The Rotary Club of Wellesley recently hosted Dr. Shira Doron, a Wellesley resident and current Board of Health member who shared her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic as chief infection control officer for the Tufts Medical Health System. Wellesley Media recorded the event, which took place at Wellesley Free Library’s main branch.
Dr. Shira Doran to speak about the dark early days of COVID at Wellesley Rotary Club meeting
Wellesley Health Board member and infectious diseases physician Dr. Shira Doron will be the guest speaker at the Rotary Club’s meeting on Thursday, Sept. 28, 6:30pm, at the Wellesley Free Library.
Dr. Doron’s talk will be entitled “Crisis Is the Mother of Innovation: How I led a Hospital Infection Control Response to a Global Pandemic.” In it, she will take the audience behind the scenes and describe what it was like to be in a hospital during the dark early days of the COVID-19 crisis, emphasizing the importance of creativity and innovation and drawing parallels to other spheres.
Dr. Doran serves as the Hospital Epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center and the Chief Infection Control Officer for the Tufts Medicine Health system, where she was the subject matter expert for the COVID response.
The Rotary Club of Wellesley is one of Wellesley’s oldest community service groups and conducts local programs to benefit the Town of Wellesley. The public is always invited to any Rotary program. Please check the web site www.wellesleyrotary.org for times. If you are interested in attending, please register on the web site or send an email to Wellesley.Rotary.Club@gmail.com
Wellesley Health Dept. can help residents have healthy holidays
The Wellesley Health Department has a limited amount of the flu vaccine available at their office on the second floor of the Warren Building, 90 Washington Street. Call 781-489-4356 or email health@welleslyma.gov to schedule your shot for ages 6 and up. Flu mist and high dose vaccine available.
A couple members of our swell family this week got their registered nurse-administered flu vax at the Wellesley Health Department and found it to be an easy, uncrowded, civilized experience.
As a reminder, every home in the U.S. is again eligible to order free at-home COVID-19 tests. Order yours today at this link: https://www.covid.gov/tests.
The Health Department has a limited supply of free COVID-19 tests inside the rear entrance to the Warren Building, 90 Washington St., Wellesley. Warren Building hours are Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm.
The Warren Building will close at noon on Fri., Dec. 23 and remain closed through Mon., Dec. 26. Regular business hours resume on Tue., Dec. 27.
The Warren Building will close at noon on Fri., Dec. 30 and remain closed through Mon., Jan. 2.
Regular Wellesley Health Department hours: Mon. – Fri., 9am-4:30pm
Wellesley flu clinic set for Oct. 4; limited bivalent COVID vaccine available, too
Wellesley’s Health Department is holding a flu clinic on Tuesday, Oct. 4 from 1-4pm for residents ages 18-plus.
Advance registration is required for the clinic, to be held on the ground floor of the Warren Health & Recreation Building (90 Washington St.). Vaccines are free, but you need to have health insurance and should bring your card. High-dose vaccines are available for those ages 65-plus.
Homebound residents are encouraged to schedule an at-home appointment. Call the Health Department at 781-489-4356.
The Health Department will have a limited supply of the new bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine (Moderna only) available this this clinic for those who want to double dip. It’s only available to those who have registered for the flu vaccine clinic.
Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
School starts in Wellesley on Wednesday, Aug. 31 for all students
Wellesley public school students go back to class on Wellesley on Wednesday, Aug. 31.
Want to share Opening Day photos with us? Please do: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
The biggest change this year—Hunnewell Elementary School will not open its doors. It can’t. The school, built in 1938, was razed over the summer to make way for a new 76,500 sq. ft. 18-classroom school slated to open in February 2024. While construction is underway, staff and students have been divvied up among four of Wellesley’s five currently open elementary schools—Bates, Hardy, Sprague, and Upham—under a swing space plan. More on the school construction plans.
District-wide, the school is returning to pre-pandemic operations meaning that, with the exception of all nursing offices, all school buildings and grounds will be mask-optional environments. In addition, the schools will no longer be supporting weekly, school-based viral testing. The remaining stock of rapid tests will be made available to students and staff on demand until supplies either run out or expire.
Other school updates
In a back-to-school message, Superintendent David Lussier reminded families that work on the new Hardy school will begin this winter behind the existing school, which will remain operational throughout the project. “The new Hardy school is slated to open in August of 2024, approximately six months after the opening of the new Hunnewell school. I know I speak for the many people who supported the development and approval process of these projects when I say that it is incredibly gratifying to see these next-generation school projects underway,” Lussier said in his message.
In addition, a significant paving project was completed at the Middle School over the summer, one of many projects at WMS over the years that have included replacement of many windows, work on critical infrastructure such as piping, doors and cabinetry and a full kitchen renovation. After all those upgrades, it seems safe to say that WMS will remain standing and in service for many years to come.
As for the high school area, the Wellesley Natural Resources commission in July voted 3-2 in favor of the School Committee’s proposal to allow lights to be installed at the Hunnewell Track & Field. The next steps will include private fundraising of about $1 million for the lights, team rooms, and sound system, as well as additional town meetings and approvals before the lights can be installed. Wetlands, the Select Board, Design Review Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals all must sign off on the project before it can move forward. More information here.
Massachusetts has extended universal free school meals through the 2022-2023 school year. This means that breakfast at the Middle and High Schools, and lunch at all schools will continue to be served at no cost to all students. Families will continue to be financially responsible for second meals, a la carte offerings, and beverages.
Even though meals are free for all, families must complete the household Application for Free and Reduced Price Meals for the 2022-23 school year to ensure district eligibility for various programs.
School calendar
First day off: Monday, Sept. 5, in observance of Labor Day.
For more important dates on school schedule, see the 2022-23 academic calendar.
Colleges and private schools start-up dates
As for other educational institutions in town Babson College has the distinction of starting the earliest. Undergraduates at the four-year private business school head to class on Monday, Aug. 29.
St. John School, the private Catholic school that educates students up to grade 6, starts classes on Tuesday, Aug. 30.
School gets going at both Tenacre Country Day School (private pre-K through grade 6) and at Dana Hall (private grades 5-12, boarding and day) on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
Classes begin at MassBay Community College and Wellesley College on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
Our kids have made it through the Wellesley Public School system. We can use your help if you have kids in the system or if you work for the system to please pass along any school memos you think might be of interest to the Wellesley community at large: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
Wellesley Health Department update on COVID-19 vaccines for the very young
COVID-19 vaccines are now available for anyone ages 6 months or older. The Wellesley Health Department’s updated website includes information on the vaccine as well as information on where to find local providers offering COVID vaccines for all ages. The Health Department will continue to update the list of providers as they become available. Not all providers will vaccinate under age three, so be sure to verify before making an appointment.
As a reminder, COVID vaccines are free for everyone. Please talk with your health care provider regarding questions or concerns about the COVID vaccine.
Wellesley investigating possible wastewater tracking for COVID, drugs
COVID-19 watchers have been keeping an eye on wastewater across the state to spot trends in the disease’s prevalence, and Wellesley is weighing whether it should start sampling its sewage for this, too.
The topic was raised at recent Wellesley Select Board and Board of Health meetings.
We reached out to town officials about this in April after hearing mentions at various board meetings of such possible testing, but didn’t hear back. Select Board member Lise Olney had more luck in directing a question about this to Public Health Director Lenny Izzo during the May 24 Select Board meeting (see Wellesley Media recording at the 1-hour, 7-minute mark).
To date, Wellesley has relied on the southern grouping of data from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, according to Izzo, who last week took part in a call with the group monitoring wastewater for the state. Biobot Analytics, based in Cambridge, has worked with the state, Boston, and other individual communities, including Cambridge and Gloucester.
Izzo said Wellesley was awaiting more detailed pricing information, though indicated it could be a little bit less expensive than he anticipated based on the initial briefing. “One thing I did like about their program is that they have the ability to test for high-risk substances,” he said. “It’s definitely worth a conversation.”
The Health Department could coordinate with the Department of Public Works on sampling wastewater, then rely on a testing partner for analyzing the presence of COVID-19 as well as substances such as nicotine and fentanyl. COVID reports could be delivered weekly, and drug reports monthly.
The town is exploring the possibility of getting into the state testing system, possibly as soon as July.
The Board of Health briefly discussed the topic as well at its May 25 meeting (see Wellesley Media recording at about 28 minutes in). Wellesley resident Dr. Shira Doron, who heads up epidemiology at Tufts Medical Center, posed the question of what Wellesley would get from its own testing vs. what it gets from Boston-area testing regarding COVID. But that it would have the potential for measuring the prevalence of other diseases down the road.
Board member Linda Oliver Grape said that there could be a window of opportunity to get this funded with non-town monies, so that it’s worth at least learning more about the cost if this could be used to track additional illnesses, opioid use, etc.
On the opioid front, Board member Marcia Testa Simonson said that before-and-after wastewater testing data could help to measure the effectiveness of intervention programs.