Tuesday, March 13, 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: “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple." – Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel
COMING EVENTS: A schedule of activities for the week ending March 24, 2007 is now posted. (Items for this calendar should be submitted at least two weeks ahead of time!)
UPCOMING MEETINGS: The next regular meeting of the Gateway Regional School Committee will be on March 14th at 7:30 p.m. at Littleville Elementary School. The School Committee is scheduled to vote to adopt the 2007-08 budget at that meeting. Also on the agenda: establishing a stabilization fund, an update on MASS 1to1, and a first look at the district improvement plan. The Friends of Gateway are now meeting the first Tuesday of every month. Their next meeting will be April 3 at 7 p.m. in the Superintendent’s Office. They are working on a fundraiser for the new foundation. New members are needed and should feel welcome to attend. As always, the public is invited and encouraged to attend all meetings.
CONGRATULATIONS TO GRADE 7/8 BOYS’ SUBURBAN BASKETBALL TEAM: They beat Frontier to win the league Championship! Click here for photo.
GAZDA TAPPED TO BE NEXT MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: Dr. David B. Hopson has announced that Middle School Assistant Principal Todd Gazda will replace retiring Principal Peter Curro. With this appointment Gazda, a 1988 Gateway graduate, continues a family tradition of leadership—father Dr. Robert F. Gazda was principal of the high school for 17 years. Click here for more information.
STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN 10TH ANNUAL “SEUSSABRATION”: It was all Seuss, all day, honoring National Read Across America Day on March 7th for Gateway elementary schools. Not to be excluded, Gateway National Honor Society Members participated in the fun by visiting schools and reading to students. Read on for more information.
GATEWAY TEAM ATTENDS EXPANDED LEARNING TIME EVENT AT UMASS: Gateway sent 11 staff members and parents to attend a daylong training at UMASS on March 7th, to learn more about schools that have already expanded their school day. Check out the complete article for details.
CORRECTION ON MS EFFORT AWARDS: Principal Peter Curro has announced the following correction to the MS Effort Awards published last week. Daniel Wheeler should be included with the grade 7 Good Effort Awards. He was mis-identified on the list as Daniel Webster, and there is no student by that name at the Middle School! We apologize to Daniel and his family for this error. Click here for the corrected list.
SPRING SPORTS SCHEDULE ON THE INTERNET: The spring sports season begins with golf, softball and baseball tryouts starting March 19th. Click here for details on finding the spring sports schedule and other items of interest to athletes, their families and fans.
BLOOD PRESSURE CLINIC SCHEDULED AT SBHC: As a service to Gateway staff and community members, the Gateway School-Based Health Center will be holding free blood pressure clinics once a month. The next clinic will be on Wednesday, March 21st from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Visitors may park in the visitors lot in front of the school and enter through the main entrance. The SBHC is off of the main foyer of the school.
GREATSCHOOLS.NET OFFERS TESTING INFORMATION AND TIPS: It’s test season again, and whether your child is preparing for the MCAS exam or SAT’s, this website offers background information on the reasons behind standardized tests, and tips for helping your child—and, as a result your child’s school—succeed.
REMINDERS:
- CHANGES TO MARCH AND MAY STUDENT SCHEDULES: Parent-teacher conferences will be held on March 26, 2007, a difference from the calendar in student handbooks. Students will have school on March 19, but not attend on March 26. In related news, high school students in grades 9, 11, and 12 will again have 5 delayed-start days this spring so that 10th graders can take their MCAS exam without interruption. Please read the complete article for important information on bus schedules on those dates.
- PRESCHOOL SCREENING FOR 3 AND 4 YEAR-OLDS: Gateway is offering a developmental screening for all 3 and 4 year old children in the Gateway towns. This screening is conducted to identify where children are in their developmental growth, as well as look at any concerns or questions parents may have. Parents must call by March 30th to schedule an appointment for a screening. Please click here for more information.
- NEW AEROBICS & YOGA CLASSES TO BEGIN: A new session of yoga and aerobics classes, offered by the Gateway Wellness Center, is about to begin. Aerobic Classes will run for 7 weeks and will begin March 20th. Yoga classes will also run for 7 weeks, but will begin March 14th. Fees are reduced for members of the Gateway Wellness Center, but classes are open to non-members as well. Click here for more information.
- MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCE ON MARCH 16: "The Spring Fling" sponsored by the Student Advisory Council on Friday, March 16 at 2:15 - 4:30PM for grades 5 & 6 and 6:00 - 9:00PM for grades 7 & 8.
- GATEWAY SCHOOL COMMITTEE COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU: The Gateway Regional School Committee has announced that it will again hold meetings in all seven district towns during this school year, so that town officials and area residents will have greater access to those meetings. The next “town” meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 14th at Littleville Elementary School. Read the complete article for details.
- DISTRICT SAFETY HOTLINE: 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 the difference between expectations and reality, and unveils early information from the report of last year’s Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA) visit, which is about to be released. Read the entire column for details.
Have a great week!
Wendy V. Long, Editor
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