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NOTICE DOVER-SHERBORN REGIONAL SCHOOLS SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 1, 2014, 6:30 P.M.-8:30 P.M. DOVER-SHERBORN REGIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY

(Members of the public are welcome to attend. Regional School Committee members include:

Mr. Richard Robinson, Chair, Ms. Dana White, Vice Chair, Ms. Lauren Balk,

Ms. Clare Graham, Secretary, Mr. Michael Lee, and Ms. Shelley Poulsen)

AGENDA

Call to order Community Comments Reports Students Ms. Emme McCabe, DSHS Student Council Rep Ms. Rachel Handler, DSMS Student Council Rep Subcommittees Central Office Superintendent: Mr. Bliss MASS Academic Excellence Award Presentation: Daniel Wood Donation Acceptance: Anonymous towards SPAN-DS AR Special Education Reorganization AR Assistant Superintendent: Dr. LeDuc Finance: Ms. Tague High School Report: Mr. Smith Introduction DSHS Assistant Headmaster: Ms. Ann Keegan Donation Acceptance: DS Gridiron Club AR Middle School Report: Mr. Kellett Special Items and New Business Note: The listings of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may, in fact, be discussed and other items not listed may also be raised for discussion to the extent permitted by law. Town Meeting Preparation: Attendance, Warrants, & Protocols Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC) Delegate for 2014-15 School Year Calendar 2014-15 AR Superintendent’s Evaluation Update Meeting Minutes Dover Sherborn Regional School Committee Minutes of 3/4/2014 & 3/17/2014 AR Sherborn School Committee Meeting Minutes of 2/11/2014 Dover School Committee Meeting Minutes of 12/17/2013 & 1/21/2014 Routine Business Enrollment Report as of April 1, 2014 Adjournment

The Public Schools of Dover and Sherborn do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or homelessness.

The Public Schools of Dover and Sherborn

157 Farm Street Dover, MA 02030 Phone: 508-785 -0036 Fax :508- 785-2239 URL: www.doversherborn.org Mr. Steven B. Bliss, Superintendent Dr. Karen L. LeDuc, Assistant Superintendent Ms. Christine Tague, Business Manager

Central Office Report to the Regional School Committee April, 2014

Superintendent’s Updates Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS) Academic Excellence Award

Daniel Wood was named the 2014 MASS Academic Excellence Award recipient. Daniel was selected after a screening process involving a transcript review, administrator recommendation, and an interview process. Daniel’s resume reflects unparalleled leadership, stellar academic performance, distinguished community service, and impressive extracurricular involvement including the fine and performing arts, mock trial, and athletics. Dr. Paul Wood and Dr. Pamela Mok, Daniel’s parents, as well as his brothers Evan (’14) and Ethan (’19) plan to attend the April 1st RSC meeting to see Daniel receive this award.

The US Presidential Scholars Program We are pleased and proud to report that Conor Walsh was selected for the US Presidential Scholars Program.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, by executive order of the President, to recognize and honor some of our nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors. In 1979, the program was extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative, and performing arts. Each year, up to 141 students are named as Presidential Scholars, one of the nation's highest honors for high school students. We are pleased and honored to announce that Conor C. Walsh, ’14, was named a US Presidential Scholar.

For the academic component of the program, students who meet the following criteria:  are or will be U.S. citizens or Legal Permanent U.S. Residents by the application deadline (Students who were not U.S. citizens or Legal Permanent U.S. Residents on the day they took SAT or ACT exam, or who requested that The College Board or ACT not release their scores to outside entities, should contact the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program at (319) 688-4345 to ensure their scores are considered in the determination of the candidate pool.);  graduate or receive a diploma between January and August of 2014, the current program year; and  score exceptionally well on either the SAT of the College Board or the ACT of the American College Testing Program, based on tests taken during the two-year window that begins in September, 2011 and runs through October, 2013, (for the recognition cycle concluding in June, 2014), or be nominated by their Chief State School Officer (CSSO) based on outstanding scholarship. For the arts component of the program, students who meet the following criteria:  are or will be U.S. citizens or Legal Permanent U.S. Residents by the application deadline;  graduate or receive a diploma between January and August of 2014, the current program year; 1  demonstrate academic achievement; and  participate in the National Young Arts Foundation's nationwide Young Arts Program.

Application for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program is by invitation only. Students may not apply individually to the program or be nominated (outside of the above process).

Longevity Memorandum The longevity memorandum effective for the 2014-15 school year is prepared and will be included in the April 28th joint school committee meeting packet. The memorandum was drafted several weeks ago, but was subsequently revised in light of changes to the longevity provision in the recently ratified Educators’ Agreement.

Athletic Advisory Council Mr. Heath Rollins, Athletic Director, held an Athletic Advisory Council meeting on February 27, 2014.

His strategy with the Council moving forward is to have members, in subgroups, conduct research and suggest actions and next steps related to pertinent issues having to do with the interscholastic athletic program. Subgroups have been formed to research program management (adding and removing teams) and the Athletic Handbook.

Mr. Rollins also shared that the cooperative girls’ ice hockey team was a success this past winter. The AAC will review the future of the cooperative team when Hopkinton provides budget and participation information this spring.

The next AAC meeting is May 1, 2014.

China Exchange Program If you have not visited the DS China Exchange blog, please do so at http://dschinaexchange.blogspot.com/. You will be captivated with the entries provided by Ms. Lockrow, DSHS English teacher/China Exchange teacher, and our students.

Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC) Massachusetts General Law Chapter 71B requires every school district to establish a Parent Advisory Council (PAC).

Following please find an excerpt from Section 3 of MGL Chapter 71B regarding PACs: "…. The school committee of any city, town, or school district shall establish a parent advisory council on special education. Membership shall be offered to all parents of children with disabilities and other interested parties. The parent advisory council duties shall include but not be limited to: advising the school committee on matters that pertain to the education and safety of students with disabilities; meeting regularly with school officials to participate in the planning, development, and evaluation of the school committee's special education programs. The parent advisory council shall establish by-laws regarding officers and operational procedures. In the course of its duties under this section, the parent advisory council shall receive assistance from the school committee without charge, upon reasonable notice, and subject to the availability of staff and resources. …"

NEASC Mr. Bliss and Mr. Smith authored the enclosed letter dealing with a proposed deferral of our Self-study. This topic was discussed at the January RSC meeting. The letter sent to Ms. Janet Allison, Chair, NEASC, is contained herein. The NEASC has not yet replied to the letter.

National Achievement Scholarship Program We are pleased and proud to announce that Jonathan Rapo qualified to receive a scholarship through the National Achievement Scholarship Program. A final determination on his application will be made public by the National Achievement Scholarship Program on April 9th.

The National Achievement Scholarship Program is an academic competition established in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding Black American high school students. Black students may enter both the National Achievement Program and the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) and meeting other published requirements for participation. The two annual programs are conducted concurrently but operated and funded separately. A student's standing is determined independently in each program. Black American students can qualify for recognition and be honored as Scholars in both the National Merit Program and the National Achievement Program, but can receive only one monetary award from NMSC.

Student Entry Requirements To participate in the National Achievement Scholarship Program, a student must: 1. take the PSAT/NMSQT in the specified year of the high school program and no later than the third year in grades 9 through 12, regardless of grade classification or educational pattern; 2. request entry to the National Achievement Program by marking Section 14 on the PSAT/NMSQT answer sheet, thereby identifying himself or herself as a Black American who wishes to be considered in this competition as well as in the National Merit Scholarship Program; 3. be enrolled as a high school student, progressing normally toward graduation or completion of high school, and planning to enroll full time in college no later than the fall following completion of high school; and 4. be a citizen of the United States; or be a U.S. lawful permanent resident (or have applied for permanent residence, the application for which has not been denied) and intend to become a U.S. citizen at the earliest opportunity allowed by law.

Program Recognition Of the more than 160,000 students who currently enter the National Achievement® Program each year, over 4,700 are honored. A group of about 3,100 Outstanding Participants are referred to colleges for their potential for academic success. A smaller group of about 1,600 are named Semifinalists, the only students who have an opportunity to advance in the competition for National Achievement Scholarships.

Semifinalists About 1,600 high-scoring participants in each year's National Achievement Scholarship Program are designated Semifinalists. To ensure that academically talented Black American students throughout the nation are included in the pool, Semifinalists are named on a regional representation basis. Semifinalists are the highest-scoring program participants in the states that constitute each region. Application materials are sent to Semifinalists through their high schools. Before being considered for a National Achievement Scholarship, a Semifinalist must advance to Finalist standing in the competition by meeting high academic standards and other requirements explained in the information provided to each Semifinalist. Click here to learn about requirements for becoming a Finalist in the 2014 National Achievement Scholarship Program.

Finalists In late January, approximately 1,300 Semifinalists are notified by mail at their home addresses that they qualify as Finalists. High school principals are notified and provided with a certificate to present to each Finalist.

Wellness Committee The Food Service Subgroup of the Wellness Committee is pleased to announce that Edvocate, Inc. (http://www.edvocate.org/) is officially engaged with the DS Public Schools to perform a comprehensive assessment of the food service program throughout the system. The Edvocate liaison met with Janelle Madden, Food Service Director, and with the entire Wellness Committee on the afternoon of March 31st.

The Stress/Anxiety Subgroup of the Wellness Committee is pleased to share that plans are well underway related to the Challenge Success Program (CSP). Ms. Ellen Chagnon, Regional Director of Guidance, is in regular contact with the CSP organizers at Stanford University concerning our application seeking to be named a CSP school district for the 2014-15 school year. Team DS designated for the CSP is comprised of representatives from all four schools, and also includes high school students.

The Wellness Policy Subgroup of the Wellness Committee has yet to formally meet, but the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent are in the process of gathering policies from other school districts and from other sources (i.e., Department of Public Heath) to inform the Subgroup’s work. On February 26th, as required by Section 204 of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the USDA released proposed regulations concerning school districts’ Wellness Policies. The proposed rule requires all local educational agencies (LEAs) participating in the National School Lunch Program and/or the School Breakfast program to meet expanded local school wellness policy requirements consistent with the new requirements. This proposed rule establishes the framework for the content of the local school wellness policies, stakeholder participation in the development of such policies, and requires periodic assessment of compliance and reporting on the progress toward achieving the goals of the local wellness policy.

TEC Newsletter We are pleased to include herein the most recent iteration of the TEC Newsletter.

Notable Chickering News Seven Chickering students were selected to participate in the All State Treble Chorus at the direction of visiting conductor Henry Leck. Approximately 650 students auditioned and only 200 were selected for the Chorus. Chickering had the highest percent accepted out of all schools participating.

Assistant Superintendent’s Updates Technology integration Weekly meetings with Ms. Dianne Pappafotopoulus and Mr. Anthony Ritacco yield important information regarding the positive shifts to a more robust wireless access at the Region, including: examples of technology integration such as using BYOD to develop multi-media projects in a high school foreign language class and professional development for middle and high school educators in the use of Aspen pages. The meetings provide a comprehensive view of technology across the three campuses and later this month we will meet with each building administration to discuss building professional development needs, documenting units of study in the area of technology, and each school’s Technology Plan Supplement.

Director of Technology Search Process The Director of Technology Search Committee comprised of administrator and educators from our four campuses, representatives from the three school committees, two members of the Technology Advisory Committee, the K-12 technology integrator, and the Assistant Superintendent, will convene to review credentials of applicants with the goal of recommending finalist candidates to the Superintendent. Planning meetings will commence in early April with interviews scheduled shortly thereafter.

International Students Dover-Sherborn Regional High School’s SEVIS I-17 application was filed in late March, with additional documentation due by late April. This comprehensive application will be reviewed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with a DSHS site visit scheduled for later in the year. The entire approval process could take up to eighteen months, and periodic updates will be provided to the School Committees.

Professional Development The Professional Development Committee met to discuss professional development across our four campuses. Two institutes are currently underway, Easiteach and Going Google, both facilitated by our own technology integrators, Mr. Steve Harte and Ms. Lori Aligheri. Ms. Dianne Papafotopoulos has just completed a series of after-school sessions on using Aspen pages and curriculum templates aligned to UbD and using Google. A review of the opportunities afforded DS educators by ACCEPT, TEC, NCTA, Landmark, MTA, Primary Source, and others revealed a robust array of offerings. A timely discussion during the session included the identification of professional development needs for the next school year, including social and emotional learning, close reading and the use of social media in the classroom.

Business Manager’s Updates Status of Appropriation as of March 31, 2014 Our initial review of operating results for FY14 indicates excess revenues of $124,534 and potential expenditure turn backs of $291,900. The revenue surplus is attributable to additional state aid. This expenditure surplus is based upon a positive salary variance of $125K and operating expenditures $166K. The operating expenditure turn back, which is conservative, is comprised of utilities, transportation, property insurance, workers’ compensation and other expenditure line items. This number is reflective of offsets to anticipated deficits in other line item categories including snow removal and WWTF contracted services. This projected surplus would result in a positive 3.05% Excess and Deficiency (E&D) balance. We will continue to project year end results and E&D impact for the remainder of the fiscal year in upcoming Regional School Committee meetings.

We received snow removal bills up to and including the last storm. The budget was $5K and to-date we expended $35K. The sander that is part of the capital request for FY15 will definitely defray contractor costs related to sand applications on campus.

The 3rd quarter revenue report and revolving funds will be provided at the next meeting.

Facilities The VCT flooring bid has been awarded to Enterprise Flooring, Inc. in the amount of $50K. Work is slated to commence at the end of the school year.

The WWTF failed the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) effluent testing for the month of February. This is one of several tests that is done and reported to DEP on a monthly basis to meet permit. We discussed the reason for the failure with Mr. Don Martinage, Martinage Engineering, Inc., and Mr. Charles Colson, Operator of Record, Weston & Sampson. The extremely cold temperatures, coupled with the age and recent performance of two of the original post EQ tank pumps, appear to be the root of the problem. When the upgrades were done three years ago the pumps were operating efficiently and were therefore not replaced. In February they were operating at less than 3 gph+/-. They typically run at 35gph+/-. These pumps are responsible for the methanol dousing rate and plant performance. Mr. Martinage recommends replacing the pumps with 35gph+/- pumps to ensure operational efficiency. The estimate, including installation, is $1,000 per pump. We have authorized Weston & Sampson to purchase and install the pumps. We will keep the Committee informed of the plant status.

Mr. Ken Beck, BLW Engineering, is currently designing the bid specifications for the boilers. Once the specifications are completed we will proceed with the bid process, most likely in late April. Once the bid results are known we will present to the Committee a proposed action plan to pay for the work.

FY15 Budget On March 12th and 13th the House and Senate passed resolutions on local aid. The resolution lists the same Chapter 70 aid $1,629,376 as proposed in Governor Patrick’s House 1. Minimum contributions, net school spending requirements, and other data and formula assumptions remain the same as those published on this website on January 22nd. However, Regional Transportation, Circuit Breaker, Homeless Transportation, Non Resident Vocations Student Transportation and Charter School Reimbursement will be decided during the budget process. The House Ways and Means Committee will release its FY15 budget recommendations in mid-April.

While the Region will receive an additional $206,070 in Chapter 70 versus what was budgeted for FY15, administration is concerned with the Regional Transportation appropriation. Significant debate surrounds this aid annually. It could be reduced to fill a void during the final budget balancing process as a result of the previously committed (and increased) Chapter 70 funding to cities and towns. We would recommend that the budget for FY15 Chapter 70 remain as is until the state budget process is completed

Important Upcoming FY15 Budget Dates The House Ways and Means Committee plans to release its redraft of Governor Patrick's $36.4B FY15 budget on April 9th, according to a committee aide. Until now, many had been expecting the bill to be released during the week of April 14th, but the date was reportedly adjusted in light of holidays and other notable events such as The Boston Marathon. April 29, 2014: Sherborn Town Meeting May 5, 2014: Dover Town Meeting

The Public Schools of Dover and Sherborn do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or homelessness.

The Public Schools of Dover and Sherborn

March 9, 2014

Ms. Janet Allison New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) 3 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 100 Burlington, MA 01803-4514

Dear Ms. Allison:

Dover-Sherborn Regional High School is scheduled to begin the reaccreditation process in the coming months by way of a Self-Study Report.

As we prepare for this work, questions and concerns arose around a myriad of issues surrounding NEASC accreditation as the process currently stands.

1. Inflexibility - NEASC needs to accept alternative methods of achieving its standards

and support, and in so doing support progressive improvement efforts. 2. Insularity – The standards are narrowly constructed and constitute another external mandate for schools. 3. Redundancy - NEASC needs to allow public schools the leeway and options it permits independent schools. 4. Expense - NEASC accreditation is cumbersome and consumes tremendous amounts of time and money, both of which are now in shorter supply than ever. 5. Responsiveness - NEASC needs to pay attention to criticism and input from the field and acknowledge and respond to both. 6. Relevance - The NEASC accreditation process no longer differs significantly from state- driven school reform efforts. NEASC should look to rebrand itself with an acute appreciation to Common Core-inspired curricular changes as well as the Massachusetts Educator Evaluation System, to mention only two.

We would be remiss in not clearly stating that these issues have for some time resulted in frustration around unwise deployment of limited human resources (i.e., teachers, administrators, support staff), inefficient use of scarce economic resources, and misdirected energy towards actual school improvement initiatives. In the aggregate, such frustration produced an acute sense of urgency among the practitioners at Dover-Sherborn Regional High School, as well as among Dover-Sherborn Regional School Committee members, as to the efficacy of NEASC. While there is some discourse around discontinuing Dover- Sherborn’s relationship with NEASC entirely, we collectively acknowledge efforts appear to be underway at the NEASC leadership level to improve and make more relevant the accreditation process.

In anticipation that NEASC will successfully reinvent itself and the parameters concerning accreditation, we feel that the best course of action for Dover-Sherborn is to suspend our participation in the NEASC process until such time as new procedures and protocols are developed. We are duly encouraged by Mr. Cameron Staples’ correspondence to Mr. Tom Scott, President, M.A.S.S., in which Mr. Staples not only acknowledges common concerns, but also announces the formation of a Board Committee to, “review processes and requirements to respond to the expressed concerns.”

We wish to retain our membership in the Association, and continue to pay dues, as we value the principles of self-assessment and reflectiveness residing at the core of NEASC’s mission.

We do not make this decision lightly. However, we feel this is the best and most appropriate course of action for our school and, most importantly, for the students whom we serve. We sincerely look forward to a redefined relationship with NEASC, one that assures that the NEASC evaluation process best serves the needs of our school and students.

Thank you in advance for your understanding.

Sincerely,

Steven B. Bliss Superintendent of Schools

John G. Smith Headmaster, Dover-Sherborn Regional High School

The Public Schools of Dover and Sherborn do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex/gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or homelessness. NEWSLETTER 781-326-2473 www.tec-coop.org

Volume I, Issue 4 The Power of Collaboration

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.’’ These powerful words by Helen Keller capture the March 2014 essence of effective collaboration. TEC is an innovative and entrepreneurial collaborative organization that is eager to work with others to achieve our mission and our new location in East Walpole will provide TEC’s staff, students, families, and member districts the opportunity to come together as a learning community Inside this issue: and collaborate. Commodity Chicken Bid 2

This year TEC has embarked a number of new collaborative relationships. Through the efforts of our local College Fair Success 3 educational and business leaders TEC has been selected to sponsor a K-12 Commonwealth Virtual School. The “TECCA” staff will co-locate with us in our new facility offering even more opportunities, such as partner- TEC-NET Event: Teaching About 4 ing on professional development with experts in virtual teaching and learning. Religion on March 28th

5 In addition, TEC has formed a new alliance with our neighboring collaborative, Bi-County Collaborative Legislative Breakfast (BICO). BICO will also join us on our new campus, moving a number of programs to the facility this fall. We TEC Panel Presents at 2014 5 look forward to working together with our BICO colleagues to build a warm and welcoming educational envi- Leading Future Learning ronment and explore ways in which we can work together in the future. Network Program News 6 There is much to do, but by working together we are shaping a future that is full of the potential to do so much! Happy Spring! TEC Website Wins Best in Class 6 Award

TEC Proposal for Commonwealth 7 Liz McGonagle, Executive Director Virtual School Accepted by BESE

TEC is Moving! We have a new home! After months of searching we have at Virtual School, TECCA as well as our sister collabora- last secured a new location! Next September the TEC Cam- tive, Bi County Collaborative (BICO). pus School will open at 141 Mansion Drive in East Walpole, TEC Campus School 02032. 141 Mansion Drive, East Walpole Nestled on 8 scenic acres, TEC’s new facility will provide expanded opportunities for our staff, students, families and communities to come together as a true learning community. The TEC administrative team has worked closely with an architect to design a state-of–the art facility that will support and enhance our continuum of programs including new amenities such as an Art and Music Room, Sensory Room, adapted Kitchen facilities, a Library and a Health and Fitness Room.

Many of TEC’s network of programs will be moving to our new location. We are also excited to announce that we will be sharing our new home with TEC’s new Commonwealth TEC Campus School Front Entrance Page 2 Volume I, Issue 4 News from Finance and Operations TEC PROCESSED USDA COMMODITY CHICKEN PRODUCTS BID FY 2014-2015 Dan Shovak, Director

TEC introduced a new bid to its list of Cooperative Purchasing bids for FY 2014-2015 at the request of one of the Food Service Directors who participates in the TEC Food Service Bids for Groceries; Bread, Rolls, & Bakery Products; Milk; Paper & Related Kitchen Products; and Vending/Beverages. Jeanne Johnson, the Food Service Director for Dedham Public Schools approached TEC after going out to bid in FY 2013-2014 with a smaller Collaborative group for the pro- curement of Processed USDA Commodity Chicken Products, which resulted in no bids being received.

Jeanne, who had worked tirelessly on this getting this bid off the ground for several years, was not ready to give up after just one attempt and approached TEC to see, if with our help, and the backing of the 58 participating districts of TEC and beyond, it could be bid again. After a long discussion and a review the existing bid, we felt that with bid document revisions and the backing of many districts, we would be successful!

Why Processed USDA Commodity Chicken Products you ask?

Each year US public school districts are offered USDA food products at an average $2.75/case, such as raw chicken (the whole bird), raw beef, raw pork, cheese, canned fruits & vegetables, and fresh fruits & vegetables, and each school district’s entitlement dollars are based on their enrollment/lunch program participation. If they are interested in any of these offerings, they review their menus for the year, take the dollar amount they are entitled to, and decide what per- centage of each product offered that they want to commit to, trying to use up as much of their entitlement dollars as possible. Some of what the USDA offers the school districts is taken as is, such as the canned and fresh fruits & vegetables, but not all schools want the raw meat products and cheese offered as is, which brings us to the question, “Why Processed USDA Commodity Chicken Products?”

Many schools want their commodity meats and cheese diverted into more convenient frozen products such as chicken patties and nuggets, beef patties & meatballs, pork sausage, cheese sticks, etc., which the government can have processed for them, but at what cost? What kind of cost control is there on the companies chosen to divert the USDA commodity meats and cheese? Apparently…NONE! This is why Jeanne and a group of others decided to take matters into their own hands by competitively bidding the diverted products they wanted; starting with chicken.

With lessons learned, after an unsuccessful first bid, the TEC Processed USDA Commodity Chicken Bid FY14-15 process began with:  Revising the existing bid so that it wasn’t so restrictive that no one wanted to bid on it;  Getting the word out about the bid to all TEC bid participants and other school districts; inviting them to bid with us. Most of the 58 TEC districts (51) were interested and 25 additional school districts joined as well, for a total of 76 participants;  Meeting with vendors who had the capabilities to process the chicken (using the whole bird: white and dark meat), and coming up with products they can process, that meet our needs and specifications.  After deciding on which type of chicken products we wanted, the vendors were sent good product descriptions and specifications for each and were asked to send samples of their products, which met those specifications. They were sampled at the first annual Food Service Directors’ Food Show, which was hosted by Jeanne Sheridan, FSD for Belling- ham Public Schools. The purpose of the Food Show is the Food Service Directors’ way of testing not only the possible products to be added to the TEC Processed USDA Commodity Chicken Bid FY14-15, but to sample other products they want added to the other Food Service Bids for FY14-15 as well; Volume I, Issue 4 Page 3 them out on the students at Dedham High School. It was that taste test that was the deciding factor for most of the seven white meat chicken products and five dark meat chicken products, which were added to the TEC Processed USDA Commodity Chicken Bid FY14-15.

The bid was sent to four vendors who requested a copy of the IFB (Invitation for Bid) and two vendors submitted bids, They did not stop there though; Jeanne Johnson then took the chicken product samples from the food show and tested Tyson Prepared Foods, Inc. and Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation (Goldkist). The “Rule for Award” was to the “Responsive and Responsible” bidder with the lowest aggregate price for all items bid, and after carefully examining and reviewing each of the bids, the bid was awarded to Tyson.

TEC, Jeanne Johnson (who we now call the “Chicken Lady”), and the remaining 75 participating Food Service Directors were all very pleased with this bid award! Stay tuned to see which USDA Commodity product gets added to the TEC Food Service Bids next! submitted by Maureen DeChristoforo, Coordinator, TEC Cooperative Purchasing and Jeanne Johnson, Food Service Director, Dedham Public Schools

From the Department of Internships and Career Exploration Spring College Fair a Big Success! Submitted by Sherri Sigel, Coordinator

On March 18th from 6:30-8:30, hosted by Westwood High TEC college fairs aim to promote and raise awareness of post School, TEC held its Spring College Fair. A record number of high school options for most students. These fairs help the schools attended. This is a service that TEC has been providing in high schools within TEC-member districts by providing a large response to district needs for over 10 years. TEC also holds a fall venue where all of their students have the chance to visit with college fair. a large number of school representatives.

The search for the perfect college can be both confusing and It also provides a chance for the guidance staff within our dis- time consuming. TEC college fairs and post secondary opportuni- trict schools to meet with representatives and learn more ties events are a convenient way for stu- about these colleges, allowing for the dents and parents to have direct access to a counselors to best advise students. multitude of post secondary learning programs while exploring the many options The college representatives that attend available. They also have the chance to have a chance to evaluate the various make in person contacts with college admis- high schools and see if these students sion representatives from schools around are a good fit for their college. Another the world…. All in one location. reason is to assess "demonstrated interest," in which an ad- mission officer may judge which students are most interested At TEC’s college fairs, students can gather information about in attending their college, and sometimes admits applicants their potential major, campus life, financial aid and even partially on that basis. sports. Fairs offer the opportunity to develop a face-to-face meeting with a college rep allowing each student a chance to ask No student pre-registration is necessary. There is no admis- more than just general inquiries; they can ask questions that are sion fee for any student/parent that attend this fair. unique to them. Students can even find out about schools they may have never heard of or considered before. Fairs even offer the opportunity to develop a little self-confidence in a student’s For more information contact Sherri Sigel, Coordinator of the approach to colleges and admissions staff. Department of Internships and Career Exploration at [email protected].

Page 4 Volume I, Issue 4 Upcoming TEC-NET* Event on March 28 from 8:15am-11:00am

TEACHING ABOUT RELIGION: CLASSROOM CONTROVERSIES

Religion is embedded in history, social studies, and English language arts curricula throughout the K-12 spectrum, and classrooms are populated with students representing a wide range of religious and non-religious worldviews. In spite of the relevance of religion in our schools, few educators have the training required to teach about and respond to religious diversity in Constitutionally sound and educationally innovative ways. As a result, many try to avoid religion alto- gether while others settle for minimal required engagement.

On March 28th a panel featuring Diane L. Moore, PhD, Harvard Divinity School; Rich Young, Project Director of TEC’s Teaching American History Grant; and, Henry Bolter, Director of Teachers as Scholars will be providing an interactive discussion on this very important topic. They intend to engage the audience and use examples from practitioners’ real- life experiences.

Join us for this lively, relevant, and interactive panel discussion that will:  Introduce participants to a cultural studies method of teaching and learning about religion  Provide an overview of Constitutional guidelines regarding the separation of Church and State  Engage participants in discussion about challenges that face us in today’s classroom environment

Final TEC NET Howard Gardner, PhD, HSGE May 2nd from 8:15am to 11:00am Free to member districts Register at http://www.tec-coop.org/tec-net Volume I, Issue 4 Page 5 TEC Annual Legislative Breakfast

TEC’s Annual Legislative Breakfast was held on February 7th. The event was hosted by Dr. Lincoln Lynch, Superintendent of the Walpole Public Schools and included a lovely brunch prepared by the talented food service staff led by Director Maria Hall. We thank Dr. Lynch and his staff for all of their work to make the breakfast such a successful event.

TEC’s Chair of the TEC Board of Directors, Nancy Gallivan, and Representative John Rogers provided an update on state revenue. Executive Director, Liz McGonagle, facilitated the meeting. Attendance this year was outstanding and included educational leaders from all of the TEC districts and the following legislators: Senator James Timilty, Represenatives Alice Peisch, Carolyn Dykema, Paul McMurtry, John Rogers, Louis Kafka, David Linksy, and Denise Garlick, as well as representatives from the offices of Senator Ross, Senator Rush and Representative William Galvin.

This discussion focused on some of the priority issues for the TEC Superintendents including funding for:

 Ch. 70 at a level that supports mandates and initiatives from the Legislature and DESE  To develop and expand innovative programs  To provide academic support and mandatory transportation for homeless students  The Foundation Budget allocations in the areas of Health Insurance and Special Education  For medically fragile students  To support of both Preschool and Full day Kindergarten for all students

TEC PANEL PRESENTS at LEADING FUTURE LEARNING 2014 CONFERENCE

A panel of experts from TEC and our member districts presented at the Leading Future Learning 2014 conference at The College of the Holy Cross on March 7th. The conference focused on the connections between the skill sets and content that our students need to develop in order to thrive in their future as well as the range of technological advance- ments that will change the face of classrooms for years to come. The TEC panel presentation, TEC Online Academy, An Innovative Virtual Public School Program, shared the lessons we have learned from developing and expanding our virtual program from a multi-district initiative to a statewide virtual school, TECCA.

The following panelists representing TEC: Walpole Superintendent Dr. Lincoln Lynch, Natick Superintendent Dr. Peter Sanchioni, TEC Board of Directors and Walpole School Committee Chair, Nancy Gallivan, TEC Online Academy and Wayland High School teacher, Ed DeHoratius, TEC’s Director of Professional and Online Learning, Dr. Moira Rodgers, and TEC’s Executive Director, Liz McGonagle. Page 6 NEWSLETTER TEC Website is BEST IN CLASS for Nonprofits and Education Categories

We are happy to announce that the TEC Website has won the Interactive Media Awards (IMA) Best in Class Award for the Education and the Nonprofit category. The website, designed by Rachael Frank of Gravity Switch, was selected out of 172 entries submitted in the Education category, and 255 entries submitted in the Nonprofit

The Best in Class award is the highest honor bestowed by the IMA. It represents the very best in planning, execution and overall professionalism. In order to win this award level, the TEC website had to successfully pass through a comprehensive judging process, achieving very high marks in each of the judging criteria - an achievement only a fraction of sites in the IMA competition earn each year.

News from Our Network Programs! Submitted by Mary Ann Gibbons, Director of Network Programs

In the Network Programs, students and staff have programs will be participating in the Prom which will been working on various themes and units. They are take place on May 23rd at Westwood High all working hard and learning a lot and having some School. Last year's theme was " Enchantment Under fun in the process. the Sea" and our TEC students along with some of the Westwood High Students enjoyed dressing up and had Recently, our Programs participated in 100th day cele- an elegant time. Stay tuned for more details! brations incorporating curriculum based skills in creative and fun ways! Students practiced skills in the ar- Another sign of spring is when MCAS testing be- eas of mathematics, reading, and writing. It has been gins. Our students will be participating in the MCAS inspiring to go into classrooms and see the student's and the MCAS Alt in March, April and May. The tests work. have arrived and have been distributed to our various programs and staff are busy preparing our stu- Our students and staff got "Olympic Fever" and partici- dents. We look forward to the opportunity for our pated in their own versions of the Olympic students to demonstrate their hard earned skills and Games. There was fierce training and competition all that they have learned during the past year. among our participants. All of the students and staff worked hard, had fun, and demonstrated great sports- Happy Spring to Everyone! manship and team spirit. In our opinion, they were all Gold Medalists!

It is a sure sign of spring when Prom Planning begins. Our Prom Committee is in the midst of working on TEC's 2nd Annual Prom. Our Middle and High School NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTERPage 7 TEC’s Commonwealth Virtual School Proposal Accepted by BESE

On February 14, 2014, Commissioner Mitchell Chester’s recommendation to approve TEC’s proposal to establish the TEC Connections Academy Commonwealth Virtual School, known as TECCA, was unanimously approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). Assistant Superintendent of the Walpole Schools, Dr. Jean Kenney, and TEC Executive Director, Liz McGonagle attended the DESE Board meeting. The 3-year certificate granted permits the TECCA Board of Trustees to establish and operate a statewide K-12 virtual public school that will serve up to 2000 students (1000 students year 1, 1500 in year 2 and 2000 in year 3). Additionally, TECCA will offer supplementary courses for students interested in taking single online classes without enrolling as a full time student in the virtual school.

On March 14, 2014 the TEC Board of Directors voted to appoint the following education and business leaders to the independent TECCA Board of Trustees responsible for overseeing this school: Dr. Peter Sanchioni, Chair, Dr. Jean Kenney, Vice Chair, Bob MaGuire, Liz Pape, and Kirby Salerno.

It is important to acknowledge and thank the committee who met and worked diligently for months to develop and submit the virtual school proposal to the DESE. The group met weekly throughout the summer and continued to meet right through the fall and spring, generously volunteering countless hours to research and explore various models of virtual schools, touring a number of schools, developing a thorough understanding of the legislation and selecting an educational partner. Their commit- ment to excellence and perseverance led to the development of the only proposal received by DESE, is a tribute to their forti- tude and courage. The founding committee included the following members Dr. Brad Jackson, Dr. Peter Sanchioni, Dr. Jean Kenney, Nancy Gallivan, Liz Pape, Kirby Salerno, Dan Shovak, and Liz McGonagle.

After fulfilling DESE’s documentation requirements for the opening of the school, due April 1st, TECCA will begin the enrollment of students for the Fall, 2014 school year. TEC has already received many inquiries from interested students and families.

To sign up to receive additional information including how to enroll in TECCA please go to:

www.connectionsacademy.com/Massachusetts

SUMMER 2014 ENROLLMENTS NOW BEING ACCEPTED for TEC ONLINE ACADEMY COURSES & TEC CONNECTIONS ACADEMY COURSES GO TO: http://www.tec-coop.org/tec-online-academy

DID YOU KNOW?.... 33% is saved on classroom supplies by districts using TEC’s cooperative purchasing bids. Learn how you can save more! Go to: http://www.tec-coop.org/member-services/cooperative-purchasing The Public Schools of Dover and Sherborn

MEMORANDUM

TO: Dover-Sherborn Regional School Committee FROM: Steven Bliss, Superintendent DATE: March 12, 2014

RE: Donation

I respectfully request that the Dover-Sherborn Regional School Committee vote favorably to accept a $500 donation from a family wishing to remain anonymous.

The parents shared that the funds are to be used in support of SPAN-DS.

Please know that a formal note of thanks has been sent to the family.

Thank you for considering this donation.

DOVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHERBORN PUBLIC SCHOOLS DOVER-SHERBORN REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

March, 2014

GOALS OF THE REORGANIZATION

 Identify opportunities for increased efficiency and reduced redundancy  Provide consistent services in the most efficient manner pre-k through age 22  Increase capacity to meet students’ needs through a system-wide (3 districts) approach  Systematize the means for analyzing complex cases requiring a multi- district/system-wide approach  Enhance accessibility and improve communication with parents/guardians, personnel, and service providers as to the broad range resources made available to meet student’s needs in the most programmatically and fiscally responsible manner  Institute a systems-based approach to specialization of labor: One point person for direct oversight of special education and communication to the Superintendent concerning special education trends, issues, and opportunities  Developing and implementing programs with a system-wide vision

DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, PRE K-AGE 22

Directly supervises all aspects of special education services for the school system (3 districts) for students pre-k through age 22. Responsibilities include:  Oversight of student programming and placement;  Supervision and evaluation of the Elementary Special Education Administrator, Regional (grades 6-12) Team Chairs, and the Out-of-District Coordinator;  Supervision and evaluation of special education faculty and staff members, in conjuncture with Principals/Headmasters;  Budget and Grant Administration;  Representing special education on the Administrative Cabinet;  Coordinating directly with the Elementary Administrator of Special Education and the Secondary Schools’ Team Chairs on all special education cases;  Supporting SEPAC activities; and  Providing ongoing professional development for all special education staff and administrators.

ORGANIZATION CHART

Superintendent of Schools

Director of Special Education

Elementary Special MS Team Chair Out-of-District Education & Coordinator Administrator HS Team Chair

See next slide for roles and responsibilities REORGANIZATION CHART

Director of Special Education Oversees:

Elementary Special Education Administrator: 1.0 FTE shared position (.6 FTE Chickering; .4 FTE Pine Hill) Responsibilities include: -Coordinate Early Intervention -Coordinate Preschool -Schedule and facilitate initial and reevaluation meetings -Oversee MCAS accommodations -Prepare correspondence related to all evaluations -Arrange transition meetings between buildings -Review IEP and track timelines -Support SEPAC activities -Support special education staff, students, and parents -Identify training needs -Review IEPs, evaluations, referrals, and consent forms -Coordinate Extended Year Services -Conduct child find activities -Serve on the Administrative Cabinet

Team Chairs: 1.2 FTEs (.6 FTE assigned to the MS; .6 FTE assigned to the HS) Responsibilities include: -Coordinate referral to adult services -Schedule and facilitate initial and reevaluation meetings -Oversee MCAS accommodations -Process paperwork for all evaluations -Arrange transition meetings between buildings -Review IEP and track timelines -Support SEPAC activities -Support special education staff, students, and parents -Identify training needs -Review IEPs, evaluations, referrals, and consent forms -Coordinate Extended Year Services -Conduct child find activities -Coordinate post secondary transition

Out-of-District Coordinator: Pre-K through Age 22 Responsibilities include: Coordination of all out-of-district special education students, as well as all responsibilities appearing under Team Chairs, with the exception of child find activities Financial Analysis by District

Salary Budget by District Position Work FTE Salary Region Sharing Sherborn Sharing Dover Sharing Current Scenario Schedule % % %

Regional Director of Special Ed. 12 month 1.00 109,140 109,140 1.00

Pine Hill Director of Special Ed. 12 month 1.00 111,218 111,218 1.00

Chickering Director of Special Ed. 12 month 1.00 109,140 109,140 1.00

Out-of-District Coordinator 10 month 1.00 96,591 67,614 0.70 28,977 0.30 Plus 10 days Team Chair HS/MS 10 month 0.60 60,037 60,037 0.60 Budget Totals 4.60 486,126 236,791 2.30 111,218 1.00 138,117 1.30 Position Work FTE Salary Salary Budget by District Proposed Scenario Schedule Region Sharing Sherborn Sharing Dover Sharing % % % System-wide Director of Special Ed. 12 month 1.00 127,000 43,180 0.34 41,910 0.33 41,910 0.33

Elementary Special Ed. Administrator 12 month 1.00 109,140 43,656 0.40 65,484 0.60

Team Chair High School (.6 FTE) 10 month 0.60 60,037 60,037 0.60

Team Chair Middle School (.6 FTE) 10 month 0.60 60,037 60,037 0.60

Out of District Coordinator 10 month 1.00 96,591 48,296 0.50 24,148 0.25 24,148 0.25 Plus 10 days Budget Totals 4.20 452,805 211,549 2.04 109,714 0.98 131,542 1.18

Fav/ (Unfav) Budget Variance -0.40 33,321 *25,242 -0.26 1,504 -0.02 6,576 -0.12 Note: The proposed reorganization may result in one additional benefits package at the Region. The elementary schools’ exposure for additional benefits remains unchanged. * The estimated savings of $25,242 at the Region will likely be $7,242 in FY15 as we estimate needing to hire one additional aide.

LOOKING AHEAD

7 As the transition occurs, other efficiencies could be realized through a reconsideration of system-wide:

 Secretarial support staff needs  Contracted services  Staff allocations and assignments  Out-of-district case management

CONCLUSION

Thank you for your continued support of the mission and philosophy of our school system… to inspire, challenge, and support all students as they discover and pursue their full potential.

Dover Sherborn Regional School District Status of Appropriations March 31,2014

Description FY14 Budget YTD Balance Encumbrance Budget Balance % Bud

SCHOOL COMMITTEE 87,752 47,036 40,716 7,663 33,053 37.67% SUPERINTENDENT 282,155 165,339 116,816 53,035 63,782 22.61% BUSINESS AND FINANCE 170,783 121,912 48,871 46,887 1,984 1.16% HUMAN RESOURCES AND BENEFITS 22,035 14,254 7,781 5,697 2,084 9.46% LEGAL SERVICE FOR SCHOOL COMMI 73,000 26,367 46,633 0 46,633 63.88% DISTRICTWIDE INFORMATION MANAG 338,094 242,074 96,020 67,587 28,434 8.41% DISTRICT ACADEMIC LEADERS 207,380 157,234 50,146 62,717 (12,571) -6.06% SCHOOL LEADERSHIP - BUILDING 772,924 514,131 258,793 179,482 79,311 10.26% SCHOOL CURRICULUM LEADERS/DEPT 81,669 40,834 40,835 40,834 2 0.00% TEACHERS, CLASSROOM 8,086,638 4,353,216 3,733,422 3,704,101 29,321 0.36% TEACHERS, SPECIALISTS 1,257,453 678,274 579,179 545,666 33,513 2.67% INSTRUCTIONAL COORD & TEAM LDR 33,504 16,752 16,752 16,752 (0) 0.00% SUBSTITUTES 110,000 53,807 56,193 700 55,493 50.45% NON CLERICLA PARAPROFESS/INSTR 181,086 80,787 100,299 71,661 28,638 15.81% LIBRARIANS & MEDIA CENTER DIRE 256,267 141,283 114,984 107,445 7,539 2.94% PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 64,400 15,884 48,517 2,698 45,818 71.15% TEACHER/INSTRUCT. STAFF-PROF D 48,070 29,543 18,527 1,334 17,193 35.77% TEXTBOOKS & RELATED STOFTWARE/ 71,424 39,729 31,695 15,135 16,560 23.19% LIBRARY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL 65,800 20,997 44,803 10,068 34,736 52.79% INSTRUCTIONAL EQUIPMENT 57,789 30,943 26,846 19,993 6,853 11.86% GENERAL SUPPLIES 127,191 92,408 34,783 12,493 22,289 17.52% OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES 25,300 10,278 15,022 5,546 9,476 37.46% CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNO 106,500 94,035 12,465 885 11,580 10.87% GUIDANCE INCL. GUID. COUNSELOR 753,405 348,415 404,990 264,103 140,887 18.70% PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES 66,653 50,198 16,455 43,026 (26,571) -39.86% MEDICAL / HEALTH SERVICES 171,081 96,193 74,888 72,377 2,512 1.47% TRANSPORTATION SERVICES 718,347 485,101 233,246 221,650 11,596 1.61% ATHLETICS 566,587 360,824 205,763 153,347 52,416 9.25% OTHER STUDENT ACTIVITIES 139,633 64,043 75,591 65,089 10,501 7.52% CUSTODIAL SERVICES 1,283,496 931,661 351,835 286,132 65,702 5.12% UTILITIES 592,465 346,933 245,532 136 245,396 41.42% ER RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTION 363,972 363,972 0 0 0 0.00% ER INSURANCE ACTIVE EMPLOYEES 2,569,769 1,961,158 608,611 80,817 527,794 20.54% OTHER NON EMPLOYEE INSURANCE 55,444 53,963 1,481 0 1,481 2.67%

cnt LONG TERM DEBT RETIREMENT 1,126,788 0 1,126,788 1,126,788 0 0.00% LONG TERM DEBT SERVICE 462,976 236,203 226,773 226,723 50 0.01% TOTAL 21,397,830 12,285,779 9,112,051 7,518,567 1,593,484 7.45% Page: 1

cnt The Public Schools of Dover and Sherborn 157 Farm Street

Dover, MA 02030 Phone: 508-785 -0036 Fax :508 -785-2239 URL: www.doversherborn.org Mr. Steven B. Bliss, Superintendent Dr. Karen L. LeDuc, Assistant Superintendent Ms. Christine Tague, Business Manager

Dover- Sherborn TO: Mr. Steven Bliss, Superintendent High School FROM: Mr. John Smith, Headmaster, DSHS 9 Junction Street RE: Headmaster’s Monthly Report Dover, MA 02030 Phone: 508-785- DATE: April 1, 2014

1730 Fax: 508-785-8141 Headmaster’s Reflections Dover Sherborn High School is pleased to announce the recommended hiring of Ms. Ann Mr. John G. Smith Dever-Keegan as the next Assistant Headmaster at Dover Sherborn High School. This hiring, Headmaster subject to contract negotiations, is the culmination of a three week search process that involved

Mr. Jerry Schimmel the formation of a 19 member search committee. The committee was made up of teachers, Special Education administrators, parents, students and a Regional School Committee member. The search Director process also involved a site visit from the finalists as well as a thorough reference check. Ms. Keegan is currently the Dean of Students at Norwood High School. She has been in education Ms. Ellen Chagnon for over 25 years. Ms. Keegan will assume her new post subject to contract negotiations on Guidance Director July 1, 2014.

Mr. Heath Rollins Athletic Director On behalf of the faculty and staff at Dover Sherborn High School, I would like to thank the Dover Sherborn High School PTO for a wonderful teacher appreciation luncheon that was held on Wednesday March 26th. In addition to a wide variety of delicious food, drinks and desserts, twenty four themed gift baskets from various community and corporate members were raffled off. We are so fortunate and grateful to work in a community that supports and respects their teachers and staff. The entire luncheon was a tremendous success.

All four classes have completed their town meeting open forum for the 2013-2014 school year. The administration is in the process of meeting with members of the Dover Sherborn School Council to review the feedback from these forums. Ideas and concerns that are generated are reviewed by the High School Headmaster and are considered for inclusion in the 2014-2015 School Improvement Plan.

As of April 4th, 2014 Dover Sherborn will have 46 members of the senior class participate in the Senior Project program. Senior placements include the Dover and Sherborn Public Schools, other nearby schools, Babson College ,the Mission Hill School in Boston as well as local Physical Therapy offices. Students who participate have both an in- school mentor as well as a cooperating mentor from their respective programs.

Student Recognition Elise (Ellie) Burger and Francis (Gus) Laughlin were just notified that they have been accepted to attend this year's New England Young Writers' Conference, which is sponsored by Middlebury College and held at its Bread Loaf campus. The conference will be held from May 15th through the 18th in beautiful springtime Vermont. Congratulations to Ellie and Gus!

Guidance Senior Transition Assembly Seniors will participate in a transition assembly in June which will conclude our Signs of Suicide Program and discuss what to expect after high school. We are currently recruiting graduates to come back and share their experiences with our seniors.

Junior Guidance Seminars Juniors will meet with a counselor for one class period four-five separate times in the fourth quarter. Students have been scheduled during Directed Research periods only. Seminar topics include: College Exploration, Mock Admissions Committee, Essay/Cover Letter Brainstorming, Essay Editing and Interviews. This seminar model is currently a pilot program with the intention to increase the seminar model to all grades next year.

Sophomore Groups Guidance groups with sophomores have been scheduled for fourth quarter. Counselors will meet with sophomores for one class period in the computer lab to re-introduce them to Naviance for career exploration, complete a “Do what you are” activity and continue to build their resume.

Freshmen Groups Freshmen groups will be scheduled after sophomore groups are completed. The focus of the freshmen groups will be an introduction to Naviance, beginning to build a résumé and completing a learning style activity.

Sophomore Parent/Guardian Night Counselors presented to over 100 parents/guardians on February 6th. Topics included: course selection, standardized testing, Naviance, career exploration, and the upcoming college and career planning curriculum.

Junior Post-Secondary Planning Assembly Juniors participated in an assembly on February 12th which discussed post-secondary planning timelines and what to expect and consider when beginning the college exploration process. We were fortunate enough to have guest speaker, Heidi Erickson, Associate Director at Quinnipiac University in attendance. She was able to share a comprehensive, real life viewpoint of the dos and don’ts of college admissions.

Naviance Counselors are still offering after school appointments to parents who may be interested in tutorials with our Naviance program. We are encouraging parents to make an appointment with their child’s counselor if they would like to learn how to use Naviance more efficiently. If there is enough interest we can even offer group tutorials.

Naviance accounts for freshmen parents are not available at this time, we are experiencing difficulty setting up the parent accounts and are working with Naviance on this. As soon as they become available we will let parents know, we thank you for your patience. This will not impact your child’s ability to access Naviance with their counselor or at home.

The New SAT - beginning in the Spring of 2016 More specific details will be available on April 16th, when the College Board will provide a blueprint for the new test and also release sample questions. Below are the primary changes, (courtesy of Summit Educational Group), announced by the College Board. You may also view the details at https://www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity/sat/redesign.

Scoring and Format  The test will revert to the 1600-point standard, primarily comprised of a Math and a newly-combined Reading/Writing section.  The SAT will eliminate the ¼-point penalty for wrong answers.  The essay will now be optional.  The primary test will be about 3 hours; the essay will be 50 minutes.  The test will be offered in print and digital forms.

Math  Some Math sections will prohibit the use of a calculator to better test students’ math literacy and number sense.  More math questions will be based on real-world scenarios, applying mathematical logic to situations in the sciences and social sciences.  More advanced math concepts will be introduced, likely including Algebra II and Trigonometry (although these topics have yet to be confirmed).

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing  Critical Reading and Writing sections will be combined into one score.  Sentence Completion questions will be eliminated, as the test will focus on more “real-world” vocabulary, rather than typical, unfamiliar, “SAT words.” Students will be asked to decode the meaning of these words based on the context in which they are presented.  Some Reading questions will ask students to cite the passage in support of previous answers.  One passage in every new SAT will be what the College Board describes as a “Founding Document” (such as the Declaration of Independence) or related, important historical texts (such as Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address or Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech).

The Essay  The essay will no longer be free-response only. Rather, students will be required to analyze a given text in terms of the passage’s use of evidence, reasoning, and stylistic elements. Students will be expected to refer to the passage to support their claims.  The essay score will not factor into students’ Reading/Writing scores. Instead, schools will see it as a separate score.

Khan Academy Partnership  Khan Academy is non-profit organization that specializes in providing free online educational programs. The College Board has selected them as an official test-prep partner and Khan Academy will offer free SAT study materials,

Community Service Opportunities Please visit www.teenlife.com for local community service opportunities in the Greater Boston area. This website also is a resource for summer programs, GAP year opportunities and post secondary planning.

TEC Internship Opportunities The Education Cooperative in Dedham offers academic year and summer internships for students. This is a great way to explore interests and gain work experience before pursuing college or a career! Visit the TEC website for more information: http://www.tec-coop.org/student-programs/student-internships

Professional Development This past month a letter was sent to the New England Association of Schools and Colleges on behalf of Dover Sherborn High school requesting a one year delay in the start of our self-study process. In addition, the letter also inquired as to how NEASC would continue to collaborate with other state and federal agencies to bring their standards more in line with the numerous mandates that are in place on the state and national level. As of this report neither Mr. Bliss nor Mr. Smith have received any follow up correspondence.

DS Professional Growth & Evaluation System April 15th is the next deadline for observations to be completed by Department Chairs and the Administration. A minimum of six mini unannounced and announced observations are required under the new Professional Growth and Evaluation System. The next step in this process will involve a final written summative evaluation as well as a ranking of each teacher and staff member who is being evaluated.

Personnel See Headmaster Reflections

Plant and Facilities

School Council March minutes are attached.

Athletics/Extra-curricular We have created a subgroup of the Athletic Advisory group to review our "Program Management" procedures. The group has created a draft policy, which the subcommittee is evaluating before making final edits to send out to all Athletic Advisory Committee members for review.

A subgroup has also been formed for Handbook review. This subgroup will provide updated handbook format for School Committee review.

The cooperative girls’ ice hockey team was a success this past winter. AAC will review the future of the cooperative team when Hopkinton is able to provide budget and participation information this spring.

The Dover Sherborn Athletic Department is reporting the following spring participation numbers as of 3/27/14:

Track and Field 203 Girls Tennis 13 Boys Tennis 18 Softball 23 Baseball 26 Sailing 22 Boys Lacrosse 44 Girls Lacrosse 37

In Attendance: Michelle Alessandro, Lauren Balk, Heidi Handler, Elly Kinsella, Chris Levasseur,John Smith, John Soraghan, Sydney teWildt

 Meeting was called to order at 4:03 pm.  Minutes from February 10th, 2014 were unanimously approved with two slight changes (addition of a space and addition of the word “will” for the second to last bullet).  Mr. Smith informed the School Council members about the Assistant Headmaster search progress. o The search committee will interview eight candidates and 2-3 finalists will be interviewed by the Superintendent and Mr. Smith in mid-March. o In mid-March, the finalists will each spend a day at DS and meet with parents, students and teachers. Position will start on July 1st, 2014.  School Council Members were informed about the MCAS calendar for 2014. o English Language Arts (ELA) & long composition for 10th grade will take place on March 18th, 19th and 21st. o Math and science exams will be taken during the month of May.  Mr. Smith talked about a program called “Challenge Success” and informed School Council Members about its impact and affiliation with Dover-Sherborn Schools. o Program comes out of Stanford University. o It targets high performing schools and ways to prevent stress levels within a school community. o Mrs. Chagnon is part of a wellness committee and is thinking about gathering some members from our DSHS school community to train for this program.  DSEF Grant is looking at ways to maintain our high level of standards at DS schools, but also find a way to de-stress students. Example of this may be having early release days start in the afternoon. This will allow students to sleep in and give teachers an opportunity to get their work done during the morning.  Chemical Health Policy was discussed. o School Council Members looked at Needham High School’s and Wayland High School’spolicies for ideas. o Members came to the conclusion that they will form their own model of what to do after chemical problems arise at DSHS and this model should include: . Having athletes abide by MIAA rules while these rules won’t extend to other clubs. . Punishment will be in the form of community service by giving back to the school.  Student Survey will be finalized and sent out before our next School Council Meeting in April.  Parent Survey was discussed and edits will be posted on the google drive for members to share their ideas and input (#11, #15, #16 & #19 were eliminated from the survey).  Meeting was adjourned at 5:22 pm. The Public Schools of Dover and Sherborn 157 Farm Street

Dover- Sherborn

High School Memorandum 9 Junction Street Dover, MA 02030 TO: Steven Bliss, Superintendent of Schools Phone: 508-785-

1730 FROM: John Smith, Headmaster Fax: 508-785-8141 Heath Rollins, Athletic Director DATE: March 26, 2014 Mr. John Smith RE: Donation Acceptance Headmaster CC: Heath Rollins, Athletic Director

Mr. Jerry Schimmel Special Education I respectfully request that the Regional School Committee vote favorably to accept a Director donation of football uniforms from the Dover-Sherborn Gridiron Club. The uniforms have been selected by the Head Coach and Athletic Director. The value of the uniforms is Ms. Ellen Chagnon approximately $19,000. Interim Guidance Director Thank you for considering this donation.

Mr. Heath Rollins Athletic Director

The Public Schools of Dover and Sherborn 157 Farm Street Dover, MA 02030 Phone: 508-785 -0036 Fax :508 -785-2239 URL: www.doversherborn.org Mr. Steven B. Bliss, Superintendent Dr. Karen L. LeDuc, Assistant Superintendent

Ms. Christine Tague, Business Manager

Dover- Sherborn Middle School 155 Farm Street TO: Mr. Steven Bliss, Superintendent Dover, MA 02030 FROM: Mr. Scott Kellett, Headmaster, DSMS Phone: 508-785-0635 RE: Headmaster’s Monthly Report Fax: 508-785-0796 DATE: April 1, 2014

Mr. Scott Kellett Headmaster Headmaster’s Reflections Although the weather has not cooperated, the staff and administration at the middle school has th Mr. Brian Meringer gone forward with all the spring transition work needed for the 2014-2015 school year. Our 8 Assistant Headmaster grade staff has made their recommendations for our rising 9th graders. In addition, our faculty has initiated transition discussions regarding our current 6th and 7th grade students. We are Mr. JerrySchimmel meeting this week with the rising 6th grade students and their parents. All we need now is some Special Education Director warm weather to confirm that spring has arrived!

Ms. Ellen Chagnon We are looking forward to meeting with Chief Thompson and Chief McGowan to finalize our Interim Guidance plans for a practice “Lock-Down”. Director The middle school would like to thank Mr. Bliss, the Regional School Committee, the Town of Mr. Heath Rollins Athletic Director Dover, and the Town of Sherborn for the collaborative efforts in developing and agreeing on the 2014-2015 budget.

Student Recognition Congratulations to 8th-grader Lukas Graage, who has qualified to compete in the Massachusetts Geography Bee, to be held at Worcester Academy, on April 4th. Lukas won the DSMS Geography Bee back in December and then scored high enough on a written exam to qualify for the State Bee. Lukas is being coached by 7th-grade social studies teacher, Randy Hoover, who will accompany him to the state competition.

Congratulations to eighth grader Brett Melican, winner of a gold key from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for his science fiction short story "The Wasteland." Brett will be honored with other winners this weekend at a ceremony sponsored by the Boston Globe. Great job, Brett!

Our annual MS Talent Show will be held on Friday, April 4th. Special thanks to Marilyn Dowd, Chris Estabrook, Kevin McIntosh, and Annie Duryea for organizing this fun event.

Curriculum & Learning English Sixth-grade English classes are working on poetry and figurative language. Some teachers are piloting a thematic approach to the unit using environmentalism as a lens to study poetry. All students will make a multimedia project for their summative assessment. The sixth grade students worked diligently during the two days of reading comprehension MCAS.

Seventh-grade English classes are preparing for our upcoming interdisciplinary unit with art and science. Students are reading poetry texts by Newbery-Honor-winning poet, Joyce Sidman. In addition, we will begin the Holocaust unit in early April. The seventh grade students worked hard on essay writing in preparation for the long composition MCAS and two days of reading comprehension MCAS tests. Science, Social Studies, and English teachers collaborated to offer students many chances to write essays and read non-fiction.

In eighth-grade, the students continue to study the classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. In addition to studying literature, eighth graders are studying clauses, vocabulary, and participating in reading workshop. Like their younger counterparts, the eighth grade worked hard during two days of reading comprehension MCAS testing.

As a department, we are collaborating to align our units to the Common Core State Standards. We are currently looking at the sixth grade unit featuring Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor. The department is focused on making sure we offer a variety of argument, informative/explanatory, and narrative writing assignments throughout the year.

Science: Sixth graders are currently in the middle of a unit on the Earth science with a focus on Earth's interior and plate tectonics. They've been learning about volcano parts, stages and eruption types. Over the next couple of weeks, students will be researching volcanoes around the world and learning about the impact these volcanoes have on people and the surrounding communities.

Thanks to POSITIVE for the grant that allowed the purchase of the lapidary machine and drill press. Sixth grade students will be working on an "adopt a mineral" project and polishing minerals and agates.

Life science students have been learning about nutrition and Team Lightning students have just completed Prezi presentations on their self-created fast food chains featuring delicious and healthy meal options. Team Thunder students are wrapping up their study of the circulatory system and exploring the anatomy of the heart though virtual labs and a classroom dissection of a sheep's heart.

All seventh grade students have just completed a common writing assessment where they were asked to demonstrate their comprehension of the digestive system in a multiple paragraph essay. This assessment was a wonderful collaborative effort between the seventh grade Science and English teachers. It was also a timely and important activity before the students had their ELA Long Composition for MCAS. It was a wonderful example of how science is incorporating English Common Core strands into our classrooms.

Our eighth graders have been studying Newton's Laws and they have created highly entertaining video presentations demonstrating their comprehension of these laws.

We currently have approximately 25 students working as 10 teams on their own science fair projects. They are looking forward to competing at the Massachusetts Regional Science Fair on April 26th at Regis College!

Social Studies: 6th grade students are currently studying ancient Israel. In this unit, students will learn about the history of the ancient Israelites and how the development of Judaism impacted future civilizations and our world today. We will also be learning about other monotheistic religions such as Christianity and Islam.

7th-grade students are beginning a unit on China which is centered around 4 key questions: 1) How has China been able to remain the world’s longest continuous civilization? 2) In what ways is China similar and different from the United States? 3) How does ancient China compare to modern China? 4) Why is China important in today’s world? Activities include a character collage project comparing China's 3 prominent philosophies - Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism, as well as contrasting daily life in China and Japan.

8th grade students just completed an exciting and memorable project in Social Studies: our annual mock trial of President Andrew Jackson. In each class, students assumed the roles and responsibilities of historical witnesses, lawyers or judges and conducted a trial to determine if our 7th President abused his constitutional powers. The trial was a perfect venue to consider the “essential questions,” which are the foundation for this unit in our study of early American History: “What is the common good?” and “Should the majority always rule in a democracy?”

Math: MATHCOUNTS The MATHCOUNTS team finished their “season” by completing a gold level challenge presentation. The challenge consisted of: 1. Locating and photographing examples of math terms 2. Developing math problems related to each of the objects or scenes photographed 3. Writing a comprehensive solution to each math problem 4. Produce a creative final presentation of the photographs, problems and solutions The presentation submitted to the MATHCOUNTS organization can be viewed at the following link

We received news last week that our math club did reach Gold Level Status in the National Math Club! This is an extremely commendable accomplishment. The MATHCOUNTS website will now include our schools name on the gold Level Schools list. We will be receiving a banner and trophy as well as being entered to win gift certificates and a trip to the 2014 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition in Orlando, Florida!

Students who participated in the gold level challenge include Micah Hsi, Emma Lesser, Victoria Tso, Grace Qian, Caroline Buehler, Andrew Liu, Jack Ringel, Lila Hovey, Hannah Szeto, Jude Correll, Angelina Zhang and Bella Tate.

Technology: Technology Literacy Grade 6 students are uinge Google Drive to research, create, collaborate, share and present to their peers in class on Nutrition. Two students have been invited to present their project along with their own creative kale recipe to the Wellness Committee on Monday, March 31st.

Digital Citizenship research from Technology Literacy Grade 7 class was extended to parents on Thursday, March 27th during the Parent Internet Safety Night. Sergeant Mick of the Dover Police Department and his colleges from neighboring towns provided an outstanding presentation in the Mudge Auditorium.

Grade 6 Technology Literacy Students Skype and Google Hangout with Pine Hill and Chickering Technology classes to celebrate Read Across Dover Sherborn Day in March.

The Middle School Student IT Help Desk Members: 1. Patrick Whitaker 2. Kevin Scannell 3. Jack Ringel 4. Amanda Dye 5. Emily Xiong 6. Patrick Vaughn 7. Justin Luce 8. Lance Haug 9. Jeb Shue 10. Kaamil Farooqi 11. Cece Michalowski 12. William Easley To learn more about the Student IT Help Desk, please feel free to share and visit the link to our Blog. It is a shared work in progress that is updated often posting their stories or biographies, their favorite apps and links for education, and student-friendly news regarding technology.

DSMS Student IT Help Desk Blog: http://dsmsstudentithelpdeskblog.blogspot.com/

Background: Applications for MS Student IT Help Desk were accepted by Ms. Sammarco prior to December vacation. Interviews immediately started in January discussing topics such as why they thought they would be a good candidate for this aide position supporting technology at the MS during H blocks and what their technology interests and hobbies were outside of school. The team of students began their first day on the job mid January. They are a responsible, excited and technology interested group of students that have stepped up to the plate with this initiative. We are looking forward to bringing on new student members to this team in the fall. They are currently working on DSMS IT Help Desk logos for t-shirts to wear when on duty.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:  email communication with Ms. Sammarco regularly  Daily signups via email or prior to A block to receive a pass for H block  Maintaining a log of assignments regarding toner replacements, laptop, netbook, iPad cart issues  Install apps on iPads for students  Attend small group training workshops with Ms. Sammarco  Work collaboratively and communicate with DS IT staff located in head end room at the MS  Edit and maintain DSMS Student IT Help Desk Blog  Practice online safety procedures  Clean carts, keyboards, monitors, and mice on a regular basis  Troubleshoot network and hardware issues on carts used by students  Deliver and return equipment that needs further troubleshooting to and from the IT staff to eliminate tickets submitted by teachers blocks A-G

6th Grade: The sixth grade will be making up their third “Train Your Brain” lesson, around the topic of effective effort, on Wednesday, 3/26, due to February's snow day. Recently, there was a great podcast/article relevant to the "Train Your Brain" lessons Grade 6 teachers have been teaching this year, http://www.npr.org/2014/03/17/290089998/does-teaching-kids-to-get-gritty-help-them-get-ahead.

In addition, as part of the 6th grade interdisciplinary Health Education seminars, the 6th graders participated in an assembly presented by BJ Williams from the Brain Injury Association of MA. Students learned about the common causes of brain injuries for their age group, the difference between a traumatic brain injury and an acquired brain injury, the functions and abilities associated with the various lobes of the brain, and most importantly, how to prevent a brain injury now and in the future. Mrs. Merritt, our DSMS Health teacher, provided a follow up class during the student's Physical Education class to process the information and reinforce the messages from BJ Williams. Students reviewed the amazing features of our brain, role-played ways to influence others through positive peer pressure, and the importance of PREVENTION when it comes to protecting the brain.

7th Grade: Last month, the 7th grade released a second semester update video and asked parents to participate in a raffle that had them identify strategies they would use with their child at home. This provided an avenue for families to discuss how they can support their child as they grow to become more independent learners. Two winners from each team, Thunder and Lightning, were randomly selected. To see who won the raffle, go to the 7th grade website (bit.ly/dsmsgrade7).

8th Grade: On Friday, February 14, four members of the 8th grade Hunger and Homelessness Citizen Action Group attended a Legislative Breakfast on Homelessness sponsored by Family Promise Metrowest. Students gained great perspective on the issue and had an opportunity to meet and talk with state representatives from the area. They will be sharing their findings with the rest of the CAG and hope to plan a service project for the spring.

8th Graders have been using Aspen, our student information system, to make selections for their 9th grade electives. Over the next month, teachers will be making recommendations for placements and the scheduling process will begin.

All 8th graders took the two day math mid-year exam during the week of February 10-14. The exam gives students a chance to see what it is like to prepare for a large cumulative exam, as they will have mid-year exams in each of their classes next year.

Plans for the 8th Grade trip to Washington D.C. are well underway with over 150 students signed up to date. The trip will take place June 11-13. Students who are not going to Washington D.C. will participate in local trips and activities.

8th Grade CAGs will be meeting on March 26th. Most of the CAGs have arranged for speakers to come in to discuss the CAG's area of interest. This day is always very educational for the kids and helps them plan for the spring service day which will take place on Friday, May 16.

Student Council: The Middle School Student Council recently held two fundraisers to support the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. During the week of March 17-21, students had the opportunity to "Share a Shamrock" with a friend to pass along well wishes during MCAS testing. For a $1 donation, students could write a supportive message on a shamrock that was posted on a bulletin board at the top of our main staircase. On Friday, March 21st, students participated in a Trivia Night held in Lindquist Commons. For a $10 donation, students could be a part of a team that would participate in the event with the hopes of winning prizes. Thank you to all of the students and families who were supportive of our efforts.

Guidance: Counselors continue to meet with their students individually.

Counselors continue to visit classrooms to gain exposure to the curriculum and see their students in class.

Professional Development The middle school science department is looking forward to attending the National Science Teacher Association's national conference in Boston in early April, thanks to the generosity of a POSITIVE grant. We are excited to preview new classroom technologies, new instructional ideas and additional information about the Next Generation Science Standards.

DS Professional Growth & Evaluation System Update

Mr. Brian Meringer and I are continuing with classroom observations and will complete this process by April 15th.

Personnel The middle school has open searches for the following 2014-2015 positions: .6 Spanish Teacher .6 French Teacher .4 Moderate Special Needs Teacher

Plant and Facilities Mr. Bonavire is currently working with Mr. Kelley to address several leaks in our roof.

School Council

Dover Sherborn Middle School School Advisory Council February 25, 2014 Meeting Minutes

1 Welcome  Present: Scott Kellett, Kelsey Ferranti, Erin Gorden, Rebecca Graf, Karyn Kaplan, Sushil Kumar, Julie McKee, Kim Phelan, Anita Sebastian, Kathy Sveen, Michael Lee, Kevin McIntosh, Kristen Dummer, Kathy Sveen 2 Approval of Minutes  Approved 3 Handbook  Handbook is in good shape with changes to cyber bullying  Discussed linking website cyberbullying inquiries to handbook - add statement saying that link “will lead you there”  Discussed birthday locker decoration - leave as is  Discussed sending an email to parents to inform them of locker decorating policy and explaining the fact that it may be exclusionary  Discussed dress code - will violations become less of an issue now that air conditioning is working? 4 School Improvement Plan  Scott made action items (3rd column) a timeline  Added 3rd focus area (align MS and HS schedules)  Discussed the development of a schedule that is educationally sound for both schools through the efforts of a committee  Discussed several reasons for new schedule: shared staff, middle school students taking high school courses…  Discussed 4th focus area (Academic Excellence)  Added: Landmark training/Response to Intervention (RTI) to # 4  Discussed added Landmark services to provide a need - to keep students with Language Based Learning Disabilities (LBLD) at DSHS/DSMS and to bring others back  Discussed the regions success at bringing several students back to DS (parents want children at DS - should we involve these parents in the planning process?)  The district has hired Ann Larson, from Landmark School, to visit classrooms to consult with teachers - will be beneficial to all students  Discussed Common Core (ELA and math)  Discussed sixth focus area (technology)  Eight students who applied and were recommended, offer technology help to students and faculty during H block  The technology students have refurbished a cart of laptops and work to keep the existing laptop carts in order 5 Parent and Student Survey Question Revisions  Discussed the possible need/benefit of a teacher survey  Discussed the idea of surveying recent HS graduates and ninth grade students at the end of freshman year about MS  Discussed importance of keeping survey same year to year  Survey should be about 30 basic questions  Discussed combining a survey with HS - basic questions and then several questions specific to each building  Discussed limiting open response questions to eliminate parent venting  Scott suggests holding off on survey for now 6 Other Business  For our next meeting - please read over and edit School Improvement Plan  Scott will talk to John Smith (HS) about combining a HS/MS survey  Scott will add hyperlink to handbook  Place a note in Table of Contents about hyperlink (hit XXX and it will take you to…)  Make sure all changes are made to handbook before it goes to school committee  Next meeting - March 18, 2014, 3:15, MS conference room 7 Adjourn

Dover Sherborn Middle School School Advisory Council March 18, 2014 Meeting Minutes

1 Welcome  Present: Scott Kellett, Kelsey Ferranti, Erin Gorden, Rebecca Graf, Karyn Kaplan, Kim Phelan, Anita Sebastian, Kathy Sveen, Michael Lee, Kristen Dummer, Joanne Draper 2 Approval of Minutes  Approved - change to attendance 3 Handbook  Add to locker decorating rules: bring your own material - don’t take supplies from the art room 4 School Improvement Plan  Made a few, committee suggested, changes to the Improvement Plan’s dates and wording  Discussed Aspen portal - teachers will either create an Aspen site or will have a link to their Google site  Aspen portal will have student and parent log-ins and links to all school and community related information  Discussed MS school safety and a planned lockdown  Scott is meeting with both Dover and Sherborn police chiefs to plan lockdown  Discussed conducting a drill as students are on their way to lunch and gym - Scott will bring up the idea at meeting with chiefs  Discussed reason for no enclosed walkways from MS to Lindquist - bus route, cost...  Discussed the need for students to know the steps they should take during a lockdown - especially if they are in the bathroom, hall, or at lunch  Discussed the steps and 3 tiers of the MS RTI program  Discussed Landmark training  Ann Larson (Landmark) will visit classrooms to observe and then give a presentation on universal language based learning strategies to the faculty  Discussed the MS Team approach - Teams meet 3-4 times/cycle to discuss students  Discussed guidance next year - Kelsey 8th and ½ of 6th and Joelle 7th and ½ of 6th  Discussed communication from elementary schools to MS - information is being passed along about each student from grade to grade and school to school  There is a good transition from elementary school to middle school  Students will be notified of their new Teams at end of August  In June, entire 5th grade will visit MS while 8th grade is in DC. 6th graders will take them on tours and they may stay for lunch  1st week of April - meeting with 5th grade parents to help them feel comfortable and to discuss foreign language, etc  Parents will be invited to call the school with questions and concerns 5 Parent & Student Survey Questions  Discussed giving students one survey with about 30 questions  Discussed the Tell Survey  Discussed Challenge Success Survey - a Stanford designed DSEF grant  Will other districts be taking the same survey and will we be able to compare data?  The survey is a way to improve our school culture and identify issues such as stress  Discussed possibility of comparing data from middle school students to same survey taken, again, in high school  There may be a parent component to this survey  Discussed Signs of Suicide Survey (SOS) taken in upper middle school and at the high school  Discuss sharing the data from above survey with school committees  Discussed sharing this data with the community  Discussed publishing school data such as how many students move up or down from CP/Honors/AP classes  Discussed the need to educate parents about overscheduling their children vs. academic success  Discussed the idea that most successful students exhibit a balance of sports/activities and school  Can we show parents data on above statement?  Discussed the idea of communicating with parents about the negative academic effects of family vacations scheduled during non-vacation weeks 6 Other Business  Before our next meeting, Scott will have a dialogue with Ellen about the Challenge Success Survey  Scott will share survey questions with the committee  Scott will report on his meeting with police chiefs about lockdown  Next meeting - April 15, 2014, 3:15, MS conference room 7 Adjourn  4:36 PM

Nutrition/School Lunch Janelle Madden and her staff continue to offer a well-rounded selection of lunch choices on a daily basis. She is also trying to arrange for taste-testing’s to try potential new items.

FIFTH GRADE TRANSITION MEETINGS 2013-2014

April 1, 2014 Pine Hill Visit Callie, Kelsey, Joelle, and Brian 9:25 AM - 10:25 AM April 2, 2014 Chickering Visit Callie, Kelsey, Joelle, and Brian 1:25 PM - 2:25 PM April 3, 2014 Rising 6th Grade Parent Orientation Meeting at DSMS Brian, Ellen, Joelle, Kelsey, and Scott 7:00 PM May 1, 2014 Chickering Teacher/DSMS Counselor Meetings Joelle and Kelsey 8:40 AM - 12:00 PM May 6, 2014 Pine Hill Teacher/DSMS Counselor Meetings Joelle and Kelsey 8:40 AM - 12:00 PM June 5, 2014 Chickering Counselor meeting Cynthia S, Joelle and Kelsey 8:30 MA - 10:30 AM June 6, 2014 Pine Hill Counselor Meeting Maury, Joelle and Kelsey 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM June 12, 2014 Pine Hill 5th Grade Visit 9-10:30 Joelle, Heidi, Kelsey, Maury, Scott June 13, 2014 Chickering 5th Grade Visit 9-10:30 Joelle, Heidi, Kelsey, Cynthia, Scott August 25, 2014 August Parent/Student Orientation Time TBD September TBA, 2014 6th Grade Parent Night w/Guidance

The Public Schools of Dover and Sherborn do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or homelessness. DOVER-SHERBORN PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACADEMIC CALENDAR 2014-2015 August February Su M T W Th F Sa Su M T W Th F Sa August 25 & 26, 2014 Teachers Report 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 August 27, 2014 School Begins All Students 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 September 1, 2014 Labor Day: No School 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 September 25, 2014 Rosh Hashanah: No School 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 October 13, 2014 Columbus Day: No School 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 November 11, 2014 Veteran's Day: No School 3 days 15 days November 26, 2014 Early Release Day Thanksgiving Break September March November 27-28 & December 1, 2014 Thanksgiving Break: No School Su M T W Th F Sa Su M T W Th F Sa December 24, 2014- January 2, 2015 Year End Vacation: No School 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 January 5, 2015 School Reopens 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 January 19, 2015 Martin Luther King Day: No School 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 February 16 - 20, 2015 February Vacation Week 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 April 3, 2015 Good Friday: No School 28 29 30 29 30 31 April 20 -24, 2015 April Vacation Week 20 days 22 days May 25, 2015 Memorial Day: No School October April June 4, 2015 Graduation Day Su M T W Th F Sa Su M T W Th F Sa June 15, 2015 Last Day of School - No Snow Days 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 June 22, 2015 Last Day of School - Includes 5 Snow Days 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Teachers' Professional Development Day: No School 26 27 28 29 30 31 26 27 28 29 30 December 1, 2014 Professional Day: No School for Students 22 days 16 days November May Teachers' Professional Development Days: Early Release Days (TBD) Su M T W Th F Sa Su M T W Th F Sa 1 1 2 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 30 31 17 days 20 days December June Su M T W Th F Sa Su M T W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 28 29 30 16 days 11 days January Su M T W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 19 days DRAFT

Dover-Sherborn Regional School Committee Meeting of March 4, 2014

Members Present: Richard Robinson, Chair Dana White, Vice Chair Shelley Poulsen Michael Lee Lauren Balk Clare Graham Also Present: Steve Bliss, Superintendent Karen LeDuc, Assistant Superintendent Christine Tague, Business Administrator John Smith, Headmaster, DS Regional High School Scott Kellett, Headmaster, DS Regional Middle School Brian Merringer, Assistant Headmaster, DS Regional Middle School Ms. Handler, Student Council Representative

1) Call to Order Mr. Robinson called the meeting to order at 6:35 pm in the Middle School Library. 2) Community Comments – None 3) Reports a) Student Council Report – Rachel Handler updated the Committee on the upcoming events for the middle school student council. b) Superintendent - Mr. Bliss • FY15 Budget Hearing - Mr. Bliss provided a revised cover memo for the budget: the operating budget has increased by $816,044 or 3.81% over FY14 and reflects all known retirements as of February 1st, the purchase of a handicapped accessible van, a 7.5% increase for healthcare, 15% increase for Norfolk Retirement, 2% increase for healthcare plan changes and 0.75% increase for FICA. Mr. Robinson reviewed the FY15 Budget Presentation. Ms. Poulsen made a motion that the 2014-15 budget shall include $500,000 of the June 30, 2014 certified Excess and Deficiency to reduce assessments. Ms. White seconded. 14-18 VOTE: 6 - 0 Ms. Poulsen made a motion to adopt the 2014-15 budget in the amount of $22,213,814 which is reduced by estimated receipts and available funds in the amount of $2,681,196 for a net amount to be assessed to the member towns of $19,532,678. This assessment is comprised of $17,955,796 in operating expenses and $1,576,882 in debt expenses, and that the Treasurer be authorized to certify this budget in the apportioned share of each town based on the statutory method. 14-19 VOTE: 6 - 0 • Mr. Bliss thanked the members of the Administration, Sherborn Advisory and Dover Warrant for their hard work during the budget season. He also thanked the Educators' Agreement Team for their work on negotiating the the contract over the last several months. c) Assistant Superintendent - Dr. LeDuc updated the Committee on the International Foreign Students program (SEVIS), the Educator Evaluation system and Professional Development. d) Business Manager • Status of Appropriations - the snow removal budget has been spent ($25,000). • Facilities - The VCT flooring bid opening took place February 19th. There are five bids ranging from $50,000-$104,000. The Administration is currently in the vetting review

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process to award the bid. Mr. Ken Beck of BLW Engineering, Inc., will develop the bid specifications for the repair and construction of the four boilers at a cost of $5,400. e) High School - Mr. Smith spoke of recent and upcoming events at the high school. • Overnight Field Trip - Mr. Smith requested approval for a trip to Belize during February vacation week 2015. The trip will be run by EF Tours and will focus on wildlife ecology, conservation efforts in the tropics and the indigenous culture that exist there. The trip will culminate in a collaborative effort between students from various schools to design their own models of conservation. Ms. White made a motion approve the 2015 trip to Belize as outlined. Ms. Balk seconded. 14-20 VOTE: 6 - 0 • Donation Acceptance - The DS Boys’ Ice Hockey Club Team has fundraised and donated $2,000 to compensate an Assistant Coach for the JV team. Mr. Robinson made a motion to accept the donation of $2,000 for the Boy’s Basketball Assistance Coach. Ms. White seconded. Ms. Graham disclosed that her son played on the JV team. 14-21 VOTE: 6 - 0 • Donation Acceptance - The DS Boosters have donated: two replacement side panels for the tennis windscreens ($1,400), a new Ice-O-Matic ice machine for the Athletic Training room to replace the failing unit ($4,769) and a new Sport Panel Fencing homerun fencing for the baseball field to replace the dilapidated homerun fence ($9,000). Mr. Robinson made a motion to accept the donations from the DS Boosters. Ms. White seconded. 14-22 VOTE: 6 - 0 f) Middle School - Mr. Kellett spoke of recent and upcoming events at the middle school. 4) Special Items and New Business a) Special Education Reorganization - Mr. Bliss presented a proposal for Special Education Reorganization. The goals of the reorganization are: identify opportunities for increased efficiency and reduced redundancy; provide consistent services in the most efficient manner pre-K through age 22; increase capacity to meet students' needs through a system-wide (all 3 districts) approach; systematize the means for analyzing complex cases requiring a multi-district/system-wide approach; enhance accessibility and improve communication with parents/guardians, personnel and service providers as to the broad range resources made available to meet student's needs in the most programmatically and fiscally responsible manner; and institute a systems-based approach to specialization of labor: one point person for direct oversight of special education and communication to the Superintendent concerning special education trends, issues and opportunities. The reorganization proposes adding a Director of Special Education, Pre K - 12 that would directly supervise all aspects of special education services for the school system (3 districts). The persons' responsibilities would include: oversight of student programming and placement; direct supervision and evaluation of the Elementary Special Education Administrator, Regional (grades 6-12) Team Chairs and the Out-of-District Coordinator; shared responsibility for supervision and evaluation of special education faculty and staff members, in conjuncture with Principals/Headmasters; budget and grant administration; representation of special education of the Administrative Cabinet; and coordinate directly with the Elementary Administrator of Special Education and Secondary Schools' Team Chairs on all special education cases. The Director of Special Education will support all 3 districts. The Elementary Special Education Administrator will be shared by Chickering (0.6 FTE) and Pine Hill (0.4 FTE). There will be a Middle School Team Chair (0.6 FTE) and a High

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School Team Chair (0.6 FTE) as well as a Out-of-District Coordinator (1.0 FTE) who will coordinate all out-of-district special education students for all 3 districts. There was lengthy discussion. The Committee decided not to vote on the reorganization until next month to allow more discussion between interested parties. Each member spoke of their individual feelings about the plan. b) School Choice - Mr. Robinson made a motion to not have the Dover Sherborn Regional Schools to participate in School Choice program for the 2014-15 school year. Ms. Graham seconded. 14-23 VOTE: 6 - 0 c) RSC Meeting Access and Scheduling - There was discussion about whether to avoid daytime meetings of the Committee to allow as many people as possible to attend. d) Cell Tower - There is a proposal to put a 93’ mono-pine cell tower on a parcel of private land off Evergreen Lane in Medfield that abuts the school campus. The Committee discussed whether they wanted to spend money to investigate a cell tower on school grounds (no). 5) Approval of Minutes a) February 4 and 26, 2014 Mr. Robinson made a motion to approve the minutes of February 4, 2014. Ms. White seconded. In motion for vote 14-06 to add "($3,300 for each District)" after $9,900. 14-24 VOTE (as amended): 6 - 0 Mr. Robinson made a motion to approve the minutes of February 26, 2014. Ms. White seconded. Add "Annual Town Meeting" after ATM in Section 2a. 14-25 VOTE (as amended): 6 - 0 b) The Sherborn School Committee minutes of January 14, 2014 were noted. 6) Routine Business a) Enrollments as of March 1, 2014 7) Adjournment to Executive Session at 8:49 PM for the purpose of approving Executive Session meeting minutes and discuss contract negotiations not to return to Open Session. Mr. Robinson - yea, Ms. White - yea, Mr. Lee - yea, Ms. Balk - yea, Ms. Graham - yea and Ms. Poulsen - yea.

Respectfully submitted, Amy Davis

DOVER SHERBORN REGIONAL SCHOOL COMMITTEE March 17, 2014 DSMS Conference Room

Attending- Steve Bliss, Superintendent Karen LeDuc, Asst Superintendent Chris Tague, Business Manager Richard Robinson, Chair Dana White, Vice Chair Clare Graham, Secretary Lauren Balk Michael Lee Mary Wolf Kathy Gill-Body John Smith, DSHS Headmaster Scott Kellett, DSMS Headmaster

Meeting called to order at 7:40am

Discussion regarding the FY15 budget variance between Regional District budget as presented and the guidance given by the towns of Dover and Sherborn. The following is the motion to certify the Regional School Districts Budget. This year the Department of Revenue is requiring the vote of the school committee authorizing the amount of Excess and Deficiency (E&D).

Motion invited by Richard Robinson, motioned by Dana White and a second by Michael Lee as follows

The 2014-2015 budget in the amount of $ 22,143,874 which is reduced by estimated receipts and available funds in the amount of $ 2,681,196 for a net amount to be assessed to the member towns of $ 19,462,678. This assessment is comprised of $17,885,796 in operating expenses and $ 1,576,882 in debt expenses, and that the Treasurer be authorized to certify this budget in the apportioned share of each town based on the statutory method.

The 2014-5015 budget shall include $500,000 of the June 30, 2014 Certified Excess and Deficiency to reduce Assessments.

Vote: 5-0 unanimous.

Meeting adjourned 8:30am.

Respectfully submitted Clare Graham

APPROVED MARCH 11, 2014

Sherborn School Committee Meeting of February 11, 2014

Members Present: Frank Hess Frank Hoek Susan Hanlon Anne Hovey Greg Garland Also Present: Steven Bliss, Superintendent of Schools Karen LeDuc, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Christine Tague, Business Manager Barbara Brown, Principal Frank McGourty, Assistant Principal Therese Green, Director of Special Education

1) Call to order Mr. Hess called the meeting to order at 6:33 pm at the Town Hall. 2) Approval of Minutes a) January 14, 2014 Mr. Hoek made a motion to approve the minutes of January 14, 2014. Mr. Garland seconded. 14-02 VOTE: 5- 0 b) The January 7, 2014 Regional School Committee minutes were noted. 3) Community Comments – None 4) Reports c) CSA Report –Mr. Embree updated the Committee on recent and upcoming events: • The Fund for Excellence campaign continues and is halfway to the fundraising goal. • The Raffle Basket drawing will be held later this week. • The Board will be voting on the spring grant awards next month. • There will be opening on the Board for next year and any interested parties should contact Mr. Embree or Mr. Welch. d) Sawin Grant - The Sawin Fund is used annually to hold enrichment programs at Pine Hill. This year's donation is $12,000. Ms. Hanlon made a motion to accept the $12,000 donation from the Sawin Fund. Mr. Hoek seconded. 14-03 VOTE: 5 - 0 e) Superintendent Update - Mr. Bliss highlighted recent and upcoming events in the District: • There are 4 students that are currently participating in the China Exchange Program. • Over 30 students will be leaving for the Galápagos Islands on Saturday February 15th. • Ms. Merriam and Mr. O'Halloran will be retiring in June. • The TEC Newsletter was provided for the Committee. • Edvocate Food Services Program Assessment - Mr. Bliss provided a sample assessment provided by Edvocate and requested consensus approval for him to hire Edvocate to assess the Dover-Sherborn District. The assessment will cover staffing, funding and equipment recommendations as well as provide an objective look at the food service program. The cost of the consultation is $9,000 and will be funded from the Superintendent Reserve account. The Committee was in favor of the proposal. f) Assistant Superintendent Update - Dr. LeDuc provided highlights of her work with implementing District Determined Measures (DDM), creating curriculum units in the Understanding by Design format and Science, and Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) programming. g) Finance Report • Status of Appropriations - There are no significant changes to the report from last month. • OOD Tuition and Transportation for both the Region and Pine Hill are within $54,892 of budget which is down from $99,567 last month. • The window replacement project is out to bid. h) Principal’s Report - Dr. Brown discussed recent and upcoming events at Pine Hill. • A new Grade 2 Teaching Assistant has been hired to replace Ms. Bertschmann who got a teaching job in Medfield. • The Kindergarten parent mailing has been sent. • Dr. Brown and Mr. McGourty gave an update on the mid-year formative evaluation meetings the are required by the DS Professtional Growth and Evaluation System. 5) Special Items and New Business a) Special Education Trends - will be discussed at the Joint meeting later this month. b) Draft 2014-15 School Year Calendar - will be discussed at the Joint meeting later this month. c) Draft 2014-15 School Committee Meeting Calendar - Mr. Hoek made a suggestion to change the spring meeting schedule to once every 5 weeks instead of the 2nd Tuesday. The schedule will be further discussed at next month’s meeting. d) Grades 3 & 5 has an Art Exhibit is at the Sherborn Town Library through February 28th. 5) Routine Business i) Enrollments as of February 1, 2014 j) Agenda items for March meeting - School Committee meeting schedule, Budget Hearing 6) Adjourn at 7:42 pm.

Respectfully submitted, Amy Davis APPROVED 3/6/2014

Dover School Committee Meeting of December 17, 2013

Members Present: Dawn Fattore Kristen Dennison Tim Caffrey Lauren Doherty Adrian Hill Also Present: Steve Bliss, Superintendent of Schools Karen LeDuc, Assistant Superintendent Christine Tague, Business Manager Laura Dayal, Principal Maria Colarusso, Administrator of Special Education Bob Cocks, James Stuart, Dover Warrant Nancy Powers, DSEA Building Representative

1) Call to order Ms. Fattore called the meeting to order at 8:30 am at Chickering. 2) Community Comments – none 3) FY15 Budget a) Capital Requests - There was discussion of the proposed capital requests. Ms. Dennison made a motion to approve the capital budget requests for FY15. Mr. Hill seconded. 13-44 VOTE: 5 - 0 b) Operating - Mr. Bliss presented the draft FY15 operating budget for discussion. He stated that the proposed budget represents a 1.76% or $118,021 increase over FY14 and is responsibly constructed to provide level services following Dover Warrant Committee guidance. The budget also: includes an undisclosed amount for contract negotiations for all bargaining units (teachers, administrators, support staff, secretarial, food service and plant/facilities); reduces classroom sections from 27 to 25 reflecting declining enrollment (kindergarten and grade 3 will have one less section); reflects the matriculation of 19 special education students in grade 5 to the middle school; includes expansion of the FLES program to include seven sections (kindergarten and grade 1); includes a .1 reduction in the area of visual arts; includes a .2 reduction in music; includes the reduction of a library aide; includes the non-replacement of a retiring custodian; includes the elimination of the part-time nurse’s aide; and allows for $51,000 for major building maintenance (in addition to the capital requests). Mr. Hill made a motion to approve the draft FY15 Operating Budget in the amount of $9,647,534. Ms. Doherty seconded. 13-45 VOTE: 5 - 0 4) Special Items/New Business a) Donation Acceptance: PTO - The PTO has donated $710 to fund the cost of professional development for Chickering Teaching Assistants related to the Trouble-free Playground program. Mr. Hill made a motion to accept the donation of $710 from the PTO to fund professional developments costs for Teaching Assistants related to the Trouble-free Playground program. Mr. Caffrey seconded. 13-46 VOTE: 5 - 0 b) Dover Town Report due January 10, 2014 4) Approval of Minutes a) October 29, 2013 Mr. Hill made a motion to accept the minutes of October 29, 2013. Mr. Caffrey seconded. Under “Members Present” correct the spelling of Ms. Dennison’s name to Kristen. 13-47 VOTE (as amended): 5 - 0 b) Sherborn School Committee minutes of October 8, November 12 and November 20, 2013 and Regional School Committee minutes of October 1 and November 5, 2013 were noted. 10) Adjournment at 10:00 am

Respectfully submitted, Amy Davis APPROVED MARCH 6, 2014

Dover School Committee Meeting of January 21, 2014

Members Present: Dawn Fattore Kristen Dennison Tim Caffrey Lauren Doherty Adrian Hill Also Present: Steve Bliss, Superintendent of Schools Christine Tague, Business Manager Laura Dayal, Principal Bob Cocks, James Stuart, Dover Warrant Nancy Powers, DSEA Building Representative

1) Call to order Ms. Fattore called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM at Chickering. 2) Community Comments – none 3) FY15 Budget Ms. Tague presented the revised numbers for the FY15 budget. After adjustments the proposed budget represents a 0.29% or $19,251 decrease over FY14. Classroom teachers will decrease by 3.5 FTE or $190,213 (one teacher retirement, one teacher RIF and 1.5 teaching assistants due to aid redeployment). There were no changes to the OOD budget. Ms. Dennison made a motion to approve the draft FY15 Budget in the amount of $9,510,262. Ms. Doherty seconded. 14-01 VOTE: 5 - 0 4) Superintendent Report - Mr. Bliss highlighted a few items in his report. 5) Special Items/New Business a) Draft 2014-15 School Calendar - the calendar was provided for review and will be discussed at the next Joint meeting. b) March 6th meeting - reports and items not covered due to the snow-shortened meeting. 4) Adjournment at 6:51 PM

Respectfully submitted, Amy Davis