Tuesday, May 1, 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: "The most damaging phrase in the language is: It's always been done that way." -- Rear Admiral Grace Hopper
COMING EVENTS: A schedule of activities for the week ending May 11, 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 May 9th at 7:30 p.m. at Chester Elementary School. Budget discussions and planning will continue. The Friends of Gateway are now meeting the first Tuesday of every month. The May 1st meeting will begin at 7 p.m. but will adjourn at 7:30 so that members can attend the budget Q & A session at Gateway (see related article, below). New members are needed and should feel welcome to attend. As always, the public is invited and encouraged to attend all meetings.
EXPANDED LEARNING TIME IN THE NEWS: Last weekend, the Boston Globe ran a feature article on the Expanded Learning Time initiative in Massachusetts. You can read the article online. In other ELT news, our three committees (elementary, middle, and high school) were joined by the district ELT Steering Committee last Thursday evening to report out on survey results, proposed schedules, and key issues that need to be addressed. Also, a team from Gateway spent another day at UMASS (TODAY!) training with officials from Mass2020 and the Department of Education. More in next week’s Breaking News. Finally, keep checking our Expanded Learning Time Website for updates!
BAND PANCAKE BREAKFAST FUNDRAISER ON MAY 12TH: The Gateway High School Band is holding a pancake breakfast on the Saturday of Mother’s Day weekend from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the high school cafeteria. Advanced tickets are available through any band member or by calling Deb Porter at 238-5820. While advanced ticket sales are preferred, tickets will also be available at the door. Tickets are $5 per person and funds will be used for the band trip to a competitive music festival next year. Take Mom out to breakfast and help the band!
“TALENT ROCKS” AT GATEWAY MIDDLE SCHOOL: Middle School students are presenting a talent show entitled “Talent Rocks” on Thursday, May 10th in the afternoon and on Saturday, May 12th in the evening. This is a fundraiser to benefit the afterschool program, whose grant is substantially shrinking next year. The public is invited to attend. Details in the complete article.
HIGH SCHOOL TERM 3 HONOR ROLL: Honor roll status is granted to students with high academic achievement for a marking quarter. Click here to read more about the criteria for honor roll and a listing of students who achieved this status in the 3rd term.
NOW ACCEPTING MS SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATIONS: All students who will attend Gateway Middle School next year are invited to attend a 4-week summer camp at Gateway running July 9th through August 2nd. This is a great opportunity for rising 5th grade students to really get to know their way around the school! (And for grade 6 – 8 students to show them the way!) Students can attend Monday/Wednesday sessions or Tuesday/Thursday sessions. Check out the complete article and then download a registration form here!
SPRING SPORTS BANQUET: The Gateway Athletic Booster Club is pleased to announce that the annual sports banquet will take place on Tuesday, May 29th from 6 – 10 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel in Northampton. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for athletes and children under age 12. Tickets are available through Patti Trzasko at the high school or by calling Deb Lariviere at 667-3121. All Gateway athletes, coaches and families are invited.
S.A.T. EXAM STRATEGY SESSION: The Gateway Regional High School Guidance Department is hosting a free SAT Strategy Session by The Princeton Review on Monday, May 14 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Interested students should sign-up in the high school guidance office. Parents/guardians are invited and encouraged to attend.
NEWS FROM THE GATEWAY FAMILY CENTER: On Saturday, May 5 at 10:00 AM, the Gateway Family Center presents Rona Leventhal. Ms. Leventhal is a storyteller extraordinaire, interactive educator and Creative Movement and Drama specialist. This program is free and open to the public. The Gateway Family Center is a program of the Hilltown Community Health Centers. Ms. Leventhal is brought to us with a grant from the Department of Early Education and Care administered through the Gateway Community Partnerships for Children as well as the Hampshire County Family Network. For more information, call Kim Savery at 667-2203 x3 or email at
FamilyCenterKim@aol.com
HERE COMES THE SUN: But before you or your kids rush outdoors to catch up on yard work (assuming the snow in your yard has finally melted) be sure to catch up on the current information regarding sun safety. Teaching children to use sunscreen at a young age will help them avoid sun cancer AND wrinkles! The National Safety Council has a website dedicated to sun safety.
REMINDERS:
- UPCOMING BUDGET QUESTION/ANSWER FORUMS IN 5 TOWNS: Whether you are concerned over the 2007-08 school budget and the possibility of closing 3 elementary schools, or your tax rate, you’re not alone and you can join other area residents at Q & A forums throughout the Gateway hilltowns: 4/30 at 7:30 p.m. at Middlefield Town Hall; 5/1 at the Gateway Performing Arts Center (7 p.m.); 5/2 at Blandford Elementary School (7 p.m.); 5/3 at R. H. Conwell Elementary School (7 p.m.); 5/8 at Russell Elementary School (7 p.m.). Read more in the attached article or click here for an informational flyer.
- ACCREDITATION VISIT FOR GATEWAY: The visiting team from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges will be at Gateway Regional High School from May 6 – 9, as part of the school’s decennial accreditation. The school is hosting a public reception on May 6th from 5 to 5:45 p.m. Parents, students and community members are invited but are asked to rsvp to Kristy Parzych at 685-1103 by May 4th if planning to attend. Read more in the complete article.
- PRINCIPAL SETS DEADLINE FOR SENIOR AWARDS: As a school community, one of the annual events we take tremendous pride in is our SENIOR AWARDS ASSEMBLY. This event, to be held June 6, 2007 at 11:30 a.m. in the Gateway Performing Arts Center, recognizes selected members of each graduating class with various awards, scholarships, and superlatives; last year’s ceremony awarded over $40,000 in scholarships. As the detailed and exciting, yet, overwhelming, task of putting this event together draws near, we need to set a deadline of MAY 3, 2007 AT 3:00 P.M. for the submission of recipient’s name(s) for awards, scholarships, and superlatives, to the high school guidance office. Please notify HS Guidance Secretary Jeanene Iglesias (685-1107). Adherence to this date will assure an all-encompassing program, recognizing deserving students. As a school community we sincerely appreciate the efforts of so many of our area local businesses, supporting families, and civic groups; you are the financial base supporting our graduating seniors on Senior Awards Day. Thank-you!
- SUMMER PROGRAMS TO BOOST STUDENT MCAS PERFORMANCE OFFERED: Students in Middle and High School who have struggled to pass the MCAS exam in the past, have been invited to a attend a summer program designed to boost student achievement. A four-week program is offered for students currently in grades 8 and 9; a three-week program is available for all others. Read why.
- GATEWAY ATHLETIC BOOSTERS SEEK HALL OF FAME NOMINATIONS: The Gateway Athletic Booster club is seeking nominations for their Hall of Fame, honoring athletes, coaches and others who have made significant contributions to Gateway athletics. Awards will be announced at the annual sports banquet on May 29th. Please read the complete article for eligibility and nomination information.
- 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, May 9th at Chester Elementary School. Read the complete article for details.
- 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 the all towns meeting that brought together finance committees and selectboards to look at the 2007-08 school budget. In short, several towns will be making its passage contingent upon a Proposition 2 ½ override, which is rarely successful in our member towns. Read the entire column for details. Have a great week!
Wendy V. Long, Editor
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