The commissioner's webinar yesterday took place at 4:00 PM. The governor continued to stress the importance of social distancing, limiting group gatherings to 10 or less, and continue practicing good hand washing hygiene. The mantra, Stay home, Stay healthy, Stay connected, was referred to numerous times throughout the one hour webinar. The following are some key points from both the commissioner and the governor:
- No elective surgeries are taking place in any medical facilities throughout the state.
- Expect to see an increase in domestic violence in emergencies like this. The commissioner and governor voiced concern about teachers not being able to see their students everyday. Teachers are the number one reporters of suspected child abuse. They asked that teachers still be on the lookout even without seeing students in person.
- Non-traditional graduations can still take place, however, many of the larger schools are pushing graduations back to July/August. The governor stated that traditional graduation ceremonies would not be an option until late July or early August. He did state that non-traditional drive through type graduations are a viable option under current directive health measures as long as people stay in their vehicles.
- Commissioner Blomstedt recommended following the current school calendar for ending the learning opportunities/continuity of learning. This would be May 21st for BCPS.
- Summer school required to meet the Reading Improvement Act will not be able to happen in the traditional sense. Commissioner Blomstedt wants schools to plan for some type of alternative summer school to help improve our struggling readers. Parent support and help will be vital to helping with this reading improvement strategy. Online summer school courses for credit recovery or credit accrual are a viable option.
The admin/guidance team at the high school is in the process of planning a non-traditional type of graduation that will take place within the May 9th - 16th timeframe. With daily, sometimes hourly, changes to this ever evolving situation, setting a specific date at this time is not advisable. As we get closer to this timeframe we will communicate the plan with everyone.