Beacon City Schools Propose Ventilation, Windows, Outdoor Learning Spaces In Proposed $26M Capital Project

The Beacon City School District Superintendent Matt Landahl will present the Capital Improvement Project this evening (Tuesday, October 5, 2021) during a public meeting via Zoom at 7pm, where he will describe the physical improvements slated for each of Beacon’s 6 schools (4 elementary, 1 middle and 1 high school). Also at the meeting will be Deputy Superintendent Ann Marie Quartironi, BOE and Facilities Committee Chair Kristan Flynn, and Bill Wisbauer, architect.

Slides outlining the improvements for each school can be seen here. People who want to watch the meeting live can do so by clicking this link. The meeting will be published to the school’s YouTube channel later this week. The date to vote is Tuesday, October 26, 2021 from 6am - 9pm. Locations are the Beacon High School, and for those in certain addresses, Glenham Elementary.

The project is budgeted to cost $26 million, and will not result in a tax increase, Dr. Landahl has said. Building aid from New York State will reimburse 67% of the costs, while $600,000 will come from the General Fund Balance and $1 million will come from the district’s Capital Reserve.

Highlights From The Proposed Capital Project

Each school is slated to receive ventilation upgrades; outdoor learning spaces are planned; some cuts for new windows; and an upgrade to a TV studio are planned. See below for all of the plans. Many of the driveways and drop-offs are in poor condition, like at Glenham Elementary and Rombout Middle School, and are scheduled for paving. All elementary schools are getting new boilers to improve efficiency.

Glenham Elementary School

CONTINUED INSTALLATION OF CUBBIES IN CLASSROOMS
REPAVE FRONT ENTRANCE DROP-OFF AND EXPAND PARKING
REPLACEMENT OF THE AGING SEPTIC SYSTEM
ADA UPGRADES TO TOILET ROOMS
INSTALL ENERGY EFFICIENT LED LIGHTING IN CORRIDORS
REPLACE OUTDATED EMERGENCY LIGHTING
REPLACE BOILERS THAT HAVE EXCEEDED USEFUL LIFE WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT UNITS
REPLACE CLASSROOM UNIT VENTILATORS IN 1956 AND 1987 THAT HAVE
EXCEED USEFUL LIFE TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY
UPGRADE VENTILATION TO LIBRARY AND SMALL INSTRUCTIONAL AREAS
PROVIDE AN ENTRANCE VESTIBULE AT MAIN ENTRANCE TO IMPROVE SECURITY

TOTAL PROJECT COST:
$4,895,000
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE PHASED OVER SUMMERS/FALL IN 2022 & 2023

JV Forrestal Elementary

REPLACE CORRIDOR CEILINGS
INSTALL ENERGY EFFICIENT LED LIGHTING IN CORRIDORS
INSTALL WINDOWS IN LOWER FLOOR HALLWAYREPLACE EXTERIOR RAMP WITH ADA COMPLIANT DESIGN
REPLACE CONCRETE WALKS AT DROP OFF
REPLACE OUTDATED EMERGENCY LIGHTING
REPLACE BOILERS THAT HAVE EXCEEDED USEFUL LIFE WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT UNITS
REPLACE CLASSROOM UNIT VENTILATORS IN 1975 THAT HAVE EXCEED USEFUL LIFE TO
IMPROVE AIR QUALITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY
UPGRADE VENTILATION TO NURSES AREA / SMALL INSTRUCTIONAL AREAS
INSTALL EXTERIOR PLAY STRUCTURE REPLACE ASPHALT PAVING AT FRONT ENTRANCE DROP-OFF LOOP

TOTAL PROJECT COST:
$2,733,000
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE PHASED OVER SUMMER/FALL IN 2022 & 2023

Sergeant Elementary

REPLACE CORRIDOR CEILINGS
INSTALL ENERGY EFFICIENT LED LIGHTING IN CORRIDORS
REPAVE WEST ACCESS DRIVE/LOOP
REPLACE EXTERIOR RAMP WITH ADA COMPLIANT DESIGN
REPLACE CONCRETE WALKS AT NORTHWEST ENTRANCE/BUS LOOP
REPLACE OUTDATED EMERGENCY LIGHTING
REPLACE BOILERS THAT HAVE EXCEEDED USEFUL LIFE WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT UNITS
UPGRADE VENTILATION TO NURSES AREA
RELOCATE LIBRARY TO MAIN FLOOR

TOTAL PROJECT COST
$2,611,000
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE PHASED OVER SUMMER/FALL IN 2022 & 2023

South Avenue Elementary

INSTALL ENERGY EFFICIENT LED LIGHTING IN CORRIDORS
REPAVE FRONT DRIVE/LOOP
REPLACE EXTERIOR RAMP WITH ADA COMPLIANT DESIGN
REPLACE OUTDATED EMERGENCY LIGHTING
REPLACE BOILERS THAT HAVE EXCEEDED USEFUL LIFE WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT UNITS
UPGRADE VENTILATION IN INTERIOR SPACES
UPGRADE EXTERIOR PLAY AREA
CREATE OUTDOOR LEARNING AREA IN FRONT

TOTAL PROJECT COST:
$1,560,000
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE PHASED OVER SUMMER/FALL IN 2023

Proposed Science Room upgrade for collaborative and outdoor learning.
Photo Credit: BCSD Presentation Slides

Rombout Middles School

REPLACE ROOFS ON VARIOUS LEVELS
REPLACE CORRIDOR CEILING
INSTALL ENERGY EFFICIENT LED LIGHTING IN CORRIDORS
REPAVE PARENT AND BUS DROP OFF/LOOP
REPLACE EXTERIOR RAMP WITH ADA COMPLIANT DESIGN
REPLACE PRIMARY ELECTRIC SERVICE AND SWITCH GEAR THAT HAVE REACHED END OF USEFUL LIFE
REPLACE OUTDATED EMERGENCY LIGHTING
UPGRADE VENTILATION FIRST FLOOR CLASSROOMS IN A,B,C,D AND F WING
UPGRADE RENOVATION OF (2) SCIENCE LABS & WITH OUTDOOR LEARNING
UPGRADE RENOVATION OF (2) ART ROOMS & WITH OUTDOOR LEARNING

TOTAL PROJECT COST:
$8,489,000
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE PHASED OVER SUMMER/FALL IN 2022 & 2023

Beacon High School

REPLACE ROOFS ON VARIOUS LEVELS
UPGRADES TO EXTERIOR RAMP FOR ADA
REPLACE OUTDATED EMERGENCY LIGHTING
REPLACE THE FINISH IN THE POOL.REPLACE HOT WATER STORAGE TANK
REPLACE KITCHEN GREASE INTERCEPTOR
UPGRADES TO THE FITNESS CENTER
UPGRADES TO THE TV STUDIO
RENOVATIONS/ UPGRADES FOR 2 ADDITIONAL SCIENCE ROOMS

TOTAL PROJECT COST
$3,961,500
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE PHASED OVER SUMMER/FALL IN 2022 & 2023

Bus Maintenance Facility

REPLACE THE BUS WASH SYSTEM WHICH HAS REACHED THE END OF USEFUL LIFE

TOTAL PROJECT COST:
$683,500
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE PHASED OVER SUMMER/FALL IN 2023

Rosenmeier Field

REPLACE DELAMINATING RUNNING TRACK SURFACE
REPLACE ALL FIELD EVENTS SURFACE
REPLACE DISCUSS AND SHOTPUT EVENT
REHABILITION OF THE NATURAL TURF FIELD

TOTAL PROJECT COST
$1,067,000
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE PHASED OVER SUMMER/FALL IN 2023

The date to vote is Tuesday, October 26, 2021 from 6am - 9pm. Locations are the Beacon High School, and for those in certain addresses, Glenham Elementary.

Permanent Road Closure Of Matteawan Road At Fishkill Correctional Facility - Will Impact School Bus Routes

Matteawan Road at the end of Beacon High School near the entrance of the Fishkill Correctional Facility.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Further impacting an already strained busing system, Beacon City School District Superintendent Matthew Landahl announced to district families yesterday that the Fishkill Correctional Facility will close to the public the part of Matteawan Road that runs through their facility. After Matteawan loops through the Fishkill Correctional Facility, it turns into Prospect Street Md (according to Google Map), which runs through a residential area. Prospect Street Md intersects with Route 52 (aka Business 52 aka Fishkill Avenue depending on what map you look at) diagonally across from Old Glenham Road. According to Dr. Landahl, the closure possibly starts with the guard stations on both ends of the Fishkill Correctional Facility.

It is unknown at this time if this closure is related to the car accident that happened on Route 52 near Old Glenham Road last week at around 3:30pm, which is a high traffic time for school and a shift change at the Fishkill Correctional Facility.

In an email dated 10/19/2021, Dr. Landahl stated:

The Fishkill Correctional Sign on Matteawan Road.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

“I am writing to inform you about the permanent closure of Matteawan Road by Fishkill Correctional Facility. We were informed yesterday that officials at the Fishkill Correctional Facility are permanently closing the part of Matteawan Road that runs past their facility. This closure will take effect on Monday, November 1, 2021.

“Many of our school busses use this road as well as parents and students driving to Beacon High School and Rombout Middle School. The closure will cause increased traffic congestion at arrival and dismissal time at Beacon High School and Rombout Middle School and will cause delays for many of our bus routes.

“We are currently analyzing all of our bus routes and we will update the community with revised pick-up and drop-off times for the impacted routes. The bridge construction on 84 has already caused delays this year for many of our routes, so I apologize for this in advance. We will also work with the City of Beacon to see if anything can be done to help alleviate traffic congestion on Matteawan Road heading to Verplank Avenue.

“We will update the community next week with more information about bus routes and this situation.”

On Matteawan Road: Rombout Middle School on the left, and Beacon High School on the right.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Pedestrian and bike activity picks up significantly in Beacon at 3pm, which is when all 6 public schools dismiss. According to the police officer on the Traffic Commity during a May 2020 public meeting, the Fishkill Correctional Facility also has a shift change at 3pm, contributing to increased traffic on Matteawan, running past the Beacon High School, and in the other direction toward Route 52, which is across from Old Glenham Road, which leads to Glenham Elementary.

Both the Beacon High School and Rombout Middle School are located on Matteawan Road. Picking up kids Rombout Middle School is an already congested situation, both within the Rombout pickup loop, and at the intersection to exit in either direction out of Rombout.

An alternative to driving into Rombout, is to meet a child behind Rombout by their outdoor school basketball court, on Robert Cahill Drive (inside of Memorial Park), which is already a traffic area for after-school sports. Speed bumps used to exist on Robert Cahill Drive for safety, but have not been placed down for years.

Biking Home Is An Alternative To Driving, But Biking In Beacon Is Unsafe

Map of Matteawan Road and Robert Cahill Drive.
Photo Credit: Google Maps

An alternative to car pickups is having kids walk or bike home. However, several drivers in Beacon are so impatient when driving, they often recklessly and illegally pass cars on the left, crossing a double yellow line, with no regard for why a car in front of them stopped. Twice, I personally have stopped for a pedestrian crossing the street, and a car, driven by a local Beaconite, has tried to drive around me, crossing the double yellow line, and would thereby hit the crossing walker or biker. I have also almost been hit when I was crossing the street when an impatient car crossed the double yellow line to pass the stopped car in front of it on the left.

Biking in Beacon is quite unsafe, with no sidewalks dedicated to bikers (it is illegal to ride a bike on the sidewalk), and only a small section of Main Street is indicated with biking encouragement painted lines. Yet biking on Main Street for children is not recommended and is unsafe. Kids bike on neighborhood roads mainly, so this focus is beyond Main Street. Bike safety and enforcement of crossing yellow lines and doing U-Turns should be enforced.

Years ago, Beacon’s Park and Recreation Department proposed a continuous bike loop through the public parks. It is unknown at this time what became of that drawing or proposal. Should anyone remember the date at which it was presented, please contact us.

Map that shows Rte 52 labeled as such, as well as Business 52, as well as Fishkill Avenue. Also along I-84, 52 runs.
Photo Credit: Google Maps

Map that shows where Matteawan Road turns into Prospect Street Md after looping through the Fishkill Corrections Facility.
Photo Credit: Google Maps

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Read This: Video Of The Drive On Matteawan Road Past Fishkill Correctional Facility That Is Partially Closed Now - The Experience >

Read This: City Of Beacon Urges Reconsideration Of Partial Matteawan Road Closure By Fishkill Correctional Facility >

All Beacon City School Students Receiving Free Meals At School - Why That's Major

The pandemic has kicked social economics into gear, such as removing income and demographic requirements from qualifying for food assistance. For example: while Beacon once qualified for a free Summer Meals Program, a meal prep service many children in Beacon relied upon when school was out for summer, Beacon lost qualification for that in 2019 due to the changing demographics with new people moving in who have higher incomes.

Statistics were not provided on if the same number of children still needed the food, but were outnumbered by higher income earners also calling Beacon home. Back then, a Beacon business owner, Wendy Savastano, who previously owned Beacon Bagel, wanted to continue feeding children over the summer, and reached out to this blog, as well as to the Beacon Superintendent, Dr. Matt Landahl, to figure out how to make that happen. Dr. Landahl organized a meeting with several leaders in Beacon’s food access community who were boots-on-the-ground feeding people, to try to coordinate efforts.

Consensus was: the same amount of children are still here, but Beacon lost qualification. Attendees included Captain Leilani Rodríguez-Alarcón, Corps Commanding Officer / Pastor for The Salvation Army Beacon Citadel Corps (located on Main Street). She had been cooking and delivering food to children in housing communities like Tompkins Terrace. She often ran low on food to prepare. Meanwhile, she was sitting next to a representative from Dutchess Outreach who had access to a food pantry right down the street, and had food to provide.

Other attendees included Beacon’s Parks and Recreation Director Mark Price, who had direct experience with receiving the free meals and setting up distribution of them at the Beacon Recreation Center, located near the Beacon Housing Authority, where many kids could walk to pick up the meals. Losing that location when the Free Meal qualification was lost was detrimental to how the kids would access the food.

Delivery Of Free Meals During Pandemic

When the pandemic hit - or was declared - and all students had to stay home, the federal government made free meals available to everyone, regardless of income. No one needed to apply, or fill out forms, or prove how much money they earned or lost.

Beacon School Lunch Is Going Local For National Farm To School Month

On October 14th, elementary students will be served pasta with NYS beef meat sauce, tossed salad with Common Ground Farm greens, local cucumbers, and NYS apples and pears!

Middle and high school students will be served loaded baked potatoes with school made NYS chili, NYS potatoes, tossed salad with Common Ground Farm greens, local cucumbers, and NYS apples and pears!

More About The Partnership Between Common Ground, Land To Learn, and The Beacon City School District

According to Sember Weinman, Executive Director of Common Ground Farm, told A Little Beacon Blog that they started working with the Beacon City School District leading Farm to School education programs in 2012 and began developing a relationship with food services director, Karen. They started a Vegetable of the Month taste test that allowed Common Ground and partner organization Land to Learn (was Hudson Valley Seed at the time) to encourage students to try fresh seasonal vegetables while the cafeteria expanded their veggie side dish menu options.

In 2016 Common Ground gave Karen a U-Pick membership that helped her to understand farm operations. They began donating lettuce and other greens to the schools in spring of 2016, and in 2017 worked on a micro purchase agreement to sell to the schools and participate in the bid process. Karen conducted a site visit and made several food safety recommendations, which Common Ground implemented.

Common Ground Farm focuses on lettuce because it has a short grow time and is very popular with students, but also sells smaller amounts of items that can be showcased through the Vegetable of the Month program like cucumbers, kale, carrots and tomatoes. 

Common Ground Farm thinks that nutritious food is a right regardless of economic background. They see public school as a way to reach a diverse cross section of the community. They were already leading education programs in the schools so it seemed like a really natural fit to begin working with the schools as a distribution point as well.

Governor Hochul Makes Funding For COVID-19 Testing In Schools; Mask Mandate For Schools; Possible Vaccine Mandate For School Employees

Days after being sworn in as New York’s Governor on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, Governor Kathy Hochul issued new directives for schools in New York. These include:

• Directed Department of Health to institute Universal Mask Requirement in all schools (public and private)

• Began pursuing options to mandate vaccines for school employees

• Launched COVID-19 Testing in Schools Program using $585 Million in federal funds in partnership with counties and BOCES

• Established Additional Back-to-School Testing Program in Partnership with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Rite Aid and BioReference

• Acquired Millions of Masks for Students and Educators

Masking Mandate

While masking is generally accepted by Beaconites, some parents have indicated objection in social media and on reopening planning calls with Beacon City School Districts (BCSD) Superintendent, Dr. Landahl. He delivered his first reopening presentation on August 13, 2021, and is slated to present again via video call this evening with updated or clarified guidance based on New York State’s new guidance (read the slides here).

In response to this mask mandate, Dr. Landahl provided clarification on Mask Breaks, stating: “Universal Masking is now required by the state for staff and students in schools. Mask breaks will either be outside, or when students are separated from other individuals by 6 feet and under the guidance of a staff member for a brief amount of time.” Masking outdoors is not required by New York State at this time, and BCSD is following that guidance.

According to Governor Hochul’s press release, New York State has available more than 4.3 million child-sized clothed face masks, about 10 million adult-sized clothed face masks and almost 55 million non-surgical face masks to provide to students and teachers in schools across the state.

Possible Vaccine Requirement For School Staff

Said Governor Hochul in a press release: “As Governor, my priorities are now the priorities of the people of New York - and right now that means fighting the Delta variant," she said. "My number one priority is getting children back to school and protecting the environment so they can learn safely. I am immediately directing the Department of Health to institute universal masking for anyone entering our schools, and we are launching a Back to School COVID-19 testing program to make testing for students and staff widely available and convenient. We are also working to require vaccinations for all school personnel with an option to test out weekly, and we are going to accomplish all of this by working in partnership with all levels of government."

In response to the proposed vaccine requirement, Dr. Landahl is preparing to follow through with requiring vaccinated staff to test weekly. He stated: “Governor Hochul is preparing to announce a vaccine or testing requirement for all school staff. I am hearing that this will be announced in the next few days. If it becomes law, all unvaccinated staff will be required to undergo weekly testing.” Dr. Landahl stated in his 8/13/2021 presentation that is is strongly supportive of this vaccination.

COVID-19 Testing Accessibility

According to Governor Hochul’s press release, to help ensure testing is available to students as they return to school, Governor Hochul is using $335 million in federal funds to launch a new COVID-19 Testing in Schools Program in partnership with local health departments and BOCES in New York State outside of New York City. In addition, New York City has received $251 million directly to initiate a COVID-19 Testing in Schools Program there, for a total of $585 million in federal funding in New York State to support these programs.

This is a huge development, as getting required testing for kids is time consuming, and challenging with different health insurances. Testing, at this time, is not free like the vaccine. Unless via a federal or state funded school opportunity such as this.

Governor Hochul also launched an additional back-to-school COVID-19 testing program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Rite Aid and BioReference to make testing more widely available for New York State public school students before the start of the 2021-2022 school year.

Beacon School District Releases Reopening Details; Presented By Superintendent Landahl

On August 12, 2021, Beacon City School District released reopening guidelines for the 2021/2022 school year, presented delivered by Superintendent Landahl. Overall, the district is following the New York Department of Health and the New York State Education Department’s guidance, who advised districts to follow the CDC school opening guidelines for the upcoming school year. Dr. Landahl opened his presentation with this observation: "New York has been an interesting state to do my profession in, as no one wants to seem to give any guidance."

“I’m a big believer in vaccines, and a huge believer in this one.”

— BCSD Superintendent Landahl

The overall goals for the 2021/2022 school year is for a full 5 days of in-person learning with safety measures put into place to keep schools open and students healthy during the ongoing pandemic. The number one item that Dr. Landahl asked of parents was for patience, as guidelines shift and realities of implementing guidelines with young people can be challenging.

District Practices For Reopening

The biggest change from last year is that the hybrid model will be discontinued. Dr. Landahl reiterated that every level of government that is issuing guidance has prioritized in-person learning, but to be prepared to shift into Remote if a school has an exposure, or if Contact Tracing will take too long to identify individual students or staff as an alternative to closing. For students with serious health compromises, Dutchess BOCES may be offering a program, Dr. Landahl said.

Kickoff Guidelines:

• 5 Days In-Person Instruction/Experience. The hybrid schedule will be discontinued. No cohort groups will be made (this was when students in a class were divided into 2 groups: blue and gold).

• Remote Learning will be available to all students, a school, or a classroom if there is a closure due to COVID-19.

• Masks indoors will be required for all individuals, students and staff, regardless of vaccination status. The policy will be reviewed throughout the school year. All of the governing bodies recommenced wearing a mask indoors, including Beacon’s District Physician.

• Masks are not required outdoors. When kids are outside for recess, lunch, etc. This guidance was released at the end of the 2020/2021 school year in the spring.

• Masks are required on buses and for indoor sports, but not for outdoor sports per the outdoor mask guideline.

• “Rugs are coming back!” to the elementary schools, Dr. Landahl confirmed.

• Distancing will be the CDC distancing requirement of 3 feet. When distancing is not feasible, layered prevention strategies will be implemented.

• Ventilation will be in all classrooms, which are outfitted with a portable HEPA filter and MERV-13 filter.

• Daily health screener (the online health form to fill out) will be continued.

• Cleaning protocols will be continued. Classrooms will be sanitized every night.

• Vaccination opportunities will be promoted. Most drug stores are now offering free vaccines.

• Positive Test Result of Child: If a whold class is out due to a positive test result with large exposure, then the whole class switches to Remote. If it is a single child pulled out resulting from Contact Tracing indicating a small or no exposure, the district is currently brainstorming this with the county. “We don’t have a Remote apparatus that a child can just slide into,” Dr. Landahl stated. He may have been referring to the Blue and Gold hybrid days, where Remote instruction was always in motion on any day for a different group.

BCSD Is Getting Guidance From New York State Governing Bodies

On advisement from the New York Department of Health and the New York State Education Department the BCSD will be following the CDC school opening guidelines for the upcoming school year. Dr. Landahl reiterated that the CDC “highly recommends a mask mandate in Dutchess County” based on community transmission, which currently is “High” and is climbing. To illustrate the spike, the number of active COVID-19 cases in June 2021 was 56 people. The number of people on August 12th, 2021 was near 700 (as of August 28, it was 878).

Masking is so important to be mandated, Dr. Landahl explained, because: “Proper masking allows us to reduce the number of staff and students who have to quarantine through contact tracing. If you are wearing a mask, you are mostly exempt from quarantining per CDC.”

Remote Learning

The current intent is full time 5 days, with preparations in place for if a school needs to be shut down for COVID-19 exposure. Last year, Contact Tracing was rigorously conducted within the district by district staff to advise affected persons to stay home, while the school could remain open.

“We are evaluating a program for remote learning at BOCES for students with a serious medical condition that prevents them from attending in-person education and creating a process that will identify those students,” Dr. Landahl said.

Vaccines In Beacon City School District

Vaccines are not mandatory for students or staff in the Beacon City School District. When asked why by a parent on the webinar Town Hall call, Dr. Landahl answered he was not aware that any district is able to require vaccinations, unless that directive comes from New York State. “All of our employees work under contracts, which have different bargaining units. If we were to go in that direction, directive would be coming from the state level.”

At this time, the percentage of teachers, staff, and students over the age of 11 who are vaccinated is unknown. BCSD was not in the habit of collecting it, as collecting it was not required by any governing body. However, Dr. Landahl is looking into ways to collect that data to make available to the public.

In terms of Dr. Landahl’s personal opinion on vaccinations, he was not shy to state it: "I'm a big believer in vaccines, and a huge believer in this one. Vaccines are working, please consider getting vaccinated!"

The district will work on holding vaccination clinics to increase the rate with students and will work with the local health department on education efforts for people who have questions. Dr. Landahl stated that he is interested in finding funding to assist with testing.

Ventilation In The Schools

The currently known transmission method of COVID-19 is primarily airborn, with less focus on surface transmission. Each classroom uses a MERV-13 filter in its air handler unit and has a portable HEPA filter. Nightly sanitation will continue.

Editor’s Note: not every classroom has an air conditioning unit, such as in South Avenue. Perhaps the pandemic or climate crisis can allocate funding for standing air conditioning units or mini-splits to help the children and teachers stay cool. Concentrating and staying hydrated is quite difficult in high temperatures.

Outdoor learning opportunities are at the schools, such as a math class on a sidewalk at South Avenue Elementary, and band class held outside at Rombout Middle School may continue. Lunches at schools were taken outside at times, weather permitted.

Health Screening In The District

While no longer recommended by New York State, Dr. Landahl said, the district will continue with using the daily health screener, which is an online form parents need to fill in an hour before school. It can make a parent extra mindfull that they are sending in a sick child when they click the box that says “sore throat” or “sneezing.” It is unclear at this time if submitting a sick screener triggers the need to get a COVID-19 test, which is burdensome on the parent for time and health insurance reasons, as tests are not free (unless you find a New York State facility), and can trigger an additional doctor appointment for a cold that would otherwise have been mild enough to forgo a doctor appointment.

The district is discontinuing the use of temperature screening before the school year. “Very few districts used it last year and there is a growing consensus that it is not an effective way to screen COVID-19,” Dr. Landahl stated. “It is not the best allocation of resources to identify [active cases of COVID-19]."

Distancing and Breakfast/Lunch

"Last year, distancing recommendations were a lot different,” Dr. Landahl said during the presentation. “That was our biggest reason for being in the hybrid model for as long as we were." Following these recommendations, he said, there was little transmission. “If [a situation] needs to be below 3 feet [of distancing], we will use other layered methods. Like filtration and staying home if you are sick.”

The CDC recommends 3 feet distancing in schools with mask wearing. This is an example of a layered approach to achieve more desirable circumstances.

As for eating breakfast and lunch, each school is preparing different lunch plans to make sure students can eat lunch and stay as distanced as possible, Dr. Landahl said. Plans include some outside eating, split lunch shifts, etc. Exact plans for this are still in development and will be developed in a school-by-school plan.

COVID-19 Testing In The District

COVID-19 testing is voluntary, and testing is recommended for staff and students as a further mitigation effort. “We are exploring different ways to accomplish this hopefully in partnership with Dutchess County,” Dr. Landahl stated, reiterating that he hoped for funding from Dutchess County.

Editor’s Note: As of August 24, 2021, Funding has since been introduced by the new Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul. COVID-19 testing is very burdensome for those with different health insurance requirements. Some health insurance companies require doctor's note (which requires an additional appointment). If COVID-19 testing is required for school, like to return to school from a sick health screen form, some health insurance companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield won't cover the test at all (which can range between $150 - $300), and defers coverage to the school district's health insurance.

Since Governor Hochul took office, new guidelines have been released, like a universal mask requirement being instituted at all schools by the Department of Health, as well as options to mandate vaccinations for school employees. Dr. Landahl will deliver an updated to this initial presentation on August 31st or September 1st.

Click here to access the slides to his August 12th presentation.

Click here to watch his August 12th presentation on YouTube.

Wednesdays Are A Big Day For Free Food Pickup For People In Need

In Beacon, Wednesdays have become a big day for Free Food Pickup. Depending on if you have kids, if you want fresh produce in your life (yes, say yes!) and pre-bagged groceries, Beacon has your back. And Wednesdays aren’t all for people in need. Learn about more opportunities in A Little Beacon Blog’s Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen Guide.

A reader asked a question about how to donate produce from their garden. You might consider the Community ‘Fridge located behind Binnacle Books. You might also consider volunteering to clean it every now and then. It is not advisable to put fresh produce in the Tiny Food Pantries, as bears and raccoons will come, as will flies and ants. Non-perishable packages are best for those drop-off donation locations. You can also double up on your discount days at Key Food, and donate to their food bin in the front of the store. That food gets distributed to food pantries as well.

Here are the Wednesday Food Opportunities:

• Free Summer Meals For Beacon City School District Students - Pickup Wednesdays

• Free Farm Stand Wednesdays At Beacon Recreation From Green Teens and Common Ground Farm

• Free Pre-Bagged Groceries Distributed At Memorial Park and Beacon Recreation On Wednesdays

Free Summer Meals For Beacon City School District Students: Pickup On Wednesdays 10AM

Free Summer Meal Program from the Beacon City School District.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

What got canceled a year before the pandemic thanks to changing percentages in Beacon that measure what districts qualify for free summer meals, got restarted during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: The Free Summer Meals program through the Beacon City School District.

The program is back for the Summer of 2021 and includes 5 days of breakfast and lunch meals. The program runs from July 14th through August 11th, and parents can pick up for all children in their household. Signup is not required.

Pickups are on Wednesdays at 10am-10:45am at the Beacon High School Athletic Entrance (this is after the 9am Free Grocery Pickup at Memorial Park, and before the 5pm Free Farm Stand at the Beacon Recreation Center).

First come first serve. Food is ready to heat or eat packaged meals, which include 5 breakfast and 5 lunch meals. Packaged with fruits and vegetables with a focus on fresh local produce and milk. Hot meals can include pizza, chicken nuggets, and chips and cheese sauce.

For children 18 and under.

CDC Issues Mask, Re-Opening, and Safety Guidance For Kids In School For 2021/2022 School Year

The CDC has released their guidance on re-opening schools for grades K-12, as well as on mask wearing. The CDC wants schools to fully re-open in person, and for people not vaccinated to wear masks. Those who are fully vaccinated are guided to use their discretion on if they want to wear a mask. Stores, restaurants and other places of business continue to have the choice to set their own preference for their customers. The news was early reported by editors on LinkedIn.

Said the CDC: “Students benefit from in-person learning, and safely returning to in-person instruction in the fall 2021 is a priority. Vaccination is currently the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Promoting vaccination can help schools safely return to in-person learning as well as extracurricular activities and sports.”

Being that the Biden Administration has been extremely supportive of spreading the message of safety, as well as distributing federal funding to ensure that safety, a new level of trusts exists within the North American public, as opposed to last year at this time during this re-opening debate, coupled with high case and death numbers, was higher. For example, see how Brazilian eviction refugees are faring without federal support.

It is important to remember that in countries with low vaccination rates, and low trust issues for their governments, such as Brazil and India, case and death numbers continue to be high. Many people continue to die per day in India. Reporters from India, one of whom lost her father to the virus, have long speculated that several deaths are going uncounted, especially in rural areas.

The CDC recommends masks for kids age 2 and older. Mainly, the CDC is recommending to layer safety provisions in case masks are not possible. The “CDC recommends schools maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms, combined with indoor mask wearing by people who are not fully vaccinated, to reduce transmission risk. When it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of at least 3 feet, such as when schools cannot fully re-open while maintaining these distances, it is especially important to layer multiple other prevention strategies, such as indoor masking.

Ventilation, cleaning and screening are still highly recommended. “Screening testing, ventilation, handwashing and respiratory etiquette, staying home when sick and getting tested, contact tracing in combination with quarantine and isolation, and cleaning and disinfection are also important layers of prevention to keep schools safe.”

The CDC implores people to stay home when feeling sick. “Students, teachers, and staff should stay home when they have signs of any infectious illness and be referred to their healthcare provider for testing and care.” In order for this to happen, employers are going to need to be more forgiving when people stay home for mild symptoms.

For jobs that can take to the road on a laptop or phone, this will be a bit easier. For those who need to cook for or serve people, this will be more difficult without compensation.

For those who worked toll booths, this would have been hard, but now all tolls are electronic on the Beacon/Newburgh Bridge, and those jobs have been eliminated. Two weeks ago, we asked one toll booth collector if the state was finding them a new job. Their answer: “I have to find my own new job.”

Perhaps these workers can be paid to be trained to work computers that send out letters to chase people who lose the toll bill in the mail, and ultimately will be charged a fine. Then they can stay home when feeling mild symptoms and still get paid to work.

PS: If you are or were employed as a toll collector, please contact ALBB to let us know if your job was saved by way of being reassigned, or if you lost your job. What was the process?

Back To School Block Party Is BACK From I Am Beacon - How To Get Involved

BACK TO SCHOOL BLOCK PARTY
Day: Saturday, August 21, 2021
Time: 12pm - 4pm
Location: South Avenue Park

Supporting parents and students in preparing for the start of the new school year!

Community Leaders - Parents - Teachers - Administrators,

 As you know, back to school is one of the most stressful times of the year for both students and parents.

 In effort to support Beacon families, please join I Am Beacon for the Annual Back to School Block Party designed to help jump-start planning and preparation for the upcoming school year.

What ways can your School/PTA/PTO/Organization/Business be involved?

• Set Up a Booth: We are offering space (free of charge) to all groups, community organizations and businesses. This event will allow your organization to engage students/parents in a fun environment. 

• Donate supplies (i.e. pens/pencils etc) or materials (i.e. literature, tips & tricks) to be included in the Back to School "Starter Kit" back packs that will be handed out to the first 100 students.

• Help sponsor the event or donate raffle items in support of "Class in a Bag" which provides new back packs and school supplies to local students in need.

• Spread the word: Tell your network about the event to help us reach the most students possible. 

If you are interested in participating, click here to register your organization. For more information or questions, please reach out to Brooke directly at 845.505.6820 or iambeacon.brooke@gmail.com  

Beacon High School Principal and South Avenue Elementary School Principal Appointed To New Opportunities In Other Districts

Principal Laura Cahill delivering her 5th Grade Moving Up speech to the class of 2021.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The day before the last day of school for the Beacon City School District, Superintendent Landahl sent an email to district families that two principals had accepted jobs in other districts, saying: “Last night, Elisa Soto, principal of BHS, was appointed to be an Assistant Superintendent in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. Also last night, Laura Cahill, principal of South Avenue Elementary, was appointed to be an Elementary Principal by the Hyde Park Central School District. Elisa and Laura are both strong principals in our district and I want to thank them for their years of service to the students and families of the BCSD. I also want to wish them well in their new endeavors.”

Both principals had led the students and staff through the hardest school year, one which involved creating new systems for Remote and In Person learning. The districts receiving them are getting strong assets for their student body community.

According to Dr. Landahl’s announcement, both vacancies are being posted externally and internally. After reviewing application pools for both positions, stakeholder committee interviews will be held. “We will work with PTOs and employee groups to identify members of the interview panels,” Dr. Landahl stated. “Our goal is to interview candidates in mid-July and work toward an appointment by the end of July. We are committed to finding the best leaders for our schools and will work diligently toward that goal this summer.”

Beacon City Schools Celebrate Juneteenth 2021 With Letter To Community And Acknowledgement Of 2022 School Holiday

These 2 cuties were the winners of A Little Beacon Blog’s 1st Juneteenth Art Contest last year. They have since left the district and are enjoying homeschool with their mama, Millenial Matriarch, creator of Village Homeschool.

One day before President Biden signed Juneteenth as a federal holiday - a holiday marking independence and liberation from slavery that has been celebrated by the African American community for over 150 years but generally not taught in public or private schools for the white community to know about or be encouraged to celebrate - Beacon City School District Superintendent Dr. Matthew Landahl sent an email to district families wishing everyone a Happy Juneteenth.

“Next year we are very excited that Juneteenth will be an official BCSD school holiday on our calendar,” he stated. The Beacon City School District has been working on equity and diversity work over the year, despite the shutdown, and he let families know that the work continues this summer.

“The Beacon City School District is partnering with Dutchess BOCES to have our entire administrative team participate in Undoing Racism workshops this summer. Some of our teachers will be participants in professional development workshops on developing a more equitable curriculum in our district. There are other professional development programs that we are putting together as well.”

Dr. Landahl is known to be a communicative leader, as he ended the note with an indication that the district would be kept updated as to developments to that professional work for teachers and administration.

In true educator fashion, Dr. Landahl included resources for people to learn more about Juneteenth, which are included below:

From the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture
https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/historical-legacy-juneteenth

Watch this local news link from Houston, TX about Juneteenth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz2ke1a-WiM

An article from National Geographic about Juneteenth:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/juneteenth

An article from the History Channel:
https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth

Beacon Schools Agree With NY State That Kids Can Remove Masks Outside On Campuses - CDC Doesn't Object

The notification that kids could live mask-off lives outdoors during the final blazing hot school days came as jubilation to some parents and kids, and hesitation to others. As of today, June 7, 2021, New York State has issued guidance that kids do not need to wear masks outdoors while at school or camp, and that the decision is up to school districts.

Immediately following that guidance, Beacon’s School Superintendent, Dr. Landahl, issued an email to district families, stating that: “Effective immediately, the Beacon City School District will no longer require that masks be worn outdoors on our campus, for all individuals.”

The bringing down of the mask, after heavy conditioning to wear the mask during the height of the pandemic last spring (if you need a refresher on if mask-wearing is effective, read this from UCSF), has left some people anxious at first. Coupled with the fact that the guidance issued by the state has been erratic of late. Others are relieved to have the masks off outside on campus.

One thing is for sure: mask enforcement at recess is one less thing teachers need to worry about.

A May 19th New Mask Up Decision For Kids Ages 2-5, With An Immediate Reversal

Late in May, for kids ages 2-5, Governor Cuomo announced that the children needed to wear face masks at day cares. This was new guidance that young kids did not need to adhere to in the height of the pandemic last year at this time. Backlash resulted from day care owners, and on May 24, New York State reversed its new requirement.

Then On June 4th, NY State Seeks More Mask Down Measures

On June 4th, the New York State Department of Health wrote a letter to the CDC, requesting that mask policy for camps align with schools, so that kids had the option of not wearing a mask outdoors at school, as they are allowed to do at camps in the outdoors. The letter was written by Commissioner Howard A. Zucker, M.D., J.D. and Executive Deputy Commissioner Lisa J. Pino, M.A., J.D..

Immediately after the letter was sent, Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro issued a statement championing the letter: “I’m happy New York State has seen what counties have known for months: The science has repeatedly shown there is little to no transmission of the virus in school settings. Today’s announcement, though long overdue, is further evidence the COVID-19 emergency has receded, and Dutchess County continues to encourage residents to choose to get vaccinated and we take steps to get back to living our lives fully!”

However, part of why transmission in schools has been so minimal is because of the amount of safety measures put into place, like wearing masks, social distancing, outside classes, no singing in music classes, eating lunch in classrooms vs the cafeteria, etc. During Beacon’s school year, most of the positive cases of students came from home or if an individual had already been isolating.

Beacon’s Dr. Landahl, who has worked with BSCD staff and the community to design safe practices in the schools to keep them open, issued a more cautious statement to families on June 4, asking for their patience as New York State made their final decision: “The proposal in the letter would waive the requirement to wear masks outside and only strongly encourage adults and children to wear them inside. NYDOH would like to make this change effective Monday, June 7th.”

A portion of the proposal from New York State Department of Health includes these points:

“The current CDC guidance for K-12 schools recommends a requirement for “consistent and correct use of well-fitting face masks with proper filtration by all students, teachers, and staff”. There is no distinction between mask wearing for indoor versus outdoor activities (except for a vague reference to sports) and it does not address vaccinated individuals.”

“On the other hand, current CDC guidance for youth camps “strongly encourages mask use indoors for people who are not fully vaccinated” while stating that outdoors, “people do not need to wear masks [irrespective of vaccination status]” although people who are not fully vaccinated are “encouraged” to wear a mask in certain higher-risk circumstances. In addition, it says “people who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks” both indoors and outdoors.”

The proposal then goes on the outline how New York State would like to operate, which included masks off outside, and recommended masks for inside, but not required. In the end, after hearing from the CDC, the Governor issued guidance for masks off outside, and no-change for inside.

On June 7th, Masks Down When Outside Optional For All New York School District Campuses

On Monday (June 7th) during a press conference, Governor Cuomo announced that school districts can choose to lift the requirement that their students must wear masks outdoors. Guidance on mask use indoors remains in place. “This change aligns New York State's guidance on schools with CDC guidance on summer camps, where even unvaccinated students are not currently required to wear masks outdoors,” the state’s press release page states.

Said Governor Cuomo in his 6/7/2021 announcement: “The numbers show that the risk of transmission by children is extremely low, especially in this state, which has an extremely low positivity rate. We spoke with the CDC, and since they're not going to change their guidance for several weeks in New York State, we're going to modify the CDC guidance and allow schools to choose no mask outside for children," Governor Cuomo said. "We'll leave that up to the local school district and we spoke to the CDC, which has no objection. It's very important that people understand the logic between these decisions and that they're rational and based on the science and the data. We have a disconnect right now between the school guidance and the camp guidance, and it's important to rectify it because if people don't think the rules are logical, then they're not going to want to follow the rules."

Earlier in the pandemic, children were said to be silent spreaders of COVID-19, as they often went asymptomatic, or showed little or no symptoms.

The night before the Governor’s press conference on 6/6/2021, County Executive Molinaro issued the following statement in response to the Governor’s announcement made the following day. Said Molinaro: “New York intentionally misled people causing unnecessary confusion, conflict, and chaos. The State must end the confusion and restore local authority. This decision should be put in the hands parents who know their children and circumstances best.”

Beacon City School District Follows CDC and New York State With Masks Off Outside

Once New York State issued the guidance, Dr. Landahl communicated with families immediately after with his final decision for the district: “The Governor has lifted the requirement to wear masks outdoors on school campuses, coming in line with broader state guidance regarding masks in outdoor settings…Effective immediately, the Beacon City School District will no longer require that masks be worn outdoors on our campus, for all individuals. As a reminder, as the heat levels increase, we will continue to provide students with mask breaks and encourage students to lower masks to drink water while in classrooms. Thanks for your patience through this process. We will continue to update you if anything else changes.”

One 9-year old stated: “Maybe we will get to sing in Music Class soon.”

To be continued…

Back To School For Beacon Schools - In April! Increase To 4 Day Week In-Person For Those Who Are Comfortable

The “new normal” of this pandemic is to constantly shift. The Beacon City School District has been prepping the community with how they intend to expand their reopening from 2 days/week in-person to 4 days/week in-person for each school, including a full Remote option for those who wish to stay at home, and 1 day (usually Wednesday) of Remote Learning to accommodate Remote Learners and special programming, according to the Reopening Presentation by Beacon’s Superintendent, Dr. Landahl on March 5, 2021.

Remote free breakfast/lunch service delivered by bus will remain available to students studying at home in the Remote plan as well. Elementary Schools and the Middle School opened for 4 days on April 6, 2021. The High School will open 4 days on April 19th, 2021.

Reaction to the reopening has been mixed, as Dr. Landahl acknowledged that change creates anxiety, stating in an email to parents on February 26, 2021: “I understand that this has been a difficult year for everyone and that the idea of potential change brings anxiety and lots of questions. I will do my best to be thorough in our explanations of plans next week and as transparent as possible.”

While many parents want their children in school for socialization and learning styles, a routine has been established. One district parent explained to ALBB: “We are in a routine now with 2 days, and upgrading now feels like the first day of school, since my child has not been with the other half of the class in person all year.”
UPDATE: We checked in with this parent at the end of the first 4 day back to school, and this parent was very happy to have their child in school, stating: “I haven’t been able to get anything done in ages! I’ve changed my tune!”

While the back-to-school jitters are in full swing in April, other parents expressed relief at starting the in-person schedule, shifting the weighted responsibility of learning and stimulation back to the teachers, instead of worrying all day that not enough stimulation was happening. Some parents stated that they may: “Take a nap. Take a shower. Take a meeting. Go to work. Take a walk. Clean my kids rooms. Buy my child’s teacher a really great Teacher Appreciation Gift Card this year, or any day, maybe once per week.”

For parents who are teachers, the shift back to the classroom may have made their work day easier with familiarity, as splitting for remote has involved a learning curve of new skills and tasks.

How The 4 Day In Person Will Work For Beacon’s 4 Elementary Schools

Start time remains at 9:30am. Parents who wish to change from in-person to Remote or vice versa can do so. Dr. Landahl stressed the thought process behind opening now, and addressed safety guidelines as well as mental health: “We have not seen spread of the virus in our in-person schooling the entire year. We have seen an increase of mental health concerns among our students. Families are struggling under the current model.”

At the end of this first day, 4 new cases of COVID-19 had been found in 4 students, but the students had been studying at home, so the schools could remain open. Generally, this has been the pattern to COVID-19 cases in the district. This may change with increased in-person days, but safety measures have been put into place.

All Remote kids will stay with their current teacher, and an additional full-time teacher has been hired at each of the 4 elementary schools to help with Remote learners. Some kids who are returning may be with a different teacher in order to accommodate class sizes. Said Dr. Landahl: “All-remote students will have a morning session with their teacher every day, and then 2-3 additional instructional sessions with either their homeroom teacher or the remote support teacher. Some instructional sessions will be direct [screen] instruction and some will be live-streamed. We are not expecting students to be in front of a screen all day.”

Safety Measures Being Taken

The Beacon City School District says it is taking direction from American Association of Pediatrics, Dutchess County Health, as well as medical experts quoted in the media. Areas of focus include air quality, ventilation, outdoor learning, voluntary surveillance (ie voluntary rapid testing available at school), social distancing and use of barriers.

Ventilation Measures

Dr. Landahl said that MERV-13 filters were installed in unit ventilators in September 2020 and are replaced on schedule. He also said that portable HEPA filters will be added to each elementary classroom and ultimately every classroom. The elementary school buildings are quite old, so open windows are encouraged, as well as universal masking and outdoor tents and spaces. Some parents are in favor of children to experience learning in an outdoor environment anyway, pandemic or not.

Plastic Barriers At Desks

Classrooms that cannot achieve social distancing will have plastic barriers installed between students where they are learning, according to Dr. Landahl’s presentation. Some tables will be replaced with desks, and class size will range from 11-17 students. Plans for each classroom are made once the districts knows how many children will be in classrooms.

Services For Special Education

Since the pandemic, students with special needs have been studying at school in person 4 days per week, and have small class sizes in their own rooms. Students with special needs who attend school remotely do sign in with their school-issued Chromebook at designated times to in order to meet with their teacher and to receive the work that is posted. Students with Disabilities who attend school Remote Only receive related services remotely, and are accommodated in-person to the extent possible, according to documentation posted at the Beacon City School District’s website.

English Language Learners (ELL)

According to the Beacon City School District’s Equity Report Card, the number of children in the Hispanic/Latino community who attend Beacon schools has been steadily growing, and is second largest to the white community.

According to Dr. Landahl: “The Beacon City School District is committed to comprehensive high-quality, and culturally responsive instruction for ENL students. We will provide the required instructional Units of Study to all ELL’s based on their most recently measured English Language Proficiency Level during in-person or virtual instruction. We will complete the ELL identification process within 30 school days of the start of the school year for all students that enrolled during the COVID-19 school closure period as well as all students that enroll during the summer of 2020 and during the first 20 days of the 2020 -2021 school year.

“After the 20-day flexibility period, identification of ELL’s will resume for all students within the required 10 school days of initial enrollment as required by Commissioner’s Regulation Part 154. Our ENL Teachers will be responsible for providing services to our ENL students. Schedules will be set and students that are enrolled in the Remote Learning schedule will receive their services on-line according to the required minutes of instruction.”

Sign up here to opt children into rapid testing for COVID-19 on Wednesdays.

Beacon's High School Career Looking For 25 More Videos From Business Owners + Employees For Virtual Career Fair

In year’s past, the Beacon High School Career Fair is an opportunity for students to roam the high school gym to connect with professionals in a variety of fields, including illustration, publishing, media, legal, cosmetology, engineering, technology, insurance, service (police, state or county attorney, etc.). For professionals, it is a chance to meet students.

A Little Beacon Blog and Tin Shingle have gone each hear. Sometimes students are shy and ask questions almost in secret: “I draw. But I don’t know where to draw. I don’t like to draw at home. Do you know of any groups?” Sometimes a student will drag their friend to the table: “She blogs. She has a fashion blog but doesn’t talk about it. Friend, tell her about your blog!” It’s almost a day of giving permission to tap into your dreams.

The pandemic hit last March, and the Career Fair was canceled in person that May. Now that the second May is rolling around, Beacon’s Guidance Counselor Michele R. Polhamus is stepping up to the video editing plate as so many of her colleagues have done to stitch together a video experience for the youth, but needs the help of business owners, artists and employees in the field who want to make a video to send to her, to share career insights with the students.

In an email appealing to past year’s participants, Michele said: “The goal of our Virtual Career Fair is simple: to expose our high school students to a wide variety of careers. I am hoping to create a solid event for our students, but need videos in order to do this.”

Michele made the directions to make a video simple and direct.

1. Fill out this Google Form (Click here to access the form) confirming your interest in the virtual “event” including a link to a recorded video which can be posted at Google Drive. Guidance on what to answer in the video is below.

2. Record (horizontally if using your phone or record on your computer) a 5-10 minute video answering

the following questions:

Introduction:

• State your name, position and company.

• Briefly describe what led you to your current job (include details like if you always knew you would do this, unsuccessful work experiences or promotions that led you to your current job, etc.)

• What schooling and/or experience did you have to go through for your current job?

Job Info:

• Explain your role and what skills are required for your position.

• What does an ‘average’ day look like for you?

• What is the best part of your job?

• What is the hardest part of your job?

Extra info to share:

• What are your long term career goals?

• What advice would you give to students in finding a career they love?

• What advice would you give to students for an interview?

• Job outlook for your profession?

Ready to record?