State Facts for Students: MA summary via Census.gov

School is out for the summer but learning is really life long. Exploring the data available from Census.gov is worth spending sometime on. 

An email from them arrived in my Inbox and as it touted ice cream caught my eye. 

"What’s your favorite flavor(s) of ice cream? Did you know there were 427 U.S. ice cream and frozen dessert makers in 2020, 23 more than a decade earlier (2010)? 

Students can explore this and other cool data like the total number of kids in the U.S. ages 8 to 14 and the total number of U.S. amusement parks. 

What better way to celebrate National Ice Cream Month than to enjoy a frozen treat while using our State Facts for Students data tool to discover oh-so-sweet stats!"

I did explore the State Facts for Students page to obtain the summary for MA. I would have to go deeper into the data to get the details on how many ice cream makers there are in MA. 

State Facts for Students: MA summary via Census.gov

You can find this data (and more) online at -> https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/sis/resources/data-tools/state-facts.html

 

A PDF version of the data is available here ->  https://drive.google.com/file/d/16YsrqaCocY_TARMCEhVWm11dRL2QJjK9/view?usp=drive_link

National Ice Cream Month

Medicare for You: What You Need to Know

"We invited the Administrator to share helpful information on Medicare coverage. This is part 1 in the two-part series.

Your health is important and needs to be protected. If you are 65 or older, or have certain disabilities, or End-Stage Renal Disease, you can get health care coverage through the Medicare program. You’ll get access to health care services you need to achieve and maintain good health.

It’s important to review your Medicare coverage options and find an affordable option that meets your health care needs."

Continue reading the article online -> https://blog.ssa.gov/medicare-for-you-what-you-need-to-know/

Medicare for You: What You Need to Know

The News Literacy Project - info graphic on levels of scientific evidence

"#Educators: Teach students to evaluate scientific evidence with this resource created with @DrKatEpi 👇🏾

8️⃣ levels of evidence are ordered from weakest to strongest & reflect a spectrum of quality, so students can visually grasp differences: https://t.co/YQHK8ya4Al " or  https://newslit.org/educators/resources/levels-of-scientific-evidence/?utm_id=Science-Infographic

 Shared from Twitter -> https://t.co/ioYaGJTFj0

The News Literacy Project - info graphic on levels of scientific evidence

Franklin Public Schools seeks public input on proposed options amid redistricting analysis process

The Franklin Public School District invites Franklin residents to provide input on proposed options as part of the redistricting analysis process that was pioneered by the Franklin School Committee during the 2021- 2022 academic year. 

The district will host public forums on 

• March 7 at Franklin High School Media Center from 6 PM - 8 PM  
• March 13 virtually via Zoom from 6 PM - 8 PM

Both forums will present the same information.

Options proposed have been workshopped by district staff, the redistricting analysis consultant Applied Geographics (AppGeo) and the Redistricting Advisory Committee, which is composed of parents/ guardians, educators, district and building based administrators as well as school committee members. All options will be presented by the district and redistricting analysis consultant, a supplementary input survey will be distributed to collect additional comments.

The feedback provided during our upcoming public forums and input survey will inform the district's recommendation to the School Committee for a vote in the Spring of 2023. The decision to implement any recommendations, including potential changes to current boundaries, is a School Committee decision.

The following options will be presented in March.

Option 1 - Proposes that current district attendance boundaries remain the same while a Master Facilities Plan is conducted. ASMS/Keller spaces will continue to be used flexibly. Both administrative teams at the complex will continue to work together to utilize the available space to accommodate the needs of all students.

Option 2 - Proposes a change to district attendance boundaries in an attempt to balance enrollment while also maintaining geographic contiguity and undertaking a Master Facilities Plan, which may result in further redistricting based on the outcome.

Option 3 - While the current district attendance boundaries remain the same as Option 1, there is a consideration for including a "Buffer Zone" for designated areas of the former Davis Thayer attendance boundary, which could allow families to opt-in to Oak Street and/or Parmenter Elementary School for specific zones as a special consideration.

 

ASMS/Keller spaces will continue to be used flexibly. Both administrative teams at the complex will continue to work together to utilize the available space to accommodate the needs of all students. When necessary, small group instruction for Keller students may occur in nearby Sullivan spaces—understanding that the results of a Master Facilities Plan could reassign attendance boundaries for students in future years.

Buffer Zone Considerations in Option 3:

1. The District will not provide transportation, and parents/guardians of students who request to transfer must transport their child to and from school.

2. Requests are taken on a first-come, first-served basis based on room availability.

3. Families approved for the voluntary buffer zone opt-in may be subject to a reassignment of their district boundary pending the results of a Master Facilities Plan.

Additional information can be found on the Redistricting Analysis webpage of the Franklin Public Schools website.  https://www.franklinps.net/district/redistricting-analysis

For more information please contact Marketing and Communications Specialist Lily Rivera at riveral@franklinps.net.

About the Franklin Public School District:

The Franklin Public School District strives to nurture a safe, supportive, inclusive and collaborative learning environment in each of our 10 schools. We believe in providing an engaging and rigorous curriculum with exemplary instructional practices that will support and challenge students to reach their full potential through personalized learning opportunities. Our goal is to develop the necessary social-emotional, academic, and career skills for each Franklin student, so that they will be a productive citizen in an ever-changing world.

Franklin Public Schools seeks public input on proposed options amid redistricting analysis process

Reminder: High school juniors you can be part of Distinguished Young Women, Info session scheduled for Jan 29

"Calling all high school girls in the Class of 2024!! 

Are you a smart, talented, strong, service-oriented leader? Do you want a share of $1 billion in college scholarships? Do you want community service credit? 

Apply today to be a Distinguished Young Woman! Have fun, build confidence, learn life skills, make friends, win scholarships! All for free! 

Please apply online at franklin.ma.distinguishedyw.org or contact Amy Azza at 508 517 4310 or amy_azza@hotmail.com for more info.

We will have a Zoom info session on Sunday, January 29 at 8 PM"

For additional info (including Zoom session) -> 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1551606135109407/permalink/3364423590494310/

Distinguished Young Women, Info session scheduled for Jan 29

High school juniors you can be part of Distinguished Young Women, Info session scheduled for Jan 29

"Calling all high school girls in the Class of 2024!! 

Are you a smart, talented, strong, service-oriented leader? Do you want a share of $1 billion in college scholarships? Do you want community service credit? 

Apply today to be a Distinguished Young Woman! Have fun, build confidence, learn life skills, make friends, win scholarships! All for free! 

Please apply online at franklin.ma.distinguishedyw.org or contact Amy Azza at 508 517 4310 or amy_azza@hotmail.com for more info.

We will have a Zoom info session on Sunday, January 29 at 8 PM"

For additional info (including Zoom session) -> 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1551606135109407/permalink/3364423590494310/

High school juniors you can be part of Distinguished Young Women, Info session scheduled for Jan 29

   

GBH Forum Network: "Meme Wars: how the internet changed politics from Occupy to the insurrection"

GBH Forum Network (@GBHForumNetwork) tweeted

Just published! 👉 https://t.co/kXqZEphvrK  or https://forum-network.org/lectures/meme-wars-how-internet-changed-politics-occupy-insurrection/ 

A talk with @ShorensteinCtr @BostonJoan and @brianfriedberg moderated by @BostonGlobe @anissagardizy8 on meme wars and their impact on American democracy. https://t.co/w7BAfa3fe3

Shared from Twitter ->   https://twitter.com/GBHForumNetwork/status/1604964817072279582

The Visual Capitalist: "A Visual Crash Course on Geothermal Energy"

From The Visual Capitalist, this is a good one page view of geothermal energy.

The Visual Capitalist: "A Visual Crash Course on Geothermal Energy"

Follow the link to view the additional information on The Visual Capitalist page for geothermal  ->  https://www.visualcapitalist.com/a-visual-crash-course-on-geothermal-energy/

CommonWealth Magazine: "Time to come clean about COVID-19"

RATES OF COVID-19 vaccination in this country are too low. Less than half of those over 65 have received a second booster and ,among children under 5, the rate of vaccination with any dose is in the single digits. Uptake of the new bivalent booster is worryingly slow, with just 31 million Americans (10.1 percent of those eligible) having received it despite the Biden administration having ordered over 170 million doses. In a recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, only a third of adults said they had received the new booster or planned to. 

Perhaps we should have expected this for COVID. After all, these are novel vaccines that were developed and rolled out under highly politicized conditions. But childhood vaccination rates for other conditions, including influenza, polio, and measles, are dropping as well, suggesting that people who would have vaccinated their children in the past are starting to think differently about vaccines. In addition to being a critical public health concern, this represents a serious issue with trust in public health authorities and their messengers. And it is these “science communicators” who need to take ownership of their messaging failures and fix the problem before it is too late.

To be clear, misinformation surrounding vaccines has had a damaging impact on vaccine acceptance. Claims that have absolutely no basis in reality, such as the presence of microchips in the formula, or the ability of the vaccine to make you magnetic, somehow gained traction among a proportion of Americans who believe those lies. Certainly, there also was already a base of true “anti-vaxxers” – often naturopathy-inclined politically left-leaning people in the years before COVID-19 vaccines came on the scene, and primarily far right-wing followers of Donald Trump since COVID vaccines became available. 

But it cannot be true that the over 90 percent of parents of children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years who haven’t opted into vaccination are anti-vaxxers, or even that they have fallen prey to nefarious misinformation spreaders. The messaging from public health authorities, government officials and doctors and scientists like us who speak to the media is simply not working. What could we do better?

Continue reading the article online at CommonWealth Magazine ->

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/health/time-to-come-clean-about-covid-19/ 

CommonWealth Magazine: "Time to come clean about COVID-19"

The Franklin Voter Guide for 2022 is available

The 2022 Franklin Voter Guide has been published.

The Franklin Voter Guide for 2022 is available

"The Franklin Area Voting Guide is intended to be a non-partisan resource created by private individuals to allow the people of Franklin, Massachusetts, and surrounding communities to cast an educated vote on issues that impact our community.

Information contained in this guide is provided by candidates and taken verbatim from their survey responses, or sourced from candidate websites/social media accounts, public statements, town halls, and past achievements."

Visit the 2022 Franklin Voter Guide ->    https://www.franklinvoterguide.org/2022-voter-guide

Resist misinformation: Join the RumorGuard!

Stop falsehoods in their tracks.

The News Literacy Project has launched a new resource to help you stay informed and push back against misinformation: RumorGuard. RumorGuard empowers you to know what's safe to share and what should be stopped in its tracks. At RumorGuard.org, you'll see posts that debunk viral rumors, but we don't stop there: Our team lays out exactly how you can determine that a claim doesn't hold weight, based on five factors for credibility. Join the RumorGuard: Subscribe to receive emails about how you can help stop the spread of misinformation online. Each RumorGuard post takes you through the facts behind a specific viral rumor, then breaks down the five factors that you can use to verify any claim: Authenticity: Is it authentic? Source: Has it been posted or confirmed by a credible source? Evidence: Is there evidence that proves the claim? Context: Is the context accurate? Reasoning: Is it based on solid reasoning? You can dig deeper into news literacy techniques on RumorGuard and take action for facts. Join the RumorGuard We built RumorGuard to give you the ability to debunk viral falsehoods, but it's also the foundation for our shared future founded on facts. Help us push back against misinformation by signing up and sharing RumorGuard posts with your family and friends. For a future founded on facts, The News Literacy Project

Support news literacy by donating today.

What is the sound of human knowledge?

"Sound helps shape our perception and how we learn about the world around us. Some sounds are quite simple to identify, like the sound of a rocket launch or the sound of waves crashing against the shore. But how about the sound of all human knowledge?

The Wikimedia movement is searching for a sound logo that will identify content from all of our projects, like Wikipedia, when visual logos are not an option — for example, when virtual voice assistants answer queries.

Through an open contest, organised by the Wikimedia Foundation, we are inviting the world to create The Sound of All Human Knowledge. This sound will help communicate what the Wikimedia movement stands for — trustworthy, reliable, open, and accessible knowledge for all."

Shared from -> https://soundlogo.wikimedia.org/?mtm_campaign=central-notice-banner-Phase2

What is the sound of human knowledge?

The State Election 2022 Red Book is coming to your postal mailbox

The Secretary of the Commonwealth has announced:

"Check your mailbox for the red Information for Voters book, which has information on 2022 ballot questions. Books are being delivered to all households this month.

Note: There will be 4 statewide questions on the November ballot. 

Questions 1-3 are included in the printed Information for Voters book. Question 4 was submitted too late to be included, but you can find it in the online version at http://VoteInMA.com."

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/VotingInMass/status/1570459490637729796

Question 1 -  https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/ele22/information-for-voters-22/quest_1.htm

Question 2 -  https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/ele22/information-for-voters-22/quest_2.htm

Question 3 -  https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/ele22/information-for-voters-22/quest_3.htm

Question 4 -  https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/ele22/information-for-voters-22/quest_4.htm

The Red Book is coming to your postal mailbox

Sign up for the MASSter listing for more MA news

Want more MA news in addition to the Franklin information shared here? A good source recently found is the MASSter List. You can sign up for one daily email with a look to the day and a recap of information focused on MA.

"The MASSter source for news and analysis about politics, policy, media, and influence in Massachusetts. Tips: Editorial@MASSterList.com"

Sign up online for this newsletter -> https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/aPTLucK

You can also go direct to a couple of my key MA sources, the Boston Globe and CommonWealth Magazine.

Franklin is not a news desert as we have multiple sources of info.

• Franklin Town Online delivers to each US Postal box once a month
• The Franklin Observer provides their views via a daily email
• The Milford Daily News & MetroWest Daily News sometimes will provide coverage

Dan Kennedy of Northeastern has compiled a listing of the news sources for MA. He publishes a podcast on "What Works" and as part of that shares the listing here -> ttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sJrYscPQ0aNQNYd36kdBi7ubVjkM9yeyGJdTZnKhksc/edit#gid=0

Sign up for the MASSter List for MA news

For more about the Franklin Matters information process, visit this link

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/09/what-does-free-subscription-to-franklin.html

 

Franklin High School News: Important Information and Dates

Important Information and Dates

September - October

Sept 2       No School Professional Development Day

Sept 5       No School Labor Day

Sept 21     Half Day of School; dismissal at 10:55 AM

Sept 26    No School Rosh Hashanah

Sept 28    School Photo Days, more information to come

Sept 29    School Photo Days, more information to come

Sept 29    Back to School Night 6:00 PM -8:00 PM

Oct 5         No School Yom Kippur

Oct 7         Half Day of School; dismissal at 10:55 AM

Oct 10       No School-Indigenous Peoples' Day

Oct 15       PSAT's at FHS for the class of 2024; 7:30 AM to 12:30 PM -- registration info will be emailed to families

Oct 28       Half Day of School; dismissal at 10:55 AM

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• New Student Registration >> click HERE
• Moving? Complete a Change of Address form >> click HERE
• School Bus Routes for the 2022-2023 School Year-click HERE
• Fall Sports Try-Outs and Practices click HERE
• Register your Franklin Public Schools Chromebook and purchase insurance for it HERE

 

Franklin High School News: Important Information and Dates

Dan Rather: We Should Not Become Inured to the Shock

After the affidavit  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

	Open in browser We Should Not Become Inured to the Shock Dan Rather and Elliot Kirschner Aug 26 The Department of Justice has released the affidavit it used to obtain permission to search Mar-a-Lago and seize files from Donald Trump. The document fills in some details but leaves many questions unanswered, largely because it is heavily redacted — as it should be. The sanctity of the investigation demands it. So does the security of the nation. What we knew before has been further confirmed — Trump absconded with hundreds of classified documents. We now know these were incredibly sensitive and included information on clandestine human sources and secrets not to be shared with foreign governments. We may never know the documents' exact contents — that's how sensitive this material is.  What is so striking, as many others have observed, is that as president, Trump was notoriously uninterested in details. He doesn't read. He certainly doesn't pore over policy details. He is famous (or infamous, depending on who is assessing) for "not getting into the weeds." So why these documents? Why did he care so much? What, if anything, do they have in common? Can they point to a motive? We can speculate on what that might be, understanding that he has long ago lost any benefit of the doubt.  The government said it gleaned the information it included in the affidavit from "a significant number of civilian witnesses." This detail will undoubtedly fuel Trump's paranoia, but it also suggests just how unsafe these national secrets were at Mar-a-Lago.  As we learn more, as we look for clues, as we wonder and question, we should be careful not to lose track of the big picture.  At the very minimum, this situation represents a major breach of national security. Do we really believe that any other citizen of this country, which is who post-presidency Trump is, would be walking free if found in possession of these documents? Rather than being persecuted, as Trump self-servingly claims, this affidavit makes it clear that the Department of Justice was extraordinarily patient — possibly to a fault. They gave Trump every opportunity to hand these over. And yet he didn't. Why not?  At this moment, around the world, women and men are risking their lives for our country. We have a system of secrecy that protects the most sensitive aspects of our national security. It is in place for a reason. Because the lives of Americans and the future health and safety of the nation depend on it.  That this saga has become "partisan" is not a reflection on the seriousness of these documents. Rather, it is a reflection of how unserious the Party of Trump is when it comes to our national wellbeing. As shocking as this episode is, we must not become inured to it. Shock like this should not wear off. It should propel us forward to ensure that justice is served and nothing like this ever happens again.  Note: If you are not already a subscriber to our Steady newsletter, please consider doing so. And we always appreciate you sharing our content with others and leaving your thoughts in the comments. Subscribed Share Leave a comment Thanks for subscribing to Steady. This post is public, so please feel free to share it. © 2022 Dan Rather 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104

Senator Rausch: Sep 6 - Primary Voting Info

Everything you need to vote by mail, vote early, or vote in person on Election Day.

View this email in your browser Senator Rausch State House Briefing    Part 2, Chapter 20 (August 25, 2022)    It's primary season! Do you have a plan to vote in the Tuesday, September 6 Massachusetts primary election? As a registered voter, you have the choice to vote by mail, vote early, or vote on Election Day. I fought incredibly hard to bring vote by mail to our Commonwealth, and I'm deeply proud that we have expanded access to the ballot box through my legislative work. In such uncertain times, it is crucial that we protect our democracy by preserving our constitutional right to vote.  In this newsletter, you'll find everything you need to make a voting plan for the Massachusetts primary election. For real-time updates, please follow me on Twitter and Facebook. If you are a constituent and need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact me and my team via phone (617-722-1555) or email (becca.rausch@masenate.gov). We are here to help.    Happy voting! Yours in service,     Senator Becca Rausch    Resources at a Glance  Check your voter registration, find your polling place, and preview your ballot  Find your early voting site Register to vote or update your voter registration  Download an application to vote-by-mail, call 800-462-VOTE (8683) to request an application, or email elections@sec.state.ma.us (and include an e-signature)  Application and ballot tracker Find your local election office  REGISTER TO VOTE   The deadline to register for the September 6 primary election is Saturday, August 27. You can check your voter registration, find your polling place, and preview your ballot here.  VOTE BY MAIL Fill out a vote by mail application   If you did not receive a vote by mail application in the mail, you can request one online, contact your local election office, or call 1-800-462-VOTE to get a copy mailed to you. If you are an unenrolled or independent voter, make sure you indicate on the application which party's primary ballot you want to receive. If you do not apply for a mail-in ballot for the primary, or you miss the deadline, you should get another application in the mail in September to vote by mail in the November 8 general election.  Send in your vote by mail application  Simply mail, email, fax, or drop off your application to your town or city clerk. The application sent to you will be addressed with guaranteed prepaid postage. If you submit the application via email, the application must have your signature on it. Your town or city clerk must receive your application by 5PM on Monday, August 29.  Submit your mail-in ballot  You can submit your mail-in ballot via mail, ballot drop box, or at your early voting location.  A mail-in ballot will be sent to you at the address where you registered to vote, or a different address of your choosing if you designated it on your application. You will receive your ballot, instructions for voting by mail and completing your ballot, and an envelope pre-addressed with postage guaranteed to send to your local clerk. Remember to check the back side of your ballot and vote there too. Do not forget to sign your ballot!  The deadline to drop off your ballot is 8 PM on Election Day, Tuesday, September 6. If you mail your ballot, it must be postmarked no later than Election Day and received by your town or city clerk by 8 PM on Tuesday, September 6.  VOTE IN PERSON - EARLY OR ON ELECTION DAY If you do not want to vote by mail, you can still vote early in person or head to the polls on Election Day.   In-Person Early Voting  Polling will begin on Saturday, August 27 and end on Friday, September 2.  Voting on Election Day  Polls will be open from 7AM-8PM on Election Day, Tuesday, September 6th. If you are in line by 8PM, you must be allowed to vote.   If you have any questions about voting in Massachusetts, please don't hesitate to reach out to my office at 617-722-1555 or the Elections Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office at 1-800-462-VOTE. Happy voting!   Virtual Evening Office Hours   My team and I host virtual office hours every month. Residents from any part of the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District, as well as residents of the Norfolk, Worcester and Middlesex District (which takes effect in January 2023), are welcome to share their questions and opinions on state issues with me and my team via video chat or phone call.     Sign up for a 15-minute appointment here.          Upcoming virtual office hours:     Monday, September 12, 5-6 PM Our mailing address is: The Office of Senator Becca Rausch Massachusetts State House, Room 218 24 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02133