ALL HANDS ON DECK (with shovels and rakes!)

I'm THRILLED to say that we've hammered down the Joint Use Agreement between the City of Worcester and the Worcester Public Schools on playgrounds! This means that our playgrounds will be OFFICIALLY open to kids during non-school daylight hours!

BUT, before the big announcement splash, we have some work to do: as part of the agreement, the city is paying for NEW MULCH for our playgrounds! This will roll out over the next several weeks. To make this manageable, we'll have WPS oversight, but we need some volunteer labor to get the mulch spread.

We’re looking for volunteers who could serve at one of the 5 playground sites below on Wednesday July 8, 9am-1pm. You don’t have to come for the whole time, but we’re asking that the community pitch in to this important effort by spreading the mulch with us that day. So grab a rake or a shovel and come down to a playground to help support play in Worcester’s neighborhoods!

 

Wednesday, July 8^th, 9am-1pm:

 

Flagg St Elementary School, 115 Flagg St

May St Elementary School, 265 May St

Lincoln St Elementary School, 549 Lincoln St

Norrback Elementary School, 44 Malden St

Roosevelt Elementary School, 1006 Grafton St

 

We will have opportunities at other schools on the following two Wednesdays. Please be on the look out for more information on those.

Worcester School Committee meets TOMORROW!

The Worcester School Committee has a rare TUESDAY meeting tomorrow night at 7 pm. It is preceded by our annual school choice hearing at 6:45; you can find the meeting agenda here.
 The school choice hearing is something we are required to do annually. Each year, the Worcester School Committee has to vote on if we will allow students to choose to come to Worcester from out of town (we must allow our students to go to other districts; we can decide if we wish to take those from elsewhere.) Generally, we do, on a space available basis. The hearing is to allow any member of the public to speak on this issue prior to our vote.
There is no report of the Superintendent.
The EAW wishes to enter negotiations regarding the new requirement that all of our employees be fingerprinted so as to be screened by the national database, something which Massachusetts was the only remaining state to fail to do.
We have the reporting out of Teaching, Learning, and Student Supports; my notes on that meeting are here.
We have a few personnel items reporting out from Administration.
We have a report on state funding remaining for North High School through MSBA.
We have a report on the number of art and music teachers and the number of study halls by high school.
We have congratulations to pass along to our DECA students and to the Burncoat robotics team!
We're having a budget hearing!
We're sending the audit reports off to F&O (as we do each year).
Rep. O'Day's bill on homeless students  is before us for consideration.
Miss Biancheria is asking for a report on dropouts and one on the collaboration with the youth opportunities office.
I'm doing my annual request for a report on the demographics and MCAS scores of Worcester's charter schools.
I've also asked that we ensure that our student reps are elected (per student request, incidentally).
And I'm asking for the number and percentage of students that opted out of the March PARCC pilot with a similar report requested for the June pilot.
Mr. Monfredo is asking for MASC's legal opinion on the ongoing grant administration issue with the city.
He's also asking for a report on "the successes" of the AVID program.
Administration asks that we elect our representative and alternate to the MASC conference in November (h/t to Dr. Friel, who I believe is making sure we get the early bird rate on this!).
Mr. O'Connell is filing an item on the Norrback and Roosevelt dual language program.
Mr. Monfredo deserves congratulations for receiving the Ubuntu award from ACE!
We're being asked to recognize the good work of Professor Wagner's classes at Chandler Magnet and of Working for Worcester citywide.
We're sending our annual, required, school lunch price increase off to subcommittee (this would be an increase for the 2014-15 school year).
And we have an executive session at 6, discussing a grievance and negotiations with the instructional assistants.

Dual Language update

While we've got an article on some (and by no means all) parental reaction to the dual language merger in today's paper, it doesn't give you the information about plans for next year. Here they are.

• for current Norrback dual language students entering grades 4, 5, or 6 for this coming year, they may stay at the school and continue to have some form of what they do now in those grades at Norrback: a single period, pull out Spanish period. This will continue until the students entering grade 4 finish 6th grade at Norrback.
• for current Norrback dual language students entering grades 1-4, they may transfer to either Chandler Magnet or to Roosevelt's dual language program. Transportation will be provided for these students. These students will have, as they have had thus far, a 50/50 model of half day Spanish, half day English. Also, any siblings who attend Norrback but are not in the dual language program may transfer to the same school as their dual language sibling and also have transportation.
• for students entering kindergarten who have applied to the dual language program, those students have yet to be evaluated for the dual language program (as they are every year; not every child who applies gets in). Those evaluations will be taking place over May and parents will be informed of placement in or not in the program by the end of May.

Note that there are 79 students in the dual language program at Norrback; 2/3 of those students do not have Norrback as their home school. 

Parents and students are invited to visit both Chandler Magnet and Roosevelt in the coming weeks ('though not during MCAS testing) to see what would work best for them. There are open houses from 6-7 pm on the following dates:
• Roosevelt School – April 29th
• Chandler Magnet – April 30th
They are asked to respond with their chosen option by May 9.

And in the spirit of full disclosure: one of my own children is a student in the dual language program at Norrback. We have not yet made a decision regarding next year.

Dual language program merging

This afternoon, the Worcester School Committee received the following from Dr. Rodrigues:

The Dual Language Program at Norrback Avenue School and Roosevelt School has been a great feature to the district’s portfolio and as a viable option for parents in Worcester.

This year, Dr. Bertha Elena Rojas and her team conducted a thorough review of the two programs’ practices and outcomes resulting in some immediate realignment of resources, scheduling, and the development of a structured professional development series to strengthen teachers’ instructional practices in a multilingual, bi-literacy environment.

Since its inception, we have not been able to provide the features of this program beyond grade 3, with limited Spanish language exposure in grades 4 through 6. Evidence based research of dual language programs emphasizes the importance of an uninterrupted 50/50 model of instruction, in Spanish and English, from Kindergarten through grade 6.

In order to strengthen our program delivery and to expand the 50/50 model through grade 6, the district will merge the Norrback Avenue program with the existing program at Roosevelt School. This merger will create a robust program, with greater alignment of resources, and expansion of the50/50 model of instruction to grade 4 in 2014-2015 school year. This merger also required personnel realignment, favorable to current budget constraints.

This afternoon, parents/guardians of students enrolled in the Dual Language Program at Norrback Avenue School will receive a letter describing the merger of the programs for next year. Parents are invited to an informational meeting at Norrback Avenue School and Roosevelt School (letters attached).  The principal of Roosevelt School will be in attendance at the Norrback meeting and will offer parents the opportunity to visit the Dual Language Program at Roosevelt School in the coming weeks.

We are excited about the merger as it will raise the district’s ability to implement the Dual Language Program with fidelity and to expand and sustain the 50/50 model through grade 6.

Have a kindergartner? Interested in dual language?

If you have an incoming kindergartner for next fall and have an interest in your child being in a dual language (English/Spanish) program, you should come to an information session next Tuesday, March 12 at 6 pm at Norrback Elementary.

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.

Norrback Ave library

Another in the occasional series of photos of places you may not have seen in the Worcester Public Schools.

Here are the constellations on the ceiling of the library at Norrback Avenue Elementary School.

Yes, the starts really light up! It's really a lovely room, and I will post more photos of it soon!

O'Brien asking questions

O'Brien: "how many minutes of recess do your kids have right now?"
15 minutes at lunch outside, 15 "break" at midmorning
(this is Allen responding)
"at some of the larger buildings, difficult to get the kids downstairs from the third floor"
O'Brien: align that with what we're trying to do

Recess: Allen

Allen, principal at Norrback Avenue
timeline of the policy and the chance that we've a chance to see what this means
our schedule was set already...
"this sort of addition would shake our foundation a bit at this point"
"the part that is additionally concerning to me as a principal"
not sure that taking recess should be a consequence for inappropriate behavior
"we all know that if we've lived in Worcester for awhile..depending on the playground..." (in reference to the weather)
"that families are concerned that we're using the policy inappropriately"