8/24/2020
School Opening Fall 2020 - Superintendent's Bulletin #9 - SC Meetings, Flu Shot and COVID Testing Mobile Units
Dear Belmont Community,
We have School Committee meetings coming up that are of interest to our families. Please go to the Notices and Agenda section of the School Committee page on the BPS website the day before the meeting for access to the agenda. To view the meetings live or On Demand later, please go to the Belmont Media Center page:
- Tuesday, August 25, at 6:30 p.m. - Remote learning plans will be presented to the School Committee by our building principals. These plans will demonstrate the schedule for teaching and learning for our students so our parents and guardians can get a sense of a student academic day. We will also discuss the process for reviewing the state metrics and guidance to inform a timeline of moving from one phase to the next. In addition, we will give an update on the facilities work in our buildings that also has an impact on our Phased Plan.
- Thursday, August 27, at 1:30 p.m. - The School Committee Finance Subcommittee will discuss the FY21 budget and full time kindergarten fee update.
Last week we sent families the latest joint DESE and MIAA guidelines. Superintendents and Athletic Directors in the Middlesex League met today to discuss these modification guidelines, which the MIAA will put into place for each sport, and in turn will be reviewed by all school districts. Belmont is able to participate in these modified sports with our Phased Plan and remote start in Phase One. You will receive a communication about the specifics of implementation as soon as the review has taken place. This topic will be included in the DESE and state guidelines update at the School Committee meeting on August 25.
Beginning this school year, 2020-2021, the state released new vaccine requirements. Flu vaccines are required for students attending school in person and remote in grades Pre-K to 12. There is also a new meningococcal vaccine requirement for entry into grades 7 and 11. Our Director of Nursing Beth Rumley will be communicating these new requirements and compliance deadlines to families.
DESE also released news on COVID-19 testing mobile units that can come to schools to test a group of students and/or staff if there is a coronavirus transmission in a school. This new initiative helps us identify and rapidly test our school population and will be part of our overall health and safety planning with our local board of health department and our director of nursing.
Respectfully,
John P. Phelan
Superintendent of Schools
Town of Belmont