Happy 100, Columbus Park School!

Columbus Park School is celebrating their 100th birthday this year!

We do have schools that still have corridors that look like this:

BUT—facility geek alert—the boilers aren't that old. These were MSBA approved for funning in 2013 and went in last summer. 

Back-to-school facilities update!

Today's Friday letter is a back-to-school facilities update! In brief:

• Chandler Magnet is coming back to new windows! ("substantially complete" by the first day)
• Columbus Park is going to have all boarded up windows done by the start of school; the rest will be finished during second shift work this fall. (Another hold-up at the window factory) The new ramp is in, but it won't have a handrail for the start of school, plus it needs to be clear with Boston before use. The new boilers are in, and the vestibule and bathrooms will be done by school opening.
• Remember those massive Worcester East Middle School boilers? They have been quite a project! Thus that project is behind schedule. The call on whether the school is put on a temporary boiler for this winter will be made by September 20. And MSBA hasn't gotten back to us yet on the rest of the work there: windows and the interior electrical/plumbing/heating.
• Worcester Arts Magnet is getting their windows delivered in late September; they'll be installed second shift. The bathroom and vestibule work will be done for back to school.
• Tatnuck Magnet, likewise, will get their new windows in late September, and they'll go in during second shift. Note that this is expected to impact the branch library there. 

Send along questions if you've got 'em! 

Summer building work

There are often projects going on in our schools over the summer; this summer, we have several BIG projects happening:

• Worcester East Middle School is getting new boilers.
• Chandler Magnet School is getting the rest of their new windows. They're also getting the roof work and solar panels done, thus the flags around the roof.
• Worcester Arts Magnet School is getting new windows, as well as some work done to the vestibule and the bathrooms.
• Columbus Park is getting its new boiler, as well as having the new windows installed.
• Tatnuck Magnet is getting new windows.

Good stuff! (And thanks, MSBA!)

Principal and Assistant Principal appointments

This afternoon, we received the following from Superintendent Boone:

I am happy to announce the Principal and Assistant Principals selected for the following:

• Siobhan McKenna Dennis, Principal, Columbus Park School
• Lauren Chuk, Acting Assistant Principal, Canterbury Street School
• Susan Donahue, Acting Assistant Principal, Rice Square School
• Patricia Murphy-Brown, Acting Assistant Principal, Vernon Hill School
• Maureen Power, Assistant Principal, Jacob Hiatt Magnet School
• Joanne Quist, Acting Assistant Principal, Sullivan Middle School
• Tina Schirner, Assistant Principal, Grafton Street School

Summer capital projects and Nelson Place

update from Bedard and Moosey
Mr. Moosey from DPW
boiler at New Citizens and Jacob Hiatt virtually done
new windows: Chandler is a two year project "very large amount of windows"
New Citizens should be done in the next few weeks (doors and such ongoing)
Lake View and May installed in the fall during non-school hours
those projects have to be done at the end of this year
October for Lake View, early December  for May Street

This makes nine accelerated repairs for Worcester

And we're in!!

Expect to see those projects as early as next summer!

As a reminder: these projects are:

• Columbus Park: windows and boiler
• Tatnuck Magnet: windows
• Worcester Arts Magnet: windows
• Worcester East Middle: roof, windows, boiler

Best estimate we have right now is we're looking at projects totalling about $15 million.

Worcester school buildings before the state tomorrow!

We've recently gotten word that ALL FOUR of our proposed Accelerated repair projects are before the Mass School Building Authority board tomorrow at 10 am!
As a reminder, those projects are:

• Columbus Park: windows and boiler
• Tatnuck Magnet: windows
• Worcester Arts Magnet: windows
• Worcester East Middle: windows, roof, boiler

This is great news! Remember, this means we're up for 80% reimbursement on these fixes! 

I will be there and will liveblog the meeting. 

Worcester School Committee meeting tonight!

Sorry for the late agenda review here...
The Worcester School Committee meets tonight at 7 pm at City Hall. You can find the agenda here.
In addition to the substantive issues coming out of subcommittee regarding the policy manual, we are also:

• recognizing the Boston Globe Scholastic Art and Writing award winners
• getting a short presentation on the Superintendent's Student Advisory Council
• voting (one assumes) to open negotiations with the EAW (for tutors, assistants, IAs, and parent liaisons) and with the MNA (for nurses)
• getting (in addition to Governance) reports out from Accountability and from Finance and Operations.  
• hearing back from Columbus Park on naming their auditorium
• setting dates for a number of recognitions
• accepting a donation from St. John's church for iPads at Union Hill 
• accepting a grant from Johnson & Johnson 
• sending the (now annual) school lunch increase off to F&O
• asking for a report on summer programs
• asking for a report on pedestrian issues (crosswalks, signage) around schools
• considering awarding diplomas to veterans whose military service interrupted their completion of school
• requesting training for our principals for the new regs on suspension
• And (love this one) asking that the City Manager put back the star in front of City Hall where Isaiah Thomas read the Declaration of Independence! (before it was read in Boston...just saying!)

7 pm, City Hall!

update on Nelson Place and MSBA projects

Allen: invited into feasibility phase of project for Nelson Place
between now and May 2014
March 2014 through mid 2014 doing schematic designs
May 2014 to August 2014 is when they fund the project
June 2014-March 2015 design and planning
construction until January 2017, anticipated opening

MSBA submissions for this year
remaining three comprehensive high schools for renovation or repair
MSBA forces you to name a priority school
MSBA did a needs assessment: South graded the worst by MSBA; "to show MSBA that we're serious about their assessment"
"our intention is to the three schools as a joint package"
four schools for accelerated repair for this coming year

• Worcester East Middle: Windows, Boiler, & Roof note here that WEMS is down to one boiler; if (and when) it fails,they're done
• Columbus Park School: Windows & Boiler
• Tatnuck Magnet School: Windows
• Worcester Arts Magnet: Windows

Waiting to hear from MSBA to hear what are the next steps are

Statements of Interest going to Mass School Building Authority

Major repair or renovation:

1. South High Community School
2. Burncoat High School
3. Doherty Memorial High School

Accelerated Repair:

• Columbus Park School: windows and boiler
• Tatnuck Magnet School: windows
• Worcester East Middle School: roof, windows, and boiler
• Worcester Arts Magnet School: windows

PASSES UNANIMOUSLY with reconsideration unanimously voted down
These now go to the City Council for their next meeting on April 2. Note that it must be voted (and reconsidered that night) in order to meet the state deadline of April 10. 

MSBA Statements of Interest

You can find the snazzy report here.
Three high schools for replacement or major renovation
"I just want to be candid...MSBA requires that we identify a priority project, and the administration identifies South High...however, this is being presented as a package" of the three high schools
Used MSBA's numbers for priorities
Can only identify one project as priority: impact on educational environment
...all three schools are on warning status

And accelerated repair

• Worcester East Middle: Windows, Boiler, & Roof note here that WEMS is down to one boiler; if (and when) it fails, they're down to one boiler
• Columbus Park School: Windows & Boiler
• Tatnuck Magnet School: Windows
• Worcester Arts Magnet: Windows

Unanimously approved, so on to the full committee on Thursday with a quick turnaround to Council

Sgt. William Soutra, Jr.

Petty notes that Soutra received the Navy Cross, "a living hero"
the teachers he had are still there
"a great person to look up to"
asking that the gymnasium at Columbus Park be named in his honor

Worcester School Committee meets on Thursday

The Worcester School Committee will have its second February meeting on Thursday at 7 pm at City Hall. You can find the agenda here. 
(And it's a lengthy one; that's what happens when there's an extra week in between meetings!)
Governance and Employee Issues is reporting out from their meeting on Valentine's Day.
Administration is reporting back on:

• additional training for IA's (this is the backup, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me; asking)
• snacks for athletes: USDA After School Snack program is being implemented
• CORI's in other languages (in English, Spanish, Porteguese, Vietnamese, Albanian and downloadable in Arabic)
• principals hired over the past three years
• a change in an account name (to "Supplemental Programs Salaries")
• scheduled student (nursing) screenings
• a Constitution Day report
• evening meeting locations 
• notifying teachers of the state ethics commission finding on class gifts
• distribution of donated instruments
• music lessons citywide (there are more than I'd thought!)
• changes in the school nutrition regs (not a new change; just discussing a previous one)
• the articulation agreements
• Friday is READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY, which means there's a decent chance you'll see a Cat in the Hat hat at the meeting.

In other news: we still have $45,000 to allocate from the $500,000 the City Council sent to WPS.

The cross-country course at Newton Hill needs preservation, as the Fire Alarm Building changes hands.

There's a request for a waiver for the 180 day requirement.

Congratulations going to kids who received awards on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and on Valentine's Day. 

A request is coming in that we look at the summer learning collaborative.

There's a suggestion that we celebrate September 2 as "World War II Commemoration Day."

A request that we look at establishing mock trial and debate teams at the secondary level, as well as after school activities at the middle schools.

Mayor Petty is suggesting that we name the gym at Columbus Park School after Sergeant William Benjamin Soutra, Jr.

We need to look at the findings of the Civil Rights Secretary on sports participation and the Title IX finding, also on sports.

We're congratulating on Thomas Greene Award winners!

Mr. O'Connell has filed items regarding both changes to IDEA (on parental consent) and proposed Local Educational Agency Governance, Flexibility, and Efficiency Act.

We're congratulating South High's bowling team.

There's a request coming in for projected changes in principals for next year.

And we're asking how that increased supply budget was spent.

7 pm, City Hall!

Teaching, Learning, and Student Support meeting

You can find the agenda here.
We've got a chair now, so we should be starting shortly...publishing as we go.
Starting with the report on school lunch
Options beyond the silent lunch, and question on the optimal time for lunch. I should note that we have several elementary principals here (Columbus Park, Norrback Ave, and Roosevelt); also, that our report has NO schools reporting silent lunches.
Rodrigues comments different schools have different spaces and different habits as a result.
"there are no set guidelines...routines and best practices....schools that have PBIS in the schools" handle behavior issues during lunch
Biancheria: staff and parents...some variations of times for lunches
"the idea of a silent lunch...not quiet time...children...eating for fifteen minutes, asked to be silent"
not working for the students..."glad that we received this...informative where we have lunchroom procedure or protocol"
Is the time getting to lunch included in this time? No, transition time is additional to the fifteen eating.
What is an indoor voice? Everyone socializing, but "as we would talk" not shouting out
Saying "speak at this level"
Biancheria: revamping meals so they are healthy..."takes a longer time to eat a healthier meal"
"don't want the students to be wolfing down their meals...do you think your fifteen minutes work for you?"
principals of Columbus Park and Roosevelt saying that kids can have extra time if they need it
commenting that it is enough time
food can be taken outside
Biancheria: the fifteen minutes begins when they are in the cafeteria
regarding recess: what made you decide for recess before or after lunch? Logistics (in the case of Roosevelt...and Columbus Park...and Norrback is nodding)
Monfredo: thanks principals for coming, thanks admin for report...setting protocol for lunchtime..."not one for quietness, because I don't think I could go through that myself"
Mention of Donna Lombardi and school nutrition
recess recommended for before lunch...benefits are greater
Novick: access to water, plowing of recess space (that's paved), and kids still losing recess for talking during lunch...comment from Rodrigues that specific hot spots come directly into administration
Biancheria: asks for some recommendations around school lunch and lunchroom, alternative suggestion for silent lunches
(We should perhaps point out that there is a mention of lunch and enough time in the district wellness policy.)
Some wrangling here about if we're talking about no silence at all or about a few minutes of silence as part of lunch...we've got a couple of opinions on this.
Rodrigues mentions the various types of buildings and varieties of staffing and how that boxes things in.
"in some of our schools we have to double up lunch....150 students in a room...transition safely...hard pressed at Norrback to be against a couple of minutes of a silent lunch...reinforce positive behavior"
Biancheria: schools that don't have cafeterias; can we do anything to let them eat somewhere other than their classrooms?
Rodrigues "limitations of schools"
Biancheria: "that were built in the era when kids walked home for lunch"
Berthiaume comments that lunches are quick in those schools; teachers and kids responsible for the cleaning of the space
Biancheria concerned about reports about not eating at your desk, lest things get in your food...that's what we're doing with our kids
Comments that it's a beginning



ON to 21st century learning grants and their locations:
You can find the locations and ELL program locations here
trying to combine sites to make them more cost efficient
after school programs have to apply (RFP) and meet certain requirements to be sure they 're meeting certain benchmark
"just not doing a blanket application; someone needs to be benefiting from these programs"
Monfredo: due to funding, limited to the sort of programs we can have; reach out to social agencies and churches for after school programs
recruiting...whatever we can do...children who really can use the extra help
would like more of our Level 3 schools to have the additional assistance
comment from the public that the 21st century grants tied into NCLB for children who were underserved; to set them up and encourage them to collaborate with community institutions for after-school access; not just for the children, also for the adults
Comments that she seems to know more about these grants than the city..."not planning and siting these schools where they need to be, not planning these partnerships"...lists some that  she thinks would be willing
need the after-school component
Paez: 24 partners for these programs, all are personally interviewed by him
adult basic education at multiple sites
Comment back that there are waiting list...Paez comments that if six or more adults contact him, he will open a class (ELL, GED)
Coming attractions: next TLSS meeting, report coming on what's being done at our Level 3 schools from our reworking of the Title I grants under the NCLB waiver
Paez: preparation for opportunities in neighborhoods that most need it
Rodrigues: level what we can apply for; need matching from partnerships
rules change, it's somewhat quirky
Barnes: funding cycle, site specific, some roll off over time and become competitive, longer going sites
...and that's where I'm going to need to duck out to get to Council...

Heating after the long weekend

The Worcester School Committee received the following in an email from Mr. Allen regarding heat in the schools this week (underlining added):

Although the number of instances over this period of time is high, please know that the type of issues are very common that the Facilities Department faces with the schools throughout the heating season.
Columbus Park had a water line break in the boiler room and heating issues from the boiler.  Several of the technicians were deployed to address this issue at the school.  All of the issues have been resolved.
We had an unusual number of calls related to Canterbury Street.  This issue here was something that occurs in some of our schools not yet on full monitoring.  The custodian reported to Maintenance Services first thing this morning that the building was cold.  Since we had a number of personnel at Columbus Park, Maintenance Services was on site at the school between 9-9:30 a.m.  The boiler was reset and is again fully operational.  However, it is likely that it took several hours to regain normal heating temperatures to the entire building.
McGrath, Forest Grove, May Street, and Doherty had a variety of issues affecting heat delivery.  All of those overall building issues have been resolved.  There are instances of isolated classrooms issues at these site that will be addressed.
Burncoat High (B-Wing) has no heat and a replacement part is being shipped from Texas for the repair.  The repair should be completed by end of the week.  The school is fully aware of the status and will make adjustments to building usage as appropriate and needed.
Claremont, Roosevelt, Norrback, Quinsigamond, and Worcester Arts have new boilers through Honeywell ESCo program and each of these schools are having operational/technical issues associated with new boiler set-up and controls adjustments.  Honeywell and the boiler manufacturers are working these issues at the schools and we hopeful they can resolve them in the very near future.
As we progress into the cold winter season, it is not uncommon to have multiple heating issues at our schools on any given day.  Please be assured that the Facilities Department will respond to any and all heating issues that are reported by the schools.  They very are cognizant of the instructional benefit of having a warm and comfortable classroom and every effort is made to minimize disruptions to the learning process resulting from any facilities issue. 

And I will only add ('though this is somewhat repeating what Mr. Allen says above) that yes, you should always say something if you have a concern,and no, it is not okay for a building to be cold.

MCAS scores (by school) are out

The statewide MCAS results were released today at Columbus Park School in Worcester. You can find the state's press release here and the Worcester Public Schools' press release here. The full results are up online here. 
Should it be of interest, the report of the superintendent at tomorrow night's Worcester School Committee meeting is on the No Child Left Behind waiver, which necessarily will include information on this year's MCAS scores.

MCAS results released tomorrow

The official 2012 statewide MCAS results will be released tomorrow by Secretary Reville and Commissioner Chester at Columbus Park School (in Worcester) at 8:15 am.

I have another meeting I have to be at, so no liveblog.

Parent at Columbus Park

wants to know how much of the $20 million from the airport is going to schools: going to sidewalks, not to schools
wants to stay in the city, not move to the suburbs
has 30 kids in his son's kindergarten class; what will happen next year in first grade?