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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-04-06 School Committee Minutes � FRF�O Town of Reading F Meeting Minutes r7, r. Board - Committee - commission - Council: ' ' 4 School Committee Date: 2020-04-06 Time: 7:00 PM Building: Location: Address: Session: Open Session Purpose: Open Session Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Chuck Robinson, John Parks, Tom Wise, Erin Gaffen, Carla Nazzaro and Shawn Brandt Members - Not Present: Others Present: Superintendent John Doherty, Assistant Superintendent Chris Kelley, CFO Gail Dowd, Director of Student Services Jennifer Stys, Human Resources Administrator Jenn Allard and Director of Facilities Joe Huggins Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Linda Engelson on behalf of the Chair Topics of Discussion: 1. Call to Order Chair Robinson opened the meeting and announced the School Committee was meeting in a virtual setting, fully remote via Microsoft Teams,practicing social distancing and in accordance with the Governor's suspension of certain open meeting laws. The meeting was being recorded and broadcast live on RCTV. The Chair called attendance: Mr. Parks—here Dr. Doherty—here Mr. Wise—here Mrs. Kelley—here Mrs.Nazzaro—here Mrs. Dowd—here Mrs. Gaffen—here Dr. Stys—here Mr. Brandt—here Mrs. Allard—here Mr. Robinson—here Mr. Huggins—here Mrs. F,'ngelson- here Mr. Robinson read the following: 1 would like to lake a moment to extend our thoughts and prayers to the Reading Community, our staff, theirfamilies and the entire country while we all navigate through this national crisis. To the extent that we are able the Reading School Community we will be there to provide support both during and fallowing this crisis. I would also like thank our School and Town staff/or their proactive response and support through this crisis. I will not name everyone, but this includes our central office administrators,principals, directors, teachers,paraeducators, directors and support staff on the school side and our Town hall staff, town employees and first responders on the town Page 1 1 .side. To use the cliche, it takes a village is appropriate and this Reading village has been strong in their response and will continue to be strong in the aftermath. For our students we are thankful far your continuation of your education on a remote basis and we know it may be challenging or difficult to understand what is transpiring around you but please know our community and country is in a different kind of war like we have never seen before. Wars end. but warriors survive. We are thankful to include you all among our most important warriors A. Public Input Mr. Robinson explained that public comment would be held at the end of the meeting allowing the public time to email questions to dasehoolcommittee(aheadine.kl2.ma.us He shared that the next meeting will be tentatively held on April 16th. He said that the committee has received many entails regarding tuition payments. This matter will be on the agenda for the next meeting. B. Consent Agenda Mr. Robinson asked if the committee wanted any items removed from the consent agenda. None were removed. Accept a Donation to RMHS Basketball Accept a Donation from the Reading/North Reading Chamber of Commerce Approval of Minutes(February 13,2020) Mr. Parks moved seconded by Mr.Wise,to approve the consent agenda as presented. The roll call vote carried 6-0. Mrs.Nazzaro Mrs. Gaffen,Mr.Brandt, Mr.Wise,Mr.Parks and Mr.Robinson. C. Reports Director of Student Services Dr. Stys shared that we have received the final report from DESE on our Tiered Focused Monitoring results. She pointed out that there was one area that was in non-compliance but required no corrective actions,all other areas were in compliance. Dr. Stys thanked the team chairs and special education teachers and staff for their hard work during this process. A copy of the report can be found on the website. Liaisons Mr. Robinson shared that Dr. Dockser has submitted her reports on the Reading Coalition meeting which will be attached to the minutes. The Chair opened the floor to the new members. Mrs.Nazzaro said she is looking forward to being a part of the School Committee. She is impressed by what she has seen from Dr. Doherty and his staff during this crisis. Mrs. Gaffen started by saying this is an interesting way to start on the School Committee and feels it is a privilege to serve. She's impressed by how hard working the administrative team is. Page 12 Mr. Brandt thanked the community for their support and patience and echoed the sentiments of the previous speakers on the Central Office efforts. D. New Business Reoreanization Mr. Robinson explained this action is needed due to the fact that the vice chair position is vacant due to Mrs. Borawski's decision not to seek reelection. He asked for nominations for vice chair. Mr. Brandt nominated Mr. Parks. Mrs. Gaffen seconded the nomination. Mrs.Nazzaro nominated Mr.Wise. Mr.Brandt seconded the nomination. Mr. Robinson closed nominations. He called for a roll call vote for the nominations. John Parks Tom Wise Mrs.Nazzaro—No Mrs.Nazzaro—Yes Mr. Brandt—Yes Mr. Brandt—No Mrs. Gaffen—Yes Mrs.Gaffen—No Mr. Parks—Yes Mr. Parks—No Mr.Wise—No Mr. Wise—Yes Mr. Robinson-No Mr. Robinson -Yes The roll call vote was a tie 3-3. Dr. Doherty shared the options of leaving the seat vacant or revote. Mr. Robinson asked each nominee to make a statement. Mr. Parks shared that both he and Mr. Wise have been on the committee for the same amount of time. He has not missed a meeting and would like to continue to move the district forward. Mr. Wise has also been on the committee the same amount of time and has not missed a meeting. He has biweekly meetings with the Superintendent and meets with other Central Office Administrators. He is a student of the policies. Mr. Robinson thinks highly of both nominees. There has been an unwritten rule that members in a reelection year are not normally put into leadership positions. Mc Parks asked if this seat was only through the June reorganization. He also pointed out that members in election years have been voted into leadership positions. Mr. Wise asked what the options are as we approach the reorganization in June. Mr. Robinson said that over the past several years the committee has tried to avoid placing members in a reelection year in leadership roles. He added that generally the vice chair is in the mix for the chair or vice chair positions. Mr. Robinson called for a second roll call vote on the nominations. Page 1 3 John Parks Tom Wise Mrs.Nazzaro—No Mrs.Nazzaro—Yes Mr. Brandt—Yes Mr. Brandt—Yes Mrs. Gaffen—No Mrs.Gaffen—Yes Mr. Parks—Yes Mr. Parks—Yes Mr. Wise—No Mr. Wise—Yes Mr. Robinson -No Mr. Robinson- Yes The motion to elect Mr. Wise as vice chair carried 6-0. Liaison Assignments Mr. Robinson reviewed the vacant liaison positions and aske the following to accept the roles: Audit Committee Carla Nazzaro and Shawn Brandt Mr. Brandt asked if this was until the reorganization only. Mr. Robinson said that we could look at this during the reorganization. Ad Hoe Shawn Brandt and John Parks RCTV Carla Nazzaro SEPAC Erin Gaffen Permanent Building Committee Carla Nazzaro to replace Tom Wise Mr. Robinson shared that we no longer need a representative for the Reading Coalition. Update the community on how the schools are addressing the Covid-19 pandemic Dr. Doherty began by expressing his heartfelt thanks to his Central Office Leadership team for the amazing work they have done during this crisis. He equated the work being done as building an airplane as it flies. He wanted to publicly thank CFO Gail Dowd for extending her stay as she has been instrumental in the process. He shared that a crisis like this requires structure. He went on to thank Joe Huggins and Kevin Cabuzzi,the building principals, teachers and other staff for their efforts. Dr. Doherty began the plan for continuity of operations for education which include: defining clear roles and responsibilities with succession planning for each area of the district; At least one member of the Central Office Leadership Team and another district administrator are involved in each category;Central Office Leadership Team meets daily, District Leadership Team meets three times/week, with Directors, I time/week Meeting Agendas for Central Office Leadership Team meetings and District Leadership Team Meetings are based upon the different categories. Page 1 4 Continuity of Education Mrs. Kelley began by sending positive vibes to the community. Her team which includes coaches Heather Leonard and Alison Straker have been working on developing a rich robust learning experience with a sustainable program. Phase I (Closure-April 6)-Focused on Connectivity, Support and Opportunity with Resources The first days were spent connecting with families asking how we can support them (technologically,food needs, social-emotional needs and online connectivity). Phase 11 (April 6-for remainder of Closure)-More Focus on Support,and Continuity of Learning The middle schools have been using Google classroom which is well established at both Parker and Coolidge. The high school will be using a combination of Google classroom and the Portal. The elementary schools are working on setting up Google classroom as their platform. We realize that we can't replicate the school day. Remote learning will look different for everyone. We are focusing on practicing and maintaining what has been introduced and not on acquisition of NEW material. We will focus on equity expecting things to be offered but offering great flexibility in what students can be able to do remotely. And finally building plans for re-entry-with focus on curriculum planning. The high school sent out information on what their schedule will look like. Every Friday will be for office hours. The middle school's information has also gone out to families. Each team will send out the schedule for core subjects and enrichment activities. The elementary schools will be sending out their structure later this week with the focus on continuity of learning. RISE has designed their plan to be themed weekly activities. Mrs. Kelley reviewed the plans for the 3r0 and 4`^ quarter grading periods. The middle and high schools will be a pass/pass incomplete system. There will be follow-ups on students that receive a pass incomplete. There will be no cumulative assessments at the elementary level. Mr. Brandt asked about the obstacles encountered. Dr. Doherty answered by saying we really didn't know what to expect. We wanted to make sure the students were okay. Next we had to build a remote learning platform and develop a MOA with the RTA. The second week we continued to reach out to families,worked out glitches with video conferencing and to develop a tech platform that our teachers would be comfortable with. Mrs. Kelley followed up by saying that the teachers did not know that school would end on March 1P. We have been able to allow teachers to go to their classrooms to retrieve materials they may need. She feels we are in a good place now. Dr. Stys provided the special education perspective. The state is not counting the first 5 days as snow days with respect to compliance issues. She and her team are communicating with the state on a weekly basis and making sure students have tech access and supports needed. We are working hard to create a consistent plan. Mrs.Nazzaro asked about the MOA with the RTA and remote learning plans. Dr. Doherty said that only some districts did initial MOAs, but most will do second MOAs. Mrs. Kelley said we want students to connect with teachers. We are trying to build a flexible sustainable model. Children need routine and structure. Dr. Stys echoed what Page 1 5 Mrs. Kelley added that we are aligning our messages for special education and regular education. Mc Robinson asked about building plans for reentry. Mrs. Kelley said we are in a good place due to the curriculum work we have been doing. We will look at the pacing guides to determine what we will need to review to start the year both in mastery and power standards. Mr. Parks asked about additional cost for Microsoft licenses and how we plan to advance students(summer programs). Dr. Doherty said that there will be no additional cost for Microsoft teams, we have purchased the licenses. There may be additional cost for Google classroom as we move forward. He followed up by saying we have no plans to offer summer programs. Dr. Stys said that the team chairs continue to meet to determine student needs. Special Education and Related Services Dr. Stys said we are taking the same approach of equal access. She has reached out to the SEPAC about meeting weekly during this time.Our focus is on our students and the team chairs have done a greatjob reaching out to all families. The BCBA and AT specialists have been reaching out to families and teachers to make sure all are connected and have what they need. The staff is focused on goals and objectives with resources and supports individualized for each student. We are mindful of staff as well,developing a bank of resources. IEP meetings are being held virtually for this time period. We are not writing IEPs for this time period. The 504 plan accommodations will continue, although some may need to be rewritten. The staff continues to be mindful of students transition to new schools and we plan on providing summer services to those that require them. Mr. Parks asked about following up with our out of district population. Dr. Stys shared that we have done tons of outreach following up with all of our out of district schools regarding their plans. We will provide continuity of learning. Facilities Mr. Huggins reported that the elementary buildings have been cleaned and the high school is almost done. The middle school cleaning will begin this week. The facilities department is working staggered schedules and we are continuing to perform state mandated inspections. We are using a targeted approach for repairs at this point. Mr. Robinson asked about staffing levels. Mr. Huggins said that we have reallocated hours for the cleaning contractor and shifted them to the middle schools. The custodians are on reduced hours doing building checks in the morning and the evening. Mr. Wise asked about student access. Dr. Doherty said our buildings are officially closed. We need to keep practicing social distancing. Mr. Wise asked how the purchase of the modular is being affected. Mrs. Dowd said we have received favorable pricing and are currently working through contract language. Mr. Wise followed up asking about the start date. Mr. Huggins said we are working with the OPM and Architect on the date. The Town will need to perform some site work. Finance Mrs. Dowd began by saying that the Central Office staff is coming in on an as needed basis but are all working remotely. She is participating in daily calls with DESS Page 1 6 regarding vendor payments. We are going contract by contract regarding payments in an effort to maintain continuity of finance. We have cancelled all rentals. Mrs. Allard has received guidance from the Department of Labor regarding the Family First Coronavirus Response Act It is a temporary act regarding sick leave where two weeks of paid sick leave is directly affected beyond accrued sick leave. Part 2 of the act is that employees can take up to 12 weeks of leave to care for a child due to closure of schools and daycare due to Covid l9. They would be eligible to receive 2/3 of their salary. She continued saying that the hiring procedures continue focusing on vacancies for next year. Mr. Robinson asked about the FMLA component to FFCRA. He asked if the union would have to weigh in on requests. The answer was no. Food Service Mrs. Dowd updated the committee on the outreach to families. She thanked Director Danielle Collins for stepping up to the task. We are offering grab and go meals to all RPS families in need. The needs are growing. Computer and Systems Support Mrs. Dowd thanked Julian Carr and his staff for the phenomenal work they have done. The district did initial outreach to families that could possibly need access to technology. We are working with the building principals and Grant Hightower to ensure our students have access to technology. Mrs.Nazzaro asked about web access. Mrs. Dowd said that this is a challenge because there are not as many hotspots available anymore. We have sent information to families for reduced cost programs. Communication We are aligning our communication with the Town. Mr. Brandt said that it would be helpful if the FAQs were updated. Provisions for Safety. Security, Mental Health and Behavioral Health Services We are looking for resources to support staff, families and kids. Next week Behavioral Health Specialist Lauren Sabella will update her website. Dr. Doherty reiterated the importance of the relationship between the town and schools and shared ways to help out including donations of gift cards to support the Food Pantry. Three questions on the presentation were received via email. a. "does incomplete grade affect a gpa or the pass/fail of the class?" Mrs. Kelley responded that it will not go toward GPA. We are using a pass/pass incomplete. Mr. Wise asked if an incomplete would affect credit for the class. Mrs. Kelley said if a student receives a pass incomplete we will circle back to the student. This will be done on a case by case basis. Page 1 7 b. 'I'm curious what will happen if we go past May 9 and school is called regarding kindergarten screening? If its already been mentioned please do not go through it again (gust say it's already been mentioned) the video is a little choppy online" Mrs. Kelley said screening is required but there is no date that it would have to be done by. Many districts screen in the fall. E. Public Comment—emails received during meeting '.Hi School Committee, my quick puhlic comment is, is this new school committee going to revisit the superintendent review cycle change that was voted on during the 1211912019 meeting? This was a vote that caused a lot of public concern once it became known, and I believe it was said that it would come before the school committee after the election." Mr. Robinson said it will be a future agenda item. Remote Learning Questions submitted by Marianne Downing. (See Attached) Will students be allowed back in building? No,the buildings are closed. How will grades be managed for middle/high school? Answered during presentation. Expectalion for all content? Answered during presentation. Summer classes? Answered during presentation. How will the district manage the process for grade 6 math placements in grade 7? The middle school principals are developing a process and will be communicating to families. Availability to devices? Answered during presentation Printing of documents? There are no plans to students accessing printers. Can the district negotiate bulkpurehases oftechnology? No Mr. Robinson followed up on the inventory of devices. Mrs. Dowd said we are in good shape. Will there be live leaching? Most teachers will not be teaching live. Teachers will have office hours. Timed schedule for any grades? Refer to Remote Learning Plan. /law is district payingfor services that are impossible to provide..? We are navigating through uncharted waters. We are working closely with DESE and are reviewing all contracts. Mr. Parks asked about standardizing communication. Dr. Doherty said each level will look different. Mrs. Kelley added that we are asking the elementary staff to use Google Classroom. Mr. Brandt asked about tuitions. Chair Robinson said we will discuss this topic at the next meeting. Page 8 Dr. Doherty wanted to reemphasize the work done to date and is appreciative of the patience exhibited by our families. We are communicating with other districts daily and very few districts are doing true online courses. Everything we are doing is in the best interest of our students with the resources we have to get them engaged. I. Routine Matters a. Bills and Payroll(A) Warrant 52034 2 20.20 $242,023.75 Warrant 52035 2.27.20 $29,359.70 Warrant 52036 3.05.20 $205,770.08 Warrant S2037 3.12.20 $255,396.46 Warrant 52038 3.19.20 $345,910.32 Warrant P2017 2.21.20 $1,822,633.13 Warrant P2018 3.06.20 $1,638,070.84 Warrant P2019 3.20.20 $1,719,930.66 b. Calendar 2. Information/Correspondence 3. Future Business Mr. Robinson said the next meeting will be on April 16". 4. Journmen[ Adiourn Mr.Parks moved,seconded by Mr.Wise,to adjourn. The roll call vote carried 6-0. Mr.Parks,Mr.Wise,Mrs.Nazzaro,Mrs.Gaffen,Mr.Brandt and Mr.Robinson. The meeting adjourned at 10:04 p.m. NOTE: The minutes reflect the order as stated in the posted meeting agenda not the order they occurred during the meeting. Link to meeting video: https://www youtrrbe com/watch9v=gMRur2N3wTs Jo F. Doherty, HID. Page 1 9 Engelson, Linda From: Robinson,Charles Sent: Sunday,April 5,2020 10:56 PM To: Marianne Downing Cc: Engelson, Linda Subject: Re: Remote Learning Questions for April 6,2020 school committee meeting Follow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Flagged Hi Marianne, I hope all is well I Not ignoring your email.I will make sure staff gets back to you as I don't want to misspeak on any of your questions.Thanksl Chuck Robinson From:Marianne Downing<mariannedowning@comcast.net> Sent:Friday,April 3,20207:54 PM To:DG School Committee<SchoolCommittee@reading.kl2.ma.us> Subject: Remote Learning Questions for April 6, 2020 school committee meeting CAUTION:This email originated from outside of Reading Public Schools.Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender email address and know the content is safe. Dear Reading School Committee: I hope that all of you are well and that by the time that you receive this email,that RPS has finally sent out a plan for remote learning moving forward up to at least May 4, 2020. As of this writing(4:46 pm on 4/3/2020), there has been no communication to parents,at a district level, regarding when remote learning,in compliance with the latest DESE guidance,is slated to begin, and what it will comprise. My understanding is that the Monday 4/6/2020 school committee meeting will go over this plan. Please consider emailing the actual plan (and sideshow that will be given on Monday, if it exists) in ADVANCE of Monday's meeting, so that parents have time to review and understand it before the meeting. It can be very difficult to follow a complicated plan on the fly, seeing it for the first time during a meeting. These are some questions I hope that can be addressed on Monday night, relating to how remote learning will be implemented. Hopefully the plan itself addresses many of these concerns: (1) Will RPS allow parents/students to re-enter the schools to go to lockers to get notebooks/ books/belongings? Recall that RPS had the schools open for a 4 hour window on 3/16/2020 but that is it-back when we all thought the schools were only going to be closed for 2 weeks. Very likely a great many families were not able to go in at that time—when I went into Parker for example, I was the only parent there, and I did not get every item out of my daughter's locker. Students may need their binders and/or any books, of course,to move forward in learning and/or review learning. And if this access is allowed, how will the schools manage this in an appropriate social distancing kind of way(e.g., scheduled access,or a staff member gets the locker contents and leaves the contents in a bag for a parent to pick up, etc.)? 1 (2) How will grades (if any) be recorded or managed for Q3 and/or Q4, for middle and high school- is pass/fail an option? (3) Is there an expectation that all content for the year is going to be covered in middle and/or high school and, if it is not, is the content next year going to be modified to include the lost content? Ditto for elementary. (4) Will any summer classes be considered for regular day students to make up for lost content? (5) How will RPS manage the process for grade 6 students takingtests to determine if the students qualify for math 7/8? What tests, grades, etc., will be used forthis determination? (6) Will the district consider making more district-owned devices available to families where multiple kids may have to share a computer, or where the device the children have access to, does not have a webcam? (7) Is there any part of the remote learning plan content that will require printing anything out and what about students who do not have printers at home, will the district be able to print out packets for such students? (8) Can the district negotiate any bulk discounts for families who may want to purchase an additional device (e.g., Chromebook) at this time? Most retail outlets for such devices are sold out. (9) Will there be actual live teaching in any grades? Pre-recorded? Is it at the teacher's option, or is there some standard expected for each grade? (10) Will students be expected to follow a timed schedule in any grades (e.g., if it is a "day 3"in a middle or high school rotation, will students be expected to log into Microsoft teams or some other platform at that time,to join the rest of the class)? I also have some questions about district costs. In particular, how is the district handling paying for services that are impossible to provide during the school shutdown, especially services that are contracted (e.g,, out of district transportation, use of consultants, in district transportation) ? What about stipends to things like coaches, advisors, etc. ,where the season is cancelled or no extracurricular can take place—are they still getting paid? Will this result in any cost savings for the district? We are certainly saving on not having to hire substitutes,for example.And is the district refunding parent paid tuition for things like extended day and full day kindergarten,which was possibly paid in advance for some months but which never took place(e.g., entire month of April). Thanks in advance for your time in addressing the concerns I list above Best Regards Alari NNe V'VMNIY Home Phone:781-944-3447 Mobile: 508-265-4214 Home Address: 13 Heather Drive—Reading MA Email:mariannedownine@comcast.net z Engelson, Linda From: Mike <mkmona04@yahoo.com> Sent: Monday,April 6, 2020 8:27 PM To: DG School Committee Subject: fwd: sc question Fallow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Flagged CAUTION:This email originated from outside of Reading Public Schools. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender email address and know the content is safe. >>does an incomplete grade affect a gpa or the pass/fail of the class? mike monahan 1 Engelson, Linda From: Alicia Williams <aw@cordelephotography.com> Sent: Monday, April 6,2020 8:25 PM To: DG School Committee Subject: Kindergarten screening Follow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Flagged CAUTION:This email originated from outside of Reading Public Schools. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender email address and know the content is safe. Hi, you may have already covered this: I'm curious what will happen if we go past May 4 and school is called regarding kindergarten screening? If it's already been mentioned please do not go through it again(just say it's already been mentioned)the video is a little choppy online Thank you Alicia Sent from my phone 1 Engelson, Linda From: Marianne Comcast <mariannedowning0comcast.net, Sent: Monday, April 6, 2020 7:38 PM To: DG School Committee Subject: Revisited of superintendent review cycle public comment Follow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Flagged CAUTION:This email originated from outside of Reading Public Schools. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender email address and know the content is safe. Hi school committee, my quick public comment Is, is this new school committee going to revisit the superintendent review cycle change that was voted on during the 12/19/2019 meeting? This was a vote that caused a lot of public concern once it became known, and I believe it was said that it would come before the school committee after the election. Thanks, Marianne Downing, 13 Heather Drive Sent from my iPad 1 Engelson, Linda From: Robinson, Charles Sent: Sunday,April 5, 202010:50 PM To: Jeanne Cappuccio Cc: Engelson, Linda Subject: Re: RMHS Remote Learning Plan Follow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Flagged Hi Jeanne, I hope all is well.Thank you for sending this email. Many administrators,directors,teachers etc.have been working very hard on this. Chuck Robinson From:Jeanne Cappuccio<leannecap@msn.com> Sent:Monday,April 6, 2020 12:00 AM To:DG School Committee<SchoolCommittee@reading.kl2.ma.us> Subject: RMHS Remote Learning Plan iGAUTION:This email originated from outside of Reading Public5chools.Do not click links oropen 'attachments on you recognize the sender email address and know the content is safe. Dear School Committee Members, I hope you and your families are well. I am a parent of a senior at RMHS and I just want to share with you my appreciation for the hard work, dedication, and support that RMHS staff has demonstrated during this very challenging time. Guidance counselors and teaching staff have reached out frequently to check-in and provide support as well as learning activities.The remote learning plan was developed quickly and efficiently. I know it will be very beneficial in supporting my son. The sample home learning schedule will definitely help to add more structure and meaningful activities to the days! The entire Reading School District has been extremely supportive and we feel fortunate to be part of this community. Sincerely, Jeanne Cappuccio t The Reading Coalition for Prevention and Support Liaison Report for Meetings on February 26th and Remote Meeting on March 25" Submitted by former School Committee Member Linda Snow Dockser For School Committee Meeting on April 6, 2020 The work of the Coalition continues despite the need to go remote.There have been two Coalition Meetings attended by former School Committee Member Linda Snow Dockser and Dr.John Doherty since the last update. The Feb. 261" meeting transitioned the organization from the former Reading Coalition Against Substance Abuse to The Reading Coalition for Prevention and Support, reviewing our mission and establishing the new Board of Advisors.Advisors are stakeholders, appointed by the Coalition Director,from our Community and Region who emanate from Law Enforcement,Schools, Mental Health and Substance Use Services, Clergy,the Press, and others who can exchange and share information, and provide feedback on the planning, implementation, and effectiveness of The Coalition's work. Director Erica McNamara also presented the Coalition Grant Outcomes from 2014-2019. RCASA's work has been vital to the health of our community. At both meetings, we discussed the work done on Vaping Prevention prior to the closing of schools, by Outreach Coordinator Sammy Salkin and our two School Resource Officers. The work in progress is with both students and their families at both Coolidge and Parker Middle Schools. This is a serious and frightening addiction issue for our children that our medical providers are scrambling to figure out how to treat and prevent. We also discussed the introduction and progress of Reading's Crisis Intervention Team who are triaged by Community Service Officer Kristen O'Shaughnessy. At the time of our last meeting,twelve of our police officers had done the training. When a police call is completed. it is logged and if it falls in certain categories, such as Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Senior Services, or Domestic Abuse, Officer O'Shaughnessy assigns it to members of this team for follow up.This follow up program gives support to those experiencing the problem and helps to decrease recidivism. This program is a vital step forward in transitioning from approaching problems as law enforcement issues to an opportunity to help and treat the problems which necessitate the police calls. In response to the COVID 19 Crisis,The Coalition has been working with the Mystic Valley Public Health Coalition to develop an important Resource Guide with many helpful tools for dealing with the mental health and substance use implications of this pandemic. It includes links to virtual support groups,family advice for explaining and coping with this crisis with children of all ages, explaining social distancing to children, and more. It is available on the Reading Coalition Website at https:/Zwww.reading.kl2.ma.us/community/readingcoalitionZ . The specific link is: https://www reading k12 ma us/files/8315/8576/0120/4 1 20 Reading MA Services Available During the C OVID-19 Outbreak.pdf The group also discussed the collaboration between The Coalition and the Reading Public Schools. The Therapeutic Support Programs and Guidance are rising to meet the new needs of families and students through this crisis. The Reading Coalition for Prevention and Support is available as a resource for anyone needing guidance or support during this challenging time. Please do not hesitate to contact them.