Letter from Mayor Siddiqui, communicating information from the School Committee

Cambridge City Hall | 795 Massachusetts Avenue | Cambridge, MA 02139 ssiddiqui@cambridgema.gov│[phone removed]│tty: [phone removed]│cambridgema.gov 1 OFFICE OF THE MAYOR Sumbul Siddiqui Mayor To: Cambridge City Council From: Sumbul Siddiqui, Mayor Date: December 17, 2020 Subject: Communicating information from the School Committee To the Honorable, the City Council: Due to a rise in COVID-19 cases our schools will be continuing in remote learning district-wide until at least January 4th. This decision was made in consultation with the Cambridge Public Health Department in alignment with CPS’s COVID-19 metrics. As of 4:00 PM on Tuesday, December 15th, one of the metrics (the 7-day average of daily new cases per 100,000) had exceeded its threshold. In order to reopen for in-person learning, we must remain below the threshold for two of the three metrics for seven consecutive days, which will not be possible before winter break begins on Thursday, December 24th. At the School Committee’s Regular Meeting on Tuesday, December 15th, Superintendent Salim gave a presentation providing an update on CPS’s second semester planning (please see slides 10-19).

Cambridge City Hall | 795 Massachusetts Avenue | Cambridge, MA 02139 ssiddiqui@cambridgema.gov│[phone removed]│tty: [phone removed]│cambridgema.gov 2 The biggest factors and challenges are to ensure the proper use of space, having adequate staffing, and determining student enrollment. We are planning for a February 8th expansion of in-person learning and aim to bring back as many of our students across all grades as possible, by implementing surveillance testing for upper and high school students. In addition, we voted on the approval of CRLS’s Winter Sports Season for Swimming, Diving, and Basketball. Following the guidance of the Cambridge Public Health Department and the CPS Scientific Advisors, Ice Hockey and Gymnastics were not included in the Superintendent’s Recommendation, as the practice facilities did not meet the standard for minimum air exchanges per hour (ACH). Many families wrote to us and provided public comment, pleading for Ice Hockey to be included in the CRLS Winter Sports Season. After hours of discussion, the Committee voted to amend the recommendation to include Hockey and Gymnastics, as long as they can take place in spaces with the equivalent of 4+ ACH. As you may know, I serve on the Mayor’s National Task Force for Justice, Health, and Democracy, hosted by Harvard’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics and New America. On Thursday, December 17th, Dr. Danielle Allen shared with our group the new Schools and the Path to Zero: Strategies for Pandemic Resilience in the Face of High Community Spread guidance that brings forward new data following the guidance published in July. The recommendation in this document is that schools should be open “even at the very high levels of spread we are now seeing, provided that they strictly implement strategies of infection control. Evidence supports the view that student, staff, and educator risk can all be brought to acceptably minimal levels with robust infection control practices when implemented in a collaborative and transparent way among all stakeholders.” We have already been able to implement many of the robust infection control practices outlined in this guidance document (such as universal masking, 4-6 ACH of clean air in our facilities, and surveillance testing) and I look forward to upcoming discussions with our team of medical and scientific advisors to make sure we are covering all bases. This month, I started visiting remote classrooms at our elementary, upper, and high schools and have been so thrilled to meet and engage with our scholars, albeit virtually. So far, I have visited the following classes: • 7th Grade Theatre at CSUS • AP Biology at CRLS • Elements of Theatre at CRLS • Social Justice Club at RAUC • AP Physics at CRLS • 2nd Grade ELA at Cambridgeport • 1st Grade Social Studies at Cambridgeport • 3rd Grade Writing at Cambridgeport • 8th Grade Science at RAUC • 8th Grade Social Studies at RAUC • 2nd Grade Closing Circle at Graham & Parks I helped Student Members Killian and Vera-DeGraff organize a food and clothing drive with CRLS’s Club 4 that will be held on Sunday, December 20th from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM outside the CRLS Main Entrance. We will be accepting canned food, masks, winter coats, hats, waterproof gloves, wool socks, and boots to benefit The Friday Café, Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, and the new Transition Wellness Center (TWC). All Massachusetts public school students, including those learning remotely (except for those with a religious or medical exemption) are now required to get a flu shot by December 31st, 2020. Students ages

Cambridge City Hall | 795 Massachusetts Avenue | Cambridge, MA 02139 ssiddiqui@cambridgema.gov│[phone removed]│tty: [phone removed]│cambridgema.gov 3 12-22 can receive their flu shot at the Teen Health Center located at CRLS and can call [phone removed] for more information. Please see this slide deck, Questions and Answers document, and Home/School Partnership Ideas from recent OSS webinars about advanced learners. More up-to-date information and resources about Advanced Learning at CPS is available on the Advanced Learning Hub and you can subscribe to receive updates here. Winter Break for the 2020-2021 school year will be from December 24th, 2020 through January 1st, 2021. Our upcoming meetings are as follows: • Friday, December 18th, 2020 o Buildings & Grounds Subcommittee Meeting | 4:30 PM ▪ To discuss safety policies with regard to expanding in-person learning and the ongoing review of CPS’s health metrics • Tuesday, December 22nd, 2020 o Special Meeting | 6:00 PM ▪ To discuss and vote on 1) a modification to the Safety and Facilities manual provision for 6-foot distancing to 3-foot distancing for preschool through grade 5 and 2) a modification of the quarantine period as recommended by the Cambridge Public Health Department in accordance with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. • Tuesday, January 5th, 2021 o Regular Meeting | 6:00 PM • Tuesday, January 19th, 2021 o Regular Meeting | 6:00 PM • Tuesday, February 2nd, 2021 o Regular Meeting | 6:00 PM Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, suggestions, or concerns. Respectfully, Sumbul Siddiqui