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:  “It takes 20 years of hard work to become an overnight success.” – Diana Rankin

 

COMING EVENTS: A schedule of activities for the week ending May 28, 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 12th School Committee meeting, you missed the school committee’s approval of the last day of school as June 23rd, and the final three days of school (6/21 – 6/23) as half-days, along with updates on the budget, one person, one vote options, and the elementary transition communications committee. The Gateway Regional School Committee will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 26 at Montgomery Town Hall. The Friends of Gateway meet on the first Tuesday of the month, at 9:30 a.m. in the Superintendent’s Office. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, June 8. We welcome new members to this group, whose goals include improving communications, parent involvement, and volunteerism in support of student achievement. The public is invited and encouraged to attend all meetings.

 

 

 

FINALISTS FOR GOLDEN ACHIEVEMENT AWARD ANNOUNCED: Gateway Principal Kathleen McSweeney has announced six finalists for the Golden Achievement Award, the school’s most prestigious honor.

 

ANNUAL “NIGHT OF MUSIC” -- CRANE MEMORIAL CONCERT ON MAY 28: The Eighth Annual “Night of Music” fundraiser for the Crane Memorial Scholarship will be held on Friday, May 28th at 7 p.m. in the Gateway Performing Arts Center. Students, faculty, alumni and staff will perform a variety of music including bluegrass, folk and classic rock, for this scholarship fundraiser.

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.

SPORTS BANQUET TICKET DEADLINE IS MAY 22: A reminder to all Gateway athletes, coaches and parents that tickets for the annual Sports Banquet must be purchased by May 22nd. More details in the complete article; students may also see Liz or Joe Simonowicz in school to reserve tickets.

MIDDLE SCHOOL TERM THREE EFFORT AWARDS: Principal Todd Gazda has announced the Excellent and Good Effort Awards for the third marking period of the school year.

GATEWAY PRESCHOOL SLOTS ARE FILLED FOR SEPTEMBER: Slots for Gateway’s integrated preschool program have been filled for the 2010-11 school year. Read the complete article for information on the process of filling preschool slots.

REMINDERS:

• JR. HIGH SCHOOL ORIENTATION MAY 25: Sixth grade students and their parents/guardians are invited to an orientation to Gateway Jr. High School on Tuesday, May 25 from 6 – 7 p.m. in the Gateway Performing Arts Center.
• 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.
• SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETINGS IN MAY: The Gateway Regional School Committee will meet the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays in May.
• 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.
• BOOK YOUR SPORTS PHYSICAL EARLY: Hilltown Community Health Centers is making a major technology transition this summer. As a result, they will be booking fewer appointments through the summer months. Any fall athlete who is a patient of HCHC and needs a sports physical for the fall is urged to book their appointment EARLY.
• 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.
• SCHOOL COMMITTEE ADOPTS BUDGET: The Gateway Regional School Committee voted 12-2 to adopt Version 1.1 of the budget for the 2010-11 school year, and defeated a motion to calculate town assessments based on the regional agreement formula. See the entire budget and budget presentations here.
• 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 announces changes in administration for the high school and jr. high school, as Principal Kathleen McSweeney departs to lead a large high school in Eastern Massachusetts. Read the entire column for details!

                                                                                           Wendy V. Long, Editor