"Did you realize kids are not getting immunized?"

"While trials are recruiting or already underway for children 12 and older, companies have yet to enroll younger children. It will probably be another year before vaccines are available for them, said Robert Frenck, the principal investigator for the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine trial at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, who also oversees the AstraZeneca clinical trial there.

At least four companies — Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Janssen — are planning to start trials for younger children this spring, according to Yvonne Maldonado, a professor of pediatrics and epidemiology, and chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stanford University School of Medicine. It is “critical to include all populations including infants and young children in safety trials,” she said in an email, adding that doing so “will be important to prevent individual pediatric infection as well as transmission to family members, teachers and other caregivers.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/parents-grapple-with-reality-that-young-children-wont-be-vaccinated-soon/2021/02/08/e5851334-67ee-11eb-8468-21bc48f07fe5_story.html

 

CommonWealth Magazine: "Constitutional challenge to vote-by-mail likely"

 

"Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin and voting rights advocates want to allow Massachusetts residents to vote by mail for any reason. But is that constitutional?

The Massachusetts Constitution explicitly says the Legislature can authorize absentee voting for just three reasons: if someone is out of town, physically disabled, or cannot vote on Election Day due to a religious belief.

Lawmakers acknowledged the constraint in 2013, when they considered but did not act on a constitutional amendment to allow absentee voting for any reason.

“There’s been a long-term traditional view that opportunities to vote by mail in Massachusetts are constrained by the Constitution, which specifies particular conditions under which you can do this,” said Evan Horowitz, executive director of the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/the-download/constitutional-challenge-to-vote-by-mail-likely-2/ 

 

 

DESE Updates Transportation Guidance

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has just updated their transportation guidance, which can be found online here: https://t.co/9LeGeMqRGj

Quoting the key operational change (red text):

 

•    Distance
As of February 2021, physical distancing guidelines and resulting bus capacities have been updated per the below. Districts may adopt these updated standards only when the required mitigation measures outlined in the rest of this guidance document (wearing masks, opening windows, etc.) are followed.

In all cases, maximum distance between students should be maintained during boarding and transportation.

o    Elementary schools:

o    Capacity limitations and physical distancing requirements for students on buses are lifted.

o    Middle and high schools:

o    Capacity limitations and physical distancing requirements for students on buses are lifted, except for middle and high schools in districts with high community prevalence.
o    For middle and high schools in districts with high community prevalence, capacity limitations and physical distancing requirements on buses are amended to allow 2 students per bus bench.

 

 

Download the full guidance document from DESE (Word doc) 
https://t.co/9LeGeMqRGj

DESE Updates Transportation Guidance

Rotary Club of Franklin MA-Fine Art Auction PREVIEW BEGINS ! Don't forget to Register!

Good Afternoon Everyone!

As a reminder, our Rotary Club of Franklin MA Valentine's Day Virtual Fine Art Auction fundraiser preview is live today (Wednesday)! 

We ask that you kindly share our flyers via email to all of your friends and family and encourage them to Register for their Bid Number and see the art that is up for auction right now! Because this is virtual event, it can be enjoyed by everyone you know, from all over the U.S. and it only takes a minute to Register at bid.marlinart.com.

This is our very first virtual fundraiser event and we cannot do this alone.  Perhaps someone you know will win the $100 gift card, simply by registering and obtaining a Bid Number. Also, purchased art is framed and will be shipped to their home address, FREE within the U.S.!

Thank you in advance for your help in making this fundraiser a success.

Diane M. Padula

Rotary Club of Franklin MA-Fine Art Auction PREVIEW BEGINS

 

Reminder: Need a Good Laugh ?

Giggles for Good Virtual Comedy Show

View as Webpage Friday, February 12, 2021 7:00 - 8:00 PM 8:00 PM Raffle Winners Announced (You do not need to be present to win) 2 Family-Friendly Comics (We've had a change of line up, our 2nd comedian is now Luke Thayer) Cyrus Steele America's Clean Comedian! Cyrus Steele was selected by HBO for the Comedy Wings Competition, as part of the American Black Film Festival. Growing up in Savannah, Georgia, Cyrus moved to Atlanta in 2005, quickly establishing himself as one of Atlanta's top comics and a master impressionist, imitating everyone from Seinfeld to all the presidents!  Cyrus most recently has performed on FOX and NBC's "America's Got Talent". Luke Thayer Luke is silly yet biting with an unorthodox view of social norms and insight into the choices people make.   He has appeared on FOX, TruTV, The Food Network, and more. Luke is regularly heard on SiriusXM Radio and has been their "Comedian of the Month."   His debut album "Hopes + Dreams" is on iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, and more! CLICK HERE TO GET TICKETS  Get tickets ->  https://www.hmea.org/giggles/ Luke Thayer After you purchase your ticket(s), you will need to follow the Zoom link in your confirmation email to register each ticket for its unique Zoom invitation to the show! CLICK HERE to invite your friends and family through our Facebook event.

HMEA | 8 Forge Park East, Franklin, MA 02038 Sent by hmea@hmea.org powered by Try email marketing for free today!

FM #458 - School Committee Meeting (P1 of 3): Annie Sullivan segment (audio)

This session shares the Franklin, MA School Committee meeting held on Tuesday, Feb 9, 2021. 

The meeting was conducted in a virtual format: all of the School Committee members, Central Office personnel, along with the public were remote via conference bridge, all to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

I’ve split the just over two hour and twenty minute meeting into three logical segments:

• *** First ***  covers the opening through the Annie Sullivan presentation (approx. 41 minutes)
• Second - Discussion - Action items covering the Davis Thayer closing discussion and vote (approx. 43 mins)
• Third - from Discussion Only items through to the end of the public meeting (approx. 59 minutes)

The show notes contain links to the meeting agenda and to my notes. The meeting packet folder will hold the other documents released for the meeting (as we go to press, the Superintendent’s Report is not yet nor is the pool testing outline)

Let’s listen to this segment of the School Committee meeting of Feb 9, 2021

Audio file =  https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/fecadb3d-2ac3-40f7-9cd2-6419487489f1/fm-458-schoolcomm-mtg-20210209-p1of3.mp3

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

Agenda doc
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/02/franklin-ma-school-committee-meeting.html

Meeting packet folder 
https://franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/pages/february-9-2021-school-committee-meeting-packet 

My notes from the meeting
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/02/school-committee-votes-to-close-davis.html

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

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 #458 - School Committee Meeting (P1 of 3): Annie Sullivan segment  (audio)

FM #459 - School Committee Meeting (P2 of 3): Davis Thayer segment (audio)

This session shares the Franklin, MA School Committee meeting held on Tuesday, Feb 9, 2021. 

The meeting was conducted in a virtual format: all of the School Committee members, Central Office personnel, along with the public were remote via conference bridge, all to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

I’ve split the just over two hour and twenty minute meeting into three logical segments:

• First - covers the opening through the Annie Sullivan presentation (approx. 41 minutes)
• *** Second ***  Discussion - Action items covering the Davis Thayer closing discussion and vote (approx. 43 mins)
• Third - from Discussion Only items through to the end of the public meeting (approx. 59 minutes)

The show notes contain links to the meeting agenda and to my notes. The meeting packet folder will hold the other documents released for the meeting (as we go to press, the Superintendent’s Report is not yet nor is the pool testing outline)

Let’s listen to this segment of the School Committee meeting of Feb 9, 2021

Audio file = https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/8a6ecf5d-28f9-472f-8ba0-ad4f10d7ebe3/fm-459-schoolcomm-mtg-20210209-p2of3.mp3

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

Agenda doc
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/02/franklin-ma-school-committee-meeting.html

Meeting packet folder 
https://franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/pages/february-9-2021-school-committee-meeting-packet 

My notes from the meeting
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/02/school-committee-votes-to-close-davis.html

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

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 #459 - School Committee Meeting (P2 of 3): Davis Thayer segment (audio)