By MACKENZIE ISSLER Recorder Staff
[ Originally published on: Saturday, February 28, 2009 ]
GREENFIELD -- The Greenfield Middle School was filled to the brim on Thursday night as people came out to take in the artwork and musical talents of its students.
''I think it is important to show how much progress we did over this year,'' said fifth-grade student A.M..
A. and her classmates displayed their artwork in their classroom and were able to pick out their favorite projects from the year to show off for the one night.
A.C., also a fifth-grade student, carted her mother around during the show and said ''it was fun to come and show my mom my work.''
The hallways of the three-floored school were plastered with artwork, from poems to creative posters, and inside each classroom was a different exhibit. Some students were even playing instruments. Lockers were turned into display cases where artwork was positioned for passers-by to see.
''I felt kind of happy to show what I've done in the past couple months,'' said S.K., fifth-grade student.
D.E. echoed his classmate.
''I was happy to show off my work because I worked very hard,'' said D. ''It was a big night for the whole school.''
School budget unveiled:
Seeks increase of 0.25 percent for Greenfield
By CHASE SCHEINBAUM Recorder Staff
Published: Monday, February 16, 2009
GREENFIELD -- School administrators have announced a proposed $14 million budget for next school year, just a shade over level-funding from this year.
The difference between the 2008-2009 Greenfield School District budget and the proposed budget for next fiscal year is $37,872, a 0.25 percent increase.
The proposal was announced at a public meeting Saturday at Greenfield High School.
Mayor Christine Forgey confirmed to School Committee members that the school system's general fund appropriation was $14,639,800 plus $250,000 to cover high school elective programs.
The proposed budget for the next school year is $14,927,672.
The budget includes reopening Four Corners School, which was closed because of this year's budget cuts.
Reopening the shuttered elementary school is contingent on renovations to increase energy efficiency, which would be paid for by town money. The school would house elementary and middle school classes.
The Four Corners gymnasium would be heated just two or three days a week and reduced heat for the remainder of the week.
In all, the mayor is proposing $500,000 to $1 million worth of facility upgrades for the school, which she said will help minimize operating expenses.
Forgey recommended that the School Committee budget a maximum of $14.8 million from their general appropriation fund.
Greenfield has a $1.5 million city funding deficit, she told the committee, but she pledged not to cut school funding.
Interim Superintendent Susan D. Hollins said the biggest needs in the district were coordinating curriculum across the district, expanding course opportunities and streamlining business operations.
Among 28 stated goals to improve district schools next year, administrators proposed expanding virtual courses and summer programs, hiring a guidance counselor for Greenfield Middle School and hiring an additional business department employee.
Most of the 28 initiatives are already, or could be, funded by grant money, Hollins said.
No salary increases were included in the proposed budget.
Dalton Athey, School Committee chairman, said the proposal was ''far more comprehensive and complete (than in the past.) Ultimately it will lead to more informed decisions.''
By MACKENZIE ISSLER Recorder Staff
Published: Saturday, February 07, 2009
GREENFIELD -- Fifty used computers have been donated to the Greenfield School Department by an anonymous donor.
Michael Phillips, co-founder of a school support group called Changegreenfield.com, said it facilitated the contribution and that Windows XP Pro operating systems were also donated by the anonymous donor.
After hearing about the donation, Greenfield Savings Bank stepped forward to contribute hard drives for the donated Dell systems, which came with keyboards but without drives, monitors or mice.
''When we heard of the tremendous donation being made to our schools, we knew it was something we could get behind and feel strongly about doing what we can to support the cornerstone of our community,'' said bank President Becky Caplice.
Donations of monitors and mice are still needed.
The computer systems were delivered to the Greenfield Middle School on Tuesday for distribution throughout the schools.
Phillips was joined by Pam Kinsmith, co-founder of ChangeGreenfield, town resident Jill Cooney and Becky George of the Greenfield Business Association to unload the technology.
''The more people that work together and get creative about our local resources, the better the outcome will be for everyone,'' said George.
Since the delivery, Al Woodhull, the schools' network administrator, has been working at the middle school inventorying the computers, fixing them up and making sure they are all working.
The schools recently began an online program, First in Math, where every elementary student has access to math games and instruction appropriate to their grade level. A computer is needed to use this program.
ChangeGreenfield is working with the school's technology team to gather volunteers from the community to install the new hard drives and get the systems fully functional by March 1.
''In the best of worlds, our schools would have new, state-of-the-art computer systems,'' said Phillips.
''But the reality is that when times are tough, we can still provide exemplary opportunities for our students if we get creative with what we've got. And in Greenfield, one thing we've got is a community that cares,'' he said.
Anyone who has working monitors or mice they want to donate should contact Phillips at (413) 218-3914 or mike@changegreenfield.com.
By ANITA FRITZ Recorder Staff
Published: Friday, December 05, 2008
GREENFIELD -- More than a dozen Greenfield High School students have joined local artists in displaying their art in the windows of businesses along Main, Federal and Miles streets as part of Greenfield Business Association's ''Home for the Holidays'' celebration.
The Artists Window Exhibition, which will be on display until after the first of the year, will host an AWE Art Stroll Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Pushkin Gallery, 2 Federal St. The ''Home for the Holidays'' event runs today through Sunday.
Kayla Penfield, 18, and Marina Pirozhkov, 16, are thrilled their art is hanging in the window of Simon's Stamps, a Main Street business in their hometown.
''I love to draw,'' said Penfield, a senior at the high school who did an acrylic painting of a sunflower. ''I find it so interesting. I've always loved art and what could be better than having your art displayed in your hometown for everyone to see. It's so cool.''
Pirozhkov concurred.
''I've always been interested in art and love to draw,'' said Pirozhkov, a sophomore who did a colored pencil drawing and watercolor painting of a large swan. ''It's so cool to walk by the window and see my drawing hanging here.''
Diane Clancy and Susan Elkins, local artists whose art also hangs at Simon's Stamps and organizers of the exhibit and art stroll, said it is the third year the Artists of Franklin County have participated in downtown events.
''This is one of our biggest projects and this year we decided to include the younger artists of our town,'' said Clancy. ''We wanted to show support to our local high school and there are some pretty good artists there.''
Elkins said another reason for doing the exhibit is to beautify the downtown while supporting local businesses, artists and the town.
''We want to be part of the local economic engine and foster a creative economy in Greenfield,'' said Clancy.
''It's also very nice for all of our artists to take such pride and receive this kind of recognition,'' said Elkins.
Fourteen area artists, 18 teen artists from the high school and 14 stores are participating. Self-guided tours will begin at the Pushkin on Saturday and Sunday and fliers will be distributed to guide them.
An Arts and Crafts Fair, featuring local artists, will be held at the Pushkin Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. Refreshments will be available and arts and crafts will include pottery, paintings, ceramics, photographs, digital art, handmade clothing and jewelry.
Other students' and local artists' art hangs at the following locations:
By MACKENZIE ISSLER Recorder Staff
[Originally published on: Friday, November 21, 2008]
GREENFIELD -- While town councilors may have decided to give the public schools an additional $250,000 to restore positions and electives at the high school this year, they've done so with a wary eye toward next year.
Councilors this week cautioned the school department can't rely on a similar one-time infusion of cash next year, and it needs to start thinking now how to generate more money or live without the positions the $250,000 will restore.
Town Councilor Christopher Joseph said Thursday the schools need to start figuring out how to generate revenue for next year 'when we know we won't have the money' and that he has 'great and serious concerns for 2010.'
Mayor Christine Forgey said that she considers the $14.6 million the town initially allocated this year and the additional midyear allocation of $450,000 from the state and town as the base level for next year's budget.
Joseph said it is highly unlikely that $15.2 million will be available next year 'without cutting other departments' budgets.'
He said he feels next year is going to be worse than this year -- and with raises and a possible decrease in state aid that councilors are being cautious about the future.
'The problem is that the state side of that equation is going to be down,' he said, because state school aid is based on the enrollment from the year before and that this year the schools are down 230 students.
With budget discussions around the corner, Joseph said it would be irresponsible to budget anything more than 3 percent over this year's original budget.
The Town Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve the mayor's supplemental budget, which shifts money to other areas of the budget, with the largest chunk going to the public schools.
The surplus is coming from $600,000 in employee health insurance savings, primarily accumulated after the massive layoffs in the school department in June.
Interim Superintendent Susan D. Hollins said Thursday the schools will be establishing a development office and it will help structure community giving to the schools.
The school department is also looking at ways other agencies and organizations might partner with the schools, she said. The Academy of Early Learning preschool currently is partnering with the YMCA, for example.
Additionally, the school department is having discussions about how it can share programs with others. The Greenfield and Gill-Montague School Committees met on Nov. 17 to start discussions about possible collaborations.She said the majority of the school department's attention has been on the 'basics' but that 'in the background, we are forward thinking about innovative ways we can work toward a program and financial stability.'
The additional money to the high school will be used for a technology teacher to reinstate the full-time librarian, who is currently covering scheduled technology courses; a half-time art teacher; three full-time teachers or the equivalent in part-timers to restore electives; money to update, produce and distribute required parent/student handbooks, which include requested notices for school policy and discipline; money to replenish reference materials in the library for specific focus areas and to meet the needs of teachers and students based on high school curriculum; money to partially restock and supply texts throughout the school; and money to contract with Greenfield Community College for 10 college courses to be taught at GHS.
'I thought (Wednesday's Council) meeting, although very long, was a turning point for Greenfield,' said Hollins. 'The majority of the city councilors gave thoughtful comments about the school system and its important role in the vitality of Greenfield.'
'The schools really need the $250,000 to make sure we have a strong and vibrant high school program and we will assure that the money is used in that way.'
She said, first, the school department will begin work on creating a 'rich elective program' and she encouraged members of the community to contact her if they think they can help.
School department cuts since last year have resulted in savings to the town of about $460,000, said Town Finance Director Marjorie Lane Kelly.
The $425,000 of the surplus will go for the schools and to:
Restore $3,000 to the Town Council's salary and wages account to fully fund a full-time administrative assistant position for the balance of the year.
Add $32,000 to the treasurer's expenditures to allow for collection of delinquent tax titles and to fund a lock box.
Restore $15,000 to the Licensing Commission's salary and wages account.
Volunteers open library:
Greenfield Middle School stacks reopened
By MACKENZIE ISSLER Recorder Staf
[Originally published on: Thursday, November 20, 2008]
GREENFIELD -- Volunteers spent days moving boxes and cleaning up the Greenfield Middle School library and have officially reopened the space to students and teachers.
''There were boxes and boxes,'' said Annie Mayo, who is one of the library volunteers. ''There were no books out for the kids.''
''It is pretty important to have,'' she said.
The library was closed because its librarian was eliminated during the budget cuts last year.
Now, Mayo, and three other volunteers, are taking turns manning the library so that students and teachers can come in and use the space, as well as check books out. Mayo said that she will be volunteering 25-30 hours each week.
Mayo said that it has been fairly easy to learn how to run the library but that she is still learning and that the hardest part was cleaning it out, since it had been used as a storage space.
On Tuesday morning, 7th-grade student Marjorie Dakin sifted through the library shelves and picked out a book on horse care to take with her.
Dakin said she picked the book because ''I like horses and I like to learn about them.''
''It was okay (when the library was closed) but I like the library,'' she added.
Julia Wallis, a member of the RISE program, helps coordinate volunteers to work at programs in the school.
The three other volunteers are: Anita Thorne, who previously worked at the middle school and Monica Pulci and Cassandra Walker, both who have children in the public school.
Mayo has two daughters in the middle school: Eliza Rodriguez, who is in 4th grade, and Dianna Mayo, who is the 7th grade.
Eliza said ''it is cool … all my friends love you.''
''I feel really rewarded from the interaction with the kids,'' Mayo said. ''I feel that I am getting something out of my free time … it is a good feeling.''
The school is still looking for more volunteers for the library and recess time. Anyone interested should call Mayo at:
