Page 20 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, July 3, 2020 Essex Tech shares state guidelines for reopening schools in the fall District-specific plans to be released later this summer D ANVERS – Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School SuperintendentDirector Heidi Riccio shared the initial state guidelines from Gov. Charlie Baker and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for the 2020-21 academic year, which will be modified as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While prioritizing health and safety while getting as many students back in school as possible, districts across the state will develop three plans: one for learning entirely in person, one for a hybrid model that includes in person and remote learning in the event that in person learning is not feasible due to space constraints and other concerns, and one for remote learning only should there be a second spike in COVID-19 cases regionally. Several task forces for reopening were created in May to begin planning for the fall. Each task force, made up of administrators and staff, will play a significant role in the creation of the reopening plans to be submitted to DESE in the coming weeks. The final plan for the district will be announced in August. Superintendent Riccio and Director of Career & Technical Education Jill Sawyer are working with the state’s vocational reopening team to develop and provide further guidance to adequately provide technical and academic education. A survey will be sent to staff and families to determine their needs as the district moves forward with the reopening process. Work also continues to renovate the facilities on the South Campus to provide additional classrooms for students. This work is being done as part of a Massachusetts Clean Energy Center grant and will continue this summer using Cummings Foundation grant funding. Space will be available as needed to maintain social distancing. “Prior to today’s announcement, we have already begun our work to develop multiple plans that will create authentic learning experiences for our students while maintaining appropriate safety protocols,” said Superintendent Riccio. “The health and wellbeing of students, faculty and staff is our priority, always, and we are working diligently to plan and prepare accordingly for the fall. We are fortunate that we have two campuses and additional classroom spaces to accommodate a reentry, and we will continue to update all of our stakeholders as plans progress.” Guidelines that must be part of these plans include: • Setting up cafeterias, gyms, libraries and other large spaces to promote the greatest amount of social distancing possible • Requiring students from second grade on, and all adults, to wear a face mask, face covering or face shield while learning in person and while riding on the school bus; these should be provided by the student/family, but the district will have a limited amount of disposable masks to provide students who need them • Providing other preventative measures for students and staff, such as handwashing stations and hand sanitizer, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces • Having school nurses wear extra protection, such as face shields and goggles, when directly treating students; a room should also be designated to isolate those at the school who are suspected of having COVID-19 • Determining class size based on how many students can be taught with social distancing in place, with desks anywhere from three to six feet away from each other Baker-Polito Admin. announces Sales Tax Holiday Aug. 29-30 weekend B OSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration announced this week that the annual sales tax–free weekend will take place from August 29-30. This marks the second sales tax holiday held under the new law signed by Governor Charlie Baker in 2018 that made the weekend an annual occurrence. “The annual sales tax holiday is an opportunity for us to support small businesses and consumers, and this year, it’s a great way to support our economy that’s been impacted by COVID-19,” said Governor Baker. “This pandemic has created enormous challenges for the Commonwealth’s small businesses, and the sales tax–free weekend is one way that we can encourage more economic activity to help Main Street businesses and local economies.” “As the Commonwealth continues its phased reopening process, we recognize that many small businesses continue to face difficulties,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We are proud that our Administration worked with the Legislature to enact legislation making the sales tax holiday permanent and look forward to this year’s tax-free weekend and the economic activity that will come with it.” “We are proud to continue supporting local businesses and consumers as we work with our colleagues in the Legislature to navigate the evolving COVID-19 environment while adhering to public health guidelines,” said Secretary for Administration and Finance Michael Heffernan. “The upcoming sales tax holiday will be an opportunity for people throughout Massachusetts to help support local companies and generate muchneeded economic activity.” • Strongly recommending that students, teachers and staff get their regular flu vaccine in order to prevent any disruption to learning; administrators will also work with school nurses to look into expanding the annual staff flu clinic to include students as well • Surveying families throughout the summer and possibly the school year to help with decisions, such as which children will return to school in person, technology needs of students learning remotely and who will need bus transportation in order to get to school At this time, screening procedures to enter school buildings, such as taking a person’s temperature, will not be required. COVID-19 testing also will not be required for students to return to school. Additional guidelines, including those for busing, will be released in July, but they are subject to change depending on how the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic progresses. The guidelines were developed by DESE’s Return-to-School Working Group, along with experts from the fields of infectious diseases and public health. Approximately $200 million from the Commonwealth’s federal Coronavirus Relief Fund is available to help with the costs of reopening public schools. Schools are eligible to receive up to $225 per student for eligible costs incurred due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, such as training for school staff, supplemental social and academic services, reconfiguration of school spaces, leasing of temporary facilities and acquisition of health and hygiene supplies. In partnership with legislative leadership, the state has also committed $25 million in federal funds for a matching grant program to help school districts and charter schools close technology gaps that have inhibited remote learning for students and families who lack access to computers or internet connections. Specific state funding for each district will be determined at a later date. The statewide closure of school buildings began in mid-March and was extended through the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year as an unprecedented step in limiting the potential spread of COVID-19 and continuing the practice of social distancing as more positive cases and deaths are announced in the state. Holiday Hours at your local Post Office Closed to celebrate Independence Day P ost Offices across the Commonwealth will be closed on Saturday, July 4, as we celebrate the anniversary of our nation’s independence. Street delivery on Saturday will be limited to guaranteed overnight parcels, and there will be no collection of mail. Full retail and delivery operations will resume on Monday, January 6. The Postal Service continues to work to stamp out dog bites. We ask customers to be mindful of pets during the holiday weekend and keep a clear path to the mailbox. In addition, please note: • For 24/7 access to most postal products and services, go to www. usps.com, where you can look up a zip code, track a package, buy stamps, hold mail, print postage online, submit a change of address, schedule REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS Copyrighted material previously published in Banker & Tradesman/The Commercial Record, a weekly trade newspaper. It is reprinted with permission from the publisher, The Warren Group. For a searchable database of real estate transactions and property information visit: www.thewarrengroup.com. BUYER1 Venezia, Emily E Sapkota, Prabin Adonis-Hooker, Taicha BUYER2 Venezia, Michael A Sapkota, Shova Hooker-Humphries, Ted A SELLER1 Miranda, Celio Medina, Maria B Morano, Valerie A SELLER2 ADDRESS 8 Bayfield Rd Medina, Weimar Morano, Vincent J 369 Central St 10 Wilson St CITY Miranda, Rita Saugus Saugus Saugus DATE 16.06.2020 15.06.2020 12.06.2020 PRICE $560 000,00 $530 000,00 $589 900,00 a package pickup and find Post Office locations, including self-service kiosks. • Customers can also renew passports or sign up for our latest innovation, Informed Delivery, at www.usps. com. Informed Delivery lets residential consumers see what is arriving in their mailboxes by sending them digital previews of their incoming envelopes and postcards. These images can be viewed via email notifications or accessed through an online dashboard at informeddelivery.usps.com – perfect for travelers to check for important letters that are arriving over the holiday weekend. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
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