Town Hall Meeting

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[6] SPEAKER_11: Good evening, everyone. Good evening. I see people coming in. Welcome. Good evening. We're going to wait about 60 seconds as people come in. So thank you for joining us this evening. Welcome to everyone. Good evening. All right, we are going to get started. Welcome, everyone. I'm Mark Triplett. I'm the superintendent. And this is our virtual town hall meeting about reopening and our reopening plans. I see we have about 286 folks on the webinar thus far. We're really glad that you're joining us. So we're going to jump right in. So this evening, the purpose of this evening is to give you an update, as promised, about reopening plans. And I will just preface by saying we do not have a date for reopening. So that is not something that we will be able to share this evening. But we do have a lot of updated information. So we'll be sharing with you lots of updated information regarding the data from the commitment forms that families filled out regarding vaccinations and also additional information that we're going to share about safety measures and protocols that will be used when it is determined that we will be reopening for in-person hybrid learning. So the evening looks like what you see here. Welcome. We'll talk about vaccinations. Again, we'll share the data from the commitment form. And then we will do a little polling to get a sense of where the people in this webinar stand around a question or two. And then we will discuss safety measures. And at the end, have time for questions and answers. And then we'll close. So to start, I just wanted to give an update around the vaccinations. No doubt you have been hearing news in the on in the newspapers and on TV regarding vaccinations. We are still in phase one B as a county. And that means that that is the phase where certain certain populations are eligible to receive a vaccination. That includes people age seventy five and older. Also people age 65 to 74. It includes people involved in education and childcare, which of course includes all of our teachers and staff, and it also includes people in food and agriculture and emergency services. So some updates here, we have been able to partner with a number of different agencies and organizations to provide vaccinations and we have more on the way. We were able to partner with Holler's Pharmacies and the Fremont Fire Department and did vaccinations for our staff on the 27th of February and the 28th of February. Oakland Coliseum and FEMA opened up the Coliseum for two days, the 4th of March and the 5th of March for educators only. So we were able to provide codes for our educators to attend some of those vaccinations. And then we also are finalizing some partnerships with TrueCare 24. We're really appreciative of them offering to support our NUSD staff as well as Bay Area Community Health. who also are partnering with us as they do with many different things. So dates to be determined around TrueCare 24 and Bay Area Community Health, but please look for those and we will continue to provide more opportunities for our staff to get vaccinated. So a little update around California safe schools for all. You've probably been reading about this in the news. So, the state bills, 86 was signed into law on March 5, and there's some facts about what that means. So first and foremost, the bill provides additional resources and support for school districts. In Newark's case, that's approximately $3 to $3.5 million in potential resources. What it requires, however, is it does require that districts and schools open in April. for some form of hybrid learning. Every day in April that schools are not yet open is a reduction of 1% in that funding and resources. The opening that must be included in this must be grades K-2 plus at least one secondary grade, either in junior high or in high school. And districts must also offer in-person instruction for all prioritized student groups. So those are the stipulations. We'll talk a little bit more about where we are in our reopening process. And of course, we're very grateful to the state for recognizing the need for additional resources to really meet the needs of our students and families during this really difficult time. So I'm going to turn it over now to Mr. Dolowich, who's going to talk about the commitment form that went out to families and families filled out after our last town hall. He's got some data to share with you, and then we'll talk a little bit more about the implications. Mr. Delawage.

[432] SPEAKER_35: All right, thank you, Dr. Triplett. As Dr. Triplett mentioned, this will be a continuation of the conversation we began on February 22nd at the most recent town hall. We did detail that per state and county guidelines, we'd like to take a staggered approach to return if possible in the spring. That would include TK through grade two in the first week, followed the next week by grades three through six. and a possibility of, for instance, grade seven standalone at the junior high or grade nine standalone at the high school. We also detailed two specific options, hybrid in-person, which we categorized as cohort A, and distance learning, continuing in distance learning for students and families that wish to this spring. Thus far, as of closing 3 p.m. March 5th, We had a total of 2,867 results in both English and Spanish. And we have had a number of questions about follow-up. And we absolutely have a plan of action in order for our sites to follow up with families who have not yet selected an option. So let's jump right into it. Again, just to reiterate in person versus distance learning and what did the data reveal again 2867 total responses. Approximately 43.5% weighed in and said that they would prefer to return when possible in a hybrid in-person learning model designated as Cohort A. That means 56.5% stated that they would wish to continue in distance learning even if Newark returns to in-person learning in the spring. And so, although the majority is clearly in-distance learning, we clearly note that there's a significant percentage, 43.5%, that expressed interest in returning in-person when it is safe to do so. And when we disaggregate the data just a bit further, You can see, for instance, TK through grade two, the bar graphs delineate the breakdown. Yellow is for hybrid or in-person learning. So if you look specifically at first grade, you can see that it's a very small discrepancy. 49.6% of first graders wish to return in hybrid. And at the first grade level, 50.4% wish to remain in distance learning. Obviously at the TK level or second grade level, it's a little bit different, a little bit more distance, but it clearly is indicative that we have a significant percentage of families, when conditions allow, wanting to return with their teachers to in-person. When we look at the next level, grades three through six, you can see here some of the breakdown with the grade levels. 56.9% wish to remain distance at the third grade level, and at the third grade level, 43.1% wish to return in person. When we juxtapose that data at the sixth grade level, you can see very clearly that the majority of the respondents who submitted the commitment form stated 51.7% wish to return in person. and 48.3% wish to continue in distance learning. And so it varies by grade level, clearly. The junior high is a little bit more significant for distance learning, and you can see that right here. specifically with our seventh graders, that of the respondents, 70% wish to remain distance learning. And at the high school, it's a little bit closer at the ninth and 12th grade levels on the opposite ends of the spectrum. You can see that 41.2% of our freshmen and 41.9% of our seniors wish to return in person. And so that is a grade level breakdown from the results that we received for the commitment form. And what's important to note, obviously, one, that we will, again, have sites follow up with families that may still have questions and did not yet submit it. And then two, our plan of action provides for both options, specifically a Cohort A in-person and also a Cohort B distance. And we can see from the results that we are committed to offering both. And just to reiterate, it can be complicated and we do understand this. When conditions allow and we do return in person, we would start in a phase one hybrid. And the hybrid means that everyone would receive synchronous instruction on Mondays. Cohort A, teacher, students, teachers, and the families that identified in-person learning would go back four consecutive days a week, Tuesday through Friday. There'll be more information further on that, but that would include a staggered arrival as well as a staggered dismissal and a grab and go lunch. And cohort B designated as the distance learning cohort would receive synchronous instruction after lunch in the PM. And so this allows for fewer students on campus, as you can see. And although we want to prioritize students remaining with their teachers based on enrollment, which you saw different levels of interest at various grade levels, as well as staffing. We simply cannot guarantee that students will be assigned to their current teacher, although that is absolutely a priority for us as district leaders. At the secondary schedule, we are aligned on Mondays with synchronous instruction taking place. And at the secondary level, cohort A, again, four consecutive days of in-person learning before a grab and go lunch. in order to minimize gatherings and then cohort B receiving synchronous instruction in the PM. So I just viewed it important to reiterate the schedules that we are detailing for you have happily answer any questions at the end regarding the schedules, but in the interest of time, we are gonna proceed. So at this point, I'm gonna turn back over to Dr. Triplett as well as Ms. Gutierrez for our first community Zoom polling question.

[850] SPEAKER_11: Excellent. Thank you, Mr. Dulwich. So we are going to we're going to put to this zoom polling question. So this is just just to get a sense of based on who is in the room, the three hundred sixty three people attending tonight, get a sense of where where you're at. So the question is, with more adults receiving vaccines each week, and COVID cases diminishing in Newark and across the county, would you send your child back after spring break? That's the week of April 12th through the 16th. So if you mark A, that's yes, I would. B is no, and C is still unsure. So, Ms. Gutierrez has opened up the polling. I apologize, but if you're on YouTube, there's no way to vote. But if you're on the Zoom call, you can go ahead and make a selection. And Ms. Gutierrez, we're going to leave this open for a minute or so.

[916] SPEAKER_27: Yes, that's correct.

[916] SPEAKER_11: All right, thank you.

[943] SPEAKER_27: Okay, 30 more seconds.

[946] SPEAKER_11: All right, thank you all for your patience.

[965] SPEAKER_27: Okay, Mr. Rose, we can post the results now.

[972] SPEAKER_11: All right, so we have 135 or 38 percent of people say on this call saying they would send their child back after spring break the week of April 12th. 50 percent or 177 people saying no they would not and we still we have 44 who are unsure and that's 12 percent. So thank you for that. It's roughly similar to what we saw on the on the commitment forms. All right, can I go ahead and there we go. I'm going to go ahead and close that. And so I want to talk a little bit about some people asking, why would we why are we not opening Tomorrow. So I wanted to talk about what is the criteria for reopening. So, some things have changed since, since the last time we presented a town hall. One thing as you all know is today, the, the county announced that we are moving into the red tier as of March 10 tomorrow. So that is that is a critical piece in terms of reopening, is that we're now in the red tier and that so that we can we check off that box. The other criteria, there is a required reopening plan that must be approved by the county public health and the Office of Education. We have submitted that plan. We submitted that back in December. It was approved. It's posted both on the county website as well as our school websites and our our district website in both English and Spanish. And please, it's a lengthy document, but please do read it, review it, because it outlines all of the protocols and plans for how we would reopen and what we would do in a reopening. The other requirement is COVID-19 safety plan or CSP. And that is an added requirement by the state. That includes components of the reopening plan, but some additional pieces. So that needs to be posted for five days on our website before we can bring students back to in-person learning in a hybrid model. So we are finalizing that document, and we expect to have that posted within the next week or so. The other thing that's required is agreements with all our labor partners. So we currently have an agreement with our CSCA labor partner. We've had that since, I believe, at least two months now. And we are working on an agreement with NTA, the Teachers Association. And so we're very optimistic and confident that we'll be reaching an agreement with them soon. And then lastly, every school and district has an Injury, Illness, and Prevention Plan, or IIPP, and that was required to be modified in order to be prepared to reopen, and we have done that as well. So, so that's a little bit about what is required in order for us to reopen. There are some before we go to this one. There are some districts in our county that are now reopening, not all districts but there are some, and they're doing so most, if not all are doing so in a staggered fashion. So starting as we've suggested here with the youngest grades and then moving up. And so that is happening in some districts across our county and we are really eager to do so as well, particularly when we look at the polling numbers and the commitment form. And we see that while there are around 50% of our community that will remain or want to remain in distance learning, and we will continue to provide an option for those families. But likewise, there is a significant population that is ready to return to in-person learning. And so we want to make sure that we are, as soon as we possibly can, providing that option for those families. So I'm gonna turn it back over to Mr. Dalewich, who's going to now lift up some of the site safety protocols.

[1231] SPEAKER_35: Mr. Dalewich. All right, thank you. So based on the last session and the questions that came up, we've worked with our site principals as well as collaborated with district leaders to identify five of the most significant site safety protocols that parents, families, and community members expressed interest in having more detail. And so the five you see before you arrival and departure cohort recess and breaks student emergency to the office while on campus student use of the restroom. and daily health screening protocol paper, as well as an online option, will be detailed by five of our outstanding principals here this evening. And then towards the end of this presentation, I will also answer the most significant questions that arose from the February 22nd town hall as well. So without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce our first principal who will detail the arrival departure protocol. And that is none other than Ms. Ditto, our principal from Birch Grove Primary.

[1304] SPEAKER_33: Good evening, Newark families and colleagues. I am Vicenta Ditto. I'm the principal of Birch Grove Primary School. Each of our principals have gathered and we've started to look at the protocols. And we do want to make sure that everybody knows that each school has identified our designated areas or gates that students will enter and exit campus. We have a few samples here, Newark Memorial High School, Schilling Elementary School, and Birch Grove Primary, because that one was the easiest for me to grab. And you can see that when we are able, we are trying to reduce the number of students at each of the entrances and exits to campus so that we reduce crowding and we offer more opportunity to get the students safely through the temperature check and screening process. If you are dropping your student off from your vehicle, we do ask that guardians play that very important role of getting the kids to school safely. And then if you're in your vehicle, please remain in your vehicle. And if you are walking or biking with your student, to just make sure that you are staying back away from the entrance gate so that the staff can supervise students and get them through the gates as quickly as possible. Each site will determine If the stagger is alphabetical or by grade level, depending on the makeup of the school and the schedule, so your principal will discuss that with you. And we're looking at a stagger schedule of about 30 minutes to allow students to get through our gates. And then that would be mimicked again at the end of the day at dismissal time. Temperature checks will be done before the students either exit the car or enter the campus proper, depending on the campus drop-off locations. If you have younger students, we know that you are going to want to remain with your kiddo while they're outside of the gates, but only students will be able to enter gates at this time. We do want students to walk directly to their classroom and maintain safe social distancing. And we'll have more information about that coming up in one of the other slides. Students will be asked to sanitize their hands prior to entering the building or classroom. We will be providing hand sanitizing stations at gates, and then every classroom will be equipped as well. At the end of the day, when we are dismissing with the grab and go lunch, we will be using the same staggered criteria, so about 30 minutes. You'll be assigned based on the criteria of your site. And then exiting campus with purpose, we do ask that our students either go directly to their vehicle, especially if they're driving themselves at the secondary level, or walking home to remember to maintain social distancing, keeping your mask on until you're either in your vehicle or arriving to an appropriate location that offers that safe social distancing before masks are removed.

[1499] SPEAKER_35: Thank you so much. All right, thank you, Ms. Ditto, principal from Birch Grove Primary. Next up, it is my pleasure to introduce Ms. Rancap Perez. She's the proud principal of Lincoln Elementary, and she will detail for us the cohort recess breaks protocol.

[1519] SPEAKER_32: Thank you. Good evening, everybody. My name is Liza Day Rancap Perez, and I'm the principal at Lincoln Elementary. So recess will look very different when we do reopen our schools. And to ensure social distancing safety measures are in place, breaks will be staggered to limit the amount of cohorts that are on the playground. Students will be supervised by site staff who will make sure that the students are following social distancing procedures. Additionally, when it comes to expectations regarding playground safety and conduct, students will be taught explicitly those particular expectations. This might include, for instance, properly washing their hands, sanitizing their hands, and reminders of how to properly wear our face masks, not just at break or recess, but on campus as a whole. Excuse me. All food and snack distribution will also continue to adhere to all safety protocols during recess and breaks. We also understand that wearing a face covering for a day of learning may be challenging. And so because of this, sites will follow current county guidelines around mask breaks. During recess, students will also be able to engage in socially distanced activities, at least at the elementary level, right? such as running and kicking a soccer ball back and forth. And finally, disinfecting and cleaning of equipment used on the playground will also be applied based on county guidelines. Thank you.

[1624] SPEAKER_35: Thank you, Ms. Rancap-Perez, principal of Lincoln Elementary. Next up, it's my pleasure to introduce Ms. Gallaher, principal from Music Elementary, who will detail student office visits specifically with respect to student illness or injury on campus.

[1643] SPEAKER_26: Good evening, music families and NUSD families. My name is Amanda Gallaher. I am the principal of Music Elementary and Preschool, and I'm going to be discussing student office visits this evening with you, and particularly around illness or injury. These would be those emergencies our parents are wondering about, right? So first and foremost, all of our office teams will be trained by our district nurse in recognizing signs and symptoms of illness and injuries. This will be at all sites, all grade levels. So first and foremost, we're going to talk about illnesses and how we're going to address that. So if a student is sent to the office because they are potentially ill, we're going to follow the checklist given to us by our district nurse. If a student is determined to be ill or potentially ill, We're going to call home, let our parents know that their child is feeling unwell, they need to come and get picked up. We're also going to document our reasoning for asking parents to come pick up their unwell child and we're going to send that home with them so parents have it for their records as well. Now, we know if a student is ill, it could be many things. It could be a common cold. It could be something a little bit more trying to our students' health. So we're going to decrease interaction opportunities for ill students. We're going to have a separate area where they can be isolated, but supervised at the same time while they rest and wait for parents to pick them up. So that's how we're going to address illness in the office. Now, injuries. Sometimes at schools, injuries do happen. minor injury, especially at the elementary level. We're playing outside, we trip and fall, we scrape our knee, we get a bump. They'll come to the office, we'll follow our previous protocols, we'll give them ice packs, we'll wash it out with water, give them a band-aid, send them back to class to continue their learning. If it's more severe, we're going to call home and partner. with the parent to provide a plan that's going to address the student's need. That would be something like a sore arm that we might need to address further than with just an ice pack. Anything more severe than that, of course, we're going to call 911 and make sure our students are safe and healthy. And we'll be obviously contacting parents then as well. But this is how we're going to address illness and injury at the office in all of our schools. Thank you, families.

[1777] SPEAKER_35: Thank you, Ms. Gallagher, principal from Music Elementary. Next up, we have Mr. Soria, our principal from Kennedy Elementary, and he will review the student use of the restroom while on campus protocol.

[1792] SPEAKER_09: Thank you, Mr. Doloreich. Good evening, everyone. I am Jaime Soria, the principal of Kennedy Elementary. Like many of the principals referenced in the previous slides, we'll be reinforcing our safety protocols through training and practices to help with student restroom procedures. We wanna encourage all students to remember to use the restroom before and after school. This will help with taking a proactive approach with this particular facility. We'll also remind students to use a restroom during recess and breaks. We'll continue to allow students to use it during class if needed. And I'll talk about what that may look like a little further down in this slide. We'll also have assigned restrooms for specific cohorts. This is similar to when we are in in-person learning where restrooms are assigned to specific classrooms near their area. We'll also have signage reminders for students and staff in the entrance and exit areas of the restroom. It will include reminders for students to use sanitizer and to wash their hands after the use of the restroom, as well as maintain social distancing and to not exceed the determined maximum capacity of number of students allowed in at any one time. We'll have line areas marked for students to wait in socially distant spacing, similar to how you may see it in other settings like restaurants and grocery stores. Sign out and sign in logs will be utilized in classrooms for students needing to use the restroom during class. Students will go one at a time unless a buddy is needed in younger grades such as TK and kindergarten. We'll have clean pens and sanitizers available for students in their classroom. And finally, our staff will closely monitor our restrooms during recess and before and after school times. Our custodial staff will follow district plans to sanitize multiple times of the day, such as before school, after morning lineup, after recess, after dismissal, and this will be done daily. Thank you.

[1914] SPEAKER_35: Wonderful, thank you, Mr. Soria, principal from Kennedy Elementary. And last but certainly not least, we have Ms. Rangel, principal from Newark Memorial High School, who will detail the daily health and screening protocol.

[1929] Vicenta Ditto: Good evening, Newark community. I'm Olivia Rangel, principal of Newark Memorial High School. I just want to echo what my colleagues have already said, that safety is most important. And this starts with the entrance of the campus and our health and screening protocol. First of all, we are in current partnership, finalizing a partnership with an online app to do an online screening form that'll be easy to use for our staff, as well as our parents. Upon entrance, we'll be verified whether or not the child has filled out this form. We will ensure that the student is wearing a mask, and if they do not have a mask, we will have some additional masks with us so that we can provide them to the students. As Ms. Ditto said, we will be checking temperatures. We will also have a hand sanitizing station at each entrance and utilize social distancing markers as students wait for their turn to enter campus. These social distancing markers can also be found outside of classrooms or any other line that the child may have to wait in. When we are ready to open, principals will communicate to their community what protocols to follow at their specific site, where the entrance is, where the exit is, as well as how to have.

[2005] SPEAKER_35: I think we lost you there for a second. You're on mute.

[2014] Vicenta Ditto: And I. Thank you.

[2021] SPEAKER_35: All right, thank you, Miss Rangel. So Miss Rangel detailed a few of the daily health and screening protocol specific to the hand sanitizing station, as well as social distancing markers. very much appreciate all five of our principals. It should be noted that our principals collaborated together regarding these site protocols. So even if you didn't see your principal here this evening, they do apply to all 11 sites throughout the district. And so they'll stay with us if there are site specific questions. At this time, I'm gonna turn it back over to Dr. Triplett to discuss some of the safety measures that we've taken proactively as a district.

[2067] SPEAKER_11: All right. Thank you, Mr. Delawich. So some of these things, some of you may have heard before, but just worth reiterating. So I know there's questions around the HVAC systems in our schools. So just wanted to lift up the fact that we have replaced all filters in our HVAC systems across the district with MIRV 9s. They address bacterial spores in the air. We have done a comprehensive assessment of all our systems and we continue to address issues as they come up. And then we have been approved by the school board to invest a significant amount of money in deionization devices, which are being installed in every system. This is very significant. Many believe is more effective than any filter in terms of killing any of the COVID that's in the air. In terms of cleaning protocols, so we, we intend to have daily cleaning and disinfecting of all our spaces. We have lots of different equipment, including our, the foggers that are able to disinfect areas rapidly and in a safe way. They're all, all of the disinfectant is, of course, non-toxic and safe with children and adults. And then we do have covert testing we have a contract with curative to test all staff at regular intervals. This is a self administered test it's an oral fluid swab, get the results, both the staff and the district get the results and within 48 hours. There is also plans underway for the ability to test students, although this is not a requirement. So that is something that for certain situations, including certain high contact sports, that's something that is going to be available. And then we have not just plexiglass barriers in public spaces, but then we've also purchased the dividers for the classrooms that go on each desk. So students, every student will have the ability to have a divider that protects them at their desk. And that's something that is also going to be available. And then, of course, we will be very strict about our daily health and safety protocols while students are at school, like has been stated already. There will be very strict requirements around face coverings, frequent hand sanitization, wearing of use of PPE, physical social distancing. And then we have already made classroom modifications so that the classroom space is adequately spread out between desks. And then we've also taken into account shared space considerations to ensure that we're following all processes and guidelines. I believe, Mr. Dolowitz, you're going to to start here with regard to the town hall questions and answers.

[2282] SPEAKER_35: Absolutely. So based on February 22nd, a team, along with myself, took the questions and we categorized them and we wanted to provide responses and also share with the community that we are working to produce There were hundreds of questions, so we categorized them. 67 fell into town hall content concerns, and of those 67, there were reoccurring patterns of four main questions, specifically around reopening decisions, guidelines by CDC, state, county and labor agreements. And so we continue that answer here tonight when we discussed and detailed, for instance, that we need labor agreements with both of our labor partners, CSCA and NTA, as well as the fact that we are adhering to CDC, as well as county public health department guidelines in terms of an in-person return. With respect to the binding commitment, there were reoccurring questions. What if there is no commitment form from families, we do have a specific plan of action for our sites to follow up with any families that did not have the opportunity to complete the commitment form prior to the March 5th deadline. Only 60 days left, why open? And you can see from the data that over 43.5% of 2,867 total respondents expressed interest in having their students return. And just to say as a parent myself, with students having been in distance learning since March of 2020, A number of our students simply are ready to return for myriad number of reasons. And so we do want to provide an option for all families, both distance as well as in person. This would also set us up very well for the fall of 2021 and then plans for possible regression into purple tier. Unfortunately, since we've been in the purple tier. We do have a very comprehensive distance learning plan with respect to the purple tier that we've been adhering to and implementing. So we do have plans in place if there was ever a regression into the purple tier. With respect to some of the other main questions that surfaced, 40 of them fell under safety concerns. For instance, questions arose, what has been done to ensure safety of students and staff. Dr. Triplett detailed a number of the safety measures that we've taken as a district from the Merv Nines, and then the principals detailed five of the highest priority safety protocols here tonight. PPE ventilation and airflow. For instance, fogging was mentioned here tonight, and some of the purchases that we've made as a district to invest in effective ventilation and airflow in our classrooms. Is there COVID-19 testing for students and staff? And we detail tonight for our staff, the dates that they may have already gone to receive vaccinations. And then for our students, the health screening measures that we would take per CDC and county in order to follow guidelines. for arrival to in-person. And are teacher vaccinations required? Are you coordinating with local agencies? Absolutely. Multiple agencies and vaccinations are an individual choice. They are not required. Every adult is left to make that decision for themselves. Logistical concerns. How many in a cohort? Will siblings be in the same cohort? We have heard with the staggered drop-off that we need to prioritize siblings. And so those accommodations would be made at the site level. For instance, not having a parent or guardian circle back to drop off a older sibling based on the staggered arrival or dismissal time. So we will absolutely work with families. And the cohort is determined at the county and state level. Do you need a certain number of students in each grade to go hybrid? We do need to match student enrollment with staffing. So that is the puzzle that we need to determine the answer to. And so based on the data we've received at every grade level, we do have sufficient numbers to return to in-person as we designated cohort A. How will teacher assignments be decided. And so that's a staffing determination and obviously we we absolutely collaborate with our labor partners and support staff that have the medical notices. To not return to in person. What will the daily schedule look like with hybrid and distance learning. And so we detail that I'll bite briefly, we detail that earlier this evening. What will NUSD childcare options be with the changes and Dr. Triplett will speak to that momentarily.

[2598] SPEAKER_11: Which would you like me to just jump in there with that one. Yep, absolutely. Great. So we do, we are planning once we are in the red tier, as of tomorrow, two weeks after we enter the red tier, we will start childcare. And so that is already plans are already underway for that. And we'll have more information going out later this week regarding that. If we, if we go back to in person learning a hybrid learning, then the child care will actually then shift to afternoon service. So as of right now, without any in-person learning, we will be offering full day child care. I believe it's 8 to 3, although I might not have those times exactly correct. And that will be provided at schools throughout the city. But like I said, if we go back to in-person learning, then we will do a shift to an afternoon child care option for families who are bringing their children to school in the morning but want an option for child care in the afternoon.

[2672] SPEAKER_35: Great, thank you for jumping in there. Just a couple other slides based on the most significant questions that were lifted up. Questions came up around secondary concerns. Specifically, there were 40 questions from the February 22nd town hall meeting. How does reopening affect activities, clubs, AP classes, A-period, performing arts, ROP classes, and sports? And we do have a plan of action. We do have Ms. Rangel with us. Ms. Rangel, I don't know if you wanna answer that question.

[2713] Vicenta Ditto: Yes, I hopefully don't cut out my apologies. I do want, you know, I know there's a lot of questions around sports being back, and I do want to say that that does not take an NTA agreement due to the fact that our coaches are volunteers. So we do want to look at what that looks like. Prioritizing students on campus is important, so whether that be with our clubs, coming first, or I hear a lot about our performing arts, our band, that is to be considered. So again, first and foremost, academics, and then we'll see what can fall in line after that.

[2752] SPEAKER_35: All right, thank you. I think I'll keep you with me as we answer a couple more secondary related questions. Are there plans for activities and graduation for seniors? So I know we've met regarding that. So if you want to detail some of the early plans.

[2770] Vicenta Ditto: Yes, so we are. I did recently send a letter out to all of our senior families and parents indicating that we're hoping as Time goes on that there will be allowance for larger groups. So while we don't have the exact plan in place right now, we will be providing an update as soon as we create one. We have one, but the plans are in place. And also just knowing that being in person is important. And so we are hoping to do staggered plans based on the amount of students that are allowed.

[2805] SPEAKER_35: Thank you. We've also spoken at the district level in educational services regarding credit recovery for summer school, and we know grading actually was a topic that was surfaced at the previous board meeting. So that is absolutely a consideration to support our high school students, both at Bridgepoint. as well as at Newark Memorial with respect to credit recovery and supporting graduation. So there will be more information forthcoming from the district regarding that. Will distance learning be with an NUSD teacher or an online system? And at this point, it will be with an NUSD teacher. And then finally, the last slide regarding significant questions that surfaced February 22 regarding summer and fall there were 21 of them, will you extend the 2021 school year, and at this time. Districts are looking at completing the academic year based upon the agreed upon calendar. So not necessarily extending, but absolutely offering a summer school option to the second bullet. And how will you provide summer updates for the 2021-22 school year? So there's a number of ways we're communicating with respect to social media, email, our website, and other forums for communication also from our site principals as well. So, Dr. Triplett, I'm not sure if there are any additional comments that you'd like to add related to those questions. Otherwise, we can proceed further.

[2903] SPEAKER_11: Thank you, Mr. Dulwich. No, I think you answered them quite well. I think we have approximately 10 more minutes. So this would probably be best to go to some additional questions that are being lifted up by our participants right now. Um, does that sound like a good idea? That sounds great. Okay. Um, Ms. Gutierrez, can you help us, um, by, um, looking through the, the, the questions and then, um, and then raising up any that, um, uh, that are some of the, some of the themes that you're seeing that we may not yet have answered.

[2943] SPEAKER_27: Yeah. Um, I do, I do want to let you know, there are plenty and many, many questions, so I will try to, um, consolidate as many as possible and let's get started. There are questions regarding parents who have not responded to the commitment form, if they will be able to have more time to fill out the form or if they will still be able to fill it out past the March 5th due date.

[2975] SPEAKER_11: Thank you. Yeah, our intention is that, so we really appreciate everyone who completed the form. I know it was a little anxiety producing to feel like you had to make a commitment. But anyone who has not yet filled out the commitment form will have either district or school personnel will be reaching out to understand what is that family's intentions with regard to in-person or distance learning. And again, really the purpose is to be able to best plan for the scheduling with teachers and students and to really understand at each school, at a school level, classroom level, who is intending to return and who is intending to stay in distance learning. So there will be, we will be reaching out to families who have not yet completed the form to try to elicit that information.

[3032] SPEAKER_27: Okay, thank you. There are many questions in different ways as to why we don't have an opening date yet. And if so, when we will expect to have an opening date?

[3047] SPEAKER_11: I know that this is the big question, and I know it's very frustrating to not get a concrete date yet, but we are in conversations with our labor partner and very optimistic. I know everyone is eager to reach a resolution so that so that we can provide an in-person opportunity to those families who really wish that. So I don't have a don't have a concrete date. I'm sorry, but we're doing everything we can. And I know we are all really eager to to reach a resolution.

[3085] SPEAKER_27: Thank you. And there are a lot of questions regarding the agreement process with their labor partners and whether it's required, whether We expect to have one anytime soon, what the negotiation looks like. Can you speak a little bit to that?

[3104] SPEAKER_11: I cannot speak to the details of any sort of negotiations because that would be inappropriate. But I can say that teachers and other certificated staff are critical to instruction, teaching, and learning in general. And so we definitely cannot move to an in-person hybrid model without coming to agreements with our partners. They're essential. We do have some learning hubs that are already up and running, and our goal is to have additional learning hubs up and running in the interim. Those are not in-person instruction, but many districts have done this where it's an opportunity for students who really need to be in school in order to be engaged with the distance learning. have a chance to come on a daily basis to school. They are still in distance learning, so they're using their Chromebooks in a classroom to log on to their regular distance learning classes. So that is an option that we currently have at some schools, not all, and we will continue to grow those programs throughout the spring.

[3185] SPEAKER_27: Thank you. Dr. Triplett, there are various questions regarding Can high school students start first? Can seniors start first? Can preschool start first? Can you talk about which grades will start first if we do go back to in-person learning and why?

[3202] SPEAKER_11: Yes, so this is an area where we're really following the guidance of the state and the public health department. And it's really clear that starting with our younger ones is the recommended way. I think there's a number of reasons why the public health department recommends that. Number one, the younger students are in cohorts. So there's much less transition and much less crossing amongst cohorts. And so arguably there's much less risk of contracting the virus. The upper grades, of course, those students are traveling from class to class and therefore there's much more interaction across cohorts. So I believe that that is the primary reason why the public health department is really recommending that districts and expecting that districts start with the younger students and then gradually move into the older grades. Having said that, I have a senior at home myself. She is dying to get back into in-person learning and it is really, it is hard for all of us when we think about all of the the activities and the events that all of our students are missing, but in particular, our seniors who have such seminal events that happen in their final year, including graduation. So we hear you, and we are definitely working to find creative solutions for how we can provide some of those activities in a safe and healthy way.

[3308] SPEAKER_27: Thank you, Dr. Triplett. There are also various questions regarding the start and end time of a schedule.

[3315] SPEAKER_11: Yeah, thank you. Mr. Delaware, do you want to speak a little bit more on this? Why don't you go ahead and then I'll add in.

[3325] SPEAKER_35: Sure. So we did mention that we intend to obviously stagger arrival and dismissal. It's very likely, for example, that we would begin the day at either 8 or 8.15am and then another grade level would subsequently arrive at 8.45 and then dismissal would be similar effective at 11.10 or 11.15 and subsequent grade levels thereafter with the 30 minute interval. So I know that was a question that surfaced earlier, but we are really looking at providing a three-hour window of instruction for our students in Cohort A in person. And then, again, that would be effective between that 8-10 and 11-10 window, and then, again, 8-45 and 11-45, et cetera. Yeah.

[3388] SPEAKER_11: And if I could just add, we recognize that we're really going to have to see how that staggering goes. And maybe we need to make modifications. We certainly will. As Mr. Delawage mentioned, really, the gist is that that time between 8, 8, 10, and then 11, 10 to 11, 30, 11, 45 is the window that families should expect to be able to have their child in in-person learning. I know there's also questions that have come up around siblings. So can siblings, even if they're in different grades, can they be in the same staggered start and end time and therefore making it easier for families. So that's definitely something that schools will take into account and we'll definitely be planning on a case-by-case basis to try to make sure that we can accommodate families in that way.

[3444] SPEAKER_27: And Dr. Triplett, the schedules that you spoke, is that for elementary or does that also include secondary?

[3450] SPEAKER_11: That is elementary and secondary.

[3452] SPEAKER_27: Thank you. There are, I know Principal Ron Hell talked about this, but there are some questions regarding the ROP program and athletics, how those look and band and MCA program.

[3472] SPEAKER_11: Okay, so in terms of the ROP program, which for families who are not yet in high school, might not be familiar with, that is a, That is a program that they have their own agreements that they're working through. And I believe that ROP programs are intending to open in April, although I think it's really best to get that information straight from Mission Valley ROP. And of course they are partnering and coordinating with the districts that they serve. And so we definitely will coordinate all of our reopenings with them. In terms of athletics, we have had athletics operating since I believe August, September, and we have approximately 250 to 300 students every week participating in athletics. The program has been very strong and effective, and it's actually really supported students with their academics and their social emotional wellbeing. So that's been very positive. In terms of some of the other extracurricular activities, I think those are currently being thought through and planned, but some of them are contingent upon agreements with our labor.

[3557] SPEAKER_27: Thank you. There are some questions regarding the classroom setup, what it would look like, how many students in a classroom, etc.

[3565] SPEAKER_11: Great. Yeah, so we follow the guidelines there from the state. Classes have, I believe the current number is 15, although that might have increased slightly recently. So classrooms have already been set up so that the desks are six feet apart and that we do have the dividers for the desks themselves. So students are in their own divider space. And then students will be expected to maintain social distancing in the classroom. And again, the cohorts are around 15, 16 total. I think that includes the teacher.

[3609] SPEAKER_27: Thank you. And there are questions regarding fall of 2021. If we have any information on that yet, and if not, when does that, when do those discussions happen?

[3621] SPEAKER_11: Great. So we, of course, need to see how things evolve with the pandemic. I think at this point, what we're hearing from the Public Health Department is that we should expect most likely to continue to have some level of hybrid model in the fall, but definitely optimistic that we will be returning to some degree of in-person learning in the fall, but most likely will not start as regular normal school, but most likely will be in a similar phase that we are currently seeing.

[3663] SPEAKER_27: Just doing a time check, but I will ask another question right now. There are some questions regarding state testing. How will that occur? Will it still occur?

[3672] SPEAKER_11: Great, thank you. Mr. Gallo, do you want to respond to that?

[3675] SPEAKER_35: Yeah, absolutely. So I oversee state testing for our district. We've already had a CASP coordinator training. Each site has a CASP coordinator for this assessment. Currently, it's still a go. And so it would be in a remote fashion. And typically teachers will be testing groups of 20 at a maximum. And we've been. We've been working towards preparing our coordinators who will then conduct the training with the staff. We recently sent out a parent notification in both English and Spanish. There is an option for opting out. Typically each year with respect to the state testing, the district is expected to meet 95% attendance participation. That has been waived at the state level. So we do understand that there very likely will be technological challenges, including the secure testing browser. And so we're working to try to address those, provide the requisite devices or Chromebooks for our students. However, families and students can opt out. But currently the window is open through May 28th and then each site would test remotely with respective teachers and the students in the classes.

[3777] SPEAKER_11: I would just add, we recognize that testing in a distance learning setting, a lot of challenges. So we appreciate everybody's patience. But as of right now, we are required to continue to follow the guidelines and implement the testing. So we'll be doing that unless that changes in terms of the federal and state guidelines.

[3811] SPEAKER_27: Thank you, Dr. Triplett. And you tell me when to stop right now. I will continue. There are questions regarding the preschool program. And how would that look like?

[3821] SPEAKER_11: OK. I believe that the preschool will have the same, for the reopening, will have the same, it's in the same conditions that the rest of the grade levels would be in. So the plan would be to roll that out similar to any other grade I think we probably have time for two more questions. I want to make sure we're respecting everyone's time. I know we're over, but why don't we go for two more?

[3853] SPEAKER_27: There are questions regarding data for, if we have data regarding the number of teachers and staff that are vaccinated and what COVID, if we will continue to do COVID testing and what that process looks like once we return to in-person.

[3870] SPEAKER_11: Great. Yeah, so we will continue to do covert testing. Once we return to in person. As I mentioned, curative is the organization or the company that we currently have contracted with. And so that will be provided on site, so that teachers are able to do that teachers and other staff are able to do that. What was the other part of the question? Sorry, Ms.

[3893] SPEAKER_27: Gutierrez. Data on personnel that's been tested.

[3897] SPEAKER_11: Oh, right. So we are asking when when staff. Oh, I think you said when they're vaccinated as well.

[3904] SPEAKER_27: Sorry. Yes. Vaccinated. My apologies.

[3906] SPEAKER_11: Yeah, we are asking staff to let us know when they when they have been vaccinated and the reason being is because we are given a certain amount of codes by the, the county, and, and those codes enable. educators to go and have a priority vaccination appointment. And so what we don't want to do is we don't want to waste a code or waste a vaccine. If someone has already been vaccinated and we could give that give that vaccination to someone else. So we don't have any I don't have any concrete numbers around how many people yet have been vaccinated in our system. We probably will have that moving forward in the next in the next little while. But but I can say that we are asking that staff communicate with us so that it helps us to provide the opportunity to other staff members that may not yet have been vaccinated.

[3965] SPEAKER_27: And last question, there were some parents, a few parents that asked, what if they changed their mind after already filling out the commitment form? Can they still change their mind? And if so, what does that look like? What is that process?

[3978] SPEAKER_11: As you can imagine, if tons of people are changing their mind, then it makes it really hard for us to schedule and plan and accommodate the change because, as you can see in the plans that Mr. Delowitz has shared, it's really contingent on a certain amount of people remaining in distance learning and a certain amount wanting to do in-person. So currently, as we saw in the commitment data, we're actually very well positioned for our phase one of returning to in-person learning because we have approximately 50% wanting to return and 50% wanting to remain in distance. If those numbers start to change significantly, then we will have to consider moving to a different phase of our in-person return. Because obviously then if you don't have balanced cohorts, both A and B balanced cohorts, then it makes that it makes it makes it unbalanced and there's a need to to change the way we're providing the service. So, if a family has filled out two weeks ago the form. and is now having second thoughts and wants to change, I would recommend communicating directly with the school and letting the school know that they have made that decision. And then we'll be working with the schools to make sure that we've captured the accurate data around who wants to return and who wants to stay in distance learning for the duration of the school year. All right, well I know there is probably a lot more questions. I'm sorry that we can't get to everyone, but I hope that between the questions collected from last time and responded to, and then also the ones that we have been able to hear tonight and respond to, I hope that we are We're providing the answers that you're looking for. We will be scheduling another town hall in the near future, date to be determined. And we will be sure, of course, to be continuing to communicate with all of our community around any change or added information around reopening. I would like to end just by appreciating number one, all our teachers who are doing such unbelievable work with our young people have been doing that throughout this school year. Thus far, I've been able to visit approximately 110 classrooms throughout the district of the 350 that we have. And I can say that the things that are happening in our classrooms are nothing short of a miracle. Our teachers are so amazing that they're dedicating their love, their time, their energy every day to making sure that despite the situation that we're in, in distance learning and with this pandemic, that our young people are continuing to learn. So I really want to appreciate them. And then I want to appreciate our principals. the folks who are on the call with us tonight, but then also the ones who have been working behind the scenes to be putting together all the protocols and plans for our eventual return. So thank you for all of the work that you all are doing. Principals, you are amazing, incredible leaders of our district. And then with that, I want to wish you all a good night. Mr. Dolowich, do you want to, any last words before we go?

[4192] SPEAKER_35: No, I think you summed it up nicely. I just say, based on the data, we are absolutely committed to honoring students that wish to return, as well as those that wish to remain in distance learning, providing both options. We know these are trying times, but we are focused on the students first and foremost.

[4212] SPEAKER_11: Thank you, Mr. Dalewich. All right, well, thank you all, and have a wonderful night.

No minutes available.