Showing posts with label report. Show all posts
Showing posts with label report. Show all posts

Sunday, January 23, 2022

OCPF Reports: Notice of Public Hearing on proposed Regulation Changes

OCPF Reports (@OCPFReports) tweeted on Thu, Jan 20, 2022:
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

E-mail jtait@cpf.state.ma.us for an invite to the hearing via Zoom. https://t.co/4i5TzDE4GG
 

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/OCPFReports/status/1484274264559738883


OCPF Reports: Notice of Public Hearing on proposed Regulation Changes
OCPF Reports: Notice of Public Hearing on proposed Regulation Changes

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

One story, two headlines

Boston Globe:  
"Eric Rosengren, president of the Boston Fed, moves up retirement, citing kidney illness"

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)   https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/09/27/business/eric-rosengren-president-boston-fed-retire-after-fed-begins-review-how-it-oversees-investments-officers/

Washington Post: 
"Two Fed officials announce retirements amid controversy over ethics and stocktrading"
Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)


Saturday, August 28, 2021

Report: "Massachusetts Cities and Towns Leading the Way to 100% Renewable Energy"

"Cities and towns are taking ambitious steps to increase renewable electricity generation, reduce energy use, and shift to clean heating technologies, according to a new report from the Environment Massachusetts Research & Policy Center.

“The best ideas for clean energy often start at the local level,” said Ben Hellerstein, state director for the center. “If we want to have cleaner air, healthier communities, and a safer future for our children, we need to move rapidly toward 100% renewable energy from sources like the sun and the wind. These communities are showing how to make it happen.”

The report, Renewable Communities 2021, features the following seven case studies of Massachusetts cities, towns and regional agencies that are leading the way to 100% renewable energy. "

Continue reading the article online


Visit Environmental Massachusetts for more information ->   https://environmentmassachusettscenter.org/

Report:  "Massachusetts Cities and Towns Leading the Way to 100% Renewable Energy"
Report:  "Massachusetts Cities and Towns Leading the Way to 100% Renewable Energy"


Sunday, July 18, 2021

The Guardian: "the dozen are responsible for 73% of all anti-vaccine content"

"The vast majority of COVID-19 anti-vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories originated from just 12 people, a report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) cited by the White House this week found.

CCDH, a UK/US non-profit and non-governmental organization, found in March that these 12 online personalities they dubbed the “disinformation dozen” have a combined following of 59 million people across multiple social media platforms, with Facebook having the largest impact. CCDH analyzed 812,000 Facebook posts and tweets and found 65% came from the disinformation dozen. Vivek Murthy, US surgeon general, and Joe Biden focused on misinformation around vaccines this week as a driving force of the virus spreading.

On Facebook alone, the dozen are responsible for 73% of all anti-vaccine content, though the vaccines have been deemed safe and effective by the US government and its regulatory agencies. And 95% of the COVID misinformation reported on these platforms were not removed."
Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required) 
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/17/covid-misinformation-conspiracy-theories-ccdh-report

On Facebook alone, the dozen are responsible for 73% of all anti-vaccine content, though the vaccines have been deemed safe and effective by the US government and its regulatory agencies. Photograph: Science Photo Library/Alamy Stock Photo
On Facebook alone, the dozen are responsible for 73% of all anti-vaccine content, though the vaccines have been deemed safe and effective by the US government and its regulatory agencies. Photograph: Science Photo Library/Alamy Stock Photo


Tuesday, June 29, 2021

"members simply could not reach a consensus on an issue that became incredibly controversial"

"AFTER 16 MONTHS of work, members of a commission tasked with updating the state’s laws for reporting child abuse have failed to reach an agreement and will not make any recommendations to the Legislature.  
The report of the mandated reporter commission is scheduled to be released Wednesday. At a meeting Monday, commission members decided to include in that report a summary of their deliberations and of feedback obtained in a public comment period – but not to vote on any legislative recommendations.  
“There’s no recommendations,” confirmed the state’s child advocate, Maria Mossaides, who chairs the commission, after the meeting.  
Asked why the commission decided not to make any recommendations, Mossaides said she was “unwilling to speak for the commission on that matter,” and she would let the document speak for itself when it is released. "

Sunday, June 13, 2021

Boston Foundation: report -> "Pathways to Economic Mobility"

Boston Foundation (@bostonfdn) tweeted on Thu, Jun 10, 2021:
The Pathways to Economic Mobility report draws on data across high schools, postsecondary institutions & employers, exploring important & timely questions to better understand the impact of community colleges on students' career trajectories. 
Read it here: https://t.co/hjYbLW7jqz 

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/bostonfdn/status/1402991082166620171

Boston Foundation: report -> "Pathways to Economic Mobility"
Boston Foundation: report -> "Pathways to Economic Mobility"


Thursday, April 1, 2021

What background disqualifies a reporter from a story?

"Felicia Sonmez had to flee her home. In early 2020, after the death of the basketball player Kobe Bryant, Sonmez, a longtime breaking news reporter at the Washington Post, tweeted a link to a Daily Beast story about the 2003 rape allegation against Bryant. The tweet had no commentary and no editorializing by Sonmez, and yet on the day it appeared online, it was a lonely acknowledgment of Bryant’s compromised legacy amid a sea of uncritical praise for the dead athlete. In response, the reporter received a deluge of abuse from Bryant’s fans. They were angry at what they saw as Sonmez besmirching Bryant’s memory by acknowledging the accusation that he had been sexually violent towards a Colorado woman; they were willing to avenge this disrespect, or so they claimed, with more violence against women. The name-calling escalated into threats, and some of those threats seemed credible. Her home address was published online. For her own safety, Sonmez went briefly into hiding.

The story is sadly familiar to female journalists, who face harassment, threats, stalking, and other digital hostility as a strange and uncompensated condition of their jobs. But in many cases, these female journalists are defended by their employers. Such was the case for Taylor Lorenz, a New York Times reporter on digital culture who was targeted by Tucker Carlson and other rightwing instigators last month: the Times issued a statement standing by their reporter, and condemning the attacks against her."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) 
 

Friday, February 19, 2021

Franklin's COVID-19 case count continue the downward trend

 

"The state releases a map on a weekly basis that uses coronavirus case counts to show which Massachusetts communities are at high, moderate, and low risk for COVID-19 infection. The state’s latest report lists a total of 66 Massachusetts communities now considered high risk for the spread of COVID-19.

The statewide average daily rate of infection per 100,000 residents was at 30, down from 38.5, last week, and Boston’s average daily rate was at 30.4, down from 38.8 last week."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) 


Tucked in an updated at the Town Council meeting on Wednesday, the revelation that Franklin lost 38 residents (85% over the age of 75) to COVID-19 thus far in the pandemic. As you read this, let's stop for a moment to remember those who have left us.

As for COVID-19 cases, we have dropped again to 2.4% (percent positivity test results). This continues the downward trend (from 3.7 last week and 4.7 the week before).

Franklin's COVID-19 case count continue the downward trend
Franklin's COVID-19 case count continue the downward trend


Saturday, January 9, 2021

FM #427 Board of Health Meeting - 1/06/21 (audio)

FM #427 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 427 in the series.
 
This session shares the Franklin, MA Board of Health meeting held on Wednesday, Jan 6, 2021. 

The meeting was conducted in a hybrid format: some of the Health Dept were in the Municipal Building, the remainder, Committee, (and public) were remote via conference bridge, all to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

The show notes contain links to the meeting agenda and to my notes. 

The recording runs about 39 minutes. Let’s listen to the Board of Health meeting held on Wednesday, Jan 6, 2021. Audio file =   https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/HV06SSGS


 

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

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
 
How can you help?

  • If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
  • If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
 
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ 

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters" 

FM #427 Board of Health Meeting - 1/06/20 (audio)
FM #427 Board of Health Meeting - 1/06/20 (audio)




Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Town of Franklin, MA: COVID-19 Dashboard


The Town of Franklin COVID-19 Dashboard can be found here bit.ly/TOFDshbrd 
new 'dashboard view' = https://t.co/jPvsvLAL0O
Shared from Twitter = https://t.co/pUiGppThKQ


The new presentation of data uses the same data previously shared
The chart below details the confirmed, recovered, and isolated cases of COVID-19 in the Town of Franklin. This data reflects the most current information available and will be updated with additional information as confirmed counts are released through the Franklin Board of Health from the state Department of Public Health (DPH). Data for this table is based on information available in the Department of Public Health surveillance database at a single point in time. Case counts for specific cities and towns change throughout the day, as data cleaning occurs (removal of duplicate reports within the system) and new demographic information (assigning cases to their city or town of residence) is obtained. Statewide data is here  (https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting

 

Town of Franklin, MA: COVID-19 Dashboard
Town of Franklin, MA: COVID-19 Dashboard


Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Davis Thayer Facilities Analysis - step by step process

From the Davis Thayer Facility Analysis page:
The Davis Thayer Elementary School was authorized for further analysis through a study as prescribed by the School Committee Policy FCB - Retirement of Facilities. The rationale for the facilities analysis includes:
  1. the age and design of the facility;
  2. decreased enrollment across the district; and
  3. economic efficiency.
Although preliminary enrollment projections are available, the District will be obtaining more detailed and thoroughly analyzed demographic details and enrollment projections. Additionally, the District will be examining the Davis Thayer facility and space utilization/availability across the district. You can find detailed information as is becomes available on the lefthand links.

Updates related to this study will be shared at regular intervals at School Committee meetings, online and directly with the DT community, at least on a monthly basis. We recognize this process can be emotional; the District is committed to engaging in this study with the greatest of care towards students, families, and staff.
https://www.franklinps.net/district/davis-thayer-facilities-analysis
 
There is no specific "time" line, there is a defined process flow and the process is still in Phase 1 as shown in this flow (below). There is no timeline in that the process will cover step by step as needed but NOT by a specific date. 
 
The discussion on the report Tuesday night gets to focus on the specifics in the report but will not reach a conclusion yet as indicated by the process there is more analysis to be done.

Davis Thayer Facilities Analysis
Davis Thayer Facilities Analysis

Comprehensive Facilities Assessment 
 
School Committee Meeting Agenda
 

Saturday, October 10, 2020

South Franklin Congregational Meeting House Existing Conditions Report and Peer Review

South Franklin Congregational Meeting House Existing Conditions Report and Peer Review


South Franklin Congregational Meeting House Existing Conditions Report and Peer Review
South Franklin Congregational Meeting House Existing Conditions Report and Peer Review



Thursday, September 24, 2020

Boston Foundation Housing Report Card

"Some fascinating (and troubling) data being shared by @sassermodestino at the new @bostonfdn Housing Report Card webinar. Mass. being hit hard - especially communities of color - what will it mean for housing stability? Her new report is up now at https://t.co/zP5HSLhLui."
 
"Although economists are predicting a gradual recovery of the U.S. economy beginning sometime in the third quarter of 2020, forecasts show that the labor market will not return to pre-pandemic levels until the end of 2022.1
In Massachusetts, where unemployment is significantly higher than the national rate, it could take even longer to recover all of the jobs lost during the COVID-19 recession due to the initial severity of the pandemic and the exposure of key industries like education and health care.
Against this backdrop, residents face reduced unemployment insurance benefits that will constrain their ability to continue making their housing payments in full. Coupled with the eventual expiration of state and national eviction moratoriums, the cumulative impact of deferred rental and mortgage payments has the potential to lead to large increases in housing displacement in 2021."

Read the full report online:
 
There are also links to watch the webinar and to download the presentation copy
 
Tweet from Ted McEnroe (@tmcenroe) https://twitter.com/tmcenroe/status/1308772716548362240 https://twitter.com/tmcenroe/status/1308772716548362240?s=20 https://twitter.com/tmcenroe
 
ttps://twitter.com/tmcenroe/status/1308772716548362240?s=20 
 
Boston Foundation Housing Report Card
Boston Foundation Housing Report Card
 status/1308772716548362240?s=20  https://twitter.com/tmcenroe/status/1308772716548362240?s=20
https://twitter.com/tmcenroe/status/1308772716548362240?s=20.com/tmcenroe/status/1308772716548362240?s=20 

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Superintendent’s Report to Franklin (MA) School Committee: September 8, 2020 Meeting

School Reopening Update

First Ten Days of PD

We have had five excellent days of professional development so far. The administrators and faculty/staff alike appreciate the training on workplace safety standards and professional development on digital tools and SEL. They are most appreciative of the afternoon time to collaborate, plan, and implement new learning.

We continue with five more professional days this week, which include a focus on assessing students’ knowledge and skills upon return to school, more training on digital tools, and anti-bias education for faculty, staff, and administrators. We are working with a consultant, who built capacity among the leadership team. This will be an extension of that work with staff across the district.

Communication

Families can expect a multitude of communications to be forthcoming this week -- cohort information, schedules, and class placements will all be issued. Additionally, Anne Marie Tracey is developing a presentation for families on the numerous things that they can expect -- from appropriate mask wearing, to monitoring of symptoms, and how to be ready for remote/ hybrid instruction.

Air Quality

The Franklin Public Schools, in preparation for welcoming staff and eventually students back to school, will implement processes to increase air circulation from the outdoors. For one week prior to the start of the school year, commencing with the return of faculty and staff to campus on September 1st, the dampers will be open greater than their typical 20-35% to promote circulation throughout the buildings. HVAC settings will be adjusted to increase the flow of outdoor air daily and will be set to extend the hours of ventilation beyond the school day.

Windows and doors will be open to promote air circulation when appropriate and safe

The District proactively services all units and changes filters through a maintenance contract with Automatic Temperature Controls, Inc.. (ATC). ATC services the HVAC twice per year for preventative maintenance and as needed for repair work. Preventative maintenance occurred on all systems in the summer of 2020. This included the changing of filters, all of which are rated as appropriate for each system.

Carbon dioxide readings are automatically maintained between 200-800 parts per million. Air transfer is a minimum of 20 cubic feet per minute per individual in a classroom.

The District is beginning the project to upgrade the HVAC systems with Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI). This project will occur over the fall months with a goal of completion by the end of December. This upgrade is not a requirement, but rather is a suggestion by ASHRAE Notification of COVID Cases, and will help to promote better air quality not only for COVID but also in protecting against other viruses in the future.

All classrooms are equipped with indoor fans, which may be placed in an exhaust mode in classrooms. Air conditioning units may be used only with District approval.

Mike D’Angelo is preparing an additional statement on the status of our HVAC systems and what has been done to promote even greater air quality.

Notification of COVID Cases

The District needs to maintain student and staff confidentiality at all times. The District, however, will also weigh the community’s need to know in order to prevent further spread of the Coronavirus. The facts and specifics of each case’s circumstances will determine the nature of the communication. The greater the exposure for people in the district, the more communication and direct guidance there will be.

We are also mindful, however, that there is a stigma attached to COVID-19 and appeal to the community to be generous and kind to each other. We can not tolerate harassment based on medical status.

The COVID Handbook addendum contains additional information about partial and full closure of schools and/or the district. In these instances, the facts would support widespread communication so that individuals can monitor symptoms.

The local Health Department and Public Health Nurse will be responsible for contact tracing, although FPS will assist with these efforts.

Mandatory Influenza Vaccine

I’d like to clarify my statement from last time related to the mandatory influenza vaccine. Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, influenza vaccine will be required for all students. Documentation of immunization status should be submitted to schools within 60 days of school start. This immunization is required in all models of learning, including Remote. Vaccinating against influenza is important for several reasons. Influenza vaccine is always important to receive to reduce the risk of getting sick with influenza, reduce the severity of disease if one does get sick (including the risk of hospitalization) due to influenza, as well as preventing the spread of influenza to others. During the COVID-19 pandemic, influenza vaccine will be especially critical to reduce the overall impact of respiratory illness on the population, protect vulnerable populations from severe illness, and decrease the overall burden on the healthcare system.

Exceptions may be granted for those for whom the vaccine is medically contraindicated. This needs to be supported by a statement from the child’s pediatrician. Exceptions may be granted for families who attest in writing that the vaccine violates sincerely held religious beliefs.

Document should be submitted to the school nurse by December 31, 2020. 


Superintendent’s Report to Franklin (MA) School Committee: September 8, 2020 Meeting
Superintendent’s Report to Franklin (MA) School Committee: September 8, 2020 Meeting


Thursday, June 25, 2020

Franklin Public Schools: Superintendent’s Report to School Committee - June 23

Superintendent’s Report to School Committee
June 23, 2020 School Committee Meeting

Active Anti-Bias Education in Franklin Public Schools

At the last school committee meeting, Ms. Stokes asked for an update related to the work of FPS in being inclusive and combating bias, hate, and discrimination. I humbly submit some of the actions within FPS over the past several years to be a more equitable and inclusive school community:

1. Establishment of our core values including a Safe and Inclusive School Culture
2. In 2019-2020, placed cultural proficiency as a theme across all four district goals, instead of a stand-alone initiative: social-emotional learning; rigorous and engaging curriculum;
high-quality instruction to meet the needs of each learner; effective two-way communication.
3. Developed a district-wide response protocol for incidents of hate, bias, and discrimination based on Teaching Tolerance’s “Responding to Hate and Bias at School”
4. Professional development on cultural proficiency
  • a. Administrative professional development -- 10-hour course with Dr. Kalise Wornum of KWD Diversity 2019-2020.
  • i. Outcomes: studying your students and their families; examining one’s bias; “marking the moment” to address incidents of bias, and having difficult conversations
  • ii. Theme of 2019-2020 -- get to know your students
  • iii. Sent administrators to see Dr. Adolph Brown (via membership in Middlesex Partnership for Youth) to build the capacity of our leadership team
  • iv. Administrative Team is reading White Fragility this summer as an anchor text
  • b. Curriculum leaders and professional development -- 30-hour session on curriculum development using Understanding by Design; thread through the sessions on culturally proficient/responsive curriculum design
  • c. School-based professional development led by building principals
  • i. Outcomes: marking the moment; understanding one’s bias; examining materials and resources for bias
  • d. Courses at FHS
  • i. Offered “Race in America” during 2018-2019 but didn’t run in 2019-2020 due to low enrollment
  • ii. Being offered for 2020-2021
  • iii. Seal of Biliteracy in 2020-2021, a credential that promotes second language acquisition, and recognizes this skill among our English Learners
  • iv. Economics for Citizenship-”...understanding and navigating national and global economic questions and concerns.”
5. Expanding literature and reading materials in elementary classrooms
6. A World of Difference Peer Program at all three middle schools and Franklin High School where student peer leaders (under the guidance of faculty advisors) provide instruction to their fellow students on understanding and eliminating bias within the school community
7. Clubs at Franklin High School: Diversity Awareness; SAGA; International Club, World of Difference, American Sign Language Club
8. Examining current practices to address systemic racism more explicitly, which is an expectation of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education during their regular program review, including around Civil Rights

We are certainly not perfect and there are more actions to pursue. FPS is committed to anti-racist and inclusive practices. We plan to return to the School Committee in the fall with a more in-depth presentation as well as additional steps within our improvement goals/initiatives.

We also especially look forward to ways to engage with the broader community to promote this work across the town of Franklin.


ESY Information
Remote Extended School Year (ESY) services will begin on July 8th. Updated individualized Remote Learning Service Plans outlining what remote ESY services will be provided and how they will be provided will be sent to parents/guardians by the end of this week.

On June 7th the district received Summer 2020 Guidance from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The Student Services administration is carefully reviewing the guidance to determine if we can meet the health and safety requirements and provide, on a limited basis, some in-person instruction later this summer to students with the highest level of need. Further guidance from DESE is expected later this week. We want more than anything to be able to provide in-person ESY services this summer but the health and safety of our students, families, and staff is the top priority. We will continue to provide ongoing communication with families throughout the process.

Art Highlight from RMS
In the spirit of sharing highlights from the school year, I am very proud to be sharing a project by Ms. Jane Pichette, an art teacher at Remington Middle School. She drew sketches of each of the graduating grade 8 students and as a parting gift, sent them this postcard to their homes.

A slideshow of her work can be found here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ksNRA_aNGfhxF0yJcNAeUjeGjnjhwBid/view

The Superintendents Report can be found on the Town of Franklin page
https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/superintendents-report-6232020



In the News: “This report lays out in heartbreaking detail the terrible failures that unfolded"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
"The leadership of a home for aging veterans in Massachusetts where nearly 80 residents sickened with the coronavirus have died made “substantial errors and failures” as the disease began to spread, likely contributing to the high death toll, according to an independent investigation released Wednesday.

The superintendent of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home was not qualified to manage a long-term care facility and he and his leadership team made decisions that were “utterly baffling from an infection-control perspective,” the report said. Among them was a decision to move veterans from one dementia unit into another, both of which housed veterans who already had the virus.

“Rather than isolating those with the disease from those who were asymptomatic — a basic tenet of infection control — the consolidation of these two units resulted in more than 40 veterans crowded into a space designed to hold 25. This overcrowding was the opposite of infection control; instead, it put those who were asymptomatic at even greater risk of contracting COVID-19,” the report said."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200624/report-leadership-failed-to-control-outbreak-at-vets-home

Press release on report  = https://www.mass.gov/news/independent-investigation-examining-the-tragedy-at-the-holyoke-soldiers-home-released

Report itself = https://www.mass.gov/doc/report-to-governor-baker-re-holyoke-soldiers-home/download

Video update = https://youtu.be/zYcmyapiQjU


Monday, June 15, 2020

Franklin Public Schools: Remote Learning Update - June 15, 2020

June 15, 2020

Dear Franklin Families and Faculty/Staff,

The purpose of this message is to update families and faculty/staff on Remote Learning.

Planning for Re-Opening School in the Fall
A District Re-opening Taskforce -- comprised of district and school-based administrators, faculty/staff, school nurse leader, school physician, Facilities Department, Food Services, Lifelong Learning, Athletic Director, and a School Resource Officer -- has begun to plan for reopening school in the fall. We will be including parent/family and student voice as well.

The group’s efforts are focused in five areas: operations, healthy, and safety; whole child supports; personnel; academics; and distance learning. We expect that preliminary guidance from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, containing more details around teaching and learning, will be issued soon. The guidance issued on June 5, 2020 was specific to ordering Personalized Protective Equipment (PPE) and should not be interpreted as what school will look like in the fall.

The District will be surveying families, staff, and students. Please be on the lookout for a survey soon. You can expect a communication from the Re-opening Taskforce mid-summer, in advance of the opening of school, for your planning purposes.

Chromebook Collection
At this time, the District will not be collecting Chromebooks from families whose children will return to Franklin Public Schools in the fall.

If your child is not returning you may complete a “request for remote support” form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf--tUJyJtg2OIFTEIXaoyJCmDbrqBEkvFgPYe9AJ3q7F3Asg/viewform) and then drop the Chromebook off at the rear of Franklin High School at the technology office on a Wednesday from 4-6 PM.

If your child is returning to FPS but you would like to return the Chromebook, please also complete the request for remote support form and drop it off on a Wednesday from 4-6 PM at the rear of Franklin High School at the technology office.

Alternatively, you can connect with a building administrator for a time when you can drop it off at your child’s school.

Last day of School 6/18
The end of the year certainly doesn’t look like how we envisioned when we began the school year on August 27th. Our last day of school will be Thursday, June 18th. In order to accomplish end of year tasks, the day will be modified where the secondary block will run from 8:30-10:30 AM and the elementary block will run from 9:00-11:00 AM. Afternoon instruction/meetings will be rescheduled. Current Kindergarten students will participate. More specific information may be issued from your child’s school. The last day of ECDC will be June 16th with their end of the year “Fun Fair” on June 17th.

Elementary and Middle School Report Cards
Please see the following links about report cards at the elementary and middle levels:
Elementary Report Card Letter (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HJCijpl2DrqyddwbtKyt3UdBqWV27ImIS3DQLYbx3gk/edit?usp=sharing)
Middle School Report Card Letter (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xkXgkjG7keyq6Sz0Pj1MN_OijOHCnkOvXtTu60QVGeY/edit?usp=sharing)

P-EBT Card for Students who Qualify for Free/Reduced Lunch
Families whose students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch started to receive P-EBT cards in the mail on Friday, May 29, and we hear that there has been some trouble with activating cards. The following information comes from the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) in order to assist you with activation:

Call DTA's Assistance Line at (877) 382-2363 and press 6. Their staff can help families to get the case information.

We are pleased to announce that the Food Services program has been awarded a grant in order to continue food service this summer, serving breakfast and lunch, to any child in Franklin.

This has certainly been a challenging spring for everyone. We want to thank the Franklin community for working together to keep each other safe and for cooperation, patience, and communication in shifting the entire instructional and support system to be remote. We have learned much in these difficult days, most notably emphasizing how much we value the opportunities we have to be together.

We want to wish all of our faculty/staff, students, and families a healthy and safe summer. 

Kind regards,
Franklin Public Schools

Please contact the Superintendent’s Office at 508-553-4819 with any questions. Please leave a voicemail. Although we are working remotely, voicemails are sent to email and will be responded to in a timely fashion.

PDF version (not yet on schools web page)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vwE7rFD_YckvgvfBcyBwDRdBBsYdFqw3/view?usp=sharing

Franklin Public Schools: Remote Learning Update - June 15, 2020
Franklin Public Schools: Remote Learning Update - June 15, 2020

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

FTC Consumer Alerts: Credit reports are now free, every week




Consumer Alerts from the Federal Trade Commission
by Cathlin Tully - Attorney, Division of Privacy and Identity Protection

If you're feeling anxious about your financial health during these uncertain times, you're not alone. That's why the three national credit reporting agencies are giving people weekly access to monitor their credit report — for free.

Read more
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/05/credit-reports-are-now-free-every-week?

This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.


https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/coronavirus/financial-impact
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/coronavirus/financial-impact

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

“We didn't have weeks to act. We barely had days and we might be too late”

When the pandemic is by us (and no one know how long that will take), this story will be one of the contemporary pieces to go back to for the analysis of what happened and what could have happened. We will need to develop the 'lessons learned' from this pandemic for next time. The pandemic is a reminder that while it was predicted, it is likely to repeat until we change.

WBUR shares this reporing: 'We Knew The Inevitable': Why Mass. School Leaders Had To Close Schools On Their Own

“I said, ‘I think we have a kid,’ ” he said. “You could just see that everyone's face was like, ‘OK, this just got real.’ ”

And it got critical. Classes were starting at the school in less than 30 minutes. Immediately, Tremblay divided everyone into smaller groups and assigned tasks. Track down all students and staff who might have had contact with the symptomatic student. Inform those families and advise them to self-quarantine for 14 days. Tell bus drivers to stand by in order to bring kids home.

Some of the Framingham families who needed to quarantine didn’t speak English. Tremblay brought translators into the room. They wrote all official messages into Spanish and Portuguese simultaneously, working in Google docs.

“This escalated, as you can imagine, pretty quickly,” Tremblay said.
Continue reading the article online
https://www.wbur.org/edify/2020/03/30/behind-school-closure-decisions

“We didn't have weeks to act. We barely had days and we might be too late”
“We didn't have weeks to act. We barely had days and we might be too late”

Friday, December 6, 2019

FM #184 - Town Administrator's Report to Town Council - 12/4/19

FM #184

This internet radio show or podcast is number 184 in the series for Franklin Matters.

This recording shares Town Administrator Report segment from the Town Council meeting held on Wednesday, Dec 4, 2019.

Updates on:

  • New Board of Health Director, Cathy Liberty replacing David McKearnery who is retiring
  • Cindy Souza, of Animal Control is also retiring sometime in January
  • Update the turf field issue now that the DEP letter has arrived
  • Open Meeting Law special session on Dec 11
  • Thanks to the DPW and others for the look of the Town Common
  • Thanks to the DPW for their work on the first and long snow fall this week
  • Update on the Spring St issue raised by the Cochran’s in the Citizen Comments section


Maybe I am getting lazy, maybe it is just worth a try, Jamie’s update from each Town Council meeting is not covered in detail by my notes (and yes, I strive to get better on that) so I thought it important to share the audio of his report to the Town Council in a timely manner. The Town generally publishes an “Actions Taken” doc to highlight the recorded votes. So rather than wait for the full minutes to be approved and available, I’ll share the audio segment of the TA Report.

The statement runs approx 9 minutes.

Link to DEP letter as mentioned
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15WMp_zZiMXs_7MfpUQJd5hgtaVbrlkY_/view?usp=sharing

https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/Hc0j5J4X




What we know about the "turf issue":



What we don’t know:


  • What happened to the Conservation Commission mitigation measures from when the field was first installed (in 2004?)?
  • Where was the old carpet and bags of unused infill taken?
  • What will the State and/or Federal agencies do with PFAS and the recent revelations (if anything)?

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

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but I can't do it alone. I can always use your help.

How can you help?

Overall:
  • If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors.
  • If you don't like this, please let me know.

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements.
Thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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


The prior statement by Jamie Hellen can be found online


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

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"


search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"