Good Morning, Reading Public School Community,
We wanted to provide you with further updates on the COVID-19 Response for the Reading Public Schools. Last week, Governor Baker continued the Executive Order that all schools are now closed until May 4th. In Reading, this closure includes all school related and recreational activities.
Throughout this first phase of the closure, our Central Office Administrators, Directors, Building Principals and other staff have been working collaboratively within our district and with town officials to identify and address student and family needs. In the last week or so, we have had staff at every level reach out to each of our almost 4200 students. Through this process we have identified some families who are struggling; they may have recently lost their jobs, may be ill or have family members who are ill, or have lost all of their support systems as a result of this crisis. We are working diligently to get them access to food, technology, and other services. Additionally, our teachers have been reaching out and making connections and doing “wellness checks” with their students to make sure they are ok and to see if they have any needs. Educationally, we have posted some leveled enrichment options and have also begun providing some remote learning opportunities through online resources. We will continue to build upon these systems in the upcoming weeks.
We realize that this closure is challenging and difficult for everyone. We want to continue to help support our community members. Please continue to reach out and ask for support. We know that this closure won’t be forever but please know that all of us at Reading Public Schools care about the impact that this has had on you and your families. As we build our next phase of planning, please take care of yourself and your loved ones.
Below are some updates as we enter week 3 of the school closure:
Food and Technology Support
- We continue to provide meals for those Reading Public School Students who do not have access to meals. That number is growing since we first started this program two weeks ago. If your child needs meals, please contact Director of School Nutrition Danielle Collins at Danielle.Collins@reading.k12.ma.us
- Through our conversations with families, we have also been providing technology access for those students whose families do not have a computer. If you need that access, please contact your child’s building principal.
- Unfortunately, we do not have the ability at this time to provide internet access for families. For families that do not have wifi in their homes, Comcast is offering free WiFi for everyone, with hotspots available to all, including non-Xfinity subscribers. To access the service, look for the “xfinitywifi” network name in a list of hotspots. For more information, go to www.xfinity.com/wifi.You can also receive free internet services for 60 days and then it’s $9.95 per month after that if you qualify. (In order to qualify to pay just $9.95 per month, you must be eligible for public assistance programs such as National School Lunch Program, Housing Assistance, Medicaid,SNAP, SSI, and others.) Please read more at this link: https://www.internetessentials.com/
- In addition, if you know of a family that does not have access to the internet and you are able to support them, please offer your wifi information or access points to them.
- If your family needs food support or other supports, please reach out to your building principal and we will do our best to connect you with access to those supports. We are working very closely with town and community officials to get people the access to services that they need.
Mental Health Crisis Support
Remote Learning
As you know, we are in the midst of a public health crisis which is having a significant impact in many areas, including how we educate our students. As I mentioned above, we have some families who are struggling right now for a variety of reasons and they are not able to access or participate in learning. I am deeply concerned about those students and how this closure may cause heightened equity gaps in the coming days, weeks, months and even years. We continue to focus on issues of equity in Reading and want to make plans that will meet the needs of all. Additionally, we also have students and their families who very well may be directly impacted by this health crisis due to health issues for them or their families. We ask for patience as we work out the details of the plans that we are developing to support continuity of learning for the continued weeks of closure.
On Thursday, State Education Commissioner Jeff Riley released a document, Remote Learning Recommendations During COVID-19 School Closures. In the document, Commissioner Riley stated that:
“Remote learning cannot replace students’ experiences in school communities with their teachers, administrators, and support staff. All of the students and educators with whom I have spoken this week sorely miss learning in person as part of a community. That said, we must all pull together – parents and caregivers, students, the community, and of course, our educators and staff – to help students continue their learning over this extended period.”
The Reading Public Schools, along with several area school districts, has taken a very strategic approach to remote learning. Our first and most important step was to have our teachers, team chairs, and principals connect with students and families. That has been happening over the last week and will continue throughout this week. In addition, our teachers have been meeting virtually as whole staff, grade levels, departments, and teams to discuss and plan the next phase of our remote learning experience. Teachers are also getting and providing support and training in remote learning tools. We realize that right now this may not look consistent across grade levels or schools. Everyone is working hard together to plan for a sustainable model that will support our learners in the coming weeks/month. We are in the process of finalizing remote learning plans for each level in the Reading Public Schools which will outline what will be happening during our continued school closure. The remote learning plans will explain what remote learning is, what it will look like at different levels, and the type of activities students may be engaged in.
In addition, if you have a child with disabilities, we are continuing to plan for staff to be able to work on your child’s IEP. As of today, the special education staff including related service providers have reached out to families 1,750 times with suggestions and enrichment opportunities. The services provided to your child will likely be delivered differently than they are within the typical school setting and our special education staff is in the process of identifying creative ways to meet those needs. Please be assured however, that the delivery of special education services to students is of paramount concern, and look forward to working together with you to provide education and protect the health and safety of both your child, other students and staff members.
In conclusion, we need your help to make this work. None of us have ever had to experience this type of crisis before, so we are approaching this as thoughtfully and strategically as possible. Our primary focus is and will continue to be the health and safety of our students. If you know of families in need, please reach out to them while observing social distancing. Offer your wifi access, food, transportation, or other supports. Our first responders, nurses, doctors, and other health professionals need our support and help more than ever as they continue to be unsung heroes each and every day. Accurate and timely communication is going to be key and we will continue to provide regular and ongoing communication at the building and district level. If you have questions, please contact your child’s teacher, a counselor, a building principal, a team chair, or a central office administrator. Communication that is not from the Reading Public Schools or Town of Reading or other State/Federal source may not be a reliable source of information during this crisis. Misinformation contributes to the stress, and anxiety that we are all facing right now.
Thank you for everything that you are doing. Together, through modeling perseverance, resolve, and courage, we can show how adults act in times of crisis. This community is one of strength and interconnectedness, I am confident that we will all come out stronger at the end of this crisis.
Sincerely,
John Doherty
Superintendent of Schools
The Journey-The Next Chapter 