Vol. 2, No. 2 A PUBLICATION OF QUINCY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Spring 2008 Members of Merrymount Elementary School’s Imagination Kids club are At your dedicated to community At your service. Pictured are, on ground from left, Grace McDonough, Mary-Kate Lynch, Marina Chafa, sseerrvviiccee Kelly Donahue and Kimberly Andrews; standing from left Julia Donovan, Hailee Walsh, and Reda Laftih. PHOTO: REBA SALDANHA Sign of Momentum building at Central Middle friendship BY MEAGHAN CASEY Third-grader learns a new way Built in 1894, Central Middle School has a rich historical significance in the Quincy community. to communicate with classmate The facility was the site of Quincy’s first high school. From 1924 through 1982, it serviced all of the city’s junior BY SUSAN BYRNE high students. When nominations were sought last year for the Quincy Kiwanis Today, Central is the largest of five middle schools in Junior Hero Award, Nancy Tierney and her colleagues knew just Quincy, serving 650 students in grades 6-8. Students feed the right candidate. A perfect choice was an incredible girl named into Central from the Bernazzani, Wollaston, Merrymount Danielle Perry. and Beechwood Knoll elementary schools. As the student Tierney has been the school nurse at the Lincoln-Hancock population has continuously grown, overcrowding in this Elementary School for 13 years and has encountered numerous 113-year-old building has become a serious problem. The wonderful students. However, Perry’s story is certainly among the current gym and auditorium cannot adequately meet truly impressive. students’ needs, classrooms are too small and students eat Last year a new student from another state joined Perry’s second- Lincoln-Hancock third-grade student Danielle Perry lunch in a former basement storage room and play in a See SIGNS Page 10 demonstrates sign language. PHOTO: REBA SALDAN- See CENTRAL Page 10 Broad Meadows Elementary School celebrates its 50 th anniversary: Page 4 2—The Quincy Educator Spring 2008 Opportunity Team approach puts students first Welcome to the Spring excited about this monumental undertaking and school plays, shows, and concerts, both choral awaits us 2008 edition of The look forward to the final phases of the Quincy and instrumental. We are proud of the arts in the Quincy Educator. High School building being put into place. The Quincy Public Schools and the incredible work These first few months as Highlighted in this issue, new Central Middle School project has been our students display throughout the school year. mayor have granted me are many unique and approved by the Massachusetts School Building Our Community School Business many wonderful exciting opportunities that Authority and Mayor Koch has selected a Partnerships support the Evening at the Pops, opportunities, not the least our Quincy Public Building Committee. Sterling Middle School the Historical Walk for Education, and the QPS of which is seeing first-hand Schools students will not be forgotten as system/city planning Golf Tournament, initiatives that generate the incredible dedication Dr. Richard experience throughout the continues. We are looking forward to the time revenues that further assist our staff and and commitment of the school year. Teachers and when Quincy students are able to attend their students. Our business partners, who are an Quincy Public Schools DeCristofaro students alike participate new and renovated learning environments. integral part of the Quincy Public Schools, Mayor to the children of this in these creative initiatives and acknowledge, Quincy Public Schools prides itself in the provide our teachers with mini-grants, great city. with pride, the extraordinary outcomes of these excellent communication tools it has in place technology, community service and program Thomas Koch Our teachers, educational and extracurricular endeavors. that connect schools and home. From the support. administrators, support staff, parents and so many The Quincy Public Schools continues the School Committee support of agenda books for As you read the third edition of The Quincy others who play a role in our schools show so tradition of its team approach as identified in our students in grades 4 to 8, to Instant Alert, our Educator, please be reminded that we are proud, much passion and care for our students on a daily District Improvement Plan. Collaboration telephone and data messaging system, parents in every way, of our teachers, administrators, basis, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity between levels, within content areas, and across are kept informed of their students’ academic dedicated mayor and school committee. Each to join with Dr. DeCristofaro and the School departments is the glue that keeps our teachers successes as well as other areas of schooling. brings excellence in leadership that benefit our Committee in their work toward making Quincy and schools on the same page, putting the Monthly newsletters, the QPS Web site, and most valuable customers, the students of the the best school system in the state. students first in all that we do. Channel 22 are additional ways in which parents Quincy Public Schools. These are unquestionably exciting and We are now in Phase 2 construction of the are kept up to date on important school news. challenging times for our city and our schools. new Quincy High School. The building is on Each spring, Quincy Public Schools Dr. Richard DeCristofaro is superintendent of Together with the School Committee, we are time and on budget. Students and staff are “Celebrates the Arts” through spring concerts, schools. working hard to keep the Quincy High School project on time and on budget. Our efforts have been rewarded with additional savings from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, under Quincy High construction the leadership of state Treasurer Timothy Cahill and Executive Director Katherine Craven. A new Central Middle School Building Committee is beginning its work, and we expect on schedule and budget to see substantial progress in coming months. The MSBA has targeted the Central project as a BY RICH FAHEY and a science greenhouse. critical need, and we are committed to getting it The project’s design and approach meet off the ground. The $126 million Quincy High the Mass. Collaborative for High As a community, we face serious financial construction project is on schedule and Performance Schools (MA-CHPS) criteria to challenges today and in the immediate future. within budget, with the completion date for gain additional grant funding from the But under the leadership of Dr. DeCristofaro and the third and final phase of the project Massachusetts School Building Authority. the School Committee, I am confident that the expected to be September 2010. For example, typical classrooms will have Quincy Public Schools will remain strong and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Richard sloped acoustical ceilings to allow for greater emerge even stronger in coming years. DeCristofaro said the auditorium and day-lighting, and tall operable windows with Thank you again for the opportunity to serve gymnasium portions of the project may not room dimming shades, amenities that are not our city, and if I can be of assistance in any way, be complete, but everything else should be. only energy efficient, but also provide for a please do not hesitate to contact me directly. The next major date in the construction better learning environment. schedule is February 2009, when the new Quincy High construction is expected The new QHS will include four separate Math, Science and Technology Academy is to be completed by September 2010. academies with related disciplines. The new expected to open and .the demolition of the said. Math, Science and Technology Academy will present East wing of the school will begin. The Quincy Public Schools Web site — integrate elements of the former Center for City of Quincy The school is being built in phases while www.quincypublicschools.com — provides Technical Education, with areas for physics, Thomas Koch, Mayor Quincy High remains open. The discovery of construction timelines and schedules and biotechnology and math in the same area. Published by: some contaminated soil on the construction hotline numbers. The new high school will also include Fine Quincy Public Schools site mandated some scheduling revisions for Quincy High Principal Frank Santoro said Arts and Humanities academies, as well as a Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Superintendent the new Math, Science and Technology both Tishman Construction, project manager, separate academy for freshmen. Quincy School Committee Academy to ensure the project would remain and Gilbane Construction, the construction Both DeCristofaro and Santoro expressed Mayor Thomas Koch, Chairman David F. McCarthy, Vice Chair on time. While cleanup teams conducted manager, have held regular meetings with appreciation for the QHS seniors who JoAnn Bragg mitigation work, the construction team re- him and his staff to keep them updated and endured the disruptions from the construction Elaine Dwyer sequenced the entire enclosure schedule for he has a monthly calendar that details but will never have a chance to attend the Anne M. Mahoney Kevin W. Mulvey the building. The current school library was important upcoming events. new building. A photo was taken of the 300 Nick Puleo moved in April in preparation for the next Although the removal of oil tanks cost an seniors on the construction site. Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary phase of the project. estimated $1.5 million, DeCristofaro