Archived Monthly Updates 2016-2017

Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee (ABRSC) 

Monthly Update - November 2016 

Increasing awareness of and involvement in issues affecting our schools and towns

  

The School Committee generally meets the first and third Thursdays of each month in the RJ Grey Junior High Library.  Our meetings are open to the public and broadcast on ActonTV.org.  Some of our ongoing discussions include:

 

2017-2018 School District Calendar

  • ·         The school start date and religious holidays will be discussed at the School Committee meetings on December 1st and 15th, with plans to vote to approve a calendar on the 15th.
  • ·         Options being considered include starting before or after Labor Day 2017, with and without days off for Rosh Hashanah and Good Friday. (Yom Kippur is on a Saturday in 2017.)
  • ·         Supporting information can be found in the packet for the December 1st school committee meeting here
  • ·         Please check the online meeting agenda at abschools.org the day of the meeting for an approximate time for the discussion.

 

Acton-Boxborough Regional School District (ABRSD) Master Planning Process

·         Community presentation of the District Master Plan Study Report, Thursday, December 8 from 7:30-9:00 p.m. in the RJ Grey Junior High School Library.

·         Multiple options for future school building and/or renovation projects will be presented, including some that may change our current grade configurations and number of schools and/or buildings.

·         For more information, visit: School Capital/Space Planning

 

Enrollment Update

  • ·         The School Committee was presented with an updated Student Enrollment Report on November 3rd.  A key finding presented is that while enrollment is still projected to decline in the near future from recent historical highs, the new projection is a more modest decline than originally expected.

 

Minuteman Technical High School Update

  • ·         As the town of Boxborough has voted to withdraw from the Minuteman District, students from Acton and Boxborough considering a technical high school will have somewhat different options available to them. 
  • ·         Details will be provided to those students and families during the 8th grade at RJ Grey Junior High School. 

 

Any questions?  Please contact Kristina Rychlik, [email protected]


 


 


Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee (ABRSC)

Monthly Update - October 2016

 

Increasing awareness of and involvement in issues affecting our schools and towns 

The School Committee generally meets the first and third Thursdays of each month in the RJ Grey Junior High Library.  Our meetings are open to the public and broadcast on actontv.org.  Some of our ongoing discussions include:

 

What is Challenge Success?

·         Challenge Success is an organization out of Stanford University that provides resources for schools to organize efforts to mitigate school-related stress.  The goal is to reduce unhealthy pressures on our students and champion a broader definition of success within our schools and communities.  Challenge Success is not a pre-packaged program that a school district adopts or implements.  

·         Challenge Success is helping connect us with best practices and new initiatives around the country that other similar school districts are implementing in such areas as school schedules and homework.

·         A large part of this effort involves families!  Please come learn more as Challenge Success Co-founder Denise Pope, Ph.D. presents “The Well-Balanced Student,”  Tuesday, November 8th from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the Acton Boxborough Regional High School Auditorium. https://www.smore.com/uwc2w

·         AB has a new website dedicated to student wellness:  http://abschoolswellness.weebly.com

 

Acton-Boxborough Regional School District (ABRSD) Master Planning Process

Please note new date!  Community Presentation of the District Master Plan Study Report, Thursday, December 8 from 7:30-9:00 p.m. in the RJ Grey Junior High School Library. For more information, visit:

School Capital/Space Planning

 

ABRSD Long Range Strategic Plan: Setting District-Wide Goals & Priorities

On October 6th and 20th, the School Committee discussed the new ABRSD Long Range Strategic Plan in order to provide feedback in the plan’s final stages.  The goal is to vote to accept a new plan on November 17th. Find out more at: Meetings, Agendas, Packets & Minutes

 

ABRSD Policy Update

·         The School Committee’s policy subcommittee recently reviewed policies JJIF: Head Injury Management and GBEA: Staff Ethics/Conflict of Interest

o   These will be up for a first read at our November 3rd meeting.

·         We'd like to highlight policy GBEBC: Gifts to and Solicitations by Staff:

o   State Ethics Laws limit the gifts that staff, teachers and coaches are allowed to accept. We do not want staff, teachers or coaches to be put into a position where they cannot or should not accept gifts of value from well-intended grateful families. Gifts from individual families to staff may not exceed $50 in value for the school year. Gifts from a class or team to an employee may not exceed a total value of $150 for the school year.

·         The policy subcommittee meets twice monthly.  All policies are found at Policies

  

 

Any questions?  Please contact Kristina Rychlik, [email protected]

 

 


 



Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee (ABRSC)

 Monthly Update

September 2016

 

Through monthly updates, the ABRSC hopes to increase awareness of what we do and how families and community members can get involved in issues affecting our schools and towns moving forward.  The Committee meets regularly the first and third Thursdays of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the RJ Grey Junior High Library.  Our meetings are open to the public and broadcast on actontv.org.  We invite you to join us!

 

Acton-Boxborough Regional School District (ABRSD) Master Planning Process

  • Last year, the district hired the firm of Dore & Whittier to help us begin the process of addressing long-delayed capital needs by documenting the current condition of our nine school buildings and other facilities, as well as addressing educational space planning needs in the future. 
  • The first part of the study was completed last spring, and documented in great detail the physical condition of all of our buildings, finding significant needs at three of our elementary schools in particular.

o   The second part of the study is nearly complete, with the final district master plan options to be presented at a community meeting on Wednesday, November 9th at 7:00 p.m. in the RJ Grey Junior High auditorium.  Please mark your calendar!

o   You are welcome to join us for a preview of this presentation at the School Committee meeting on Thursday, October 6th in the RJ Grey Junior High Library 6th from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

For more information, visit School Capital/Space Planning

 

School Start Times Update

  • The Superintendent’s Wellness Committee spent the 2015-2016 school year examining the issues of adolescent sleep needs and school start times, and how they affect the health and well being of our students.  On June 9, 2016, that group presented its findings to the AB Regional School Committee.
  • The School Committee then asked Superintendent Glenn Brand to work to see how a change in start times may be implemented in our district.  That work has begun and will be presented to the Committee during the spring of 2017. We will keep you informed as this important discussion continues.
  • To watch the video of the June 9th presentation, view the slides, or read the Wellness Committee’s full report, visit Start Times
  • On September 21st, the district’s Family Learning Series kicked off with Dr. Kirsty Kerin presenting, “The Science of Sleep.”  You can view the video of that presentation here Family Learning Series

 

2016-2017 School Committee Goals

  • At our annual summer workshop, the School Committee drafted a set of goals to guide our work this coming year while working to support Superintendent Dr. Glenn Brand’s FY’17 goals as well.  They can be found at School Committee 
  • Dr. Brand’s annual goals can be found at Superintendent's Office


School Safety and Security

 

ABRSD Policy Update

  • The School Committee’s policy subcommittee recently reviewed safety and security policies.
  • Upcoming policies scheduled for review include Head Injury Management Policy and Protocols, File: JJIF and Staff Ethics/Conflict of Interest, File: GBEA.
  • The policy subcommittee meets twice monthly.  All policies are found at Policies

 

Any questions?  Please contact Kristina Rychlik, [email protected]

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