Excellence in the EPS

Highlights from around the District

  The Everett Public Schools (EPS) congratulated Family Liaisons Larissa Silfa, Erika Green, Steeve Auguste and Rixy Reyes-Oseguera for completing the Interpreter and Translator in Education Training Workshop Series at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

  The family liaisons provide critical support throughout the district, from registering students and assisting families at the Parent Information Center, to outreach and engagement efforts, to ensuring the success of school- and district-based programs and events, to organizing and teaching language classes. On top of all that, family liaisons perform nearly all the translation services for the district, including announcements, documents, website posts and robocalls. Family liaisons speak English and Spanish, Portuguese or Haitian Creole.

  The family liaison positions were created by Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani shortly after her tenure began in March 2020. Since then, they have become an essential part of the fabric of the EPS, and an invaluable resource to building leaders.

  “An enthusiastic and heartfelt congratulations to Larissa, Erika, Steeve and Rixy for completing the Translator in Education Training Workshop Series,” said Tahiliani. “It is a testament to their commitment to our students and families and the seriousness with which they approach their work.”

  This intense translator workshop series was created by the Translation Center at the University of Massachusetts for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The series provides an educational and professional setting in which participants learn about the standards and procedures of interpreting and translating in a school setting. The program offers them the opportunity to practice and develop their translation and interpreting skills, consider and reflect on specific situations and build a network of colleagues. The workshops raise the already impressive capacity of family liaisons by giving them tools on topics and practices, such as note-taking, sight translation, paraphrasing, fast reading, changing written text into oral speech, consecutive interpreting, simultaneous interpreting, and dual-role interpreting.

First things first

  Mental Health First Aid is a nationally recognized certification program designed to train and certify nonmental health professionals with the concrete skills to recognize, respond and refer people exhibiting mental health or substance abuse difficulties to appropriate care. The training stresses early detection and intervention by teaching participants about the signs and symptoms of specific conditions, such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and addictions. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing has certified more than one million people through a network of 12,000 Mental Health First Aid instructors. Patrick Quigley, the district’s manager of Social/Emotional Learning and Wellness, is a certified Mental Health First Aid instructor and the driving force behind bringing this important training to the EPS community of teachers and school support staff.

  “It was great to see such a diverse cross section of EPS personnel taking part in this training opportunity, including principals, administrative assistants, family liaisons and success coaches,” said Tahiliani. “The Mental Health First Aid program is an important step in embedding proven and sustainable social and emotional wellness strategies into our curriculum and our daily operations.”

Quick reminders

• To Crimson Tide basketball fans who are planning on attending Everett High’s MIAA Division 1 State Tournament game at North High School on Friday night: Masking mandates remain in place in the Worcester Public Schools; tickets are $6 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens, and tickets do not need to be purchased online.
• The next regular meeting of the School Committee will be held on Monday, March 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Everett High School Library.
• The City of Everett and Everett High School are hosting walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinics every Tuesday in March from 4 to 8 p.m. The clinics are free; insurance and identification are not required. The Pfizer vaccine will be available for all eligible individuals.

  · Thanks to a grant from DESE and the work of EPS Community Engagement Manager Jeanette Velez, EPS will host a Focus Group with Families and Caregivers from Everett on Wednesday, March 9 at 6 p.m. The Zoom event is built around the idea that students thrive when families, caregivers and school staff value each other and work together. Details about this community event can be found on the homepage of the EPS website.