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Date: 1/26/2022
EAST LONGMEADOW – After opting in for the “Test and Stay” program before the holiday break, the East Longmeadow School Committee discussed the implementation of the COVID-19 testing method during their Jan. 18 meeting.
Superintendent Gordon Smith opened the conversation by sharing updates to the Department of Education and Secondary Education’s (DESE) COVID-19 policy. With schools mandating mask wearing until the beginning of March, School Committee member Gregory Thompson inquired if any schools in the district were closing in on the 80 percent vaccination threshold that would allow them to opt out of the mandate.
Smith noted that while schools continue to make progress, no school in the district is in the 80 percent margin. “We’re getting closer, but we’re still lagging,” said Smith. The superintendent also noted that the current mask mandate for East Longmeadow would prevent any school from removing their masking requirements.
In regard to the “Test and Stay” program, Smith said he and Nursing Director Kelly LaBombard participated in a tutorial conference to learn more about the process. He expressed that the meeting helped coordinate how test samples will be collected and stored in partnership with Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC), with the school district now starting to distribute consent forms for parents to opt students into the program.
While “Test and Stay” will have a place in East Longmeadow schools, Smith reiterated that they are not planning to participate in symptomatic or pool testing.
Curriculum Updates
The East Longmeadow School Committee also provided updates to professional development programs that align with DESE requirements to close the learning gap generated by the pandemic. Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Heather Brown discussed different initiatives set to be enacted with the various grade groups, including the Innocent Classroom project for grades six through 12 and the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) program for pre-kindergarten students through grades 2.
Brown highlighted Innocent Classroom as a program that builds relationships and fostering a sense belonging with students. She stressed that professional development for this topic at the lower grade levels will be reinforced by information from the state-wide Safe Schools Program for LGBTQ students, with the group offering development to the school district courtesy of DESE.
The curriculum director described the LETRS program as an important tool to reinforce reading skills for students. “It’s not a specific curriculum program, it’s really about teaching teachers that background information on the skills to reach kids in terms of reading,” said Brown.
The East Longmeadow School Committee will meet again on Feb. 7.