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Purple and red flags bring awareness in Natick to opioid epidemic

September 10, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

If you’ve driven through Natick Center lately, you can’t miss them. Thousands of purple and red flags flap in the breeze, placed by volunteers on the lawn of the First Congregational Church earlier this month to honor the 2,104 lives lost to opioids in Massachusetts in 2021. Sadly, that number has not significantly budged from last year’s Massachusetts Department of Public Health tally of 2,015.

First Church Natick, opioid installation

The purple flags represent the number of Massachusetts residents who lost their life the prior year from an overdose. The red flags represent lives lost in any year to substance use and are meant to be personalized by those affected by opioid-related tragedy.

Although all the purple flags have already been placed, community members are encouraged to take a red flag from the available bin, personalize it with one of the black sharpies, also available in the bin, and place the flag with the others. Not comfortable with a public display of emotions that might come forward during this process? Take a red flag with you, personalize it at home, and bring it back later to add to the display.

First Church Natick, opioid installation

The installation is sponsored by SOAR (Supporting Outreach and Addiction Recover) Natick. In addition to what has become an annual display, the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization awards grants to individuals working on their recovery; presents scholarships to graduating Natick High School seniors whose lives have been personally impacted by Substance Use Disorder and/or who plan to pursue the education, prevention, and treatment of addiction or a related field; presents community forums to share information on topics such as the new Metrowest “Rise On” Mobile Health Van; and more.

First Church Natick, opioid installation

The flags are on the move as of Sept. 11 to a couple of  hospitals, then to Natick High School.

First Church Natick, opioid installation


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Filed Under: Community, Education, Health



It’s back to school in Natick

September 2, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Students returned to Natick Public Schools for the start of the 2021-2022 school year on Thursday on a perfectly overcast and wet day that probably wasn’t going to be much fun at home anyway.

Parents and guardians got their feet and tires wet, figuring out the best and worst ways and time to get kids to school, with backups seen from Rte. 16 leading to Memorial Elementary School to war-torn Rte. 27 leading to Wilson Middle School and Ben-Hem Elementary School.

Students will truly get to ease their way back, with classes on Thursday and Friday, but then get to enjoy an extra long weekend extended by Labor Day on Monday and Rosh Hashanah on Tuesday.

The Natick Public School system has put its mask and testing protocols in place, with hopes that by the end of the school year things will loosen up.

memorial school opener

 

memorial school opener

 

ben-hem opener

 

ben-hem opener

Filed Under: Education

Natick Cooperative Playgroup was once our lifeline

September 2, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

We absolutely loved  our years as members of Natick Cooperative Playgroup (NCP), a weekly lifeline and safe space where nobody judged us for the behavior of our semi-feral toddlers, or for our unwashed hair. The fact is, we forged lifelong friendships with other NCP parents as we swapped child-rearing tips and watched our kids thrive as they played alongside their peers.

To this day we still play a monthly Bunco game with a core group of moms we met there. Every month at Bunco we catch up with each other and get teary over how our little NCP graduates grew up into not-so-little high school seniors. The last of those NCP babies have just gone off to college. So if you’re on the fence about adding NCP to your busy life, I’d say go for it. Your busy life is about to get incredibly enriched.

Registration for the 2021-22 year of the Natick Cooperative Playgroup (NCP) is open. Playgroups are forming now for a September 8th kickoff.

Join the NCP at this link.

Natick Cooperative Playgroup

More about NCP

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Education, Entertainment, Kids, Parents

Natick Public Schools tout triple threat to test for COVID-19

August 22, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

With Natick families still in summer mode, Natick Public Schools Supt. Dr. Anna Nolin said during this past week’s School Committee meeting that she’s been getting “tense email” from some parents about why NPS isn’t mandating mask wearing to start the school year even though such a mandate has been put in place in conjunction with the Board of Health.

Now Nolin is trying to get the word out about several options that the district will have to test for COVID-19 within its community in an effort to keep people healthy and in school, which starts on Sept. 2. Parents and guardians will be asked consent once for all 3 options, if they are needed. Information on testing and other back-to-school resources are included in an online handbook that’s been shared and is being updated as needed.

The pooled testing used last year by NPS for COVID-19 surveillance did help reduce exposures by infected individuals. But with infection rates so low in town right now along with high vaccination rates cut infection days and exposures back by two days per infected person, the district doesn’t plan to do pooled testing at the start of the school year. However, the state is making this option available for free via a larger vendor, with personnel provided, if Natick’s daily COVID-19 incident rate or other key metrics rise to the point where pooled testing is required (pooled testing is now being called by the state “routine COVID pooled testing” because, you know, that’s somehow easier to understand).

natick public school covid testing options

Nolin gave an update on pooled testing and shared info on symptomatic testing and test and stay close contact testing.

During the past school year, if a student suddenly had a symptom that could indicate COVID—or could just be an isolated headache—they’d be sent home to get COVID test. This time around a rapid antigen test will be conducted on school premises, and if the COVID test is negative, the student could stay in school. If they test positive for COVID, they’ll need to go home and get a PCR test to confirm their condition.

Another new testing protocol, test and stay, is “a dream” according to Nolin for families whose lives were disrupted last year when kids were close contacts of those who tested positive for COVID and needed to quarantine even without symptoms. Now they’ll be able to get a quick test at school and remain at school if they show no symptoms. They’ll need to be tested for 5 days from the point of exposure.

NPS would like to host a vaccine clinic for students who are eligible but haven’t received the inoculation yet, and would look to hold clinics for younger students when they become eligible.

More immediately, Natick Public Schools is holding information sessions this week:

Monday, August 23, 2021, 6:00pm
Link to Virtual Meeting
Wednesday, August 25, 2021, 5:00pm

Link to Virtual Meeting


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Filed Under: COVID-19, Education

Time to get serious about Natick Public schools summer reading, 2021

August 17, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Natick logo

Grades K – 4

There are no formal summer reading requirements or assignments for grades K – 4. It’s recommended that kids get in 30 minutes of reading per day, whether that’s by independent reading, someone reading to them, or including audiobooks into the mix. But don’t let that stop kids from enjoying all the good books they can get their hands on. The Morse Institute or Bacon Free Library staff members can recommend books based on kids’ ages and interests.


Kennedy and Wilson Middle Schools

Grades 5 – 7: students must select one of the following texts, and each book has prompts that students should review before reading the book.

Grade 8: students have one required text.

In addition to the required text for each grade level, all middle school students should read at least two other books.


Incoming grade 5, read one of the following:

In addition to the required text for each grade level, all incoming 5th grade students should read at least two other books.

24 Hours in Nowhere, Dusti Bowling
Summary: Welcome to Nowhere, Arizona, the least livable town in the United States. For Gus, a bright 13-year-old with dreams of getting out and going to college, life there is made even worse by Bo Taylor, Nowhere’s biggest, baddest bully. When Bo tries to force Gus to eat a dangerously spiny cactus, Rossi Scott, one of the best racers in Nowhere, comes to his rescue—but in return she has to give Bo her prized dirt bike. Determined to buy it back, Gus agrees to go searching for gold in Dead Frenchman Mine, joined by his old friend Jessie, Rossi, and even Bo’s sidekick, Matthew. As they race against the clock hunting for treasure, narrowly surviving everything from cave-ins to mountain lions, they bond over shared stories of how hard life in Nowhere is—and they realize this adventure just may be their way out.

The Barren Grounds, David Robertson
Summary: Morgan and Eli, two Indigenous children forced away from their families and communities, are brought together in a foster home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They each feel disconnected, from their culture and each other, and struggle to fit in at school and at their new home—until they find a secret place, walled off in an unfinished attic bedroom. A portal opens to another reality, Askí, bringing them onto frozen, barren grounds, where they meet Ochek (Fisher). The only hunter supporting his starving community, Misewa, Ochek welcomes the human children, teaching them traditional ways to survive. But as the need for food becomes desperate, they embark on a dangerous mission. Accompanied by Arik, a sassy Squirrel they catch stealing from the trapline, they try to save Misewa before the icy grip of winter freezes everything—including them.

Take Back the Block, Chrystal D. Giles
Summary: Wes Henderson has the best style in sixth grade. That—and hanging out with his crew (his best friends since little-kid days) and playing video games—is what he wants to be thinking about at the start of the school year, not the protests his parents are always dragging him to.

But when a real estate developer makes an offer to buy Kensington Oaks, the neighborhood Wes has lived his whole life, everything changes. The grownups are supposed to have all the answers, but all they’re doing is arguing. Even Wes’s best friends are fighting. And some of them may be moving. Wes isn’t about to give up the only home he’s ever known. Wes has always been good at puzzles, and he knows there has to be a missing piece that will solve this puzzle and save the Oaks. But can he find it . . . before it’s too late?

Exploring community, gentrification, justice, and friendship, Take Back the Block introduces an irresistible 6th grader and asks what it means to belong–to a place and a movement–and to fight for what you believe in.


Incoming grade 6, read one of the following:

In addition to the required text, all incoming 6th grade students should read at least two other books.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bacon Free Library, Books, Education, Entertainment, Morse Institute Library

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