A Dozen Candidates In The Mix To Fill School Committee Opening

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Photo: The Belmont School District building

It may not be cheaper by the dozen but 12 residents are finalists to fill the Belmont School Committee seat vacated by Andrea Prestwich last month.

The 12 applicants is the same number as the last time a school committee position was filled in 2020, noted Board Chair Adam Dash, for “a thankless job but an important job.”

The candidates were announced at a Nov. 9 joint meeting of the Select Board and School Committee which will vote on Wednesday, Nov. 10, to select the new member.

The candidates are:

  • Diana Cepeda, Trapelo Road
  • Aisha Foxx Telfort, Betts Road
  • Phillip Fremont-Smith, Somerset Street
  • Ralph Jones, Summit Road
  • Marko Labudovic, Carleton Road
  • Frances Leighton, Thomas Street
  • Jeffrey Liberty, Worcester Street
  • Alessandro Miglio, Trapelo Road
  • Glen Robertelli, Bay State Road
  • Jerome West, Trapelo Road
  • Jung Yueh, Waverley Street
  • Amy Zuccarello, Elizabeth Road

A brief mission statement from each candidate can be found at the bottom of the article.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the two sets of members discussed the process of whittling down the candidates until the new member is selected. Following the lead of School Committee Chair Amy Checkoway, the selection will be a two step process. The first step is underway with a review of the application material made up of a statement off interest and the resume.

The second course of action, which the two groups hope will be completed within a two hour window, will take place Wednesday at a public meeting. There will be a “meet the candidate” during which each applicant will make a three minute opening statement which will focus on why they are applying for the role.

After this brief intro, the eight member voting group will reduce the pool to five finalists with a runoff if their is a tie for fifth. Those remaining residents will give short answers to questions from the group. Then a final vote will occur with the best candidate receiving a majority (five of eight voters) with additional rounds if no one reaches that threshold.

What type of skills and experience is the joint election group seeking? You name it! An understanding of the issues before the committee, communication experience, a background in negotiations, teamwork, budget and finance experience, knowing policy development and strategic planning, and being an inquisitive person would be perfect for this position.

Statement of interest from the candidates for Belmont School Committee (Cuts have been made for length)

Cepeda: “I would be a good candidate for this committee because my child attends Belmont High School and a racism incident occurred and I would like to join the committee to be a part of the solution to this issue. I have a background in accounting and want to share my experiences and talents.”

Foxx Telfort: “I worked as an RN for 15 years and currently stay home with 2 children who now attended the Wellington. After many years of nursing and being a mother and homemaker, multitasking, organization, planning, and caring about our community have become a major part of my life.”

Fremont-Smith: “In a time of elevated emotions and uncertainty I believe the School Committee needs people who are experienced, rational and empirical thinkers. Emotion can drive too much of the public discourse today and that can lead to distraction, or worse. In my HR & Talent Acquisition consulting business I have juggled and moderated a wide spectrum of issues serving many varied constituencies over the past several decades. I have developed a specific approach to problem solving over the years that is based on empiricism. I follow a simple MO; Calmly listen, calmly question/consider and then calmly proceed with what needs to get done.”

Jones: “As a former member of the School Committee, I can start immediately. This appointment comes at the start of the budget process for 2021-2022. My 25 years in elected and appointed positions in Belmont Town Government create a unique perspective on how to obtain the best school budget. Equally important is my experience in collective bargaining. During my nine years on the School Committee, I served on the bargaining teams for BEA Units A and B and AFSCME. Prior to my election to the School Committee in 1995, I conducted research for 12 years on the development of legal frameworks for municipal labor relations. I also worked as an apprentice arbitrator and mediator, developing skills in conflict resolution.”

Labudovic: “I believe I can provide leadership and help my community during these difficult times. I am particularly interested in helping with Special Education and Covid related activities. I believe in diversity and I challenge the status quo. I currently lead an organization of 1,000 people and I know how to get things done.”

Leighton: “I have over 20 years of experience in project and program management where I have learned to excel at managing large-scale processes and performing complex problem solving. I foster strong relationships within all levels of an organization, as well as with external vendors and clients. I am incredibly organized, detail- oriented and have strong communication skills.”

Liberty: “The Belmont Public Schools are at an important crossroads, and the Belmont School Committee faces many complex challenges and opportunities. I would like to put my nearly 30 years of experience in education at the service of the Town and the school system that our two children attend. I have broad, national expertise in a number of the areas that the School Committee oversees, and I have good working relationships with a number of the current Committee members as well as good insight into networks of students and families in town as a result of my volunteer activities over the years.”

Miglio: “Navigating modern day challenges requires curiosity, patience, kindness, and a steady hand. These are staples of my day-to-day life both as a manager at work and as a parent of two Belmont school kids.”

Robertelli: “20+ years running and leading life science organizations in the USA and overseas including invasive and non-invasive sensor technologies and diagnostics. Experience dealing directly with the FDA and regulatory authorities in Europe and other regions. Understanding of data and extensive experience presenting said data in front of live audiences and stakeholders including physicians, nurses and hospital executives. Senior Advisor to Metryx and its CEO, Shawn Rubin. Co-author of ‘Pathways to a Personalization: A Framework for School Change,’ in helping this educational startup maximize teacher efficiency and student achievement by increasing the frequency and accuracy of formative assessment in schools using tablet technology.”

West: “I’ve grown up and live around education. My mother was an elementary school literacy specialist, serving children who had fallen behind in literacy education. In the past, I have volunteered my time with the Maize Foundation and other tutoring groups, helping at-risk youth reach their peer goals in academic achievement. Beyond my passion for education, I am a risk management and security professional. This gives me experience in helping organizations implement applicable governance and policy requirements. Likewise, my professional technical and financial background will enable me to understand the budgeting process and drive the board’s decision-making.”

Yueh: “I have previously had the pleasure of working to help the Belmont school system. I served as the Butler PTA treasurer for 2 years and served on the Elementary School Advisory Committee on Hybrid Learning in 2020. When I worked as a pension and health actuary, I calculated the value of benefits in support of my corporate clients in union negotiations. I understand benefit terms, and how they potentially translate to current and future cashflow.
As a trained mediator, I was taught to look for creative solutions to reach consensus. It is often helpful to have someone who can listen to all sides and be able to play the role of a devil’s advocate in order to reach a thoughtful agreement.”

Zuccarello: “I was motivated to apply for this position because I am the right person to fill the open spot. I have more than twenty years of professional experience in a wide array of financial and legal matters which is directly relevant to the work of the School Committee. I work with clients to develop and negotiate budgets, often when substantial cost savings are required. I regularly work with different groups to bring people together to achieve a common goal. These skills will be valuable to the Committee in its work on the school budget and in negotiating with the teachers’ union, as and when needed.

As Communities Reconsider Masks, Belmont Stands Pat On Coverings Indoors, In Schools

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Photo: Hopkinton is the first Massachusetts school district to end mask mandates at its high school (Credit: Hopkinson High School website)

As the first town in Massachusetts has ended a mask mandate at its high school on Monday, Nov. 1, Belmont will be standing pat with requiring coverings for students and public indoor activities.

At its meeting on Monday, the Belmont Select Board heard from Health Department Director Wesley Chin who discussed Covid-19 in Belmont. Chin noted 74 total cases in October, compared to 71 in September with 35 the average age of those infected. Under CDC standards, Middlesex County “still sits in high risk for transmission and Belmont is still in substantial risk,” said Chin.

Chin agreed with Board member Mark Paolillo who said, despite a plateauing of cases nationwide, with Belmont remaining in the substantial risk level of transmission, “we’re not in the position at this point based on the statistics … to lift any mask mandate.”

But Chin did tell Paolillo he believes the town could return to the mandate after the first of the year.

“I think we’re in a sort of gray zone right now. We’re … cautiously watching and eager to see what the holidays bring us. Once we get past the New Year, we should reassess and see where things are,” said Chin.

Hopkinton lifted its mask mandate at its high school for the next three weeks on a trial basis after the school in the center Massachusetts town exceeded the 80 percent Covid-19 vaccination threshold for students and staff which Massachusetts Gov. Baker’s administration set in September to end requirements.

An Oct. 15 article in the Boston Globe found Belmont and 61 other Massachusetts school districts had reached the levels to end mandates. In fact, the Globe found Belmont far exceeding the state requirement: 90 percent of students between ages 12-15 and 89 percent 16-19 have been vaccinated.

When asked to comment on the findings, Belmont Superintendent John Phelan said the mandate “was voted on by the Belmont Board of Health and School Committee. The School Department respect the decision and are following this policy” with any discussion of ending the ban should go through the Board of Health.

But Phelan did leave the door a bit ajar on reconsidering the mandate.

“All issues are open to discussion and I am sure the decisions will be in the best interest of keeping our students, staff and community safe,” said Phelan.

Nominations For Open School Committee Seat Due On Nov. 8; Interviews Start Nov. 10

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Photo: What’s up next for the school committee is selecting a new member (credit Belmont Media Center)

It is a voluntary position that demands hours of your time weekly, will add more stress to your life and goes largely unrewarded by the public.

If those attributes haven’t sent you heading for the door, then you’re just the person the Belmont School Committee is looking as its newest member!

At a joint meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 25, the Committee and Select Board finalized the process on how they will replace former chair Andrea Prestwich who resigned last week as she starts a new job at the NIS.

And the committee wants the temporary position – the appointee, if they choose, will need to run for election in April’s Town Election to continue on the committee – filled soon, “before Thanksgiving” is the hope of current Chair Amy Checkoway.

“This is a key leadership position” thus it will be important “filling this open seat,” said Checkoway. “This is a really big opportunity to make an impact and difference in Belmont.”

Committee member Mike Crowley said with the town’s fiscal challenges the committee will face in the coming years, it would be advantageous that candidates with budgetary and financial “acumen” would be looked on favorably by the eight members who will vote on the applicants

Deadline for School Committee applications

Monday, Nov. 8 at 5 p.m.

While several of the committee and board want someone with board or committee related experience, Committee member Jamal Saeh doesn’t wish to discourage anyone who has limited education or fiscal expertise from applying which could limit the diversity of possible members on the committee.

School Committee members have included parents, lawyers, those in business, scientists, educators, researchers, and a variety of other backgrounds. 

With a pre-turkey day deadline as its goal, the committee will likely need to whittle down the list of candidates before entering the time consuming one-on-one public interview process

“Last time we had a glut of really good people to choose from,” said Board Chair Adam Dash of last year’s process replacing Susan Burgess-Cox, but he wasn’t sure if the committee wants to take that much time to fill the seat.

Committee member Meg Moriarty advanced creating a hiring rubric, a scoring tool that defines the qualifications and expectations by which each candidate will be evaluated so the “process is a little less subjective and more objective in whittling down a first group of candidates,” said Moriarty.

Kate Bowen said the type of questions the board and committee puts out will demonstrate the skill set and experience being sought in a successful candidate that also provides a high level of transparency to the applicants and public. While she agrees that all candidates should have some “face-time” with the groups, if there is a large number of applicants, Bowen suggests allowIng all candidates to answer one question with a two-minute response before conducting a poll to cut the number moving forward with the full set of questions.

All in all, Dash said he expects a good field to apply for the seat.

The most difficult issue of the night was coming up with a date when to review the candidates. And they are ready to go. Questions will be discussed at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 9 with initial interviews of applicants at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 10. If a consensus candidate isn’t selected on Nov. 10, a second date will be determined at that time.

Who is qualified to run?

All Belmont residents age 18 and older are encouraged to apply via the Town’s website. The candidate must be a registered voter of Belmont.

To apply, go to “Volunteer Opportunities” on the Town of Belmont home page, click on the link for appointment to a Belmont Committee, and click yes to “Are you interested in specific committees.” Type “School Committee 2021” in the box labeled “Interested in a Committee not listed above?” You can then fill out the rest of the short form and upload a CV or resume. Please include a concise statement of interest in the text box.

Link to “Volunteer Opportunities” available here as well: https://www.belmont-ma.gov/home/pages/volunteer-opportunities

For further information, email the chair Amy Checkoway acheckoway@belmont.k12.ma.us or any member of the committee. Their contact information is available at https://www.belmont.k12.ma.us/bps/Committee.

Racist, Homophobic, Anti-semitic Graffiti Continues To Be Found At Chenery Despite School-Wide Anti-bias Efforts

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Photo: Chenery Middle School

“Kill gays.” “Kill N——rs.” Swastikas.

These are recent examples of hate graffiti found in the bathrooms of Chenery Middle School, all coming after the district school for the town’s 5th to 8th grade students held a school-wide effort to address hate symbols earlier in the month.

In a Tuesday, Oct. 26 email to students and parents, Chenery Principal Karla Koza said hate writing and symbols were found inside student restrooms in the past week, coming a fortnight after the staff and teachers held a school-wide observance to address hate graffiti in the school. These incidents come the same time a racist message was left in the Belmont High School library during an open house.

“Your teachers, our staff, our administration and I are deeply disappointed that this continues. I know most of you do not want this type of hate speech in our school either,” said Koza writing specifically to her students.

“Please remember that all students belong at Chenery. When we see terrible things on our walls, it makes us uncomfortable, makes us feel unsafe, and does not help us to feel connected as the great school we are,” said Koza.

Hate-filled graffiti has an unfortunate legacy at the Chenery. Three years ago, a bathroom was tagged with racist and homophobic language in an unprecedented attack of hate speech at the school. In response to the act, Chenery Principal Micheal McAllister conducted a school-wide activity to explain what happened and what students can do to begin the healing process.

“[W]e continue to see vulgarities and graffiti that erodes the sense of community and safety for our students,” said Koza addressing parents and guardians, adding “[t]hreatening racial and homophobic slurs have no place at Chenery Middle School and do not align with our core values to provide a safe and supportive environment for all students.”

Koza said she will address the matter at Wednesday’s morning announcements. Moving forward, school leaders “will continue to address this hateful graffiti by investigate the incidents and follow up with students and families as needed.”

The District School Resource Officer has been notified while Chon’tel Washington, the district’s newly-hired Director of Equity and Inclusivity and community liaisons including the Belmont Human Rights Commission will serve as resources to the greater Chenery community.

“We urge families to talk about these issues at home,” Kona asked parents. In addition, students may reach out to any trusted adult at our school for support or clarity while Belmont community members may also reach out to the Belmont Human Rights Commission for support.

Belmont High Administration Responds To Racist Act During Saturday’s Open House

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Photo: The open house at Belmont Middle and High School Saturday, Oct. 23

Belmont High School officials reacted quickly to the writing of racist graffiti during a public open house of the high school wing of Belmont Middle and High School on Saturday, Oct. 23.

“The use of any racial slur is not in line with our values at Belmont High School,” said High School Principal Isaac Taylor in a press release dated Tuesday, Oct. 26. “We are committed to becoming a school community where all people feel welcomed, celebrated, and supported.”

According to Taylor, during the second of three open houses to provide the public a view of the new building’s interior, two students, one BHS and one from another school, entered the building and made their way to an unsupervised area in the library.

“While in the space, the student from another school wrote a message containing a racial slur. This slur was directed to our black and brown students and families with the use of the ‘n’ word,” said Taylor. The pair was approached by a custodian at which time they ran off. The message was removed before students and staff entered the building on Monday. The students movement and actions were captured on camera, which were reviewed by the school administration.

Isaac outlined the actions by the administration to the event which included:

  • Meeting with the Belmont student and their family, where consequences were assigned.
  • Belmont police was notified via the School Resource Officer.
  • The headmaster of the school where the other student attends was notified of his student’s involvement.
  • Contacting and partnering with Chon’tel Washington, the district’s Director of Equity and Inclusion. 
  • Reaching out to the school’s liaisons at the Belmont Human Rights Commission who can serve as a resource to anyone in the community.  

Isaac said the administration will also review event policies and school security to ensure that students cannot gain access to unsupervised areas after school hours. 

“Please know that we are here for you,” said Isaac. “Students, please feel free to reach out to any trusted adult at the high school. Your guidance counselors, teachers, and administrators are here for you. There are also other resources available to anyone in Belmont; you are always free to reach out to the Belmont Human Rights Commission for support.

Breaking: Burbank Principal Resigns After Staff, District Lost Confidence In His Leadership

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Photo: Burbank Elementary School

Seeley Okie, principal of the Burbank Elementary School, was forced to resign his position on Thursday, Oct. 21 after teachers and staff of the school “expressed concerns” to the Belmont School District on his running of the school since September and, specifically, Okie’s handling of a specific event in which a student was restrained during a “de-escalation” incident under his watch.

In a letter to the Burbank community dated Oct. 21, Belmont Superintendent John Phelan said after recently speaking with school personnel and reviewing the incident with the student, Okie was placed on administrative leave on an unspecified date according to district protocol.

After subsequent conversations “we have come to a mutual agreement that Principal Okie will submit his resignation, effective immediately,” wrote Phelan. “[Okie] has been fully cooperative throughout this process and has indicated that this course of action is best for him personally and professionally, for his family, and most importantly, for the school community.”

Phelan expressed his personal thanks to Okie for providing “leadership and stability” through “the significant challenges and uncertainty” of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Okie came to the Burbank as its interim principal in July 2019 after spending seven years as assistant principal at the McArthur Elementary School in Waltham. He was named Burbank’s full-time principal starting in September 2020.

Phelan said the district’s central office and members of the superintendent’s Leadership Team – made up of senior staff and the district’s principals – will work with teachers and staff to “ensure the smooth operation of the school.”

The district will begin “an immediate search” to hire an interim principal for the Burbank. It comes at the same time Butler Elementary Principal Danielle Betancourt announced her resignation after accepting a position in London.

Andrea Prestwich, School Committee Chair During Height Of Pandemic, Stepping Down

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Photo: Andrea Prestwich at the 2021 Belmont High School graduation

Andrea Prestwich, who led the Belmont School Committee during the height of a worldwide pandemic that upended education in Belmont, resigned from the committee Wednesday, Oct. 20, after accepting a role with the government’s leading funding source for basic science research.

“I’ve been offered a position as Program Director at the National Science Foundation and I hope to start next week,” Prestwich said in a letter to Town Clerk Ellen Cushman. “I’m very excited by this new opportunity, but it will be a lot of work and I won’t have the time needed to devote to the School Committee going forward.”

“It has been an honor to serve on the School Committee,” said Prestwich who is the committee’s longest serving member having been elected in April 2016.

“I look back at what I said when I first ran for the school committee, back in 2016, and I said, ‘I’m in awe of the teachers, the administrators and the students.’ And that’s still true. I am in awe of all those people,” said Prestwich at the committee’s Tuesday, Oct. 19 meeting.

“The district really does faces some significant challenges, especially financial. But you guys have the right core values, and are excellent people. And I believe that you can these core values and the right people will sustain the district through difficult times,” said Prestwich of her committee colleagues.

Amy Checkoway, the committee’s current chair, said she and the committee “will miss among other things, your insightful questions, your extensive scientific knowledge, and your honesty.”

Prestwich’s leadership occurred “during an incredibly difficult time to serve on the school committee, let alone be a chair,” said Checkoway. Taking the helm in April 2020 – she was the only sitting member who volunteered to replace the previous chair who suddenly resigned – Prestwich faced a district forced to provide a daily classroom experience remotely which it provided on the fly as the severity of the pandemic brought daily roadblocks to the education process.

Belmont Superintendent John Phelan said he and the central office staff shared a very unique experience with Prestwich “which was a year of Covid challenges” and the efforts to ensure that students would attend “safe school environment.”

“It does feel like we’re battle scarred, doesn’t it,” Prestwich said.

Prestwich led the committee in the district’s contentious phased opening of school starting in remote learning in Sept. 2020 which she said was a good decision, although admitting parents should have been part of the process in developing the plan. She championed district-wide Covid testing and increasing education spending in future budgets to provide needed additional instruction just as a populist austerity faction in town raised questions on funding.

With her stances, Prestwich became a convenient target for parental critics on social media platforms including many particularly personal attacks alleging a “hidden agenda” to grab control of the district. Detractors went so far as to suggest starting a recall effort which quickly petered out.

In a December 2020 interview, Prestwich explained that both she and the committee appreciated the anxiety of parents whose children remained out of the classroom.

“I completely understand the level of frustration in the community with our schools,” Prestwich said. “Not one of us on the School Committee is happy with the current situation. We would all like for school in Belmont to be back to normal. As School Committee chair, I’m the natural target for the frustration.”

“I remember very vividly a phone conversation I had with Andrea at some point last school year, when she described how heavy this role felt every day,” said Checkoway, who took over Prestwich’s role after she stepped down from the chair’s position in early April.

Prestwich ran in 2016 promoting later school start times especially for high school students, pointing to the overwhelming scientific evidence that maturing teens – She and her husband, Steve Saar, are parents of teenage twins – more sleep to effectively tackle the school day.

Her reliance on a fact-based approach as chair and as a member can be found in her own education and day job. A PhD in Astrophysics from Imperial College London, this year marked Prestwich’s 30th anniversary at Harvard’s Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory where she is a staff scientist at the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

And in her final act as a committee member, Prestwich was given the honor of closing the committee’s meeting one last time.

Preforming Arts Co.’s ‘Broadway Night’ To Show Off Belmont High’s New Black Box

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Photo: The finale of BHS PAC Broadway Night (thanks to BHS PAC)

The Belmont High School Performing Arts Company is returning after a year-and-a-half in the virtual sphere to all live performances with its annual “Broadway Night: Musical Theater Cabaret” this weekend, Oct. 22 and 23 at 7 p.m.

To celebrate its homecoming, the in-school group will welcome the audience to its new home: The Black Box Theater on the first floor of the recently opened high school wing of the Belmont Middle and High School. The space has professional lighting and sound as well as flexible seating configurations that will allow for a greater audience experience.

Students artists will perform classic and contemporary works of musical theater consisting of solo/duet/small groups songs which are primarily self-directed which will showcase the acting, singing and dancing talents of the PAC members. And with every year, there will be a final song and dance performed by the entire company.

Tickets are $5 for students/children and $12 for adults. Tickets can be purchased online, and advance ticket purchase recommended: shows, as always, are expected to sell out!

Details about the show and ticket sales at bhs-pac.org

Due to As we prepare to invite audiences back into our schools, here are some guidelines for those who plan to attend theater events this year:

  • MASKS WILL BE REQUIRED for all audience members.
  • Food/drinks will not be allowed in performance spaces.
  • The size of our Black Box Theater means that there is not a guarantee of distancing for audience members. We encourage family units to sit together, but at sold out shows, you will be seated directly adjacent to others.
  • Some students performing on stage for theater events will be unmasked. These students have been required by the Belmont School Committee to be vaccinated.
  • Anyone experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19 should not attend performances. You can reference the BPS Student Symptom Checker here.

School Committee Mandates Student Vaccinations by Dec. 1 To Take Part In Sports, Extracurriculars

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Photo: Students aged 16 and older who which to participate in sports and extracurriculars must be fully vaccinated by Dec. 1

The Belmont School Committee voted unanimously Tuesday, Oct. 5 to require students 16 and older to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to participate in school-sponsored athletics or extracurricular activity.

The mandate, according to the language in the interim policy, was passed to “promote public safety and the safety of students, facility and staff” during the worldwide pandemic that is “causing disruption of the traditional school day.”

“I do think it’s a step in the right direction to continue to create a safer environment as possible for school operations,” said Kate Bowen who heads the committee’s policy subcommittee which wrote and edited the new language.

The policy requires students who are age-eligible according to the Federal Drug Adminstration – current guidelines would impact those between 16 to 19 – have received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson injection.

The new policy is an effort to spur Belmont’s already high vaccination rate in the 7th-12th grades which currently averaging in the low 80 percent range.

While voting in favor of the measure, committee members Bowen and Meg Moriarity along with Belmont Superintendent John Phelan expressed a worry that it would appear the policy is selecting a group of students based on interest or participation . But each acknowledged that the intent is trying to vaccinate as many students as possible in all settings in order to provide a safer environment.

Chair Amy Checkoway said it is important after the vote to inform families the policy was “going into place and making sure their questions are answered” while continuing to support access to vaccines for students.

The vote comes a day after the Belmont Board of Health recommended the committee mandate a vaccination requirement for all students 16 and up.

I’m in the process of consulting and finding out some more information from our legal counsel about next steps,” said Checkoway. “I think this is obviously a very important issue and something we neeed to discuss.”

All Student COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at Chenery Middle School, Thursday, Sept. 30

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Photo: Shots for students this Thursday. (Image credit: CDC “Getting Your COVID-19 Vaccine”)

The Belmont School District in partnership with VaxinateRx and Healthcare Family Pharmacy is offering two doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination series to all Belmont public school students ages 12 and up on Thursday, Sept. 30, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Chenery Middle School large community room.

According to Beth Rumley, director of nursing for the Belmont Public Schools, all students will be vaccinated free of charge regardless of insurance coverage. If insured please enter insurance information in the online registration. Once registered online there is no need to bring an insurance card to the clinic. 

A follow-up clinic for second doses will be held on Thursday, October 21, 2021, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the Chenery large community room. An additional registration link will be provided to register for the second dose at a later time. Students who have already received their first dose of the Pfizer series at another location are welcome to register for either date to receive their second shot as long as there have been at least 3 weeks between doses. Please remember to send the vaccination card from the previous vaccination and consent form with your student.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW

  • Please register your child to receive the vaccine at: Appointment Quest Scheduler
  • After registering you will receive an email with a link to the consent form for vaccination (please check your spam folder if you do not receive it)
  • Please fill out and print the consent form to bring to the appointment
  • For anyone under the age of 18, a consent form signed by a parent/guardian must be presented in order to receive a vaccine
    • Parent/guardian does not need to be present as long as the child has a signed consent form

If you experience any issues with the registration process please email info@VaxinateRx.com  to resolve any issues.

Reminder: Please make sure to print and sign the consent form and have the student bring it to school on the day of the clinic. A Parent or Guardian signature is required for any students under the age of 18.  

Your child will receive a COVID vaccine card at the time of vaccination. PLEASE KEEP THIS CARD IN A SAFE PLACE. Your child will need it for the second dose.