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Date: 9/15/2021
HUNTINGTON – The debate over mandatory masks continued at the Gateway Regional School Committee’s meeting on Sept. 8, with people speaking on both sides of the issue. No action was taken, but masks will be on the agenda for the next meeting, said committee Chair Sarah Page of Russell.
Page, who was elected chair on Aug. 25, began the meeting by saying that although she is new in the position, she has served on the committee for four years.
“Your time, your energy are non-renewable resources,” Page said to committee members, adding that she intends to respect everyone’s time. She encouraged everyone to respect each other’s ideas and to debate and reflect on issues, and not each other. “I’m learning, you’re learning,” she said.
Several parents continued to voice objections to the requirement that their children wear masks in school, while some Gateway staff members argued that wearing them was for the good of the majority.
Among those who spoke, Misty Robitaille described herself as a parent of a second and third grader and a staff member in Chester. She said her youngest had an issue with glasses fogging up while wearing a mask, and her oldest had gotten a rash from it.
“As a staff member, I don’t like getting emails bullying me about masks. I don’t want to be penalized,” she said.
Kayla Brady of Blandford said she spoke at the last meeting, also.
“Maybe I am anti-mask, but not anti-vaccine,” she said. “I am anti-mandate. It should be an individual choice.”
New Gateway hire Andrew Bowersox said he read a peer review prior to the meeting that stated how masks significantly reduce the viral load, something he said he wished everyone would seriously consider.
A grandmother said her grandson needed to see facial expressions in order to see what people are feeling.
“It changes a child’s perspective,” she said.
A middle school staff member said that masks are for the majority of people, but agreed there should be other options for families.
Also at the meeting, 10th grader Joseph Pisani of Russell was introduced to the School Committee as the new Student Council representative. Reporting on what the students are already talking about, he mentioned senior parking spaces.
“Some underclassmen are saying they can’t wait to paint spots when they’re a senior,” he said. He said students are also excited about bringing back after-school buses.
“I’m only going to say something is a student opinion, if I believe most students agree with it,” Pisani said, adding that there is a “pretty positive” feeling among students, and most are excited to be back in the building and in a classroom.
Pisani said before the October meeting, he will send out a Google form for students to share their thoughts.
“I look forward to giving more updates and to being the voice for students,” he said.
Superintendent Kristen Smidy introduced Michael Sullivan, her coach in the New Superintendents Program, a three-year program paid for by the state Department of Education. Most recently, Sullivan served as interim superintendent at the Hampshire Regional School District in Westhampton, while Smidy was high school principal there.
Sullivan said he will be supporting Smidy in employing recognized good practices, including spending the first half of the first year getting to know the district. They will meet in person twice a month, and also have meetings with cohorts. This year there are 36 new superintendents across the state, he said, the second largest group of new superintendents ever, all of whom will be paired with a coach.
Gateway High School Principal Jason Finnie talked about a change in the number of credits required to graduate. Classes this year were extended from 50 to 60 minutes per period, although some classes are a double block, such as AP physics and chemistry, and some meet every other day. Lunch has also been extended to 23 minutes, as it was before last year.
Classes that meet every day all year are 10 credits; band and chorus that meet every other day all year long are 5 credits. Other classes are 5 or 2.5 credits.
Finnie said the change means extended time in class for students. “We recognized they needed more instructional time,” he said.
School Committee member Jason Forgue said Gateway went from seven periods to six periods. “Less credits doesn’t mean less learning. It’s the same time on learning, just spread over longer classes,” Forgue said.
The School Committee gave preliminary approval for an in-person trip to Costa Rica for Spanish students with the tour company Education First. Spanish teacher Alexis Batra and her husband will chaperone the trip in spring 2023, which still has space for another chaperone, she said.
The cost is $2,675, which may be paid over 18 months. If students sign up for early enrollment by early winter, a $200 discount is applied. Students can create donation pages for family and friends and the company also provides scholarships based on merit and need.
Batra said locations for the trip are chosen with safety in mind.
“I’ve been there twice and felt very safe,” she said, adding that there is 24-hour emergency support on the trip, which also offers travelers insurance. There will be one chaperone for every six students.
Finnie said in the past, the trips have been targeted more to upper-level Spanish students, but they will accept Spanish I students this trip.
Batra also said that she will look to get a definitive answer about refunds if the trip is cancelled, after Blandford member Terri Garfield related an experience 20 years ago with the same company, when all trips were canceled and there were no refunds.