Lots happening in the
month of October in the Melrose Public Schools! The School Committee met for the first time on
October 18th. Check the minutes for the official account, but here
are my notes:
The district was awarded a
Title III (federal) grant that will be used to develop and conduct an English
as a Second Language class for parents and caregivers of ELL students. The
classes will be held at Lincoln, once a week, for two hours. Supt. Taymore
noted: “Efforts will also be made to integrate parents into other opportunities
available at the individual schools and at the district level.”
The MHS French exchange
will allow our Saint-Witz partners to visit in October 2017 and for our students
to travel in February 2018.
The food service program,
run by Chartwells and managed by Mr. Ken Dolce, continues to generate a profit
(unusual for school lunch programs given their many state and federal
requirements).
Asst. Supt. of Pupil Personnel
Services Ms. White-Lambright and Athletic Director Mr. Fogarty presented on how
Youth Risk Behavior Survey results are impacting wellness teaching. Topics
included drug prevention, using prescription drugs, and opioids. Survey results
indicated that parents want more training. Next steps include a closer read and
review by the School Wellness Advisory Council (SWAC) and implementation of the
Adolescent Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) tool
by staff to “…detect risk for substance-use related problems and to address
them at an early age in adolescents.”
Surplus equipment,
including tables, chairs, filing cabinets, etc., was approved for sale.
Asst. Supt. of Teaching
and Learning Dr. Adams, along with City IT Director Neal Ellis, reported the
latest work of the District Technology Committee. They addressed curriculum
initiatives (including the state’s new Digital Technology Standards); using
technology in a personalized learning environment; and teacher goals related to
employing technology within national curriculum frameworks and using technology
“…to collaborate and communicate with students, parents and fellow teachers on
a consistent and on-going basis.”
Supt. Taymore updated the
district’s Strategy Overview for 2016-17, identifying the district’s three main
foci as: improving social emotional learning and behavioral intervention and
supports; building capacity for inclusive practices; and increasing digital
literacy and technology skills for students and staff.
The School Committee voted
three goals for ourselves in the coming year: framing roles/responsibilities
around communication to improve sharing; crafting a revised vision statement;
and re-working the FY18 budget process.
The Committee voted four
goals for Supt. Taymore: supporting diverse learners’ needs, addressing student
behavior issues; working with the Committee to identify resources for student
academic, social, emotional, and behavioral well-being; and provide training
for teachers to increase capacity to provide more effective instruction.
Packet documents are here:
http://melrosecityma.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=2671&Inline=True.
Notes from October 25th
coming soon!
