March 2005

          Volume 18

          Number 6

FROM THE CHAIRS:

Assistant Superintendent Susan Horn dazzled the audience with her enthusiastic presentation at the February Forum. “Education is my passion,” she said, and it was obvious by the end of the meeting. 

 Mrs. Horn began her career as a teacher in the Bronx, moved to a very different educational setting in the Berkshires, as both a teacher and later as the Director of Curriculum, then entered as Director of Curriculum and was promoted to Assistant Superintendent for the Maynard schools.  She came to realize that by working with teachers, she could reach and impact even more children. She arrived at Acton/Acton-Boxborough in August replacing Jonathan Landman. 

Regarding the upcoming budget decisions, Mrs. Horn stated, “Kids only get one chance at 7^th grade… Don’t let the difficult issues affect the classroom.”  She acknowledged that “a strong community working together – staff, parents/guardians, kids, and the entire community” is the key to high achieving schools.  This involvement is something that has impressed her greatly in our community. She has always worked during budget crises.

 “How do you make a difference, especially in a school district where things are really good?” Mrs. Horn wondered. She created Action Plans with goals, inventories, and lists of “best practices” as part of her  CIA – Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Council, part of School District Goal #1. Curriculum is living and changing.  You can’t teach the same thing for 20 years.

Some of the initiatives Mrs. Horn is working on include:

·         MCAS testing – Making sure curriculum does not revolve around the test is important to us.

·         No Child Left Behind (NCLB) – Meeting the “adequate yearly progress” requirement is a challenge for schools who start high on the list because they have to continue to move up.

·         Grant Funding – Pursing all possibilities is essential, including:  PIP (Parent Involvement Project) opportunities, TELS (National Science Foundation’s Technology Enhanced Learning in Science) Grant, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Pipeline Grant

·         Young Audiences (YA) Spring Showcase of artist educators – Providing direct links to the MA curriculum frameworks in arts and non-arts disciplines makes this event on April 14^th even more valuable.

·         YRBS (Youth Risk Behavior Survey) Presentation – Highlighting how our community responds to needs, CAFY’s participation with the school system on this important topic is another example of our commitment to our children’s education.

Mrs. Horn is also responsible for our very successful Community Education Program.  As budget needs increase, that program is also looking at appropriate ways to increase revenue.

Sue Horn’s extensive educational background, obvious dedication to teaching children, and overflowing enthusiasm for the school environment, left us with no doubt that this administrator is another reason why our school system achieves as it does.  Thank you Sue!

The next PTSO Forum is on Tuesday, March 8^th at Noon in the Acton Memorial Library.  The topic is “Safety, Support, and Supervision” at R.J. Grey and ABRHS.  We hope to see you there!

- Beth and Jan

2005 -2006 Budget Decisions’ Impact by Grade Level Meetings

Presentations by Principals Steve Donovan and Craig Hardimon, and other staff members, will focus on specifics of each of the grade levels:

6th & 7th Grade

Monday, March 7 & Thursday March 10 at 7:00 pm

RJ Grey Jr. High Library 

8th Grade

Wednesday, March 16 at 7:00 pm at ABRHS

(at end of 8th Grade Parent/Guardian Night)

9th Grade

Monday, Feb 28 at 7:30pm at ABRHS

10th Grade

Monday, March 21 at 7:30 pm at ABRHS

11th Grade

Wednesday, March 2 at 7:00 pm at ABRHS

(at beginning of Juniors' College Night)

Presentations will pertain to current grade level (i.e. the February 28^th meeting for 9th grade parents/guardians will talk about next year's 10th grade).  You are welcome to attend any of the meetings. For more information, contact JH PTSO Co-chair Jan Couch at 978-263-2118 or HS PTSO Co-chair Beth Petr at 978-263-7208 or the School Offices at 978-264-4700.

2005-2006 PTSO Budget Planning

A budget committee is being formed to generate a proposed PTSO budget for the 2005-2006 school year.  The budget will be presented and voted on at the Annual PTSO Business Meeting in May.  As always, all PTSO members - parents, guardians, staff, and students are welcome to attend. We are looking for members of the school community to serve on this committee. If you are interested, please contact Treasurer Caroline Crosby at 978-266-2955 by March 15.

Special Education Workshop

The annual Rights and Responsibilities in Special Education workshop is being presented on Wednesday, March 2 at 10:00 a.m. by Nancy Kolb, Director of Pupil Services for the Acton Public and Acton-Boxborough Regional Schools and Sandy Daigneault, Special Education Director for the Boxborough Public School district. The workshop will be held in the conference room in the Acton-Boxborough Administrative Building (former Merriam School), 15 Charter Road, Acton. All are welcome to attend.

 

 

---

ABRHS NEWS

FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Steve Donovan

· Course planning
Students are in the process of choosing courses for next school year. Please see the accompanying articles for information on dates, how you can help in this process, and course options that you should know about.

· Professional Development Day
On Friday, March 11th we will have our system-wide Professional Development Day during which staff will work on curriculum documentation and other school issues. Students will have the day off.

· Local Scholarships for Seniors
All seniors are eligible for the local scholarships that are awarded during graduation week, but students must complete a local scholarship application in order to be considered for these awards. Parents of seniors: Please remind your students to complete the form they received in English class on Tuesday, February 15 and to return it to the Counseling Center before the March 8 deadline (this is a firm deadline).

· Student Recognition
During February we named four students as recipients of the Principal’s Recognition Award for service to school and community. Congratulations to Todd McFarlin, Leslie Funk, Renee Gliddon and Paige Malinowski.

· MCAS Information for Parents of Sophomores
As you know, all tenth grade students are required to participate in the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) testing taking place this spring. The first MCAS test, the English Long Composition, will be given on Wednesday, April 6, periods 2, 3 and 4.  The remaining tests will be given during the weeks of May 16 and May 23.  

- Steve Donovan

Program of Studies Note
An interdisciplinary offering available to sophomores is the American Studies program, a team-taught alternative to English 2 and U.S. History I at the AE level. This course covers the same curriculum content as the traditional sophomore English and history courses (preparing students for the MCAS and department finals), but American Studies has some unique advantages. The two classes are scheduled back to back, which allows the two teachers to reconfigure course content, student groupings, time, and testing in a variety of ways, as well as offering an interdisciplinary approach.

Course Planning for 2005 - 2006
The process of course planning for next school year has begun. The Program of Studies booklet listing courses to be offered was distributed to freshmen, sophomores, and juniors on February 14th. The Program of Studies is also available in PDF format on the school’s web site (http://ab.mec.edu/abrhs – under academics).

On Pupil Course Request Day, March 1st, students will receive PCR forms in homeroom, discuss course recommendations with their current teachers, and return their completed PCR forms to their homeroom teachers at the end of the day. One copy will be taken home to be reviewed by parents. Any changes that are necessary must be made through the Counseling Department by April 29th.

Eighth grade students will complete the scheduling process after Eighth Grade Parents’ Night, which is scheduled for Wednesday, March 16th, at 7:00 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

A-B Softball 2005 Softball Car Raffle

Support the AB Lady Colonial Softball Teams

On March 6th at Acton Ford one winning ticket will be drawn and that lucky winner will drive away in a brand new Ford Escape XLS 4 Wheel Drive, with a retail value of $23,000.  Each car raffle ticket is $50. There will only be 1000 tickets sold. The odds are in your favor and you will be supporting a great cause, AB High School Softball.

Tickets will be on sale from any member of the A-B Softball teams or you can pick up a ticket order form at Acton Ford, Willow Books, or the A-B School Store.  You can also have a ticket order form emailed to you by sending a request to absoftball@hotmail.com.

If 1000 tickets are not sold the raffle will revert to a 50/50 split of the proceeds with the winning ticket holder getting half of the ticket sales monies collected minus expenses. The drawing for this prize will also be held March 6th at Acton Ford.

For questions or to order tickets directly please call Valerie Malinowski at 978-263-4786 or Sheryl Egan at 508-932-0521. The Ford Escape is being provided generously by Acton Ford, 76 Powder Mill Road, Acton, MA. Please order your tickets today and Good Luck!!

 

---

RJGJHS NEWS

FROM THE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Craig Hardimon

The Acton Boxborough Regional School Committee has approved our B budget recommendation (if the override fails), which calls for the elimination of 6.3 teachers, .3 of an assistant, the intramurals program, all clubs and student activities, and one of the Assistant Principals. 

Under this model, which we are calling the Split School Model, 7^th grade will continue to operate under the teaming structure, but the 8th grade will function as a straight junior high. 

The majority of the teaching positions lost will be reflected in a reduction and/or elimination of portions of the Exploratory curriculum. Art, Music, and Study Skills will each be reduced by 50%.  The Minuteman Technology programs, which focus on Engineering and applied Science and Math will be eliminated. 

For additional information, please look at the attached chart which provides more detailed information.  A complete presentation of this information regarding the impact of a failed override will be available to all parents and guardians on Monday, March 7th and Thursday, March 10 in the R.J. Grey Library beginning at 7 p.m.

- Craig Hardimon

Recognizing Preadolescent/Teenage Depression and Anxiety

Time:  Tuesday, March 22, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Place:  R.J. Grey Library

What are the symptoms of depression and anxiety in youth?  It may not look the same as it does in adults. 

How can you tell the difference between moods that are normal and moods that may be an indication of a more serious problem?  How prevalent are depression and anxiety disorders in this population?  If you think you may possibly have a child who needs professional help, where do you start?  What causes these disorders?  How are they treated?

These and other questions will be dealt with in this forum.  A former AB student will be a guest speaker and will provide insights into these disorders by sharing his personal story - his struggles and triumphs.  Dr. Carolyn Imperato, school psychologist, and a community therapist will lend their expertise to the presentation and also answer questions from the audience.

High School Orientation for Parents of Eighth Graders
ABRHS will hold its annual orientation for the parents and guardians of current eighth grade students on Wednesday, March 16, at 7:00 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The purpose of the meeting is to ease student transition to ninth grade by providing parents with information about the high school’s academic program, including available electives, and school activities. Parents will receive information about the sequence of academic courses presented by each department leader. The roles of parents and students in the course selection process will also be described. Administrators, department leaders and counselors will be available to answer questions after the presentation.

Eighth grade students at R. J. Grey Junior High will attend an assembly on Wednesday, March 23, to receive scheduling information as well as other information about ABRHS.

 

---

REGIONAL SCHOOL CALENDARS

High School Dates of Interest

March

2      College Night for Juniors and Parents, 7:00 p.m.
4      Third term interim reports
4      Gymnastics Show, 7:00 p.m.
7–11MCAS Retests
8      Steppin’ Out Concert, 7:30 p.m.
11    Professional Day – no school for students
11    Dance sponsored by junior and freshman classes 
12     SAT I only
15     Career Breakfast, 7:30 a.m.
15     Pan Choral Concert, 7:00 p.m.
16     Information Night for parents of 8th graders, 7:00  p.m.
21     Blood Drive sponsored by Student Council             
21     School Council meeting, 6:00 p.m.
23     High school information assembly for 8th graders
25     Good Friday – no school

Junior High School Dates of Interest

March

2      Student Council meeting, 7:36 a.m. 
4, 5  Junior High Musical, 7:00 p.m.
6      Junior High Musical, 1:30 p.m.
7–11World Language Week
9      Project Wellness, Grade 7
11, 12  Junior High Musical, 7:00 p.m.
13    Junior High Musical, 1:30 p.m.
14    Mid-term reports mailed
15    School Council meeting, 7:00–8:30 p.m.
18    Grade 8 Dance, 6:30–8:30 p.m.
25    Good Friday –  no school

---

SCHOOL COMMITTEE NEWS

FROM THE REGIONAL SCHOOL COMMITTEE      

Becky Neville, Chair

February and March are very busy months during the budget cycle for the School Committee. The School Committee approved, with grave reservations, the “B” cut list for the failed override budget. If these cuts had to be made it would significantly change the program of education we are able to offer our students.

At the Junior High $411,000 would need to be cut from the budget. “Teaming” will be eliminated at the 8^th grade. A group of students would not longer share a team of teachers and teachers will not be able to collaborate and coordinate curriculum or work load for students. The Exploratory Program (Art, Music, Study Skills, Minuteman Tech, and Health) at both 7^th and 8^th grade would be cut in half and students will spend more time in study halls. An Assistant Principal would also be cut which would result in less administrative support and student discipline.

At the High School $821,500 would be eliminated from the budget. The cuts at the High School have a domino effect. If the override fails many monitor positions would be cut. This will result in teachers having to cover the Commons, the parking lots, and the Library, which means they will have less time to meet with students, return parent phone calls, correct papers, prepare for class, and collaborate with other staff. If the override fails more than 6 teachers will be cut, yet our enrollments continue to climb. All departments will need to cut electives and class sizes will grow.  In Science, for example, this may mean the elimination of some electives like Anatomy & Physiology and Bioethics. It will result in larger class sizes and therefore teachers will not be able to do as many labs because it will be unsafe. Teachers will not be able to collect and grade as many assignments as they currently do. In Math, Introduction to C Programming and JAVA Programming will be cut. Some class sizes will reach the high 40’s and students who don’t understand a concept will not be able to ask questions in large classes. This highlights two of the departments, but similar cuts will be made in every department. If the override fails a Vice Principal, more than three program assistants, and two building support positions will be eliminated. All of those positions also create a domino effect that will impact our students. The education we offer our students will suffer if the override fails.

Please look at the budget information on the school web site at http://ab.mec.edu/budget/index.html. If you have comments on the budget, please email the School Committee at abrsc@acton-ma.gov or feel free to call or email me.  Our next Meeting will be Thursday, March 3^rd at 7:30 p.m. in the Junior High Library.
As always, we welcome your participation.

- Becky Neville
Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee, Chair
neville317@juno.com, 978-263-3285

 

 

PTSO CALENDAR

March 8                       12 Noon                      PTSO Forum –

"Safety, Support, and Supervision at RJG & ABRHS”, Acton Memorial Library         

March 22                     7:00 PM                       Adolescent and Teen Depression & Anxiety, Jr. High Library, Presented by RJGJHS, CAFY, and PTSO

April 12                        12 Noon                      PTSO Forum – Athletics & Sports Presentation, Acton Memorial Library

THE DEADLINE FOR ARTICLE SUBMISSION FOR THE APRIL NEWSLETTER IS March 10.

This issue is scheduled to be mailed to families on March 24.