Many E.M. parents say no to masks in school

The East Meadow Board of Education’s meeting on Wednesday featured the district’s reopening plan for the 2021-2022 school year. A long line of impatient parents waited outside until 7:40 p.m. for admittance to the meeting, which began at 7 p.m., because the room was filled to capacity. When parents were admitted the room was once again filled to capacity. Those who waited outside were permitted into the building after someone left.

Before the district’s reopening plan was presented, Board of Education President Alisa Baroukh allotted additional time for a second first public commentary because not everyone was allowed into the building during the first.

It was also announced that the board would not be answering any questions at the meeting, adding that the district would contact each person individually by email with an answer.

Parents of children of varying ages spoke at the podium with some saying that that they wanted to choose whether to send their students virtually or in person to school. 

The majority spoke of the mandatory-mask mandate by Gov. Kathy Hochul. Many said that masks should not be mandatory and that masks affected their child’s learning experience.

“If I personally saw a difference for masking children as far as health goes I would 100 percent  be pro-mask,” said Ivona Blaslov, a mother of three children who attend the district. “I brought my kids everywhere this summer with no mask and not one of my kids got sick with Covid.”

Then she asked the district to make masking a choice rather than a mandate.

“People are fearful and I understand that every situation is different,” she said. “That’s why I think masking should be a choice. I don’t like how the East Meadow School District doesn’t even entertain us for a second.”

Two W.T. Clarke High School students also shared their opinions on the school’s mask mandates.

“Last school year I felt like nobody really listened to the students,” Nicole Servider, an incoming junior said. “We had to ask to take a sip of water and I’ve had numerous asthma and anxiety attacks from wearing the masks.”

Her brother Paul Servider, an incoming senior at Clarke, shared his belief that masks should be optional as well.

But not everyone who spoke agreed with optional masking. Sharon Stanley who had retired from P.S. 107 in Queens after teaching for 33 years stressed that it’s difficult to witness children become sick at school.

“I was working in an elementary school in 2009 during the swine flu and you don’t know how scary it is to be a teacher and watch a kid just drop to the floor,” Stanley said. “...The virus is real and you can spread it without being sick and I know that from experience.”

Then she spoke of how her son contacted swine flu from her interaction with sick students.

When the public comment session concluded some members of the board spoke.

“I can guarantee that you are being listened to,” Board of Education Vice President Matthew Melnick said. He told the parents that everyone on the board is a parent and that they do not have the luxury of making the mask decision for their children either.

“We are a community that has always taken care of each other and today that means making sure we do everything we can to protect the other members of our community,” he said. “If wearing a mask in school keeps one student from being hospitalized than there’s no question it was the right thing to do.”

Reopening plan

The reopening plan dictates that all students will attend class in person. They will be required to wear a mask, along with all employees, service providers, contractors and visitors. There is no remote teaching option, but for those students who do get sick and need to quarantine, home teaching will be provided.

Classrooms and other areas will have a 3 feet social distancing rule and students will eat lunch outside or in their classrooms.

Any instances of Covid in the school will be reported to the Nassau County Department of Health and contact tracing will be conducted immediately. All parents/guardians and staff will be notified if there is a positive case.

Sports will resume in the fall with weekly student-athlete testing mandated for all high-risk sports and activities.

The reopening plan with the rest of the in-depth Covid guidelines can be found on the school’s website.

Michalis receives a shout out

A portion of the meeting was dedicated to giving recognition to new administrators and other assistant principals and directors. Special recognition was given out to Denise Michalis for her dedication to the children of East Meadow for the past 18 years.

“On behalf of the board of education, we express our appreciation to you for all your work to the district,” East Meadow Superintendent Kenneth Card said. “In recognition of your dedication, service and contributions to the children and residents of the East Meadow school district we salute you and applaud you for your service.”