001It's 5:30 and I hear that we have to start on time and end on time and I'm Andrea Arian and I'm the vice chair of the board and Kim is not here tonight and we're sharing this this year. It's going to be me and Kim as we go along and um I tried Susan Austin was kind enough to send me the agenda at all and I can't open any of it Susan so >> so I don't know Dr. G. Do you know how? >> Yeah. What what we do is we just uh typically start with the the board and then uh we we'd ask uh someone from the uh let's see, do we have Oh, we have councelor Parker. Oh, and Mayor Granowski and and then u and then Kathy, >> we have city >>
002and then yeah, the the the city uh Reggie Reggie made it this time. Thank you. Uh, and then so so maybe Mike and Kathy can talk for the RTM and um >> did you want to go over the um I've got the um minutes in front of me from last year. >> Sure. You sure? >> Did everyone get the minutes? >> Yes, I think so. >> Yes. We talked a lot about hybrid learning and the new schools and um Juliet was going to a meeting that night and was talking about the red alert. >> Yes. And then RTM Simba reported that the RTM voted to approve the paving of the tennis courts. And Bruce explained um that a member of the RTM civilian oversight research committee um that he was that and um so I
003think that was about it. So I guess we'll Andrea can ask for approval. Do I have a motion to approve? >> Motion. >> I don't know, Juliet. Oh, Juliet. Okay. All right. >> Is there any discussion? If I remember this right. >> Oh, was there a second? >> I'll second it. >> Oh, see, I know I wasn't going to get it right. >> You figure that's all right. >> Okay. Now, right. Any discussion? >> Hearing none. Everybody in favor say I. >> I. >> Hi I. >> Opposed. Abstain. I'm going to abstain because I wasn't there. So, okay. Moving along. What's What's next? I'm so sorry. >> So, board event. Michael, get us started and then we can chime in. >> Okay. Well, of course, uh, of course, the uh the big news is that
004last maybe it was this month uh or maybe it was last month, Susan, when was it exactly that the board appointed you? >> At the last meeting in November, >> the last meeting in November. So uh so about uh about two weeks ago uh the uh the the board uh as you may have read in the paper the board received a good number I think 18 applications they went they they u did a paper screen and they I believe they interviewed five or six candidates and got it down to a few and ultimately uh Susan's background, knowledge of the district, and basically the reputation that she's earned u resulted in the board uh selecting S Susan and she will uh she will become superintendent on January 1st of this year. So, uh we have a
005new superintendent and uh I'm I know the board is delighted and I'm I'm delighted and I think that the district is in very very good hands. Um, so that's the that's that's the huge news from from the board. Do you wanna you want to chime in on I I I can give some other updates? Um, we we we looked at the staffing of our buildings. Uh, not not so much the spread of the virus, but the staffing of the buildings has has proven to be really a a a big problem. uh the three three days before the vacation of the Thanksgiving vacation, we had 27 staff members out at the high school, 24 at the middle school. There's just been so much so much spread in in the community. We we we've had about 225
006contacts in our buildings and we asked them all to get tested and the results were that uh nobody tested positive. I don't know if this is actually scientifically verifiable, but I'm concluding that the virus is not spreading in the building. Spreading in the community, that's for sure, but not not so much in the building. So, >> but the problem is all those contacts and then they have to stay home for 14 days. So, with every case, we might have 10, 20, 40 contacts. So, when you get that many adults in the building who can't teach or, you know, help support students in their peril roles, that's what really puts us into a difficult situation. and and yesterday, as you probably know, the the CDC recommended that the period of quarantine should be seven days. Um,
007that's going to have a a very positive impact be because to to to put it mildly, we we want the kids to be in school. We there's no question that the children, especially the younger children, when when they come to school, they do better. The older kids do, too. people who are in school with teachers do better. Uh so the more we can have hybrid and perhaps even expand. So we've we've had a ne next Monday night we're going to talk about this in some detail, but there's been some interesting reporting about uh young children 10 or younger uh that they probably can go to school with a very very small risk. So if we can if we can do it, the idea would be that we would expand our inschool o ultimately, please God,
008uh getting everybody back five days a week full-time. Uh certainly the elementary kids, the see seems like the secondary kids a a it's a little bit more difficult to uh to control the spread there. those uh those kids we we've had we've had almost no cases of of of COVID even from family members with elementary but secondary kids more so and and as I said the secondary absentee rate the the teachers it's just been been really a mess. So, uh I know several school districts are going prek5 planning to go full in and uh middle school, secondary school, m middle and high school perhaps continue hybrid until please god this this this virus is widespread. And you you also you may know that they uh they put teachers in tier two. Um so I said
009I said to Kim this morning tier tier one are are medical staff and and nursing home residents and it's about 24 million people. Uh tier two is uh uh police officers, firemen and teachers. uh but there are 87 million of them. So you as you can imagine getting 87 million people if it's the Fiser one what is it 70 degrees below zero this is this is going to be a massive undertaking so uh but as we as we approach the spring you know I'm I'm I'm hopeful that uh we may see less and less uh of the spread in the community uh and we very well may uh be able to go back but anyway as of right Now the schools uh for the 10 days following that is to say this week and next
010week the schools are on full remote and then they come back hybrid that is to say Monday, Tuesday for some kids and Thursday, Friday for other kids um on the 14th of December and you know we're going to monitor that very very carefully. We we have not knockwood. I have not heard of a single case uh since uh two days before thank well since the day before Thanksgiving. There were a couple before Thanksgiving, but I was fearful we were going to hear a lot of cases soon, but that has not yet. That has not happened. >> But they say that that usually takes the seven to 14 days for us to start. So, so we're but we're, you know, we're we're we're kind of holding our own. The the the sports as uh as I
011reported to the board, all athletic interclassic competition has been put on hold until the 19th of January. They're they're still hoping to sort of squeeze in. We won't do wrestling. We won't do cheerleading, but we will do swimming. Uh, and at least it's slated and basketball with masks. No masks in the pool. Uh, but, uh, it'd be difficult in the pool with a mask in as much as we'd smother the kids. Uh, so we don't want that. Uh, and then we'll see what happens in the spring. You know, I I think there's still there's still hope. At least the CIA says that there's hope. Um, and then the last thing I'll say is this. We we have a diversity, equity and inclusion committee uh that that started actually in June and we had a huge
012number of people think about 93 people join the committee and they've done a number of things. One of which was to write and have the board adopt a a very powerful statement uh about what the board intends to do uh to to as the statement says to dismantle uh the policies and practices that clearly are in our community and we're going to try to do whatever we can in the schools uh to dismantle those practices and to and promote equity in a positive way. So, one of the first steps was we started a a book club and and we're we're reading a book called So, You Want to Talk About Race? And we had our first session a couple weeks ago, a Zoom meeting, and it went I I would say it went extremely well.
013Two two facilitators from CRE uh joined us. The next one is going to be January 15th and if you're if you're interested, >> September 15th, >> excuse me. Thank you. >> That's right. uh if you're interested um it it's it's not like you have to be part of the first one. It's it's we're going to be talking about chapters four, five, six, and seven. And if you uh I I think do we have books available, Susan? >> I think we have extra books. Yeah. So, just let me know. Email me. >> Yeah, there there you go. >> Show the author too, Amma. She is awesome and you can find her on YouTube. but to hear her tell the story and um really give the details of her situation and people she's met and she even
014has in some of the YouTube videos their question answer um and their interview types. So, um you even if you want to see take a peek at one of the YouTube videos and to see is this something I'd be interested in, but it certainly has been um provoked a lot of good thinking from, you know, our educators. So, >> and then the last thing I'll say is um we and in fact the councelor Parker was there, we held a topping off ceremony for Fames River Magnus School. I still pause when I say that. It's not quite rolling off my tongue. Um, but the school that is building being built on the site of some of you may remember a place called Westside Middle School. Uh, that school is up and the the walls are now
015coming in. I I think I think by uh in two weeks they'll have the whole basically the whole building encased and they'll start pumping heat in there. And and of course the same is is is true. Mystic River is is a couple weeks ahead of that. So we we are on we are on uh pace uh for the opening of those two elementary schools uh for September. So I think that's it for the board unless Susan you can think of something else. know, just that um you know, we're just um it's going to be really um bittersweet to have Mike sail into the sunset and and retire, but he certainly ma let us be ship shape. We've worked tirelessly on a budget and we're continuing to work on it and um we're going to be
016presenting some ideas to the board um so that when he when I start in January, we'll at least have a game plan and be able to share that more and have the board work with me to, you know, see all that we can do to to get the budget ready for the town council and the RTM. So, I feel like we're a little ahead of the game. I'm feeling pretty good. >> If I could say one thing about the the middle schools, when we were deciding on the names, one of the principles said the two rivers nestled the town of Grten in their arms. And I thought, what a beautiful thought that was. And then I was talking to Dr. Mitchell who was a superintendent a few years ago and he said and you know
017when they when the two rivers meet they go into Long Island Sound and they become one. >> What a wonderful >> Oh, isn't that great? >> Oh, that's poetic. I think there's a poem right on your tip of your tongue that we can put together. >> That's poetic. >> I never thought about that. I've heard we do have it written that we are nestled in between the themes in the mystic river and certainly um having the historian on our side and really taking a close look um you know Jim Strereer was so helpful um but you know we really wanted something that was really captured us as a whole group and and all the history behind these two rivers and the magnificent you know um manufacturing ing and marine science that has taken place and
018um the businesses that have grown up on both rivers I think um is really a a nice thought but >> it is going into Long Island Sound I love it. >> Yeah, >> it's lovely. >> I don't I don't know what uh what Kim does now, but I'm inclined to say are there any questions from the other groups for Dr. Grener Grer or Mrs. Austin? Please, not me. >> So, so what happens now? Do >> I think Mike I think Mike Whitney had a question. >> Oh, Mike, go ahead. >> Yeah, thank you for the information. Um, and it's good again to hear the efficacy of all the um procedures for COVID and protecting against spread in the schools. That's great to hear that um you know the contacts haven't resulted in cases. Uh one
019question I have and it's not just for our school system but in general for the state is I thought the the department of education said that you know once the over 14-day period once the there more than 25 daily cases per 100,000 people that that remote learning like that was I that's what we kind of went into the year with and we triggered the red alert one at 15 per 100,000 but but now it seems like people aren't aren't looking at that as a guideline anymore. I know we're way above it right now. Um just your thoughts on that. >> We have a we have a meeting every Tuesday morning uh with the a joint meeting the department of education and department of public health and uh Dr. Matt Carter who is a epidemiologist for
020the state he uh he actually addressed this uh yesterday. what what what they began with of course they didn't know and and originally they they they went to a Harvard group uh uh you know like there's a University of Washington projection group and a Harvard group so they went Connecticut went to Harvard group and they thought 25 was like a huge number like they couldn't you know when they when they did it I think in in the summer they thought well if if if god forbid we ever reach 25 per 100,000. That that would be really large. And then he kind of chuckled and said, you know, we're we're pushing 50 and 60 in in in many communities. And so it it's what they what they've done with that is they they said that's that
021that that sort of cut and dry measure uh turned out not to be practical. And uh and they they are weighing other factors. And of course, the the effectiveness of the mitigation strategies, you know, I you know, like like we've all heard, wear a mask, stay six feet apart, and keep washing your hands. That that seems like it's it's really in in in schools, it's it's very impressive, especially when you see the tiny children, they all wear masks. Everybody wears a mask. And I I and you know, unfortunately, the the the spread in the community has has really uh really gotten to us, but they've they've essentially changed that. They they keep putting out these addendums. That's addendum four, and they've modified that. Then I think I haven't seen it in writing yet, but I
022think you'll see uh the the next change will be uh you need to stay uh quarantined. If you're if you're a contact um and you're and you know you don't test positive, you need to quarantine. It's it now says 14 days, but I believe it will say seven. The Connecticut guidance still 10 if if you're positive. Uh but uh only seven. that's going to help us because as you can imagine the last I'm trying to think of the school um well Northeast Academy I I think we had nine or 10 teachers who were affected uh at one of I mean it's all it's over now at that point but when you have when you have 11 teachers for 14 days you just can't operate uh seven days is going to make it obviously more more
023more feasible and and we've been we've been sharing subs so when one school is closed, we actually take we take the subs and we move them to another school because they need them to keep open. So, we're we're sort of in this delicate balance, but that that number that cut and dried number uh has been well, they they treat it with far more flexibility now, I guess, is the way to say it. And we're also going to be working with the principles to do a lot of research on these two full weeks since we're all out as a district to and we do this anyway every week. We we really monitor the attendance, the disconnection of students who aren't even coming on once to a Zoom or doing any work. And those are the kids
024we really worry about the most. And we have social workers in place. We have um you know the SRO and Adam going and knocking on the doors, social workers and principles knocking on the doors and just really finding out what do families need to get connected and you know while we feel the hot spots and the technology are there, there's so many other factors that are just so difficult for our families. So, um, you know, we really want to do a kind of a mini research project on these two weeks and really analyze what is engaging the kids, what's causing them to get on, you know, even looking teacher by teacher, school by school to see, you know, where are we seeing the best successes and, you know, and when we see the challenges, what's
025causing them like to try to really identify the problem. So the principles are, you know, they can't walk through classrooms, but they can walk through Google classrooms and they can go on. Jamie Gardano just told me how many classrooms she's gotten in, you know, in the last two days just by going in. She wants to see her kids. She wants to touch base with her teachers. So, we're still evaluating and supervising, but it's just very different than it used to be. So, I think this is >> I don't I'm not on I'm just general public here. My wife is part of the SBB PTO. Um and that's why she is the president of that. That's why we have the SBB. >> Can you can you tell us your name? I'm sorry. >> Yeah. Yeah. This
026is Vince Yvoli. I have a fourth grader at uh Butler and I can appreciate all that you guys are doing. Uh it is difficult especially to get the kids all online and engaged. That's got to be really hard. But I'm also concerned as a parent that we're not giving them enough. I mean when you're out of school for these two weeks, you know, they're not getting their two o'clock Zoom meeting for social studies and science. So we're basically doing reading, writing, and and math, which is, you know, the math is not all that challenging sometimes. So I'm really worried about our kids falling way behind. I know this may not be the um you know the meeting for that but I'm just concerned because you know there are other districts that seem to be going
027the five days and I'm all with you Mr. Grineer that you know the little kids can follow instruction. You know they know where to walk on the side of the one side of the hallway and and wash their hands and do everything. So I'm I'm all for this five days or four days a week. Anything we can do to get them more in school. We're fortunate. My wife and I are both home, so we're on top of them. Uh, but I know there's challenges getting, as you pointed out, Susan, that you know, getting kids online is difficult. So, >> I just I just worry so much that, you know, these kids are going to be so far behind. Uh, >> anyway, >> we're actually going to have a meeting about that. >> I haven't I
028had a talk with Kim offline. Susan, we're going to try to get the principles together. We We're going to address that. Uh I I I appreciate what you said, Vince. And uh and of course, our goal is this. You know, we share the same goal. We we just I want to I want to be sure we can we can get there and get there equitably. I you know, I think some some teachers are doing doing it more more vigorously or rigorously or uh you know, they have better tech skills and you know, I it's it's a bit of a moving target, but I hear what you're saying and we'll address it with the principles. Thank you, Mike. >> Can I jump in? >> Yes, >> sure. >> Okay. I realize that some people might want
029them more on the computer, but for example, Aaliyah ended up with vertigo from being on so much. So, you want to maybe do a a survey saying, "Is your are your kids getting sick? Are your is your vision impaired? Is that why you're not on as much? any medical concerns. Didn't realize she had vertigo. >> She was on so much when when they first got out in March and they on every day they had to be on Well, forgive me. She's she was in high school. So, the more classes that they have, the more the teachers were doing and they were not only doing it regular Zoom, they had another thing that they had to log into. It was just so much that she started getting headaches, getting lightheaded and stuff. So, I'm wondering if
030some kids are the computers, unless they have a shield over it, they may be affected by their eyesight. You really bring up a good point because one of the things we wanted to do differently, better um in the fall than we did in the spring. In the spring, it kind of hit us by like a 2x4 and all of a sudden we were out, all of us. But we really wanted to make sure we had home kits and school kits. So, we had math manipulatives, games, um workbooks to go home, um journals, and so paper and pencil kinds of activities, even art activities because especially with little children, I just can't imagine them being behind a computer for an entire day. It's hard enough for me. So, I think that you're right. I think that
031it really has to be a mix. And um same thing with um middle school and high school. So to have classes in fitness and have classes in physical education and other areas where you know it's not always just on the computer is important. But one one of the things I I can tell you Vin uh you know one size doesn't fit all and it's it's it's very frustrating for us because so we we get everything from uh children are not getting nearly enough and of course it depends on the teacher not getting nearly enough to in some cases they're getting like way too much and you know I'm I'm I'm sorry to hear about Aaliyah um and you know somewhere in the uh you've got families like you, you and your wife, thank God, who
032were there to to to support the kids. And you can imagine some poor kid who's, you know, seven years old at home, maybe his parents don't speak English and and they're trying to do their thing. It's uh you know, the the end the end of the the light there is light at the end of the tunnel. We need to get these kids back in school and we need to do everything we can to promote that. Uh and and we're trying to meet the needs. But I'm I'm going to share uh Julia, I'm I'm going to share Juliet. I'm going to share that and I'm going to share Vince's comments and and and I think the teachers will exercise some judgment as well. And so somewhere in the middle is is is the answer. And it's,
033you know, it's it's it's been it's been haunting us since mid-March, >> right? >> Uh >> well, I would say also that Mike and I have charged the principles with putting together action plans, which they're going to be sharing with the board of ed. And these action plans came not only from surveys and focus group, but ongoing information, emails that we received from parents and information from teachers at faculty meetings. So ongoing and so to say okay so now what do we need to go to in what do we need to put in place? How can we make progress with this continuous progress? It might not look perfect. It might not look like last year at SVB at this time of year but we have to continue to make progress and we need it to
034be you know we our curriculum is all aligned. Teachers have worked on it. So, there's so many things that we have in place, but we're still hearing that um you know, it's different for different kids and different families. So, they'll be presenting those action plans to us. >> I I'll carry your your comments forward. Uh Vince, >> yeah, thanks. I mean, I don't want to get the teacher we have has been great. Um, but she's she says she's uh limited by the district of how much that they can give the students on a daily basis. So, um, I don't want to say that she's she's I think she's been good, but um, yeah. So, about those uh, action plans, is that going to be something in a public meeting or is that going to be
035in a closed door type thing? You can just join in >> next Monday at six o'clock. It will be posted on the website and you can join like you're joining tonight. >> Okay. And they're actually going to put up the their own action plans at each school, too. So, everybody will see. >> Thank you. >> So, now, >> where do we go from here? >> Usually to uh to Mayor Granitasks. >> Hi. Thank you, everybody. Um uh Councelor Parker and I are going to tag team tonight. So, she's going to take and report out on November and then I'm going to talk about last night and what's coming up ahead. So, councelor Parker, I'll yield to you. >> Okay. So since I was unable to provide you information from November's meeting since we were having
036it right after you this last me meeting um we approved the alterations to River Road. Uh let me see we approve adopted the TIFF amendments. Um we approved authorized the mayor not the mayor sorry town manager to sign the short-term tax agreement for the Mystic Education Center. We approved the space use agreement for Children's First Graten. They're going to be at the Graten Public Library. So, they have space there so they can continue helping the residents of Graten. Um, Graten Heights. Uh, we scheduled a public hearing for Graten Heights for the selling of the Graten Heights. That was for last night's meeting, but I'll let the mayor talk about that one. and we authorized the town manager to sign the short-term fixed assessment agreement for William Cely School. So hopefully that's enough. If you want
037any additional information, feel free to reach out to me. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councelor Parker. Um so last night, as councelor Parker said, we had our hearing um for the um sale of the Graten Heights property. Um, we have scheduled two public hearings for two other excess town properties. Uh, one being on Gold Star Highway and the other being the former formal former Colonel Ledger School property. I can't talk. Um, we are uh doing an economic assistance fund award for three water street. That's the new building on water street. Uh we approved two funding requests from two agencies, the Cultural Coalition and Safe Futures. Um coming up on the agenda for the next meeting, uh we have the Fitch High School asbestous removal project that will be on the agenda. Um and we have
038a couple of public safety grants. We have a memorandum of understanding for the Graten Sale Foundation and the sighting of that particular item on the um property by the Rotten Public Library. We're going to be having a report from the resilience and sustainability task force as well. and we're going to be having a discussion on um road maintenance and a discussion about complete streets and if the council wishes to pursue the concept of complete streets within the town of Graten. Um and that would be um making the streets um easily accessible not only for motor vehicles but for bicyclists, pedestrians, and making it a friendly kind of a more walkable space if if that's something that the council wishes to pursue. Um that's what I have to report. And I just I just wanted to
039add um teacher Patrice now. Um I understand um the science that small children are not um being affected so much by uh COVID, but keep in mind that to have that school open, you have adults in the building that will be affected by it. So just please keep in mind your teachers, your paras, your support staff um that have to be there um to help the kids. And and teacher Patrice also recognizes that um there's a continuum of of ability and um technical technology access. Uh so so I'm well aware of that, but it just remember your teachers too, please. Thank you. Well, well said. And we will >> uh now uh Andrea, >> help me out. >> Uh we we I I say we go to uh Dr. Whitney and Kathy Chase. >> I'm
040sorry. Did you forget city? >> Yeah, the city. >> No, I'm I'm I'm I'm gonna swing. Well, we go to city if you want and then we'll come back to RTM. Reggie, you want to fill us in on some city stuff, please? Yeah, actually at this present moment here in the city, um we're actually in the process of um we losing we're going to lose a city council member and actually we lost one as of Monday and then um on this Monday coming up in December, we're going to um elect to get a new city council member to replace and also we um we added a new planning and zoning employee um department head and also we have a new u economic development department head that um one went in effect in November and the
041other is going to take effect I believe January 1st and then that is all I have to report at this time in the city but I would like to say congratulations to Dr. Austin >> oh thank you just Susan >> Susan Austin >> but thank you I appreciate it I'm I'm really thrilled and um Dr. G has prepared me well and um I'm ready to go. >> That is awesome. >> I want to add that we're thrilled too. >> We are. >> Thank you. So, Dr. Whitney, is that where I'm going next? >> Yes, I think so. >> Okay. >> I I don't have um RTM side of things. I think Kathy usually handles that, so I defer to her. >> Okay. >> Right. Last month, um, we had no meeting, so there's not nothing
042to report. >> Do you agree with that, Mike? >> Yeah, I agree. >> Mike, I'm just gonna hand this over to you the other way. Dr. D, I'm gonna hand this over to you if that's okay. >> No, no, it it's it's fine. Well, you know, in in the in the time of in the time of COVID, if if there's there's not very many good things, but one of the good things is these meetings, all the meetings. Obviously, the RTM meetings are extremely expeditious in as much as they're not even happening. Uh, and in the city council sounds like it's moving along, but but at at a good brisk pace. And these meetings all typically an hour. uh uh but you know it there seem there seems to be uh pe people say what they
043need to say and uh they they move on but I will say this I I wanted to add one more thing about education especially when you mentioned Dr. Mitchell and I just want to brag a little bit about Dr. Acriman this this year the Martin Luther King scholarship committee uh gave out Help me out Andrea was it was it 14 scholarships >> 16 $20,000 scholarships >> so so $320,000 was was was given out five of those $20,000 scholarships were were given out to Fitch High School students And uh I I know one of them very well uh extremely well and and and frankly without that kind of financial help I don't think he would have been able to make it to college. Uh it is uh it is a lifechanging event in in that young
044man's experience in education and he he was when we presented him he was the only one who actually started crying because it it was a lifecher literally a lifecher and so I I mean I'm just I'm so disappointed that we didn't have the the opportunity to have the dinner because that's one of the great events. So, I think everyone's sort of looking forward to that next year. And um but I think we we we all we all agree that as we uh progress through the month of December, we want to get back to school. You want to talk a little bit about your your gradual expansion of inschool? >> Well, yeah. It's something it's a conversation I've been having with principles since we started this gig. And back in the fall, I was saying, "What
045if we just started looking at students who really needed to be there the four days a week?" So, we started expanding special education students and some of our e students and kids who weren't connecting, we tried to get them into the building so we could reconnect them. And then we have this, you know, this red all over the place and the hospitals are filling up and um we kind of just stopped at that point. But I really said to Mike, you know, if we could then in January really plan this out and really find out maybe there's parents willing to send the kids four days a week and maybe we start growing this thing at least starting in the elementary school um so that we can and you know I'm really looking forward to seeing
046what is the remote learning data and so we also have an assessment plan. We've given the fontis and panel which is a reading screening and teachers were pretty delighted that it wasn't a huge plummet that you know while kids usually do a summer slide the data that we had at the you know at the end of the year was pretty much the same that we got again in the fall. So um and we're working with the state to do the interim assessments. So, we're really making sure that we're checking on kids to see where they are and what they need so that we can teach and really fine-tune our teaching. So, um I'm excited about that and the teacher and the principles are really willing to to take a good look at that and I
047think that you know it is possible especially with the vaccine on the horizon. Like I said, Mike and I say the only thing that holds us back is if there is a case and 40 contacts. We can't run a building. There's not enough subs to fill. So that's that's the only problem. But we just, you know, we just have to continue washing our hands, wearing our masks, and not eating together, you know, and making sure we're safe. So some teachers eat in their cars because they just feel more comfortable that way. So, we're trying to do our very best. >> Can I say something about the vaccine? >> Sure. >> We We are going to do so much better with this vaccine. Some of the vaccine from Fizer is already in California. I I mean
048I I don't know if people are aware of that. This is the biggest problem is going to be not the vaccine but getting the shots into the arms. But we do we do as a country as our pharmaceutical companies are going to be able to get this done. When when you've got somebody like Fouchy who said he never thought that there would ever be a vac vaccine that would be 95% and we already have three. We are going to get through this. Um and and maybe it won't be next month, but it's going to happen. And when it's over, we're going to be much better off for it. Really, I I really do believe that that is the answer. >> And in the meantime, we're doing flu shots at Claude Chester December 15th, I believe,
049Mike. I can't remember the date. We'll put it on the website so that we're really gonna and our school-based health is awesome that we have that in our many of our buildings so that we can, you know, families who are comfortable with that can vaccinate. We expect it for all preschoolers to have the flu shot, but at least that will also help keep kids healthier. Yes. >> And um over the winter time. So, we're really going to be advertising that. >> Also, in in regards to flu shots, Groten City is having a flu a free flu clinic on the 11th starting at 1 p.m. at the municipal building in case, you know, in case anyone >> Great. Great. >> Yeah. The more we can knock down the regular flu, the the better off the diagnosis
050of the COVID is going to be. >> Yes. >> Um I think you're I think you're right, Lee. And all those pharmaceutical researchers and now we're going to turn our attention to the logistics guys. Getting this stuff out is going to be, you know, a herculean chore. That's for that's for sure. But yeah, we're we're we're moving ahead and please God, uh I listen to Fouchy, you know, like like St. Fouchy like everybody else does. And uh >> you know, he he he seems to indicate by by by summer, you know, it will be widely available. >> And so, yes, please God. Uh >> yes, >> I had this conversation. Whoops. I'm sorry. >> Yeah, go ahead. Sorry. I had this conversation with my my students today um talking to them about you know just
051getting through the next few months and once the vaccine becomes available and kids are resilient and and we'll be fine but it is it's not easy on anybody and um I just want to say to Dr. Grineer and um Dr. Austin that we do appreciate everything you've done and how you've shepherded us through and um how you've been in good communication with the parents, with the families, with the teachers. >> Wonderful. >> And and we do appreciate all that you've done as well as the rest of the board too, Dr. Arian and um and Miss White. So, thank you so much and congratulations, Dr. Austin. >> Thank you so much. >> But you can do it with your stilettos. I do need big shoes, but I know where to find them if I need them.
052>> We know. >> Right down the street. >> Well, thank you for running a wonderful meeting, Dr. Ari. >> Oh, thanks so much, Andrea. >> Yeah. Thanks so much. >> You know what comes after this? >> I know. I know. I know. But I don't think I get to say it, but I wanted to say one thing, and that is I wanted to thank do Dr. Grineer for talking about the Martin Luther Luther King scholarship and that um the ecumenical service is on that Sunday of the of Martin Luther King weekend at Sunday and it'll be a zoom meeting. So we'll get that out to everybody. And I also wanted to to to note that counselor Parker's daughter Ali Aaliyah is a Martin Luther >> and that's because of all you learned at at Fitch
053Junior High School. Just keep that in mind. Junior. Yes. Yes. Because >> Okay. So, I taught me to >> Dr. Aman, you were the one that taught me how to shake hands with a person. You said look them straight in the eye and do not have a fish. You do not shake your hands with a like a fish. I still do it to this day and the girl I've told the girls that. >> Isn't that wonderful? >> Good luck. >> Thank you. So, >> no, I can't do this in my job and I have to pass it off to somebody. Do I have a motion to adjurnn? >> Lee, a second. >> Second. >> Okay. So, good night all. Thank you very much. >> I think we did better than Harry Watson. >> Half hour.
054>> Good night everybody. >> Good night everyone. Bye y'all.