic Plan outlines the following Annual Assessment Process: “In September of each school year, the Superintendent will present the year’s upcoming focus areas, goals, priorities, and initiatives. All school and district focus areas and initiatives will directly connect to the Strategic Plan’s overarching Strategies, Priorities, and Goals.” 20-21 Superintendent Priorities and Goals 1. High Standards, Quality Instruction, Curricula, and Student Success: All students will achieve high standards, annual growth, and graduate college- and career-ready as independent, creative, and contributing members of society.
2. Safe and Supportive Schools All students will learn in environments that embody a culture and climate of excellence, mutual respect, and safety.
Dear North Smithfield Families,
I want to commend the kids for the way they have committed to keeping their classmates and teachers safe by wearing their masks and adjusting to new routines. I also want to thank our teachers for juggling the diverse learning needs of students both at-home and in-person simultaneously. Finally, thank you parents for all of your patience as we get used to this new reality and make adjustments and improvements. I know extending our reopening beyond the Hybrid model is on everyone’s mind. Towards that goal we are assessing instruction, transportation, classroom space, movement of students, and general operations and protocols. In order to do this, we have some COVID-related capacity reductions and bottlenecks that we need to address, such as:
Transportation Survey As per the Rhode Island Department of Health regulations, school bus capacity will be restricted to 50% capacity or a maximum of 36 students. We need to know if we will exceed this limit and on which routes. Below is a transportation survey form for those who absolutely require AM and/or PM bus transportation and have no other means to get to or from school. If you are able to individually, or by carpool, drop-off and/or pick-up students every day, both morning and afternoon, we thank you, and you do not need to fill out this form. We understand there are some days when bus transportation is not used such as when students remain after school for seasonal athletics and activities. We still need you to indicate that PM transportation is required as athletic seasons change and there will be days when afterschool activities are be canceled, yet we still need to be sure that we do not exceed the new bus capacity limits. NSPS Transportation Survey Form link: https://forms.gle/7Ee3MVurGNDRxNBz5 We will close the survey Sunday night on Sept. 27th. Thank you, Michael St. Jean, Superintendent Dear North Smithfield Families,
I wanted to take a moment to welcome everyone back to a most unusual and challenging of new school years and give you a few updates. Transportation
Instruction
Facilities
Concerns These are potential issues I have shared with the School Committee during the past few meetings. Our goal is a Full Return, but in order to realize this we will have to address and weigh the following concerns:
The Hybrid start will allow us to assess conditions and further organize based on the new reality and not on conjecture. It will allow students and teachers time to acclimate to the new processes and procedures. As I mentioned at the beginning of this email, while I am confident that North Smithfield is up to any challenge, this one will take a whole community effort. Michael St. Jean, Superintendent Dear North Smithfield Families and Staff,
During the Tuesday, August 18th, School Committee Meeting (https://youtu.be/xDKkf7xOc3Y), I made a number of recommendations regarding school reopening. I want to take this opportunity to reiterate and expand upon my recommendations. School Reopening Recommendations Districts in the state have begun to announce a return to school under full Distance Learning as well as a variety of other models. At this time, we firmly believe that some in-person learning is preferable to none. At Tuesday’s School Committee Meeting, I recommended to the North Smithfield Schools that we conduct a “soft” reopening under the Hybrid Model for all students in PK-12.
With an anticipated 20% of our students choosing a full Distance Learning option and with 40% of our students in person between Tuesday - Friday we can:
Under a full reopening model, at this time, we cannot guarantee that everyone who needs a seat on the bus will have a seat. Under a full reopening model, we cannot maintain 6 feet of social distancing in classrooms, students will sit in rows with masks on, facing forward, with limited movement and conversation. We want the schools to be open and social, less restrictive and prison-like which will be difficult to achieve under a full reopening model. We will need the first few weeks to get everyone used to new processes and routines and to tune and refine. After a few weeks, we will assess the conditions in the schools, community, and the state, and ideally move towards a fuller opening, remain on hybrid, or shift towards Distance Learning. I understand the need to reopen fully and, virus permitting, that is definitely our goal, especially for our elementary students and students with special needs. Staffing Concerns and Early Student Dismissal At the School Committee Meeting, I expressed concerns about staffing due to the Department of Health requirements for all employers in all industries to permit employees to stay home if they are sick. Across the state, superintendents are anticipating that with general illnesses, staff going in and out of quarantine, and the general lack of substitute teachers, we will have difficulty keeping our classrooms fully staffed. North Smithfield has an option that many schools do not have. We have one of the longest school days among public schools in the state. Our school day is closer in length to private, parochial, and some charter schools. The school day will be reduced for students by 45 minutes. This move will allow our teachers to provide class coverage during the day to offset the anticipated lack of substitute teacher availability and create time at the end of the day to better support the mix of student in-person and Distance Learning needs. I do understand the disruption in family schedules that reducing the student school day by 45 minutes will create for some. We have not committed to this solution but are strongly considering it. We will know more when the Governor makes her school reopening announcement on August 31st. Distance Learning Whether families choose full Distance Learning, or Distance Learning as part of the Hybrid Model, or Distance Learning is necessitated due to quarantine, it will look different than it did last year. Our Distance Learning delivery will be:
A separate email/form will be going out allowing parents who indicated they were interested in a Distance Learning option to reconsider as well as families who did not sign up for Distance Learning to add their student’s names. Facilities Update In addition to general summer cleaning and maintenance, our Facilities Department is preparing for school reopening. Of note, the Rhode Island Departments of Education and Department of Health recommended at the beginning of the summer that schools install plexiglass student partitions in classrooms. Our focus instead was to tune, service, and upgrade our HVAC system controls and unit ventilators. Last week, new guidance to districts and schools advised not to spend money on plexiglas partitions and instead improve school and classroom ventilation. North Smithfield again was ahead of the game. Here is a brief list of some of our projects and purchases:
Our teachers and staff desperately want to reopen and welcome all students back, but given budgetary constraints, restrictions in busing and gatherings, taking extra health and safety precautions, accommodating the mix of in-person and Distance Learning needs, everything this year will be a balancing act like we have never seen before. Michael St. Jean, Superintendent Dear North Smithfield Families and Staff,
We remain in a holding pattern as to the specifics of school reopening. Again I wish I could give you specific information, but I can’t. Many of you probably have heard by now that school opening in Rhode Island will be delayed. Message From Rhode Island’s Commissioner of Education: In addition to the standard educational preparation you do each year, there are a number of complex operational and logistical challenges we are all tackling this year. These include preparing our buildings for appropriate safety measures, developing and practicing all-new classroom practices for staff and students, pressure-testing our transportation plans, implementing COVID testing and response protocols, and more. In light of these challenges and after listening closely to your concerns, I am sharing the following 2020-21 school year calendar adjustments with you:
Distance Learning For those that filled out our Distance Learning Intent form, thank you. We know this decision depends on the timing, the state of infection, and the model under which we open. Everyone will be given the opportunity to add or remove students from the Distance Learning Intent List once we know what reopening will look like. Here are the preliminary counts by grade: KG - 15 01 - 16 02 - 31 03 - 29 04 - 36 05 - 24 06 - 39 07 - 29 08 - 42 09 - 26 10 - 21 11 - 33 12 - 18 For now we have an approximate count of students which will help immensely in shaping our instructional methods, busing, and the use of space in our schools and grounds. Last year, due to the suddenness of the change-over from in-person learning to distance learning, we all experienced some inconsistencies and had to make adjustments. Our teachers have been reviewing their distance learning procedures from last year as well as taking input from students and parents and colleagues. For the coming year we are retooling our distance learning approach, making it more structured and rigorous, with a focus on teaching new content instead of skills reinforcement. We are approaching distance learning as a means to improve instruction for the long term and not as a temporary stop-gap measure. Now that we have these preliminary counts we can revise and prepare for publication our distance learning instructional plan. This will be a delicate balancing act mixing in-person with distance learning, with many variations depending on the grade level, content area, and individual student needs. It is a challenge North Smithfield accepts and will rise to, but it will require a considerable amount of coordination and cooperation among all of us. PPE and Facilities Our facilities department continues to improve our schools and classrooms and prepare for reopening and beyond:
We will keep you informed as information comes in and plans are finalized. Until then your continued patience and understanding is appreciated. Michael St. Jean, Superintendent NSPS School Opening Website: https://www.nsps.us/reopening.html Rhode Island School Reopening FAQ https://www.ride.ri.gov/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/COVID19/ReopeningFAQs.pdf?ver=2020-07-31-095926-290 Rhode Island Response Protocols Playbook: Pre-K to 12: https://health.ri.gov/publications/presentations/Outbreak-Response-Protocols-PreK-12.pdf Dear North Smithfield Families,
I wanted to update everyone on our very fluid reopening plans. Since my last letter to you, there have been several updates at the State level:
Distance Learning: Pre-Existing Medical, Quarantine, and Option NSPS will offer a full Distance Learning option for students with pre-existing medical conditions and try to accommodate families who request the Distance Learning option. For this option, NSPS will require a Quarterly commitment to Distance Learning. Distance Learning will be provided to students who must temporarily quarantine. Grades K-5
Grades 6-8
Grades 9-12
Reopening Plan Revisions as 8/4/2020 Splitting between in-person, full or partial models, accommodating distance learning for medical needs, or as an option, is going to seriously stretch our teachers and staff and resources, but we will do our best to accommodate the community’s needs and support our students as best as we can. Plan #1: Full In-Person RIDE Definition:
Summary
Plan #2: Partial In-Person RIDE Definition
Summary
Plan #3: Limited In-Person RIDE Definition
Summary
As always, thank you all for your patience, understanding, and input as we try and pin down this moving target. Michael St. Jean, Superintendent https://www.nsps.us/reopening.html https://www.facebook.com/northsmithfieldschools/ Dear North Smithfield Families and Staff,
Before I share some details of our plan, I want to thank all of our families, students, and staff for their quick and amazing pivot to distance learning last year. The dedication, innovation, and patience exhibited by all was truly remarkable. North Smithfield accepted the challenge and met it. We have another challenge before us: To reopen schools safely in the fall. The Governor’s Office and Rhode Island Department of Education have tasked school districts to develop reopening plans to cover a spectrum of possibilities.
We have worked within our own committees and neighboring school districts and attempted to follow the current Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) guidance. Thank you to all the parents who responded to our school reopening family survey. Our committees read your reopening concerns and suggestions. Our principals and assistant principals read your individual concerns about your child or children. I wish I could address all your questions and worries with certainty, but as you will see, there are still so many unknowns. Although we submitted three DRAFT plans, they are not set in stone. Many questions, issues, and unknowns remain and as a result, details are likely to change:
Reopening Plans Guiding Principles To support all stakeholders in reopening schools, RIDE and NSPS will follow five (5) guiding principles for the planning, decision-making, and execution of returning to school:
Common Elements to All Plans Cleaning, Social Distancing, Facial Coverings
Transportation
Distance Learning
Plan #1: Full In-Person RIDE Definition:
DRAFT Summary
Plan #2: Partial In-Person RIDE Definition
DRAFT Summary
Plan #3: Limited In-Person RIDE Definition
DRAFT Summary
As you can see, the logistics of reopening our schools, resuming a quality education, and ensuring the health and safety of our students, teachers, and staff is a daunting proposition while COVID-19 is still present within our community. I understand that this letter and the draft plan summary have probably created more questions than it answered so I have scheduled a virtual forum to discuss further. Topic: NSPS School Reopening Community Forum Time: Thursday July 23, 2020 at 6:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) https://zoom.us/j/95621651719?pwd=MDlwS1VSRXFKK1J4VHY4alJrNXBhdz09 Dial by your location +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) Meeting ID: 956 2165 1719 Password: 458291 To help us better manage the discussion of this important topic in an online community forum, we are asking that you enter your questions or comments beforehand. We will review and combine similar questions and provide as many answers as we can at the beginning of the forum. https://forms.gle/ZQuHMtXdKbGXg1A78 I mention at the beginning of this letter that I wish I could tell you with great certainty the plans RIDE wants us to submit will meet all needs and satisfies all concerns. But I can’t. What I can do is assure you that all of us at the North Smithfield Public Schools are committed to the health, safety, and success of all our students and will do everything we can in response to whatever situation or condition our community finds itself in August and beyond. Sincerely, Michael St. Jean Superintendent NSPS School Reopening Website: https://www.nsps.us/reopening.html 7/21/2020 School Committee School Reopening Presentation Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tMBbW66jGLYIENGeuBUcWlGN9SI8jGe9/view 7/21/2020 School Committee School Reopening Presentation Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPYkWaUXMp4  Superintendent Update 7/8/2020 - School Reopening Information and Survey
North Smithfield Public Schools will be submitting to the Rhode Island Department of Education reopening plans to cover each of three specific scenarios:
We have committees working on:
We are also collaborating with school districts in our region and across the state. Our Initial plans are due to the Department of Education by July 17th. The Department of Education has hired a consulting firm to review plans and provide feedback. Regionally, we will be sharing the best solutions and coordinating our efforts to bring our students back to school safely. Our Goal: Our goal is to re-open with the “Full in-person for All” model. To that end we will be:
This is just a small list. In order to reopen safely, the overall changes and restructuring will be extensive. We will try and minimize any disruptions and ensure a smooth transition to instruction regardless if conditions in August allow us to re-open fully, partially, or we have to return to an improved distance learning. Once RIDE has reviewed our plans and we have submitted modifications we will share the plan with the community. We anticipate RIDE will be releasing finalized plans around July 30th. We will continue to reach out to the community for input as we work through revisions and changing State, DOH, and CDC guidance as we get closer to school opening. As of this writing, we have no determination from the Interscholastic League regarding a resumption of school athletics. Transportation and Family Survey: Transportation is a major concern as the current guidance for buses limits ridership to one student per seat, or approximately 25 students per bus. No district in the state has the means to simply add more buses and drivers. Superintendents have requested raising the ridership to at least two students per seat (face coverings on, looking forward, disinfecting hands when getting on and off the bus). If this new limit is approved we will be able to transport most students who typically ride the bus. We will still have to pull together and help out with carpools and other means of getting to and from school. Please take a moment to complete this short survey for each student your family in order to give us a better sense of the changes we may have to consider in order to transport our students to and from school. Included is a (non-binding) question asking would you would consider a distance learning option, if available, rather than returning to school in-person? We also want to hear your own questions, comments, or suggestions regarding reopening in the fall. https://forms.gle/uxF7d5NqVTHzXD4N8 For Further Information: We have bundled and will continue to expand our school reopening plans, guides, and templates at https://www.nsps.us/reopening.html. This site currently contains the RIDE Statewide School Calendar, RIDE Reopening FAQ (mental, physical, and social-emotional health, protocols), and RIDE Reopening Plan Guidance and will continue to expand as our own plans develop and new guidance is added. Thank you, Michael St. Jean, Superintendent |
AuthorMichael St. Jean, Archives
November 2020
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