But the high school has definitely uh started that conversation not only around those kinds of things but also grading for the end of the year. How do we promote kids etc. So that conversation is we would getting through this next week as far as providing lessons in the new content areas. Um and that's that's definitely on the table for the next the next round of discussions. The whatifs. I'll mute me. Okay, John. John. Yeah, thank you. Uh I know Dr. Dr. G just mute but uh the question I have and you know was raised to me and you know sitting on a couple of scholarship committees uh how about our seniors that need information for their scholarships. Dr. GIF that being you know they may need uh letters of reference from teachers you know transcripts GPA averages etc. Uh how do they go about getting those is you know send an email to their guidance counselor and go from there.
Yeah one of the things um the guidance counselors uh and let's talk the high school because that is really the important thing for that. Yeah, that's the one I'm concerned about with um the guidance councils are beginning to hold office hours three hours a day. That was posted on our Facebook page. Um I think it was 9 to I think it was 9 to 12 if I recall correctly. Um but but the best thing is to check the Facebook page uh for that uh brochure uh document because um it obvious well I think the kids would know who their counselor is by now but it goes by their alphabet. Um but there they will be available. They can either call or email them. But um for any of those questions exam quick question uh just a fall is uh are the you know if if you that's okay if you call the are they calling the high school guidance office or are they like sending the uh the guidance counselors everybody's working from home I'm assuming.
So, it's almost like a quote unquote a Zoom like we're doing now or Exactly. Um, yes. Call, email at this point, whether they ask their counselor to set up a conference call with them, but you know, the oldfashioned telephone is still just as good. Oh, I I I got that. Yes. Okay, Shannon. Thank you. I'm particularly interested in our long range plans. Um, a number of my colleagues are epidemiologists, viologists, immunologists. Um, and from what I'm reading from them about the science of this, two weeks of social distancing puts sort of peak cases. Beginning of April at best, two weeks of major illnesses puts another two weeks on it. Um, so from their estimates, you know, these are people that PhDs in these fields, our best case scenario is back end of April. the best case scenario. Um, so my concern is I think you know in the high school it's pretty well covered.
If you've got five or six subjects, right, you got three activities a week, right? You're getting, you know, fairly close to not that we're replicating a day, but right, um, you know, if your kids's in first or second grade, that's not quite as much. Um, and so I'm hoping that we're looking to ramp this up. I know we're just starting. Um, but I do think that we have to be ready to be in this for um, at least a month. Um, my other concern is that, you know, I know people are doing a lot of work, but that communication is going out in a lot of different ways um, that some people may not be aware of or have access to. And if you have multiple kiddos, it can get really confusing. Like I know there's stuff on the portal um but that isn't really sort of I went on there myself looking for stuff for my kids.
Like again there's still not stuff specific for their classes. Um we've heard from four or five maybe of their 12 teachers and some of them are over here and some of them are over here and some of them are over there. Now, luckily for our older kids, they have those Google email addresses, so the teachers know and can communicate for that. Um, but I think from what I'm hearing for a lot of parents, they're just even though there's that extended learning site, it's not communication with their kids' teacher. Um, and so I'm hoping that we can really communicate clearly tonight to our parents that may be watching by when can they expect a communication from their kids' teacher because some parents still have not received contact yet from some teachers. um and where should they be looking for this communication particularly um if they're you know their elementary you know I can tell my high school kids I tell them every morning go check your Google email go check your Google email um so I would hope I would like to ask that maybe we communicate that very clearly by this date you should expect to have this communication and we're going to be using the email addresses that are in Aspen I don't know but I think parents want to hear that for reassurance purposes We just talked about that today.
The teachers are being notified tomorrow. They will be using Google Classroom for 6 through 12 because they're all very familiar with that. So, that would be a good um Google Classroom at least for that. But I again talking even to a first grade teacher today, they're using it as well. Um so, that more direct conversation or in uh reach out if you will should be happening this week. Okay. So parents should expect to hear from their teacher by the end of this week. Yes. Okay. And we will be communicating via the email that is in Aspen. So parents should log on to Aspen and verify that their email and contact information. That's a good That's a good suggestion. That's a I um if you if you don't mind, I wanted to um draw everyone's attention to M on the bottom corner, Mr. Ross Tibo is here.
So, thank you for joining us. Oh, you're welcome. Yes. Thank you. We've been having a conversation around, you know, the obviously the CO 19 and what the high school is doing to prepare and guidance to prepare the students. We talked a little about seniors and so um and my colleagues can can add to that, but since you're here, if you could share with us all of that. Sure. Well, thank you for having me. I've been watching, but it's a little delayed on the YouTube. I think there's a a brief delay there. So, the first thing I just wanted to speak to, Mr. Oliver talked about the seniors. Um, and I agree wholeheartedly. Um, and we would say to any senior not to worry that, um, you know, this crisis was not any of their doing. And so, we're not going to forget them and we're going to honor them.
Um, you know, and again, I think to Dr. Jenkins points a little bit early right now. You know, who knows how this timeline plays out, but we won't forget about our seniors. Um, and that was the focus of a conversation I had with one of our student journalists today via Zoom conference um for the spectrum. Uh, he was asking about that and and that's our pledge is that we're not going to forget about the seniors. They will be uh taken care of um you know from that perspective. Thank you, Mr. Tibo. You're welcome. Thank you. And then in terms of the grading, I I followed that conversation a little bit. There's a lot of um thought and consideration that obviously the at the high school level will have to look um think about. It was the subject of a conversation. I did a Zoom conference with the principles, high school principles from Massachusetts through the MSAA today.
Um and you know, Darmmouth is not unique. You know, every community is in the same boat. Um, and I think one of the things that, you know, the high school will have to wrap our mind around is we are two and a half terms into a four-term year. So, what does that look like? And again, the thing I think that needs to guide us is probably to do no harm to students, right? We we can't um hold them accountable for things beyond their control like the interruption to to schooling here. So, that that's important to keep in mind as well. um you know in terms of and I think when I was logging on I got cut off so I don't know what Dr. um Gford shared but in terms of the communication from teachers we have a faculty meeting set up tomorrow and by Thursday of this week uh through Google classroom every teacher will have uh put out some some resources um and and enrichment uh learning uh experiences for for students.
So um that will be up and running this week. Um, and then I don't know what other questions you guys might have. I'll be happy to answer. Great. I see Shannon's hands up first. So, I think one of one of my concerns I mean we're struggling with a lot of the same issues on our campus like how do you grade people and you know I mean and two when they're not there they've got other things that are going on and challenges that they need to deal with. But one of my particular concerns among my students and particularly for the kids in high school is that if you're struggling in a class, sort of the runway for recovering has really shortened. Um so I really hope that we do, you know, you don't want someone to get held back because they didn't have the month of April to recover in whatever class they're doing poorly on.
Um I'm sure you guys are talking about that. So maybe you can share sort of what you guys have been talking about around some of those kiddos who are struggling. Sure. So one of the things and again we only had we had one um virtual faculty meeting last week have another one tomorrow but one of the things that we talked about and Dr. Gford uh and I certainly shared the same messages to extend yourself for students in terms of allowing them to recover and make up missed assignments. Um, in one of the that I'll be emailing out all the high school parents uh later on this week and and all the students as well. And I I'm I've encouraged the students who have reached out to me to reach out to their teachers to find out what assignments they should focus their attention on. The one thing that we do have is time, right?
Because everyone's home right now. So, um you know that there is an opportunity there to make up missed assignments or to recover assignments. Um the message to the to the faculty really is that it doesn't just regardless even if the COVID 19 crisis was not here. One of the things we talk a lot about at the high school is if it's important that students learn the material in September, October or November, it's just as important in March, April, and May that they learn that material. So giving them a zero or not letting them, you know, uh improve their work doesn't do anyone any good. and it certainly doesn't reinforce that message that learning is important. So that's kind of the conversation that we'll have um part of the conversation that we'll have tomorrow. I will be encouraging stu uh teachers, fellow students to extend themselves um because we're all in this together and it won't do anyone any good to have lots of kids um failing to get across the finish line um whether they're in 9th, 10th, 11th and certainly our 12th graders.
So, I anticipate that teachers, as they always do, will uh extend themselves and really work with our kids to make sure that everyone is successful. Thank you. Does anyone else have um any questions? Um Dr. Votus. Yeah, I just have a question. Uh my granddaughter is in one of the advanced placement classes at uh the high school now. How does that how will that work? I know she's been getting glasses right along. The teacher has been doing that. Um, what about the test? Will there be a test? How will that work? So, just today and actually just midday today, College Board updated their website. There's still going to be an AP exam. The um, College Board said that they would post the schedule by April 3rd um, and that there would be two testing options. They are going to allow students to test in their house on any device.
Um whether it's a smartphone, a Chromebook, a computer, any kind of device, they'll be able to test. In addition to that, the College Board's putting out um free resources uh for students to review. But beyond that, the exam for this year and this year only is going to be streamlined. It's going to be a 45minute exam and it's going to focus on content that would have been covered by most AP teachers by the first week of March. So that's how the College Board has attempted to level the playing field. Um and again that was another uh question that came up in my interview today with um the spectrum. They had asked would we recommend students you know cancelelling the exam and I said absolutely not. I wouldn't recommend that because number one, I think we do a pretty good job of uh preparing students at Dartmouth High School for success on the AP exam.
But beyond that, College Board, you know, students across America are in the same uh boat in terms of having their schooling interrupted. And the College Board seems, at least from what I've read so far, to be doing a pretty uh mindful job of of making sure that the AP exam for this year, students are not hurt by the fact that um their education was uh disrupted. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you very much. Anyone else? Good. No, thank you for joining us. Oh, you're welcome. Yeah. Thank you very much. That was helpful. and uh thank you for all that you and your team are doing um very much. So, all right. Does anyone else have any comments um beyond that specific to the district's plan with uh dealing with this pandemic? I would just like to say I thank uh Dr. Gford for her updates she's been pro providing over the past couple of days.
I find them very helpful. Also, in addition to the correspondence that's been going out to the parents uh that I've been receiving as a parent, I think the uh Dr. Gford and the district as a whole is um stepping up their game and I think it's important uh for our students of uh the Dartmouth public schools. So, I appre appreciate all the time and effort that the administrative team as well as all the teachers and uh staff of the Dartmouth public schools is putting into this. Yeah, I reiterate that and I would be remiss not to mention, you know, you've seen my advocacy around the special edition piece and IDEIDA and I'm really happy to see, you know, some shifting and some um conversations around feedback resulting in the mis sort of misin uh interpretation of the original guidance from the beginning of the week.
And so hearing teams kind of talking about how to differentiate, you know, related and all of that um is exciting because as a parent of someone um you know who relies on on that to kind of um sustain some sort of um at least not regress. Uh it's really encouraging that those conversations are happening week. I understand tomorrow I'll be on a call per um professionally and then Wednesday I think there's another one. So um it's ever changing. It's a lot. I mean it came at us and uh yeah everyone's come together in a great effort to uh do their best and um so thank you for putting up with our advocacy, our questions. Um, I'm sure the parent and so this getting on top of it and and you know what the school as far as updating people is is a tremendous effort and um really proud to be part of this district.
So, thank you. Anyone else? Not regarding this. No. Okay. All right. So, um, you know, I really don't have anything else as as to report. Um, I think we've talked about all uh important stuff that's happening right now. Um, and hear more. Uh, I will turn it over I think John. John, do you have some things? Yeah. Yeah, I got a a couple of things. Thanks. Uh, you're welcome, Madam Chair. Uh, a little bit of good news. Congratulations to uh Lindseay Olivera for making the standard time super team as uh girls player of the year and also getting the Dave Cowins award for a thousand points etc etc. So you know congratulations to her. Um on a different note u and as I say sometimes I live on the wrong side of the street. I never hear much of anything, but uh I did get a couple of phone calls yesterday and I even going by the stadium going out to run an errand.
Uh there were a number of students at uh a number of people, you know, they I would assume they were students at uh Memorial Stadium. Uh some, you know, quote unquote practicing lacrosse. I don't know if it was captain's practice or what it was. And there looked to be some playing soccer and uh boy they're not you know you know in this day and age with what's going on right now they you know they shouldn't even be there. I know our facilities are closed but somewhere down the line you know parents please you know you've got to keep your students at home and not in in congregations you know big crowds etc. I mean, there was a thing on the news uh yesterday, you know, somebody asked one of the doctors on television about playing tennis. And he's like, "Well, yeah, you're six feet apart, so your social distancing is fine." He says, "What do you do when you pick up the, you know, a tennis ball and you've been playing and you always see tennis players, you know, wiping their forehead with perspiration, that type of deal?" Same thing if you're playing soccer or lacrosse, somebody's picking up a ball, somebody's kicking a ball, you're close contact with people.
So, you know, please, you know, unfortunately, I got it. You know, you're seniors and, you know, all the, you know, everything is shut down at the moment and you want to try and, you know, sharpen your skills and, you know, get in some type of a, you know, you know, shape for when the season is finally able to uh to to stop. But please uh you know don't congregate in the crowds. Don't be with all due respect, don't be like the idiots down in Florida on spring break. Thank you, John. That's important. Does anyone else have anything before we sort of end on a public comment note? I do have two emails. Um Okay. Okay. I actually received one, too. Um maybe you would it be appropriate for me to forward it to you or it would be okay if I I think it's the same one Kathleen.