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Date: 12/22/2020
GRANBY– At the Dec. 15 School Committee meeting, District Nurse Leader Nancy Jenks shared a slide presentation on the work that has been going on during COVID-19 and its impact on what the Nursing Department does, along with informing the committee and the community on what’s going on behind the scenes.
Some of the new changes that have occurred besides the routine responsibilities the Nursing Department does on a daily basis is contact tracing for students and staff remotely and in-person for any COVID-19 related symptoms, exposures, positive cases and anyone who may have traveled.
“This is a daily ongoing thing,” Jenks said in regard to the changes. “Sometimes we’re getting information on weekends too, so we are responding promptly especially if it’s going to be impacting students and staff being able to come in the building either the next day or Monday morning.”
The state has now mandated that all students regardless of their learning models – whether they’re remote, in-person or hybrid – that they need to be vaccinated against the flu unless they have a religious or medical exception. Jenks pointed out that this deadline is on Dec. 31. She said she has been working with families in helping them get vaccinated through three flu clinics the Nursing Department have worked collaboratively with.
The department has added another long-time nurse to their team for staffing to make sure they have nursing coverage for their four clinics – two in each building. They also added an additional clinic in each building so they can have a sick and well clinic. She shared they have been strengthening their partnerships with local health agencies including the Granby and South Hadley Board of Health, as well as working with their Health and Safety Committee, school physician, the Massachusetts Department of Health the Granby Educators Association and DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) in meeting everyone’s goals.
The meeting proceeded with an update from Assistant Principal Alison Jordan-Gagner on winter sports. It was approved in South Hadley. They co-oped for hockey, wrestling and swimming. The PVIAC’s start date for winter sports is Jan. 11, 2021, but Gagner proposed a start date later than that to Jan. 18.
As she stated, “I’m looking to reevaluate after about a week of play. I’m hopeful that seeing the trend of the numbers from last March through the first holiday and how the coronavirus seems to be affecting our community. I’m hoping that the School Committee would like to reevaluate with me and propose the idea of incorporating games towards the end of the season between Feb. 1 and Feb. 28 [2021].”
The idea Gagner proposed is strictly skills and drills. She’s looking to split the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams into cohorts; focusing on skills and drills. Monday and Tuesday for girls and for boys Thursdays and Fridays. Practices would be individually only meaning the athletes would have their own basketball. They will not be sharing equipment. Gagner asked the coaches for a lineup of drills and what they will be working on with the idea of it being individual-based.
She said, “I’m hopeful that the numbers will decline; putting us back in a healthy playable state where we can start incorporating games towards the end of the season.”
The committee will review Gagner’s proposal for their next meeting on Jan. 5, 2021.
When it came to their reopening planning process and phases, it was an ongoing discussion of the consideration to go remote for the rest of the 2020 year. A few of the committee members had reservations of going remote because of their high need special education students.
Eventually, a motion was made to be full remote for the remainder of December for all students, staff and educators in the buildings. Four committee members voted in favor and one abstained. The committee made another motion to have their high needs special education student population to come back on Jan. 4, 2021 – and that population only. They also amended the motion on Jan. 11, 2021, to have Pre-K, kindergarten and grade one return to East Meadow and grades seventh and eighth in Granby Junior High School, along with making a motion to approve second grade to start at East Meadow on Jan. 25, 2021.