Jan

12

January 2010 – Departure

January 12, 2010 | 2009 Blogs  |  5 Comments

             This will be the last blog issued by myself as the Milton Area School District Superintendent.  I want to thank all individuals in the community, on the school board, the leadership team, teachers, support staff, students and parents for their support for me in this position for the past six (6) years.

             Over the past few weeks, I have been approached by a variety of individuals asking why I felt that I had to leave this district.  It was not a feeling of why I had to leave the district, it was an opportunity that I felt had been afforded to me that I needed to take advantage of.  The position in Manheim will allow me the opportunity to be closer to family members, and it also affords me the opportunity to continue to grow professionally.

             Some facts about the Manheim Central School District:

  • Enrollment                                             2,934           
  • Administrators                                            18           
  • Drop-out Rate                                     52 (2%)                       
  • Tuition – Elem.                                       8,011
  • Tuition – Secondary                               8,470
  • Support Staff                                             160
  • % to College                                                60
  • # of computers                                       2,200
  • # Home School                                          155
  • Community Population                        21,657
  • Total Property Value              $1,558,044,200
  • Millage Rate                                          15.85
  • PDE Aide Ratio                                       44.90
  • 2009-10 Budget                          $42,418,140
  • Per Pupil Expenditure                        $14,475
  • District Square Miles                               78.2
  • Starting Teacher Salary                     $40,536
  • Average Salary                                   $57,734
  • Professional Staff                                      236
  • # Cyber Charter Students                           71

             I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Milton Area School District.  I feel that some of the accomplishments are not my personal accomplishments but those of the district due to the leadership team and the teachers.  Some accomplishments are the following:  (1) continued improvement and moving forward with students’ PSSA scores, (2) addressing the dropout rate and cutting that in half, and (3) the development of the high school alternative education program and the middle school alternative education program.  Looking at areas outside of the district I reflect upon working with the committee of volunteers to continue the restoration of the Sodom School as well as support from Merle Phillips for funding of the restoration of the Sodom School.  I am extremely impressed with the following:  (1) the district leadership team and their ability to take challenges head-on and use the information they have to make the best decisions that will continue to move the district forward; (2) working with the teachers for continued curriculum growth and implementation using the Learning Focused Schools model; and (3) working with the community in developing joint ventures that would benefit both the school district as well as students whether it be working with Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, Hands Up Foundation and other groups by providing support for those programs through students or fund raisers that could be conducted within the district as an opportunity for financial support.

             I want to close with the comment that you are not losing a superintendent; you are losing a friend of the community.  I have enclosed my contact information for Manheim Central School District.  If ever I can be of any assistance to anyone from the Milton community with respect to any educational issue, I would be more than happy to do so.  My new email address is clarkw@manheimcentral.com.  If there is anything I can do to provide assistance to you for yourself or your children, please feel free to contact me.

             I wish you the best of luck as a community as Milton Area School District continues to move forward with the professional growth of the school district and the overall successful accomplishments of the students who attend this school.  Thank you for allowing me to serve the community during my six (6) year tenure at the Milton Area School District.

Dec

7

December 2009 – Fact Finding

December 7, 2009 | 2009 Blogs  |  1 Comment

You may have read in the newspaper that the Milton Area School District school board and the Milton Area Education Association (M.A.E.A.) have both accepted the fact finding report that was issued by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB).

I would like to an opportunity with this month’s blog to explain fact finding.  Fact finding is a process that can be ultitized when two parties that are working towards negotiations have come to an impasse.  This means that previous items that would have been in the contractual agreement have been reviewed and tentatively agreed upon by both parties. But now both parties are at an impasse with a couple of issues to the point that they want a neutral party, a fact finding officer from the PLRB, to come in and hear the arguments from both sides and make a determination.

 Below are some points regarding the fact finding process:

  Either the Association or School District (or both) can request Fact Finding at any time.

  1. Up through April 10 in the particular bargaining year in which the contract is to expire, or in subsequent years if the parties have still not arrived at a new successor agreement, if either party requests Fact Finding prior to April, the Request is automatically granted by the Labor Board unless there is a pending strike notification and/or the Association is on strike.
  2. Once the Labor Board receives a Request for Fact Finding, the Labor Board contacts the Bureau of Mediation for information pertaining to the collective bargaining impasse between the parties and looks to the Bureau of Mediation for a recommendation as to whether the Fact Finding process should proceed.  The Labor Board meets approximately one time per month (sometimes twice per month) depending on the time of year to consider Fact Finding requests.
  3. The Labor Board assigns a Fact Finder and, within five (5) days of that appointment, both parties are obligated to notify the Fact Finder and each other of the outstanding issues.
  4. Usually within 24 to 48 hours after appointment, the Fact Finder contacts the parties to inquire about dates for either a pre-Fact Finding conference and/or a Fact Finding hearing date.  From the time of the Fact Finder’s appointment he/she has 40 calendar days to meet with the parties, hear oral and written evidence in order to fashion a Fact Finding Report containing findings of fact and recommendations of how the collective bargaining impasse between the parties should be resolved.
  5. The Report of Findings and Recommendations of the Fact Finder are nonbinding on the parties; however, it is a built-in statutory collective bargaining impasse procedure.
  6. Depending on the Fact Finder you get, most will act like “super mediators” and request a pre-Fact Finding conference where they will discuss the open issues and see if there is any possibility of either limiting the issues or arriving at a negotiated settlement.  If this is not plausible, then the Fact Finder will schedule a formal hearing date where each party submits to him/her the list of open issues along with the recommendations and rationale of each party on each open item.
  7. The Fact Finder will consider the information and write a Report outlining his/her recommendations as to how the impasse between the parties should be resolved.
  8. The PLRB has a standing rule that Fact Finders cannot issue their report without having a salary schedule accompany the Findings and Recommendations in salary.

10.  More often than not, the Fact Finder will arrive at a preliminary dollar number and ask both the Association and District to run salary schedules based on those numbers.  After reviewing the schedules, the Fact Finder will attach one party’s schedules to the Fact Finding Report.

11.  After the Report is received, both parties have 10 calendar days from receipt of the Report to formally convene and vote upon the Recommendations of the Fact Finder.  The Association presents the Fact Finding Report to the membership with the bargaining committee’s recommendation as to same and they vote on it just as the Board.  However, the Board’s vote is at a scheduled public meeting with the votes being cast by the board on a roll call vote.

12.  If both parties accept the Fact Finder’s Report, it paves the way for a new successor agreement.  If either party rejects the Report, it becomes public, i.e. the press can receive a copy of the Report and the Report is published on the PLRB web site.

13.  Within 5 to 10 days of publication of the Fact Finding Report by the PLRB, the parties must convene and vote for a second time.  Once again, if both parties accept the Report, it paves the way for a new successor agreement.  If the parties reject the Report, they return to the bargaining process. 

            Following the guidelines above an informal conference was held on November 2nd at the Milton Senior High School library.  At this time, both parties discussed and submitted information regarding the issues in dispute.  On November 20th, a hearing was held at the High School library at which time both parties were afforded an opportunity to present testimony, examine and cross-examine witnesses, introduce evidence and argue orally in support of their respective positions on the remaining unresolved issues.

             On November 30th, a report was issued by the Fact Finder regarding his recommendations for the outstanding issues.  On December 3rd, both the M.A.E.A. and the Board had separate meetings that day where they both ratified the Fact Finding report.

Oct

22

November 2009 Internet Saftey/Cyber Bullying

October 22, 2009 | Uncategorized  |  Leave a Comment

At various times during the school year, we do encounter some internet safety concerns for students and staff.  I recently attended training about cyber bullying and internet safety, and I would like to pass that information along to you to utilize as you see fit.

 

Some suggested safety tips that can protect your child from internet related danger:

 

  • Move the computer to a populated area of the home, such as the family room, so parents can monitor their child’s activities.
  • If your child minimizes the screen being viewed when a parent walks by the computer, treat it as a “red flag.”  Learn what sites the child has been visiting.
  • Talk to your child to learn what he/she uses the computer for.  Be especially aware of popular kid sites, such as xanga.com and myspace.com where children often upload photos and personal information.  They can unknowingly supply information to child predators.
  • Use Internet Service Provider (ISP) filters to restrict your child’s access to certain areas/items on the Web.  Some ISPs can even be set up so that when a child visits a Web page, an email is sent to the parent’s email address notifying the parent of your child’s “journey” through cyberspace.
  • Teach your children the responsible use of the resources online.  There is much more to the online experience than chat rooms.
  • Take the time to talk with your child to learn what they are doing.  If you have any concerns, contact your local police department, or the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office.

 

One step for practicing safe internet usage is knowing what dangers web users face online.  The six main types of risks online include:

 

  • Sites that allow the accessing of inappropriate information, including pornography, hate, intolerance, bigotry, gore, violence, hoaxes, and misinformation and hype.
  • Sites that provide access to dangerous products and hazardous information, such as bomb-building recipes, the selling of guns, alcohol, poisons, tobacco products, and drugs, as well as online gambling.
  • Sites that allow the posting of personal information, like blog sites.  If not monitored, this can lead to the child being stalked or harassed by others who may pose to be a friend or who may be rude, insulting and make threats.  Additionally, the information may be accessed to send viruses or hack into computers.
  • Sites that provide forms that solicit personal information to enter contests online and, as a result, information providers are targeted by irresponsible solicitors using unfair marketing techniques.
  • Sites, if not legitimate, that allow for the purchasing of products online run the risk of disclosing important financial information to others, such as credit card numbers, pin numbers and passwords.
  • Dishonest “cyber-predators” may pose as adolescents in chat rooms or on networking sites.  Their goal is to lure an unknowing child into a face-to-face meeting.

 

If your child has been exposed to trouble on the Internet, here are some things you can do:

 

  • Remain calm when learning of exposure to inappropriate material.
  • Work with your child so that you can both learn from what happened and decide how to keep it from happening again.
  • Be understanding and supportive of your child if they tell you about an uncomfortable online encounter.  It is important to protect your child, not blame them or punish them.

 

One additional item is webpage bullying or cellphone bullying.  Here are some things to do:

 

  • If you know the perpetrator in these incidents, report it.
  • Threats of violence should be reported to the police.
  • Keep the evidence.
  • Have your child block screennames.
  • Consider removing messaging from child’s cellphone account.  Your child may be upset, but in the long run he/she may feel better and will be less susceptible to abuse.
  • Teach your child to cope with cellphone bullying.  Remind them:
    • Never give our proprietary information (about yourself or your friends)
    • Limit your buddy list, and ask your friends not to forward your screenname to others.
    • Never respond to abusive messages.

 

As with most things, prevention is easier than reaction.  Just talking about these issues will help your child a lot.

 

These are just come suggestions that you can see about internet safety for your child, as well as potential ways to address cyberbullying.

Sep

24

October 2009 – Cooperative Sponorship

September 24, 2009 | Uncategorized  |  1 Comment

          You may have read in the local newspaper that a Cooperative Sponsorship was just approved by the Milton Area School Board at the September 15th board meeting.  This is the third time that the issue was taken before the board for review and potential ratification.  The co-op agreement will allow students from Meadowbrook to participate in any sports or extracurricular activities that the Milton Area School District has to offer that are not offered by Meadowbrook.  The students who will be served by this agreement will only be Milton students, meaning students who reside within the Milton Area School District.

 

            Even though the cooperative agreement was approved by the board, the administration from both Meadowbrook and Milton were unaware that the Co-Op would have to be approved by the District IV Committee before the students may participate in the sports programs.  There is a meeting of the District IV Committee on October 7th.  After that meeting, if the agreement is approved by that committee, students from Meadowbrook may begin to participate in Milton programs beginning on October 8th.

 

            If you review the agreement which is below, you will note that it includes not only sports but also marching band.  The goal is to allow students at all levels (K-12) to participate in the sports or activities that are listed.  This agreement will be revisited annually by both schools to determine what programs need to be included and potentially approved for the coming school year.  The agreement you see below is for this school year, 2009-10.  A similar agreement with the same areas will be brought before the school board for review in April of 2010.

 

            During the course of this school year, if any addendums need to be added to this cooperative sponsorship, or any issues are encountered, adjustments will be made to this resolution that would be presented to the board in May of 2010. 

 

            The goal of this sponsorship was for both schools to better serve the needs of the students who reside within the Milton Area School District.  The Milton Area School District is very thankful to Meadowbrook for their positive outlook and approach in trying to get this resolution resolved in a manner that would best serve the interests of both the Milton Area School District and Meadowbrook.

 

 

Milton Area School District

 

Resolution of Cooperative Sponsorship of extra-curricular activities

within the School District

2009-10

 

WHEREAS, the Milton Area School District sponsors the sports programs sanctioned by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association and extracurricular activities and

 

WHEREAS, Meadowbrook Christian School lies within the Milton Area School District and does not sponsor the sports of Football, Wrestling, and Golf and the extracurricular activity of Marching Band and

 

WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Milton Area School District to provide the opportunity for all students within the Milton Area School District to participate in the sports of Football, Wrestling, and Golf and the extracurricular activity of Marching Band and

 

WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Milton Area School District to enter into a Cooperative Sponsorship of Football, Wrestling, and Golf and the extracurricular activity of Marching Band with Meadowbrook Christian School for the 2009-2010 school year. Future Cooperative Sponsorships for the 2010-11 school year will be presented to the Milton Area School District for consideration by April 30, 2010.

 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Milton Area School District agrees to assume all administrative responsibility, liability, and insurance for the Cooperative Sponsorship and

 

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that all students will compete with the team name Milton Area School District Football, Wrestling, Golf, and Marching Band and

 

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that all financial responsibilities pertaining to the operation of the Cooperative Sponsorship, and all staffing will be provided by the Milton Area School District and

 

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that all facilities will be provided by the Milton Area School District and that all transportation to and from games will be provided to the Meadowbrook Christian School students in accordance with existing school district policy at the expense of the Milton Area School District.  Transportation to and from practice sessions and games shall be the responsibility of each school.

 

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the coaching staff in cooperation with the principal of each school shall have access to the student body for purposes of conducting clinics and informational sessions.

 

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that academic eligibility and student attendance criteria for the Meadowbrook Christian School students will be determined by Milton Area School District in accordance with Milton Area School District policy which meets or exceeds the standards set forth by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association and that Meadowbrook Christian School will provide academic eligibility information to the principal of Milton Area School District in a timely manner.

 

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that during the season all participating students from Meadowbrook Christian School will be under the direct authority of the coaches, athletic department, principal, administration, and policy of the Milton Area Board of School Directors in matters pertaining to the sports of Football, Wrestling, and Golf and the extracurricular activity of Marching Band.

Aug

27

September 2009 – State Education Budget

August 27, 2009 | 2009 Blogs  |  Leave a Comment

Due to the current state education and the lack of a budget within the state of Pennsylvania, the district has made it public that the payroll for the district could be made for the next five (5) pay periods, which would take us into mid-October.  After that point in time, we would hopefully continue to receive local revenues in a manner that would allow us to make additional payrolls.  If this, in fact, could not be accomplished, the district would have to approach one of the local banks to secure a loan to continue to make payroll.  If the budget was still at an impasse, the district would have to very quickly monitor programs and make a determination as to what potential programs would be eliminated to secure additional funding.  Also, the district would have to very closely scrutinize purchase orders that have been submitted to the district office before making a final purchase to determine if they are a need or a want.

 After that point in time, it is our hope that the district would not have to begin to cut programs that would impact kids but instead review current purchase orders and make a determination as to what is a necessity and what is not.  The cutting of student programs would be a course of last resort in order to maintain the district operating budget.  It is, indeed, the district’s hope that the current state of affairs in Harrisburg would be resolved in a manner that would allow the district to continue to run smoothly and effectively without much of a disruption of the educational process for the students attending the Milton Area School District.

Aug

7

August 2009 – Budget

August 7, 2009 | 2009 Blogs  |  Leave a Comment

For the past several months, the district has operated without a state approved budget.  The revenue sources received from the state have yet to be received by the district.  If the funding comes in below the proposed index that was utilized by the district, there could be potential program cuts and adjustments to the budget.

In looking at the figure that was utilized by the district, the following concepts were used:  First, the district looked at the Governor’s proposed percentage that was provided to districts across the Commonwealth in February, and then at the new number that was provided in March.  Not using these numbers alone, the district looked at a five year average of potential rates that were received for the district budget in the previous five years.  Looking at the five year average along with the proposed 2009-10 figures released by the Governor, the number 6.1% was identified by the district to develop the budget.

Once this budget was developed, it was proposed to the school board Finance Committee.  Six different budget presentations were conducted during board meetings from the month of January to May.  Prior to the final approval of the budget at the May board meeting, the index that the district was allowed to go to under Act 1 was 5.9%.   Under the direction of the school board, the district actually decided by go below the index to 5.1%.

If the state budget were to come back below the percentages that the district utilized, the budget would be reopen to determine program cuts or reallocating the assets that the district would receive.

The district and school board closely scrutinize the budget on an annual basis to make the appropriate determination for programs as well as staffing issues.  The district has utilized a five year budget model that was developed by a Dr. William Hartman from Penn State University.  The budget model has allowed the district to look at a variety of funding scenarios looking at previous data as well as future data and the potential impact on the budget.  The model has been utilized for board budget retreats to allow for a better understanding of the financial picture that the district operates within.

Aug

7

July 2009 – Dress Code Part 2

August 7, 2009 | 2009 Blogs  |  2 Comments

The content of the blog this month is being written as a follow-up to the previous review of a dress code for the Milton Area School District.  A committee, made up of administrators, teachers and board members, made a visit to the Mount Carmel School District to discuss the implementation of their Dress Code Policy in 2000.  The meeting at the Mount Carmel School District was insightful with respect to potential pitfalls and positive outcomes of an implementation of a dress code policy.

One interesting aspect that was pointed out to the team was that Mount Carmel was visited by 15 different schools to have discussions about the Mount Carmel dress code policy, but only 4 had returned to their district and actually implemented a similar policy.

As for the positive things that were pointed out in the visit, they were as follows:

  • The district saw a decrease in student discipline on the days where the dress code was implemented within the district.
  • The district saw a balancing of the students between those of high economic status and those of low economic status within the school due to the commonality of attire during the course of the school day.

Some pitfalls that they identified:

  • The policy needs to be under constant revision as times and fashions change.
  • The policy needs to be clear in the arenas of extra-curricular events, such as trips and dances.

Upon returning to the district, the committee met together to debrief on what was noticed during the visit.  Several members of the committee commented that the policy in Mount Carmel was developed due to concerns brought about by a single board member.  Within the Milton Area School District, it has been a common concern from community members voicing problems to board members, to teachers talking about this issue with principals during the past several school years.

The committee decided to take the following approach with the coming of the 2009-2010 school year.  The approach will be three-fold:

  1. The district will revisit the current district dress code at the first in-service for teachers and strongly encourage teachers to enforce this policy in the coming school year.  If there are any student discipline referrals surrounding this policy, they will be closely monitored during the next school year.
  2. There will be an announcement made on a daily basis for teachers to take a moment to determine if there are any dress code violations that need to be reported to the office.  This will allow for accountability. The committee had noted in the previous blog that several community members, as well as students, said that if the district just enforced the current policy, there would not be a need for a dress code.  This would be the first approach to that endeavor.
  3. The committee will repost our findings on the Superintendent’s Blog so that the community is aware of the process that the committee is moving forward with in the investigation of a dress code policy by further blog postings.

For your information, a brief section of the Milton Area School District Dress Code Policy is below.

An individual’s habits of dress and personal grooming are an important part of his/her total personality and they often determine not only his/her attitude toward himself/herself, but also the way others look at him/her.  These regulations will be enforced to ensure the health and safety of all students and to minimize the disruption of education within the classroom due to the potentially distracting nature of certain styles of dress.

Safe and appropriate footwear is required.

  1. Bare midriffs, see through blouses, low cut tops, tops that expose one shoulder, undershirts, tube tops, halter tops, and tank top style shirts with less than two-inch straps over the shoulders,  are inappropriate attire and not permitted.
  2. No short shorts, skirts, or dresses are permitted.  The length of these garments must be no higher than fingertip length with arms extended alongside of the body.
  3. Clothing, buttons, accessories, or other insignias deemed inappropriate are not permitted in school.  These include items that are sexually suggestive, or that mock, ridicule, or demean a race, religion, or culture.  Clothing items that display references to drugs, tobacco products, vulgarity, or alcoholic beverages may not be worn in school.
  4. Hats, headbands, and headwear are not to be worn during school hours.
  5. Extremely tattered or excessively long clothing is prohibited.  Also prohibited are extremely baggy pants.  All pants are to be worn at waist level.
  6. Any items worn as jewelry or clothing that could present a safety problem or are a distraction to the educational process are not allowed.
  7. Any item, material, jewelry, clothing, make-up, etc. that is deemed as being excessive because of its potential to create a safety problem or to be a distraction to the educational process is not permitted.

Individual classroom teachers may impose additional dress regulations as they relate to their curriculum.  These regulations may be imposed to ensure health and/or safety and must have the prior approval of the principal.  Such additional regulations are to be posted in the classroom and students are to be informed of these regulations.

The district is considering looking at the next step being the enforcement and the potential development of a committee of community members, parents, teachers and students, as well as the current committee, to discuss the potential development of a new dress code policy in the Milton Area School District.  If you are interested in serving on that committee, please feel free to notify me, or any district administrator.

Jun

11

June 2009 – Board Membership

June 11, 2009 | 2009 Blogs  |  4 Comments

In the elections last month, individuals had run for different board positions within the Milton Area School District.  These positions are available in Area 1:  the 1st, 2nd and 3rd wards; Area 2:  4th & 5th wards and West Chillisquaque Township; and Area 3:  White Deer Township, Turbot Township and East Chillisquaque Township.  There may be some additional vacancies on the school board in the coming school year due to not enough candidates running for various positions.  Individuals who would like to run with a write-in campaign need to be aware of the qualification requirements for school board membership. 

According to our District Policy, each member of the Board shall meet the following qualifications:

1.       Be of good moral character, be eighteen (18) years of age, shall have been a resident of the district for at least one (1) year prior to the date of his/her election or appointment, and shall not be a holder of any office or position as specified in Section 322 of the School Code; not shall the individual be a member of the municipal council.

2.      Shall not have been removed from any office of trust under federal, state or local laws for any malfeasance in such office.

3.      Shall not be engaged in a business transaction with the school district, be employed by the school district, or receive pay for services from the school district, except as provided by law.

4.      Shall take and subscribe to the oath or affirmation prescribed by statute before entering the duties of the office.

5.      Shall file a statement of financial interests with the State Ethics Commission before taking the oath of office or entering upon his/her duties.

            If an individual decides to run with a write-in campaign, the above qualifications need to be met.

 
At other points in time during the school year, if a board member leaves and area or is unable to fulfill the position, there is a procedure that must be followed by the board to fill vacancies.  “A vacancy shall occur by reason of death, resignation, removal from a district or region, or otherwise. Such vacancy shall be filled in accordance with the Sunshine Act and by appointment by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Board within thirty (30) days of the occurrence of the vacancy. The Board member so appointed shall serve until the first Monday in December after the first municipal election occurring more than sixty (60) days following his/her appointment. When a majority of the memberships are vacant, such vacancies shall be filled by the Court of Common Pleas of Northumberland County.”

            One thing that the district has done over the last couple of years to help members get oriented to the school, if they are first-time board members, is provide a board member orientation.  Here the district demographics are reviewed with board candidates so that they can get an understanding of the interworking of the school system prior to their arrival as a sitting board member.  Once an individual is placed on the board, they need to be immediately involved in decision making.  They cannot abstain from voting just because they are not aware of the situation.  They need to become voting members and do their best to stay appraised of where the district is with certain issues.  Individuals who serve on the board do not receive compensation for their service, and may require hours of tireless dedication to review district information in order to make decisions that are in the best interest of the community, school and students.

            All board members who donate their time are much appreciated by the district administration, students, teachers, staff and community as they put themselves out there in a manner that allows them to work as a collective group to make the decisions that will impact the Milton Area School District in a positive manner.

May

5

May 2009 – Swine Flu

May 5, 2009 | 2009 Blogs  |  Leave a Comment

There has been much information in the news as of late regarding the swine influenza and what are schools could do as well as what are they doing if the issue would take place within a district building or with an individual student or teacher.

                The district has been in constant contact, through the internet and phone conferences, with the Department of Health and the local Emergency Management Center.  Phone conferences have been conducted daily to provide updates to districts regarding information surrounding this issue across the Commonwealth and the nation as a whole. If a district is not able to attend a phone conference, the local emergency management is sending out the notes from the meeting to all superintendents in the area.   

In order to prepare students and staff in this issue, the following items are important to be utilized to prevent the spread of respiratory infections in the school setting.  A list of these items was sent home with students within the last couple of days.

Cough Etiquette

Always remind children to:

·         Cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze – have them throw the tissue away after they use it.

·         Wash their hands often with soap and water, especially after they sneeze or cough.  If water is not near, us an alcohol-based hand cleaner.

·         Remind them to not touch their eyes, nose or mouth.  Germs often spread this way.

Hand Washing

Remind children, staff members and care providers in child care settings to wash their hands or use alcohol-based hand cleaners, and make sure that supplies are available to prevent the spread of germs.

·         Encourage children and staff members to use soap and water to wash hands when hands are visibly soiled, or an alcohol-based hand cleaner when soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly soiled.

·         Encourage staff members and care providers to wash their hands to the extent possible when engaged in certain activities, such as after wiping the child’s nose or mouth, after touching objects such as tissues or surfaces soiled with saliva or nose drainage.

·         Encourage staff members and care providers to wash the hands of infants and toddlers when the hands become soiled.

·         Encourage children to wash hands when their hands have become soiled.  Teach children to wash hands for 15-20 seconds (long enough for children to sign the “Happy Birthday” song twice).

·         Oversee the use of alcohol-based hand cleaner by the children and avoid using these on the sensitive skin of infants and toddlers.

·         Rub hands thoroughly until the alcohol has dried, when using alcohol-based hand cleaner.

·         Keep alcohol-based hand cleaner out of the reach of children to prevent unsupervised use.

·         Ensure that sink locations and restrooms are stocked with soap, paper towels or working hand dryers.

·         Ensure that each room is supplied with alcohol-based hand cleaner when sinks for washing hands are not readily accessible.  Alcohol-based hand cleaners are not recommended when hands are visibly soiled.

 

Exclusion of ill children and staff members

Observe all students for symptoms of respiratory illness.

·         Observe closely all children for symptoms of respiratory illness.  Notify the parent if a child develops a fever (100° F. or higher under the arm, 101° F. orally, or 102° F. rectally) or chills, cough, sore throat, headache or muscle aches.

·         Notify the local health department so that appropriate guidance can be given, send the child home, if possible, and advise the parent to contact the child’s doctor.

·         Infants and young children can become quite ill with influenza very quickly and might require urgent medical attention and possible hospitalization.

·         If a child has difficulty breathing, is lethargic, or appears to be worsening rapidly, consider calling a physician or 911 in addition to notifying a parent.

·         Encourage parents of sick children to keep their children home.

·         Encourage sick staff members to stay home.

·         Encourage parents of sick children to keep the children home and away from the school setting, until they have been without fever for 24 hours, to prevent spreading illness to others.  Similarly, encourage sick staff members or care providers to stay home until they have been without fever for 24 hours.

Environmental sanitation

Keep the environment clean and make sure supplies are available.

·         Clean frequently touched surfaces, toys and commonly shared items at least daily and when visibly soiled.

·         Use an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered household disinfectant labeled for activity against bacteria and viruses, an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant, or EPA-registered chlorine bleach/hypochlorite solution.  Always follow label instructions when using any EPA-registered disinfectant.  If EPA-registered chlorine bleach is not available and a generic (i.e., store brand) chlorine bleach is used, mix ¼ cup chlorine bleach with 1 gallon cool water.

·         Keep disinfectants out of the reach of children.

                This information is also posted on the district web page and provides an opportunity for parents to review it to see what they can do to prevent an outbreak not only at home but in the community as well.  Hand sanitizers are provided in lunch lines for students to use prior to purchasing their lunch.

                All district administrators are receiving daily updates from the Department of Health.  One current concern is field trips into areas where there are confirmed cases of the swine flu.  In the updates, the comment on field trips is for the district to contact the regional Department of Health about potential travel to that area.

As any new information comes into the district on additional measures that could be taken other than the items listed above, it would be released to teachers, parents and students.

May

5

April 2009 – Safe Schools

May 5, 2009 | 2009 Blogs  |  4 Comments

   Safe Schools           

    As part of the new Safe Schools Initiative during the past school year, a Risk Assessment was conducted of all five (5) district buildings.  During this risk assessment, a variety of suggestions were provided back to the district on things that could be implemented to improve the overall safety of the buildings.  Some of the suggestions were easy to implement and others were extremely costly to the district.

                Even though the district buildings are safe, there is always an opportunity to analyze and look for continued improvements for the safety of the students, teachers, support staff and administration.  Safety is always discussed with parents in a variety of areas.  One is during the dinner meetings with the school board and parents that are held yearly at each elementary building.  Parents have responded that they feel their elementary child is safe within the school during the school day.  Middle and High School students are asked a similar question when they have breakfast with the board.  Students have often commented on how difficult it is to enter the district building.  Overall students and parents feel safe within the buildings that their sons or daughters are sent to on a daily basis.

                As part of the Risk Assessment, one area that the district will begin to address that will need cooperation and collaboration from community members will be visitors in the coming school year.  Starting in August of 2009, the district will be requiring any visitors entering district buildings to produce a photo identification to enter the building (such as driver’s license, work ID badge, etc. – items of this nature would suffice).  The secretaries will ask to see this particular item before granting entrance to the building to that individual.  Once the photo ID is shown, the individual will still need to sign in and log the time they entered the building and who they are visiting, as has been done traditionally within the district.

                This additional layer in the process will allow the district to continue to be vigilant in providing a safe environment for students, faculty, and staff during the course of their instructional time in the school year.

                In order to prepare secretaries for this process, there will be an orientation for them this summer to review the new procedures and protocol, and signs will be placed at the doors to notify visitors to have this information available in order to enter the buildings.

                Again, this is just one step of many which can be taken to improve the overall safety of the district buildings.

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