THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020 Page 7 Tahiliani updates School Committee on district’s COVID-19 response By Christopher Roberson W ith the 2019-2020 school year now in the rearview mirror, Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani and her colleagues have been able to formally evaluate the district’s initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was certainly a work in progress for us all,” said Tahiliani as she presented her After Action Review to the School Committee on June 29. She also said it is no easy task to measure a student’s participation in the Distance Learning Program. “Assessing the level of participation is very complex and nuanced,” she said. “There were no blueprints for schools to grapple with.” In addition, she said the district has made every eff ort to connect with students’ families to ensure they have everything they need for distance learning. However, despite those efforts, Tahiliani said, she and her colleagues have not heard back from 206 families. “We will continue to plug away to fi gure out what’s going on there,” she said. Ward 4 School Committee Member Dana Murray, who is also a teacher at East Boston High School, said a number of her students were sent to Mexico or Puerto Rico as their parents could no longer provide adequate care for them. She also said she has friends whose children have not participated in distance learning because of emotional trauma infl icted by the virus. In addition, Murray advised the committee to exercise prudence when releasing distance learning data to the public as it could be used in a harmful manner. “I’m not in the business of weaponizing data,” she said, adding that no one should be “punished or judged” about the district’s response to an unprecedented pandemic. MVRCS salutes Class of 2020 M ALDEN – Mystic Valley Regional Charter School is pleased to recognize and salute its 15th graduating class as 82 young men and women recently joined the ranks of alumni. The school’s Class of 2020 will leave an indelible mark on the school for their academic, athletic and leadership prowess. Twenty-two students gained entry into the National Honor Society, and 20 young men and women are awaiting results as candidates for their International Baccalaureate Diploma. Three members of the class will matriculate to Ivy League institutions; 100% of the class gained acceptance into a college or university. A great majority of the class received signifi cant merit-based and fi nancial aid monies to continue their academic careers at the collegiate level. Below is a list of award winners: Faculty Award for Leadership: Erin Hayn Faculty Award for Service: AnnMarie Nagelin Student Award for Leadership: Alfi e Tsang Thomas E. Brennan Service Award: Hai Dinh Phan er General Excellence in English: Stacey Fabo Effort Award in English: Camryn Ryan General Excellence in History: Stacey Fabo Effort Award in History: Quynh-An Vo General Excellence in Mathematics: Samuel Lyon Eff ort Award in Mathematics: Danielle Downie General Excellence in Science: Stacey Fabo Eff ort Award in Science: Audrey Hussey General Excellence in Latin: Olivia Mei Eff ort Award in Latin: Laura Burton General Excellence in Spanish: Isabel Ospina Effort Award in Spanish: Cody Lajoie General Excellence in Art: Adam Carroll and Martina Taylor Eff ort Award in Art: Andrew Almas General Excellence in Economics: Samuel Lyon Eff ort Award in Economics: Quynh-An Vo General Excellence in Effort, Across All Subjects: Abigail Bemis Valedictorian Medal (GenAluminum Everett 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 Owned & operated by the Conti family since 1958 • 62 Years! “Same name, phone number & address for over half a century. 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School Committee Vice Chairman Frank Parker reiterated that administrators had very little time to create the Distance Learning Program after the schools abruptly closed in March. “When we closed the schools, we thought we might be opening on May 4,” he said. “But things changed, and we had to adapt quickly.” In House Dental Plan for $399 (Cleanings, X-Rays, Exams twice a year and 20% OFF Dental work) Schedule your FREE Consultations today Summer is Here!
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