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o�N OF$� ' <br />639+ <br />)NCO RQ0 <br />Town of Reading <br />Meeting Minutes <br />RECEIVED <br />TOWN CLERK <br />READING, MA. <br />Board - Committee - Commission - Council: 2018 FEB 12 PM 4: 15 <br />School Committee <br />Date: 2018-01-22 Time: 7:00 PM <br />Building: School - Memorial High Location: Superintendent Conference Room <br />Address: 82 Oakland Road Session: Open Session <br />Purpose: Open Session Version: Final <br />Attendees: Members - Present: <br />Chuck Robinson, Sherri Vanden Akker, Nick Boivin, Jeanne Borawski, Linda <br />Snow Dockser, and Elaine Webb <br />Members - Not Present: <br />Student Representatives Cutone & Coumounduros <br />Others Present: <br />Superintendent John Doherty, Director of Finance Gail Dowd, Assistant <br />Superintendent Craig Martin, Director of Student Services Carolyn Wilson, <br />RPS Administrators Sarah Leveque, Joanne King, Sarah Marchant, Ricki <br />Shankland, Brienne Karow, LisaMarie Ippolito, Heather Leonard, Adam Bakr, <br />RPS Budget Liaisons, Selectmen Barry Berman, John Arena & Andy <br />Friedmann, Fincom members Mark Dockser, Peter Lydecker, Paula Perry and <br />Vanessa Alvardo, Al Sylvia - Reading Chronicle, Bob Holmes - Patch <br />Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Linda Engelson on behalf of the Chair <br />Topics of Discussion: <br />I. Call to Order <br />Chair Robinson reviewed the agenda and called the meeting to order and opened the <br />public hearing at 7:04 p.m. <br />RMHS Sophomore Autumn Hendrickson shared that she and her peers,find the whole <br />budget situation scary and the students do not want to see the foreign language at the <br />middle school cut. She went on to say that we live in a global society and taking <br />away these opportunities from the younger students will become our Achille's heel if <br />we do not tread carefully. She cares about the community and just because they are <br />students doesn't make their voice any less powerful. The young people are the future <br />urging the School Committee not to cut the double ELA block, foreign language and <br />teachers, we won't let you down, don't let us down. <br />Parent Julie Wall expressed concerns over the elimination of the middle school <br />foreign language program and wondered if the 12 peer communities offered middle <br />school language. Her research found that all 12 peer communities offered middle <br />school foreign language and several offered other languages in addition to French and <br />Spanish. As a former middle school foreign language teacher she pointed out that <br />middle school students embrace learning a new language with great enthusiasm and it <br />Page 1 1 <br />