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Dear North Smithfield Families, This is a quick note to thank you for sending us your students this year. Unfortunately, I was ill last week and missed one of my favorite moments of the year; waiting with my camera for the buses to arrive at NSES to capture images of nervous students getting off the bus and suddenly bursting with excitement as they see their friends and are greeted by their teachers. NSES was so happy to connect with families through Bedtime Stories and finally meet families and students at their Back to School Night. NSMS at its open house was proud to show off the newly renovated classrooms with its teachers eager to meet their student's parents. NSHS had a blast at Freshmen Orientation filled with information and activities introducing new students to the programs and staff who are here to prepare the way for success in high school and beyond. Also, there have been a few concerns related to the management and renovations of the athletic field. I was going to send and share the attached letter at the end of the summer regarding concerns that were expressed during Town Council and School Committee meetings, in the press, and across social media in order to clear up any misunderstandings regarding the history, renovations, and management of the North Smithfield Public Schools (NSPS) athletic complex. However, I did not want any external issues to detract from focusing on the successful opening of our schools. Now that schools are open, I hope the attached message will bring clarity for some. We had a great opening week and we look forward to great weeks throughout the entirety of the school year! We have a great team and feel privileged to be a part of this community. 
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There is something special about the end of summer and the start of a new school year because no matter what the previous year was like, there comes a sense of renewal, a fresh start. The beginning of the year is about new students, new teachers, new classrooms, seeing old friends and making new friends. There is an air of excitement and hope.
The summer was busy: NSES has a beautiful new library renovation. At NSMS most of the classrooms were repainted and we have new furniture in the cafeteria and in the 5th grade classrooms. At NSHS we began phase one of replacing the original hallway floor tiles, repainted the library, and had the majority of its old windows replaced with windows that are not only more energy efficient, but also each classroom has a special safety window for emergency egress. A special thank you to our custodial, maintenance, and technology staff for their always hard, and ambitious work during the summer to prepare for the return of teachers and students. Along with our excellent educators, we also added this year new members of staff dedicated to expanding student social-emotional support and academic interventions. The schools are ready, classrooms are prepared, and we look forward to seeing the students return! Dear Parents, Staff, and Community Members,
As you may recall on 7/21/2023 I notified the community of a PFAS level compliance issue with well #2 servicing NSMS and NSHS. To recap:
We have taken initial steps for the start of school and filed the following information to the Rhode Island Department of Health: The main component of the plan to bring the water that is provided to the consumers into compliance is to limit the volume of water well 2 is contributing to the public water system. Currently, as it is summer and the demand for water is minimal, well 2 has been placed offline. On August 17th, NWSI will be installing a new control box that will place well 2 on a timer, limiting the volume of water from well 2 going into the storage tank via time the pump is allowed to operate. The new control box will be located within the locked pump house. The settings of this control box will only be accessible by someone with extensive programming knowledge. This will ensure that no one can walk in and “turn a knob” to adjust the run time of well 2. The actual settings relating to the amount of time the well will be running will be calculated on August 17th. A certified operator will be on site with the control specialist to first calculate the flow rate for each well and use those measurements to determine the length of time well 2 will run before cycling off during system call outs for water. When the system calls for water again this process will repeat with well 2 only running for a set amount of time. Well 1 will continuously run to meet the demands of the public water system each time the system calls for water. Following the installation of the control box, the system will be sampling the entry point quarterly along with the wells to ensure that the system remains within compliance and is providing safe drinking water to its consumers. We cannot fully shut down Well #2 because Well #1 does not have the capacity on its own to service the schools, but by changing the rates from which we draw between Well #1 and Well #2, favoring Well #1, PFAS levels will significantly be lowered at all points of use throughout the middle and high schools. Additionally, several years ago we began installing in our schools water bottle-filling stations that contain filters certified for Lead, Chlorine Taste & Odor and Class 1 Particulate reduction. We have been notified by the manufacturer that within the next two months new filters will be available that include PFAS filtration. Finally, we must emphasize that the water is safe to drink even at the original 21 ppt, and we are lowering it even further. RIDOH is not telling us to shut down Well #2. RIDOH is not saying our drinking water is contaminated, it just needs to be remediated. Since Well #2 was identified as 1 of 10 public water sources in the state exceeding 20 ppt and requiring remediation, funds will be available to assist. We have been assured by the RIDOH of a federal grant expected in October which names North Smithfield Schools as eligible for upwards to $650,000 for PFAS remediation in Well #2. Thank you for your understanding as we work through this process and will continue to keep you updated. Michael St. Jean Superintendent Dear Parents, Staff, and Community Members, As you may know, NSPS supplies its own drinking water to our staff and students. We are considered a public water system and are licensed by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). Recently, public water systems were required to test drinking water for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The tests showed more PFAS in the water than is allowed by Rhode Island law. The health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We are sharing what we have learned about PFAS in our drinking water and what we are doing about it. What are PFAS? Where do they come from?
What were the test results?
What does this mean?
Can drinking water be treated to lower PFAS levels?
What is NSPS doing about the PFAS?
Where can I find more information?
We are taking this matter very seriously and are working closely with RIDOH to finalize and get approval for a plan to fix the PFAS levels as soon as possible. We will share updates with you throughout this process.
 Welcome back to a new school year! I am confident that this year will be exceptional. With ESSER Funds, we have new programs and student supports rolling out. Where other districts are starting the year with staffing shortages, we are fully staffed having hired a truly remarkable group of new employees to join our already dedicated and talented team.
I want to thank the custodial and maintenance department for preparing our schools to welcome our students and teachers. Thank you to our teachers who kept our schools full of students over the summer through ESY and Summer Enrichment programs. Thank you parents for being there to support and encourage your children. Together we are a Dream Team focused on making our students happier and smarter. Dear North Smithfield Families and Staff, Thank you to everyone for all your hard work on behalf of the children this year. It may have been a rocky start, but in the end, we returned to (mostly) normal. It was gratifying to see field days, concerts, graduations, art shows, dances, dinners, and award nights again. It was gratifying to see students engaged, learning, and laughing with their classmates and teachers. Staff, thank you for balancing so many students and needs, for keeping engaged and learning, and for giving it your all every day. Parents, thank you for your patience and support in keeping our students encouraged. Parents and staff together, thank you for your partnership in helping our students feel happy and safe. We have a full summer of enrichment activities planned and will bring to bear additional resources in the next year all to better support our students and continuously improve our schools. Attached is a listing of some of the accomplishments and recognitions our students, groups, and teams have received from outside of North Smithfield at regional, state, and national levels. Our students, teachers, and coaches are amazing and have made North Smithfield Schools a force to be reckoned with! Again, thank you, and enjoy your summer to the fullest.    Dear North Smithfield Families and Staff,
Pending the approval of a joint resolution to extend the Governor’s emergency authority for 45 days, the Governor will extend the Executive Order that requires indoor masking in public K-12 schools to March 4th. After that point, cities, towns, and school committees will be able to implement their own masking policies using updated recommendations that RIDOH and RIDE will provide. This updated approach brings masking in line with other mitigation measures that schools implement based on recommendations from RIDOH and RIDE, such as testing, social distancing, and symptom screening. North Smithfield Public Schools will follow the new guidance for schools where student and staff masking will be recommended, but not an overarching mandate. We anticipate updated guidance regarding contact tracing, isolation, returning to school after infection, Monitor to Stay, and interscholastic athletics protocols, meaning at times masking may remain a situational necessity. We will certainly pass along any updated information that we receive. It is important to note that the federal transportation mask requirement remains in place at this time, and therefore masks will be required on school buses. Masking is also still recommended for immunocompromised individuals and for those who have either not completed their primary series of vaccinations or received their booster. - Michael St. Jean, Superintendent Dear NSPS Families and Staff, Attached is a document that summarizes some of the new close contact and isolation guidance issued by the CDC and Rhode Island Department of Health. Complete documentation is located at https://www.back2schoolri.com/outbreak-response-protocols/ In spite of the current COVID surge and staffing shortages, North Smithfield Public Schools is committed to remaining open and in-person. While there have been calls statewide to switch to distance learning during this surge, we recognize that not all families have the means to care for their children during the daytime hours at home. We also hold that the best place for students to be is in school with their teachers, classmates, and friends. With the shortened isolation period, Monitor-to-Stay program, and Test to Play for our student-athletes, we are not only working to keep our students healthy, but healthy students in school even if they were an in-school close contact. Even during this surge, schools remain a safe place for children as we maintain facilities with good ventilation and continue to practice proven protocols. Especially at this time, sick students should remain at home. The next few weeks will be the most challenging for attendance, staffing, and transportation, but I am confident that we will get through this together.
Dear North Smithfield Families and Staff,
On Thursday, 1/6/2022 the Governor and the Department of Health released updated COVID guidance for Rhode Island schools. https://health.ri.gov/publications/memoranda/20220106-COVID-Prevention-Strategies-PreK-12.pdf These changes were promoted by the Rhode Island Superintendent’s Association and are designed to keep more children out of quarantine and in school. The data shows the previous quarantine and close contact guidelines had the negative effect of keeping many healthy students at home and out of the classroom. The new guidelines, based on the changes released by CDC on December 31, 2021, allows K-12 public schools in Rhode Island to change our protocols for quarantine, as well as increase our capacity for in-school screening, referred to as Monitor to Stay, and in-school testing for our athletes, referred to as Test to Play. In addition to the continued focus on full vaccination and booster of adults and children ages 5 and older and mask-wearing in public, these two strategies continue to be the most effective means of minimizing the transmission and impact of COVID-19. Regardless of the changes it is vital that students and staff who have symptoms stay home from school. We will have more information how NSPS will be implementing the new guidelines, but effective immediately:
https://health.ri.gov/publications/memoranda/20220106-COVID-Prevention-Strategies-PreK-12.pdf You can address any general questions to me and, while I probably won't be able to respond to everyone individually, I can certainly take your email into consideration and respond en masse. For any questions about how the new guidelines affect your student individually, you should consult your school’s nurse. Further guidance and clarification will follow. 09/27/2021
Dear North Smithfield Families, I want to follow up on my presentation from Tuesday’s School Committee Meeting. https://youtu.be/Aq1Xtc-H2dE with the following information and clarifications. Bus Quarantines The majority of our students who have been identified as close contacts and have had to quarantine are from riding the bus and not from within the classroom. I and other superintendents across Rhode Island are advocating the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) to revise its current bus quarantine rules to model those of Massachusetts. Currently, the RI rules state that close contacts of a positive student include the student sharing a seat along with all unvaccinated students sitting two seats forward, two seats behind, and the five seats on the other side of the aisle. That is a lot of students. Whereas the Massachusetts policy is “individuals who are masked on buses when windows are open are exempt from testing and quarantine response protocols.” We have been assured that RIDOH is reviewing its protocol. In the meantime, we are recommending that if your child is unvaccinated, and you do not want him or her to be caught up in a bus-related quarantine, and have the means to take your child directly to and/or from school, avoid riding the bus at least until the RIDOH changes the close contact regulations. Crossing Guards: To help with the potential increase in drop-off and pick-up traffic, especially at NSES, we will be advertising for crossing guards to assist. The going rate for a crossing guard is $15 per half hour. We will need at least 4 crossing guards at NSES for a ½ hour during morning drop off and a ½ hour during afternoon pickup. The posting and application can be found at: https://www.schoolspring.com/job.cfm?jid=3682612. Bus ridership We have been looking at ridership numbers on the buses for the AM and PM runs for both NSES and NSMS/NSHS. We are trying to keep the numbers balanced at 2 students, or fewer, per seat. With our seven 77-seat buses, that means 52 students to maintain 2 students per seat. Our six 71-seat buses can accommodate 46 students and maintain 2 students per seat. All of our buses are within, or below, the 2 students per seat range, except MS/HS Bus #5 and Bus #11 which may have to use a few seats for three students. We may have to make some route adjustments to better distribute the loads. COVID numbers Statewide, after two to three weeks of school this year, the totals of COVID positive students are approximately equal to the total number of positive students after the first two to three months of school last year. Students who went home ill and who had to wait for a negative PCR test before returning to school, along with students who were identified as close contacts and had to isolate at home, were all unvaccinated. Also, of our positive cases, many were siblings from unvaccinated households who contracted COVID from a family member within the home. Some of these students even came to school when feeling ill. School nurses and quarantine decisions The RIDOH quarantine and testing protocols we must follow are discussed and debated at the weekly meetings between RIDOH, superintendents, and school nurses. Some argue they are too strict, not strict enough, simple and direct, or contradictory. There are also many “grey areas.” Our nurses have been trying to navigate this grey area between students who come to school ill with COVID-like symptoms and how the protocols direct their response vs. what may be another reason a student is feeling ill. While we urge parents not to send sick children to school in the first place, some do. Please understand our nurses do not automatically send a student home because they exhibit a COVID-like symptom. We have children who don’t feel well because they did not have a good night’s sleep. We have children who do not feel well because they didn’t have breakfast. We have children that may have a headache due to lack of sleep, other stresses, or anxiety. In many cases such as these, our nurses give them water, food, a quiet place to lie down and close their eyes or administer their prescribed medication. They often feel better and return to class. We also have children who have ongoing or repeating symptoms, such as a sinus condition or allergies, that appear COVID-like. In these cases, our nurses will take a physician’s note to place in their records and factor this information into testing or quarantine decisions. In summary, North Smithfield School nurses will take into consideration the nature of a student’s symptoms and other non-COVID-related factors.
Finally, when and where there is a positive case, our nurses spend a lot of time contact tracing in accordance with established protocols. This often happens well into the evenings and across the weekends. Because the DOH is so behind notifying families of close contacts, our nurses and administration will call families during the day and email families, and notify the bus company after hours and late into the evening or over the weekend. We understand people’s frustration, but the unfortunate reality is that too many times our nurses have been yelled at, sworn at, or hung up on when trying to communicate with the student’s home. Please let them do their jobs. They are not responsible for RIDOH contact or testing delays. They have protocols to follow and sometimes have to be the bearers of bad news. Quarantining of unvaccinated students after domestic travel
Distance Learning Offering a distance learning model worked in conjunction with Hybrid instruction and we certainly do not want to return to that unless we have to. Even though we cannot currently offer distance learning to the degree that some are requesting, we will expand some virtual supports and resources for students who must quarantine. Our focus has to be on keeping students in the classroom which is achievable with everyone’s help by increasing vaccinations and limiting quarantine situations. Limiting Quarantines and keeping students in school We want to keep all students in the classroom, playing sports, participating in clubs and activities, and going on field trips with their classmates and friends. The main way to achieve this and reduce the numbers of students who must quarantine is to:
Since vaccines are not available yet for the 12 and under, and the rates of positive cases and quarantines are the highest at NSES, we will be phasing in adjustments to NSES to hopefully limit the number of close contacts. These changes may include further adjusting classroom organization and seating, limiting and focusing student small group activities, staggering snack time, and reassessing lunches. I remain confident that as a school department and a community we will find the balance between quarantines for the unvaccinated, keeping our staff and students safe and in the classroom as well as keeping our schools open. Thank you, Michael St. Jean, Superintendent. One final notice….NEW SMS Text Messaging - We are adding text messaging to our notification system in addition to our current voice messaging and email announcements. Text messages will only be used for emergency notifications, cancelations, or other time-sensitive announcements. A text message invitation from North Smithfield Public Schools and/or School Messenger is scheduled to go out Wednesday at 6pm with these simple instructions (Type the word YES to 67587) in order to opt-in to receiving text notifications from NSPS. |
AuthorMichael St. Jean, Archives
September 2023
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