001Post ready host president are my pledge allegiance to the flag in the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all for our Roll Call of Board Members Public Recognition Tina Come on up I make sure everyone hears this Beth is one of ththose teachers who doesn't like special attention but I just wanted to start off saying you know we you've always seen on Facebook or maybe a bumper sticker and it says something like if you can read this Thank a teacher and we often recognize and that teachers teach us reading and writing and math and I just want to remind everyone that there are so many other hats aside from teaching kids how to take care of themselves and others
002and make friends there's one more hat that has not been discussed and that is lunch duty so lunch duty is very important and at the end of November I emailed on the cabinet because during our lunch duty there was a time where a couple of our staff members including Beth here who to me were a hero to a child and I think it's important to think that just a moment to acknowledge and so I'm just going to be my letter to to the cabinet and it just says I formally wanted to share with you today that we staff members when faced with adversity rise to the call and jumped in as heroes do specifically Beth Roos a fourth grade teacher and William Montafia our KSI the security guard Beth Roos was on lunch duty and
003as she monitored the room she noticed a student who appeared to be choking she did all the right things call for help ask the student if they could breathe and with no answer and and she observed the distress she administered the Heimlich maneuver our security guard William on Sofia jumped in to continue the Heimlich maneuver and they dislodged the food so the child could breathe the two work together all which happened very quickly and while the nurse ran to the cafeteria the child's parents were called later and they were also very appreciative of our staffs reaction to save their child so teachers and the school staff can be heroes in many different ways reading of course is very important but and being safe is as well but tonight I wanted to recognize both staff members
004for working together and saving a life in the Danbury Public Schools and specifically at King Street Intermediate thank you for us Public Participation The Board Welcomes Public Participation and asks that speakers please limit their comments to 3 minutes. Speakers may offer objective comments of school operations and programs that concern them. The Board will not permit any expression of personal complaints or defamatory comments about Board of Education personnel and students, or against any person connected with the Danbury Public School System. yes so I thought there would be more people here parents switch and I think just the the message that we wanted to convey as a group was that we understand the coronavirus we understand the fear we understand you know some people are distressed and even the students understand that the Disney trip has been
005canceled but I think part of the message that we wanted to come to you with is the hopes that when messages are conveying to the parents and to the students that perhaps they could be consolidated more concise rather than answers or comments that are just being sent from the school and then changing consistently so in the last 24 hours we've gone from the Disney trips for all the music have been cancelled - nobody's getting refunds to the travel agent going through school last night saying that might get partially refunded but you're out of luck for everything else so even we've gotten five or six different message in the last 24 hours we don't know what's going on there's a lot of upset people there are students who are upset of course they understand that the
006rest of their season for marching band has been cancelled they understand that but you know a lot of these kids to where this comes from is some of some of my personal friends their children who are 16 years old have worked for the last year babysitting and doing odd jobs and paid for this trip out of their own pocket so that's another factor when they just hear no refunds the trip has been canceled it kind of takes it to a different level right because now you've got a child's emotions in play who's worked very hard and you know fifteen hundred dollars for a child it's a lot of money it's a lot of money for us parents as well so just in hopes of knowing what's happening with this trip so we can take this
007back to the parents and asking that the message is thought about before it's conveyed and we're not getting five or six different answers from five or six different people or entities we'll just make things a whole lot easier for us digest Thank you. Is there anyone else that would like to speak before it or they do not sign the sign up sheet Good evening my name is Jeffrey Salva my name is Jeffrey Salva I live off killingly drive I am the parent of a seventh grader at Rogers park andI have a senior in Danbury high school I'm here to support family member Ron Quinn he's a friend of ours we've got snow chose to the band I totally agree with what he said you would appreciate one concise solid message but in addition for that
008we aren't naive to think that there are other trips and other things that have been canceled do this for example there's a trip that Roger spark is taking in June it's Philadelphia trip it's a seven grade trip to Philadelphia and just want to know like possibly when we might expect to see some messaging from the board or from anyone about the vast number of churches that are happening throughout the school whether it be writers market brought you high school elementary schools into that sort so if they read the letter online we saw that all future activities so on and so forth you can cancel we understand it around point the coronavirus all that I understand that but I guess we're just here to advocate for a concise word about the message when the message comes
009out Hi My name isTara both of my daughters attend AIS I'm here for two reasons first of all I just wanted to acknowledge and really thank the board and superintendent this has got to be a nightmare on your end kind of navigating all of this that's happening in in real time and so and I don't think there's any losing effort my second question is is there a plan for kids in the event that school does closed is there a plan for children who receive free and reduced lunch so that as kids can ensure that this kids eat. That's it thank you. So is there any one else that would like to com to the board at this time? Seeing none I need a motion. I move that the Board of Education approves the items on
010consent calendar exhibits 20 - 32 - through 20 - 38. Seconded Any objections? Any corrections to the minutes? Seeing none all in favor say aye. so hi my name is Lisa pasta and I'm president of the board of governors at Danbury high school. I"m Becca the studio I'm the treasurer. I'm Jake and I'm secretary today we have some information to share so for its sports events the Hatters will host three track invitationals this spring two of the three are annual meets the O'Grady relays on for April 24th and 25th the dream Invitational and a third meet 5-16 is a brand new and will be called the Connecticut classic on February 15th the FCIAC class double else for wrestling crowned DJ Donovan Tyler Johnson and Ryan Jack among others the FCIAC titles for their respective weight
011classes in addition to that the team has a whole one the CIAC wrestling state open state title for the fourth time in a row. Girls basketball coach Jackie DeDardo is to be honored by the like center of with the 2020 st. Claire Award coach D. will share its award with retired New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning as the st. Francis award winner the DHS four by 800 team faced at the New England Championship on February 29th. So Tuesday night I'm part of the production of high school production we found out we're going to do it in April . Thank you Dr. Sal. I know you talked to Mr. Burnet , I believe, all day trying to figure out a solution so they're moved tentatively to June forth through sixth for right now we've cut down
012rehearsals really once a week on the 12th of February the National Art Honor Society has induction so congrats to them. last Tuesday's students in the National English Honor Society visited primary school to Read Across America day the I was very successful in other things a little Hatters had their orientations it's like a little day care orientation on February 19th our Hosa program a visit to K Street for a special assembly talk on all things health as a reward should it was not 5 all the way walk or something so on every first necessity in the cafeteria that group festival brought distracted / impaired driving simulators and the lights following them participate I think that I respect 80 people and students are beyond ecstatic for their teachers - oh please federal level is like congratulations to
013the tres jr. Caitlyn pampered for receiving the president's volunteer service more than February these days look at this month the Leadership Program posted upon by any sports tournaments such as dodgeball basketball to raise money for organizations like the Wounded Warriors Project both tournaments with $120 prizes DHS is getting money for another sphere week I knew steer week will be from April 6 tonight from the so Vatican's weather warm weather and spreading more spirit I'm a sudden the DHS hosted program pitched into the Connecticut also state competition and took home what Bulworth and finally yesterday visiting the little house peaceful classroom was retired canine tax and retired trooper at in the emergency department my name is Samir Souza and I like to thank you for allowing me to live his life yesterday Center for Excellence and
014share what's going on with her family on your setting so I smell affection students who participate in Saturday work experience totally 18 hours on March 14 21st and 28th in what are they at human affection service college for AIDS continues to offer students intervention in Richland directory life skills course on purpose 11th graders are currently focusing on SAT prep work to better perform on the SAT our March budgeted on April 8 a civil our clearly these 16 workshops provided of offers to Institute's for areas of interest so it's more careers that serve the community and promote wealthy needs a fair lunch on April 8 on the top floor of eight the humanities students will put on our second you know Renaissance the air which utilizes questions and the hallway participate learning stations in activities if
015I of the recent emergency preparedness plan the photoshoots have been invented starship are March 13 for students more luck turning tricks on marks 18 20 students whitewater park trip March 25th 50 G students while while Community College tripathi's March 25th 25 students what's your height speed drop Washington CT April 23rd 10 students watch the water after shift on the Hudson River may 27 2013 2 the college 2029 thank you all so much for your continued support of our efforts educate which any power at their tumors and and I know other people thank you now thank you on behalf before we say thank you for coming thank you so very much right now 28 is our day at the state capitol. So stay tuned, I don't know what is going to happen. It's from 11 to
0161. we had groups of kids coming up there. I don't know if it is a good idea. We are trying to limit exposure of students with outside influences or activities or individuals that would potentially be exposing kids to the virus. So going that day would not be congruent with what we are doing. so I would limit going up and taking our kids in fact we have that day. I was mentioning on the 28th that is also an election day in Danbury and they worry about opening up I think we have five sites six sites, bringing a lot of individuals in that we then I look at there's not going to move that, its a statute perhaps we need to do early dismissal an emergency one I was thinking about using the May date but I
017would advise the board in light of my next report that we bank as many days as we can. Incase we have to use them. So let me look into them. time and I will tell you I know it sounds great to have adults by the gym we always have people lined them through the building I don't think it's a safe thing it cannot move the polling places if we can have a day off like remember but we don't so I think we should do something one for safety folks walking around and also having too many outside is coming to go without giving us a chance so that's that's about that but I want to spend some time now is with the apparently management planning a few years ago two boards approved the plan almost a
018checklist but it certainly gives us a lot of guides and a lot of it is you know soft information that is it's in terrific develops as we go through so I have Lisa Morrisey here and Kathy come on in what we've been doing together this started a while ago but it was accelerated last Friday night we work to be mayor and with dr. Lester and Lisa has a visitor 24/7 over the last two weeks so many parents hi good evening thank you for having the first night a very pleased to be update on where we are with apart preparations and how we're collaborating with so I think it's important to start talking situation apparent earlier this evening and he was talking about the information and how it was changing so fast and we're sending lots
019of messages now how do you feel - because literally I don't know addicted guidance changes maybe to four or five times a day so it really has been difficult to get through all the information but in church fast forward separately we had another teens that was another case that would you something before today so if you have four pieces total two of them are actually in New York and to Connecticut resident to the state they would count that X to put the media reported to Justin we've had lots of conversations with our school district and the surrounding school districts and the university talking about the importance of coordinated messaging and talking about how we're going to close schools delay schools and talk about cleaning and one of the things that we the beginning was that
020we really need everyone to be on the same page and I remember on Friday night after being at first case people to fall to the south and in fact Clark hats must repent if you do diversity and talking about what does this mean for our community and well they're not here they're going back to New York this really is a low impact Jennifer once but this is we were talking for the last two weeks about ending our plans together and dissipated into Falls and I said okay so the time for plan is finished narrower and more mitigations base so what that means when we combs and innovation space is reducing the network potential pieces the community today at the state level they were having conversations and they brought back to the directors of Health Liz
021that we should anticipate and prepare for the fact that 20 to 30 percent of our communities are going to become infected with this virus and that number sounds and I think it when I say that number I'm gonna give me some context that will help that so we have a hundred people in this room right now not what you should have because you know no matter but if we had a hundred people in the room 80 to 85 of those people are gonna party of people but not so sick that they can't move back then we're going to have another 12 to 15 people maybe who are sick enough that they're going to need to see a healthcare provider there that needs to see the primary care provider so we're not talking about hospitalization in
022at this point this is a conversation they're going to a provider to give them some guidance on what they can do to stay as healthy as possible had hope of managing this now final group of people talk about the last two with people those are the people that are going to require hospitalization instead of that one of your people so you to have 100 percent talk about only two or three percent of people are going to be sick anyone that they're volunteering hospitalization so the disruption of it really comes from how do you maintain the infrastructure of our schools how do you maintain the infrastructure the essential services that the city provides we're anticipating math absolutism and having the conversations services to students such as producers lunch looking over at County and we're talking about
023the students so those are really the things that we were talking about from the medication level on the day to day with the school together from the communication as far around my favorite thing in the whole entire world hand washing and washing and washing and washing and stressing the importance of hand-washing and reminding our parents and families and staff if you feel sick stay home want you to stay home means the two best things that you can do for the entire community one is to wash your hands when to miss to stay open for feelings that we did for anything that message and to decide really being a supportive partner for the district and being advisor to say here's what we're seeing from the public home right here to rule from Westchester County the rest
024of Fairfield County and here's how the pink or quarterly here what we think the list is to the students to the staff to the visitors and here's how it changes primary and secondary the self quarantine what does that mean mrs. gray to us it's very real so my background is an infectious disease epidemiologist and the other day yesterday we had to be alright so I will demonstrate so I also I've been a dropped at West on so I always know that you guys are very familiar acidification so visuals help reframe everything right a picture's worth a thousand words so I'm going to ask for just two volunteers all right okay my name is Lisa and I have been recently diagnosed with a broken neck team Courtney is my good friend we spend a lot of
025time together we work together we do a lot of things together she's a primary contact for me so she's a primary so the guidance will be I'm isolating until I'm a symptomatic but because Courtney was exposed to me while I was implemented now she asked they call for 14 days Callie is friends with Courtney but she didn't see me she only saw Courtney and because horny doesn't have any symptoms Callie's considered a secondary sometimes she doesn't not have to stay home for 14 days she's free to move about the community she's free to go to work to go to school let's say that they were rooming so these two lovely ladies are roommates the same rule applies because Courtney came in hussar yep because Courtney came in contact with me she's going to be asked
026to stay home for 14 days just to make sure that she doesn't develop symptoms but her roommate Kelly does not have to stay home for those 14 days because Kelly did not come in contact with me it was some of the funnel that we've sent down in our planning process and we'll talk about the field trip process how it might you know it was a book piece Mealing part of the quest but Kathy's behaving the things they could be about health and question about that first like to thank we said she's been incredibly instrumental things are changing so currently extremely vigilant in monitoring students who are ill sent out our safety guidelines we've got them posted on our website we are asking parents to stay home if they require medication decisions good morning they are
027suited stable sometimes as children still return too soon but the the nurses are catching that and we are asked for parents to each other up we have throughout our buildings stepped up he disinfecting and as well as reinforcing the message that Lisa said about the frequent can't watch so children are given as many opportunities during the day to wash their hands and sanitizer is available we have it in the classrooms and materias any calls perceptions so there is a lot of concern and anxiety in the community and my role is to reinforce what the Health Department guidelines are and those Centers for Disease Control and I find that we have to we have to fight this with education and with knowledge we don't want to still keep fear and panic so I often will get
028questions from principals I just refer them to what the current guidelines how does we make a citizen so for those of you who know me they know full punches are very candid - I told Sal that I've told almost everyone on his team meeting here's how it works it's not a straight science what we're going to do one element of this is actual the epidemiological present meaning what is the relative risk to the students and faculty the second piece of that pie is what's the community's perception of what we should be doing now what happens is is that from an epidemiological standpoint my recommendation might need to sound this sounds like you just need to be clean your building overnight and then reopen but the public perception might be you need to close the school
029staff and the school needs to stay closed for three days or five days and if we look around just even in this last 72 hours the vast majority of schools that we saw that closed or that dizzy clean open it wasn't because of the actual risk to the student body into the faculty it was to the perception that we needed to be doing something there is going to come a time where we will have to close our schools for an extended time because this suggests oh well we're not there so and one of the things that sound when I talked about he said to me well what would you say to me in this scenario it was a really good question but one of the questions were what happens if we have a student at
030Danbury High School who is a secondary contact remember by before anything who's the secondary contact and they get on the school bus and they go to the high school and the next school bus goes back out again and it goes through the middle school and it goes back out again and it goes to the elementary school and then two days later we find out that the primary contact that students parents became positive what would you tell me in that situation what would you do in that situation when I said my recommendation would be to both leave those buses individually if those schools are probably cleaning those schools and we're going to have to take a look at the risk in each one of those schools and those three schools would be the schools that I
031would consider impacted however I recognized that the community may feel differently the community may feel that the entire district is impacted by that and they may want us to come to school and do it deeply and of all over the school and that's reality is a balance between managing the risk with the public's perception of what we should be doing but we don't want to feed so much into it that we're actually doing the opposite and creating panic and fear because if you decide that you're going to hold for a longer way more than what's necessary people think that there's something going on but we have to close for a really long time so we want to be very deliberate and put a lot of thought into how we're going to close why we're going
032to close and those conversations aren't independent into just a murder those other things that we need to have conversations with the districts that surround January and as I've described to dr. Sauer and dr. Park last night if you give it a domino effect so if you have one school district that has such an extreme response what happens in all the other school districts that everybody wants to know are you being relaxed like what is it so different about that community from our community and then it really kind of amps up the response that everyone else has to put up to make it look like we're all doing the same thing so those conversations about how are we close one to be close mitigating those risks or things that I think we've done a really good
033job in opening discussions with the other districts dr. Stowell has been fantastic about leading that group I mean really helping us to formulate those conversations about you know this really is a closing and it's not something that we should escalate just because people think we need to escalate it and really communicate to them our decision-making process but Maya the reason one of the closest schools probably explaining to people that what's different about us compared to what seems like almost every college in the region man they're going to mandatory online classes chucking kids off a campus not letting kids come back after Spring Break Harvard basically is throwing all of their kids off campus and I mean it's a major imposition for you to be living in countries that are impact less Canada is going to
034online classes only so Sacred Heart how do we explain what's different about us as compared to them as they're doing those things to be clear I don't want to go I'd like to avoid close I don't think that's I'm really worried about kids and food from my mind so here here's how I almost start with conversations because people call our office all the time and ask that and there was one of fact-check the schools are actual things so here's where I start that conversation one when we take a look at like for example particle communities like that they actually have cases in their cities so that makes sense why they want to close because part of the reason why we close schools it is a tool and our toolbox to prevent people becoming exposed and
035the critical piece about posting to schools is that it happened time it just right you close the schools too early and what happens is you take the kids out of the picture they're at home and we still have some cases that are popping up in our area we keep them home for two weeks we still have cases we put the kids back into the schools and guess what really you're going to insert those kids are going to become carriers they're going to have it they're going to be bringing it back to their families if we wait too late to closer schools then we have widespread transmission so what our job is and Kathy and her team of nurses and all of the principal's who the secretaries are great about this we're monitoring absenteeism rates we're
036talking to each other between this exactly the same as we do with flu and other communicable diseases we're looking at her absenteeism rates we're looking at what's happening in the surrounding communities we're looking at what's happening in West Chester and when we make the recommendations you can close schools or do delayed opening and things like that it's going to be based primarily on risk and that's not to say that the other communities are wrong in their approach they're doing what makes sense for their community the same way that we have to make sense for our community Danbury does not look like Wilson never does not look like Westport there Barry does not look like New Canaan so the decisions that we made for Danbury have to be specific to the needs for dinner we monitor
037our attendance every day actually the last few days it has been the best and we've also monitored our fashion why do we do that if we see there's a tendency or an abnormality then we contact this is contact Kathy and we'll take a look at if it's a group of students are relegated to a certain class floor somewhere in a school and we follow up and take a look at very very closely same theatre faculty tendency will follow we've done this we've talked to the users because of some issues there you know we're erring on the side of using the data not to accuse but to people to understand answer is to understand and that's been our approach and I will tell you people being only because of some exposure issues not affecting us directly
038but possibly that's voluntary so we've done that by the districts of night just as you know prevention but that's how is it possible that in stress they have more in communicating sort of that analogy so we don't get to a point where perception drives drives the district will forces the city to do something because of perception of problem then also my question is in your example high school what point constitute but we have 17 or 18 schools if we had a situation in one school and whatever deemed it necessary to close that one school why would give schools be affected so my recommendation we have one case we have one and that to me we have to look at what area of the city that might be but if we have three four five cases
039you know what that tells me I told me that we have widespread transmission in the area remember that that example that I was giving to you before when I talked about a hundred people in a room so we are about hundred people in the room and we know that only two of those people are going to be sick enough to go to the hospital that's where they're going to get tested so I see that we have two three four pieces that means to me that we have a lot of transmission in the community and that's why we need to pull two schools because we want to limit the spread at that point one case we have one confirmed or one presumptive positive then that's isolated we can take that we can mitigate the risk at
040that school level that piece was happening in the state of Washington when they commented folks are saying these people didn't do enough so you know one of my operating principles as a superintendent who was making decisions is exactly that so how do you know that we have staff that shares buildings I know that kids are on buses multiple buses at times so these I'm going to do as best I can quickly to make sure those buses are all clean the end you know statistics about if you have two or three the extrapolation and that is that you're gonna predict there's more that are a systemic and we don't know so they think for all those reasons to why we threw the clothes and the other science perception but as a quarter best what are you
041doing the preventive one things that planning all of the outside groups people are upset why can't I don't know where they work I have no idea faculties education here at voluntary tutoring most of them proceedings not their community your own protection or from an incident listen so all of our tutoring all of you the Yukon folks that are they have reservation classrooms those that are part of our programming are permitted so we could have a regular school so we've taken those steps very aggressively to stop and if you notice what we put out in the notices that and it was mindful north part we don't know the answers and changes so I thought the team week seems to be a good criteria to take a look at we may have to do more restrictions or
042maybe we didn't and that sort of last Friday for example the milk first tonight it is called rich and we put special through high school and high school we need to be doing things to be proactive and I will take and they said it wasn't a recommendation but it was something I thought was the best so we do things like that I think we all want to spend a few minutes now we'll ask questions but talk about cleaning the park never going to come back and talk about what we did last week with kilchers okay so we regularly cleaning the buses with a disinfectant times a day before January ok regularly clicking the buses three times a day morning the kindergarten run the morning run in the afternoon run the staff have been trained in
043Cathy's met with our transportation manager to make sure that they're doing the right clinic protocol so we've got confident and also rich Talbert is checking in with them to make sure that their clinic device is properly dr. Simonton if people come every Saturday they're working overtime to do cleaning so there's through the schools in a rotating schedule to do intensive cleaning they have this disinfectant so custodial staff enhance the regular cleaning and disinfecting of the buildings but they're focusing on all the touch points so they're regularly coming around and cleaning all the door knobs and handles where people physically touch their that's part of their regular everyday I mentioned the overtime on the weekends in the rotating schedule so we really have a dedicated group of students everyone is participating and they're willing to do
044that through you know as long as we need them to which is to this job or running a great team and we have five electrostatics graders that are efficient way to disinfect large area so it's just a big spray and they're dry so you don't have to do you know all the manual touching it's a five minute overall touch points and it air dries it has a five minute kill time so that it dries and we've purchased 14 additional electrostatic spraying on backorder they're coming on April 1st we have pump sprayers in pretend that we've also initiates purchase so that we can use them in every single school he had sanitizer dispensers on additional hands or anything ordered so the student did throughout the building I know I also heard about the soap in the
045bathroom to buy high school I socially rich nearly checking and making sure that the soap is fully stocked and we asked people to report it they feel as though they thought so but we've never seen the soap not being available so we ordered disinfectant wipes to clean the keyboards in classrooms it meantime Cathy worked with rich to get a protocol we spray a clock with the disinfectant either to break it down until we get the special class that will be disposable putting them throw them away but here I'll tear off individual pairs in order for the classrooms and the teachers have spray bottles that they've been instructed how to use just spray down the classroom at the end of the evening it's another it's another end that will just dry they don't have to wait
046for touch anything they just spray and also they're just fine they're doing a video that will show people the proper cleaner call so that you can just put it out on the web so if anybody's missed or anything going around you know see everyone and that will catch them that way as well so so we have a planet a place we've been meeting mention we're also working with United Way and with HP the states can be issued guidelines on Friday about what they're recommending but we've spoken with them advance I mean we have a sense of what will be they'll be doing from the state perspective we have agreement place so our regular school food contractor is available and we'll be able to be on sites around the district so we're looking at the number
047of sites and most effectively meet the needs of the children so the families and it looks like probably six sites but we're still finalizing where those would be because we're working with United Way to make sure we hit everywhere so the families can only show up once and you know they'll build multiple types of dance that just the state role but they can also go to few- site or gonna share information so we'll have a breakfast and lunch a little it'll be like a drive-through so we'll have the cafeteria staff at multiple buildings so they can just get out to the car people will be able to get their meals and and beautiful walk but we're gonna encourage people to not congregate if they don't have a I just wanted to just give those to
048you dr. Salvin to your team don't realize help with the together I mean it's been about what three four weeks that we've released in having these conversations and then I made that from first phone calls and okay this is coming brush off your plans to start normal life and because it's only going to be a matter of time before we containment submit ocation and make sure that you have a plan with reading it for absolute ease and complication and the speed of which that here as a district have been able to do that been working so tires the number of students that Kannapolis or I think that's really commendable and when we were talking about it today county for highlighting game area and their efforts and how good do you guys are able to do
049that and it serves as a model for our community one of the things we decided to do if we got an idea that we were gonna have to cancel is fun don't wait until you have every detail done you better let the parents have a heads up that was one thing I learned from two years ago we're trying to get everything ready and you want to do that you can't I got off the phone with mr. Panetta 4:30 trying to resolve this and it's changed three or four times gloves on the phone because we have a moment but just knowing that what we wanted to do is to make sure folks have an idea and then idea what's going to change just like it's changing every day so my my era that it was just
050to put a shot of course without any heads-up cancellation went which again only his wife there are gates in for the next few years about that people think ships they better take insurance and we required insurance after five hundred dollars this trip the neighbors they would trip we've asked folks they fell in insurance so one things we have to do is look at the archives look at every application and see who requested insurance with that so it was one one thing in addition people had to work with summoning gone through but he asked everybody to go through travel ages they all different contracts contracts were sent over to Courtney she's reviewing them all to see what our obligations would be what our rights are so we're doing that Kevin you met last week talk a
051little bit about that you brought in folks for the trap did you meet with them did you meet with the field trip principals did you talk yes so we met with at least Morrissey at health department last week that of course we met items from the stage around international travel and then of course out-of-state travel so we initially shared this guidance without principles like our parents like our teachers like our students apprentices very concerned and quite frankly Topsy decisions but also quickly we had to get feedback from our principals and make sure we add on this of all of the planned trips for the remainder of the school year so that the district could evaluate the trips in determine whether or not they would be eligible to receive unfortunately given the criteria that was provided
052from the state so we joined the tricks that been removed from from the plane so we have trips who you know like one of our cameras you just heard we have plane trips to Philadelphia to Washington DC interest I've seen Florida we will talk about this evening and so a lot of those trips have been canceled in addition we had some trips locally in state up and a lot of our students were going to places with the congregation of people greater than 100 that number was 150 that has decreased it's whatever and so we're constantly evaluating trips being brought to our attention as you might have parent engagement sessions playing all throughout the year so like those we've had to cancel because we had anticipated turnout and so just as as the information continuously brought
053to our attention we continue to evaluate but a lot of a lot of the participation a lot of the trips that we've had playing throughout the year in addition to any engagement sessions with communities and parents come into our schools so trips right now there is no reason we're cancellation cost gone if you look at some of the trips with the contracts we had we had the wind over Kent's my advices but the uncertainty of what's going to happen in May and you know you might be smart to take you money you think of they don't have insurance so one of the trips that he was talking about today which is happening in June or like May they still not between to cancel other trips that was not the opportunity chance against also this position
054is that well then if they for try to kick it out as far as you can hopefully we'll see what will evaluate every two weeks closely good for the date and you can take it the other thing is when we met with the governor had a special meeting on Tuesday everybody called in first responders mayor's superintendents this entire emergency cabinet the department of protection and the state's attorney the department we're going to provide something to us so that we could knock on the door of whether it's jet who's ever doing a tour to show to try to get some muscle terms of recouping the money as of yesterday when the governor sent out the notice that where's is what's what's it called a state state but you say emergency which I put on mine though
055the state Kevin got back today must be mentally wrong for that special letter was to use that letter as our leverage to get money back so we have that going and right now we're using that and so if we can postpone because can't get the money more we're still negotiating most bonus again that's what we're doing with the play copyright Clause we investigated can't wait do want the kids that do the performance maybe we can tell you know we take this televised live stream some some cases you can't get our case but the moment that school began to it so they kicked it out to the first with each other and we cancelled all of the outside group it was kind of a blessing it opened up a lot of nights for our home schools
056to reschedule so what we're trying to do is keep the kids at the foremost of our decision you know and also to try to give them my opportunity to do the things that they're dreaming that they can do but we still keep them safe so that has been sought about when we're doing Courtney he went up a little bit more about those field trips they're middle schools on speaker Philadelphia and DC as Ted mentioned they're all the process of canceling those field trips so for our messages the there are various dates and times so the D field trip and how far out we are now we're past the timeframe for reimbursements or a few of those trips but we'll clearly communicated back to the parents as far as the Disney trip for the entrant the
057good news is that were self spoke today with the region and it sounds like they'll be able to reschedule the trip and so that information will be forthcoming so we really appreciated being here to share you know we're really sorry I know how important it is to the students and they've worked so hard and so Excel really worked hard with the travel agent today to make sure that we could get a postponement of that trip and more information will be coming forward and we'll be sure to be transparent and share that in the single communication - also we appreciate your patience and being here tonight and just know that that one is a I know it's a large investment of money and time for the cake so we did work really hard with the challenge
058and we're hopeful that we'll be able to reschedule the trip right now just and even with the rescheduling you can't guarantee we're trying to see how much we can recoup there's a lot of idiosyncrasies between privately looking and booking something and then doing as a broker those two don't talk for JetBlue that's one although the biggest expense we're learning it's really the hotel visiting all ahead so we're trying to even though the rescheduling get in fact the cancels what can these families take away in a voucher we're trying to work those things I notice is long but it's been a lot of information so all I'm getting is these possibly you know restrict kids leaving talk about hundred coups no more on you gotta catch period or seventy if he doesn't get and then look
059at all these kids passing themselves in the hallway it's Grand Central Station you're right and this is why we can do it please explain good but give it to us why don't I can we go why do we keep schools going and not cancer so our goal is to minimize risk and we do that when we stuff visitors from coming into the building activities but the reality is that for example at the high school thirty to thirty three hundred kids staff there they're passing in the hallways but that's not extended contact in terms of the lunch waves that is just our reality so we try to minimize the risk where where we've done and we do our best just good hygiene and can't watch things like that in crowds we encourage that social distancing first
060of all thank you guys so much with you here tonight and getting us some information that's been really really helpful and I know you all have been working a lot pretty Drive the clock it says stuff is unfolding so thank you for your dedication all right I just love to ask you I don't know Courtney there any person or something else she addressing this I'm curious about the miners maintaining for transportation for buses further sanitizing those and in particular ones that are trying to in communities I think okay I guess fusses kids from out of district so so we put into place a schedule with cooperating with our transportation director and rich is checking behind to make sure that they find but also we have a disaffected that's it's greedy it's approved by the state
061it's something that our district partners are using now it does apparently like work for this type of coronavirus and so right now we're doing three times a day which is at the service shift before the kindergarten runs before the morning runs and then when they close the shift at the end of the day and we we think that's sufficient because it has a five hour life so it's cycling throughout the entire day catch anything that like on the bus you know in the country so and that's following a protocol that FDA our bus company is now issued for all of our sister districts as well yeah and they're surprised the cleaning products as well we also have some sites that we rent that our custodians don't support it's part of our lease that that they
062provide the custodial support so rich Talbert our facilities director has worked with those landlords to give them our acceptable products and our our schedule so they've agreed to do that so they're following our rules and protocol in Crosby Street and then at the I don't remember which church but it's a church site in my custom City Hall and then at Crosby Street so where our region endeavor and adult education programs act today officials as well and so what we have also done is we created what's called the frequently asked questions and the publicized it and complete in the district has access to this document it's currently about seven meters long and what we are doing this in those questions copying what the question is and providing a bulleted response what our expectation is in the
063district so just to get a little a little overview on one of the questions we got was returning visitors for what do you mean about visitors so we Claire further clarified book you know outside groups would not come in people that are currently engaged in their student teaching unless they're University and then we went on to talk about all the special procedures we're trying to limit access to the building so that means parents I'm so asked these questions for providing responses to them conferencing we're doing electronically PT's and 504 meetings for strongly encouraged and I do have to say our art faculty has been amazing our parents have been equally wonderful for the most part when we pick up the phone and call and say I know you'd love to come in for your conference
064meeting but business language in which you plead is absolutely not a problem you know we had one moment that showed up and I forgot about you come sit in my car so parents have really been very responsive and very collaborative with us throughout the process I'm so over the next you know first out of the month I don't know how long we will continue to daily update or several times a day to help take this document to make sure we're sending a clear consistent message to all the section there that says what if you close so so one of the things where you know snap you're asking questions like you know how will this days they made up so we've already learned about that any of the the end of June the possibility of the
065PD dead and Matty and the possibility of losing time during April vacation are all fair game to make my part required 180 school days we've also indicated to that that we could apply for a Weaver if we exceeded in those days we've also talked to them about payroll and what to expect your enclosure we've put on our busing protocol we put on our distribution to food questions and people are asking from our families information to share out so that everyone is aware I'm Tuesday will that be disgusting and the reason for doing that is prepared early dismissal to allow our faculty trying to prepare information to individual students we've requested that it be both electronically Cara and her team have done an amazing job developing a web website which is currently closed age it's a
066link which has various different online resources for families by grade level particularly focusing on our elementary k5 students there's also resources on there for adult students there are some resources embedded for special education students in addition we're providing the time on Tuesday for teachers not only to further develop some online resources for their global classrooms which is an online learning platform but also to make hard copy work to go home with families we understand that equity and access issue in our district that all children may not have access to a device I mean even if you are providing within ways so we are encouraging our staff to do a combination of online or our copy and the purpose of this is Africa learning it's really to reinforce learning so we should have to be close
067for an extended period of time that students have created some practice not some writing activities to do I mean really the purpose of that is know so the construction so what state is saying that book if you vent the ability to have unarmored you shouldn't ask for a waiver basically we have too many days construction place closes at they have the capacity to do online journey and they come but the assurances are in the protocols tremendous and one of the standards are to incentive is to provide access and equity even they don't have enough computers each other nor can we guarantee if we give the computer and Internet service together and then it's an accountability piece they need 48 farmers today you know I can't guarantee that and I'm not going to risk us think
068we can do it it's been countless hours in thinking that well we'll wait for the waiver and they denied a waiter our teachers have done to her in the days of closed and we're also open emergency elevation so we're going down the road makeup to work give the kids some support work indefinitely our parents as sometimes been together knowing that we're going to take them as we come back issues aspect what happens if you need us SATs ever high school is not the resting T's in the classroom we've stopped this visiting the most cool that was that's what it would take that's a state test that we rent the chairs and in the gymnasium so I'm talking like the state can we do it the protocol from the Educational Testing Service that every student if
069you go in has said of a minimum of three feet Lisa tells me three feet proximity it's acceptable I'm thinking we're going to do this s nineteen I mean talk to dr. Clark today they rented Bridgeport on the money they did show up Jim can be tuned 30 we don't know their hitter move tell parents is not Canadian but its internal documents because there's things on there that I think could answer instead for example this is not for because you get people ask you we were told to I can't tell you the first word trying to do the best thing for kids is a precipitous you know perspective going through what he did personally I think you know in terms of the preciousness of life and protecting it it's very important to him very real
070I think he's making the speed to protect our kids and that's a business mode the only motive and it's been twenty four seven Friday night seven morning it's like something something I I just need ya to one for doctor set on the field trips for rescheduling can we go into the Sun and just not sure what the rules are because they know what I was in high school we did a jerk the Spain after school ended in the summer obvious ed its building this so the check in this case in this case what I advise one is that because they've seen his mom the question big scares would certainly get to go in Fred wish so I said look you better the board has a date right now it could change but snow later so
071I said take the weekends at the set of thing there's two week itself so the answer to that question is post graduation the kids question just if there's disruption on a payroll have we got any kindness from the Department of Labor on that because running afoul with the Department of Labor and it's very easy to do and clients they can attach the music nightmare yeah they start doing it but if labor is not yet Marisa stately we're thinking very carefully through at all we know that we are a 180-day operation and have agreements for every one of our you know but you know it's very important to us but we will work with the evolving situation within the 180 days so you know if for example there's a closure and they're not going to work
072during the five days they're going to still work five extra days at the end then we're probably possibly do something like adjust those payrolls so that they're still getting paid at the end but they don't just have a major in those five closure days you know we're certainly happiness above it the the main points to take away is we're not interrupting anyone today to the extent that we're able we can do remote remote payroll we fantastic lab so we don't capability remote payroll and we will be making adjustments you know with the advisors in the state as it comes through but we're not waiting for that so you know yeah we have everything in place we know that we're you know for those staff but or 180-day folks you know we will make sure that
073their pay is uninterrupted and thank you so getting questions about well you have anything believe we're going to restrict give them this is said right to take trips Italy Italy there's restrictions effect but the rest of them itself 220 if it's appropriate for us to put people only work we're not in that business that's me so I mean that's the dismantle change that's the thing that all I can tell you that people are working they're doing this for most kids and you trying to keep mix I'm feeling like we're taking away from today you know thank you all I didn't allow them to schedule a really appreciate sitting in command of the evidence of doing any of this distended with we are here I just wanna sorry the paper packets assume there's a parent or
074adult or someone at home that can speak English I mean are we package our intent is to provide packets that are reinforcer review material so there contestants have previously learned that the other thing that I'm hearing from this state where to exercise the power to close schools over the local district to what is the rolls around making up those states to eat many surgeries but if the state mandates that closed we still have to make them up work we not he was with us when Marinette assimilationist and his way I think's going to happen in this way and tomorrow we're going to get more clarity and 2/3 what we put on the table what a waiver for the electronic go ahead and do it now we will look at but those districts and many of
075them anywhere you use your days and if you can't make the one he requests the way of course it's going to be convicted around the Independence Day chances are there's remain index of a role I don't know but my understanding is that this time and they think with Marcus met with leadership in Arthur and he's so much said the governor and his staff who said if it comes down to that fully understand go on the website take a look at the faculty everybody's done as a section of the learning that I think great there's a section that Cathy's painting that I think I need the public is home team for this model when they're talking about a new national model I appreciate I hope the parents they at least gotten something to take away if
076there's any question what it says when you talk to you administrator and I'm trying to give you the best up-to-date information as possible thank you thank you for first Oh it's the university is also collaborating on the grant the purpose of the grant is to reduce racial ethnic and economic isolation while the streets of high academic achievement of all students in reading writing math science if the grade is approved we will have weekend programming and in that program in the focus will be seen it's so ours we have some employees in a district we're putting together a grant and we looking forward to an answer of the great teams and just a quick update on them fortunately graduate we met on Thursday February 27th we had over 50 60 community members and attendance at that
077at that meeting we had from parents to students teachers administrators k12 early childhood education overall I thought it was really good day focus the focus of the meeting was speaking to the group we call the porch of the Graduate coalition the purpose of the day just about that one educating the community to stakeholders about before to depart from graduate why it was so important and then to beginning to charge that group with reaching out to their stakeholder groups as they got from civil community prints in the community in a listening to feedback on what the important characteristics of a successful endeavor and so our next session which is planned not disturb that tomorrow the next Thursday we will steer a committee and I will be meeting tomorrow to talk about ways to engage the coalition
078in a different way so initially we had asked the coalition to perhaps have stakeholder sessions or surveys to elicit feedback so globish alternative ways to reach the grave Denver community just a little bit more context for the Lord in the community regarding that the departure of the graduate last year in 2019 we approved a mission statement for the district the mission statement reads temporary public schools in partnership with families in the community provides transformational learning experience designed to nurture thoughtful and prepare graduates and I just want to share with the board in the community in order to to realize that mission it's important for our teachers and our administrators to understand what that looks like how to operationalize commercialization and so by defining the learning experiences for our kids teachers and administrators understand how to
079get there right and so that's what is P of G but is so important once we define those identified the finest characteristics our our team our curriculum team you by design curriculum water materials and design program itself support that efficiency so we're excited about the first couple of steps in his work and we provided updates or as the coalition meetings like previously when we first launched the plg we will be back in front of you and extend doubling in December 2020 and asking so just because feedback wooden things will be discovered this communication right now instead of your protocol and on the website it would be nice if we could send email which is and I think we discovered either was 34:39 has all of her all of the kids every now Jesse and they
080have a code so what we did this past weekend was to a bali we could get something onto the parents encourage them to activate their parent wars they could do that they would start doing that if we can get to a level where were comfortable we can send out information we have really a contention that we right now he said and we can't send an email to a cell at this point attacks it so we're trying to work that out I just want what it just like that they the board that were continuing about the Community Relations Committee to go forth with our program to try to get the information out regard to the budget they shared sites that I've personally been already in veins I want to thank people that are not on the
081committee to joining us and I also asked where anybody else in the board could lend a hand to participate this project to do so where I'm trying to think of a good date to meet because times of the essence December set up another committee or a workshop with us upon more people to attend so we're moving ahead with this project as I think times of the essence and hopefully be governance of a nightmare but life goes on so I do need some additional support from board members who are not on the committee staff today and we're sort of winging this this is the first year that we're trying to do is sort of comprehensive rollout even with the interruptions we have now so hopefully it might be successful I think it will be successful to
082build on something for the future we had some nice ideas I met with Dan Donovan his participation high school kids we do what every challenge today Kevin and Nina working out this is Cooper with other communities to have conversations with them anticipating that the groups are not greater than 100 so I don't think it'd be a problem possibly in a meeting with them 10 to 15 people that would be very nice so this where I meet the challenge in terms of having some other people from the board perhaps represent us so that we can share this particular bird one of the other committee members and just a matter of be coming up with another committee meeting which I'd like to do next week but I'll have to discuss that because I know about busy dr.
083Sal and his step is I hate to have them you know participate in something that maybe they don't have to thank you just things we're hearing that public hearing has been during a holiday after that I stopped committee they're still trying to get a date for that at least avoid that I was going to say we we all could leverage our PTO board liaison roles but our PTO is allowed to meet our the day or after school and still what we're trying to do was if it's a if it's a you doing kind of like this executive or we're gonna what I'm asking folks do if it's just an executive so just a PTO Executive Board went right down because we're going to treat that way unless for some reason we can still afford leverage
084leverage the PTO is and get information out about the budget through them and this PTO last week and share with them this property here and they have a little blur about the budget and when possible meeting is and should expect other meetings and chale being involved in the process never to share that as I wanted to get a policy update we met last week policy series 3000 Thank You Courtney for being arrogant before you back inside relates to operations we're taking in chunks of large series so we made some recommendations that will be brought to the full board at some point after cave reviews and makes those modifications and we will continue to meet again at the first Wednesday of every month I also forgot to mention at our last meeting that I planned to
085the no one eats alone at Great Plains pool they always do a really really great job they packed that house to the grand and literally no one eats alone I was invited to read across America week at Morrissey school and other a fabulously done job by staff really great for me the citywide PTO meeting earlier this month included presentations by varies from Sodexo and according to the budget and next meeting in April will include a rich stories about school security he knows that the next city council meeting is April 7th senator and our yes Oh I'm sorry very quickly on Friday night a attended probably what was the last gathering of more than other people probably that has to park out of school today's graduation and belt ceremony they had a program there this year
086for first graders was a Taekwondo master person world of my time I'm gonna donate at this time and they did a permit I had basically respect building an anti-bullying and they did a great job at this event the gym was packed every first grader and every member of their family was there and when I read earlier that day at the school for earlier that week on Thursday at the school for Read Across America all the all the teachers were raving about the word it was wonderful they thought Oh signals they can see the transformation kids over the agrees so if that ever comes up where you see that coming into another school ever I could not attend that meeting and she liked to say that I felt that because as operationalize this new organization that
087so so the team put together a really moving video number one we interviewed a number of its elementary students to talk to them about whether they aspire to be when they grew up of course that that everyone's attention and then the video and leave name is refer to it talking about how our technology continues to evolve how cellphone technology technology has changed considerably just over the five years and they were just facts about I mean Google searches that I care but the important thing is what if they've got everyone's attention in the room and talked about how the ability to begin to reimagine how we prepare our kids for world that quite frankly the only joke is going to look like it so I think clothes in the room kind of understood why long distance
088this is why this is so important that we talk about students gonna graduate in 2032 if technology has changed this considerably in the last five years when he took care of our kids in a very different way it's the expectation of responsibility of the post and the stakeholders that we've had the room look to get to imagine what that so identify the training so that was a really nice teaser I think for sure money's really do you know six five-thirty is very difficult for me to make for work driving from new pageant sing