By Mary-Justine Lanyon
Editor
The Sept. 12 meeting of the Rim of the World Unified School District’s board of trustees began with an impassioned plea from parent Jaime Stianson.
She explained to the trustees that she and her family had to evacuate due to the Line Fire. Her son, a football player, has been attending the optional practices.
“We can all see the effects of kids not being able to participate in normal activities,” she said. “And then they have the opportunity to participate in a practice. Please reconsider your decision to not allow them to participate in the game tomorrow.”
She called what her son and others are experiencing “post-traumatic growth.”
“Kids are learning how to show up when the world is crazy around them. There are lots of mental health benefits to play. We learn through play.” Stianson added this was an “emotional plea that is scienced backed.”
Board President Jordan Zarate referred the matter to Dr. Paul Sevillano, the superintendent.
“We know the fire has caused trauma to students, staff and families. We pride ourselves on communicating to families. I had a discussion with Mr. Willemse (the Rim High principal). He has been an advocate for the students. We have decided to reconsider and allow the game to proceed. We will continue to assess the safety of our students and staff in these trying times,” Dr. Sevillano said.
The Rim football team defeated Arcadia 21-12 on Friday night, Sept. 14.
Stianson’s plea was followed by several parents who thanked the district for reconsidering and allowing Rim to participate in the game.
“I have watched us go through these tragedies,” said Coach Joe Jurado. “Rim of the World has led the way – we are the model other districts follow. I commend you and I am grateful for all you do for our students.”
Amanda Markovich, president of the Rim Teachers Association, thanked the district for “keeping students’ and staff’s health a top priority. The uncertainty of the situation causes a lot of anxiety. Thank you for letting us know we had the week off rather than going day by day.”
The Rim schools had been closed from Sept. 9 through Sept. 13. On Sept. 13, Dr. Sevillano announced they would remain closed for at least the following week, from Sept. 16 through Sept. 20. That decision was altered on Sept. 16: the maintenance staff inspected and cleaned the facilities on Sept. 17; teachers and administrators returned on Sept. 18 to prepare for the students’ return; and students returned to class on Sept. 19.
Suzanne Grow, president of the Classified School Employees Association, said “it’s too bad we’re getting so experienced with emergencies and disasters but it proves how resilient we are. We appreciate the protections you have put in place. We appreciate the communication. Keep up the good work. We’ve got your back and appreciate you have ours.”
“After every disaster we seem to get stronger,” said Zarate. “It’s incredible to see how people step up right away to help one another.” He noted the district wants to be able to welcome students back safely; they may need a nonattendance day to do that.
Trustee Jordana Ridland said she appreciated what Stianson had said about the mental health component of sports. “It’s healthy to immerse yourself in something bigger,” she said. “I love how our community comes together. We all want to get past the fire and back to business as usual.”
Ridland also referenced the lack of air conditioning in the schools, which is a problem not just with heat but also with the air quality due to the smoke. “It would be lovely if we could have safe air in our classrooms, not needing to have windows and doors open.” She urged everyone to take a serious look at the bond (Measure E), which is on the November ballot.
Trustee Cindy Gardner expressed her appreciation for Mr. Willemse, who continued as the leader of the high school while being evacuated. She had attended nearly all the back-to-school nights and thanked the teachers for putting together “such a great learning environment.”
Going into the Rim classrooms, Gardner said, is “awful, hideous. We cannot change that without a bond.” Grants that are available are to upgrade existing systems, which do not exist at Rim.
And Gardner thanked people from other districts for reaching out, asking if Rim was OK and if any help was needed during the fire. “I appreciate the whole educational community in this state,” she said. “It was very touching how they reached out.”
“Blessed are the flexible for they shall not break,” was the opening remark from trustee Dr. Bill Mellinger. He noted this fire was Dr. Sevillano’s first mountain experience. “I appreciate the way he is leading our district through this difficult time. He is leading in a way that says he cares about us all.”
After thanking all the agencies who have worked together to put a stop to the fire, Mellinger noted that “we have to do our best to mitigate any learning loss students may have. I know our teachers care and will work to overcome that. As a board,” he told the staff who was present, “we will work with you.”
In his report, Dr. Sevillano said that “our hearts go out to the families impacted by the fire.” He noted that 25 percent of the students and 30 percent of the staff were off the mountain. “We looked at mental health resources for students, staff and families.”
Under a new state law, if a school is closed to students for five days, the district must develop a continuity plan. “We were the first district to announce we were out for the week. Other districts followed suit. We led the way.” And now the district is discussing what the continuity plan will look like. They got input from staff and sent out a survey to parents, asking if they had to evacuate and, if so, where they are. Part of the problem with a continuity plan – online learning – is that many students were not able to grab their textbooks and Chromebooks when they evacuated.
“There are a lot of moving parts,” Dr. Sevillano said. “The biggest issue is the well-being and safety of our student and staff. And it’s important we focus on student learning.”
The board introduced and seated Rim High senior Ethan Smith as the new student representative to the board of trustees. He gave a comprehensive report on all the campuses. One statistic that amazed him was that Charles Hoffman Elementary School had achieved 100-percent attendance on Aug. 21. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of 100 percent,” was his comment.
Associate Superintendent Shannon Hansen gave a presentation on how the Rim district will comply with the Cal/OSHA heat plan. All sites, he said, have created heat illness prevention plans. Every classroom has at least one of the following: a portable air conditioning unit, fan, evaporative cooler, swamp cooler. The short-term plan is they have purchased heat stress trackers for all schools and departments.
The long-term plan, he said, is tricky. It would call for purchasing WiFi heat index indicators. “We would collaborate with educational stakeholders to ensure the safety of students and staff,” he said.
“Can you say b-o-n-d?” asked Trustee Gardner.
Dr. Sevillano noted that at 82 degrees they are required to look at providing additional water to students and staff and to monitor the heat in the building. When it gets to 87, they are required to monitor for heat illness and provide cool-down areas.
The ultimate goal as a district, Hansen said, is “to provide the most comfortable environment in the classrooms. Plans will be available for parents to see. We were in the process of implementing them and the fire came. We are very aware of the heat in our schools.
“We need to have the bond passed.”
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