Canton Public Schools: February 17 School Committee Recap: Face Covering Policy, Wellness Update, Achievements In Athletics

Press release from Canton Public Schools:

Matthew Reid

March 10, 2022

CANTON — Interim Superintendent Derek Folan would like to share with the school community updates and information provided at the Feb. 17 Canton School Committee meeting.

A recording of the full meeting can be viewed here.

Additional meeting materials, including all documents shared at the meeting and the full Interim Superintendent’s report is available here. 

In accordance with guidance and recommendations from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), the following recommendations and requirements were unanimously approved by the School Committee, effective beginning Feb. 28 until further notice:

• Individuals who are vaccinated are not required to wear a mask, but may do so if desired, except in certain instances as noted in the guidance below.
• Individuals who remain unvaccinated or are otherwise immunocompromised are not required to wear a mask but are strongly recommended to do so in school buildings and on school grounds, even when social distancing is observed.
• By DESE and DPH protocol, students and staff returning from 5-day quarantine following a positive COVID test must follow strict mask use, other than when eating, drinking, or outside, and conduct active monitoring for symptoms through day 10 of exposure.
• By state public health order, masks will be required in all school health offices.

• By federal public health order, all students and staff are required to wear a mask on school buses.

• All members of the Canton school community will contribute to a culture of respect, tolerance and inclusivity for those who choose to or must wear a mask, as well as to those individuals who cannot wear a mask, or choose to not wear a mask in instances where mask wearing is strongly recommended. 

To read the complete report on face coverings, including more information about appropriate mask use, exceptions to the updated policy, and guidance statements from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Center for Disease Control and Prevention, click here.

For the District-wide student vaccination status as of Feb. 17, click here.

CPS Health and Wellness Coordinator Ryan Gordy presented an update on the Canton Public Schools Wellness Department. 

The Wellness Department follows the “Eight Dimensions of Wellness” as outlined by East Carolina University. These include:

• Physical – A healthy body maintained by good nutrition, regular exercise, avoiding harmful habits, making informed and responsible decisions about health, and seeking medical assistance when necessary.
• Intellectual – A state in which your mind is engaged in lively interaction with the world around you.
• Emotional – The ability to understand your own feelings, accept your limitations, achieve emotional stability, and become more comfortable with your emotions.
• Social – The ability to relate well to others, both within and outside the family unit.
• Occupational – Preparing and making use of your gifts, skills and talents in order to gain purpose, happiness and enrichment in your life.
• Spiritual – The sense that life is meaningful and has a purpose; the ethics, values and morals that guide us and give meaning and direction to life.
• Environmental – The capability to live in a clean and safe environment that is not detrimental to health.
• Financial – Understanding values and resources relating to money and promoting financial literacy.

Canton schools have “wellness wheels” at the elementary, middle and high school levels with eight spokes corresponding to these areas and outlining grade-appropriate metrics to follow. 

Several CPS wellness students spoke describing the benefits of their health and wellness classes and how the programs have had a positive influence on their school careers.

For more information on the program, click here.  

• Active outdoor recreation
• Community housing
• Historic preservation
• Open space and passive recreation

This press release was produced by Canton Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.