Community Event To Discuss Swastikas Has A Date

In a late May meeting of the Reading Board of Selectmen, Town Manager Bob LeLacheur announced a clergy-led community event in June in response to swastikas being found inside Reading High School. But June came and went and little has been publicly said since then.

At Monday night's School Committee meeting that important community event was the eighth bullet in a power point presentation by Superintendent John Doherty. The event will be held Tue., Oct. 3 at the high school. But with the School Committee heading into executive session, Doherty had few details and deferred to area clergy to provide details.

Calling the discovery of the swastikas, including one by RMHS on Oakland Road last week, part of a "series of unfortunate situations," Doherty informed the School Committee of a number of steps that have been taken this summer, all with the goal of involving clergy, students, parents, and the entire Reading community in finding a solution.

It started in late June when Doherty met with approximately 40 members of the Reading Jewish community. He's also implemented Anti-Defamation League training with school administrators which took place in early August. Athletics has received a $3,000 MVP grant from the New England Patriots Anti-Violence Partnership and the money is targeted for student leaders. The Bully Prevention Plan has been updated. The Religious Accommodation Plan has been reviewed and updated. The RMHS senior elective class "Diverse Voices" has been updated. And finally, the Oct. 3 event was created by a Community Planning Group, led by area clergy. In addition, a World of Difference Club will be started at both middle schools and the high school.

"A lot has been going on behind the scenes," Doherty told the committee.

The committee also heard an update on big-picture money items like the FY18 budget, along with smaller items like savings found in school bathrooms. Dispensers of toilet paper and paper towel that required more expensive paper products have been replaced at schools with generic dispensers, allowing for the use of less expensive paper and thus saving money. They also heard about new carpet, new tiles and paint, new technology and updates to the science and extended school year programs. And RCTV, which will have classroom space at RMHS this fall, was on hand to update the committee on their activities.

The meeting started with the introduction of the 31 new teachers in the system, many of whom were in attendance and earlier that day began their first day on the job. Reading children return to school Wednesday.

Photo by Bob Holmes