Friday, August 20, 2021
Vol. 98, No.42
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Clashes over masks at GC Board of Education meeting
GOLD AWARD
BY RIKKI MASSAND
Tuesday’s meeting Dr. Sinha presented “Superintendent’s Recommendations” for the start of the school year, and she made clear the intention of the universal masking indoors, at least during the first few months of the school year.
At Garden City High School, a long summer night of discussions on the safety protocols that will be in place when Garden City schools open in September culminated with a Board of Education vote to require students to wear masks at indoors at school, and on buses. The Board voted 4 to 1 in favor of mask requirements. (Board member Tom Pinou voted against them.) But as public comments were presented, the Garden City community had multiple “mic drop” moments during the August 17 board meeting, as local parents and advocacy groups from other areas made their opposing stances clear, following a presentation on safety protocols by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kusum Sinha. School Board President William C. Holub explained that by August 1, the district and board of education had received about 170 emails on the issue of students wearing masks at school in the 2021-2022 year. “Clearly our community has division -- of 170 about 75 or 80 of the emails are in support of students wearing masks and the balance are not in support of masks. We have three petitions circulating in our community and on social media and those have been emailed to us. One is advocating for following CDC guidance to have students and faculty wear masks indoors at school, one is advocating for parental choice on whether the individual student wears a mask at school, and the third is advocating for ‘following the science.’ Collectively, there are over 1,500 signatures on those petitions, so it is not a black and white issue and it’s not clearly leaning one way or another. This is not something that is easy for us,” Holub explained. School Board Trustee Michael Cassaro said he understands that many people are advocating that the school district not adhere to information districts are currently being provided with by the Centers for Disease Control. He noted the regularity of schools receiving CDC information and guidance relating to violence among children and adolescents, sexually transmitted diseases and other issues, and asked Dr. Sinha about the district’s use of guidance “from agencies that serve the collective good.” “Typically as a public school system, we do follow CDC and
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Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin, Councilman Tom Muscarella and Town Clerk Kate Murray presented a Certificate of Recognition and Badge of Merit to Girl Scout Lindsey Stevenson of Garden City for earning her Gold Award. The town’s Girl Scout Recognition Ceremony was held on August 11, 2021 at Norman J. Levy Park & Preserve in Merrick.
District prepares for school year with new hires, building upgrades BY RIKKI N. MASSAND Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kusum Sinha addressed the Board of Education and many parents in the audience on Tuesday, August 17, with updates on the reopening of Garden City’s schools in the days ahead,
The most debated new policy for school year 2021-2022 -- subject of an hours’ long, emotionally-charged public comment and board discussion -- was the board’s support for students to wear masks for all indoor activities while attending schools, except for lunch. At the beginning of
Community Church youth mission trip GC Spartans win Summer Classic PAGE 40
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