Liaison Reports (5 minutes)

Transcript (~5 min @ 1:51:42)

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▶ 1:51:34 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: by ms casatelli and seconded by ms dugan is there any discussion on this motion seeing none all in favor opposed that motion carries unanimously with two absent next we have our liaison reports and unfortunately ms mcallister grand was unable to be with us tonight but she had two liaison reports um both around um birth to five the first is the city is again hosting a free swap on saturday october 7th from 8 to noon behind memorial hall in the city hall parking lot last year birth to five partnered with the city at this event and it was a huge success birth defy would like to encourage folks to come to the event and bring any gently used clothing for babies and young kids secondly birth to five is hoping to partner with the melrose commission on women as they work on sending a survey about child care costs for families in massachusetts please keep an eye out for information about the survey and share your thoughts with the commission to aid in their work would anyone else like to offer a liaison report mr o'connell um i actually have um not

▶ 1:52:42 Speaker 6: several but but a couple uh if the sheriff can bear with me and the committee members uh with regard to cpac special education parents advisory uh committee uh they had their first meeting of of the new school year last week the group is focusing on outreach data collection and is always working to ensure that our in district programming and services are meeting the needs of as many students as possible within the limits of our current resources financial and otherwise it's my further understanding that the group is partnering with the administration with regard to its planning and outreach efforts finally the next CPAC meeting is scheduled for October 12th and I would urge all with an interest in special education to attend it's my understanding that we presently have some 570 students receiving some level of services under the auspices of special education and I would certainly say that caregivers for and family members of those students should be involved with CPAC lest they not get the most they can from what's available in terms of information resources and importantly lest their time, energy, insights, and perspectives not be part of the CPAC conversation. Again, next meeting October 12th, 7 p.m. The group can be reached MelroseCPAC02176 at gmail.com. The second item, if I may, Madam Chair, the Student Activity Fees Working Group, ably led by Stephen Fogarty. This group is meeting at the behest of the superintendent to review our current range of student activity fees with the aim of making a recommendation or series of recommendations to the superintendent. We have met twice to date and will be meeting monthly from now until the end of the year. Our focus has been so far on data collection and discussing the various interests at stake, all with an emphasis on equity for our students and families and importantly the financial sustainability of our programming. In addition to my meetings with the working group members. I'm also scheduled to meet in the coming weeks with the Friends of Melrose Drama and the Melrose Band-Aiders. And I'm anxious to see, of course, whether the marching band will refuse to yield. And importantly, I would welcome the opportunity to meet and or hear from other organizations working to support our student groups and activities. I would rather have those conversations sooner rather than later. I would rather have those conversations not in the heat of a vote to adopt or reject fees but in advance and finally in terms of reports and I think I speak for many on the committee I had the benefit and pleasure of attending many of the elementary open houses as well as the middle school open house they were well intended they were attended rather and I'm sure well intended informative each of the schools look great the formal presentations that I saw by principals and staff were excellent and in particular the renovations at Horace Mann and the additions at the Hoover and Winthrop schools look terrific and seemed by all indications to have been very well received by the respective school communities I would also note in this regard that the middle school open house is tomorrow evening at the high school beginning at 6 30 and my last item and i realize i'm stretching people's patience but a point of personal privilege if i may madam chair i wanted to note the recent passing of former mass teachers association president kathleen roberts who with the benefit of 103 remarkable years served the interest of education in Massachusetts with persistence, dedication, and over 30 plus years of her retirement, a remarkable commitment to volunteerism and education that is and was truly inspiring, and we are all certainly better for her life's work. Thank you.