Cummings attempts to answer parent questions on fall school and COVID-19
The Grafton School Department has released a video of the July 23 virtual community meeting on the opening of schools in the fall as well as a list of questions that could not be answered during the session due to time constraints.
The video can be found here. it includes sign language interpretation of Superintendent of Schools Jay Cummings’ presentation.
Will the doctor note requirements for absences be loosened?
No, I am not expecting them to be loosened. We will need to follow the procedures defined by the state/medical community.
What happens if a student or teacher becomes sick? Will the school close down?
Please see guidance document – Page 7
Can you please share on if and how staff and students will be screened for illness?
See guidance document – It will be up to caregivers and staff to be aware of the defined symptoms: Below is the full list of symptoms for which caregivers should monitor their children, and staff should monitor themselves:
- Fever (100.4° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills
- Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Headache when in combination with other symptoms
- Muscle aches or body aches
- Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
- Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
- Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms
Will you be testing teachers, prior to the school year, and any periods during a hybrid model?
We will not be testing all staff unless symptoms are present.
Will school nurses be able to perform Covid tests if a child develops a fever at school? and if so, have the schools requested a rapid test for this?
I don’t believe so at this time.
What sort of communications are there going to be around the number of students or staff that contract the virus?
We will be in constant contact with the Board of Health and will follow their direction as to what health information is communicated out.
Why would there not be mandatory temperature checks for all teachers and students daily?
I believe that this is not recommended as people can be asymptomatic and not be registering a fever.
Hybrid Model Questions
With the hybrid model will the classes be broadcast live to the students at home?
We are looking at livestreaming as a tool that may be utilized. In general, it sounds better than it typically is. It generally works for straight lectures, but not for classes that are differentiated, interactive, and multi-modal. There are also legal issues tied to livestreaming that would need to be worked out.
Is there any guidance from the state on adhering to a given model for the entire year? In other words, can we start with remote model in fall and switch to hybrid in spring?
Yes. Everything is on the table right now.
Will there be chorus and band at the middle school? Also, will students in the middle school/high school be grouped in cohorts?
We are waiting on finalized guidance regarding chorus and band. We are working out cohorts at GMS and GHS. It is most challenging at the high school level.
PreK-1 Questions
How should we be thinking about incoming Kindergarteners? How should we be preparing them given that some haven’t had experience in a school setting?
Excellent question. We will need to be thoughtful about how we plan out that transition (and other transitions between grades and especially between schools). We will communicate out to parents regarding this.
If the hybrid plan is implemented and a child needs to stay 100% remote due to high risk family members, will they be “taking classes” remotely with live classes?
Yes, that’s right.
Will the hybrid option allow for specials (art, gym, library, etc) and recess?
Yes.
Remote Learning Questions
If we opt for the remote learning academy, will our children have access to a GPS teacher for learning support?
Yes. Remote learning academy is currently an option for the first semester. If we opt to return to the school building for second semester, how will students be phased back into classroom populations?
At this point, I have no idea.
Is the remote learning academy Grafton teachers or other? If we have 6 teachers for example at MSES in grade 3, who is teaching those 22 RLA kids?
We are in the process of hiring additional teachers now. The new staff won’t automatically teach in the RLA, we will purposely mix new and experienced staff.
If it goes full remote, will parents get a guideline / training and school syllabus that parents need to follow / study?
We are going to need to be in communication and try to stay on the same page. I am not sure exactly how we will do that most effectively yet.
How would you grade the remote learning delivered by the Grafton school system this past school year. What opportunities do you see for improvements and what is the plan to address them.
I expect we will grade as we would typically. There are countless opportunities for improvement as we have at least some time to plan and we learned a lot from the crash course in the spring.
Another question. With the hybrid model, one week on, one week home, how are parents who work in the district able to work with this model?
Unfortunately, they may not be able to. It will definitely be a challenge for everyone.
How many mask breaks during the day and for how long?
No idea. This will obviously be new for everyone and we will have to play it by ear in terms of how everyone is doing (heat, age level, etc.) on an ongoing basis.
How are you going to keep the younger grades 3 to 6 feet apart and keeping masks on for 6 hours?
God knows. If anyone can get students to wear masks it will be our early education staff. As I am guessing, that age group loves to touch! That will be a challenge for sure.
How will the pre-school program going to operate since it’s a paid program?
In the coming week we are hoping to figure out what exactly we will do with preschool. That level is particularly tricky as it has oversight/guidance that is different from K-12.
What is the rationale behind not going fully remote if it is the easiest to implement and we are already somewhat set up/familiar?
It is a possibility. As of now, the state is asking that we develop the three plans and that we attempt to have as much in-person instruction as possible.
Parent friendly?? (I am guessing I said this when referencing what we are planning for the hybrid schedule)
Nothing short of full in-person is really parent friendly. I have four kids and get that. That said, the weekly rotation (between in-person and remote) is hopefully more parent friendly than the every other day rotation.
Learning/Instruction Questions
With both the hybrid model and the full remote model, will the teacher be having live lessons with the kids at home or would it be like it was in the Spring where the parents are more involved with the lessons?
Yes, it will be more synchronous. We are going to plan to do our best to meet the needs of all learners with minimal parent involvement. If we get involvement, that’s great, but we understand that it isn’t always possible.
Can we sync the North & South Elementary school curriculum? We tried to pair up with friends to help reinforce what the kids were learning in the Spring, but we couldn’t because they weren’t learning the same things in the same grade.
Yes, sister schools will be in synch in the fall.
In terms of K, is there no flexibility in their number of hours education. It is my understanding until recently K was part time. Is it not possible to return part time, one week on, one week off?
There really isn’t flexibility as we are a district that has committed to full day kindergarten. The state is actually pushing for PreK-1 to return to full person-instruction as soon as possible.
Miscellaneous
Would you ever put a tent on the field for more space for the HS?
We have purchased large tents for each school to provide additional space options.
For remote, it would help us parents to meet w/teachers week before classes start to discuss tips/tricks for engaging younger students in an online model.
This is a good idea. If we can make it work, we will.
How will we fill out the paperwork for the kids regarding emergency contact?
We will most likely do this electronically through Powerschool.
The districts my husband and I work in are requiring 6 foot distancing. Has Grafton considered this?
We are planning to ensure that we have the required 3 feet. We believe that in most cases we will be exceeding the 3 feet and many times reaching 6.
In terms of technology how will remote learning work with families with multiple children? Will the schools provide children with computer equipment (Laptops, Chromebooks)?
Yes, Through the spring and extended school year, we have loaned out hundreds of devices. We will keep this up as long as we need to.
In the past seniors were basically the only students that could drive to school. If we end up with the hybrid model, will you allow the juniors with cars to drive to school, keeping them off buses along with siblings?
We will utilize all of the student parking spaces that we have.
If parents have suggestions, who is the best person to email?
Me – cummingsj@grafton.k12.ma.us
Would half days be an option?
If we had half-days daily, we would have to go year-round to meet the attendance and learning requirements. We will need to have half-days monthly (at least) to provide time for teacher planning.
Does Grafton have the option to require masks for all grades? Or are we required to follow the DESE guidance for optional for pk1-1?
We are working on what to do (require vs. recommend) at the PreK-1 level now.
Will drop off/pick up look different? If so, how?
If we are in a hybrid model, I don’t think our basic procedures will change.
What is the plan for parents that have to work during the week I don’t see that being addressed? Also if my child is learning from home then I am assuming the school district will be paying for the internet?
We definitely understand the challenge that parents face with any kind of modified schedule. We do offer mobile hotspots to any families that need assistance with connectivity.
Will you be addressing the childcare issue more? that is a huge issue to mention so cavalierly.
I definitely wasn’t aiming for ‘cavalier’. I am not sure what to say aside from recognizing that we are aware that it is a tremendous challenge.
How do the teachers and staff feel about having any in-person instruction?
In a general sense, there is definitely a high level of concern. Our staff wants to return, is concerned about safety (of staff and students), and has worked together to make the very best of whatever comes our way.
With the hybrid model, how are teachers expected to maintain the quality of instruction while dealing with 1/2 of their students in-person while the other 1/2 are at home? Will we be hiring more teachers to support both in-person + hybrid at the same time?
We are hiring additional teachers so that teachers will not have to provide in-person and hybrid at the same time.
Will there be a cap on the number of students for the Remote Learning Academy per grade?
No, we have to provide remote learning to any parent who chooses that. Those numbers will drive our staffing needs.
If we get to a point where everyone HAS to go full remote….how confident are you that all students can move the remote academy seamlessly?
If the state shuts down again, as we experienced in the spring, I am 100% confident that we are already way more prepared for this in the coming year. Seamless might be a stretch, but it will be significantly better.
With students that have a 504 plan, can an adjustment be made to their plan to accommodate our new hybrid model. What is in place now is based on in school full time, that will not be the case any more. So can the 504 be adjusted?
I expect that plans can and will be adjusted as needed. We will most likely hold 504/special education meetings along the lines of the GPS Community Meetings to provide an understanding of what we are doing in those areas.
What % will be synchronous vs. asynchronous for these remote learning programs?
I don’t have an actual number on this yet.
For the hybrid model – when the students are learning remotely, will they be learning from their classroom teacher or someone else?
The ‘base’ model we are building out would have students have different teachers – one for in-person and another for remote. They would cycle between these teachers for however long we are in the hybrid model.
How will homework “work” in the hybrid model?
No idea yet but we are working with teachers to develop the best possible way to conitinue learning after school hours.
How are you breaking up the groups? My north/south Grafton? Or is there a different thought process?
We are working on getting families on the same cycle now. We are looking at a few different ways to split all other students.
Will remote learning academy use an established online learning tool or is this being createdfrom scratch?
At the primary level we will be using tools as decided by the teachers (as we typically do), at the secondary level we will be more dependent on online platforms and programs such as Virtual High School.
Does the same teacher teach group A & B? Do you not risk cross contamination through the teacher?
No matter how we structure things, we are going to have staff and students rotating through.
I thought the state guidance was 1 teacher for every 10 kids? Are you allowed to exceed that ratio?
I am not sure where you saw that. If it does exist, very few districts (if any) are going to be able to abide by it due to space and staffing realities.
When will we find out who our kid’s teacher will be?
Maybe late August?
By contract, when do the teachers have to provide notice to you of their intent to return or not? What does the teacher contract say if a teacher chooses not to come back?
Any staff member can resign at any time. Staffing concerns in terms of someone potentially not returning are really outside of the contract. I am confident that if we do have any resignations, our staff will give us as much notice as they can.
So the kids on the home week get less teacher to student ratio. Last year 2nd with 22 kids on zoom it was just too much. They don’t understand conference calls and how do the kids on home week get 1×1 attention/support?
This is one of many challenges. We are going to utilize our special education staff and paraprofessionals to provide as much individualized and small group supports as possible.
Jay, if I’m hearing this correctly there will be teachers that teach only remotely and others that teach only in person. Is that correct? Would you lose continuity, or how do those teachers communicate with each other to keep a kid on track?
You are correct. We are going to have to work hard to keep the teachers in contact and provide time for ongoing planning. The teachers will all be at school (no matter if providing in-person or remote) so we will be able to allow the teachers to get together on a regular basis.
A 1:25 ratio feels really unrealistic for online learning in the younger grades…I’m not sure my first grader would sit through instruction for any length of time without losing interest/focus. Any thought to creating smaller groups in the younger grades particularly?
Lots of thoughts about it, it will all depend on staffing availability. Any way you slice it, we are going to be thin in terms of staffing.
How will the gross inconsistencies in remote learning that occurred across our district this past spring specifically be addressed going forward? Can you please expand on “Robust”?
Come on…Given two days notice that we were closing in March and jumping to full remote instruction with zero time provided for planning I believe we did very well. Of course there were inconsistencies and a million other less than perfect things. Will we have inconsistencies and things that we will need to improve on (hopefully less than a million) throughout the coming year as we implement a new educational structure that has never been implemented on this scale? yes. Our staff has been working to be as ready as possible for whatever we are faced with in the fall and I am convinced that they will do a great job.
Understanding this is an incredibly tight timeline for everyone, what is the deadline to fill out the paperwork for homeschool, if we decide to go that route?
Assuming we have the plan defined by August 12, we would give families at least a few days/a week, to let us know what they want to do in September.
Will there be an option for all in-person instruction if enough parents elect to keep their children home which may create capacity from a space and staff perspective? Will young learners be prioritized to return to in-person learning as the school year progresses?
Anything is possible. State guidance does encourage the prioritization of our youngest students to return to in-person instruction.
Do you have a middle school or high school hybrid example?
Not yet, but we will.
It’s a bold question, but what is the parent expectation for remote learning? We are a house of 2 full-time working parents and if we are still working at home, it’s impossible to work and teach. Just wanted to ask.
We are going to operate with the assumption that parent support will be minimal. Any parental assistance will be considered a plus.
In the remote learning week, are teachers leading a zoom meeting or is the learning mostly on their own with teachers being available as a resource? Asking specifically to the High School level.
We will most likely use a combination of a learning platform overseen by Grafton teachers at the high school level.
Do you anticipate any change/delay to the start date for the school year?
Yes, I think the start will be delayed. As it stands officially, we are scheduled to start on September 1. There has been discussion at the state level of a delay of 5-10 days for staff to prepare for the start. If this is done, it will be something that is implemented across the state.
Why is remote academy limited to one semester? Can it be for the full year?
I am asking for a commitment of a semester. It definitely could be for the full year. If the Covid situation suddenly changes in a positive way and we can suddenly return to school in full, I’d expect that we would simply do that.
Are you considering a full remote program that would transition into a hybrid approach at a later time in the year. Allowing more time for planning and planning and implementation for the hybrid approach. For example 1-2 month of remote then hybrid.
The School Committee will look at everything. The medical/state guidance is pushing for as much in-person instruction now as things will potentially be more challenging later in the fall.
What will the kids/teacher ratio in remote learning academy assuming 17%.
We are going to try to keep the teacher:student ratio in line with typical class sizes (19-25) in the Remote Learning Academy, no matter how many students are in that model.
Wondering if the Remote Academy could/would have a tuition to support financial needs?
Legally, we can’t charge for that.
How flexible are the hours for Remote Learning Academy? Can we choose the hours?
It won’t be very flexible, if at all.
With the hybrid model, will the learning plan be the same for all kids in a grade who are in school that week or for all kids who are at home that week? Just thinking about multiples (twins, etc.) who can learn together at home if they have the same learning plan.
We expect to be largely in sync in terms of pacing and the curriculum. It won’t be exact, but it should be close.
In the at home academy situation would those students all work together with the same teachers or would they be blended in with the hybrid rotation students that are on the remote learning week?
As it stands now, the Remote Learning Academy and students in the hybrid remote would be operating separately.
Who will be developing the Remote Academy Learning curriculum and lesson plans? Will there be any teachers interacting with these kiddos?
Our staff will be developing and running the RLA. At the high school level, we will need to be more reliant on use of remote platform(s).
What is the status of fall sports??? There is some concern around that.
The MIAA oversees sports. That is really not a local decision. As it stands now, fall sports are on hold and nothing will happen with sports until September 14 at the earliest.
Will the classes be sanitized every day or on weekly basis when the kids cycle changes? Also for specials in school, will there be sanitization as each group of students move in a day?
We will be cleaning throughout each day and then more deeply every evening. We have developed state protocols and are in the process of hiring a custodial coordinator to focus on the management of this ongoing cleaning.
Under the hybrid model, it appears that the teachers working in the school, will be there all the time for week A and B. This likely exposes the teachers and may lead to cases. I am presuming if there is a case in a classroom, then everyone will be asked to quarantine. Is that true – does that force you to remote for that week?Did you consider having teachers rotate as well to help social distancing?
We have considered it and may implement different rotations. This is simply the ‘base’ model to utilize as a foundation. I fully expect that we will modify and improve upon whatever we begin the school year with.
What’s the failsafe if parent decisions to send kids or not put you over budget for class sizes and student teacher ratios? Will some students be forced into remote learning academy under those circumstances?
We don’t have any failsafes at this point. If I was asked to put a disassembled car together, I could probably make it look like a car eventually (definitely would not run!). This is like doing that in the dark. Right now we are looking as far ahead as we can and doing the very best that we can with what we know.
I know kids didn’t take the online learning seriously last spring. How do you enforce it an make them take it seriously this upcoming year?
This year, remote learning will be graded. We are going to have to work with students and parents as we would if a student was not engaging at school in normal times.
What is your sense for how frequently the approach could change throughout the school year or how frequently the approach will be reassessed?
I believe we will stay in hybrid for the year unless the governor mandates closure statewide again. I think it is going to be a really hard year for everyone.
How will attendance be recorded when students are on their remote week?
Teachers will be taking attendance daily and recording it.
Does the IEP situation as far as hybrid or remote apply to all grades? I have a child in Pre-K.
Yes.
Are there plans for after school and or extra curricular activities?
As of right now, we will not hold after school activities at the start of the year. Once we get up and running we may start these activities.
Is there funding or option for tutoring for students not on an IEP however the hybrid model is not optimal for them and they need the extra structure and support during their remote learning weeks?
We are going to attempt to provide as many supports as we can. We don’t have a plan for a separate tutoring program at this point.
Do all the schools have to be on the same plan?
At this point we expect all of the schools to be on the same plan. The model will look a little different for various age groups, but the basic model is expected to be the same.
I’m thinking 25:1 ratio in a zoom class could be hard to manage for a teacher and hard for a learner. Any consideration of adding another teacher to online learning or maybe increasing ratio of in person learning?
It will all depend on student numbers and staffing.
How about the High School Community Service class period? Will this still be happening in the Fall. For example my daughter would be working with the Nurse in the North Street.
I would assume that this program will be suspended for the beginning of the school year.
Can high school students still enroll in Virtual High School or dual enrollment for the fall?
Students will be able to take VHS classes. I am not sure about dual enrollment at the moment, but we will put out information on that once we have it.
If the school needs to shut down for an extended amount of time, do the students move to Remote Learning Academy or will Grafton Teachers take over?
All of our teachers will be Grafton teachers. If we have a statewide shutdown we will restructure and utilize all staff in the remote model.
If parents can’t afford paper and ink to complete assignments. Will hand outs be given out to be graded for the hybrid format?
The majority of at home work will be done electronically. Us printing and delivering/mailing out materials really isn’t feasible on a large scale but if there are any concerns about not being able to keep up with the demand, please reach out to your principal and we will see how we can help.
For kids rising from 5th to 6th grades, will you shift them to a middle school schedule, or will you use an elementary school learning approach?
I expect that sixth grade staff will utilize a schedule that mirrors the normal grade six schedule with movement between subjects. In many ways it is a schedule that is a transition between lower elementary and a full middle school schedule.
Have we thought of a full remote option where the teachers are in the school and run things like a regular day, but the kids are connected from home?
All things will be considered by the SC. The state guidance is asking for pursuit of as much in-person instruction as possible in the fall. All teachers will be teaching from the school regardless if students are in the building or in the hybrid method.
How many staff are you expecting to manage for Remote learning academy?
It all depends on how many students are signed up for RLA.
Kids learn at different levels. How can you expect them to be all to at same level?
I don’t expect them to be. We are going to do the best we can to meet the needs of all students just as we do in a “typical” school year. Will it be straightforward and easy in any way? – no. We are doing our best, along with parents, to deal with really lousy cards that have been dealt to us. Given a choice we would not be looking at any of the options before us.
I apologize if this has been asked, but will all children, regardless of grade level, have the opportunity to obtain a Chromebook if we are hybrid or full remote?
We have provided hundreds already. While we have ordered more, we don’t have an endless supply and hope that families are asking for a loner device if there is a real need for one. In that case we are happy to provide one and to help families get connected and running!
Should another survey be sent out now to see where parent thinking is now with some of this information and spikes in some states?
We may send out another. The surveys asking people what they are planning, before we have set plans, don’t really tell us too much. Certainly not enough to depend on for planning purposes.
As planning continues, if parents eventually have to face a decision between choosing the hybrid model or choosing the Remote Learning Academy, it would be helpful if you could explain a little deeper about the instructional model for the Remote Learning Academy so we can better assess the tradeoffs of the choice.
As soon as we have it nailed down and have direction from the School Committee, we will create some short videos that provide an overview of the different options.
With a requirement of 6hrs/day, five days a week, will there be an accountability system for families? This is concerning with both working parents.
We are going to do our best to work with families. We do this when things are ‘normal’ and a family is struggling with an issue. Through communication we are usually able to figure out a plan that will work for the family /student. These issues are going to have to be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Regarding masks, are the paper masks sold in stores sufficient? Or are you encouraging the double cloth masks (which are much hotter).
The state has guidance regarding the masks. We will make the requirements clear to parents and students.
Can our Seniors still drive themselves and their younger siblings into school?
Yes.
I’m just concerned about the SEL for kids. My kids are suffering now after the spring experience. My upcoming first graders do not know what school “is”.
We share the concern and will be planning with that concern in mind.
Will or should IEPs be revised to add additional accommodations for students who experience challenges with remote portions of learning or the varying schedule?
These conversations will need to take place as part of the TEAM process. However, support will be provided according to the IEP during both remote and in-person sessions.
Would students in remote learning academy be excluded from participating in Athletics? Also, if they are in the hybrid model, will they attend practices on days where they aren’t in school?
If we do run sports, all students can participate as we normally do.
Will remote learning academy be similar to the hybrid remote weeks, with synchronous learning? Live interaction with other students and teachers?
Yes. The high school will need to be connected to online learning platforms given the breadth of courses and levels.
Will GPS have exemptions for students who can’t wear a mask in school? If so, when will those exemptions be communicated?
Yes, the initial state guidance included exemptions under certain conditions. That will be spelled out in our district plan.
For food service, will this be provided by GPS? Or can students bring their own lunches? If the former, how will GPS offset the additional cost for families?
We will offer lunch as we usually do. Students will be able to eat in the cafeteria and can purchase a lunch or bring their own.
I may have missed this, but has any thought been given to housing the HNSEP group in one building rather than spread out across town?
We don’t plan on doing that. Our high need students still need to be in their home school, with age appropriate peers.
Will there be any training/certification required for teachers that will be teaching remotely, if the hybrid or full-remote options are implemented?
We have been offering staff training for months and will be ramping that up as we move closer to the start of the school year.
Regarding the hybrid model, does the example (of an approximate 1:13 teacher : student ratio for the in-person learning section) infer that a 3 foot distance is recommended; or will this model also be possible if the state requires a 6 foot distance between students (i.e. is the current space sufficient if the state changes their recommendation)?
We do not expect the state to mandate the 6 feet. We would need to remove furniture and modify spaces to make it work (if it happened), but we would be able to do it.
What are steps if we want to homeschool? What is the process?
Homeschooling is different. The term often confuses people. You can take on the responsibility of educating your child(ren) outside of the school district if you choose to. If you want to pursue that, simply email Tracey Calo at calot@grafton.k12.ma.us and she will walk you through the process of creating and submitting your own homeschool plan.
What if I still have more questions?
As you can see there are still a lot of answers up in the air as we continue to finalize our plans. We will continue to try to answer your questions the best you can and you can continue to email me directly or post on our Facebook page. As we know more information we will update this document with updated information. We appreciate your patience and flexibility.
