District Asks For Volunteer Help To Reopen Schools | Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Monday, March 8: International Women's Day, a holiday celebrated annually to commemorate women and the cultural, political and socioeconomic achievements of them. Here's what else you should know this afternoon:

• How one school district is dealing with staffing shortages as students begin to return.
• Legislators agree on a deal to help businesses and employees recover from the pandemic.
• Friends of a Natick teen killed in a weekend crash gathered for a vigil.

Scroll down for those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.

Wednesday’s Top Story

If parents want students back in school, they may have to be willing to lend a hand in at least one district.

Swampscott Public Schools is asking for volunteers to help cover staffing shortages as the district tries to bring students back in-person five days a week. Help is needed for things like monitoring mask and snack breaks.

Nearby News

• Waltham Not Ready For Full, In-Person School: Superintendent
• Nashoba Valley Ski Crash: Teen Flown To Hospital
• Brookline Appoints First Black Permanent Superintendent Of Schools

Today’s Other Top Stories In Massachusetts

We’ve got a deal — Top legislative Democrats announced Monday they'd reached a deal on a COVID-19 recovery bill that aims to help workers and employers. According to an outline of the deal, it includes measures around tax relief for certain unemployed workers, paid leave related to COVID-19 and vaccinations, relief from planned hikes in unemployment insurance rates, and waiving state taxes on Paycheck Protection Program grants. (State House News Service)

Fundraiser after teen killed in crash — Friends of the Natick 17-year-old killed in a car crash gathered for a vigil at Natick High School on Sunday night to remember the teen. Giovanni Taboh, 17, was identified as the victim in the Saturday night rollover crash, according to WBZ-TV. A GoFundMe fundraiser has also been set up for Taboh with a goal of raising $70,000.

By The Numbers

2,700+ — That's how many COVID-19 tests the Medford school district administered last week — with zero positive results

They Said It

“The nurses also report their patients in Worcester are experiencing an increase in patient falls, an increase in patients suffering from preventable bed sores, potentially dangerous delays in patients receiving needed medications and other treatments — all due to lack of appropriate staffing, excessive patient assignments, and cuts to valuable support staff.”
— The Massachusetts Nurses Association in a statement as about 800 nurses went on strike at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester

Readers Write In

Why Rename Columbus Elementary School Now? — Medford United calls on the School Committee to table discussions over a new name for the school until other district issues are addressed.

Other local stories

• 50 Students Quarantining After Exposures At 3 Reading Schools
• Opinion: Readers Write: Why Rename Columbus Elementary School Now?