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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-06-24 School Committee MinutesOthers Present: Superintendent John Doherty, CFO Gail Dowd, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services len Stys Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Samantha LaPierre on behalf of the Chair Topics of Discussion: I. Call to Order Chair Wise called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. and reviewed the agenda. A. Public Inou[ Mr. Wise called for public comment. Jeanne Borawski, a member of Reading Rotary;. Porchfest, and Reading Fall Street Faire, announced the date of the Fall Street Faire on 9/11 and a writing contest, Light in the Darkness. The writing contest is open to all Reading Students, entering Kindergarten through Grade 12 and will focus on the theme of what is the light in the darkness for you? For all of us? The writing submissions are due on August 10. She asked if someone from the School Committee would help judge the writing samples. Mr. Wise asked if more than one member could judge. Ms. Borawski indicated that she would check to we if the judging committee had balanced representation. B. Reports Student No Report Director of Student Services No Report Page I 1 RECEIVED meorae TOWN CLERK Town of Reading READING. MA. '} re Meeting Minutes 0�� Rt 2021 OCT 13 PM 2: 12 ': rr<onv"1 Board - Committee - Commission - Council: School Committee Date: 2021-06-24 Time: 6:00 PM Building: School - Memorial High Location: School Library Address: 82 Oakland Road Session: Open Session Purpose: Open Session Version: Final Attendees: Members -Present: Chuck Robinson, Erin Gaffen, Sarah McLaughlin, Tom Wise, Carla Nazzaro and Shawn Brandt Members - Not Present: Others Present: Superintendent John Doherty, CFO Gail Dowd, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services len Stys Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Samantha LaPierre on behalf of the Chair Topics of Discussion: I. Call to Order Chair Wise called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. and reviewed the agenda. A. Public Inou[ Mr. Wise called for public comment. Jeanne Borawski, a member of Reading Rotary;. Porchfest, and Reading Fall Street Faire, announced the date of the Fall Street Faire on 9/11 and a writing contest, Light in the Darkness. The writing contest is open to all Reading Students, entering Kindergarten through Grade 12 and will focus on the theme of what is the light in the darkness for you? For all of us? The writing submissions are due on August 10. She asked if someone from the School Committee would help judge the writing samples. Mr. Wise asked if more than one member could judge. Ms. Borawski indicated that she would check to we if the judging committee had balanced representation. B. Reports Student No Report Director of Student Services No Report Page I 1 Assistant Superintendent No Report Human Resources Director No Report Chief Financial Officer No Report Superintendent No Report School Committee Ms. McLaughlin — No Report Mr. Brandt —No Report Mrs. Naz aro stated that there was an RCTV board meeting on Tuesday, and there are available spots in the 3e° and 4" summer sessions. Please visit RCTV.com to register your child. Mrs. Gaffen —No Report Mr. Wise provided an update on the Liaison assignments. The assignments were included in the packet. Mr. Robinson — No Report C. Old Business Shrine Update Dr. Doherty gave his final update of the school year. Now that we are in summer, it is the summer update. The topics covered the following areas: • Final Health and Safety Report (Cases, Vaccinations, Pool Testing) • Search Update — Dr. Doherty announced that Renee Limauro has been appointed as the new Special Education Literacy Coach • ESSER Fund positions — Dr. Doherty outlined the positions and programs that are being funded out of the ESSER II and III funds for the next two years. The positions include: • 1.0 SOAR Teacher at Coolidge • 1.0 Elementary School Adjustment Counselor • 1.0 RMHS Guidance Counselor • 5, 19 hour tutor positions at the Elementary • 2, 15 hour tutor positions at the Middle Schools • 2.5 Team Chairs at the Elementary Level • Project Wayfinder Social and Emotional Curriculum in Grade 10 • Summer ELL tutor support Page 1 2 • The transition of the Reach Program from Killam to Barrows next year and the students leaving elementary school will be going to Parker beginning a year from now. The program will be phased out of Coolidge over the next three years. • Fall Health Standards — Dr. Doherty reported that DESE has issued the following information: For summer programs: Masking indoors and maintaining other health and safety guidance is not required but is encouraged. The DESE summer guidance is in alignment with state guidance encouraging unvaccinated individuals to continue to mask. The DPH mask advisory advises unvaccinated residents to continue wearing masks in indoor settings and when they cannot socially distance. For the fall: At this time, all health and safety guidance including masking and physical distancing will be lifted. We will collaborate with the Department of Public Health (DPH) to issue any additional health and safety recommendations over the summer should they become necessary. • Accomplishments/Highlights for the year— Dr. Doherty highlighted all the amazing accomplishments that the Reading Public Schools did during the school year. He stated that when you review the accomplishments, it looked like a normal school year and not a pandemic year. The highlights included the following: • Successfully Implemented Year 1 of District Improvement Plan • Fall Reopening Plan • Curriculum Guides • Program Descriptions for Special Education • Portrait of the Graduate • NEASC Accreditation • Building Security Infrastructure • Integrated online tools and curriculum into remote learning • Statement of Interest submitted for Killam • Professional Development and Training in Equity, Social Emotional Leeming, and Remote Learning • Significant Work Completed on Special Education Literacy • Transparent Communication Throughout School Year • Successfully transitioned from remote to hybrid to in person • Several administrative hires completed for 2021-22 School Year • Submitted ESSER Grants (I, B, 1II) • Implemented Pool Testing PreK-12 • Implemented Vaccination Plan, 6-12 • Worked closely with Incident Command Team since March, 2020 on a variety of projects • Successfully deployed over 1000 laptops and 40 hot spots for remote learners in need • Implemented Food Distribution Program • Successfully implemented COVID compensatory services for special education students • Implemented Early Literacy Screener • Continued to strengthen relationship with SEPAC • Parent Workshops on School Transition and Social Emotional Learning • Birch Meadow Modulus Installed • PPE Purchased and Distributed • HVAC Filters Upgraded • IS School Committee Policies Revised and Approved Page 1 3 • SOA Plan Submitted to State • Improved Diversity Hiring Practices • Several Athletic Teams competing in State Tournament • Successful virtual chorus and drama productions • CFO Received State Award • RISE Received State Recognition • Outdoor Graduations and promotion ceremonies for Class of 2020 and 2021 Dr. Doherty then read the following statement: "I have said this on many occasions, but I want to say thank you to our staff and parents for the following: • Attending the virtual updates. I know that began in the spring, 2020, continued into the summer, and then throughout the school year. Your questions and comments were very helpful as we developed and implemented a plan than focused on health, safety, and academics. • Being patient with all of us. Like you, we gave it everything we had. We did not have a script on how to do this, but we used our moral compass to do everything we could to help you and our students. • Staying current on all of the communication that you received from DESE, Principals, and Central Office. • For being flexible. Many of you had to go back and forth between remote and hybrid when there was a quarantine. • Thank you for believing in what we were doing and giving it everything you had. There are many groups of people I want to thank for making this year very successful. • Our PmK, K, High Needs Teachers, Related Service Providers, BCBA's and Pameducators, and Specialists -You were here in person every day since the start of the school year. • All of our other teachers -You had to teach in four worlds all year long.... remote, hybrid, in person, and livestream. You had to completely shift your toolbox of skills on the fly to make learning engaging this year. Some of you focused your entire year on social and emotional support for students... and staff. • Our Nurses-Yourjob changed dramatically this year. Thank you. for your flexibility, your efforts, and your conscious emphasis on health and safety. You had to navigate through pool testing, vaccinations, contact tracing, and doing your regular full time job. • Our Custodians and Facilities Staff -You have been here since the pandemic began. You were cleaning, disinfecting, rearranging furniture for physical distancing, installing PPE, and anything else that needed to be done to support safety of students and staff. • Our Food Service -You had a very diffrcukjob this year where being remote impacts you. Thank you for your efforts in providing food for all of our students, especially those students with food insecurities. • Our Pameducators-You also had to be very flexible this year in yourjob roles and responsibilities. Sometimes you were working with students, other times you were substituting, helping in the office, covering lunches and other duties, or running a satellite classroom. • Our Secretaries and Central Office Administrative Assistants -From last spring when we closed the schools and you had to sort mail in central office, to making sure that the school schedules and communication were running smoothly, to handling all of the day to day emergencies (everything was an emergency this year), you were the glue that kept everyone together. Page 14 Our Technology Staff -You had an extremely difficult job this year, because all of our learning depended so heavily on the success of our technology infrastructure. You deployed over 1000 laptops and 40 hotpots to students who needed it. Finally, I want to thank the team: • Our Directors: Joe Huggins, Julian Carr, Danielle Collins, Mary Giuliana, Allison Wright, Grant Hightower, Chris Nelson -You went above and beyond and kept your departments doing everything they could to support our schools. • Our Principals and Assistant Principals: Kate Boynton, Craig Murray, less Theriault, Tom Zaya, Sarah Marchant, Brie Karow, Ricki Shankland, Brendan Norton, Joanne King, Sarah Leveque, Julia Hendrix, Beth Leavitt, Lisa Marie Ippolito, Kelley Bostwick -You took impossible plans from the State (and from me) and you made them work. You provided the social emotional support for you building staff and navigated through some very difficult community situations. Your communication to staff and families was amazing. • Our Team Chairs -Adam Blaustein, Renee Limauro, Melissa Forbes, Leander Comm, Jackie Payton, Kelly DiCato, Shane Goldwyn -Special Education is always a challenging job, but this year it was even more challenging with all of the competing needs of our students and families. • Our Teaching and Learning Staff -Heather Leonard, Alison Straker, Lauren Sabella, Courtney Fogarty -You provided the training, support, and coaching for our staff throughout this school year. • Our Central Office Administrators -Gail Dowd, Jennifer Stys, and Chris Kelley - Without your efforts in Human Resources, Special Education, Finance and Operations, and Teaching and Learning, none of this would have happened. We avoided many potholes and jumped many hurdles to keep this school district functioning during this pandemic. Your support and leadership was amazing." Dr. Doherty then showed several student photos of last week of school events and closed out his update by showing a video clip of the Parker Chorus singing, Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman. " D. Routine Matters Calendar Mr. Wise indicate that the next meeting will be on June 30 at 8:00 a.m. and will be virtual. He also indicated that he is working on the SC Calendar with Dr. Doherty and Dr. Milaschewski. The first meeting in July is scheduled for July 220°. E. Adioum Mr. Brandt made motion, seconded by Ms. Gaffen to move to eo into Executive Session o To discuss strateev with respect to collective bargaining in that an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bamaining position of the public body. o To discuss the complaints broueht against a public individual. o To discuss strateev with respect to litigation if an open meeting may have detrimental effect on the litieatine position of the public body and the chair so declare. Page 1 5 The roll call vote carried 6-0. Ms. McLauehlin, Mr. Brandt, Mrs. Gaffen, Mrs. Nazzaro, Mr. Wise and Mr. Robinson. The meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m. NOTE: The minutes reflect the order as stated in the posted meeting agenda not the order they occurred dur' the meeting. Link mt. ideal Committee 06-24-2021 - YouTube Thomas Milaschewski, Page 1 6