Sudbury Public Schools News Feed

1. Notice: Sudbury School Committee Negotiation Subcommittee Meetings
   The Sudbury School Committee Negotiations Subcommittee Meetings
2. FY 13 Modified Roll-Up Budget Presentation to FinCom 2 09 12

   The following FY 2013 Budget presentation was made to FinCom on February 9, 2012.

    FY 13 Modified Roll-Up Budget Presentation to FinCom 2 09 12

3. Meeting Notice for Thursday, February 16, 2012
   Meeting Notice for Thursday, February 16, 2012
4. School Committee Agenda for February 15, 2012
   School Committee Agenda for February 15, 2012
5. School Committee Meeting Update, February 1, 2012
   On February 1, the Sudbury School Committee held a regularly scheduled meeting.  The main topics of discussion were the following:

   1) Welcome to Todd Curtis, Assistant Superintendent

   2) Special Education Update

   3) Discussion and Vote on FY13 Calendar

   4) Preschool Parent Coffees

   5) Donation

   WELCOME TO TODD CURTIS, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT

   Dr. Wilson introduced Mr. Todd Curtis as the new Assistant Superintendent for Sudbury Public Schools (SPS).  He will join the school district on July 1, 2012.  Mr. Curtis currently serves as Principal at the Floral Street School in Shrewsbury , a position he has held since 2006.  Prior to his work in Shrewsbury , Todd worked as Acting Principal in Hopkinton and as a Special Education Teacher in Brookline .  During his time in Shrewsbury , Mr. Curtis has led the District’s development of a comprehensive Program Review process and the development of a district emergency response manual.  He also has implemented job-embedded professional development, including Learning Walks and instructional coaching, and led the adoption of data-based decision making, including school-based growth models, data analysis, and student work review, at Floral Street Elementary.   In addition to his school district experience, Todd has served as an Adjunct Professor at Lesley University and as a Mental Health Counselor at Cambridge Health Alliance.

   Mr. Curtis is in the final stage of his doctoral work at Boston College , and he will defend his dissertation in March 2012.  He holds a Master of Education degree with an emphasis in Special Education from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colby College .  The School Committee voted in favor of approving the hire of Mr. Curtis as the Assistant Superintendent and welcomed him to the District.

   SPECIAL EDUCATION UPDATE

   Special Education Director Debbie Dixson provided an update that focused on District goals, statistics related to Special Education in Sudbury Public Schools, programs and services that are offered in the District, staffing, expenses, and challenges in meeting the needs of students as well as State law and regulations.

   The goals of SPS Special Education include:

   • teaching students with disabilities to become self-sufficient, self-reliant, independent learners who can advocate for themselves;
   • teaching skills in the areas impacted by disability through specialized instruction;
   • teaching strategies to empower each child and allow him/her to compensate for the disability;
   • promoting independence and high achievement; and
   • providing a safe and inclusive environment which is accepting of all students.

   Special Education is designed to meet the unique needs of an eligible student so that he/she can access and make progress within the general curriculum.  SPS must provide each eligible student a free and appropriate public education (FAPE).  Services for students with disabilities are documented in an Individualized Education Program (IEP).  Oftentimes, the students will receive the necessary services within the District; sometimes an Out-Of-District placement is required.

   In SPS, 427 students receive services through IEP’s.  This includes pre-school students as well as students who are currently placed out-of-district and represents 13.9% of the total SPS student population (the state average for students classified as having special needs is 17%).  Some of the children included in this count are not yet in preschool, as the District is responsible for what is considered educational needs from the time that a child is three years old.  At present, the number of students receiving services through IEPs is somewhat lower than in years past, but the Out-Of-District placements are at an all-time high.  For FY12, SPS currently expects to spend almost $475,000 more in Out-of-District tuitions than originally planned due to higher than expected Out-Of-District placements that occurred since the FY12 budget was adopted last Spring.  Some of this shortfall is offset by an increase of $100,000 in Circuit Breaker (the partial funding from the State to mitigate Special Education expenses) and a $200,000 prepayment by the District for the Concord Area Special Education (CASE) Collaborative.  CASE is a regionally-based organization that provides its member school districts with special education services.

   The District provides a continuum of Special Education services.  Each of the elementary schools and Curtis Middle School administer relevant programs and services that address a variety of disabilities.  Some of these disabilities include autism, developmental delays, sensory (vision and/or hearing) loss, neurological disorders, and disabilities related to communication as well as emotional and overall health.

   In recent years, SPS addressed growing student needs by creating new programs, expanding programs, and increasing the number of Special Education teachers.  In order to work within budgetary constraints, the number of Special Education assistants was reduced.  The Special Education budget includes $7.4M in Special Education expenses and salaries.  Whenever possible, SPS houses Special Education programs within the District, thus avoiding the cost of potential additional out-of-district placements.

   DISCUSSION AND VOTE ON FY13 CALENDAR

   During the January 18 School Committee Meeting, a preliminary calendar for the FY13 school year was presented with a start date of August 28, 2012 for students in Grades K-8.  Subsequent to the January 18 meeting, the School Committee received a number of emails from parents requesting a post-Labor Day start date.

   Historically, the School Committee has determined the start date for the school year based on where Labor Day falls on the calendar and with the aim of aligning the SPS and Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School (LS) calendars.  The Committee frequently receives input from parents who have children in both SPS and LS asking the Committee to align the SPS calendar with that of the high school.  The Committee appreciates all input, which assists us in understanding the needs of the community.

   Labor Day falls on September 3 this year.  The FY13 calendar for LS has a pre-Labor Day start date, with August 28 designated for Freshmen Orientation.  All other LS students will begin on August 29.  School Committee Chairman Jeff Beeler explained that in his conversations with LS School Committee Chair Nancy Marshall, he learned that LS has a number of high school specific reasons for beginning next school year before Labor Day.  In addition to these factors, he was advised that LS was concerned that if they do not begin during that last week of August, there would be a late end to the school year (with five snow days), potentially affecting exams.

   The Committee discussed the various concerns about the pre-Labor Day and post-Labor Day start dates, including the factor that SPS could end as late as June 27 with a post-Labor Day start.  Superintendent Dr. Anne Wilson assured the Committee that there is essentially no educational advantage or disadvantage to beginning the school year before or after Labor Day.  The Committee briefly discussed the additional transportation cost that would be incurred if the school busses (which are shared between SPS and LS) are required to accommodate different calendars.  After consideration of all the factors mentioned, as well as input from parents for and against aligning the calendar with that of LS, the Committee approved a start date of August 28, 2012.  With this calendar, the 180^th day of the school year would be June 17, 2013 and the 185^th day would be June 24, 2013 (which includes 5 snow days).

   PRESCHOOL PARENT COFFEES

   On March 14, the School Committee, Dr. Wilson, and Early Childhood Director Linda Karpeichik will hold two coffees for parents of preschoolers.  The coffees will be held at 9:30AM in the Grange on Concord Road and again at 7:00PM in the Curtis Middle School Library on Pratts Mill Road .  Invitations for parents and guardians will be mailed to the preschool directors within the next couple of weeks, and a reminder will be included in Sudbury Patch and in the Sudbury Town Crier closer to the date.  This is the second set of coffees offered specifically for preschool parents who have an interest in learning more about and becoming involved in the school district.  The topics will include a discussion about the FY13 SPS budget and the status of Half-Day and Full-Day Kindergarten for next school year.

   DONATION

   Dr. Wilson and the School Committee wish to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation to Promethean which donated 10 ActivSlates (wireless, notebook-sized tablets that interact with the ActivBoard) and 1 ActivArena (dual pens that allow two users to simultaneously interact with the ActivBoard).  This technology equipment will be used in the classrooms of teachers who participated in a recent study by Promethean to ascertain how Activ technology is being used in SPS classrooms.

   Please contact us with your questions, concerns and comments at school-committee@sudbury.k12.ma.us.  You can also find this update and other important information on the SPS website.  To access updates from the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee, visit the LSRHS website.

   Respectfully submitted,

   The Sudbury School Committee

   
   
6. 2012-13 Kindergarten Registration Update

   To date, the Sudbury Public Schools have received 229 kindergarten registrations for the 2012-
   13 school year. This year’s kindergarten enrollment is 260. Given current numbers and a desire
   to keep students in home districts, lotteries were held for the Haynes, Nixon and Noyes Schools
   on February 6th. As a result, some students have been placed on FDK waitlists and enrolled in HDK.

   Please know we will continue to closely monitor enrollment numbers across the district
   and assess the need for additional classrooms and locations.
   
   Letters with classroom assignments will be mailed to parents prior to February vacation.
   FDK contracts will be included and must be returned by March 1, 2012 with the first of ten
   payments to secure a student’s FDK assignment. Beginning March 2nd, students will be moved
   from the waitlist to unsecured FDK slots.
   
   Half-Day Kindergarten assignments will be AM session only with NO flip-flop midyear.
   
      Kindergarten Programs 2012-13
      Haynes      2 FDK      1 HDK
      Loring        3 FDK      0 HDK
      Nixon         1 FDK      1 HDK
      Noyes        3 FDK      1 HDK

7. Meeting Notice for February 8, 2012
   Meeting Notice for February 8, 2012
8. Meeting Notice for February 6, 2012
   Meeting Notice for February 6, 2012
9. School Committee Meeting Agenda
   School Committee Meeting Agenda for February 1, 2012
10. School Committee Meeting Update, January 18, 2012
    On January 18, the Sudbury School Committee held a regularly scheduled meeting at Ephraim Curtis Middle School .  The main topics of discussion were the following:

    1) State of Curtis Middle School

    2) Completion of Noyes Green Repair Project – Under Budget

    3) Vote on Submission to MSBA of Statement of Interest for Nixon Roof Repair Project

    4) Discussion of FY13 Calendar

    5) Approval of Shared Facilities Department/Manager

    6) Donations

    7) New Assistant Superintendent

    STATE OF CURTIS MIDDLE SCHOOL

    Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) Co-Chairs, Christina Granahan, Marybeth Madigan, and Carrie Lucchese, presented the highlights of the PTO’s work, including coordinating and leading family events and school-based programs, as well as funding educational enrichment programs for students and technology equipment for the school.  One of the challenges mentioned by the Co-Chairs (which was also presented as a concern by other PTO Co-Chairs in the District) is a difficulty in engaging volunteers.  The Co-Chairs also discussed a concern that the Curtis PTO has shifted its focus from being an organization of volunteers to one that has accepted a greater role in fundraising.  The Co-Chairs thanked the volunteers who dedicate time and/or money to support the PTO’s efforts.  The School Committee thanked the PTO for its considerable support and donations.

    Principal Stephen Lambert was joined by House Administrators, Peter Fardig (8^th Grade), Elizabeth Greer (7^th Grade), and Angela Menke (6^th Grade) to present the State of the School.  The presentation focused on academic and cultural achievements as well as challenges for the school.  The current enrollment of 1074 students is expected to remain the same for next school year; however, Principal Lambert expressed a potential need for an additional homeroom to address large class sizes.  The Curtis administration has established a scheduling committee that is working with consultants from IMG/iPASS (the student information system in Sudbury Public Schools) to consider changes to the way in which courses are scheduled as a first step in addressing the large class sizes.  The committee will also explore potential enhancements to course offerings and to the structure of the school day.

    2011 MCAS results for Curtis included the following achievements.  These comparisons are based on the results for 351 school districts.  In the grouping of Proficient/Advanced, Curtis ranked:

                  ·         13^th in the State for 8^th Grade Math

    ·         19^th in the State for 6^th Grade Math

    ·         23^rd in the State for 7^th Grade Math

    ·         28^th in the State for 6^th Grade English Language Arts

    The school improvement plan for this year includes initiatives to meet and exceed educational goals for all learners in Grades 6-8.  Efforts to support student performance include:

    • continued focus on closing the gap, as measured by MCAS, between the aggregate and the grouping of students with disabilities;
    • expanded opportunities with additional materials for students with language learning disabilities;
    • flexible groupings of students for Math instruction in Grade 6;
    • professional development that focuses on the use of the Universal Design for Learning, which provides a framework for designing curricula;
    • implementing the GRADE assessment that will provide additional data relative to student learning;
    • working with assessment data available through MCAS and GRADE to better understand each student’s needs.

    The House Administrators discussed the initiatives at Curtis that support a culture of connectedness and community.

    ·   Continued work on school connectedness ensures that each student has at least one adult with whom they feel comfortable.

    ·    In similar fashion to all of the schools in the District, Curtis          developed a rubric that provides students with a common understanding of behavior norms.  Consultant Stan Davis made a request to use this rubric as a model for other school districts.

    ·    Positive Actions Within our Schools (PAWS) gives students an opportunity to recognize each other for thoughtful and kind actions.

    ·   Certain efforts focus on building a culture where kids want to do the right thing even when no one is looking and building a community of collaboration among staff members.

    In the Fall, the results of the Metrowest Adolescent Health Survey, which was taken by students during the previous school year, were released.  This survey asked students to respond to questions related to school connectedness, substance use and prevention, stress management, and bullying prevention and school climate.  As a next step to gaining a better understanding of the stressors for 8^th Graders, one 8^th Grade Team developed and completed an additional survey.  Following are some of the results:

                - 78% of the students reported homework as the biggest source of                       stress;

    - 49% of the students reported having extracurricular activities 4 to 5    days/week and spending two hours on each of these days in these  activities;

    - 42% of the students report doing three or more hours of homework  per night;

    - 54% of the students reported going to sleep at 11:30PM or later.

    This year, the Curtis administration instituted several homework holidays each trimester to ensure students have a break from homework and families have opportunities to spend more time together.

    Principal Lambert spoke about the many opportunities at Curtis for students to participate in activities outside of the regular school day, including sports, clubs and the Curtis play.  He also acknowledged students who recently participated in academic and community-based challenges, including the winners of the Geography Bee, recipients of Citizenship Awards, and the student selected as Sudbury ’s representative to Project 351 (the Governor’s community service program that recognizes student leaders across the State).  Mr. Lambert also recognized 6^th Grade teacher, Barbara Ryan, who received the Bev Hollis Award, which is presented to a teacher, who is nominated by his/her peers, for exemplary work and dedication to the profession.

    During this State of the School presentation, a special acknowledgement was made to thank Mr. Paul Lamoureaux, who teaches ballroom dancing as an extracurricular activity to 6^th Graders.  Mr. Lamoureaux donated outdoor lights to the school to provide additional safety for students as they arrive and depart from the dance classes.

    COMPLETION OF NOYES GREEEN REPAIR PROJECT – UNDER BUDGET

    School Committee Chairman Jeff Beeler and Permanent Building Committee (PBC) Co-Chairman Mike Melnick reported on the completion of the Noyes Green Repair Project.  This project was approved at a special Town Meeting in 2011 with a total budget of $2.6 Million.  The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) approved a reimbursement of 35.42% of the approved eligible costs.  The reimbursement amounted to $733,677.

    As a result of the timely submittal of documentation to the MSBA, going out to bid quickly to obtain the best possible pricing from vendors, and the diligence of Mr. Melnick in managing the project, the Noyes roof, boilers and windows were successfully replaced within 11 months from Town Meeting approval.  Delays in window manufacturing required the continuation of the window installation after the school year began.  The Noyes staff worked closely with Mr. Melnick to schedule the work for individual classrooms while students were not in those rooms.

    The final cost of the project totaled $2,309,358, which is $290,642 under budget.  Adding to this the above-mentioned reimbursement from the MSBA (of $733,677) and an incentive from National Grid (of $31,524), the Town saved $1,055,843, roughly 41% of the initial total projection of $2,600,000.  Consequently, the total cost of the project to Sudbury is $1,544,157.

    The School Committee thanked Mr. Melnick for his outstanding work on the project, which included managing through manufacturing and weather-related delays and working closely with District staff throughout the installation of the roof, boilers, and windows.

    VOTE ON SUBMISSION OF SOI TO MSBA FOR NIXON ROOF REPAIR

    During the meeting, the School Committee voted unanimously to authorize Superintendent Dr. Anne Wilson and Chairman Jeff Beeler to execute a Statement of Interest (SOI) (and any other necessary documentation) to the MSBA for the repair/replacement of the Nixon School roof.  Mr. Melnick, Co-Chairman of the Permanent Building Committee, recently notified the School Committee of the need to submit a SOI to request partial funding by MSBA for this project.  The SOI submission required emergency meetings by the School Committee and the Board of Selectmen on January 11.

    The Nixon roof has been a high priority (for a number of years) on the list of capital improvements that SPS has submitted to the Capital Improvement Planning Committee.  It is also the next school project in line on a town-wide roofing survey commissioned by the PBC a couple of years ago.  One portion of the roof is failing (causing leaks) and lacks sufficient insulation.  This area will need to be replaced.  Other areas over classrooms and the gymnasium require repairs.

    More information regarding this potential project will be forthcoming in future School Committee meetings.

    DISCUSSION OF FY13 CALENDAR

    Dr. Wilson presented a preliminary calendar for the FY13 school year.  At present, the tentative calendar has a start date of August 28, 2012 for students in Grades K-8.  The 180^th day of the school year is June 14, 2013 and the 185^th day is June 21, 2013 (which includes 5 snow days).

    Customarily, SPS and Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School (LS) coordinate calendars in order to synchronize start and end dates.  SPS will finalize its calendar after receipt of LS’s calendar and a vote by the LS School Committee.  Further information will be forthcoming.

    APPROVAL OF SHARED FACILITIES DEPARTMENT/MANAGER

    During the Town Meeting in 2011, the position of a Shared Facilities Manager between the Town and Sudbury Public Schools was approved by a vote of the Town.  Through the efforts of Vice Chair, Susan Iuliano, and Town staff, including Town Manager Maureen Valente, a Memorandum of Agreement for a Shared Facilities Department/Manager has been created.  Chairman, Jeff Beeler, thanked Ms. Iuliano for her extensive and effective efforts in bringing this process to fruition.

    The School Committee voted unanimously to approve and enter into the Memorandum of Agreement for the Shared Facilities Department/Manager.  Earlier in the week, the Board of Selectmen also voted unanimously to approve and enter into the Memorandum of Agreement with Sudbury Public Schools.

    DONATIONS

    Dr. Wilson and the School Committee extend our sincere gratitude to the Haynes Organization of Parents for its donation of 13 MacBooks to complete the 3^rd Grade Laptop Cart and the installation of an LCD projector in the Haynes auditorium.

    The Committee and Dr. Wilson also express our appreciation to the families of Loring’s 5^th Grade class taught by Brad Jones, who donated an Amazon Kindle with a case and power cords and $100 of Amazon gift cards, to be used by the current and future students in Mr. Jones’ classroom.

    NEW ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT

    Dr. Wilson announced her recommendation of Mr. Todd Curtis as the new Assistant Superintendent for SPS, effective July 1, 2012.  Mr. Curtis currently serves as Principal at the Floral Street School in Shrewsbury , a position he has held since 2006.  Prior to his work in Shrewsbury , Todd worked as Acting Principal in Hopkinton and as a Special Education Teacher in Brookline. 

    During his time in Shrewsbury , Mr. Curtis has led the District’s development of a comprehensive Program Review process and the development of a district emergency response manual.  He also has implemented job-embedded professional development, including Learning Walks and instructional coaching and led the adoption of data-based decision making, including school-based growth models, data analysis, and student work review, at Floral Street Elementary.   In addition to his school district experience, Todd has served as an Adjunct Professor at Lesley University and as a Mental Health Counselor at Cambridge Health Alliance.

    Mr. Curtis is in the final stage of his doctoral work at Boston College , and he will defend his dissertation in March 2012.  He holds a Master of Education degree with an emphasis in Special Education from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colby College .  Mr. Curtis will meet with the School Committee at the February 1, 2012 meeting.

    Please contact us with your questions, concerns and comments at school-committee@sudbury.k12.ma.us.  You can also find this update and other important information on the SPS website.  To access updates from the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee, visit the LSRHS website.

    Respectfully submitted,

    The Sudbury School Committee