UPCOMING MEETINGS:  If you missed last week’s school committee meeting, you missed: a vote to adopt the 2008-09 Budget, votes to increase parking, athletic and buildings/grounds user fees by 2.5% for next year; votes to approve 8 new district policies, and a look at a new proposed calendar for the 2008-09 school year. The next meeting of the Gateway Regional School Committee will be March 26h at 7:30 p.m. at R. H. Conwell Elementary School. Extra agendas and handouts will be available for visitors. The next meeting of the Friends of Gateway will be April 1 at 7 p.m. in the Superintendent’s Office. New members are sought for this group, which supports volunteerism, communications and community involvement. The public is invited and encouraged to attend all meetings.

GATEWAY SCHOOL COMMITTEE ADOPTS $17.88 MILLION BUDGET FOR 2008-09 SCHOOL YEAR: At last week’s meeting, the Gateway Regional School Committee unanimously voted to adopt a $17,882,520 budget for the 2008-09 school year. Click here for details.

MIDDLE SCHOOL “HOOPS FOR HEART” FUNDRAISER: Students and staff at Gateway Regional Middle School will create a little “March Madness” of their own on Friday, March 28th, marking their third annual basketball event to raise funds for the American Heart Association. Read on for details, including how you can add to the donations!

THREE LATE-STARTS NEXT WEEK FOR GRADES 9, 11 AND 12: For the fourth consecutive year, students in grades 9, 11 and 12 will have two-hour delays on the dates that tenth graders are taking English Language Arts and mathematics MCAS examinations. Students must pass these high-stakes tests—at the even higher passing score now required in Massachusetts—in order to receive a high school diploma. Read more in the complete article.

PARENTS ASKED TO RETURN SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTER ANNUAL REGISTRATION FORMS: Students who receive medical services from the Gateway School-Based Health Center (SBHC)—open to all students in grades 5 – 12—must have a registration form completed each year. Gateway’s SBHC has mailed forms home to all parents/guardians of students attending the middle and high schools. This update is required by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which funds the SBHC. Click here for more information.

SAVE THE DATE FOR GRADE 9 & 10 PARENTS: The Gateway Guidance Department will host a MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority) seminar for parents/guardians and grade 9 & 10 students on Wednesday, April 16 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. This Early College Planning Seminar will cover important topics around course selections, extra-curricular activities, standardized tests, finding colleges, and college financing. More details to come!

BAND BOOSTERS BOTTLE AND CAN DRIVE: The Gateway High School Band will conduct their annual Bottle and Can Drive fundraiser on Saturday, April 19th from 9:30 to 3:30. Donations can be brought to the high school during that time, or dropped off ahead of time at the band room from 2 – 4 p.m. on Thursday April 17 or Friday April 18. All bottles and cans with a Massachusetts deposit will be accepted!

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRESS REPORTS: High School Principal Kathleen McSweeney has announced that mid-term progress reports were mailed home on March 13th for all high school students.

REMINDERS:

• CHESTER ELEMENTARY BOOK FAIR: Chester Elementary School will host a Scholastic Book Fair on March 20th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year’s theme will be “Take a Reading Road Trip.” The fair will offer specially priced books, including new releases, children’s classics, adult books, and current bestsellers. The public, families and teachers are invited to participate. Proceeds will help the school purchase books for the library and classrooms. Call 685-1360 for more information.
• LITTLEVILLE PTO FUNDRAISERS: The Littleville PTO has several new fundraisers to announce. First, the school is participating in the Funding Factory® Recycling Program and the school will earn money for collecting and recycling printer ink and cell phones. Businesses can participate and support the school, as well (call Lori Bednarz at 685-1301 for details). Second, the school is participating in an on-line shopping program called SchoolPop. Patrons can go to www.schoolpop.com to join and shop from hundreds of leading merchant websites, stores and catalogues. The school will earn a percentage of each purchase made through SchoolPop. Finally, Littleville will also host a Scholastic Book Fair during parent teacher conferences on March 20th.
• PRESCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN SCREENING COMING UP: Any hilltown family with a child who will be 3 or 4 years of age by April 28th is eligible to participate in the district’s annual Preschool Screening. Children who will be five years old on or before September 1st should participate in the district’s Kindergarten screening. Details on dates, times, and how to schedule an appointment in the complete article.
• GATEWAY CALENDAR CHANGES FOR PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE AND EARLY RELEASE DAYS: This article outlines three major calendar changes that will be taking place in March, May and June. Read more about the dates in the complete article.

• GATEWAY PHONE DIRECTORIES ON SALE AT ALL SCHOOL OFFICES! You can still purchase a Gateway Phone Directory at any school office. Get one and keep it by your phone the next time you want to know if school is cancelled due to bad weather, report your child as absent, or follow-up with the school nurse on a playground injury. Read more in the complete article.
• GATEWAY SCHOOL SAFETY HOTLINE: As part of Gateway’s School Safety Plan, the school safety hotline (685-1050) will remain in place for the coming school year. Monitored by the district’s Security Monitor, the hotline is a voice mailbox that can be used to report harassment, drug or alcohol concerns, vandalism, and school safety issues. The purpose of the hotline is to help keep Gateway schools safe for all.

                                                                                           Wendy V. Long, Editor