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Use the following link to download this newsletter in a PDF format: February 12, 2015 Newsletter

What a month it has been with record snowfall here in Massachusetts.  We are hearty New Englanders, but the weather of late has tested even the best of the best.  Although there is snow on our shoes and frost on our fingers, we are warmed by the recent Super bowl win by the Patriots—Congrats Pats!  If there was a Super bowl for snow, we would have won that.  Right about now we are all feeling a little bit like we are in the movie “Groundhog Day”, and unfortunately, the groundhog did see his shadow so there appears to be no shortcut to spring.  In spite of the weather (or maybe because of it?), have a wonderful February Recess, and here’s hoping when we return we are that much closer to seeing the shadow of spring flowers instead of groundhogs. On February 10 The Boston Globe had this reference to the snow; hope it makes you chuckle:

Quote of the Month:  “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.”
― Margaret Mead

SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Budget:

The February 11, 2015 School Committee meeting featured the presentation of the 2015-2016 Preliminary Budget.  The meeting was well attended by members of the community and Belmont Public School staff. The presentation outlined the challenges that the district is experiencing this year with the increasing enrollment and the current projected deficit.  As you will read in the budget presentation, the enrollment has increased by over 317 students in the last five years and it project to increase by another 408 in the next five years.  This would be a 10 year total of over 725 new students to the district.  Additionally, the presentation outlines the historic underfunding of the budget.  The Belmont Public Schools have experienced budget freezes and reduction in four of the last five fiscal years.  The last two years the school department operated in a deficit.

Please take the time to read through the Preliminary Budget Presentation slides, to stay informed. The budget scenarios range from supporting the Town of Belmont’s Financial Task Force Recommendation (supporting additional funding to all Town departments, including the schools) to an Available Revenue Budget that would result in a $1.7 million reduction in the schools budget for next year.  If the Available Revenue Budget is implemented, the resulting shortfall would have a dramatic impact on all students, K-12.

The next meeting on the budget will be a Joint Meeting with the School Committee and Board of Selectman (Tuesday, February 17 at 6:00 p.m. at Town Hall). We apologize for this meeting taking place during the vacation week but several dates were cancelled due to snow.

Please look at the BPS website for following documents:

• FY16 Budget Presentation
• Town of Belmont Financial Task Force Executive Summary Report
• Town of Belmont Financial Task Force Modeling Group Executive Summary Report

Snow – Cancellations – Roofs – Last Day of School:

I want to communicate my appreciation for the patience of our parents and staff as snow days are truly disruptive to the home life and our children’s education. However, due to the size and scope of recent storms, cancelling school was the only safe option. Let’s all hope that February vacation leads to better weather days when we return to school on Monday, February 23, 2015.  It is important for you to know that the School Department and the Facilities Department has checked the roofs of all of our schools.  These periodic visual inspections will continue while we work our way out of these extraordinary conditions.

As of today, the last day of school would be Tuesday, June 23, 2015.

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Belmont schools are in the second year of a three-year rollout of The Sheltered English Immersion course (SEI, one part of Massachusetts’ Rethinking Equity and Teaching for English Language Learners [RETELL] initiative) which is designed to provide core academic teachers with the skills needed to provide content-area instruction in English for students who are not yet proficient in the language. The initiative began in response to increased ELL enrollment in schools across the Commonwealth as well as a persistent gap in achievement and graduation rates between ELL and non-ELL students.  Here in Belmont we have seen the ELL population double.

The State’s goals are threefold as summarized from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) website:  1) Ensure teachers know the social and cultural issues which affect the educational experiences of ELL students; 2) raise teacher awareness of the specific roles of language in content-area subjects as well as increase teacher understanding of second language acquisition processes; 3) provide common teaching strategies to help ELL students improve their acquisition and use of academic language in the content-areas.

The majority of the teachers are in an intensive 45-hour course, while others have enough prior training to take a 30 or a 15 hour course.  This course is required for core academic teachers, and Massachusetts allows each district a certain number of spots each year, but has informed us they will let us know about how to proceed with training teachers beyond the three years.  All Belmont administrators who supervise these teachers have taken a version of the course as well, designed to familiarize the administrator with the practices our teachers are learning.

The vocabulary, reading, and writing strategies taught in the class benefit all students in the Belmont Public Schools because all of our students are academic language learners.  Belmont teachers report that the course is difficult but presents worthwhile material that is useful whenever they are teaching academic language, no matter who is in the room.  Our teachers have enthusiastically embraced this huge undertaking, and we thank them for their dedication and hard work.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

I appreciate the hard work of our DPW, Town, and School Department staff members who have cleared our streets, sidewalks, and school entrance ways for 48 hours through the snow storm Sunday into Monday and then into Tuesday so school could reopen on Wednesday.  

GOOD NEWS

• In the Global Leadership class at Belmont High School, students were learning about education systems around the world as well as some of the challenges many students face in receiving an education.  During the course of this unit, one country that that they focused on was Afghanistan.  To explore this topic in more depth, students participated in a video conference with an expert on education in Afghanistan, an Afghan student who until recently was attending school in Afghanistan, and three other U. S. schools.  The video conference was a big success as BHS students were able to share their educational experiences while learning about the different experiences of students from places like inner-city Chicago and Kabul, Afghanistan.
  
  
• The BHS Belmontian Club participated once again in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer High School Challenge and tried to include many facets of the community in its varied fundraising efforts-- drying cars at Belmont Car Wash and the walkers’ sponsors, the sale of a student-designed “Pink is the New Black” t-shirts, and “Pinkapalooza” (a day for students and staff to wear pink and win door prizes donated by merchants) and merchant promotions. The club even did a fundraiser (and “fun-raiser”) which culminated in all the Social Studies teachers sporting pink hair.  This year’s total is in, and the team, with the help of so many, raised $15,159, which is slightly more than last year’s team best!  All of the funds will go to the American Cancer Society breast cancer efforts in research, education, prevention, and patient care.
  
  
• How did Belmont High School students do at the WGBH High School Quiz Show?  Tune in Saturday, February 28 for the first airing.  Coach and Science teacher Stacy Williams says it’s really fun behind the scenes and to watch the actual taping of a game show.  She can’t give anything away right now, but she did say between takes the studio staff plays fun music, and the students can’t resist a little dance party— nor can she.  She says the students are humble and delightful people and brimming with knowledge. Congratulations so far, and good luck!
  
  
• Wellington Elementary School hosted the first “Gwen Irish Comfy Cozy Day for Cradles to Crayons”.  Gwen Irish, a former second grade Wellington teacher recently retired, came to the school and spent the entire day reading to the entire second grade while in her comfy-cozy clothes.  In honor of her, Wellington raised $726 and collected 25 pairs of new pajamas for Cradles to Crayons.  A great community service event for Wellington.

ATHLETICS

• E Forms will be available for the following:  Parent Permission form, MIAA Chemical Health form, Concussion Education form and the Seasonal Concussion History form.  These forms can now be submitted electronically.   Parents will use the same process that is currently used for submitting Student Update Forms.  How it works is simple, you will receive an email on a pre-scheduled date around the second week in February for Spring Sports; on or around the first week in June for Fall Sports and on or around the second week in November for Winter Sports from belmontschools@belmont.k12.ma.us with a link to the forms.  You will receive a separate email for each of your children that attend BHS.  The email is sent to one email address per household to avoid multiple submissions.  Complete the E Form and submit.  As a bonus you will be able to see what forms you have submitted.
  
  Please note that there is NO E FORM for the required pre participation physical.
  
  A hard copy of the required pre-participation physical will still need to be submitted to the school nurse as has been done in the past.

• Below are dates of interest and Tournament qualifiers from Athletics.

Friday, 2/13 4:30 p.m. Boys/Girls Indoor Track MIAA Div 3 Championship Meet @ Reggie Lewis

Saturday, 2/14 8:30 a.m. Boys Wrestling MIAA Metro Sectional Tournament @ Reading

Sunday, 2/15 8:15 a.m. Boys Swim MIAA Div II State Meet @MIT

Saturday, 2/21 9:30 a.m. Boys/Girls Indoor Track MIAA All State Meet @ Reggie Lewis

Tuesday, 2/24 9:30 a.m. Boys/Girls Skiing MIAA Alpine Championship @Wachusett

Thursday, 2/12 @2:40, BHS Spring Sports Sign-Up

Wednesday, 3/11 @6:30 p.m. BHS Auditorium Winter Athletic Awards Night
 
Tournament Qualifiers for Post-Season Play at This Time:

Boys Swim
Boys Wrestling
Girls Ice Hockey
Girls/Boys Basketball
Girls/Boys Track

SAVE THE DATE

• The Foundation for Belmont Education (FBE) is holding their Annual Spring Dinner & Auction held on March 21.  The theme for this year is “Mad for Education”.  The event raises funds to support all six Belmont public schools, and brings the community together for an evening of food, conversation, dancing, and terrific auction items. 
  
  
• Brass and wind players from Belmont High School are participating in a concert with the musical group “Positive Energy”.  The concert, brought to you by Parents of Music Students (POMS) is called “My Generation:  A Belmont Musical Collaboration”.  The event is a fundraiser for the Belmont Public Schools K-12 music program.  See the POMS website for more information about the event and how to get tickets.

CALENDAR

Below are events for February 13 through the beginning of March.  Events can be subject to cancellation due to inclement weather, etc., so please check in advance to confirm the event is happening: