Tuesday, May 15, 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: “Education costs money, but then so does ignorance.” – Sir Claus Moser
COMING EVENTS: A schedule of activities for the week ending May 25, 2007 is now posted. (Items for this calendar should be submitted at least two weeks ahead of time!)
BUDGET UPDATE: Voters in the Town of Russell approved Gateway's above-minimum funding for the 2007-08 school year, bringing the total number of budget approvals to four. A fifth town--Huntington--approved the above-minimum, contingent upon a Proposition 2 1/2 override; the vote from Huntington is therefore not an approval unless the override passes. Montgomery and Chester are holding their Annual Town Meetings in June. Five of the seven Gateway member towns must approve a budget for it to move forward.
UPCOMING MEETINGS: The special meeting posted for the Gateway Regional School Committee for Wednesday, May 16, 2007 has been cancelled. The next regular meeting of the Gateway Regional School Committee will be on May 23rd at 7:30 p.m. at the Library Media Center (2nd floor). The Committee’s Retiree Reception will precede the SC meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the foyer. The public is welcome to attend the reception; light refreshments will be served. The Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award nominees will be recognized at the beginning of the school committee meeting, at 7:30 p.m. upstairs. The Friends of Gateway are now meeting the first Tuesday of every month. Their next meeting is June 4th to begin working on the fall fundraiser. New members are needed and should feel welcome to attend. As always, the public is invited and encouraged to attend all meetings.
SIX NOMINATED FOR GOLDEN ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Seniors Jed Cummings, Garrison Gamble, Hannah Hart, Erika Howe, Jason Lariviere and Colin Powers have all been nominated for the Golden Achievement Award—the high school’s highest honor. The winner will be announced at the Senior Awards Ceremony on June 6th. Click here for profiles of the nominees.
GATEWAY TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM LAUDED AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE: Connie Louie, Instructional Technology Director of the Massachusetts DOE, informed Gateway that their 1 to 1 Laptop Program was one of six technology programs in the nation to be presented as a “best practice” by a keynote speaker at the National Visionary Conference in Washington D.C. on April 26th. Read on for conference/presentation links and additional information.
DON’T MISS ANNUAL BENEFIT CONCERT FEATURING STUDENTS, STAFF, AND ALUMNI: The Fifth Annual “Night of Music” fundraiser for the Crane Memorial Scholarship will be held on Friday, May 25th at 7 PM in the Gateway Performing Arts Center. Students, faculty, alumni and staff will perform a variety of music including blues, folk and rock-and-roll. Details in the complete article.
CHESTER ELEMENTARY STUDENTS RELEASE SALMON: On Thursday May 3rd, the 4th grade at Chester Elementary School released the salmon they had been raising in their classroom since February. This was the second year the school has participated in the Atlantic Salmon Rearing Program in which the students learn about the life cycle, habitat, migration, and restoration of the Atlantic Salmon. Eggs were delivered in February and the students helped regulate the tank temperature and observed the changes as the salmon grew from eggs, to alevin, to fry. During the release, students were divided into groups. Activities included: releasing the fish into the river, estimating the stream flow, and a stream creature "treasure hunt" in which the students looked for and learned more about stream ecology. Click here for photos.
BLOOD DRIVE AT HIGH SCHOOL: The Gateway High School Student Council is sponsoring a Blood Drive on Tuesday, May 22nd from 10 AM to 3 PM in the high school gymnasium. Parents and community members are needed! Read on for more information.
MIDDLE SCHOOL EFFORT AWARDS: Principal Peter J. Curro has released the Good and Excellent Effort Award lists for the third marking period at Gateway Regional Middle School. Students earn this distinction through teacher comments on report cards indicating that they display positive work habits, consistently complete their work on time, are motivated to achieve, and are prepared and attentive in class. Click here for the complete list.
MAY LATE STARTS FOR ALL, EXTRA FOR GRADES 9, 10 & 11: Students in the Gateway Regional School District will have a two-hour delay on Thursday, May 24th for staff professional development. The Littleville Wraparound program will be open for students who pre-register. There will be no morning preschool program. In addition, high school students in grades 9, 11 and 12 will have two additional delayed starts on May 22 and 23, while tenth graders take the MCAS exam. Students in those grades should be at their bus stops at least 10 minutes earlier (than the May 24th late start) due to quicker bus runs with only three grades.
HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS FORUM: Principal Kathleen McSweeney and Assistant Principal Laurie Marvel will hold their May monthly forum for parents and community members on May 21st from 5 – 6 PM in the Principal’s Office. The public is invited and encouraged to participate.
APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE!: This new feature for Breaking News will celebrate student and staff successes throughout the district. Kudos to student musicians who perform outside of Gateway: Sophomore Jennifer Mason is one of four Western Mass students playing clarinet for the Springfield Symphony’s Young People’s Orchestra; Senior Ariana Rizzitano is a violinist with the New England Conservatory of Music’s Youth Orchestra. (More student music news next week!) Also, congratulations to Louise Saloio who will receive her Masters of Education degree at the University of New England’s College of Arts and Sciences Commencement on May 12th in Portland, Maine. (Send your good news to wlong@grsd.org)
“SOCIAL HOST” LAWS EXPANDING THROUGH U.S.: With prom, senior banquet, graduation and other teen rites of passage coming up, parents need to be mindful that there are is a Social Host law in Massachusetts that holds parents legally responsible if they serve alcohol to underage youth. The legal trend is growing across the country. In a ruling earlier this year, the South Carolina Supreme Court found parents liable for damages in two cases where teens died (and took others with them) behind the wheel after being served alcohol at a friends home. All of the New England states now have social host laws. Details of the Massachusetts Social Host law are posted on the web.
REMINDERS:
- SPRING CONCERT DEBUTS COMMISSIONED WORK “THE DAM”: The High School Spring Concert will be held on Thursday, May 17th at 7 p.m. in the Gateway Performing Arts Center. A newly commissioned choral piece – “The Dam” - will be performed for the first time publicly, and will feature the composer Allen Bonde, student fiddler Leland Martin, and the Gateway HS Chorus. Read more in the complete article.
- RETIREES, P.V.E.T. NOMINEES TO BE RECOGNIZED ON MAY 23RD: Seven retiring district staff members will be honored by the Gateway Regional School Committee at a reception in the Gateway MS/HS entryway, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Former and current students, parents, community members and colleagues are invited to attend and wish them well. The School Committee will be honoring Ollie Allaire, Marilyn Cangro, Jeff Fisk, Jeff Samson, Kathy MacLean, Nancy Bean and Peter Curro at this event. Details on recognizing the Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching nominees in the complete article.
- CALLING ALL TAG SALERS: Littleville Elementary School is holding its first ever school-wide Tag Sale on June 2nd. Anyone wishing to sell items can purchase a prime tag sale spot for $10. The PTO will advertise in local newspapers and businesses; vendors price their own items and keep the profit! Set up will be 7:30 – 9 a.m.; the tag sale will run from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. For those who have items but don’t wish to man their own space, they can be donated and sold at the school table. For planning purposes, please call the school ASAP to let them know you are interested and planning to participate.
- 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 REMINDER: 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.
- 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 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 final “town” meeting of this school year is scheduled for Wednesday, June 13th at Middlefield Town Hall. 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 outlines the current political indicators that might lead to a change in funding for rural schools, although the chances are magnified if everyone does their part. Read the entire column for details.
Have a great week!
Wendy V. Long, Editor
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