Dr. Keough`s Corner - Easton Public Schools

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Easton Public Schools
Central Office
50 Oliver
www.urmc.ro
ch
ester.edu
District information from the
Central Office staff of the Easton
Public Schools
Vol. 1 Issue 2, Winter 2016
Upcoming Events
Jan. 14 Early Release Pk-12
Jan. 14
School Committee meeting
Jan. 18
No School – MLK, Jr. Day
Jan. 22
School Committee workshop
Feb. 4 School Committee meeting
**(5:30 community Q & A regarding
school start times)
Feb. 12 School Committee workshop
Feb. 15-19 No School/Mid-winter break
Mar. 3
School Committee meeting
Mar. 18 School Committee workshop
Mar. 29 Early Release Pk-12
Apr. 6-8 Early release Pk-5
(conferences)
Dr. Keough’s Corner
Dear Easton Parents and Guardians,
First and foremost, Happy New Year! With the onset of
shorter days and frigid temperatures, it’s often hard to get
excited about this time of year. However, there remains a
feeling of freshness that comes with knowing we have the
chance to reinvent ourselves. The New Year’s resolutions we
develop are often the result of deeper reflective moments that
have evolved into promises to ourselves to improve the way we
are living, with the goal being happier, richer lives. I have always
viewed resolutions as the perfect chance for significant lifechanging shifts.
This past week while listening to the radio news
program, On Point, on WBUR, I heard a wonderful interview
with a woman named Maria Popova. On her website,
brainpickings, she describes herself as a “…reader, writer,
(see KEOUGH, page 2)
When the snow begins to fall…
Winter is here! Please be aware that in the event that school is cancelled due to
inclement weather, ALL activities and events scheduled on that school day are
ALSO cancelled. Safety will always be our first priority.
Page 1
http://operationuttermost.co
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Easton Public Schools
Volume 1 Issue 2, Winter 2016
(from KEOUGH, page 1)
interestingness hunter-gatherer, and curious mind at
large.” After listening to her insights, I also think of
her as a student of philosophy, and a great one at that.
Ms. Popova is focused on applying the
musings, poetry, and commentaries of some of the
world’s greatest thinkers to solve some of life’s most
persistent problems. These challenges have often
stood the test of time and have perplexed human
beings for generations.
In the interview, Ms. Popova discussed “16
Elevating Resolutions for 2016 Inspired by Some of
Humanity’s Greatest Minds.” The conversation,
although admittedly difficult to follow for an average
person like myself, struck me as worthwhile for
anyone living in the 21st century, but especially
parents. She talked about some of the most difficult
dilemmas facing young people today, such as “The
Perfection Game” and “Telling the World How to Treat
You.” The list itself goes even further to include such
critical themes as “Celebrating Enoughness,” and my
favorite, “Walk Your Own Path.” It was liberating to
learn that we, as parents, are not the first generation to
struggle with knowing how to ensure the healthy
development of our children and, in fact, people have
always faced these issues.
One of my resolutions this year is to become the
best educator I have been in my career. I sincerely hope
to accomplish that. As such, I thought I would share
this information with you.
Have a wonderful 2016 and, as always, thank
you for your continued support!
Best wishes,
Andrew Keough
Easton School Committee meeting minutes:
http://eastontownma.minutesondemand.com/
Easton School Committee meetings schedule:
http://www.easton.k12.ma.us/school_committee/meeting_schedule/index.php
ic3.business
in
http://www.eastoncat.org/watch
http://stat
School Committee meetings ECAT (Easton Cable Access Television):
sider.com
Important links to stay informed…
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Easton Public Schools
Volume 1 Issue 2, Winter 2016
Learning and Leading Together
By Dr. Lisha Cabral, Assistant Superintendent of Schools
Part of being an effective educator is modeling the
behaviors, strategies, and approaches that we want students
to emulate. As Easton’s educators, one value we wish to
instill in children is the desire to be a lifelong learner. To
this end, every member of the EPS team is involved in
continuous improvement, or professional development. No
matter the length of time awe have been in our profession,
there is always an opportunity to refine our craft. The
world is changing every day. In order to prepare students
for this reality, we need to be prepared as well.
We now invite the community to join us in our
goal of lifelong learning. This month marked the beginning
of Easton Community University. The first brochure
provided nineteen offerings for parents and community
members. These included workshops, seminars, and other
opportunities to engage with the schools and with other
Easton residents. Whether you have children in the school
system or not, there is something for everyone. Since our
goal for the development of the EPS staff is focused on the
“whole” educator, so you will find we have modeled this
with the opportunities provided in the “University.”
Did you make any New Year’s resolutions to
improve your lifestyle? You may be interested in one of the
healthy living options such as the walking club, the healthy
eating session, or the Cardio Sport classes. There is also a
friendly and welcoming group dedicated to teaching
conversational English skills to those who are learning the
language.
Maybe you are looking for guidance with managing
your money. The workshops on Money Milestones (ages 20100) or how to be a college-savvy parent are for you.
Do you have school-aged children or grandchildren?
If you are looking for information on how to support their
social thinking, their gaming hobbies, or even advice on how
to better communicate with you teen or tween, there are
choices available. Perhaps you’d like to learn more about the
elementary standards-based report cards or about the state’s
new testing and standards. There are workshops on these
topics as well.
Safety is always paramount. We have a collection of
topics that will inform you about preventing child abuse,
helping your teen to remain drug-free, and knowing how to
manage your child’s education after a concussion.
To round things out, there are social opportunities.
Come and participate in Parent Café with other (grand)moms
and (grand)dads or take advantage of the upcoming family
events at the YMCA, the Ames Free Public Library, or the
Sheep Pasture. This information is also included in the
“University” brochure.
We hope you will join us, as we not only share what
we know, but also learn alongside you and teach our children
that learning can be fun, inspiring, and influential throughout
the course of our lives. We hope to provide you with
opportunities to enrich your health, knowledge, and
relationships. Please find the full brochure and all registration
information under the “Community” tab of the district
website at www.easton.k12.ma.us, and choose what works for
you.
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Easton Public Schools
Volume 1 Issue 2, Winter 2016
10 Tips: Keeping Children Safe
in Cold Weather
When temperatures drop, children need extra
attention to stay warm, safe and healthy. Young
children are less likely to recognize when they are
cold and more likely to lose body heat quickly due
to their smaller size. Here are some tips to protect
children when the thermometer dips:
Keep your kids safe with these easy-to-share tips
on staying safe during the cold winter!
1.
Think layers. Put several layers of clothing
on your child and make sure their head, neck and
hands are covered. Dress babies and young
children in one more layer than an adult would
wear.
2.
Beware clothing hazards. Scarves and hood
strings can strangle smaller children, so use other
clothing to keep them warm.
3.
Check in on warmth. Tell children to come
inside if they get wet or if they’re cold. Then keep
watching them and checking in. They may prefer to
continue playing outside even if they are wet or
cold.
4.
Use sunscreen. Children and adults can still
get sunburn in the winter. Sun can reflect off the
snow, so apply sunscreen.
5.
Install alarms. More household fires happen
during the winter, so make sure you have smoke
and carbon monoxide alarms in your home.
6.
Get equipped. Children should always wear
helmets when snowboarding, skiing, sledding or
playing ice hockey. Any sports equipment should be
professionally fitted.
7.
Teach technique. It takes time to master fun
winter activities like sledding, so make sure
children know how to do the activity safely.
8.
Prevent nosebleeds. If your child suffers
from minor winter nosebleeds, use a cold air
humidifier in their room. Saline nose drops can
help keep their nose moist.
9.
Keep them hydrated. In drier, winter
air, kids lose more water through their breath.
Keep them drinking and try giving them
warm drinks and soup for extra appeal.
Sources: Save the Children, American Academy of
Pediatrics, University of Michigan Health System, Save the
Children Federation, Inc.
10.
Watch for danger signs. Signs of
frostbite are pale, grey or blistered skin on
the fingers, ears, nose, and toes. If you think
your child has frostbite, bring the child indoors and
put the affected area in warm (not hot) water. Signs
of hypothermia are shivering, slurred speech, and
unusual clumsiness. If you think your child has
hypothermia, call 9-1-1 immediately.
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Easton Public Schools
Volume 1 Issue 2, Winter 2016
A Word About School Funding in Easton
By Dr. Andrew Keough, Superintendent of Schools
As most of you know, this past fall, we
presented a case to the townspeople of Easton that
the Schools are in need of additional funding as soon
as possible. Soon after, discussions in town
government began to surface about the need for an
operational override.
To be clear, regardless of what has been
discussed on local blogs, Facebook, or at the local
corner store, the information I put forward at that
time was factual. I pointed to the truth, which is that
Easton spends less on education per student than the
majority of communities in the state. According to the
most recent data available (2014), which anyone can
access on the Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education website at http://
profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/ppx.aspx, Easton
ranks 29th from the bottom in the state (out of 409
school systems) in spending per year, per student.
This is commonly known as our “Per Pupil
Expenditure,” and essentially means that out of the
409 public school systems in Massachusetts, Easton
spends less than 380. In other words, there are 380
districts in Massachusetts spending more on the
education of their children than we are. A mere 28 are
spending less!
“So what?” some ask. “Shouldn’t we proud of
that? We still perform pretty well, so why spend more?”
It’s a difficult question, as it is true that we do very well
with very little in Easton. However, what is our ultimate
goal? To “get the job done ‘cheap”” or to give our
children the best we possibly can? Just imagine what
could be done for the young people of Easton were we
to infuse $9.8 million into our budget of $38.2 million.
That’s the increase in school funding that would be
necessary to bring the Easton Public Schools up to the
average amount spent per child each school year by
districts in the state. That is to say, the average per pupil
expenditure in Massachusetts is $14,518 and in Easton
we spent $11,962. In 2014 we had 3,867 students
enrolled ($14,518 - $11,962 = $2,556 x 3,867 =
$9,884,052).
Others have said, “The town must be wasting
money. We just need to be more efficient. We give the
departments plenty of money; they just have to spend it
(see FUNDING, page 6)
Food Service Welcomes New Director
Central administration would like to congratulate Roberta Tamasanis who
will now be serving as the Director of Food Services for the district’s six
schools. Roberta began working in the Easton schools’ food service program
nine years ago.
Roberta Tamasanis
She started in a temporary substitute position and then a permanent position
for three years. She then served as an assistant manager for over four years.
For the past two years, she has been the manager of the Oliver Ames food
service program, which is run by Whitson’s Culinary Group. She can be
reached via email at tamasanisr@whitsons.com
Roberta is an Easton resident and she has two children: a freshman at
Bridgewater State University and a freshman at Oliver Ames.
This position became available when the previous Director, Sara Greeley,
accepted a position elsewhere. Sara served Easton successfully and is wished
the very best in her new position as well.
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Easton Public Schools
Volume 1 Issue 2, Winter 2016
Special Athlete
Opportunities
By Theresa Skinner, Director of Student Services
www.reco
rder.com
Dr. Potee
presentation
On January 14th, Dr. Ruth
Potee presented to parents
and community members at
Oliver Ames High School.
Dr. Potee is the Chair of the
Healthcare Solutions Opioid
Task Force of Franklin
County. She spoke about teen
brain development, its impact
on risk-taking behavior,
including the use of drugs
and alcohol, and what this
means for parents and teens.
This informative and
important program was
brought to the Easton
Community by Easton
Middle School nurse Eileen
Gardner and Oliver Ames
nurse Lynne LeBlanc.
If you were unable to attend
this presentation, please
watch for the broadcast on
Easton Cable Access
Television. It will soon be
available on ECAT and will
also be posted for online
viewing on the website at
www.eastoncat.org under the
“Watch” tab.
Several Easton students in grades 3-12 will be participating in
Special Olympics this spring at Attleboro High School. Two Learning
Specialists, Peggy Wentworh and Pam Glasgow, coordinate with
Attleboro so that our students can participate in this wonderful event.
It has been a huge success each year.
In addition, Colleen Rose, a Learning Specialist at Oliver Ames
High School, worked diligently to start up a Unified Track Team last
spring with Bill Matthews, Easton’s Athletic Director. Ms. Rose and
Alexa Murray, a Learning Specialist at Easton Middle School, are the
coaches for the team and have done a tremendous job in organizing
the practices and meets for students with disabilities. We wish to
thank Ms. Wentworth, Ms. Glasgow, Ms. Rose, Mr. Mathews, and
Ms. Murray for their commitment and hard work toward providing
this worthwhile program.
(from FUNDING, page 5)
more wisely, and the audit will prove it.” One can only hope that
these folks are correct and that through the audit we will find
millions of dollars of waste in the system.
However, something in this argument does not make sense.
If there is actually extra money and waste in the school system, how
is it that we rank behind 380 towns out of 409 in the amount we
spend per year on each child’s education? Finding wasted funds,
even if they do exist, will not affect our rank. We would still need to
increase our budget by over 20% in one year just to be at the
state average of spending on education. Something doesn’t add up
here and, as we often say to our students, we must all take a moment
to “Look at the facts.”
When I came to Easton, I did so with a firm commitment to
do everything in my power to improve the learning experience for all
children and to raise the stature of the Easton Public Schools. I
remain fully committed to these goals and am thankful to be here.
However, if I am to be successful leading Easton forward, there will
need to be a significant shift in thinking about school funding and its
impact on school improvement.
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Winter Bus Safety for Students
By David Twombly, Director of Operations
Ø Do dress in warm winter clothing:
hats, mittens and boots.
Ø Do be on time at the bus stop.
Ø Do walk facing traffic and wear bright
clothing so you are visible in times of
reduced light.
Ø Do wait for the bus several feet
further off the road in a safe place in
winter weather. Be mindful that some
stops may still have snow piles or
drifts.
Ø Do use the handrail when boarding or
exiting the bus to prevent slipping and
injuring yourself on icy road surfaces
or steps.
Ø Do keep your head and arms inside
the windows when riding the bus to
prevent frostbite and other injuries to
your limbs and face.
Ø Do move away from the bus to a place
where the driver can see you and you
can see the driver after you get off the
bus.
Ø Do cross 10 feet in from of the bus,
but wait for the "all clear" signal from
the driver before leaving the curb.
Ø Do keep all cell phones and articles in
a backpack.
Adapted from www.monticelloschools.net
www.educationworld.com
DO:
DON'T:
Ø Don't stand or play on snow piles at
the bus stop - you could slide into the
street in the path of oncoming traffic.
Ø Don't attempt to retrieve your books or
lunchbox from around or underneath
the bus until after it has cleared the
unloading zone.
Ø Don't push or shove when getting on
or off the bus.
Ø Don't chase after the bus or attempt to
grab the rear bumper.
Bus stop safety doesn’t end with the student,
however. Parents are responsible for their
children's safety before and after they are
transported on the bus, including at the bus
stop.