At the invitation of Mayor Thomas Koch, seventy students from North Quincy and Quincy High Schools had the opportunity for a special pre-opening visit the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate on Friday, March 6.    The Institute is located on the campus of the University of Massachusetts in Dorchester and will be open to the public on March 31, 2015.  The students were accompanied by Mayor Koch, Principals Lawrence Taglieri and Robert Shaw, and staff members Al Costa, Danielle Fernandez, Meg McMillen, and Sue Nash.  The Quincy Public Schools group was among the first to see the Institute’s exhibits, including a unique full-scale representation of the United States Senate chamber.   Cutting-edge technology is evident throughout the Institute, realizing the late Senator’s goal that the Institute will “serve as a new model for civic education and public discourse.”  The highlight of the visit was the virtual experience in the Senate chamber where students were assigned roles and participated in discussion, debate, negotiation, and voting on an immigration reform bill and Presidential appointments.

Quincy High School student Stiven Kodra said, “Going to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute was a great experience.  Seeing a model of the actual Senate and being able to participate in a debate on current issues gave me better insight into how the government operates on a day to day basis.”  His classmate Marina Chafa took away from the experience that “… issues, such as the ones we discussed, are not cut and dry.  There are many opinions, therefore, what I learned is it is important to aim for compromise on these issues in order to reach the best results.” North Quincy High School Thomas Murphy said, “I loved how realistic and well-thought out the museum experience was.  We got a chance to talk about current issues and to give a voice to our opinions.”   Another North Quincy High School student Kevin White noted “I really enjoyed being able to interact with my classmates and the staff at the Institute.  They were so helpful and excited to have us …”

Principal Shaw, Principal Taglieri, and Superintendent Richard DeCristofaro appreciate the efforts of Mayor Koch for providing our students with this amazing opportunity to tour the Institute and pilot the virtual experience simulation.

 

 

In preparation for creating the FY2016 budget, Quincy Public Schools is tracking preliminary enrollment projections for the 2015-2016 school year.  These enrollment projections have a direct impact on our budget planning in terms of class sizes, building capacities, and the Open Enrollment process.

To keep parents informed, QPS will issue monthly updates using a color code to indicate each school’s Open Enrollment status, as this may change as registration continues throughout the spring.

Red = Open Enrollment likely to be limited to siblings of students already enrolled for 2015-2016 in all grades

Yellow = Open Enrollment may be limited to siblings of students already enrolled for 2015-2016  in certain grades

Green =  Open Enrollment will not be limited to siblings

For elementary schools, enrollment projections strongly suggest that the Beechwood Knoll, Clifford Marshall, and Merrymount Elementary Schools will be limited to accepting sibling Open Enrollment requests at all grades.   Parents who have requested non-sibling Open Enrollment to one of these schools should plan on having their students attend their home school.

Current Open Enrollment status for all elementary schools is below:

Atherton Hough

Beechwood Knoll

Bernazzani

Lincoln Hancock

Clifford Marshall

Merrymount

Montclair

Parker

Snug Harbor

Squantum

Wollaston

The timeline for notification of elementary school Open Enrollment is late June.

At the middle school level, preliminary projections strongly suggest that Open Enrollment at Central Middle School will be limited to siblings only in all grades.   Parents who have requested non-sibling Open Enrollment to Central should plan that their students will attend their home school.  

Atlantic

Broad Meadows

Central

Point Webster

Sterling

The timeline for notification of middle school Open Enrollment is late June.

 

For both North Quincy High School and Quincy High School, preliminary enrollment projections are favorable towards granting Open Enrollment requests.  The timeline for notification of high school Open Enrollment request approval is early May.

North Quincy High School

Quincy High School

 

While high school Open Enrollment requests are pending, Grade 8 students and parents will be asked to complete a course selection form for their student’s home school in March.   In addition, families may request to complete the course selection form for their Open Enrollment request school through their middle school Guidance department.   (Atlantic:  Leah Markarian, 617.984.8739; Broad Meadows:  Joe Boss, 617.984.8723; Central:  Colleen Connerty, 617.376.5205; Point Webster:  Dave Bogan, 617.984.6600; Sterling:   Shane Abboud, 617.984.8959)

 

If you have questions about the Open Enrollment process or specific schools, please contact:  Maura Papile (617.984.8898), Rita Ranalli (617.984.8891), or Laura Owens (617.984.8702) or by email at openenrollment@quincypublicschools.com.

The Quincy School Committee has a policy of granting Open Enrollment on a space-available basis.  When making the decision to admit open enrollment students, the Superintendent must consider the capacity of the school building to accommodate Open Enrollment students both for the present school year and future years.   Click here to access the Open Enrollment link on the QPS website.

 

At the Wednesday, March 4 School Committee meeting, Food Services staff with over 20 years experience were recognized by School Committee along with Project 351 Ambassadors Chase Reardon from Broad Meadows, Garell Willis from Sterling, and Brian O’Connor from Point Webster Middle Schools and Project 351 Alumni Leadership Council member Noor Al-Saad from Quincy High School.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the Superintendent’s Report, Dr.  DeCristofaro shared the FY2015 Grant Booklet with School Committee, reviewed the meeting at the MSBA on March 2 where the Sterling Middle School Owner’s Project Manager Joslin Lesser was approved, and the Varsity Coaches Summit held on January 22.

Under Old Business, School Committee approved the 2015-2016 School Year Calendar as presented by a vote of 5-2.  Click here to see the approved 2015-2016 School Year Calendar.   School Committee also approved the 2015-2016 School Committee meeting calendar unanimously.  Click here to see the approved 2015-2016 School Committee meeting calendar.

Under New Business, there was a unanimous vote to continue to pursue requesting a waiver from the 180-school day requirement for the three state of emergency snow day cancellations from Governor Baker, Senate President Rosenberg, and Speaker of the House DeLeo.

School Committee discussed then options for making up the unscheduled 180th day on the 2014-2015 School Year Calendar; the discussion was tabled without a vote.

Superintendent DeCristofaro presented a mid-year update on the many initiatives underway in the Quincy Public Schools and announced that the Sterling Middle School Grade 5 scheduling pilot will be extended to Point Webster Middle School Grade 5 students for the 2015-2016 school year. The Grade 5 students at both middle schools will also be graded on the new Elementary Report Card rubric currently under development for Fall 2015 implementation.   Click here to see the full presentation.

Minutes for the January 14, 2015 School Committee meeting, the February 3, 2015 Special School Committee Meeting, the March 2, 2015 Public Hearing, and a number of Subcommittee meetings were accepted without amendment.  Click here to review 2014-2015 School Committee and Subcommittee meeting minutes. 

School Committee’s next scheduled meeting is Wednesday, March 18 at 7:00 pm in the Coddington Building.

Quincy Public Schools, in collaboration with Impact Quincy, South Shore Hospital, and the Caron Foundation will be hosting a parent information program called Hidden in Plain Sight on Tuesday, March 10 at Central Middle School at 6:30 pm.

Hidden in Plain Sight is an interactive education program featuring an exhibit designed to resemble a teenager’s bedroom.  Parents/guardians are encouraged to explore the display which features items indicating that a teenager may be involved in high-risk behaviors such as substance abuse, underage drinking, eating disorders, sexual activity, or other high-risk behaviors.

An informative presentation by guest speakers Kimberly Noble and Traci Wojciechowski will follow.  Ms. Noble is the Youth Health Connection Coordinator at South Shore Hospital; the program collaborates with schools to educate families on how to reduce risk and build resiliency.  Click here for more information on this program.  Ms. Wojciechowski is Regional Director at the Caron Foundation Student Assistance Program, ensuring that quality education, prevention, and intervention services are provided to school systems and youth agencies throughout the region.   Click here for more information on this program.

The final speaker of the evening will be Nancy Holler, a parent in the Quincy community who will share her personal story.  Nancy’s presentation is offered to support families that may be struggling with substance abuse.

Tonight’s School Committee Public Hearing on School Year Calendars will be broadcast live on Channel 22.