Mental Health Care Reform, Our 'Back to Better' Agenda, Veteran's Day

Plus news from the district & around the state

Updates from Beacon Hill & MetroWest The Senate is working hard for you this fall. This fall has been a busy time, and the Massachusetts State Senate has been working very hard on its top priorities. We acted to comprehensively broaden access to mental and behavioral healthcare. We acted to build an inclusive and equitable recovery for all residents of the Commonwealth by investing funds from the American Rescue Plan in sectors and groups hardest by COVID-19. We ensured that everyone's voice will continue to be heard in the State House through a transparent and open redistricting process. And we have acted to make voting in our elections easier for all who are legally allowed to vote. I will continue to press ahead with further legislation to address the needs of our MetroWest and Massachusetts communities, as well as by advocating for the above priorities to be finally signed into law. As always, my office is available if you need assistance or wish to share your opinion. You can email me at karen.spilka@masenate.gov or call 617-722-1500. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Warm regards, The Mental Health ABC Act 2.0 This week, the Massachusetts Senate passed one of my top priorities, the Mental Health ABC Act 2.0: Addressing Barriers to Care, comprehensive legislation to continue the process of reforming the way mental health care is delivered in Massachusetts, with the goal of ensuring that people get the mental health care they need when they need it. This legislation comes at a time when the Massachusetts State Senate is making landmark investments in mental and behavioral health, including $400 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to transform the behavioral health sector, with $122 million dedicated to recruiting and retaining nearly 2,000 behavioral professionals. The Mental Health ABC Act 2.0 is driven by the recognition that mental health is as important as physical health for every residents of the Commonwealth and should be treated as such. The bill proposes a wide variety of reforms, including an annual mental wellness exam. Ultimately, the bill seeks to ensure equitable access to mental health care while removing barriers to care by supporting the behavioral health workforce. You can learn more about the Mental Health ABC Act 2.0 here. I was proud to join my colleague Julian Cyr, the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery, to speak with Sera Congi of WCVB about this important bill. You can watch here. Read a Boston Globe editorial on the bill here. Read a Newsweek piece on the legislation here. Going 'Back to Better' with the American Rescue Plan Recently, the Senate unanimously passed a $3.82 billion spending package that directs federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to assist the Commonwealth's ongoing recovery, with a particular focus on making equitable investments and ensuring that communities disproportionately impact by the COVID-19 pandemic are prioritized. The Senate plan addresses immediate and critical needs in mental health care access, food security, the struggles of small businesses, and access to housing. It also builds up and supports our public health system, including by investing in our local boards of health. You can learn more here. The Senate continues to work with the House in earnest to craft a final bill that we can send to the Governor's desk soon that takes advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity before us to ensure those hit the hardest by COVID-19—families, essential workers and small businesses—are being helped the most.

This newsletter was shortened for publication here. There is not yet an archive of newsletters to link to. In the meantime, you can check the updates page for other noted articles  https://karenspilka.com/updates

"COVID-19 cases are rising sharply in Mass. ahead of the holidays"

"With COVID-19 cases spiking in Massachusetts as Thanksgiving and other holidays approach, experts are urging people to stay vigilant and take steps to protect themselves and others, including measures such as rapid testing, masking, and limiting who can attend gatherings.

“I think we have to be very cautious. We have to be very mindful. We can’t go into the holidays pretending that COVID is behind us. Unfortunately, it’s still very much with us,” said Dr. Philip Landrigan, director of the Global Public Health Program at Boston College.

“We should be aware and cautious,” said Dr. Shira Doron, an infectious disease physician who is the hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center. “You should know there is more risk out there. You should know you need to be stepping up your game in terms of taking the precautions that are important to you.”

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/11/19/nation/covid-19-cases-are-rising-sharply-mass-ahead-holidays-how-worried-should-you-be/

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/10/nation/latest-coronavirus-numbers-massachusetts/

Boston Globe: "The long, slow return of the Mass. job market"

"The state’s economic recovery from the COVID shock of 2020 is nearly complete, with one important exception: the job market.

The Massachusetts economy — the value of goods and services produced — is bigger now than it was before the pandemic. Personal incomes are higher and so are retail sales.

Most key measures of employment, however, have not returned to their February 2020 marks, and the gains since the bottom of the recession have lagged behind the national average.

But data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics offers some encouragement. Employment growth is continuing to rebound, albeit at a modest pace, from the summer setback caused by the Delta variant. More people are joining the workforce. The worker shortage persists but is easing."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/11/19/business/states-tight-labor-market-continues-ease-hiring-speeds-up/

Massachusetts employers are finding it easier to hire workers.JENNY KORNREICH

Your Input Needed: A Brief Survey from the Greater Franklin Node of 350 Mass

Happy Holiday Season from the Greater Franklin Node of 350 Mass.

We are asking you and everyone on our email distribution list to complete a brief survey to indicate your interest in participating in our meetings and activities, regardless of your past engagement.

The Greater Franklin Node includes residents of close to 20 communities, from Sharon and Walpole, through Foxboro and Franklin, south to Attleboro, and west to Blackstone and Millville.  We meet on the 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays of the month (currently via Zoom). We engage in local and statewide activities to promote positive and effective responses to the climate crisis and to transform our energy system from fossil fuels to renewable sources. Our strategies align with the statewide member-led 350 Mass organization; campaigns address legislation, education, consumer choices and community programs, and protests against institutions and corporations that enable the status quo to continue.

In these critical times, all of us are called upon to raise our voices. Whether you are a veteran or a newcomer to political action, you can make a contribution. Your responses to this brief (5-minute) survey will help our Node serve as an effective force to secure the best possible future for all of us. We will also use your information to update our contact list and improve future communications. 

Please try to complete this survey by Wednesday, November 23^rd. Thank you.

Here is the link to the survey.

If you have questions or comments, please reply to this email.

To learn more about 350 Mass, visit the website.

To follow activities of our Node, join the Facebook Group.

Thank you.

Node Co-coordinators,

Carolyn Barthel

Ralph Halpern

Ralph Halpern

ralph.halpern@comcast.net

781-784-3839 (h)

339-203-5017 (c)

Franklin's Event Outlook: Nov 19 - Nov 25, 2021

Indoor events mostly now for the autumn season. Book sale/bag sale at the Library this weekend. Rising Stars Cabaret at THE BLACK BOX Friday night. Help decorate downtown Saturday morning and then get to the Winter Farmers Market Saturday.

Close out the weekend with the Thanksgiving Service put on by the Franklin Interfaith Council either in person at St Mary's or via virtual option via live streaming.

Friday, November 19
1:00pm - Book Sale
7:30pm - Rising Stars Cabaret

Saturday, November 20
9:00am - Book Sale
9:00am - Decorating Downtown (volunteers needed)
10:00am - Winter Farmers Market
10:00am - Historical Museum (always free)
1:00pm - Bag Sale

Sunday, November 21
1:00pm - Historical Museum (always free)
7:00pm - Interfaith Thanksgiving Service

Find the full calendar  https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/blog-page.html

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://forms.gle/oPdi8X3ZbHHyrHzo6

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar

The School district calendar is found   https://www.franklinps.net/calendar-by-event-type/26

Community Calendar

Genocide Education Act Passes House of Representatives

The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed the Genocide Education Act by a vote of 157-2. The bill will require public schools to teach the history of genocides and create a fund to help support the new curriculum. When signed into law, Massachusetts will become the 20th state to have adopted mandatory Holocaust and genocide education.

This bill would require each school district to file lesson plans and program descriptions related to genocide education every year with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.  The bill’s Genocide Education Trust Fund will help schools and districts develop curriculum and host training or professional development courses for educators.

This legislation demonstrates the legislature’s commitment to providing schools across the Commonwealth with access to resources to implement genocide education programs. It provides the resources students need to recognize and  stand  up to  injustice before it  takes  root and to recognize and fight hate in their communities.

“Massachusetts has always been at the forefront of human rights issues, and today, with the passage of this bill, we can do it again. We can arm our students with the knowledge they will need to recognize the warning signs and feel empowered to prevent genocides in the future,” said Rep. Jeffrey N. Roy (D-Franklin).  “Making genocide education a mandatory topic for teaching in our schools is a reaffirmation of the commitment of free peoples from all nations to never again permit the occurrence of another genocide, and to deter indifference to crimes against humanity and human suffering wherever they occur.”

State Representative Jeffrey N. Roy (D-Franklin) first filed a genocide education bill in 2013, which called for genocide to be included in social sciences and history frameworks.  It was successful in changing frameworks and it lead to the inclusion of genocide education in social science and history frameworks.  Unfortunately, over the past few years with memories of prior atrocities fading, there has a rising tide of hatred and anti-Semitic incidents requiring a legislative solution.

A recent survey found 22 percent of American millennials have never heard of the Holocaust and 66 percent of youth 18-34 didn't recognize the word Auschwitz. In Massachusetts, 35 percent of young adults didn't know what Auschwitz was and half didn't know that 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. 

The bill, which had over 100 cosponsors, was supported by ADL New England, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts - ANC of EM, Facing History and Ourselves, the Committee for Holodomor Genocide Awareness (https://ukrainegenocide.com), the Genocide Education Project, and over 60 coalition members. 

You can find a link to Rep. Roy’s floor remarks at: https://youtu.be/fOQLJ5NiDz8 

The text of the Legislation can be found -> https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2557

Rep. Roy’s floor remarks

Franklin awarded Sustainable Materials Recovery Program grant of $25K

Mass. Municipal Assn (@massmunicipal) tweeted  Thu, Nov 18, 2021:

Administration awards $3.1M through the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program to 268 municipalities to help them maximize recycling, composting & waste reduction programs. @MassGovernor @MassLtGov @MassEEA @MassDEP https://t.co/6GTlN0fFgr 

 

"To mark America Recycles Day, the Baker-Polito administration on Monday announced $3.1 million in grant funding to 268 municipalities and regional solid waste districts to help them maximize recycling, composting and waste reduction programs.

The grants are made available through the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program, which was created by the Green Communities Act of 2008 and has provided more than $46 million to recycling programs since 2010.

At the announcement, Gov. Charlie Baker said the new round of grant funding will aid municipal efforts “to implement innovative programs and policies” to maximize the reuse of materials, boost recycling, and reduce waste. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said the program helps municipalities and solid waste districts expand recycling and composting, while targeting new materials to remove from the waste stream."

Franklin is on the list as the recipient of $25,200.

The full listing can be found -> https://www.mass.gov/doc/list-of-2021-municipalregional-grant-awards-november-2021/download

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/massmunicipal/status/1461335652105076737

Franklin awarded Sustainable Materials Recovery Program grant of $25K

Panther TV: Thanksgiving Pre-Show (video)

Panther TV (@fhspanthertv) tweeted  Thu, Nov 18, 2021:

Check out our Panther TV Thanksgiving Pre-Show! @FranklinPSNews @FHSPantherbook @FranklinHS @GraceTucceri @FHSSports @FranklinHSDrama @DiversityFHS  https://t.co/xk99OLCGFy via @YouTube

Shared via Twitter: 
https://twitter.com/fhspanthertv/status/1461380716017692674

Coaches Corner: Playoff Win vs. Methuen, next up D1 Final Four game Saturday

Kevin papa (@kevinjpapa) tweeted  Wed, Nov 17, 2021:

Coaches Corner PLAYOFF WIN vs Methuen MA STATE D1 FINAL 4 

Video link ->  https://t.co/y8r3aN8FXp

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevinjpapa/status/1461160710780637187

Franklin High School: News, Important Information, and Dates

School News: Important Information and Dates

November - December 2021

• Can't access your Aspen account? First, try using the Forgot my Password link on the Aspen log in page. An email will be sent to you with a link to get back into your account. If that does not resolve your issue, use THIS FORM to request a password reset.
• FPS District Inclement Weather Policies and Information > Click HERE

Upcoming events:  

>> Winter Sports Registration information letter and registration links << click to view  (last day to register on Family ID is November 22nd)

 

Nov 24,25,26  No School-Thanksgiving Break  

Nov 29       School Photo retakes day (if you were absent on the original photo day, you can have your photo taken today as well)

Nov 30       Art Show -more details to come

Dec 7         FHS Chorus and Orchestra Concert 7 PM @ FHS Auditorium (snow date 12/10)

Dec 9         FHS Band Concert 7PM @ FHS Auditorium (snow date 12/21)

Dec 10       Half day of School PD Day

Dec 24-Jan 2 Winter Holiday Break

 

• New Student Registration-click HERE
• Moved? Complete a Change of Address form HERE
• Getting a driver's license or permit? Click HERE for information on obtaining the necessary documents from FHS
• Need a work permit for a new job? Click HERE for information on obtaining one

MCAS TEST DATES 2022

• ELA Grade 10 - March 22-23
• Math Grade 10 - May 17-18
• Biology Grade 9 - June 7-8

Shared from FPS -> https://www.franklinps.net/fhs/news/school-news-important-information-and-dates

Franklin High School: News, Important Information, and Dates