We can't say it enough, how thankful we are for our educators who have truly worked hard to pivot their brick and mortar classroom style of education to the virtual classroom. We see relationships strengthening and engagement across all schools and all grades during this challenging time. Principals have built on their strong partnerships with educators and the instructional Leadership Team. We will continue building on what we have learned this year and continue collaboration and crowd-sourcing to better support our school community. While we are learning much about remote learning, we also have come to the conclusion that the best educational model is a teacher in a classroom with their students.
As you know this school closure has impacted all of our students; especially our seniors. Belmont High School Principal Isaac Taylor has spent many hours listening to feedback from students, parents/guardians, and staff on the topic of graduation. This has resulted in a small list of graduation ideas that we are considering. We have formed a Graduation Guidance Working Group inclusive of some of our Town department leaders to help assess the viability of these options from a health perspective and an operational perspective. We will be meeting on Monday (May 4) to review and discuss the options suggested. We hope to report out on this topic at the end of next week.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE APRIL 28 MEETING
Remote Learning Update: Assistant Superintendent Janice Darias gave an update on remote learning in the district. The presentation shares the Department of Secondary and Elementary Education (DESE) new guidelines based on school closures in Massachusetts for the remainder of the year. The difference from the previous presentation is that in addition to strengthening skills and content, we are also teaching content standards and students are learning new curriculum before going on to the next grade. Belmont had these guidelines already in place, two weeks before the DESE guidelines were issued on April 24.
FY20/21 Budget: The Finance Subcommittee brought the issue of FY20 fee reimbursement to the School Committee for a vote. Please see the fee reimbursement email sent to parents and guardians April 29. We want to stress that if any family has a new financial circumstance and hardship to please contact the business office to let them know of your new situation.
Regarding the FY21 budget, the Town and school departments are all facing the impact of lost revenue due to the pandemic. The Town predicts a 20-25% gap in revenue absent funding of state/federal stimulus money and is looking at reductions to the FY21 budget. The school department is also looking at reductions and presented them at a School Committee Finance Subcommittee joint meeting with the School Committee and the Warrant Committee Education Subcommittee meeting on April 30. We are looking at budget reductions by re-evaluating our requested additional positions for next year, adjustments to our salary lines and substitute lines as well as non-salary costs. As you know, we have said FY21 presents budgetary challenges when we return to school in the fall as we may require additional and different resources and staff to address any possible shifts in needs due to the continuation of COVID-19. In addition, COVID-19 will present budgetary challenges in the potential need for non-salary items such as hand-washing stations, sanitizer and additional school sanitation. The Town and school committees will continue to meet during May. We also want to thank Rep. David Rogers and Sen. William Brownsberger for all of their support given to the school department and the health department while they work on our behalf for state aid.
School Committee Reorganization of Officers and Announcing Vacancy: The School Committee unanimously elected Andrea Prestwich as Chair and Catherine Bowen as Secretary. Ms. Prestwich formerly held the position of secretary and was nominated Chair upon the resignation of Susan Burgess-Cox. Because it is too late to add an office to the ballot for the 2020 Annual Town Election, the School Committee and the Select Board will jointly appoint a School Committee member to serve the remainder of the existing three-year term which ends April 2021. The next term will be filled by an elected candidate in the 2021 Town Election.
Please see the Town notice below:
BELMONT SCHOOL COMMITTEE OPEN SEAT
An unusual opportunity has become available for a temporary appointment to the Belmont School Committee. This critically important volunteer board is the policy setting entity for the public schools. Its scope includes curriculum, budget, approving key administrative positions, and negotiations with school unions. The appointment is until April 2021 to serve out the remainder of an existing three-year term. The next term will be filled by a successful candidate for School Committee in Belmont’s 2021 town election.
School Committee members have included educators, parents, lawyers, business people, and professionals from many different fields.
All Belmont residents over the age of 18 are encouraged to apply via the town’s website. Please click on “Volunteer Opportunities” on the home page, click on the link for appointment to a Belmont Committee, and click yes to “Are you interested in specific committees.” Type “School Committee 2020” in the box labeled “Interested in a Committee not listed above?” You can then fill out rest of the form and upload a CV. Please include a concise statement of interest in the text box.
For further information, please email the chair Andrea Prestwich aprestwich@belmont.k12.ma.us or any member of the committee. Their contact information is available at https://www.belmont.k12.ma.us/bps/Committee.
Deadline for applications is May 15, 2020.
GOOD NEWS FROM THE VIRTUAL CLASSROOM
Wellington guidance staff developed a website that contains a large number of meaningful activities for their students and families. The site was created as way to provide support and resources while we are remote learning. The guidance staff will continue to add information, resources and activities to this site.
VIRTUAL WASHINGTON, DC TRIP
When Grade 8 English Teacher Caitlin Corrieri heard the DC trip for the Chenery eighth graders was cancelled for this year, she brought our nation's capital to the students and put together a virtual DC trip for the students.
BHS STUDENTS IN WGBH HIGH SCHOOL QUIZ SHOW
Through the magic of television, and pre-taping, BHS students moved on to the quarterfinals of WGBHS's High School Quiz Show. They will go against the former state champions, Andover High School, on Saturday May 2 at 6:00 p.m. on WGBH 2.
BHS/CMS STUDENTS NATIONAL LATIN EXAMS
BPS Director of Foreign Language Colleen Foley reports great success with students taking the National Latin Exam (NLE), sponsored by the American Classical League and the National Junior Classical League. This is an exam administered to middle and high school students across the country. All levels of the exam contain questions on grammar, comprehension, mythology, derivatives, literature, Roman life, history, geography, oral Latin, and Latin in use in the modern world. The philosophy of the exam is predicated on providing every Latin student the opportunity to experience a sense of personal accomplishment and success in his or her study of the Latin language and culture. For the past five years, the Latin teachers in Belmont have offered the NLE to their students.
This year, we once again celebrate the success of our students on the National Latin Exam. At the Chenery, 21 grade eight Latin students took the Latin I exam in March with great success. One Chenery student earned a Cum Laude certificate, two earned Magna Cum Laude certificates, seven earned Maxima Cum Laude certificates and silver medals, and eight earned Summa Cum Laude certificates and gold medals. Three of those students earned a perfect score on the exam, with all 40 questions answered correctly. At Belmont High School, 40 Latin students, ranging from Latin 1 through AP Latin, took the NLE this year. Two BHS students earned Cum Laude certificates, eight earned Magna Cum Laude certificates, seven earned Maxima Cum Laude certificates and silver medals, and thirteen earned Summa Cum Laude certificates and gold medals. Congratulations to all the Chenery and Belmont High students who challenged themselves to try the exam this year.
USEFUL INFORMATION
We have put links in previous newsletters to useful information. We will be placing them here from the various newsletters for your convenience.
Town and State:
Organizations:
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
The Superintendent's Newsletter will be coming out on Tuesday and Friday afternoons with a section dedicated to your questions. The newsletter will allow us to stay connected as a district and offer quick updates, information, and school news while we are physically distancing. Your questions can be sent to Newsletter Questions Google doc.
BHS Principal Isaac Taylor has started his own FAQ document families can view. They have broken the document down into sections for all students, each grade level, and will update the document as more questions arise.
Will wearing masks and temperature checks be a likely practice for next year?
At this time without knowing what the next several months will bring, we would like to walk into fall normally and have contingency plans in place. We are talking now about what fall will look like and about adding hand-washing stations, getting additional hand-sanitizer, keeping up with the sanitizing cleaning of the buildings, etc. We are trying to anticipate every level of challenges that may come our way not knowing which ones we will face. We have formed a working group of educators to explore these contingency plans and will present this information to the School Committee in the coming weeks. We are hoping for the best and planning for the worst.