141 Davis Street, Greenfield, MA 01301, 413.772.1300 (voice), 413.774.7940 (fax)

Superintendent's Journal
Year 4: 2011-2012

Week beginning February 1, 2012
(Introduction to the Superintendent Journal)

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Thursday, February 2, 2012: Enrolling—All Schools & Math & Science Academy; An Uplifting Story; Reaching Out to Parents; February Camp; ELT—Funding

Last week I wrote about a prom clothing competition making clothes from duct tape. It's terribly clever. Here are 7900 examples of duct tape prom gowns!

Enrolling—All Schools
It's that time--time to register for kindergarten. Time to register for all schools for mid-year transfers and next September. Let us know you will be joining us for next year. And we are holding information sessions for the Math & Science Academy and soon will be inviting parents in for kindergarten registration.

The Math & Science Academy is accepting students now for 2012-2013, grade 6 primarily but a few grade 7. It's a two-year program so starting in grade 6 is best. Two-year curriculum program means the coursework for one-year (for example, physics) is spread out over a 20-month (two school year) sequence. Interested? Information sessions will be at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 9th, and Tuesday, February 14th. Yes, students from other school districts are welcome. Info sessions will be at the Four Corners School.

Enrollment forms to enroll in all Greenfield schools and academies are on the GPS website.

An Uplifting Story
We started a museum series at GHS this year. There are three goals:

1. help our students know about and explore small cities that surround Greenfield,
2. encourage our students to visit college campuses in the area,
3. enrich our students by having learning experiences at area museums.

Mary Link works with me to develop certain new programs and projects. She was explaining today's trip to the Smith College museum and botanical gardens. Sounds like the students first toured the three-floor art museum, then toured the botonical gardens, and at the end asked if they could go back to the art museum before they left. Smith students gave the tour after museum staff explained how to learn from museum exhibits. Sounds fantastic and we make sure the museum enrichment trips are free--like in the old days.

Sometimes I feel very good about programs we have instituted for our students—museum trips with no cost and any student in our high school can sign up. So far students have visited museums in Brattleboro, VT; Amherst; and Northampton. College campus familiarity is part of the mix. The docket will include Keene, NH, and other nearby locations with a unique collection or exhibit. What a great opportunity. Once you visit a museum you always know it is there to visit again.

Reaching Out To Parents
We reach, perhaps, 50% of parents through newspapers and phoning. Our all-call system doesn't connect to parents if the phone is in use, if the phone number is changed, or if someone other than the parent takes the call, etc. Not everyone has email and the addresses are always changing (phone numbers, also).

So if we want one message to reach every parent, we send cards in the mail. Mailing also helps us know who has moved, which helps sort out payments to or from our school district. Soon notes will be going home about the Film Festival and grade transitions. If we save $5,000 because we uncover a tuition error with a $200 mailing, it's well worth the mailing. And most important, we know our message reaches every parent.

February Camp—Something New
We have talked about creating some options during February vacation. We are just trying this out and the first February program organized (thanks to teachers) is for selected students in grades 4 and 5 who attend the grade 4/5 program at GMS. The plan is for 40 children to have a 4-day enrichment program studying math, reading/writing, and science. The culminating project(s) will be making a film for the film festival. How can all of this happen in 4 days? I have no idea but it's worth a try and I have confidence our teachers will have this all worked out..

I'm hoping we can organize something for GHS students who want to submit films to the film festival. We shall see. February vacation is fast approaching so perhaps there isn't enough time for more than one Feb Camp program this year. There's so much organizing for every little event, particularly new ones.

ELT—Support for Future Funding
Greenfield has done well with its Expanded Learning Time grant—an $800,000 grant that brings all types of additional support and enrichment to K-7 students at Newton Elementary School and Greenfield Middle School.

The grant requirements control how the extra minutes are used, how money is used, and how achievement is championed. Professional staff have monthly leadership seminars and several consulting groups work with each school's teachers and administrators. This grant program expands the learning time of the school year. Greenfield has chosen to add the minutes by extending school days by 90 minutes. The "expanded time" requirement could also be met by adding days to the 180-day school year. Most funding is used for teachers' over-contract hours, off-schedule busing, and enrichment for students. Every year the program is revised a little and the grant is resubmitted for approval.

Greenfield's schools have done well under the ELT program, although it is not easy to coordinate. In fact, this is one of the most confusing grants to implement I've ever known (principals agree). I spent four hours on this grant, just this week, working with our principals and business office. Test scores at both schools have shown enough improvement that both Newton and GMS have been recognized for achievement gains.

With grants, continued funding is always a question. Note today's bulletin.

Governor's Budget Increases Funding for MA ELT Initiative

In his FY13 budget, Governor Deval Patrick increased funding for the MA Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Initiative by $1 million to nearly $14.9 million. This funding is a strong signal of the Patrick Administration's remarkable commitment to ensuring that the Commonwealth's students…have the time they need for success in college, careers, and beyond. 

The Massachusetts ELT Initiative is a national leader in expanding learning time to close both achievement and opportunity gaps for students across the Commonwealth.

Of course, this is the beginning of the budget process but it's important that the Governor wants to expand this program.

Page last updated: February 3, 2012

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