Merriam PTO N2K (need to know)

From the PTO Board: Neena Arora, Kristina Rychlik, Dianna McNeish, Eleni Digenis-Bury

Week of 1/29/12

Merriam Auction 2012:  Visit the NEW Auction Website: 

www.biddingforgood.com/merriamschool

Community Donations are due THIS FRIDAY, February 3^rd.   Please donate:  your time, your talent, your service…be creative!  Go to the website above, and click on “Donate Item.”  For questions about Community Donations for the Auction, contact Renee Yourk at ryourk@verizon.net.

Back by Popular Demand!

Online Bidding for Summer Camps and Programs

We have a terrific selection of summer camps;  consider starting your summer planning and supporting Merriam School at the same time.  Check out what’s available, including:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·       <!--[endif]-->Camp Cody – Full tuition for two week session (Camp Cody generously donated five (5) two-week sessions…consider planning with your child’s friends for a sleepaway experience together!)

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·       <!--[endif]-->Camp Farwell for Girls – June 24-30

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·       <!--[endif]-->Marcus Lewis Day Camp – one week

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·       <!--[endif]-->And many more!

Bidding starts Sunday, February 5th at 5 pm and ends Friday, February 10th at 8 pm. 

Go to:  www.biddingforgood.com/merriamschool/camps

Many thanks to the many Merriam parents who helped with the camp fair, and to all who attended as well.  A very special thanks to the Camp Fair Chairs, Marisa Olsen, Trudy Khosla and Kim McCormick, who pulled together such a terrific event.  We appreciate all your months of hard work and that of your team!

If you were unable to make it to the Camp Fair, there are extra literature bags and directories listing the exhibitors; please stop by the office to pick them up.

Merriam will be hosting the Scholastic Book Fair February 10th-17^th from 7:45 am - 4:00 pm every day (except Thursday until 1:30 pm). We need volunteers to staff the fair during those hours; if you are able to help, please contact Sonal Mehta @ sonal.mehta@gmail.com with your availability.

Also *NEW* this year, online orders can be placed Feb 7th-18th with the link on our book fair homepage:  http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/merriam

Many thanks to Janice Fahey, for attending and reporting on the January 19^th School Committee Meeting.  Her notes follow:

Education Report- The Acton Public School (APS) Committee Meeting began with an Education Report led by Deborah Bookis, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, regarding Assessments throughout the APS District.  The presentation was made using slides explaining the use of assessments in the schools. The types outlined are:

            Summative Assessment- formal assessment done at end of units.  Types include science notebooks which record experiments and each student keeps throughout the year, and hands on tests.  An example was given of a unit on circuits.  After the unit was complete the students made simple circuits in the classroom, which was a good tool to use to determine if the students understood the unit.

            Assessing Math Concepts (AMC)- The focus of this assessment is to determine understanding of underlying math concepts.  This is used by all kindergarten teachers in  APS.  This is a hands on assessment that helps determine if students understand the math concepts and is done orally by a teacher or specialist using an assessment form. The assessment also helps the teacher to create instructional groups based on what each student needs.

            MCAS-MCAS is used both to assess the student and help create an Individual Success Plan (ISSP) and to determine where gaps occur in the schools and the district.  The MCAS score graph can be used to see specific areas of weakness, i.e. if one school or the district is not doing as well on geometry of even a specific question such as teaching line segments. 

            Use of Rubrics is also increasing and Portfolios to show a students improvement and give them a sense of pride in their achievements.

            (All of this makes me think of the way our students learn at Merriam). 

            Questions were asked about how additional employees have been used in this department which Deborah and others responded to by saying they can do more assessments, analyze the data, use MCAS scores more effectively and allow the Vice Principals to spend more time in the classrooms.  This also allows the specialists to spend more time checking in with students on an ongoing basis, as the end of the unit assessments are often too late. Eileen Sullivan, APS Elementary Curriculum Specialist stated that they are working on transferring ownership of learning to the students, setting goals and helping students reach them.

Health Insurance Plan Design Working Group- If this happens, then chapter 69 won’t be necessary.  (specifics not discussed in detail).

Budget- Steve Mills discussed that the goal is to try to wean off using reserves, being conscious about efficiency.  Budget asks to use 2 million in reserves and considers using 500,000 for OPEB.  OPEB was not discussed specifically other that to say its a big problem and will continue to be a big problem.  (one idea is to set up a trust).  The amount of OPEB is not yet known.  There will be a lot of talk about this in the coming year, years. 

We will stay within prop 2 1/2 this year at full allowable amount.

Re: Using reserves- we have for several years because of the economy. Said that we are treading water where other districts are drowning.   At some point casino aid will impact the communities. 

The Budget will be discussed in detail on Budget day January 28.  At that time we will know about the amount of state funding as well.

Kindergarten Orientation- 120 registered, 280 expected.  Enrollment is dropping.  If it drops below a certain level, we will lose up to 1 million dollars in state aid.  This is a few years down the line.  Class sizes are predicted to go down over the next few years, starting in kindergarten due to lower enrollment. 

Well put together stats and analysis from Marie Altieri on enrollment and open classrooms.  More space will open up as enrollment drops.  In 2 years, Gates will have an open classroom for art or music, as such, the need for either moving kids to another school in k or adding a modular will be alleviated. 

Tuitioning students to Blanchard- only 4 families expressed interest in Blanchard.  Possibility that more will express interest after school tours.  As it stands, not workable idea.  If the families still want to they may have the option of doing choice, which would cost Acton 5k per student.