MCAS Results Leave Dudley-Charlton Seeking Improvement
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UP TO 70% OFF! HOURS: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 10-8 • Wed & Sat 10-5 • Sun 12-5 Free by request to residents of Webster, Dudley and the Oxfords SEND YOUR NEWS AND PICS TO [email protected] Friday, October 19, 2018 MCAS results leave Dudley-Charlton seeking improvement BY JASON BLEAU progress toward target and a 41 accountability STONEBRIDGE CORRESPONDENT percentile, while Shepherd Hill Regional High The results are in after students throughout School ended with a 26% progress and a 33 Dudley and Charlton participated in the state- accountability percentile. Charlton Middle wide MCAS testing earlier this year, leaving School had the lowest percentage towards school officials mixed on the scores reported the state target at 8% and the second lowest from the state. accountability percentile at 39. School officials presented two reports before So, what does all this mean? For Marderosian the School Committee Oct. 10, one focusing on it means the schools have room for improve- the results of the district overall and another ment, but the data may not paint the whole focusing on the results from special education picture on paper. students. The focus of the test for local stu- “The state is really looking at raising the dents this year was English and language arts ground floor. The philosophy I suppose is a as well as mathematics. rising tide raises all ships. In many cases the District interim Director of Curriculum data can be a bit misleading. For example, Barbara Marderosian presented overall num- if you look at Charlton Middle School and bers showing mixed results. Shepherd Hill you’ll see that they have lower Dudley Elementary School made the most progress toward targets, but they are also progress towards the target set by the state not Title 1 schools. They have less room for at 76% and also received the district’s sec- growth in another way of looking at it, where ond highest accountability percentile at 65. Dudley Elementary has more economically disadvantaged students that have some more Heritage School scored a 63% progress toward Jason Bleau photo target and a 67 percent accountability percen- Director of Special Education for the Dudley Charlton Regional School System tile. Dudley Middle School was given a 39% Turn To MCAS, page A9 Lorinda Allen says there’s work to be done after MCAS test result OHS has Recreating Fire change in department administration tools of long ago project seeking BY GUS STEEVES KIMBERLY MASCHI STONEBRIDGE CORRESPONDENT TIMES CORRESPONDENT Under the ubiquitous surface There has been a change in leadership at of post-Colonial and industrial more funding Oxford High School, though the reasoning society in America is a deep but behind the change is still cloudy. often harder-to-see and scat- On Oct. 5, the Oxford Superintendent of tered layer of Native American ISSUES WITH Schools Dr. Elizabeth Zielinski, Ed.D. issued culture dating back tens of a statement to the Oxford public schools web- thousands of years. BIDDING AND SOILS site. The statement is as follows: “They’ve been here about Dear Oxford High School Families: 20,000 years,” Pierre St John RAISE COSTS I want to inform you that Dr. Kimberlee of Spencer told the Oxford Henry, Principal of Oxford High School, is Daughters of the American BY JASON BLEAU currently out on paid leave. You have received Revolution chapter Saturday. TIMES CORRESPONDENT reports that this was done as a disciplinary Maybe, if some linguists argue DUDLEY – The fire department ren- action, which is not true. based on how words have ovation project has hit a bit of a snag I have named Mr. David Nugent as Acting changed in South America, with the need for more money to come Principal while Dr. Henry is out on leave. “it’s even closer to 30,000.” before the town in the coming weeks. Rest assured, your children will continue to In that time, although the The extensive expansion initiative receive their educational services from the technology continued to be will expand the existing structure from professional educators of Oxford High School. mostly stone, with copper and nearly 6,000 square-feet to an 18,500 The District cannot provide you with any gold in some places for orna- square-foot facility. Ground was bro- further information since it is a personnel ments, agriculture, the rela- ken in July after voters approved fund- matter. tionship with nature, cultural ing for the $6.5 million facelift to the Henry became OHS principal in July of 2017. organization and other aspects 58-year-old facility. Now voters could It was reported that in 2014 Henry resigned of society came to be quite be asked to approve another $225,000 from being an assistant principal at Hall sophisticated before European after several unforeseen issues caused High School in West Hartford, CT. Henry was conquerors started arriving a significant hit to the project’s contin- forced to resigns due to state officials stating 500 years ago. St John noted gency fund. Henry did not complete the proper amount of there might even have been a Town Administrator Greg Balukonis enough teaching hours to earn her adminis- European influence (but not explained the situation to selectmen at trator certification. This information is from conquest) millennia ago. One the beginning of October, noting that the Hartford Courant dated Nov. 6, 2014. archaeologist whose “theory Gus Steeves photos after the project reached five-percent Nugent, acting principal, came to OHS in is very much under scrutiny” completion the contingency had been October 2006. Nugent was previously a spe- Pierre St John demonstrates how Native thinks he found a spear point in depleted by 65-percent. cial education teacher at Shrewsbury High toolmakers used deer antlers (in his left West Virginia similar to those “The project is under way. I think School. hand) and other tools to start knapping in Europe, suggesting a group things are going well and I think the Dr. Zielinski has not responded to numer- flint into weapons. members of the building committee Turn To TOOLS, page A9 ous e-mails for comment. will tell you things are going well. What has happened in the early stages of the project is we encountered some diffi- culties. They are items that eat into the town contingency,” Balukonis said. Town clerk seeks dual raises for assistant “We hope that town meeting sees fit to give us the additional monies that we BY JASON BLEAU dinated a study with the town adminis- the spring town meeting it would be need to complete the project.” TIMES CORRESPONDENT trator, examining the salaries of other increased to $20 an hour and that would To date the contingency fund has area positions comparable to the assis- begin with the fiscal year on July 1,” DUDLEY – The town clerk is dou- been depleted $207,562. Balukonis broke tant town clerk position in Dudley. Finn said. bling down on her call for a raise for the down the expenditures showing a com- Finn appeared before selectmen Balukonis confirmed this pay raise assistant town clerk, a move she and bination of soil issues and the with- Oct.1, asking for a two-step raise to be would bring Dudley closer to the com- Town Administrator Greg Balukonis drawal of an electrical sub-bid as major considered at two separate upcoming petitive pay of other towns, but it would argue would help the town remain com- factors. town meetings, with the first expected still have Dudley below the average petitive when compared to other towns The sub-bid situation alone cost the to be on the agenda for the upcoming salary for the position. in the region. project $127,087 after the winning bid- annual fall town meeting at the end of “Mrs. Finn did a pretty extensive pay Town Clerk Ora Finn is one of sever- der and the second lowest bidder both October. study and it shows that the (current) al department heads to propose increas- backed out of the project for different “Currently the assistant is making range is not in keeping with what other es in either wage or hours in 2018, reasons, leaving the town forced to uti- and earned support from the Personnel $18 an hour. I’ve asked that her sala- communities are doing,” Balukonis Board for her proposal before taking ry be increased to $19 an hour start- Turn To PROJECT, page A9 the matter to selectmen. She even coor- ing with the fall meeting, and then on Turn To RAISES page A9 2 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • Friday, October 19, 2018 www.StonebridgePress.com our newsletter or check our website tunities. Membership year runs Nov. for details on items that are needed. 1-Oct. 31 and annual dues is $50. Online TIMES CAPSULES The Dudley Woman’s Club is open to application at www.thewdba.org/mem- all women from Dudley and surround- ber-application/ DWC ROCKS! while having fun creating a kindness ing towns, and we welcome your atten- HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEETS On Nov. 8 the Dudley Woman’s Club rock of your own! Our voluntary giv- dance. Join us for this fun and live- Join us Thursday Oct. 25 at the Gladys will hold its monthly meeting at 6:30 ing project asks us to bring wrapping ly evening, be our guest and discover E. Kelly Library in the Large Meeting p.m. at back room of Sinni’s Pub, Chase paper and tape for the Dudley Middle what our Woman’s Club is all about. Room at 6:30 PM as the Webster-Dudley Avenue, Dudley. DWC Rocks!: kind- School’s Adopt a Child for the Holidays For more information send an email to Historical Society hosts a presentation ness rocks spread messages of hope program.