Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Dear Friends of Gateway:
Here is this week’s installment of Gateway’s weekly e-newsletter. As always, your feedback and suggestions are invited.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “What we need, I believe, is kids who are ready to learn, teachers who are ready to teach, principals and superintendents who are ready to be accountable, and workers who are ready to excel... Being ready means extended learning time, so that there is more time for teachers to spend with individual kids and room in the daily schedule for music, art, exercise, community service, mentoring and other ways to expand a young person’s mind and experience, and to occupy young people in a safe and supervised setting after the conventional school day ends.” - Governor Deval Patrick, Commencement Address at the University of Massachusetts Boston, 6/1/07
UPCOMING MEETINGS: The next regular meeting of the Gateway Regional School Committee will be on June 27th at 7:30 p.m. at Gateway MS/HS (2nd floor). Agenda items will include expanding the school day and sewer issues at Blandford Elementary School. The Friends of Gateway are now meeting the first Tuesday of every month, but will not hold a July meeting. Their next meeting is August 7th to complete activities for the September fundraiser. New members are needed and should feel welcome to attend. As always, the public is invited and encouraged to attend all meetings.
128 UNDERCLASSMEN EARN AWARDS: Principal Kathleen McSweeney and Assistant Principal Laurie Marvel handed out awards to 128 Gateway students in grades 9 – 11 at the Annual Underclass Awards Ceremony on June 13. Click here completely listing.
STEPHANIE FISK ELECTED TO MASBO BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Stephanie Fisk, Business & Finance Officer for the Gateway Regional School District, was recently elected for a three-year term to the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials (MASBO). As one of six Directors for the organization, Ms. Fisk will chair the Strategic Planning Committee, the New England Association of School Business Officials Academy Committee, and will also co-chair the Member Recruitment Committee in her first year. Details are in the complete article.
STUDENT STORE PROCEEDS PAY FOR STUDENT MAGAZINE: Thanks to funding from the Student Council-run student store—and a voluntary appearance by former advisor Peri Sossaman—Perspectives Magazine was published this month, featuring artwork, poems and essays by Gateway High School students. Read the complete article for more information.
CHANGE IN LATE-START DAYS NEXT YEAR: Monthly late-start days will become early-release days next year, improving the amount of time that teachers can attend professional development. Students will report to school on September 7, 2007. The '08 Calendar is posted on the district website under the “administration” drop-down menu; click here for the official press release.
MASSACHUSETTS EXPANDED LEARNING TIME (ELT) INITIATIVE REPORTED IN CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: A reminder that the public meeting on Expanded Learning Time will be this Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 7 p.m. in the Gateway Performing Arts Center. (see the link to the official press release, in the “reminders” section below; for more information, go to Gateway's Expanded Learning Time website). In the meantime, national coverage of the Massachusetts initiative increased last week with a review in the Christian Science Monitor, which was also carried in the weekly journal of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE! Friends of Jeffery Fisk, 35-year teacher/Guidance Counselor and retiring coach and Athletic Director at Gateway Regional High School, are invited to a dedication ceremony at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 23 at the High School. This event will be held rain or shine and refreshments will be served. Former students, families and colleagues are especially welcome. (Applause, Applause is a new feature for Breaking News that celebrates student and staff successes outside of school. Send your good news to wlong@grsd.org)
WEBSITE FOR FIRST AID AND SAFETY: From allergic reactions to animal bites, burns, poison oak/ivy/sumac, ticks, fireworks…this website has everything that parents or babysitters of busy, outdoor kids need to know. Part of the KidsHealth for parents website—there are also pages for kids and teens.
REMINDERS:
- WILL GATEWAY INCREASE ITS SCHOOL DAY? We are at an important point in the planning process and are seeking public input at an Expanded Learning Time Public Meeting on Wednesday, June 20th at 7 p.m. in the Gateway Performing Arts Center. Read more about this special hearing and a great opportunity to provide input. All are welcome to attend. Click here for additional details.
- FRIENDS OF GATEWAY UNITE AND WRITE CAMPAIGN: Parents and community members are urged to email the Friends of Gateway friendsofgateway@hughes.net to be registered in a data-base of people willing to Unite and Write for better funding of small and rural schools in Massachusetts. “Both schools and towns have been hamstrung by the lack of state funding,” said Friends of Gateway (FOG) President Deb Carnes. “It’s time to take a stand to keep our schools strong, our towns viable, and our tax rates affordable for everybody.”
- THIRD ANNUAL MYSTERY DINNER IS COOKING SPOOF: With characters like Martha Stupor, Chef Day Ja-Vou (who thinks she cooked this before), and Chef Julia Chives, you know you are in for a deliciously fun night out at the 3rd annual mystery dinner at the Rapids Restaurant. This event will benefit the instrumental music program at Gateway High School. Details in the complete article.
- CAMP OPTIONS ABOUND AT GATEWAY THIS SUMMER: Typically, one thinks of summer camps as being geared for the 10 and under crowd. But the Gateway Regional School District is offering a number of camps this year for students attending the Middle School and High School next year. There’s even a camp for adults! Click here for details. Additional downloads:
Girls Biotech Camp Enrollment Form
Digital Film Camp Flyer and Enrollment Form
Middle School Summer Camp Registration Form
- WELLNESS CENTER OFFERS STAFF RENEWAL & COLLEGE SPECIALS; SUMMER HOURS START JUNE 25: The Wellness Center will move to summer hours starting June 25. Morning and Saturday hours will remain the same through the summer (Weekdays 5:30 – 7:30 a.m.; Saturdays 8 – noon); afternoon hours during the week will change to 3:30 – 8:30 p.m. As in the past, college students who are home for the Summer can join at the special rate of $60 for the summer, by presenting their college ID. Finally, any Gateway staff member who joins or renews their annual membership before June 30th will save $50 on their annual membership fee. An Adult Annual Membership will be available for $150, rather than $200 for early-bird sign-ups. Those with Blue Cross Blue Shield or Health New England can receive up to $150 reimbursement every year. You can also have the membership fee taken out of your paycheck. Email Gary St. Peter (GStPeter@grsd.org) if you need additional information.
- GRADE 8 TRANSITION CEREMONY ON JUNE 22: Gateway Middle School will recognize 8th grade students at their annual ceremony on June 22, starting at 8:45 a.m. The school will present its traditional awards to the entire student body following the grade 8 ceremony.
- SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTER NOW OFFERS CHOLESTEROL SCREENINGS: Gateway’s SBHC can now perform Cholesterol Screenings, for a fee of $10. The test involves a finger prick for a small blood sample. You do not need to be a member of the SBHC to access this screening tool. Each appointment will take approximately 30 minutes.
- CORRECTION ON FINAL DAY OF PRESCHOOL: The final day for morning and afternoon preschool classes in the district will be June 21st. This is a correction from last week’s press release. We apologize for any inconvenience.
- PUBLIC INPUT SOUGHT FOR NEW DENTAL SERVICE AT SCHOOL: The Dental Outreach Task Force—a new partnership between the Hilltown Community Health Centers and Gateway Regional School District—is putting the final touches on school-based dental services planned for next year; public input continues to be sought before the implementation grant is submitted later this month. Details in the complete article.
- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: The school committee has confirmed that the final day of school for Gateway students will be June 22, 2007; it will be a half-day. Preschool classes will end on June 21st throughout the district.
- GATEWAY SCHOOL SAFETY REMINDER: A reminder that the Gateway Regional School District has a confidential Safety Hotline in place, for students and community members to share their concerns. Just call 685-1050 and leave a message.
IN CLOSING, the Superintendent’s Corner for this week is attached. This week Dr. Hopson discusses two legislative proposals that could ease our educational funding woes—if people step forward to Unite and Write. Read the entire column for details.
Have a great week!
Wendy V. Long, Editor
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