1. Go to the following site to listen/watch the meeting: https://zoom.us/j/878425286
   You may be asked into install a small "helper" program on your computer or device.
   
   
2. You will be put into a waiting room, then muted until the public hear starts.
   
   
3. We recommend testing your audio when given the opportunity.
   
   
4. If you would like to have your comments be heard by the School Committee during this public hearing, you will need to:
• Turn your camera on to be seen/recognized
• Digitally raise your hand by clicking on participants at the bottom of the screen. In the panel that opens on the right, at the bottom there is a raise hand option.
• Once recognized, give your name and address, and offer your comments on the FY21 Budget

Update: March 30,2020

• Providing meaningful and productive learning for approximately half the length of a regular school day;
• Providing students the opportunity to connect with one or more educators multiple times per week;
• Provide students with time each day for physical activity based on recommendations from educators;
• Provide additional time daily for enrichment activities such as the arts;
• Ensuring teachers are providing valuable feedback on student work completed at home;
• Reviewing the appropriateness of our current focus on “reinforcing skills already taught and applying and deepening those skills” to minimize the impact that this now-extended closure will have on all of our students, but particularly, on the ability of HHS students to qualify for academic credit for Term 3, Term 4, Semester 2 and courses 3 terms in duration; and
• Reviewing any proposed revisions that we consider to our current program against the legal and moral imperative that “students have equitable access to learning opportunities during the closure, keeping in mind the variety of technology, health, disability and language challenges” and other unique circumstances facing many of our students during this extraordinary time.

Superintendent's Update #8: March 25, 2020

School Committee Mtg: March 19, 2020

https://hcat.viebit.com/player.php?hash=3hW26zkwpsKr

Update #7: March 16, 2020

• Wednesday March 18, 2020 through Friday, March 27, 2020 (excluding Saturday and Sunday, March 21st and March 22nd)
• Beginning Monday, March 30, 2020, we will go to a three-day per week model (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) where we will distribute/deliver lunch for two days at a time.

Update #6: March 15, 2020

Update #5: School Cancellation Notice Beginning Friday, March 13, 2020

 Dear Holliston Parent/Guardians and Staff:

I am writing to inform you that, while there are still no Coronavirus cases reported in Holliston, there are a large number of school districts in our area that are closed tomorrow and next week.  Many of our staff members have children who attend these schools, which will understandably result in an abnormally high level of staff absences. I have concluded that it is unlikely that we would have an adequate number of staff members present to be able to ensure a quality school day tomorrow and over the course of the next week.

As a result, the Holliston Public Schools is cancelling school for Friday, March 13th, Monday, March 16th, Tuesday, March 17th, Wednesday, March 18th and Thursday, March 19th.  Friday March 20th is a scheduled Professional Development Day for teachers. There will be no school for students on that day as well.  A decision regarding the possible cancellation of the PD Day for teachers will be made next week.

The Holliston Extended Day Program will be closed and will not re-open until Monday, March 23, 2020, at the earliest.

In accordance with the current advisories issued by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Holliston must make up a total of 5 school days lost to either weather or health related conditions.  This means that the last day of school will now be Wednesday, June 24, 2020. All total cancelled days beyond 5 do not have to be made up.

Further information will be shared over the next few days should it become apparent additional school cancellations are required. 

I sincerely appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we progress through this unprecedented set of circumstances.

Respectfully,

Bradford L. Jackson, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Update #4: March 12, 2020

1. All after-school events, concerts, and exhibitions scheduled to take place between March 12, 2020 and Friday, March 20, 2020 are cancelled.  Cancellations are likely to be extended beyond March 20th, but that decision will be made mid-next week.
2. I am respectfully asking parents who are scheduled to volunteer in our schools between March 12th and March 20th to cancel those plans. 
3. Any previously-approved use of our school buildings by outside organizations is cancelled for that same time period.

Update #3: March 10, 2020

1.  Districts are urged to cancel any out-of-state travel that they have planned.

2. Districts are asked to encourage older community members and those at increased risk of illness to avoid large school gatherings.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds including under your fingernails. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol content) can be used when soap and water are not available.
• Keep your hands away from your face.
• Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing with a tissue and discard it immediately. Cough into the sleeve over your elbow instead of your hand. Wash your hands often when coughing and sneezing.
• Stay away from people who are sick and stay home when you are sick.

Update #2: March 6, 2020

1. The Health Director for the Town of Holliston, Scott Moles, Emergency Preparedness Director, Fire Chief Michael Cassidy, Town Administrator Jeff Ritter and I met this week to review the various advisories we have received from the CDC and Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH).  We established a parallel reporting system into the DPH, brainstormed plans, options and discussed contingency planning.  We have agreed to meet weekly for the foreseeable future. 
2. The State of Massachusetts has ordered that all out-of-country school trips that are scheduled to take place before May 1^st be cancelled.  This order has no impact on the Holliston Public Schools as we don’t have any trips planned that meet that criteria.  While the Governor’s orders are currently limited to only out-of-country trips scheduled taking place before May 1^st, we are currently reviewing all of our plans for overnight trips currently scheduled to take place before June 30^th, including:
   1. HHS has a trip to Montreal scheduled for mid/late June.  This trip is school-sponsored and we are currently reviewing the details of any Trip Insurance that was included as part of the cost of that trip to determine if there are any deadlines in that Plan that would inform the timeline we’d have to use to make a decision about that trip.
   2. RAMS has the annual 6^th grade trip to Nature’s Classroom scheduled for the week after April break.  This trip is also school-sponsored, and we are meeting with the Nature’s Classroom people to understand what our postponement/cancellation options could be.  THIS IS ONLY CONTINGENCY PLANNING AT THIS TIME as no government agency, as of the date of this writing, has recommended any schools change their plans regarding trips such as these.
   3. There is a NON-SCHOOL SPONSORED trip to Washington, DC that many of our 8^th graders are planning on taking during April break.  We have reached out to the organizers of this trip and encouraged them to: check their Travel Insurance policy; develop contingency plans, if able; and communicate directly with those families who have children signed up for this trip.
3. On Wednesday, March 4^th at 4PM, the Massachusetts DPH issued a REVISED advisory regarding citizens who have travelled in countries designated Level 3 by the CDC (as of this writing, those countries are China, Iran, South Korea and Italy).  This advisory asks people who have travelled to these areas to voluntarily self-quarantine for 14 days from the date you returned to the United States.  Within 2 hours, we had contacted all families and staff who we are aware meet this criteria, informed them of the revised advisory and in each instance, received agreement that the traveler(s) would follow the DPH advisory.  Moving forward, the Holliston Public Schools strongly urges ANYONE who has recently returned from a Level 3 country to observe the voluntary 14-day self-quarantine period until that advisory has been lifted.  For further information regarding this issue, please see the DPH website.
4. Superintendents from across Massachusetts are receiving numerous updates each week as the CDC and DPH learn more about this evolving situation.  I will be participating in a telephone conference with the Commissioner of DPH and the Commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) today. I will continue to closely monitor changes to their advisories and inform families and staff of any changes to our practices and procedures as necessary.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If unable to wash, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth;
• Cover your coughs or sneezes with a tissue or your sleeve (NOT with your hands);
• Stay away from people who are sick and stay home when you are sick.

• Temperature greater than 100.0 degrees (F) prior to the administration of acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil);
• Coughing, vomiting, diarrhea or any rash not yet diagnosed by a medical provider;
• Red or pink itchy eye, and/or drainage from the eye; or
• Any diagnosed contagious illness such as chicken pox, strep throat or flu.

Initial Information: Feb 27, 2020

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If unable to wash, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth;
• Cover your coughs or sneezes with a tissue or your sleeve (NOT with your hands);
• Stay away from people who are sick and stay home when you are sick.

• Temperature greater than 100.0 degrees (F) prior to the administration of acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil);
• Coughing, vomiting, diarrhea or any rash not yet diagnosed by a medical provider;
• Red or pink itchy eye, and/or drainage from the eye; or
• Any diagnosed contagious illness such as chicken pox, strep throat or flu.

Thanks to our very successful Open House for Substitutes we held on September 5th, we have seen an increase in our daily Substitute Teacher pool.  But we can ALWAYS use more!! 

In the past, we have found that many of our most-effective and supportive Substitutes are Holliston residents who are either seeking part-time, school-year employment; are looking to ease back into the workforce; or are looking for ways to actively support their community and their schools. Regardless of your motivation, being a Substitute Teacher is an excellent way to work with Holliston’s great teachers and school staff and, of course, our remarkable students.

Please check out our Information Packet for more information.