THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020 Page 7 Northeast Metro Tech shares state guidelines for reopening in the fall WAKEFIELD – Superintendent David DiBarri wishes to share the initial state guidelines from Gov. Charlie Baker and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for the 2020-21 academic year, which will be modifi ed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While prioritizing health and safety as well as getting as many students back in school as possible, districts across the state will now begin to develop three diff erent plans: one for learning entirely in person, one for a hybrid model that includes in person and remote learning in the event that in person learning is not feasible due to space constraints and other concerns, and one for remote learning only should there be a second spike in COVID-19 cases regionally. These plans will be created by a task force of district offi - cials, teachers, staff, students and parents and submitted to DESE in the coming weeks. The fi nal plan for the district will be announced in August. Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School is waiting on further guidance this July, including information on transportation and busing for the coming school year, and will provide updates to students and their families as soon as it becomes available. “I’d like to thank students, families, faculty and staff for remaining patient as we’ve navigated these uncharted waters; we still don’t know what the fall will look like precisely, but these guidelines create the possibility for us to safely welcome students back to school in-person, which would be wonderful,” DiBarri said. “We’re going to be analyzing our facility in alignment with these guidelines this summer and carefully crafting plans to prepare for what the fall may bring, and will provide regular updates to the Northeast community as we receive more information.” Guidelines that must be part of these plans include: • Setting up cafeterias, gyms, libraries and other large spaces to promote the greatest amount of social distancing possible • Requiring students from second grade on, and all adults, to wear a face mask, face covering or face shield while learning in person and while riding on the school bus; these should be provided by the student/family, but the district will have a limited amount of disposable masks to provide students who need them Revere student receives degree from Quinnipiac University HAMDEN, Conn. – Revere’s Marcela Porpino received a in Bachelor of Science in Health Science Studies degree from Quinnipiac University. sity About Quinnipiac UniverQuinnipiac is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution located 90 minutes north of New York City and two hours from Boston. The university enrolls 7,000 full-time undergraduate and 3,000 graduate and part-time students in 110 degree programs through its Schools of Business, Communications, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, Law, Medicine and Nursing and the College of Arts and Sciences. Quinnipiac is recognized by U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review’s “The Best 385 Colleges.” The Chronicle of Higher Education has named Quinnipiac among the Great Colleges to Work For. For more information, please visit qu.edu. Connect with Quinnipiac on Facebook at facebook.com/quinnipiacunews and follow Quinnipiac on Twitter @QuinnipiacU. • Providing other preventative measures for students and staff , such as handwashing stations and hand sanitizer, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces • Having school nurses wear extra protection, such as face shields and goggles, when directly treating students; a room should also be designated to isolate those at the school who are suspected of having COVID-19 • Determining class size based on how many students can be taught with social distancing in place, with desks anywhere from three to six feet away from each other • Strongly recommending that students, teachers and staff get their regular fl u vaccine in order to prevent any disruption to learning. • Surveying families throughout the summer (and possibly the school year) to help with decisions, such as which children will return to school in person, technology needs of students learning remotely and who will need bus transportation in order to get to school At this time, screening procedures to enter school buildings, such as taking a person’s temperature, will not be required. COVID-19 testing also will not be required for students to return to school. The initial guidelines are subject to change depending on how the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic progresses. The guidelines were developed by DESE’s Return-toSchool Working Group, along with experts from the fi elds of infectious diseases and public health. Approximately $200 million from the Commonwealth’s federal Coronavirus Relief Fund is available to help with the costs of reopening public schools. Schools are eligible to receive up to $225 per student for eligible costs incurred due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, such as training for school staff , supplemental social and academic services, reconfi guration of school spaces, leasing of temporary facilities and acquisition of health and hygiene supplies. Other potential funding sources to support school reopening include $502 million from the Coronavirus Relief Fund that had previously been allocated by Gov. Baker to cities and towns, as well as $194 million in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund grants. In partnership with legislative leadership, the state has also committed $25 million in federal funds for a matching grant program to help school districts and charter schools close technology gaps that have inhibited remote learning for students and families who lack access to computers or internet connections. Specifi c state funding for each district will be determined at a later date. The statewide closure of school buildings began in mid-March and was extended through the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year as an unprecedented step in limiting the potential spread of COVID-19 and continuing the practice of social distancing as more positive cases and deaths are announced in the state. 244 years later, the celebration continues. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!
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