Monday, June 22, 2015
Special Election Tuesday
Just a reminder that the polls will be open tomorrow at the JFK, Luce & Rodman Buildings from 7 AM - 8 PM. The town is voting on a two story, 8-Room Hansen Elementary Addition that is part of a $4.1 million debt exclusion override.
Thursday, June 18, 2015
JFK Interim Principal Named
Good morning. I am pleased to announce that Ms. Christine McMahon will take on the role of Interim Principal at the John F. Kennedy Elementary School for the school year 2015-16. Ms. McMahon has been a team chair/administrator in our district since 2012, first at the Hansen and then at the JFK. Prior to that time, she was a Vice Principal at the Matthew Kuss Middle School in Fall River and Special Education Team Facilitator at the Resiliency Prep High School in Fall River.
Ms. McMahon, who is certified as a Principal/Assistant Principal, has a CAGS in Administration from the American International College in Springfield, MA, along with a Masters in Special Education from Bridgewater State University.
Ms. McMahon has worked closely with Sarah Collmer and Jayne Moore on the administrative team at the JFK for the past two years. She is familiar with the JFK community and is a strong administrator in our district. The appointment of Ms. McMahon will allow a smooth transition for the school and district during the 2015-16 school year, and we are excited to see her take on this very important role.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey W. Granatino
Superintendent
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Wednesday, June 17th Early Release
Please remember that tomorrow, June 17th, will be an early release for Professional Development.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Special Election on Hansen Addition Takes Place on Tuesday, June 23
This is a reminder to all Canton voters that last month's Annual Town Meeting voted to place the proposed 8-room addition at the Hansen Elementary School on the ballot for a debt exclusion override vote. The election will take place on Tuesday, June 23rd. The projected cost for the project is $4.1 million.
Here's a breakdown of the projected costs for the project:
Hansen Elementary
School Construction Cost Estimate 1/13/2015
Architect/Engineering $250,000
Construction costs $3,599,900
Soft Costs $94,000
Furn. Fixtures and Equipment $58,000
Remove/Disposal Existing Modulars $70,000
Contingency $275,000
Total Project Costs $4,346,900
Less Architect/.Engineering (Prev. Funded) -$250,000
Funding Request $4,096,900
Rounded to $4,100,000
Here's a breakdown of the projected costs for the project:
Hansen Elementary
School Construction Cost Estimate 1/13/2015
Architect/Engineering $250,000
Construction costs $3,599,900
Soft Costs $94,000
Furn. Fixtures and Equipment $58,000
Remove/Disposal Existing Modulars $70,000
Contingency $275,000
Total Project Costs $4,346,900
Less Architect/.Engineering (Prev. Funded) -$250,000
Funding Request $4,096,900
Rounded to $4,100,000
Friday, June 12, 2015
Start Time Change for 2015-2016
Good
afternoon. I wanted to inform you that last night, the School Committee voted
unanimously to appropriate funding for the leasing of six additional school
buses. By doing so, the district will
now move to three tiers of transportation instead of the four tiers we
currently utilize. This allows the
district to move to a later start time at the secondary level and will combine
the CHS and GMS on the same tier.
Starting
on September 1, 2015, the district will operate with the following start times.
Tier
1- 7:50- 2:10- GMS
8:00- 2:24- CHS
Tier
2- 8:35-2:50
JFK Elementary
Hansen Elementary
Tier
3- 9:05-3:20
Luce Elementary (St.
John’s students ride on this tier as well)
In
addition, the School Committee had previously voted to start rotating the
elementary tiers starting in the 2016-17 school year. That plan is still in place and will not be
impacted by the change in start times.
While
this will be a new schedule and one that may take some time to adjust to, it
was made with the best interest of our students in mind. This topic has been studied over the last few
years by the School Committee, administrators, teachers, parents and
students. We join many districts in the
region, including Duxbury, Hingham, Sharon, Needham and Bedford, who have recently
made this change, based primarily on the wealth of information that highlights
the need for a later start time for our older students.
As
many of you know, the School Committee had identified class size and start time
at the secondary level as two of their biggest priorities in the FY16 budget
process. Through the financial support
of the community, we were able to add staffing across the district to begin
addressing those class size concerns and, with last night’s vote; we were also
able to address the issue of start time change at the high school.
Thank
you.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Envision The Future Program
This summer, 3 Galvin Middle School sixth grade girls will participate in the Envision the Future Program, a program for “futurist girls” ages 10 – 14 years of age. This five-day science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) residential summer program will be held at Bridgewater State University from Monday, July 20 to Friday, July 24, 2015. Envision the Future is a program of the SE MA STEM Network and will model practices that foster interest in STEM fields, provide opportunities for girls to explore career options with STEM professionals, meet role models in STEM fields, and connect with girls with similar interests and aspirations.
This year GMS sixth and seventh grade girls were asked to write an essay as to why they felt it would be appropriate to attend such a program and how they would bring back the information they learned to their classmates. Ten of our science and technology teachers read through 250 word essays. Three scholarships were offered for the 5-day program with one scholarship provided by the Children’s Dental Health Center in Stoughton and two from the Canton Public Schools. Ten of our science and technology teachers read through 250 word essays. The winners of the essay contest and those who will attending this year’s program include Genevieve Cordiero, Kaitlin McKenna and Abbey Nee.
Pay & Ride Bus Applications
While pay and ride bus applications were due in by Friday, May 29th, applications turned in after that date will be subject to a $50 late fee.
Again, applications received after June 26th will be processed and if seats are available, transportation will be provided on a first come, first serve basis, beginning on or about October 1.
Again, applications received after June 26th will be processed and if seats are available, transportation will be provided on a first come, first serve basis, beginning on or about October 1.
School Committee Meeting- Thursday, June 11th
A reminder that the Canton School Committee will have their last regularly scheduled meeting of the school year on Thursday, June 11th. The Committee will be in Executive Session at 6:30 PM with the public meeting commencing at 7:00 PM. Here's a link to the agenda.
Monday, June 8, 2015
CPACSS Meeting Wednesday Night
Just a reminder that the next CPACSS meeting will take place on Wednesday, June 10th from 7-9 PM at the CHS Library.
This will be a Parent Networking Night/ business meeting. We hope you can attend and share what you would like to see for workshops next year and any concerns or suggestions you may have for us to talk about.
Hope to see you there.
This will be a Parent Networking Night/ business meeting. We hope you can attend and share what you would like to see for workshops next year and any concerns or suggestions you may have for us to talk about.
Hope to see you there.
Where They Are Going
Congratulations to the Class of 2015. They were a special group of young men and women and they were honored in a tremendous graduation ceremony this past Friday night. Below is a list of where these graduates are heading next year.
Good luck to you all. You will be missed:
Good luck to you all. You will be missed:
Amherst College
|
Assumption College
|
Auburn University
|
Bentley University
|
Boston College (2)
|
Boston University (3)
|
Brandeis University
|
Bridgewater State
University (3)
|
Bryant University (3)
|
Bunker Hill Community
College (3)
|
Cape Cod Community College
|
Carnegie Mellon
University
|
Champlain College (2)
|
Coastal Carolina
University (6)
|
College of Charleston
|
College of the Holy
Cross
|
Curry College (5)
|
Dean College (3)
|
Emerson College
|
Fairfield University
(4)
|
Fisher College
|
Fitchburg State University
|
Framingham State
|
Hofstra University
|
Indiana University at
Bloomington
|
Johnson & Wales
University (Providence)
|
Keiser University-West
Palm Beach
|
Massachusetts Bay
Community College
|
Massachusetts College
of Liberal Arts
|
Massasoit (15)
|
MCPHS - Massachusetts
College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences (2)
|
Merrimack College (4)
|
Michigan State
University (2)
|
Neumont University
|
New York University
|
Nichols College (2)
|
Northeastern
University (4)
|
Paramedic School (2)
|
Plymouth State
University (2)
|
Pratt Institute
|
Princeton University
|
Providence College (4)
|
Purdue University
|
Quincy College
|
Quinnipiac University
(3)
|
Radford University
|
Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute (3)
|
Rochester Institute of
Technology
|
Roger Williams
University
|
Sacred Heart
University
|
Salve Regina
University (2)
|
Springfield College
|
St. John's University
- Queens Campus
|
Stonehill College (4)
|
Suffolk University (3)
|
Syracuse University
(3)
|
Technical College of
the Low Country
|
The University of
Alabama
|
The University of
Tampa (3)
|
Tufts University
|
Universal Technical
Institute
|
University of
Bridgeport
|
University of Central
Florida
|
University of Colorado
at Boulder
|
University of
Connecticut (2)
|
University of Delaware
(2)
|
University of Denver
|
University of Hartford
|
University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign
|
University of Maine
(3)
|
University of
Maryland, College Park (2)
|
University of
Massachusetts Boston (2)
|
University of
Massachusetts, Amherst (11)
|
University of
Massachusetts, Dartmouth (4)
|
University of
Massachusetts, Lowell (7)
|
University of Miami
|
University of New
Hampshire (9)
|
University of New
Haven (2)
|
University of Rhode
Island (2)
|
University of South
Carolina (5)
|
University of Tampa
US Air Force
|
US Marine Corps (2)
|
Western New England
University
|
Westfield State
University (6)
|
Yale University
*The number in parentheses reflects how many students will be attending that institution. |
Thursday, June 4, 2015
CHS Tennis Court Project Set to Begin Next Week
We are excited to see the CHS Tennis Court project begin next week. The contractors are now shooting to begin midweek due to some delays in other projects this week due to weather. The current courts will be offline throughout the summer, with a target date for completion set for Labor Day.
While the courts will be the focus of the work, the Lipton Playground, adjacent to the courts, will also be offline during the duration of the project. We have put up temporary fencing on the other side of the high school to provide a play space for our preschool and for Cole Harrington.
As you may remember, the School Department has sought to take on this project for many years. The funding was tough to come by and it was not until the Community Preservation Commission came into being here in Canton that we were able to move forward. Through district capital funds, money from the CPC and financial support from the Board of Selectmen, we were finally able to move forward with this project.
We are very excited to see this project begin and we know it will be a huge resource not only for the schools, but for the entire town.
While the courts will be the focus of the work, the Lipton Playground, adjacent to the courts, will also be offline during the duration of the project. We have put up temporary fencing on the other side of the high school to provide a play space for our preschool and for Cole Harrington.
As you may remember, the School Department has sought to take on this project for many years. The funding was tough to come by and it was not until the Community Preservation Commission came into being here in Canton that we were able to move forward. Through district capital funds, money from the CPC and financial support from the Board of Selectmen, we were finally able to move forward with this project.
We are very excited to see this project begin and we know it will be a huge resource not only for the schools, but for the entire town.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
2nd District Math Workshop a Huge Success!!
On Wednesday, May 27th, our elementary math specialists, Maryanna Biedermann, Susan Brass and Kerri Falzone, presented the second of three workshops for parents of Kindergarten, grades one and two students. This workshop was an even even bigger success than the first. In total, we have had approximately 85 parents attend the two workshops which have focused on "hands on" activities for assisting parents in working with their children on math homework and in increasing understanding of the math curriculum.
Comments about the workshop from parents in attendance included:
"I love that the district puts on these parent-learning nights to help get us up to speed. That is priceless and we really appreciate all your effort."
"I now know that my child is going to have exposure to a program that will increase his number sense and increase his flexibility."
"The math teachers gave me a better understanding of what to expect for my first grader."
"I now know how to use cubes to make "tens" and "ones" to help the kids visualize better. I also have a better understanding of how the kids learn how to read time."
"I now feel more confident in reviewing math skills with my child."
"I now have a better understanding of the overall math program."
"I am leaving with being able to talk the new language of basic math. THAT was helpful!"
"This evening was very helpful and insightful of how the children are being taught math in class so that parents can use the same strategies at home to reinforce and help with homework. I appreciate the teachers taking their time to teach us these strategies."
The third workshop will be held on Wednesday, June 10th from 6-8 PM in the JFK Cafeteria. Child care will be available.
Comments about the workshop from parents in attendance included:
"I love that the district puts on these parent-learning nights to help get us up to speed. That is priceless and we really appreciate all your effort."
"I now know that my child is going to have exposure to a program that will increase his number sense and increase his flexibility."
"The math teachers gave me a better understanding of what to expect for my first grader."
"I now know how to use cubes to make "tens" and "ones" to help the kids visualize better. I also have a better understanding of how the kids learn how to read time."
"I now feel more confident in reviewing math skills with my child."
"I now have a better understanding of the overall math program."
"I am leaving with being able to talk the new language of basic math. THAT was helpful!"
"This evening was very helpful and insightful of how the children are being taught math in class so that parents can use the same strategies at home to reinforce and help with homework. I appreciate the teachers taking their time to teach us these strategies."
The third workshop will be held on Wednesday, June 10th from 6-8 PM in the JFK Cafeteria. Child care will be available.
CHS Class of 2015 Graduation Friday Night, June 5th
Just wanted to remind everyone that the Class of 2015 will have their graduation ceremony on Friday evening at 6:00 PM. If weather obliges, the ceremony will take place outside on the turf at the CHS Memorial Field. If the ceremony has to be moved inside, it will take place in the CHS auditorium.
Certificate of Residency Forms For 5th & 8th Grade Families
It has come to our attention that the Residency Recertification letter we recently sent out to all of 5th and 8th grade parents did not include the Certification of Residency Form. We are sorry for any confusion.
We have sent an email to all fifth and eighth grade families with the proper form attached. In addition, here is a link to our the Certification of Residency Form that is posted on the district website
Please include this form when returning your documents.
Thank you!
Monday, June 1, 2015
Luce Students To Be Honored at Upcoming PawSox Game
Below is the list of students from the Dean S. Luce Elementary School who are being recognized by the Pawtucket Red Sox as the 2015 Incentive Winners. Recipients are recognized for completing the Reading Challenge during February vacation.
The students to be honored are:
The students to be honored are:
Kindergarten
Nora McLean
Grade 1
Justin Lesser
Charlotte O’Neill
Avish Kumar
Derek Pfingston
Maddison McCoy
Isabella Zagame
Maicey Greitzer
Grace Clarke
Mikaela Chin
Ava Deleconio
Matt Wright
Abigail Mulkern
Nissy Kahuha
Mira Fisher
Dillon Sheppard
Trevor Zack
Karen Wu
Bharat Ramanathan
Jonathan Dupiche
Jacob Smith
Aarna Kant
Zoya Gildenberg
Patrick Maguire
Gina Zollo
Grade 2
Micah Chen
Will Archibald
Kayla Walsh
Benjamin Wright
Francesca Luongo
Joseph Clarke
Ryan Garrett
Charles Gong-Harjula
Ava Berardi
Emma Cummings
Gabriella Jones
Ava Klidas
Daphne Golden
Annie McLean
Maxwell Eagles
Jack Neeser
Hannah King
Jayden Hinds
Katherine Ryan
Gaurav Gopakumar Nair
Naizaire Santos
Grade 3
Jada Prentice
Maksim Alves
John Flaherty
Grade 4
Leo Estrada
Felipe Sena
Ryan McLean
Laura Walsh
Jack Flaherty
Matty Lesser
Han Hong
Curtis Rosebrugh
Alex Smith
Akshay Kumar
Danny Smith
Carson Eagles
Grade 5
Hailey Lennon
Christopher Pho
Suraj Ramanathan
Upcoming CPACSS Meeting on June 10th
The next CPACSS meeting will take place next week on Wednesday, June 10th from 7-9 PM at the CHS Library.
This will be a Parent Networking Night/ business meeting. We hope you can attend and share what you would like to see for workshops next year and any concerns or suggestions you may have for us to talk about.
Hope to see you there.
This will be a Parent Networking Night/ business meeting. We hope you can attend and share what you would like to see for workshops next year and any concerns or suggestions you may have for us to talk about.
Hope to see you there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)