As Sandwich school officials work to present students in town with a more diverse education, administrators are learning that words matter. Specifically, how they define words like âdiversity,â âequity,â and âanti-racismâ can make a world of difference in how the community reacts to what the district is trying to accomplish.
During the Sandwich School Committeeâs meeting on Wednesday, May 12, those seated at the table took on those terms as they talked about what a diverse education looks like in the townâs schools.
The discussion about the diversity curriculum took place after a parent, during the public forum segment of the meeting, complained about the school districtâs taking time away from core subjects such as math and English to teach lessons about equity and inclusion, especially in a town like Sandwich.
The Sandwich School District is looking to delay its plan to bring Sandwich High School and STEM Academy students back into the classroom full time this month.
Instead, at the recommendation of Health Agent David Mason, Town Nurse Joanne Geake, Fire Chief John J. Burke, and school nurse supervisor Nicola Bordelon, the district is applying to the state for a waiver that would postpone the move by almost a month, to May 17.
The waiver is to the state Department of Educationâs mandate that districts bring all middle school students back into the buildings by April 28.
The district had initially decided to bring middle and high school students back in on April 26, but Dr. Gould said that decision was made before the most-recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the town, as well as among students.
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Some parents of the Sandwich High School Class of 2021 feel like their children are becoming âThe Forgotten Class.â
Several parents of seniors reached out to the district to ask that something be done to make their students feel heard and recognized.
Christine Kuchar wrote to the Sandwich School Committee prior to the boardâs meeting on Wednesday, February 3, stating that parents understand how difficult it is to operate a school during a pandemic, but that the senior class is struggling.
She said that her own child is despondent and lacks motivation this year, which is not her typical disposition.
âShe prefers remote learning because Sandwich High School is sad and lonely,â Ms. Kuchar wrote.
Sandwich school district administrators are talking with local health and safety officials about the possibility of holding only remote classes for students the week after the holiday break.
The idea, which has the support of Health Agent David Mason and Fire Chief John J. Burke, would be to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19 in the schools by students and staff who may have been infected during the break.
But the school committee had mixed feelings when it was presented to the board at a special meeting held on Thursday last week.
Superintendent Pamela A. Gould will not need the board s approval to move ahead with the plan if that is what she decides to do, but she told the board members that she wanted to make sure they understood what her thought process was. Mr. Mason and Chief Burke also spoke to the board about the plan during the meeting.