Page 2 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE – Friday, July 5, 2019 District offers alternative afterschool program By Barbara Taormina S chool officials announced a new afterschool program after hearing from families who were caught off guard by the decision to end the Extended Learning Time program at Salemwood School. “If we can maintain a minimum enrollment of 68 students, we can maintain an afLawrence A. Simeone Jr. Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Corporate Litigation * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lein * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 Lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net terschool program for 7th and 8th graders for $10 a day for 3.75 hours,” Superintendent of Schools John Oteri announced at a School Committee meeting this week. The program would run Monday through Thursday and is open to 7th and 8th graders at Salemwood, Beebe, Linden and Forestdale schools. “We are optimistic this will be helpful to families who have been impacted,” said Oteri. “We understand families are hurting.” The School Department has scheduled a meeting for families about the new program on July 15 at 6 p.m. at Salemwood. Salemwood and Ferryway schools have been running an Extended Learning Time program, which is funded by A.B.C. CIGAR 170 REVERE ST., REVERE Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy! OPEN: Mon.-Sat. 8 AM - 8 PM Sun. - Holidays: 8 AM - 6 PM (781) 289-4959 GIFT CARDS! ALL MAJOR BRANDS OF CIGARS * Desktop Humidors * Travel Humidors * Boxes of Cigars * Bundles of Cigars * Singles * Torch Lighters * Zippo Lighters * Cigar Cutters Best For Less! 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Bring your lawn chairs or blankets and experience a great night of outdoor live music at the Malden Public Library (36 Salem St.). Grab a spot on the lawn and enjoy some great entertainment! The Live on the Lawn Series will continue with Sonho Meu on July 24 and Teal Street Band on Aug. 7. All concerts are free and sponsored by the Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, with additional support from the Friends of the Malden Public Library. In case of rain, concerts will be held inside. For more information, contact the Malden Public Library at 781-324-0218 or at www.maldenpubliclibrary.org. a state grant, for the past 12 years. However, funding for the program, which offers academic support and enrichment activities, has failed to keep pace with teachers’ salaries and the need for additional staff. At the start of the program in 2006, teachers were paid for the extra time at a rate of 18 percent above their base pay. This year, they were offered 15 percent with the School Department covering a funding gap of roughly $100,000 to keep the program in both schools. The School Committee has always maintained that the cost of the Extended Learning Time program should be covered by the grant and should not dip into the School Department’s operating budget, which would affect funding for other schools. Each year, the faculty at Extended Learning Time schools must vote to accept the state grant and operate the program. Teachers at Ferryway voted for another year of Extended Learning Time, but the faculty at Salemwood voted to DISTRICT | SEE PAGE 8 Students lobby to get rid of plastic straws By Barbara Taormina O n the last day of school, a group of fourth graders at Forestdale School sat down and wrote a letter to Mayor Gary Christenson which he shared with the School Committee this week. The students reached out to Christenson to say they think the schools should stop using plastic straws and make the switch to paper. “The plastic used for the straws is being dumped into the ocean and the sea turtles are sucking up the straws and it’s making them sick,” they wrote. “We love the way that you pick up trash and we thank you for doing that,” read Christenson, who paused to assure committee members that the students actually included that line in their letter. The students went on to stress that each day pollution and plastic litter like drinking straws is killing sea turtles and many other sea animals. “We hope you will consider this small act that would save animals and show Malden cares,” they wrote. Christenson said that he, Superintendent of Schools John Oteri, Forestdale School Principal Donald Concannon and Malden Public Schools Food Service Director Omar Hernandez met with the students to discuss the proposed switch to paper straws and the students presented a compelling case. This week, Christenson asked the committee to support a pilot program to switch to paper straws at the Forestdale and Beebe Schools. Christenson said Beebe would be included in the pilot program since Beebe students had proposed switching to paper straws earlier this year during discussions on eliminating single-use plastic bags in Malden. STUDENTS | FROM PAGE 2
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