I’ve Been Kissed by Marie Whittle-Webb Park waits patiently at the Third Ave courtyard.

Good Morning, Burlington!

After all that kerfuffle, there was really no snow to speak of yesterday, was there? If you had a day off, we hope you enjoyed the down time with no expectation of snow cleanup.

Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten season, are both today. How will you be celebrating? Reply to this email, comment on social media, or email us to let us know and to have your story added to our Community Celebrations feature. Not sure what to share? Get your creative juices flowing this morning at True North, as Northern Bank hopes to win your heart this Valentine’s Day with a free coffee between the hours of 7:00 and 9:00.

Taste Wine, Support Charity

People Helping People will be holding their 11th annual Wine Tasting and Charity Auction soon. Get your ticket now so you can enjoy tasty wine, yummy food, and both a silent auction and a live auction—all to benefit People Helping People, the nonprofit that runs Burlington’s Food Pantry.

Date: February 25
Time: 2:00-5:00 PM
Location: Café Escadrille

For tickets, visit Café Escadrille, A Whole Bunch Flower Market, or contact Janet Sullivan Fitzgerald by email or at 781-244-9519.

School District to Post DEI Director Position

In January of 2021, Town Meeting approved funding for a Director of Diversity, Equity, and inclusion in Burlington Public Schools. After a long interview process, the hiring committee chose Ray Porch as director. Unfortunately, though, Mr. Porch was with the district for just one school year, and the position has been vacant since September of 2022.

An equity audit was commissioned during Mr. Porch’s time with the district, but it never came to fruition. An audit was then commissioned through another company, and the results were at last delivered in October of 2023.

Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Lisa Chen, and other district staff have been using this Equity Needs Assessment to inform the work they’re doing with curriculum alignment throughout the course of the 2023-24 school year, focusing on equity in access to education. Dr. Chen and Superintendent Conti have also been working with a consultant to create a job description for DEI Director, which is nearly complete and they hope to post prior to break (which is next week).

In keeping with their stated priorities around equity, the job description will focus on promoting equity in student achievement, according to Dr. Chen.

Also at School Committee:

• The High School Building Committee has chosen Tappé Architects as the designer for the feasibility study for the high school. The School Committee also revisited a conversation from the last High School Building Committee meeting about who can be a voting member. After consulting with the district’s attorney, the understanding is that anyone on the building committee who has been sworn in by the Town Clerk as an official member has a de facto advisory vote. Final decisions, though, will be made by the School Committee at large.
• The flag policy, which codifies what the district has historically done, was accepted. The only flags to be flown at Burlington Public Schools are the United States flag, the Massachusetts Flag, the Town of Burlington flag, and the MIA-POW flag.
• The family Computer Science Night will be rescheduled.
• The district joined a national pilot for MagicSchool AI to help teachers learn to use safe AI tools.
• BPS will be hosting a math tournament on May 11; 26 area teams will participate.
• Special Olympics will be held on May 10; LABBB Special Olympics will be on April 26.
• There will be a parent information night on February 29 (Francis Wyman, 6:00-8:00 PM) where the district will be presenting the Growth and Maturation (“puberty”) lessons to parents of fourth and fifth grade students and answering any questions. The slide show used to teach the gender-separated classes have been sent to 4th and 5th grade parents via Parent Square, along with an opt out form.
• The bus contract is out for bidding, and the district expects to have some bids next week.
• There’s no need to redistrict for now, but the district will be looking into a consultant to support a redistricting project in preparation for opening a new Fox Hill.
• The social media policy was presented for a first reading; the point of this policy is to ensure online safety and security and also to ensure equity in how families are receiving communication from the district. ParentSquare, which was adopted this year, is the district-approved communication software, and the company agrees not to share student information. This policy will need to be both approved by the School Committee and collectively bargained, as it’s the opinion of the district’s attorney that a new policy would constitute a change in working conditions.
• The Committee discussed the policy for kindergarten and first grade admission. Currently the deadline is September 1 for admission into kindergarten, and many families with children who were born after that date send their kids to a private kindergarten instead. Then, when it’s time for first grade, the students are allowed into first grade even though age-wise they wouldn’t have been admitted into kindergarten. Some members thought a firm date was necessary for kindergarten admission; others thought it is inequitable for parents to have to send their kindergarten-ready students to a private school. The policy subcommittee will continue discussing this policy; no decisions were made.
• Capital warrant items were summarized preliminarily, along with costs based on quotes from vendors. Some familiar items are there, such as making up the shortfall in funding for the Pine Glen air conditioning, redoing the music room floor at BHS, and upgrading the HVAC at BHS. Others, including reworking the bathrooms and locker rooms at the middle school, are on the list as well. The preliminary cost estimates will need some padding based on increasing labor and materials costs.

Today in Burlington

Municipal Meetings and Community Events

• Perspectives on BHS Courses - 8th graders learn about high school and the year to come. (MSMS)
• 2:00-4:00 PM - Erland Valentine Party - Celebrate this day with your fellow Burlington seniors and the Council on Aging at this 7th annual party. Contact Burlington’s Council on Aging for more information. (RSVP Required)
• 4:00 PM - Board of Assessors meeting will be part executive session to discuss the pending appellate tax board hearing. They’ll also sign motor vehicle abatements. (Town Hall Main Hearing Room)
• 4:00 PM - Council on Aging will have a guest, discuss local groups advertising, the Lahey Farmer’s Market, technology grants, the Senior Prom, and more. (61 Center St, Room 136 and Virtual)
• 5:30-6:15 PM - PJ Storytime: Stuffed Animal Sleepover at the Woburn Public Library - come listen to stories in your jammies and bring a stuffed animal friend. Your stuffy can sleep over in the library! Wait until you see what funny things your friend does at their sleepover! Ideal for kids under 5. (Woburn Public Library, Register)
• 6:30 PM - Zoning Bylaw Review Committee will reflect on the warrant articles from January Town Meeting, discuss signage, and get updates on the May warrant articles. (Virtual)

Sports and Activities

There were no sports yesterday, and there’s nothing on the calendar for today, either. The season is really winding down, and there are only a few more matchups in each sport before the state finals!

That’s all for today. See you tomorrow, Burlington!

Nicci

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