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Date: 9/24/2020
HAMPDEN/WILBRAHAM – Six days after the opening of schools in the Hampden–Wilbraham Regional School District, Superintendent Albert Ganem told the School Committee he wanted to celebrate successes and acknowledge concerns.
One of those concerns has been the size of remote learning classes, which have numbered in the hundreds. “We know that’s not sustainable,” he said, adding that the district is already reassessing. To reduce the class sizes in cohort D, those students who attend fully remotely, Ganem said the finance and operations subcommittee would be discussing hiring additional staff.
Special Education
Director of Special Education Gina Roy proposed that language in the district’s face–-overing policy be updated to reflect that pre-K students are “strongly encouraged” to wear a mask, but that it is not mandatory for the 3- and 4-year-old students. The suggestion was made after Roy met with Nurse Coordinator Terri Brand and pre-K teachers. The committee voted to adopt the language.
Roy also reviewed the criteria for inclusion in cohort C, those students that attend school in person four days per week. Students who receive 75 percent of their services outside of a general education classroom, those who are unable to access online learning, those who require a 1-to-1 or 2-to-1 paraprofessional, students with an individualized education program (IEP) who are also homeless or in foster care and English language students with an IEP are all eligible for cohort C. The department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) also has criteria that can make students eligible, including those in need of occupational therapy, physical therapy or speech therapy.
Roy said the district is in “catch-up mode” and scheduling remote meetings for IEP evaluations. She also explained that special education liaisons are working with families on how to help students with IEPs in cohort A or B on remote days.
When it comes to the 18 to 22-year-old program, the district is utilizing an additional classroom in the Thornton W. Burgess School (TWB). One classroom is dedicated to the seven high needs students, three of whom attend remotely, while four attend in–person. The other classroom is for the five 18 to 22-year-old students. Roy said that the district is looking for a transitional for one of the classrooms. As Ganem put it, they were “left in a tough spot” when a teacher decided to leave two days before the beginning of school.
School Committee Member Sean Kennedy was asked by a parent why the district is not using the summer school model, which he called “amazing.” Roy explained that the summer school program was exclusively for special education students, but during the school year, students are integrated with general education classes as much as possible.
Wilbraham Middle School
Wilbraham Middle School (WMS) Principal John Derosia addressed the school committee, along with assistant principals Serenity Greenwood and Andy Villamaino. Derosia spoke about the planning that went into school this year – “What does it look like for a kid from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave?" He said there were several key factors that went into the design of the school day including structure, predictability and accountability.
Before school began, teachers all received technology training, but he noted teachers are already asking for more. WMS also conducted tours for incoming sixth graders and new students. He said it was an important step in building connections between the students and their teachers as well as families and the school.
“It was vital for parents to know what was happening,” Derosia said.
Villamaino addressed the safety concerns that WMS has tackled. The student drop-off route was rearranged. He said 15 cars or one to two school buses can unload at a time. Students enter through three different doors, arranged by grade, to eliminate unnecessary contact. The faculty member that oversees drop-offs has stock of masks for students who come without one.
The hallways are taped off with arrows and lines that mark every six feet so students get used to how far to distance themselves.
Class transitions are staggered to reduce congestion in the hallways. Another way to keep track of who is in the halls when, students have electronic QR codes that have been printed out and taped into their agendas. The students use these QR codes to scan themselves in and out for bathroom breaks. Villamaino said it has been “really effective so far.”
Lunch periods are broken up by grade. Half of each grade starts their lunch period in the cafeteria while the other half is out at recess. Midway through the period, the two groups switch. This keeps the crowd in the lunchroom from being too large at any one time.
Greenwood spoke about the academics and said that school looks “vastly different” than before and “unlike anything I could have imagined.”
She explained that teachers are multitasking. They are having conversations some with students and checking in on emotional–social situation with others, while instructing at the same time.
Teachers are using Zoom and other web-based technology including private chats, comments on assignments, 1-to-1 conversations online, as well as videos and interactive projects. Greenwood called the teachers tasks “Herculean.”
In terms of student response, Greenwood reported students are being flexible and said they have told her that wearing masks isn’t “as bad” as they thought it would be and that they were grateful for their in–school time.
“Every moment we have with them is beyond important,” Greenwood said of the students in-person class time.
Derosia praised everyone at WMS from custodial staff to nurses, teachers and parents, who he said are “creating an environment for the students to be successful.”
School Committee Vice Chair Maura Ryan asked about the creation of a “parents academy” to help parents with the technological aspect of remote learning. Derosia said that a lot of training and videos exist that can be shared with parents, and Kennedy suggested “office hours” for parents. “We need to think of the parents as teachers and give them support,” Kennedy said. An instructional video is on the remote learning page of the website, along with other resources.
Ganem noted that in addition to in-building staff, bus drivers should be recognized. He said they have done a good job keeping kids in their seats with masks, while transporting them safely.
Sanitization
Facilities Manager Ed Cenedella told the school committee that sourcing some of the materials, such as personal protective equipment, masks, sanitizer, dispensers, plexiglass and steel, has been difficult. That said, he confirmed that the only thing the district was currently short on were alcohol wipes. Cenedella said the district had purchased over four miles of tape to lay down in the hallways to direct students and keep them distanced.
Ganem praised Cenedella for making sure supplies were ordered early and had arrived before the school year began.
When asked about what cleaners were being used in schools, Cenedella explained that a hydrogen peroxide based cleaner is used in each classroom throughout the day, and while it removes germs it does not kill them. Touch points are treated with a separate cleaner. A hospital grade disinfectant that kills germs is used in the evenings and on Wednesdays when the classrooms are empty and an electrostatic sprayer uses chlorine. The sprayer is utilized while moving furniture to ensure a deep clean.
Caruana asked Cenedella about air quality. He said that it is checked every day through an automated system in every school, except Soule Road School and TWB, which have manual systems. A device that measures carbon dioxide is used to ensure the air changes in each classroom are sufficient. The air is monitored on an hourly basis, he said.
Devices
HWRSD has handed out over 1,000 devices, but the district is still 100 to 150 devices short. An order for 900 Chromebooks placed in the late spring has still not arrived. The district is in contact with the vendor for those devices twice a day, said Tom Mazza, director of curriculum. Director of Finance and Operations Aaron Osborne said older devices are being refurbished and put them back into use. The district has gone so far as to search local retailers such as Walmart and Target for devices, however most retailers are sold out due to the large number of students learning remotely. Ganem said districts across the state are in the same position.
School Committee Member Bill Bontempi suggested asking families if they have spare devices so the school-provided ones can be redistributed. Osborne explained that an email address had been set up for that purpose. Families can email byod@hwrsd.org if they have a device that can be used for remote learning. Any Google Chrome-enabled device can be used. If any family is willing to donate a spare device, he said they will take iPads, Chromebooks, MacBooks and any other device that can use Google Chrome. The district would wipe clean the hard drives to protect privacy.
Continuing the discussion of issues around remote learning, Kennedy told Ganem his niece had reported that Wednesday was a half day. Ganem corrected him, explaining that Wednesdays were structured as full-day learning, with teacher led instruction in the morning and independent learning in the afternoon.
YMCA Programs
Ganem met with the Hampden Board of Selectmen at its Sept. 14 meeting regarding student supervision programs conducted by the YMCA. The district has long run YMCA programs at Soule Road School, Mile Tree Elementary School and Green Meadows School, in which staff supervise students before and after school. The organization transports the children to and from their schools. This year, to limit the number of people in each building outside of school hours, the district decided to consolidate the program at TWB.
New this year is a remote learning supervision program which would see remote students whose parents are unable to be home with them, pay the YMCA to supervise their children throughout the school day. The school district would charge the organization for the extra custodial work that the program would require.
Selectman Mary Ellen Glover said that the board only became aware of the district’s plan to use portions of TWB for the YMCA programs “by surprise.” Select Board Chair Donald Davenport said that under Gov. Charlie Baker’s direction on such programs, the municipality must approve such programs and is responsible for verifying that they are following COVID-19 safety precautions.
Osborne, who also attended the Zoom meeting with the board, contended that the district operates as its own municipality. Davenport denied this assertion and said Hampden’s lawyer did not agree with it either. Selectman John Flynn emphasized that there needed to be better communication between the district and the town.
The Hampden Department of Parks and Recreation uses the gymnasium for programs and its director, David Turcotte, pressed to know whether the town or the district had jurisdiction over the school building. While Hampden owns the building, the school district has an agreement for use of the building.
“Right now, we’re taking this one semester at a time,” Ganem said, noting that if the school model changes to in-person, it would no longer be an issue.
At the following Board of Selectmen meeting on Sept. 20, Glover referenced a document that the district sent the town, saying Ganem “seemed to think” it answered all of the town’s questions.
“This thing they gave us doesn’t answer anything,” Davenport replied. Interim Town Administrator Bob Markel said he would take any lingering questions to the superintendent and return with answers.