- Dr. Lerner initiated the meeting, expressing his concern about students vaping in our school’s bathrooms, and we discussed that the nicotine content in nicotine-infused vapes is potent, the ingredients are harmful, and the smell is undetectable unlike that of cigarettes.
- Ananda shared a student concern that she gathered about the cleanliness of our yoga mats, particularly because some yoga poses require direct face to yoga mat contact after many other students used them, and they have begun to emit a slight odor. Ms. Sawick suggested we find out how they are currently maintained, and Ms. Gamper suggested yoga mat cleaning wipes be distributed to students after yoga classes to clean their own yoga mats, much like students are given Clorox wipes to clean their lab benches after experiments.
- Ananda shared another student concern about the Purell dispensers at the end of the hallways not being filled (to which we learned that the cartridges are too expensive), to which Dr. Lerner stated that there are pump hand sanitizers in the library, the computer lab, and each department’s office.
- Ms. Powell and Ananda agreed that the School Feedback Form should be sent out once per month, directly after each Health and Safety Committee meeting, although the precise weekday is TBD, so that Ananda can update Ms. Gamper with student concerns one week prior to each meeting. Ms. Powell described the recent vandalism in our garden, in which some benches were pushed over and two garden houses were destroyed (blatantly deliberately), and although we do not know by whom, but we will repair the destruction as soon as possible.
- Ms. Powell raised two concerns from the Student Union: one, that more gender neutral/ADA bathrooms should be available, and, two, that since we have returned from Spring Break, every classroom has been locked when a class is not in session. Dr. Lerner stated that in order to fulfill these requests (particularly the latter because locking classrooms when class is not in session is a rule for all NYC Public Schools), the Student Union should encourage students to take ownership, as both gender neutral bathrooms and empty classrooms have been left in disgusting condition numerous times in the past.
- Ms. Pecararo concluded the meeting, sharing that a doctor will be at BHSEC on April 26th to perform physical examinations for working papers and sports papers (which students will receive the day of the appointment), and that students can visit the Nurse’s office to make an appointment during a free period.
BHSEC CONNECT
A Bard High School Early College Opportunity Portal from the Student Activities Center
