Hello Everyone,
I hope you all enjoyed the first week of autumn! A huge congratulations to Westfield’s own Kristen Smidy who was appointed this week to serve on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Having worked with Kristen during her time as the Superintendent of the Gateway Regional School district I know she will be an invaluable asset to the Board and provide an important perspective on how our Commonwealth’s public education system can best support students in rural areas.
There was truly no better way to kick off the week on Monday than with a visit to the Roberta Doering School in Agawam! I enjoyed chatting with this enthusiastic group of students about my military service and work on Beacon Hill. Later that day I had the opportunity to sit down with the new Commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Pedro Martinez. I appreciated the opportunity to chat with Commissioner Martinez to learn more about his goals for our Commonwealth’s schools and about my own concerns around our students’ mental health. Every single time I have the opportunity to interact with our young people I am always taken aback by how so many of them share that they are struggling with anxiety and depression. I am grateful that the Commissioner will be a strong partner in this work to help improve our students’ mental health.
On Wednesday morning I sat down with business leaders from Agawam and West Springfield at the West of the River Chamber of Commerce’s annual legislative breakfast where I had the opportunity to discuss my work around affordability and economic development. Following this discussion, I made my way over to Holyoke Community College to celebrate the new location of their Itsy-Bitsy Child Watch program. A few years back I was proud to secure a $100,000 earmark for the college to start-up this program that provides students with a safe and affordable place for their children to go while they are learning in the classroom. I am beyond thrilled to see how this program has grown in a few short years and the ways it has helped support so many parents access higher education opportunities!
This week, the Senate debated a comprehensive data privacy bill to better protect consumers here in Massachusetts. With most of us carrying cell phones and so many joining online social media platforms, it’s critical that our Commonwealth has safeguards in place to protect personal data, especially the information of our children.
This week Team Velis hosted office hours in Russell and Southampton. Next week there will be no community office hours. As always never hesitate to stop into my office in Westfield, or reach out to me by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.    
Best, 
John Velis