PKM HIGHLIGHTS
June 15-19, 2020
Dear Bill, Darin, Michelle, Todd & Pat
Randall Reid-Smith Visit
Elaine Bobo and I enjoyed a visit from Randall Reid-Smith earlier this week. Randall was traveling throughout the state and specifically came to Berkeley County to speak with the Trent Sherman and Katie Schramm about the fine arts facilities (auditorium, band and chorus room) at Martinsburg High School. Randall shared with the folks during his visit at Martinsburg and then with us potential grant opportunities to enhance the facilities all part of the Martinsburg facility discussion that is currently underway. Part of the work is to begin the process of identifying the school building as a historic site which would open the doors to more grant and tax credits. We also brainstormed the idea that the student leadership group could spearhead the work of the historic building application as part of the learning process. A good discussion and opportunities for us to build on. And, it is always good to see Randall.
Service and Professional Staff Weekly Conference Calls
Dr. Murphy shared the responses to his most recent video. Based on the responses, on average, 50% of individuals want to return to school and 50% feel that virtual school needs to continue into the next school year. Debbie Sloat and Ricky Mason shared that they represented Berkeley County during a meeting about bus concerns for the upcoming school year. It was stated that some decisions about the number of students that will be safely transported on a bus will be announced next week. An update was provided about the Berkeley County Advanced Team and several scenarios were presented for the opening of schools for the 2020 - 2021 school year. The scenarios included alternate day schedules and being different depending on grade level. One option was everyone returning on a split schedule with cleaning days built into the schedule. Dr. Murphy stated that there is a "good teacher representation" within the team. Dr Murphy shared that the county was working on virtual school for K-12 and that a survey was going to be sent out soon. Dr. Murphy stated the across West Virginia, 94% of the state superintendents have not made final decisions about next year. During the round table discussion, Debbie Sloat stated that many counties do not like that things are not concrete for next year and that it can look different from county to county. Ricky Mason expressed support for the need for centralized bus stops for better efficiency. Justin Schooley reported that the county was looking at splitting some positions so that current employees can assume some of the vacant positions and be given overtime. Jessica Salfia led a discussion about how the county would handle teaching next year and wanted to know the procedures, if a student or teacher tested positive for COVID-19. Justin Schooley stated that the Health Department would directive(s) dictate our guidelines and cases would be individualized. He also stated that the state and payroll are creating the codes necessary for COVID / EFMLA leave. Debbie expressed that it is "nice" getting information.
Sr. Staff Plus Pandemic Meeting - June 17th
On Wednesday the Senior Staff Pandemic Committee met to continue discussions related to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Included in our discussions were several different scenarios outlining the return to school in August. These plans are still contingent on state guidelines for occupancy capacities for schools, classrooms and buses. Currently the state is offering flexibility to districts as we transition back to school. All 12-month employees have returned to their work environment and are monitoring health checks via a remote scan that is accessible through the cellular phone. High school athletic teams have transitioned into phase 1 of conditioning. They can meet at their respective schools for light conditioning under the stipulation of health checks and no physical contact. Virtual summer school programs are rolling out and will conclude at the end of July. District leaders are in the process of collecting information from family and staff regarding academic needs, health concerns and scheduling for fall. This will be released to the public next week through our website and messaging system. Transportation is collaborating with a sanitation vendor to create a video to help drivers understand the process for properly sanitizing school buses. BCS continues to offer weekly meals from 10:30-12:30 at the following locations: South Middle, Mill Creek Intermediate, Spring Mills Primary and Hedgesville Elementary.
Advance Team Meeting Update
Thanks to the great work of our Action Teams we made some great strides at our last meeting and are beginning to put some communication tools in to play. A message will be going out on Monday informing families and staff in more details of the plans being made at this point. The message will also communicate that they will receive a survey by mid-week to gather input from families and staff about their thoughts about returning to school in August. Our transportation leaders are also looking at options based on schedules for how students can be transported safely and efficiently based on the possible schedules that are being considered (e.g., Scenario 1 (4 days a week for Pre-K -5 and alternating day schedule for middle and high school) and/or Scenario 2 (alternating day schedule for Pre-K -12). At this point in time we are running these options to see what possible limitations and logistical considerations need to be part of the plan. Finally, we are also looking at the Berkeley County School Virtual Pathways options and how we can offer it for those who might be interested. Other action items include continuing to plan and develop deliverables connected with mental health support, technology access and co-curricular protocols. The next meeting of the Advance Team is on Thursday June 25.
Strategic Planning
The school district strategic plan is the guiding document for our work. It holds us accountable, outlines continuous improvement initiatives and creates a way for us to monitor student academic progress. The next step is to embed the district, school and departmental strategic plans as part of our work. We convened a small group to discuss how we might approach this over the course of the upcoming year. I would like to thank Tony Ponton, Holly Kleppner, Nick Emmerling, Carrie Rosen, Katie Worthington, Tana Burkhart, Robyn Lopez, and Betty Anne Powell for thinking about how we can keep the strategic planning process front and center in our work for the school year. We discussed a variety of ideas to make it part of regular principal and school meetings, offering ongoing professional training and reviewing district wide the most recent plans submitted to WVDE. The next step for this group is to review the most recent plans submitted to WVDE to identify common themes and trends in prioritizing our work for the coming school year.
Facilitated Discussions
A small group of employees reached out to Dr. Walker and I a week ago expressing concerns about national events as well as concerns in our schools and community related to culture and relationships. I think all of us recognize, especially today, it is important to value the expressed thoughts of others and work through solutions designed to improve safe, welcoming and collaborative environments. So, in thinking about how we might best address these issues, we created an advisory group of employees who could help us think about next steps and how we might expand this dialogue and conversation across the district. The document below outlines the beginning steps of the plan that the group developed. (All dates and topics for discussion are tentative and subject to change)
RSVP Meeting Link: https://tinyurl.com/BCS-Support
(A Zoom meeting link will be forwarded to you after you RSVP.)
June 24, 2020
Introductions & Check-in
• Discussion:How are youdoing?
• What questions do you need answered? (This will be used for future meetings)
• How may wesupport you?
July 8, 2020
Review of Standard
• StudentDiscipline(Policy 4373)
• EmployeeAssistanceProgram (EAP)
July 22, 2020
TBD – Based on June 24, 2020 Feedback
August 5, 2020
TBD – Based on June 24, 2020 Feedback
Other dates and times TBD.
Historical Events and Celebrations this Weekend
Celebrate and enjoy this time with family and the many significant historical events in West Virginia that shaped our Nation.
- Juneteenthis the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. https://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm
- West Virginia Day is a state holiday in the US state of West Virginia. Celebrated annually on June 20, the day celebrates the state's 1863 admission to the Union as a result of the secession of several northwestern counties of Virginia during the American Civil War.[1]
- Father’s Day- Father's Day in the United States is on the third Sunday of June – June 21, 2020. It celebrates the contribution that fathers and father figures make for their children's lives. Its origins may lie in a memorial service held for a large group of men, many of them fathers, who were killed in a mining accident in Monongah, West Virginia in 1907.
PKM Calendar for upcoming week: June 22-26, 2020
Mon.June 22nd
Sr. Staff Meeting
Strategic Plan Prep
Routine Mtgs/Staff Eval.
Tues., June 23rd
Principal Evals
Wed., June 24th
Service/Professional Rep Mtg
District level strategic planning
Thurs., June 25th
Advance Team Mtg
Routine Mtg
Fri., June 26th
Out of Office
Summer Meal Program
June 1: 15,670 (One location)
June 8: 16,930 (4 locations)
June 15: 19,620
MEALS PROVIDED SINCE MARCH 16, 2020 = 274,220
Please view the following attachments and Pat's Picks:
Superintendent Announcements 6-15-20
Orchard View Intermediate Project photos 6-21-20
WVSSAC 3 Phase Return
Patrick K. Murphy, Ed.D., Superintendent
Email: patrick.murphy@k12.wv.us
Phone: 304-582-0880
Twitter: @PKMSupt