Interim school supt. announces community forums

Interim Superintendent of Schools Derek Folan has announced a series of upcoming remote community forums in an effort to increase parental and stakeholder input into his education planning for the Canton Public Schools.

Folan will host Zoom forums on the following dates: Monday, November 29, from 6-7 p.m. (GMS and CHS community); Monday, December 6, from 7-8 p.m. (elementary community); and Thursday, December 9, from 6-7 p.m. (pre-K community).

“These community [forums] serve a key element of increasing communication and feedback in the district, especially two-way communication,” Folan said. “In addition, they serve as essential stakeholder voices for my Entry Plan process. The ability to listen to what is going well, what needs improvement, and what do we want educational experiences to look like in five years is so valuable to moving the district forward.”

In other School Department news, Folan, in his latest update on vaccination rates, reported to the School Committee last week that roughly 71 percent of the CHS community had been fully vaccinated as of November 18. If the school clears the 80 percent mark, then it would become eligible to drop its indoor mask mandate pending approval by the School Committee. Looking at individual grades, Folan said the 12th graders had the highest rate of fully vaccinated students at 74 percent, followed by 11th graders (70 percent), 10th graders (69 percent), and ninth graders (65 percent). At GMS, 68 percent of seventh graders and 67 percent of eighth graders had been fully vaccinated as of last Thursday, while the sixth grade, with many newly eligible students, had a rate of 12 percent.

Reporting on the progress of vaccination in the elementary grades after two weeks of eligibility for ages 5-11, Folan said 160 students at the Luce, 155 students at the JFK, and 141 students at Hansen had received their initial dose as of November 18.

Folan reiterated his appreciation for the CPS nursing team, noting the nurses’ “continued amazing work” that extends beyond the traditional role and school day. To date, the school nursing team has administered over 2,500 tests in the ongoing effort to keep students in the classroom and keep COVID out of the schools. “They are making difficult phone calls and engaging staff and families in discussions to keep them informed and safe,” Folan said. “They are truly special and heroic people.”

Folan also praised the Canton Health Department and Fire Department for scheduling several vaccine clinics for children ages 5-11. By November 23, this team will have vaccinated 900 children and plans are in the works …

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Posted by Mike Berger on Nov 24 2021. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.