School Construction Preparations, Food at Elementary Events, and PTO Engagement...

Citywide PTO was held this morning (6/9) with good comments and questions around a variety of topics. Supt. Taymore led with some current events: 5^th graders from the elementary schools do their annual Middle School tours today, 8^th graders will head to NYC on Friday for the first big trip in many years by middle schoolers, and high school exams begin a week from today.

Supt. Taymore reports that she is spending a lot of time working on upcoming school construction projects. At Winthrop, classrooms will be added which will necessitate adjustment of administrative space, and the front entrance will be returned to its former location. At Roosevelt, the computer lab will be renovated to accommodate a Kindergarten classroom. At Lincoln, a plan is in place should the School Committee approve a 15^th Kindergarten class, but she is looking for enrollment of 15 students and currently has seven. (This is usually a quiet time for enrollments; things start to change in the summer when she will make a final decision about recommending.) Administrative office restructuring and transition from the MHS Resource Center to the Learning Commons will begin next week when packing of the RC starts. Construction drawings and bid requests go out in September. Abatement is planned for winter break.  From Jan.-Aug., 2016 the Learning Commons and classrooms will be built while the administrator section on the first floor will be built from June-Aug., 2016. As a first bid alternate on the project (i.e. if there is unused money remaining from the original project), Supt. Taymore is looking to build a “maker” space (more on that here: http://oedb.org/ilibrarian/a-librarians-guide-to-makerspaces/) and then the high school could build programs around it. Music programs will be temporarily moved, and this effort demanded a comprehensive analysis of music programs and scheduling across the district that will ultimately result in department improvements. Scheduling will now operate more cohesively (i.e. all schools will centrally schedule vs. doing it independently so more elementary students will have access to lessons since teachers will travel less); contracts are being re-reviewed to ensure that both staff and administration are fully and uniformly honoring their obligations; and a very large middle school closet was identified (formerly used by the DPW) that is temperature-appropriate, and will be used to house musical instruments. Beginning instrument lessons will now be offered at the 6^th grade. The high school will be able to offer half-year band and orchestra options. There will be a more opportunities for symphony practice. Mr. Repucci and Mr. Miller are very supportive of the transition plans.

Compliance in the area of food at elementary events was raised as an issue. For foods served during the school day and within 30 minutes before and after school, items must comply with federal regulations. (A vending checklist is here: http://www.johnstalkerinstitute.org/alist/alist.pdf.) Students can bring in foods that are individually wrapped. Since PTO’s are entities separate from the schools, if they are serving food outside the +/- 30 minute and school day window they needn’t comply with these regulations. All organizations are asked to be sensitive to students and families with allergies and those who might prefer lower-calorie options. A good option is to work through our Chartwells Food Service Director Ken Dolce at kdolce@melroseschools.com or 781-462-3219.

Discussion was held around the significant fundraising work that PTO’s do, and how best the schools can focus their efforts on supporting individual school needs without overtaxing our generous donors and sponsors. Parents are encouraged to understand that one school isn’t “better” than another since there is significant equity with respect to curriculum and instruction; schools are different based on their culture. Supt. Taymore recommended organizing a PTO training that would include how to align spending with School Improvement Plans, district goals, and the individual school’s culture. As a district, we need to differentiate between what the schools fund and what PTO’s raise and fund (e.g. elementary school clubs vary by school because they are not district-sponsored). It might be useful for all PTO’s to review their By-Laws soon and together so they have a common understanding and potentially common approaches to their governance and their work. It might also be useful for PTO's to have guidance around legal issues (teacher gifts, etc.) provided by an expert like the Melrose City Solicitor. Bridge Director Jennifer McAllister will explore organizing a training event for the fall.

Last meeting of the school year, and best wishes to City Wide members who move on to middle school from their elementary schools!

School Committee Meeting of 5/26 and Highlights for 6/9

Bridge Director Jennifer McAllister was on hand to present the on-going work being done in the organization. (The Bridge: A School-Community Partnership is the non-profit, volunteer coordination group for the Melrose Public Schools. Leadership is shared, as are costs, between Supt. Taymore and an independent Board of Directors.) Activities include volunteer registration and CORI’s; vision and hearing screenings; Community Reading Day; Trivia Bee; facilitating City Wide PTO, the elementary library coordinators, and the elementary enrichment coordinators; presenting and recruiting at school open houses and the Victorian Fair; and a variety of communication activities. (Note: if you’d like to learn more about volunteering in the schools, contact Jennifer at 781-979-2299 or jmcallister@melroseschools.com).

MHS science teacher Brittany Martin was recognized by the North Shore Science Supervisor’s Association for her commitment to making science accessible to a wide range of students; and elementary teachers Alexandra Cook and Carolyn McElligott presented at the annual Mass. Association of Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages on the use of web tools.

Based on a recognized need to improve student outcomes at the Horace Mann School, the state has provided support in a number of areas at the school and across the district, including access to special trainings and collaboration activities, funding for additional instructional coaching, the development of some curriculum materials for the MHS advisory block, and substitute coverage for some learning walk-throughs.

Written comments were submitted regarding this year’s budget process, and they will be compiled in the fall when a recommendation for next year’s process will be discussed. New MHS School Committee representatives have been elected and will join us in the fall. The School Committee calendar was set for 2016. Committee SMART goals were discussed/approved for the 2015-2016 school year.

As always, you can find full agendas and packet documents at http://melrosecityma.iqm2.com/Citizens/calendar.aspx and meeting replays on MMTV.

Next meeting is June 9^th. On the agenda: Class of 2015 update; a fine and performing arts program review; discussion and vote on non-union raises; Committee action items for the SMART goals; a plan for the Supt’s evaluation; intentions around summer policy work for the Committee; and liaison reports.