Month: December 2021

School Board Amends Face Covering Policy to Require Masks be Worn by Vendors and Visitors in All BCPS Schools, Facilities and Vehicles

 

The School Board of Broward County, Florida voted today to amend School Board Policy 2170 to require vendors and visitors to wear face coverings while indoors in any District school, facility or vehicle beginning Monday, January 3, 2022. Students, although not required to wear face coverings due to a recent state law, and employees are strongly encouraged to do so. 

The School Board of Broward County met today to discuss Policy 2170 due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases during the holidays driven by the highly contagious omicron variant.   

The new state law that went into effect on November 18, 2021, does not allow school districts to require face coverings for students or for school districts to use an ‘opt-out’ provision. Additionally, students may not be separated based on use of face coverings. School districts cannot provide intermittent virtual school options to students due to the Florida Department of Education’s emergency orders expiring this past summer. 

“We are grateful to our parents, guardians and caregivers for their strong consideration and support in sending their children to school next week with face coverings. We are also thankful to our employees for wearing face coverings while at work,” said Broward County Public Schools Interim Superintendent Dr. Vickie L. Cartwright. “BCPS will continue to work with our partners to assist our students, with parent permission, and employees to have access to vaccines and tests.” 

The District will continue to take the advice of local health officials and follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as it evaluates and adjusts COVID-19 health and safety protocols. 

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ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS “Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth-largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. The District is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962 and has nearly 261,000 pre-K-12th grade students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241 schools, centers, and technical colleges, and 92 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, representing 170 different countries and 147 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow on Twitter @browardschools and Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools, and download the free BCPS mobile app.

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Broward County Public Schools Preparations for Returning from Winter Break

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) continues to closely monitor local COVID-19 conditions and follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure the health and safety of students and employees. Due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases during the holidays driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant, the BCPS School Board will hold an emergency school board meeting on Friday, December 31, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. to review and possibly revise Policy #2170 for employees, vendors and visitors. The revision under consideration could result in the requirement for employees, vendors and visitors to wear face coverings while indoors at any District school, facility or vehicle beginning Monday, January 3, 2022. The meeting will be livestreamed at www.becon.tv/live-stream.

Per state law that went into effect on November 18, 2021, school districts are prohibited from requiring students to wear face coverings. However, BCPS highly encourages students to wear face coverings as a mitigating factor to help control the spread of the Omicron variant. Parents, guardians and caregivers are urged to send their children to school wearing face coverings. BCPS is also asking that if children are ill, exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, or have been exposed to COVID-19 to please keep their children home and contact us during normal school hours.

The new state law that went into effect on November 18, 2021, contains very specific language regarding face covering usage requirements for students and quarantine requirements for students and employees. The law also has financial penalties when districts do not follow the requirements, including school districts incurring attorney fees and court costs for parents who bring legal action against the district and prevail. Effective this school year, school districts cannot provide intermittent virtual school options to students due to the Florida Department of Education’s emergency orders expiring this past summer. The new law and expiration of the intermittent virtual education option are state actions that the District or School Board cannot modify.

Just as multiple organizations and businesses are being highly impacted with staffing due to the current COVID-19 variant, BCPS may experience similar concerns. During this time, families should be aware that there may be delays in student transportation, and schools may have to adjust daily schedules and operations to accommodate staffing requirements. We greatly appreciate our families and employees for their understanding and grace.

BCPS protocols for cleaning classrooms and common areas including sanitization and cleaning cycles will be maintained. The District will continue to work with local health officials, and follow guidance from the CDC as it evaluates and adjusts COVID-19 health and safety protocols. In addition, social distancing, COVID-19 testing and vaccinations will continue to be encouraged. BCPS is greatly appreciative of the partnership with the Florida Department of Health – Broward (FDOH-Broward.) The organization recently provided at-home COVID-19 test kits for BCPS staff, which are being disseminated on January 1 and 2 to employees prior to the beginning of school.

In partnership with the FDOH-Broward, Broward County Public Schools is offering a K-12 COVID-19 testing program for students. The test will only be administered with parental consent. Consent forms may be accessed at https://www.browardschools.com/Page/64812, on each school’s website, or a paper copy from the child’s school. The tests are administered by certified health care professionals. Additionally, students must have a parent-signed school health services consent form on file and a parent-signed testing consent form on file to be tested at school.

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ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS “Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth-largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. The District is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962 and has nearly 261,000 pre-K-12th grade students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241 schools, centers, and technical colleges, and 92 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, representing 170 different countries and 147 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow on Twitter @browardschools and Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools, and download the free BCPS mobile app.

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NOTICE OF EMERGENCY SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2021 1:30 PM
Kathleen C. Wright Building 600 Southeast Third Avenue, 
Board Room Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301

This notice serves to advise the public that The School Board of Broward County, Florida will hold an emergency School Board meeting on Friday, December 31, 2021, at 1:30 PM, for the purpose of amending its facial coverings policy – #2170. The amendment will apply to staff, visitors, and vendors, NOT students.

In accordance with Florida Statutes, 120.525 (3), the School Board finds that the significant increase in local COVID-19 positivity rates related to the Omicron Variance presents an immediate danger to the public health, safety, or welfare and requires immediate action to amend Policy 2170 – Facial Coverings to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in schools. This notice of emergency meeting is determined fair under the circumstances and necessary to protect the public interest.

The meeting will be livestreamed at www.becon.tv/live-stream.

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Cleveland becomes first MLB team with numbers on back of jerseys

On April 16, 1929, the Cleveland Indians open the season with numbers on the back of each player’s jersey, the first Major League Baseball team to do so. The numbers make it easier for scorekeepers, broadcasters and fans to identify players. Cleveland wins the game against the Detroit Tigers in 11 innings, 5-4.

The New York Yankees, who had won the World Series in 1927 and 1928, were supposed to debut jersey numbers the same day, but their opener was rained out. Thus fans waited another day to see two of baseball’s greatest players—Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig—sport jersey numbers 3 and 4, which would become famous. Those numbers corresponded with the sluggers’ spots in the batting order. 

Cleveland, which changed its name to Guardians in 2021, experimented with numbers on the sleeves of jerseys for a few weeks in 1916. 

In 1923, the St. Louis Cardinals also tried sleeve numbers, but found the practice had a negative impact on team morale. “Because of the continuing embarrassment to the players, the numbers were removed,” manager Branch Rickey said.

The Cardinals finished fifth in the National League that season with a 79-74 record.

By the 1937 season, every MLB team had numbers on the backs of jerseys. In 1960, the White Sox were the first team to put names on the back of their jerseys. The Yankees remain the only team without names on the back of jerseys.

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First US cycling club formed

On February 11, 1878, the Boston Bicycle Club, the first organization for recreational cyclists, is formed. The following year, a club is formed in Buffalo, followed by a club in New York in 1880. In the ensuing decades, as middle-class participation in cycling grows, hundreds of cycling clubs are formed across the United States. 

The Boston Bicycle Club organized various rides, from tricycle races to 100-mile rides. Less than 20 years after its founding, more than 100 cycling clubs had formed in Massachusetts, according to the Massachusetts Historical Society, catering to rider expertise, gender, nationality and more. Early bicycles featured an oversized front wheel.

In October 1879, Boston Bicycle Club members rode through the city and its suburbs in an event with the Massachusetts Cycling Club—an 87-mile round trip. For short distances, cyclists achieved speeds of 16 mph, according to the Boston Post.

READ MORE: The Bicycle’s Bumpy History

“Coming through Watertown a gentleman driving a spirited horse engaged in a race with the riders and was beaten by Terront, the French rider, in about three-quarters of a mile,” the Post reported.

In 1896, The Boston Globe highlighted the work of the first club: “The name and fame of the Boston Bicycle Club has gone all over this fair land, and is spreading to foreign shores, whither some ot its members have carried it.”

Early U.S. bicycling clubs advocated for better roads for cyclists and often became a hub for social events. With the rise of automobiles early in the 20th century, the popularity of recreational cycling waned. 

In 2020, interest in recreational cycling boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many cyclng shops in the United States reported shortages of bikes, according to Bicycle.com.

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NHL game televised in US for first time

On February 25, 1940, the first telecast of a National Hockey League is transmitted over New York’s W2XBS—the National Broadcasting Company’s experimental station used to test TV technology. A viewing audience estimated at 300 subscribers watches the New York Rangers defeat the Montreal Canadiens, 6-2, at Madison Square Garden.

During the first, crude telecast, winger Phil Watson registered four points (all assists) and Bryan Hextall Sr.’s scored two goals for the Rangers.

The NHL TV broadcast came a year after the first televised Major League Baseball, college football and pro football games. The first World Series game was televised in 1947. Like the first NHL broadcast, it was flawed. Sunlight and shadows obscured the view of NBC cameras, and the network’s new and cumbersome equipment broke down.

In 1940, radio was, by far, the dominant broadcasting medium. Television use grew slowly over the decade.

By 1949, the nation boasted 1 million TV sets in use. By the 1950s, television had entered the mainstream, with more than half of all American homes owning TV sets by 1955. As the number of consumers expanded, new stations were created and more programs broadcast.

Since the first televised NHL game,  the importance of television has exponentially increased for the league. In 2021, the league announced multi-million deals with ESPN and Turner Sports to broadcast games.

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US women win the first Winter Olympics hockey gold medal

On February 17, 1998, in Nagano, Japan, the United States defeats Canada, 3-1, to win the gold medal in the first women’s hockey tournament held at the Winter Olympics.  “After these Olympics, I hope the sport grows times a million,” American forward Katie King says. “Anyone who watched the (gold medal) game, they’re going to want to watch more women’s hockey.”

Said American forward Tricia Dunn: “I’m speechless and amazed that we played a near-perfect game.”

The win was especially sweet for the United States, which had lost four times to Canada in the Women’s World Hockey Championship since 1990.

After taking a 1-0 lead, the Americans dominated. Canada made the score 2-1 with a third-period goal, but the United States scored a late goal to cement the win.

Immediately after the U.S. victory, gloves and sticks sailed into the air. Karyn Bye, an alternate captain for the United States, wrapped herself in a flag as most of the rest of her teammates mobbed each other on the ice. 

“I’ve coached a lot of teams at different levels, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more moved by the efforts and dedication of the players on my team,” U.S. coach Ben Smith said.

The United States followed its 1998 gold medal with a silver medal at the Games in Salt Lake City in 2002. The American women earned a medal in every Olympics since Nagano, taking their second gold medal in 2018 in PyeongChang, South Korea.

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Albright becomes first female US figure skater to win world title

On February 15, 1953, Tenley Albright, a 17-year-old from Boston, becomes the first American female to win the world figure skating championship. All seven judges at the event at an outdoor rink in Davos, Switzerland give her a first-place vote. Albright, who was stricken as a young child, calls the performance her “best.”

“Dressed in a light cherry-colored costume with spangles that glinted in the sun, Tenley whirled and spun around the rink, executing with disarming ease all the difficult skating manevuers in the book and some more of her own,” the Associated Press reported.

READ MORE: 8 Remarkable Female Figure Skaters at Winter Olympics

Albright performed a double axel, double loop, double rittbereer and double solchow before a sellout crowd of 4,000. “Such combinations never have been seen performed before by a woman,” a Swiss skating expert said.

After Albright’s performance, her father, a surgeon, squashed thoughts of her becoming a professional skater. “Tenley has to go to college and is too young to become a professional star,” he said. 

Said Albright: “I love skating for skating. I want to continue as an amateur.”

Three years later, at the Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Tenley became America’s first female skating gold medalist, overcoming an injury to her right ankle suffered less than two weeks earlier. “I was in great pain, but I figured for four minutes I could put up with anything,” she said afterward.

After the Olympics, Albright retired and attended Harvard Medical School—one of five women in a class of 135. She became a noted surgeon.

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Teachers to Receive $2,000 One-Time Stipend and 1% to 1.33% Salary Increase in Tentative Contract Agreement Between BCPS and Broward Teachers Union

News Conference being held Friday, December 17, at 10 a.m.

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) and the Broward Teachers Union (BTU) are pleased to announce they have reached a tentative agreement for the Education Professionals (EP) bargaining unit for the 2021/22 school year.

“I am so grateful that the District and School Board were able to provide salary increases and one-time stipends for our BTU members,” said Interim Superintendent Dr. Vickie L. Cartwright.

During the negotiations held on Thursday, December 16, the following terms were reached on behalf of BTU Educational Professionals:

  • $2,000 one-time stipend for all EP unit members
  • Salary increases of 1.33% for Highly Effective teachers on the Pay for Performance salary schedule, 1.07% salary increase for teachers on the grandfathered salary schedule, and 1% for Effective teachers on the Pay for Performance salary schedule
  • $1,000 bonus for instructional personnel who did not qualify for the $1,000 Disaster Relief Bonus provided by the State
  • $500 supplement for multilingual itinerant support staff whose workload has substantially increased above their normal caseload due to providing services to students and families who would normally be serviced by a monolingual staff member

“Teachers and the educational support staff continue to serve as our heroes on the front lines. They have always put our children and the community first,” said Anna Fusco, BTU President. “While educators and staff deserve much more funding from Tallahassee, this contract settlement with Broward Schools shows some level of local recognition can be made when we work together.”

Media are invited to attend a news conference on the second floor of the Kathleen C. Wright Administration Center, located at 600 S.E. Third Avenue in Fort Lauderdale at 10 a.m. for additional information.

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ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has nearly 261,500 students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 92 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 177 different countries and 151 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow us on Twitter @browardschools, on Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools.com and download the free BCPS mobile app.

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