By Kevin Vendt
At the March 7 School Committee meeting, Superintendent of Schools Thomas Milaschewski provided insight into the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s (MSBA) decision to grant a potential Killam Elementary School building project access to the eligibility period. The eligibility period is a 270-day timeframe, starting on June 1. The school district has a list of tasks to complete and be accepted by the MSBA before entering the feasibility and schematic development phase. Activities that need to be filed during that period include the establishment of a school building committee and a vote by town meeting to authorize the funds for the feasibility study and schematic drawings of the project. Milaschewski stated that the feasibility study and schematic drawings could cost in excess of $2 million.

Director of Finance Susan Botten shared a timeline that suggested a town meeting vote on funding the studies could occur as early as the November 2022 session of Town Meeting. The district also needs to file a plan on how space could be used in a new building and will be seeking the input of educators and other consultants on the matter. School Committee chair Thomas Wise suggested that community input sessions regarding the educational needs for a new facility could occur as soon as May or June of this year.

Botten continued, sharing a timeline that indicated that Town Meeting could be asked for construction funding in November of 2024, with a town-wide ballot question as part of the April 2025 local election. Wise suggested that the time frame may not work perfectly with MSBA requirements and that there may need to be a special Town Meeting or a special election towards the end of the process. Milaschewski also noted that the percentage of MSBA reimbursement will not be known until much later in the process but could be up to 50% of the total project cost. [Read More]
Town Manager, Fidel Maltez, and Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Thomas Milaschewski, are pleased to share with the Reading community that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Board of Directors today voted to invite the Statement of Interest for the J. Warren Killam Elementary School into the MSBA’s Eligibility Period. 

“This is great news for the Town of Reading. We are grateful for the hard work completed on the Statement of Interest and the vote of the MSBA Board of Directors today,” said Maltez. “Our staff are excited to roll up their sleeves and get working on this crucial project for our community.”

“We are thrilled in the School Department today with the MSBA’s decision to accept the Killam School into the Eligibility Period,” said Milaschewski. “We will begin organizing for the next phase in partnership with Town staff as we go forward to bring our schools to the next level in Reading.” [Read More]

The Reading Public Schools offers a cost-free half-day Kindergarten program in two elementary schools and a full-day, fee-based program in each of our five elementary schools. 

To be eligible for admission in the Reading Public Schools a child must have reached the age of five on or before August 31 of the entering year to enter kindergarten.

Kindergarten Registration forms are found on the Reading Public Schools Website. Registration inquiries can be emailed to Samantha LaPierre. [Read More]
DESE funding will be used to accelerate learning in local classrooms
House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading), State Representative Richard M. Haggerty (D-Woburn), and Senator Jason M. Lewis (D-Winchester) joined with Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley to announce the Reading Public Schools have been awarded a $200,000 Accelerating Literacy Learning with High-Quality Instructional Materials Grant. 

Awarded on a competitive basis through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the grant funding is designed to provide school districts with high-quality core instructional materials to accelerate literacy learning. The funding can also be used to provide initial professional development for educators to implement the core instructional materials. 
Chief David Clark is pleased to share that the Reading Police Department will soon welcome the first of two comfort dogs who will ultimately be paired with its School Resource Officers (SROs).

The department will receive the first of two lab puppies later this month, with the second slated to arrive in late April after SROs Brian Lewis and Matt Vatcher conducted research on starting a comfort dog program in Reading.

Reading Police have seen an uptick in mental health-related calls in both schools and in the community-at-large since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and were seeking new strategies for responding to those calls in a way that deescalates situations and fosters positive interactions with residents.

The department expects the dogs will help soothe children in need and also provide support for victims of crime and trauma. While the dogs will spend most of their time with Officers Lewis and Vatcher at Reading Memorial High School and the elementary and middle schools, respectively, they will also visit the senior center, assisted living facilities and make appearances at community events.[Read More]
Reading residents are invited to Meet the Candidates on March 16 at 7 PM in the Reading Public Library community rooms. Candidates for Select Board and School Committee will introduce themselves and their goals and answer questions from the community. 

If you’d like to suggest a question for the candidates, please email it to ReadingMeetTheCandidates@gmail.com. Be sure to note whether the question is for Select Board or School Committee candidates. 

Although sponsored by the Reading Democratic Town Committee, this is a non-partisan event that is open to all candidates for these boards and is offered as a community service. [Read More]
The Reading PorchFest Committee announces the return of the popular music festival, this year slated for Saturday, June 25.

PorchFest is just as the name implies. It is an afternoon of music literally on porches or, maybe, driveways or front lawns all over town. As in past years, the organizers are looking for as much diversity in the types of music as possible: anything from jazz to pop to rock, country, rap, and anything in between.

The website, ReadingPorchFest.com, is up and running with information, and within two weeks, the registration site for both musical acts and host venues will go live. News and announcements also can be found on the Reading PorchFest 2022 Facebook page.

The PorchFest tradition in Reading sprang from the town’s 375th anniversary in 2019. It was so popular that it was decided to make it a permanent part of the local cultural scene. That first edition was held in June during the anniversary festivities. The pandemic caused the second year’s festival to go virtual in a special presentation on RCTV, Facebook, and Youtube over the Fourth of July weekend. In 2021, the pandemic again caused problems, delaying PorchFest until the fall, but this year it springs back to its roots in June.

In keeping with the tradition of PorchFests everywhere, the Reading event is an all-volunteer affair: from the bands and the host porches to the organizers. [Read More]
Video Production for Ages 9-13
In this 8-week course, students will get hands-on experience with video cameras and editing software while producing PSA’s, commercials, and/or short scenes. 
Instructor: Angela Merrill
Tuesdays, 4:00-5:30pm March 29th-May 24th (No class 4/19: Make-Up if needed, 5/31) 8 weeks.
Cost: $190

Screen Acting for Ages 7-11
In this 8-week course, students will work together to learn improvisational skills, as well as acting on camera through commercials and small scenes.
Instructor: Angela Merrill
Wednesdays, 4:00-5:30pm March 30th- May 25th (No class 4/20: Make-Up if needed, 6/1) 8 weeks
Cost: $190

Intermediate Video Production for Ages 10-14
In this 8-week course, students will add on to the skills they learned in Video Production and learn what it takes to create a full episode or short film. Instructor: Angela Merrill
Thursdays, 4:00-5:30pm March 31st – May 26th (No class 4/21: Make-Up if needed, 6/2) 8 weeks
Cost: $190 Prerequisite: Video Production [Read More]
On Saturday, February 26, 2022, In celebration of Fitness Within’s members and top three BFIT Challenge donors the coaches were given a taste of their own medicine. Long-time Members Colleen Divito, Kristine McCuish, and Thuy Dang swapped roles and trained the trainers. The money raised was in support of Coach Kevin Smiertelny, a North Andover Fire Fighter. The Fitness Within Community helped Coach Kevin raise $1,700 for The BFIT CHALLENGE placing him with the top 12 donors in the state. 

The BFIT Challenge is an annual event that raises awareness and money to support organizations dedicated to first responders and military members. Kevin Smiertelny, who serves in the Navy Reserves, joined the North Andover Fire Department in July 2021.

“We are incredibly thankful for the FW community coming together to support a great cause. We couldn’t be more proud of our members for participating and making this a truly magical day at Fitness Within.” Stated co-owner Domenic Prisco. [Read More]
MATTHEW GERARDI Class of ‘22

Favorite Book: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King

Favorite Quote: “Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.” Kobe Bryant

Favorite Subject: Entrepreneurship

Employment: Matt works at Target

Plans After Graduation: Matt plans to attend college to major in business.
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