[Town Meeting] Fwd: [Brackett_news] Superintendent January Newsletter

Mon Feb 9 12:50:25 EST 2015

Here is Superintendent Bodie's January newsletter. No amount of snow keeps
these pixels from their appointed rounds.

Paul Schlichtman
Arlington School Committee
paul at schlichtman.org

January 2015

Dear Parents, Guardians and Community Members,

With the start of the new year, we are going to try a slightly different
newsletter format. The notice you receive will include more than just the
link to the full issue posted on the APS website. The email will also
include the key elements from each story, the *Headline View.* This allows
you to learn about the exciting things going on in our district
immediately. You can then click on the link to read the full newsletter,
where you will find more information and be able to see pictures that bring
the stories to life. I hope you will find this format useful, and I welcome
your feedback.

Let me especially direct your attention to *Town Wide Announcement*
and *District
News*, the first two sections following this introduction. Here you will
find important information about forums you may wish to attend. The first
is a panel discussion on race and class that is being held on February 28
in Town Hall. Also in February, you have the opportunity to learn about,
and comment on, the Arlington Public Schools draft updated Technology Plan
and the proposed FY2016 School Budget. I look forward to seeing many of you
at these sessions

I know that you will enjoy reading about all the wonderful things happening
in our district.

Best regards,

Kathleen Bodie, Ed.D

*Headline View*

*Town Wide Announcement*

*First Conversation on Race and Class to be Held February 28 at Town Hall*

*Unequal Justice:  The Consequences of Race and Class in Our Criminal
Justice System, *the first in a series of discussions on race and class,
will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at Town Hall on Saturday, February 28.
The event features civil rights historian and activist Peniel Joseph
<http://www.penielejoseph.com/>, parole reform activist Don Perry
<https://peacewalks.wordpress.com/> and an officer from the Arlington
Police Department. This forum is a follow-up to the December *Black Lives
Matter* vigil.

*District News*

*Arlington Capital Planning Committee Recommends Funding to Renovate
Stratton*

The next step in the process to complete necessary renovations at Stratton
is for Town Meeting to allocate the funds recommended by the Capital
Committee. Assuming a positive vote in Town Meeting, work should begin June
2016, with the school reopening September 2017.

*Technology Plan Forums Will Share Information & Gather Input*

Please consider attending one of the two forums in February where Assistant
Superintendent Laura Chesson will share our draft Technology Plan
<https://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/departments/technology/pdfs/technologyplan2014-2018draft.pdf>
and take your comments. You may join her February 11 at 7:30 pm in the
Bishop Media Center or at Ottoson at 7:00 pm on February 25.

*FY 2016 Budget to Be Reviewed at School Committee Meetings in February*

The proposed FY2016 School Budget will be posted on the APS website on
February 12, and the public is invited to review it and provide comments at
the February 26 School Committee meeting. The budget hearing will be held
in the sixth floor School Committee Room at Arlington High School beginning
at 6:30 pm.

*Professional Development*

*Information and Strategies for Teaching Children of Color Shared at METCO
Conference *

A wide range of expertise was represented among the faculty and staff
members who attended the 30th Annual METCO Directors' Association Conference
<http://www.mda-ma.org/mda_conference.html> with me last month. The keynote
speech and workshops were designed to raise cultural sensitivity and help
educators, counselors and administrators challenge themselves to engage
students of color and promote academic excellence.

*Grants*

*Creativity Unleashed in AHS State-of-the-Art Digital Arts Studio*

Two grants from the Arlington Education Foundation
<http://www.arlingtoneducationfoundationma.org/wp/> made the AHS
professional-grade
mini digital arts studio
<http://www.arlingtoneducationfoundationma.org/wp/grant-profile-high-school-digital-imaging-mini-studio>
possible, and enrollment has increased in response to the updated AP Studio
Art and Digital Photography curriculum. *The Winfred Project*
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymob9swEUp8&feature=youtu.be>, a moving
documentary that features leather artist Winfred Rembert during his visit
last spring, is one of the film projects created in the new studio.

 *Arlington Education Foundation (AEF) Awards Six Innovations in Education
Grants*

This fall's AEF Innovations in Education Grants
<http://www.arlingtoneducationfoundationma.org/wp/innovations-in-education>
span ceramics and printing, service, leadership development, botany,
composting, sensory therapy, science fair projects, and measurement of
language proficiency. Elementary, middle and high school students will all
benefit from the creative and engaging projects these grants support.

*Awards & Distinctions*

*Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference Includes String Clinic and AHS
Musicians*

After holding auditions, AHS Band and Orchestra Director Sabato D'Agostino
chose two violinists, one violist and one cellist to accompany him to the
JEN <https://jazzednet.org/> Conference 2015 in San Diego this month. They
took full advantage of the workshop, seminar and concert opportunities, and
performed in *A Fun Approach to Jazz Improvisation with Strings,* the
workshop Mr. D'Agostino created and led.

*Works Created During Winfred Rembert Artist Residency Displayed at MLK
Celebration*

You may visit Arlington Town Hall through February and see the beautiful
display of art and literary works created by our students during the
Winfred Rembert Artist Residency last March. The display was part of the
Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Observance this month.

*AHS Wrestler and Girls' Soccer Player Earn Recognition for Strong
Performances*

Our student athletes continue to make us proud. With over 100 wins in his
career, wrestler Andrew Ellis is ranked #1 in Massachusetts. In addition,
Middlesex League MVP Sabrina Morais has been named among the 2014 Girls'
Soccer All-Scholastics
<http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/12/13/girls-soccer-all-scholastics/ysMYjEWIDjNSyfDtaC5fzJ/story.html>
by *The Boston Globe.*

*Academic Highlights*

*Elementary Math Night Reviews Frameworks, Curriculum and Next Steps*

K-12 Mathematics Director Matthew Coleman shared information about how
Arlington Public Schools has implemented the Standards for Mathematical
Practice and Content as outlined in the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework
for Mathematics <http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/math/0311.pdf>. Our
curriculum supports the development of computational fluency, varieties of
quantitative reasoning expertise, and content knowledge that create
mathematical thinkers.

*The Middle Ages Come Alive at Ottoson During the Medieval Building Project*

For the past ten years, Ottoson eighth graders have combined research, STEM
skills, creativity, group dynamics and history to create castles,
cathedrals and manor farms as they study the key factors of life in the
European Middle Ages--the Catholic Church, the economic structure and
feudalism. Members of the Ottoson News Network created an amazing
documentary <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhY-QNb5W1k> that can be used
to introduce the project next year.

*Ottoson National History Day (NHD) Team Works Hard Preparing for Upcoming
Regional Competition*

Meeting two weekends a month for four months and spending two or three
workdays during winter vacation is only part of the process that gets the
40 members of the NHD <http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/> team ready for
the February 25th competition. Only four years old, the Ottoson team is one
of the largest in the state, and has an impressive record, with 10 regional
winners last year and six groups going on to state competition.

*AHS Team One of 16 Chosen to Compete on WGBH High School Quiz Show*

After passing the qualifying event, the AHS team became part of the WGBH
High School Quiz Show <http://www.wgbh.org/quizshow/index.cfm> official
tournament bracket, and their match against Longmeadow is slated for
telecast on March 7.

*Competition Continues for AHS Blue Screen Robotics Team *

Blue Screen has been competing in the FIRST® Tech Challenge Cascade Effectsm
Game <http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/game> since October,
collecting points in regional qualifiers and working towards the
championship that will determine which teams move on to the state finals.

*Only Two Years Old, AHS Speech and Debate Team Builds Skills and
Friendships*

With two tournaments under its belt, the AHS Speech and Debate Team has
seen third, sixth and Top Novice finishes in Impromptu Speech, and had two
students reach the semi-finals in Public Forum Debate. Quotes from the
members illustrate the skills they develop, as well as their feelings about
teamwork and pride.

*Creative Highlights*

*Cafe Creation Merges Art and Song at Ottoson*

It was a fun and relaxing evening for over 200 people as they strolled the
Ottoson lobby chatting, eating, listening to music and examining student
artwork that has been completed since September. Music was provided by the
Girls Ensemble and Ottoson Acappella during this collaborative event held
January 15.

*Special Events*

*21 days of Kindness Promotes Mindful Positive Action at Hardy*

During January, Principal Kristen DeFrancisco and her staff used an idea
from KindSpring, <http://www.kindspring.org/> to stimulate daily action and
thought about what it means to have a kind school community. This is one of
many creative ideas employed by our principals, teachers and staff to
create safe learning communities.

Please use the following URL to read the full January 2015 newsletter

http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/administration/newsletters/pdfs/Superintendents_Newsletter_-_January_2015.pdf

-- 

Kathleen Bodie, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
kbodie at arlington.k12.ma.us
781-316-3501
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