Dear Friends of Gateway:

Here is this week’s installment of Gateway’s weekly e-newsletter. Back issues of Breaking News and past Superintendent’s Corners are posted on the News Archive (under “general information” on the district website). As always, your feedback and suggestions are welcome.   

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:  “Life would be a perpetual flea hunt if a man were obliged to run down all the innuendoes, inveracities, and insinuations and misrepresentations which are uttered against him.” – Henry Ward Beecher

 

COMING EVENTS: A schedule of activities for the week ending June 11, 2010 is now posted.  (Items for this calendar should be submitted at least two weeks ahead of time!)

UPCOMING MEETINGS: If you missed the May 26th School Committee meeting, you missed the school committee adopting Version 2.0 of the 2010-2011 budget that reduces assessments to the towns by $114,298; the awarding of ‘Academic G’s to GHS seniors who have earned a 3.5 (or higher) GPA; and the request for an internal investigation regarding the abuse of public resources and equipment filed with the school committee and the Northwestern District Attorney’s office by Gerald D’Amour alleging that Gateway personal are improperly accessing Mr. D’Amour’s blog. The Gateway Regional School Committee will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 9 in the Gateway Library Resource Center. The public is invited and encouraged to attend all meetings.

 

 

STUDENTS AWARDED ‘ACADEMIC G’: Principal Kathleen McSweeney and School Committee Vice-Chair Michele Crane awarded ‘Academic G’s” to members of the Class of 2010 who had achieved a grade point average of 3.5, or higher, over the first 15 marking periods of their high school career.

"Academic G" recipients at last week's School Committee meeting.

STEPHANIE FISK ELECTED VICE-PRESIDENT OF MASBO: Stephanie Fisk, Business & Finance Officer for the Gateway Regional School District, was recently elected Vice-President of the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials (MASBO).

GATEWAY ‘SCHOOL CLIMATE’ EVENT JUNE 15: All parents, students, staff and community members are invited to a forum on the “Status of School Climate at Gateway” to begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15. This event will include an overview of the new anti-bullying law in Massachusetts, and steps the district will take to meet the terms of that law.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE TO ACKNOWLEDGE GATEWAY STAFF ON JUNE 9: The Gateway Regional School Committee will honor retiring district staff at a special reception on June 9, 2010. The event will take place from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. in the Gateway courtyard. Other staff accomplishments will also be acknowledged at this event, including the nominees for this year’s Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards.

ELEMENTARY ADVISORY COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES NEW WEBSITE: Gateway’s Elementary Advisory Committee, which has transformed itself into the Elementary Transition Communications (or ETC) committee this spring, announces a new website for parents and community members about the transition from 5 to 2 elementary schools this fall.

MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENT ORIENTATION NIGHT: Principal Todd Gazda and his staff invite all parents/guardians of fourth grade students to a Parent Orientation Night on Thursday, June 10 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. in the Gateway Performing Arts Center. The principal, adjustment counselor and after school program coordinator will be on hand to give information on the middle school program, describe opportunities for students and answer questions.

BLANDFORD/CHESTER PTO’S RE-FORMING: In preparation for the coming school year, Principal Candice Holzhauer held a joint PTO meeting between Chester Elementary School and Blandford Elementary School parents and staff on May 26.

SPORTS BANQUET TOMORROW NIGHT: A reminder that the Gateway Annual Sports Banquet will be held tomorrow evening (June 2) from 6 – 9:30 p.m. at Tekoa Country Club. This event is for all who participated in Gateway Jr./Sr. High School athletics. Awards for sports achievement and senior scholarships will be announced, as will this year’s inductees into the Gateway Athletic Hall of Fame.

JUNE SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETINGS: The Gateway Regional School Committee will meet in the Gateway Library (2nd floor) on June 9 and June 23, at 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to all school committee meetings.

REMINDERS:

• “ARSENIC AND OLD LACE” AT GATEWAY JUNE 4 AND 5: The Gateway Regional High School Drama Club will present “Arsenic and Old Lace” in the Gateway Performing Arts Center on June 4 and 5. This year’s production is directed by former Gateway actor Keith Boylan (’03).
• FINAL DAY OF SCHOOL IS JUNE 23: At their May 12 meeting, the Gateway Regional School Committee affirmed that the final day of school for the 2010-11 school year will be June 23. They also voted to make the last three days of school half-days. The final day of preschool will be June 18. The Middle School Afterschool Program ends on Friday, May 28. Late buses will continue for high school activities until June 17.
• R. H. CONWELL SCHOOL PRESENTS “PETER PAN”: The after school drama club at R. H. Conwell Elementary School will perform “Peter Pan” at Worthington Town Hall on June 2. Performances will be held at 10:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. The play is open to the public, free of charge.
• LITTLEVILLE SUMMER WRAP AROUND PROGRAM: Parents of students who are, or will be, attending Littleville Elementary School can register for the summer wrap around program, which will offer a safe environment for students at a minimal cost. Read the complete article (click on the article title) for details. Click here for registration forms.
• UPCOMING SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETINGS: Principal Kathleen McSweeney has announced June dates for the Jr. High School and High School Council meetings.
• SAVE THE DATE FOR EVENT ON THE ‘STATE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY’ IN GATEWAY SCHOOLS: Parents and community members are invited to a special event on the state of school health and safety at Gateway on June 15 at 7 p.m. in the Gateway Performing Arts Center.
• GATEWAY IS OFFERING SUMMER ACADEMIC HELP: Students in grades 5 through 12 are invited to attend Gateway’s annual Summer Academic Support Program, which helps students prepare for MCAS exams and retests in English Language Arts, Mathematics and Science and Technology/Engineering. Don’t worry – it’s fun, too!
• SCHEDULE SPORTS AND CAMP PHYSICALS SOON! Parents/guardians of students at the Gateway complexwho need a physical for summer camp or fall sports, are advised to call June Tanski at 667-0142 to schedule an appointment if they wish to use the Gateway School-Based Health Center. Appointments will book up quickly and school ends on June 23.
• CHANGE IN BUSING TO DAYCARE FOR 2010-11 SCHOOL YEAR: Effective September 2010, there will be a change in the district’s transportation policy for daycare. In past years, a student could either be picked up or dropped off at a daycare provider different days of the week. Now with a reduction in buses and a recommendation from a transportation study group conducted in November, the daycare policy will have to be consistent Monday-Friday, 5 days a week in the morning and/or afternoon. This was also a suggestion of a transportation audit that was conducted in November 2009. Buses will no longer be making unscheduled stops along their route to drop off students at a different location along their route.  (If a student were going to an address at 14 Littleville Rd but the bus stops at 16 Littleville Rd, then the student would be dropped off at the 16 Littleville Rd location.) Click here for a copy of the daycare request form, which will be available on the Gateway Website. Daycare forms should be returned to the school secretary before the close of school ON June 4.
• MCAS TESTING CONTINUES IN MAY AND JUNE: Students in grades 3 – 10 will continue taking MCAS Exams in May, with two sessions of mathematics testing for students in grades 3 – 8; and with two sessions of science and technology/engineering testing for students in grades 5 and 8. For students in grade 10, mathematics testing will take place on May 17 and 18. High school students will also have science and technology/engineering testing on June 2 and 3. Students and parents are reminded that getting a good night’s sleep and eating a good breakfast can help boost student performance.
• IMPORTANT DATES FOR CLASS OF 2010, PARENTS: Principal Kathleen McSweeney has announced the following dates of important events coming up for the Class of 2010, their parents, and other high school students.
• ELEMENTARY CALENDAR NOTES: The next two months are very busy for young children and their parents. Read the complete article for up-to-date information.
• REMINDER ON SUMMER USE OF SCHOOLS: Gateway schools and facilities will not be available for outside groups this summer.
• SCHOOL SAFETY HOTLINE AT GATEWAY: As part of the district’s ongoing commitment to school safety, a safety hotline is in place for the Gateway Regional School District. In the final report compiled by the US Secret Service, researchers found that in 81% of instance of school violence studied, at least one person had information that the attacker was planning the school attack. In nearly two thirds of incidents, MORE THAN one person had information.
• ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WILL CLOSE INTRA-DISTRICT SCHOOL CHOICE FOR 2010-11: Students will be assigned to Littleville and Chester Elementary Schools next fall on the basis of their town of residence, so that staff and materials can be distributed in a planful way for the fall.
• NEW SCHOOL START TIMES ANNOUNCED FOR 2010-11 SCHOOL YEAR: The Gateway Regional School District voted to approve a change in school starting and ending times for the 2010-11 school year, at its January 27 meeting. The changes were made in accordance with recommendations from an independent transportation audit, conducted by the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials (MASBO).
• APPLICATION FOR FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH: The application form is posted to our website. If you need assistance, please contact John Bergeron or Diane Meehan at 667-2203, who would be happy to help.

IN CLOSING, the Superintendent’s Corner for this week is now posted. In this week’s column, Dr. Hopson unveils the details of a revised budget that the School Committee approved at their May 26 meeting, along with next steps for the Gateway member towns. Read the entire column for details!

                                                                                           Wendy V. Long, Editor