Seekonk Public Schools Annual Report FY 2016-17

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Table of Contents

Message from the Superintendent……………………………..……..pg. 2‐3

Our Mission…………………………………………………………………..…..pg. 4

Curriculum & Professional Development…………………..……….pg. 5

Technology…………………………………………………………..……………pg. 6

Special Education……………………………………………………..……….pg. 7‐8

District Fast Facts………………………………………………..…………….pg. 9

Financial Update 2016‐17…………………………………………..……..pg. 10

Seekonk High School……………………………………..………………….pg. 11‐12

Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School……..…………………………….pg. 13‐14

Mildred H. Aitken Elementary School……………………………….pg. 15‐16

George R. Martin Elementary School………………………………..pg. 17‐18

School Committee and Schools…….…………………………………..pg. 19

School Calendar 2016‐17…..….………………………………………….pg. 20

The Fabulous 50 .………….…….……………………………………………pg. 21‐22

School Calendar 2017‐18.……….………………………………………..pg. 23

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Message from the Superintendent We are proud and excited to share some of the wonderful things that have taken place in the Seekonk School District over the last year. It goes without saying that we have incredible students, a dedicated and caring staff, involved and conscientious parents, and a supportive community. Our values, philosophy and actions are clearly reflected in our motto “Seekonk Supporting Students”. Fast Facts Full-Day Kindergarten Initiative- Seekonk Schools serve as a model for educational Finally!!!! innovation as a result of using best practice Adoption of a paperless initiative to instructional strategies, an integrated K-12 curriculum move all permanent student records and a variety of assessments in a technology-rich into a digital format-Phase One environment. Students are able to access multiple Installation of VOIP for new pathways that encourage and prepare them to think telephone system utilizing existing critically and to use creative problem-solving. We are town-wide fiber optic network a community united in the belief that it is our fiscal system and moral responsibility to provide outstanding Technology Department re-structure educational opportunities and facilities for all of our that is compliant with guidelines for students. Our graduates are able to set goals, make school-based E-Rate responsible choices, and appreciate diversity in order telecommunication reimbursement to live their lives with a sense of purpose and face the Textile Recycling Bins challenges of the future. Replacement of all LED lights in all school buildings through National This spring, we formalized the Strategic Planning Grid Grant Process by enlisting the services of the New England Purchase of new cafeteria tables that School Development Council (NESDEC). Participants are ADA compliant for Hurley in this process represented a vast array of Seekonk Middle School and Aitken stakeholders including members of the Educational Elementary School from Building Leadership Team, the Strategic Planning Advisory Use Fund Group, parents, teachers, community members and Security Upgrades at Hurley Middle students. An aggressive timeline was established with School and Aitken Elementary a completion date of August 2017. In order to assure a School with other schools in process comprehensive and truly reflective depiction of the district, much of the initial groundwork was laid early in the fall of 2016. For example, a survey was designed to gather input from staff, parents, and members of the greater Seekonk community that included topics such as teaching and learning, technology, staffing, facilities, strengths and challenges. The overall results indicated a very positive picture of the school district and provided many thoughtful and creative ideas for consideration. Staff and students from all grade levels also participated in a national education research project by completing the “Speak Up Survey”. In

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fact, Seekonk was the only district in Massachusetts to take advantage of this no-cost, nationally- comparative survey that covered all aspects of technology use in schools.

As the student population continues to increase and in-house special education programs continue to be developed, the lack of instructional space has become abundantly clear. Ten possible options for grade-level re-structuring were investigated and offered for discussion at the Tri-Board meeting in the fall. A facilities study is currently underway to assess our current buildings and grounds in order to appropriately meet the increasing instructional demands and enrollment projections.

An independent special education audit was conducted as we were simultaneously preparing for a districtwide Coordinated Program Review mandated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education every six years. Our transportation services were also assessed and based on the findings, we have made improvements in this area. We also have a new Transportation Policy that was approved by the School Committee this spring.

In the fall, the Massachusetts School Building Authority conducted an audit of all district facilities and grounds. This was timely since we subsequently applied for funding through the MSBA Accelerated Repair Program for projects in need of repair, specifically roofs, doors and windows at Hurley Middle School and Aitken Elementary School. Due to the significant number of applications made to MSBA this year, only a portion of our requests (i.e., windows and doors at Aitken) resulted in an invitation for participation. We are actively pursuing this opportunity.

One of the most exciting initiatives that we promoted this year was the Educator Leadership Program. Based on a distributive leadership model, we set out to establish a strong model for authentic, real-time, and practical ways to improve teaching and learning. This initiative is based on our philosophy that we have a talented and dedicated staff with unique experiences, expertise and leadership skills who could generate, share and implement creative, new ideas. The model includes a Curriculum Coordinator, an Educational Leader for each building, four Curriculum Liaisons (ELA, math, social studies, and science) at each elementary school, a Mentoring and Induction Coordinator and Associate, and a District Data Specialist. Essentially, this is an innovative and coordinated effort to identify best instructional practices geared to promote the success of all Seekonk students.

These are just a few of the many highlights and accomplishments we would like to share. At the end of the day, our highest priority is the provision of the best educational opportunities and equitable access for all of our students – academically, socially, and emotionally. We are mindful of and grateful for the most caring, committed, hard-working, and dedicated staff and supportive parents and community members.

Respectfully,

Arlene F. Bosco Superintendent

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OUR MISSION

Mission The mission statement of the Seekonk Public Schools is to inspire all students to Statement acquire the skill, habits, knowledge, and passion to be responsible citizens of the global community.

OUR VISION Responsibility Respect

Resilience Readiness

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CURRICULUM & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT The district made a commitment to expand teacher leadership and developed a model to provide a variety of opportunities for shared district and school leadership. The goals of the Educational Leadership Initiative for 2016-2018 are (1) to establish a strong model for authentic, real-time and practical information-sharing within the district in order to improve teaching and learning, (2) to promote the generation, sharing and implementation of new, innovative and creative ideas and (3) to focus on and be dedicated to the development of an Educator Leader Model. Shared leadership positions include a District Curriculum Coordinator, a Mentoring/Induction Leader and Associate, a District Data Specialist, and Educational Leaders at each school. Building level teams are essential components of this shared leadership model. Department heads and content area leaders were already in place at the high and middle school levels respectively. At the elementary level, Educational Liaisons were appointed in ELA, mathematics, social studies and science.

Based on recommendations from the Seekonk Professional Development Committee, this year we focused on the social/emotional growth of students. We offered several workshops on our district professional development day in the spring including the instruction of mindfulness activities to address districtwide as well as nationwide increases in emotional issues such as anxiety. Also scheduled were four early release professional development sessions. At the elementary level, the focus was on mathematics and science whereas the high school and middle school worked by departments on vertical alignment and curriculum development. The district also contracted with the Teacher Learning Alliance for a third year to provide “Readers Workshop” curriculum development and training at the elementary level and curriculum development and training in writing at the middle school. Other offerings included focused special education topics, anti-bullying and positive behavioral supports programs, and other specialist program work.

Curriculum work and alignment to the Massachusetts Standards occurred in all departments at the high school and two new courses, civics and advanced placement psychology, were developed for students. The high school also began organizational work for its upcoming decennial New England Association of Schools & Colleges, Inc. accreditation. The middle school focused on team coordination as well as content area alignment. This year they applied for, and successfully earned, the New England League of Middle Schools’ Spotlight School status! Currently, the middle school math department is restructuring its program with the goal of having selected students ready to take Algebra I in eighth grade; therefore, they will be piloting new books/programs during the next school year. The Elementary English Language Arts Committee and the Elementary Math Committee met throughout the year with a focus on curriculum, teaching and resource development. After a yearlong pilot of four math programs, Everyday Math 4 was selected to be implemented in FY 2017-18. www.seekonkschools.org 6

TECHNOLOGY Holly Quaratella, M.Ed., District Instructional Technology Coordinator

Seekonk Public Schools continues to focus on preparing our students with the skills they will need to achieve success in their future endeavors and providing them with 21st century technology tools. Our classrooms are technology-rich and promote student collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. Teachers and students are able to harness the power of technology to build understanding and enhance learning experiences. Through the use of new technology tools, learning can flourish beyond the walls of the classroom. FAST FACTS

Seekonk became a Google district in 2015-16 providing all staff and students with Google for Education accounts. *Google Certified Trainers: Holly This initiative positively impacted our ability to integrate Quaratella and Kathy Keough technology into the curriculum at all levels. Throughout *Google Certified Educators: FY 2016-17, teachers continued to build their technology Suzanne Larson Jessica Trudeau, integration skills to transform learning in their classrooms. Audrey Lamar, Emily King, and Google Classroom is used throughout the district to create Jamie Hawkins online learning *PBS Learning Media Digital environments for Innovator and MassCue Featured students. A variety of Educator 2017: Kimberly DeLeo powerful technology *Technicians: Pedro Moniz and Dave tools are utilized in Brown our classrooms to *District Data Clerk: Marjory personalize learning Medberry and create self- *The District Technology Committee directed learning and all school-based technology experiences for our committees met regularly to address students. policies and district-wide tech needs *Comcast upgrade-Metro Ethernet Classrooms are equipped with LCD projectors, document connection (direct fiber optic line cameras, and access to mobile laptop carts. Students from Comcast into HMS) *300 utilize Chromebooks, Macbooks, and iPads at each school megabits download and upload to enhance their ability to communicate, collaborate, *School-based Student Tech Teams critically analyze information, and share their knowledge are currently being developed for locally and globally. FY 2017-18

In FY 2016-17, the district’s infrastructure was upgraded to provide better connectivity and faster speeds to handle our growing technology access needs throughout the district. Our schools are wireless with access points positioned strategically in all of our school buildings. The Seekonk School Committee approved the Responsible Use and Internet Safety Policy that was revised by the District Technology Committee comprised of teachers, administrators, and tech staff. The district is committed to protecting school district and student data and keeping students safe online. Programs are being developed to further address digital literacy and citizenship for FY 2017-18. www.seekonkschools.org 7

SPECIAL EDUCATION Susan Doe, C.A.G.S., Director of Special Education

In FY 2016-17, special education programming continued to expand with the addition of a therapeutic alternative classroom at Martin Elementary School. We now have a continuum of therapeutic alternative programs at every level based on the ‘school-within-a-school’ model that closely mirrors many out-of-district collaborative programs. We know that increased therapeutic support is the key to successful programming; therefore, we were able to reduce our out-of- district costs by meeting the educational and emotional needs of our students in their home schools. Our vision to increase in-house programming every year remains steadfast. In fact, we have been working diligently to add an inclusive, extended-day pre-k classroom at Martin Elementary School for the fall of 2017.

There continues to be an increase in the number of special needs students moving to Seekonk. We currently have 356 students on Individual Education Plans compared to 275 in 2012. Not only have the number of students with disabilities increased, so too has the severity of their needs, most notably in the social-emotional domain. This increase has not only occurred in Seekonk but is happening on a national level as well. As a result, our general education and special education staff as well as our related service providers now have larger caseloads and greater responsibilities. Seekonk, like many other districts, finds the urgent need to build capacity in the area of school-based mental health supports.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has scheduled our next district-wide Special Education Coordinated Program Review for FY 2017-18 in three areas; Civil Rights, Special Education, and English Language Education. Although DESE will not interview teachers, parents, administrators and paraprofessionals, visit the classrooms or examine the facilities until next year, we were very busy preparing and submitting a vast array of required documents.

The Transition Coordinator, Janet Fitzgerald, along with the high school special educators continued to assist the high school students in the highly effective transition program to develop skills to prepare for either college or a career. In addition, a job coach from the School-to-Work grant, collaborated with our Transition Coordinator to provide additional career exploration opportunities for both general and special education students. We also held workshops at the high school in order to provide support to special education parents/guardians so that they could better plan for their child’s transition to adult life.

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The Unified Sports Program has been a tremendous success over the past two years in two areas, FAST FACTS basketball and track. This initiative was spearheaded at the

high school by Kristin Nelson, a  Districtwide survey on social-emotional issues and teacher of the Social Justice related professional development class. Alexis Bouchard, the  Workshop series on flexible thinking, self-awareness, Hurley Middle Assistant self-regulation, executive functioning, coping skills, Principal, coordinated the empathy, and relationship-building program at that level. School-  In-service presentation by Jessica Minahan, author of wide and community support is Understanding Anxiety phenomenal and this has  In-service training on ‘Mindfulness’ by April Frazier benefitted the entire school (Mindfulschools.org) culture.  Skype case consultation with Ross Greens and members of his staff using Collaborative and Proactive Solutions  Julie Love, R.N. from McLean School Nurse Project presented Understanding Depression  Overview of Child Anxiety Disorders in School Settings with Dr. Barry Plummer, Clinical Psychologist  Substance Abuse Screening Model and Education, a grant-funded project, presented by Dr. Catherine Vieira-Baker, Clinical Psychologist

 Development of a robust positive behavior support model for all students with training provided for all paraprofessionals, bus drivers, and cafeteria workers  ‘Differentiated Instruction for Diverse Learners’ presentation (Laura Almeida, David Bonneau, and Donna Laliberte)  ‘Executive Function Skills’ training (Marisha Znosko, HMS school psychologist)

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DISTRICT FAST FACTS SCHOOL ENROLLMENT AS OF OCT. 1, 2016

Enrollment statistics are a tool to compare measurements from one year to the next. It is important to understand that the figures listed below represent ‘a moment in time’. As students move into and out of the district, these enrollment statistics will change accordingly.

STUDENT POPULATION ETHNICITY

Aitken Elementary 416 • American Indian/Native American Martin Elementary 440 • Asian Hurley Middle School 524 • Black Seekonk High School 583 • Hispanic Total Number of Students 1,963 • Multi‐Racial • White

2.3% Limited English Proficiency DEDICATED STAFF 15.7% Special Education FTE 13.8% Economically Disadvantaged Teachers 181.1 4.4% First Language Not English Administrators 10.0 Secretaries/Paraprofessionals 73.5 Custodial/Maintenance 15.8

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Per Pupil Expenditure Summary, FY14‐FY16

Fiscal year 2016 data last updated April 11, 2017

This report shows per pupil expenditures by major functional categories for the last three years, including total in‐district expenditures, and total expenditures for all districts. Total expenditures per pupil average across all expenditures and pupils, both in‐district and out‐of‐district. The out‐of‐district expenditure functions (9000 series) are not included on this report because we are not able to calculate per pupil expenditures consistently for all of these functional categories. Districts with incomplete fiscal year 2016 data are not displayed and FTEs that are less than 6 are suppressed.

Seekonk 2014 2015 2016 FTEIn In‐District FTE Pupils 2,039.6 1,955.3 1,967.7 FTEOut Out‐of‐District FTE Pupils 44.9 49.0 53.4 FTEs Total FTE Pupils 2,084.5 2,004.3 2,021.1

2014 2015 2016 $ Per In‐ % Share of In‐ % Share of $ Per In‐ % Share of In‐ % Share of $ Per In‐ % Share of In‐ % Share of District Pupil District State Average State District Pupil District State Average State District Pupil District State Average State Function Description A B = A / IIII B C = B / IIII A B = A / IIII B C = B / IIII A B = A / IIII B C = B / IIII ADMN Administration $514.54 4.1% $500.14 3.6% $598.56 4.6% $531.08 3.7% $644.74 4.8% $545.84 3.6% LDRS Instructional Leadership $630.76 5.0% $935.16 6.7% $650.39 5.0% $976.22 6.8% $673.23 5.0% $1,016.77 6.8% TCHR Teachers $5,318.63 42.2% $5,442.89 38.9% $5,635.06 43.0% $5,619.30 38.9% $5,877.68 43.4% $5,832.83 38.9% TSER Other Teaching Services $970.53 7.7% $1,138.33 8.1% $979.92 7.5% $1,177.10 8.2% $1,027.60 7.6% $1,240.54 8.3% PDEV Professional Development $113.15 0.9% $217.05 1.6% $75.20 0.6% $197.46 1.4% $95.79 0.7% $207.30 1.4% MATL Instructional Materials, Equipment and Technology $266.12 2.1% $431.09 3.1% $205.67 1.6% $430.82 3.0% $169.99 1.3% $467.19 3.1% GUID Guidance, Counseling and Testing $543.37 4.3% $420.88 3.0% $584.42 4.5% $443.26 3.1% $641.25 4.7% $461.53 3.1% SERV Pupil Services $1,007.75 8.0% $1,375.78 9.8% $1,072.91 8.2% $1,430.21 9.9% $1,108.72 8.2% $1,501.14 10.0% OPMN Operations and Maintenance $1,201.71 9.5% $1,102.49 7.9% $1,129.43 8.6% $1,140.40 7.9% $1,150.78 8.5% $1,129.52 7.5% BENE Insurance, Retirement Programs and Other $2,025.14 16.1% $2,434.56 17.4% $2,184.44 16.7% $2,490.70 17.3% $2,168.87 16.0% $2,602.16 17.3% IIII In‐District Per Pupil Expenditure $12,591.71 $13,998.38 $13,116.00 $14,436.55 $13,558.65 $15,004.83 TTPP Total Per Pupil Expenditures $13,576.69 $14,520.87 $14,460.92 $14,942.16 $15,020.79 $15,526.07

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FINANCIAL UPDATE 2016‐2017

The 2016‐2017 General Operating Budget was $24,320,442, an increase of $661,679 (3.6%)

fy17 grants Transportation Administrative Technology$1,715,581, Utilities $1,611,140, Athletic $638,030, 6.8% $734,060, 2.9% 6.6% $472,912, 1.9% 3.6% Cust‐Maint IDEA 94‐142 Allocation $446,210 Special Ed. $1,213,688, $6,201,735, 4.8% TITLE I $208,034 25.8% TITLE II‐A $ 35,201 SPED PROG IMPROVEMENT $ 16,111 EARLY CHILDHOOD SPED $ 1,400 EARLY CHILDHOOD & CARE $ 11,842

TOTAL $718,798

Instructional $11,589,262, Professional 47.0% Development $144,035, 0.6%

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SEEKONK HIGH SCHOOL

Dr. Christopher Jones, Principal Kevin Aguiar, Interim Assistant Principal Christine Whatley, Director of Guidance

Curriculum and Instruction

Seekonk High School designs curriculum and delivers instruction in a manner meant to engage, motivate, and challenge students. Due to the success of our advanced placement program, we have been preparing for the addition of an Advanced Placement Psychology class. This raises FAST FACTS the number of AP courses at the high school to ten and Website: provides more choices and opportunities for students. http://shs.seekonk.sharpschool.com/ SHS will also be adding a Civics Course 1 ½ years School Profile: before it is actually required by the State of http://bit.ly/2qFU3cJ Massachusetts.

Seekonk High School continually reworks its curriculum CLASS OF 2017 SNAPSHOT to improve instructional outcomes and student success. 142 Students For example, this year, science teachers aligned their 65% Four-year college or university instructional practices to be in compliance with the new 17% Two-year college science standards. Math teachers reworked their 7% Technical school curriculum to assure a smooth transition as algebra 9% career/work force moves to eighth grade. Staff representing the English 1% Military departments at the middle and high school increased the 1% Gap Year commonality of expectations and grading practices. 1% Enrolled in dual enrollment Many other faculty members continued to work with (BCC) Hurley Middle School to vertically align curriculum 99% Completed community service across the two buildings. requirement at time of printing

Seekonk High School has begun preparation for its NEASC decennial visit in the 2020.

Student Support and Success

Seekonk High School is committed to making sure students succeed by supporting them academically, socially, and emotionally.

Based on the success we had this year, SHS will be holding its second annual Freshmen Orientation this August as a way to assist students transitioning from eighth grade. The students meet their teachers, hear expectations, and learn how to become involved socially. Moreover, we

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now offer a Personal Development Class to support this new FAST FACTS initiative and we revamped the health class to include organizational skills, digital literacy and increased education concerning opioid awareness. Seekonk High School has GRADUATION RATE also created a Winter School to assist struggling students so 2013 - 96.1% they may persevere throughout the year. 2014 - 96.8% 2015 - 94.6% Technology 2016 - 94.7% 2016 SAT Test Takers: 110 Seekonk High School believes that responsible, effective use Critical Reading: 523 of technology is essential to a 21st Century education. Math: 532 Writing: 524 2016 ACT Test Takers: 7 SHS continues to move forward with our technology Composite: 22.0 initiatives by placing Google Chrome Carts in the core classrooms of freshmen and sophomores. To ensure that these computers are properly integrated into the curriculum CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS and foster student centered environments, teachers 16/17 Football participated in professional development to effectively 16/17 Field Hockey respond to the “on demand” learning opportunities for 16/17 Boys and Girls Swimming students. (Undefeated) 16/17 Unified Track and Field Seekonk High School has made good use of Portals Plus (Sectional Champions) and Google Classroom to further involve parents in their student’s education through frequent, informative, and meaningful communication.

Community Communication and Involvement

Seekonk High School understands it is part of the larger community and therefore strives to flatten its walls; giving the community as a whole a glimpse into daily occurrences.

Seekonk High School has become one of four statewide William Joiner Institute/UMass Boston partner schools. As a result, teachers have been able to attend nine workshops. This has resulted in the rewriting of various curriculum units and the completion of new projects.

A new weekly newsletter has been created that is interactive, contains video feed, explains what is occurring, and announces upcoming events. This newsletter is shared via social media and email and receives an average of 1,700 views each week. The SHS Facebook and Twitter accounts feature student accomplishments, classroom videos, and updates around school. TOP ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The SHS Symphonic Band directed by Music Director John Smialek received its highest score ever (99/100) earning a 10th Platinum Award at the Great East band Festival.

SHS Social Studies teacher Peter Hoogerzeil received the State Teacher of the Year award from the Daughters of the American Revolution.

English and Art Department teachers attended the Youth to Youth Refugee Symposium at UMass Boston with 12 students.

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DR. KEVIN M. HURLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL

Dr. William V. Whalen III, Principal Alexis Bouchard, Interim Assistant Principal

New Program in FY 2016-17

National Junior Honor Society KHMS has become a chapter member of the National Junior Honor Society. Membership in the NJHS is one of the highest honors awarded to a middle school student. Chapters strive to give practical meaning to the Society’s standards of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. These five pillars are the basis of selection.

Unified Sports

Last year, our school began Unified Basketball on a small scale. This year, we have created a basketball program for students with and without disabilities, including our student leaders. Our team practices on a regular basis and plays games against another local middle school in the Massasoit League of Middle Schools.

Accolades FAST FACTS Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School is honored to have been named a 2017 NELMS (New England League of Middle The Warriors Give Back! Schools) Spotlight School! HMS students raised Although our school is rated Level 2, we are making progress by $575.00 for Dana-Farber earning bonus points for students. We have accomplished this by Cancer Society, and $405.50 decreasing the number of students who previously fell within the for the Gloria Gemma categories of Warning/Failing for ELA, math and science. This Foundation. is in addition to the increase student scores in the category of ‘Advanced’ for math and science.

Curriculum and Instruction Hour of Code Students participated in the Hour of Code, which is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics. www.seekonkschools.org 14

Instructional Rounds The Educator Leadership Team has organized Instructional Rounds as an opportunity for teachers to observe their colleagues and learn from each other. Teachers also share best practices through “Faculty Meeting Breakout Sessions.”

New Course Offerings  Algebra I  6th Grade World Language  Spanish I (over two years in grades 7 and 8)  Portuguese I (over two years in grades 7 and 8)

Distributed Leadership

Student Leadership Ten eighth grade students were chosen to be members of the Student Leadership Team. The team works on special projects throughout the year such as preparing for and presenting at the Annual State of the School Address, reading to elementary students, participating in Unified Basketball, and helping to organize and facilitate the fifth grade orientation program. Students applied in September by writing an essay about why they feel they would make for an effective leader at our school, and the essays are reviewed by the Teacher Leadership Team.

Educator Leadership Teachers participate on the leadership team at HMS in order to empower all of our educators to share their expertise and utilize their leadership skills. This new role is a two-year commitment. Educators on the leadership team have organized instructional rounds for staff and assist with the scheduling of breakout sessions whereby educators can problem-solve or share new ideas and best practices. Team members have also been working on grant writing to supplement the HMS budget. All teachers at HMS are encouraged to attend leadership team meetings and share any concerns they would like discussed with administrators at the regular meetings of the leadership team.

Lobby Hours Periodically throughout the school year, HMS administrators hold “Lobby Hours” with teachers and students. This is an informal setting that allows people to share ideas with the Principal and Assistant Principal or to ask questions. Lobby Hours for teachers are held in the morning before school, and the student sessions are held after school. Refreshments are offered during Lobby Hours and the meetings are always well attended.

Pizza with the Principal All members of the HMS Community are welcome to attend sessions with the Principal and Assistant Principal. The administrators provide a short presentation regarding curriculum and instruction as well as news and updates about the school to parents and community members in attendance. We often have a guest speaker, very often one of our knowledgeable educators. Parents and community members are encouraged to provide feedback and ask questions. Pizza, as well as soda and water are provided. This is a great way to get parents and family members engaged in our school.

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MILDRED H. AITKEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Nancy Gagliardi, Principal The district made a commitment to teacher leadership and FAST FACTS developed a model to provide opportunities for shared

district and school leadership. Within Aitken School, Preschool – Grade 5 Joanna Rioux led the charge by becoming its Educational Leader which represents our school along with Principal Student population = 423 Nancy Gagliardi at district level leadership meetings. The

Aitken School has been accredited educational content liaisons are: Jennifer Wentworth for by the New England Association of ELA, Barbara Manickas for mathematics, Sarah Mooney Schools & Colleges since 2004. for science and Rachel Germain for social studies.

Highlights “Writers’ Workshop” and “Readers Workshop” are almost fully implemented. The staff has received extensive Feinstein Jr. Scholars School professional development through the Teaching & Learning Alliance to develop the curriculum, create lessons and Aitken Student Ambassadors – 5th refine teaching strategies to provide a strong ELA program. graders making Aitken even better! During the next school year, word study will be a focus in Buddy Bench arrival – June 2017 grades 1-5.

20th Annual Creative Awareness The “Tools of the Mind” curriculum and philosophy has Week been effectively implemented in preschool and kindergarten. The program is a true strength of the school. 43rd Annual Pumpkin Somethin’ The students not only learn beginning reading, writing, math and science, but the focus on self-regulation, teamwork and problem solving has enabled students to truly be prepared for the elementary grades.

During the last two years, the Elementary Mathematics Committee has researched and the faculty ultimately piloted

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four mathematics programs. This spring, “Everyday Mathematics 4” was adopted and will be implemented at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year.

The technology program expanded this year and all students in grades 3-5 had a Chrome Book to use throughout the day. In the lower elementary grades, each grade level shares a Chrome Book or iPad cart. Students are acquiring a strong foundation to support their future.

High quality professional development by peers continues to flourish at Aitken School. Beyond training each other at staff meetings, professional development courses have been created by the staff. Offerings this year included Social Thinking by Ellen Corvi, Mindsets in the Classroom by Barbara Manickas, Sheltered English Immersion by Caroline Haley, Google by Kathy Keough, and Reading Strategies by Joanna Rioux.

Aitken’s Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) Committee has guided the creation of expectations within the school, on the playground and on the buses. The focus is to bring attention to the positive behaviors and contributions of the students. To further support this initiative, a “buddy bench,” was purchased. Mrs. Meredith Cosimini’s class created a coloring book, Twenty-two Ways to Be a Friend and this was sold to families and other supporters of Aitken School to fund the Buddy Bench, a place to find playmates and make new friends.

The Grade 5 Student Ambassadors were launched this year. Unlike a typical student council, 15 students are selected by classroom teachers for terms of approximately 6 weeks, thus allowing many students to have the opportunity to be in a leadership position for the school. Currently they are working on teaching fellow students about the buddy bench, friendships and empathy.

In a joint effort with the Seekonk Public Library, the Aitken Literary Magazine was launched this spring. Students meet once a week after school with the school and public librarians to write articles for the magazine. The first edition will be available to the public in June 2017.

Aitken School is a Feinstein School and promotes good deeds. Students receive a good deeds journal where they can keep a record of how they help others and the world. Whole school initiatives included two food drives, a holiday gift drive and the buddy bench collection. Jump Rope for Hearts was coordinated by Earl Queenan, Autism Awareness Week was launched by Josh Benevides, and Laurie Soares championed the American Heart Association drive.

The Aitken PTO continues to extensively enhance the school program and culture through its fund-raising and school events. Outstanding programs/events throughout the year included Pumpkin Somethin’, Flames of Fall, Holiday Shop, Snack with Santa, Evening of Giving, Sweetheart Dance, Boys’ Night Out, Reading Week, book fairs and challenges, Mother’s Day Plant Sale, and field days. In addition, support was given to several long-standing reading programs - the Accelerated Reader Program and the RIF Book Distributions. Help with the cost of field trips, library books, assemblies, in-school programs, playground materials and classroom supplies have enhanced a rich educational environment.

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GEORGE R. MARTIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Bart Lush, Principal

Martin School is keeping pace with increased technology,

but also reinforcing perseverance, problem solving and the FAST FACTS ability to collaborate through our PBIS program. PBIS is our positive behavior intervention support program. Students Kindergarten – Grade 5 earn PRIDE tickets for showing their perseverance, respect, integrity determination and enthusiasm. Students take great Student population = 443 care of their tickets as they can use them at a bi-weekly market. Counting the color-coded tickets turned in allows Martin School is a Level 1 our staff to see where and when students are being School recognized for PRIDE and how we can improve. PBIS ties into programs such as adding the new “buddy bench” creating not only a safe intellectual environment for all HIGHLIGHTS students, but also laying a solid foundation for social skills. We also continue to Feinstein Jr. Scholars School support the community through Buddy Bench build - June 2017 giving back to Doorways as well as School-wide PBIS many other incentive/Martin Market fundraisers run by the Student Council. th 6 year Spanish Club In terms of technology, we have all but two classrooms in grades 3-5 functioning as one-to-one classrooms. This means that each student has his or her own Chromebook. Students are incorporating applications such as Read/Write to self-correct, revise and edit with clarity in Google Classroom. Even our younger students are transforming their learning through technology.

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A student help desk group was recently formed to keep up with the demands of increased technology usage. Every room in the building where learning takes place has an LCD projector, interactive whiteboard and speaker set. Our teachers utilize technology to create highly engaging lessons. In FY 2017-18 we will have as many devices as students. A coding group meets weekly to practice coding and use CAD software for 3-D printing projects. Students range from grades 2-5. They come on a voluntary basis overseen by the technology integrator. Outside of this group, for the past few years, interested students have created their own projects for our 3-D printer.

We continue to expand our classrooms through fieldtrips, and when field trips are not an option, we have the field trips come to us. A good example would be Earth View. Working with the PTO, teachers were able to have students get a tour of the earth inside an inflatable model. A tour guide walks students through the continents inside the 30-foot tall bubble. Another program offered to students in grades 3-5 was our Spanish Club. The Club is facilitated by high school students. 2016-2017 was the year of the Author. This year we had six different authors visit the school, ranging from a Red Sox beat- writer to a nationally known illustrator/author who publishes well- known children’s books.

Since doing well is never good enough, Seekonk has been proactive in developing new reading, writing, math and science programs. Two thirds of the year was spent evaluating/piloting four new math programs. Teachers on the Math Committee guided the process and gathered data. Next year we will see the start of our new math program, Everyday Mathematics 4, replacing a decade old one.

With many new initiatives, the district pushed to put leadership in the hands of more teachers. Martin School now has an educational leader and liaisons for science, social studies, math and ELA. These leaders are taking a more critical look at how we teach and making adjustments to meet the needs of all students.

Our PTO remains a powerhouse. They continue to fund educational experiences that benefit all grade levels both in and out of the school. This collaborative group of parents creates opportunities for reading, math, community awareness and family fun.

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SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND SCHOOLS School Committee Members Chair John Dietel

Vice-Chair Beth Eklund

Secretary Deborah Viveiros

Member Raymond C. Grant

Member Erin Brouillette Former School Committee Member Bill Woods

Schools Seekonk High School Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School 261 Arcade Avenue 650 Newman Avenue Seekonk, MA 02771 Seekonk, MA 02771 Phone: (508)336-7272 Phone: (508)761-7570

Dr. Christopher Jones, Principal Dr. William V. Whalen III, Principal Mr. Kevin Aguiar, Interim Assistant Principal Ms. Alexis Bouchard, Interim Assistant Principal Mrs. Christine Whatley, Director of Guidance

Mildred H. Aitken School George R. Martin Elementary School 165 Newman Avenue 445 Cole Street Seekonk, MA 02771 Seekonk, MA 02771

Mrs. Nancy Gagliardi, Principal Mr. Bart Lush, Principal www.seekonkschools.org 20

FY 2016-17 SCHOOL CALENDAR

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The Fabulous 50

eekonk High School SBest score ever (99/100) for Symphonic Band (10th Platinum Award at Great East Band Festival) Four teachers (E. Mello, B. Schebel, J. Angelini, J. Pomfret) awarded State Partners in Excellence Teacher Award from Massachusetts Insight in Education SHS Social Studies teacher, P. Hoogerzeil named MA Teacher of the Year (DAR) 27 students travelled to Spain and Portugal over April vacation for 12 days to study culture English/Art teachers & 12 students attended Youth-to-Youth Refugee Symposium at UMass Boston SHS Model UN (44 members) attended a record 7 conferences, hosted one, received many awards Enrollment in Advanced Placement classes increased from 230 in 2016 to 258 in 2017 A new civics course was developed and will be offered 2nd year Unified Track and Field Team won Division 1 State Championship Meet Two new initiatives, Personal Development Transition and Winter School to support SEL

urley Middle School H2017 NELMS Spotlight School - currently only 36 Spotlight Schools in all of New England! Educator Leadership Team empowers teachers to lead from the classroom Student leaders work with teachers/administrators - serve as role models for their peers Great support for “THE WARRIOR WAY” - Be Safe, Kind, Respectful, Responsible 1:1 Chromebook Pilot Program (2 teachers & their students) – Chromebook Cart - academic teams, special education programs, Encore, library, computer applications lab Expanded Curricula to include Algebra – 1st class to complete Level 1 Spanish/Portuguese Extra credit for decreasing % of Warning/Failing Scores & increasing % of Advanced scores in science Extra credit for increasing % of Advanced scores in ELA Lobby Hours for students and teachers ELA (writing) by the Teaching and Learning Alliance; developing new science curriculum; prep for Algebra I in grade 8

itken Elementary School AReaders’ Workshop thriving! Writers’ Workshop – authors galore! Gr. 5 Student Ambassadors – great ideas & great support! Buddy Bench arrives! Find a new playmate. Make a new friend.

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Shared teacher leadership – in place & powerful! 20th Annual Creative Awareness Week 43rd Annual Pumpkin Somethin’ High quality professional development offered by Aitken faculty Literary Magazine – joint effort by Aitken School & Seekonk Public Library Chrome Books – gr. 3-5 – Aitken rocks in technology!

artin Elementary School MReader’s Workshop –students love reading Year of the Author - 6 professional writers visited Student Council fundraisers- giving back to the community Buddy Bench – Second grade designed project- promotes social skills Enough technology devices for almost every student (enough in 2017-2018) LCD projectors, interactive boards and speaker in every learning space PTO continues to provide high quality educational enrichment and family events Level I School Students (grades 1-5) using Google Classroom on Chromebooks for more and more assignments PBIS really works! Data shows that students excel at perseverance, respect, problem-solving, determination, and collaboration

istrict DImplementation of Educator Leader Initiative Strategic Plan, Facilities, Study, Technology Survey, Town-wide Survey Online Payment Center for Transportation and Preschool MSBA invitation for windows/doors replacement at Aitken Full-Day Kindergarten – Finally! Phase 1 of paperless initiative for student records and central office documents VOIP for new telephone system using fiber network Bay State Textiles Recycling Initiative Phase 2 of security upgrades at all buildings Technology re-organization (E-Rate reimbursable)

www.seekonkschools.org

PERSONNEL CHANGES

RESIGNED

NAME POSITION DATE Paul Cote Special Education Teacher 10/28/16 Veronica Holt Supervisory Aide 09/08/16 Sheri Houde Supervisory Aide 07/29/16 Ellyn Metcalf Science Teacher 04/24/17 Paul Szabo Crossing Guard 12/29/16 Betsy Thompson School Psychologist 04/12/17 Samantha Varney Instructional Aide 09/02/17

RETIRED

NAME POSITION DATE Dolores Berube Instructional Aide 07/16/16 Meredith Cosimini 5th Grade Teacher 06/30/17 Joseph Perry Head Custodian 09/28/16 Joan Pineau Supervisory Aide 01/06/17 Kathleen Thibodeau 5th Grade Teacher 06/30/17

TRANSFERRED/CHANGE OF STATUS

NAME FROM TO Mary Butler Instructional Aide Special Education Teacher Dr. Christopher Jones Interim High School High School Principal Principal Melissa Thurber Differentiated Instructor 3rd Grade Teacher Marisha Znosko Therapeutic Support School Psychologist Specialist/TAP Program David Rodrigues Maintenance 2nd Shift Custodian (MES) Jason Medeiros 2nd Shift Custodian (HMS) Maintenance Dawn Menard Transportation/Finance Coordinator Purchasing Laura Almeida Special Education Teacher‐ Special Education Learning Program BEST Program

INVOLUNTARY DISCONTINUATION OF EMPLOYMENT

NAME POSITION DATE Amy Potter Administrative Secretary (SPED) 07/20/16 Jessica Horsman Transport Nurse 04/13/16 Roger Melo Network Manager 01/06/17

APPOINTED

NAME POSITION DATE Billie Jo Jackson Administrative Secretary (SPED) 09/12/16 Mary Conroy Supervisory Aide 09/12/16 Janice Calise Crossing Guard 01/17/17 Robert Fontaine Instructional Aide 08/30/16 Michaela Cook Instructional Aide 08/30/16 Catherine Balasco Therapeutic Support Specialist 08/29/16 Brian Perry Chemistry Teacher 08/29/16 Michael Manton Social Studies Teacher 08/29/16 Holly Flanagan Out‐of‐District Coordinator/ Pre‐School Coordinator 08/29/16 Manuel Faria Head Custodian (MES) 08/29/16 Mechelle Tucker Supervisory Aide 01/09/17 Linda McCoart School Nurse 08/29/16 David Bradley 2nd Shift Custodian (SHS) 09/06/16 Emanuel Sousa 2nd Shift Custodian (AES) 01/25/17 Kim Pellerin Instructional Aide 12/21/16 Tyla Martin 4th Grade Teacher 08/29/16 Harout Diarbian 2nd Shift Custodian (HMS) 12/19/16 Frank Braga Transportation Coordinator 10/31/16

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF SEEKONK, MA END‐OF‐YEAR ENROLLMENT REPORT AS OF JUNE 2017

GRADE SEEKONK HURLEY AITKEN MARTIN TOTAL H.S. MIDDLE ELEMENTARY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRE‐K 41 K 62 67 1st 59 68 2nd 67 70 3rd 60 58 4th 70 92 5th 64 88

TOTAL 866 ELEMENTARY

6th 169 7th 173 8th 180

TOTAL MIDDLE 522 SCHOOL

9th 148 10th 155 11th 140 12th 142

TOTAL HIGH 585 SCHOOL

TOTAL 1,973 ENROLLMENT

Field Trips The following field trips took place during FY2016‐2017:

Aitken Elementary Grade Location 3rd New Bedford Whaling Museum 4th RIHS Museum 5th Norman Bird Sanctuary, Murley Middle School

Martin Elementary Grade Location K Four Town Farm, Providence Children's Museum 1st Four Town Farm, Capron Park & Zoo 2nd Southwick Zoo 3rd Boston Museum of Science, Plimouth Plantation, Seekonk Police Station/Library, Caratunk Wildlife Sanctuary 4th Slater Mill 5th Boston Tour, Hurley Middle School, Old South Meeting House

Hurley Middle School Grade Location 6th North Bowl Lanes, Patriot Place 7th United Skates of America 8th Seekonk High School, Francis Farm, Tri‐County Regional Vocational Technical High School, Park Theater, Harvard Museum of Natural History, Showcase Cinema Band Swansea Mall Unified Sports Team Case Middle School Math Team Coyle & Cassidy School, Norton Middle School Student Council Six Flags Amusement Park BASE Program Patriot Place, Four Town Farm, Roger Williams Park & Zoo Garden Club Hope Artiste Farmers’ Market – Pawtucket, RI Debate Team Middleboro Middle School, Berkley Middle School Cross Country Team Wrentham Development Center Girls Basketball Team Providence College HMS Student Aitken Elementary School, Martin Elementary Representatives ‐ Grade 5 School Presentations Drama Club Seekonk High School Seekonk High School destinations included: Burrs Pond Jo‐Ann Fabrics Westwood High School New England Aquarium St. John’s Bishop Feehan High School Preparatory School, Shrewsbury, MA Gillette Stadium Isabella Stewart Bristol Community College, Fall Gardner Museum River Durfee High School Trinity Minnechaung Regional High Reperatory School Theatre Rhode Island Central Alden Labs, Drumlin Farm, Lincoln, MA Landfill Holden, MA Bedford High School Escape RI Swansea Mall New Bedford High School Attleboro High Brockton High School School Arruda Dairy Grist Mill Pond Easton, MA Clark University Hurley Middle Martin Elementary School School McCoy Stadium New England Dighton‐Rehoboth Regional Tech High School Somerset‐Berkeley Walden Pond, Westin – Copley Place, Boston, Regional High School Concord, MA MA Harvard Museum of Ramada Inn, Independence Harbor Natural History Seekonk, MA St. John’s Preparatory Johnson & Wales Attleboro Arts Museum School, Danvers, MA University Bridgewater State Sheraton Hotel, Showcase Cinemas/McDonald's University Boston, MA Greater New Bedford Attleboro District University of Massachusetts, Regional Vocational Court House Amherst, Boston & Dartmouth Technical High School Campuses Four Town Farm Fairhaven High Middleboro High School School PV Farm Taunton High University of Connecticut School Spain/Portugal IMAX Theatre Hope Artiste Village, Pawtucket, Providence Place RI Mall Sharon High Providence King Philip Regional High School School/Middle School Convention Center Runnins River Colt State Park

School Dining Services 261 Arcade Avenue Seekonk, MA 02771 Tel: 508-336-0314 Cell: 401-255-2834 Report of the School Lunch Program July 1, 2016 June 30, 2017

I hereby submit my report to the Superintendent of Schools, the School Committee and the people of Seekonk.

All School lunch and breakfast meals meet the U.S.D.A. meal requirements. Student lunches qualify for state and federal reimbursement, while adults must pay the full cost of the meal, plus the state meal tax, $3.30. The student lunch price is $2.75 in the Elementary Schools, $3.00 at the Middle School and the High School.

All a la carte foods and snacks in the schools meet the Massachusetts School Nutrition Standards for Competitive Foods and Beverages. Our Chartwells staff works hard to provide nutritious meals in a pleasant environment of our children.

From July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017 we served the following:

Total Student Lunches: 123,161 Paid: 73,903 Free 43,478 Reduced: 5,780

Month Days Student Paid Free Reduced Lunches Lunches Lunches Lunches July 0 0 0 0 0 August 2 991 600 355 36 September 21 13609 8189 4839 581 October 20 13764 8214 4794 756 November 18 12701 7682 4430 589 December 17 12049 7341 4154 554 January 20 13598 8131 4828 639 February 13 9089 5412 3277 400 March 21 15004 8976 5310 718 April 14 9927 5917 3529 481 May 22 15372 9212 5455 705 June 12 7057 4229 2507 321

Karleen DeLellis F.S.D.

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FY 2017-18 SCHOOL CALENDAR

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