Vote: Concussion Report

Transcript (~7 min @ 1:38:16)

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▶ 1:38:08 Speaker 2: we have a unanimous vote on those two policies. Um, coming back to another item that was on a previous agenda as well. Thank you, Ms. Acevedo. Another item that was on a previous agenda, our memo on concussions. Um, there is an updated document in the packet with a little more explanation around some of the information that came out in this year's report. I think the superintendent also maybe has a couple of other pieces she wants to mention from some further conversations as well.

▶ 1:38:35 Speaker 5: Sure. Um, so I was just, in addition to the memo, I was able to have a, another conversation with, um, Mr. Fogarty regarding, um, the increase in numbers. And, and again, we don't really have an answer for that. I really do believe that, um, you know, uh, our, our students, our, our families, our coaches, um, everyone's just has a greater awareness of this, um, including our referees. Um, anytime we have, you know, engagement. So, um, you know, I'll just use, my daughter for example, plays varsity soccer, right? They both go for a head ball. They're pulling both of those girls off the field, um, at this moment in time, which didn't happen when I was in high school or, or even, you know, pre COVID. We'll just go with that time. So, um, I've also learned that there is a, um, about an even number of distribution both this year and last year between, um, female and male, um, concussions that are, that are occurring on each of our sports teams. And then, um, I did, um, look at the numbers for each sport that I don't wanna disclose because it could, um, actually disclose a, a specific student. Um, however, when I looked at the percentage of the number of, um, concussions that occurred with the total number of, um, of, of athletes on that specific team, it was very, very consistent. So I'll just use, I was a basketball player. Like there was, for instance, one concussion per those 12 per people on that basketball team, or 15. So it was, it was roughly the percentage was very consistent, um, across, um, all of our sports or many of our, there are some sports that, that don't have it. The other thing that I would also clarify is that the number of, um, concussions that are reported is, um, although the, the policy or, um, I wanna make sure I have my language right. Um, states grades six through 12, we are actually only, um, accounting and reporting out on grades nine through 12 because it is for the, um, athletic, um, uh, occurrences and the extracurricular occurrences that happen at at the high school. Yes. Just

▶ 1:40:35 Speaker 6: To clarify, if we have eighth graders playing up, they would be included in the Report, correct? Yep. Yep.

▶ 1:40:40 Speaker 5: That was my next statement. Yes. Yes. So for example, like we you said earlier tonight with ice hockey, um, that would include our eighth graders. Yes.

▶ 1:40:49 Speaker 2: Thank you. And we can move to questions if there's questions on the updated information. Ms. Mc, Andrew,

▶ 1:40:56 Jennifer McAndrew: Thank you. This is helpful. Thank you. And thank you to Mr. Fogerty as well. Um, I do think that, um, you know, in the explanatory memo, and based on what you said, um, you know, I know we don't know why this rate doubled or the number doubled in one year. Um, and that year to year certainly different differs for many reasons, including increases in participation, which we're definitely seeing overall. Um, I will say if, you know, we're at, I know we keep saying this, but we are at a time where, you know, we have additional resources in the district. Um, and I, you know, I would just be like, interested to hear about from your assessment and Mr. Kelly's and, um, ad fogerty if there are, you know, like areas of professional development for coaches, for the nurses. I know that's a city function, um, budgetary wise, but, um, equipment and, you know, uniform, whatever is sort of if there, if, if there is an assessment there, there are things we can be doing. I think it would be helpful to hear about it when we discuss the report itself from year to year. You know, just getting the number is like, it's fine. I know we have to report it, and I know that it varies for all the reasons that you've laid out. But if there are like any recommendations along with that for trends or ideas or even things that other districts are doing that we're not doing either because, you know, we don't do it for another reason or because of resources, it would just be helpful to like, hear about that at the time that we're talking about, um, the report. So thank you. Thank you, thank you.

▶ 1:42:41 Speaker 2: Any other questions for members? Um, two things. I, I think I would mention from my perspective also, and some of this comes out in the, the memo is, um, around where the concussion occurs is something we don't necessarily know. Um, so it might be an outta school concussion not related to the sport, but it comes across as this player can no longer play as a result of a concussion. That's what gets communicated as, as I understand it. Uh, and that might be an important differentiation to make in the report in the future, is, is if we can identify, uh, how many of these are, are on fields or on court incidents that we might have some impact on, uh, for going into future understanding of, of what our concussions are. And yeah, I

▶ 1:43:22 Speaker 5: Can comment on that a little bit after further discussion, um, with, um, Mr. Fogarty. So I do believe that it is actually concussions that happen, like on our watch. Um, I do believe that that's how it happened. So like, we're responsible. So it's not, you know, um, again, I'll just go back to basketball. It's not the basketball player who was skiing who, who got a concussion skiing and came, it's, it's on our watch during one of our, um, activities. So I think that that has actually maybe a little bit more frightening that we've had a, a doubling of that. So, um,

▶ 1:43:58 Speaker 2: That's helpful. Um, maybe another place for future memos also is thinking about repeated concussions. If there's a way that we can, um, record an element of are we seeing repeated concussions on the same kids again? And, and be aware of that, especially as we respond to, um, thinking about how we implement protocols with coaches and so forth to be aware of certain students that are experiencing extra concussions.

▶ 1:44:21 Speaker 5: Yeah. And I could also report that this is the number of concussions, not the number of students who are concussed. Mm-hmm. So, you know, oh, my computer died. Um, so, um, that, that is like that too. Yeah. Great.

▶ 1:44:34 Speaker 2: Um, if there's no more questions from the committee, thank you. We could, oh, Mr. Kelly. Sorry.

▶ 1:44:38 Speaker 3: I just wanted to jump back to student activities. I just wanted to thank the committee for moving that forward. That's been a long range goal to have that, that policy move forward. So appreciate that. And I did wanna highlight thank Kim Candel in our business office, who has been incredible, spent a tremendous amount of time getting this process to a systemic approach to managing student activity. So I just wanted to highlight that and thank you.

▶ 1:44:56 Speaker 2: Thank you. Um, I believe we have to vote on the concussion report if, sorry, I Didn't mean to jump Gun. Nope, that's okay. So if there's a motion from the floor Motion to approve Ms. McAndrew, second by Ms. Driscoll. All those in favor, unanimous approval of the concussion report. And that concludes policy and planning, the most exciting part of tonight's meeting, I promise, at the beginning.