[CCHS] CCHS Weekly Bulletin 10-31-03

[Karen Sabatino for CCHS Lists]

CCHS CHIT-CHAT
A CCHS weekly news publication                                           October 31st, 2003 - edition 100

Welcome to the first 'weekly news' publication distributed through the CCHS list serve!  We hope you find this information timely, useful and informative.  For comments or submissions for future editions, please email CCHS at comcast.net.  Future submissions are at the discretion of the editor.                                                                                                        
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Note from the Editor
     Last week, we began to distribute a 'daily announcement':  a short, succinct list of announcements which were being read to the students the following day.  We (Sharon Trainor, an administrative assistant at CCHS - thanks Sharon!) worked hard to deliver this information to parents as a way of sharing a bit about your child's day and keeping you 'in the loop'.  There was lots of feedback about the daily bulletin - some negative and some positive.  The negative feedback addressed the issues of 'crowding our mailboxes', 'we don't need to know', 'what we haven't known hasn't hurt us', and 'why everyday?'.  The positive feedback let us know loud and clear that many parents finally feel connected to CCHS, appreciate having a lead into potential discussion items with our children, and found it enormously helpful to get a 'heads up' on important meetings, events and issues.
     In an attempt to catch our breath and sort through all of the feedback, we suspended the daily bulletin.  AND WE GOT EVEN MORE FEEDBACK!! 
      As a result, we have decided to resume the bulletin as of Monday, November, 3rd.  It will always contain 'daily announcements' in the subject line, so those who wish to delete it from their in box will be able to easily recognize it.   That having been said, we feel that the daily announcements provide a valuable service to our parent community and hope that you will take the time to skim them as time permits.  We have heard of many parents who forwarded it to their child; a helpful reminder if he or she missed an important notice.
     The 'why daily' question bears some explanation as well.  The mechanism for distributing news to students at CCHS is the daily announcements.  Announcements are read ONCE or maybe twice if something warrants it.  The system is established, is routine and works very well.
     While we realize that we can't please everyone all of the time, we continue to do our best to provide meaningful, timely information to parents. 
                                                                
Sincerely,
Karen Sabatino, Editor
CCHS List Serve Coordinator

HERE BEGINS THE WEEKLY BULLETIN..please excuse the length this week.. we are dealing with 'pent up demand'!
This week's edition contains:
---Teacher Appreciation Dinner update
---Parent's Association Meeting Notice
---Concord Ed Fund Spelling Bee - join the fun!
---Safe Homes Information
---School Committee Notes from Becky Shannon
---Safe Homes Pledge Form
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TEACHER APPRECIATION DINNER - Thursday, DECEMBER 4th:
A dinner will be served to all the teachers and staff in the faculty dining room during the evening of the teacher conference day on December 4th from 4:45-7 pm. Parent volunteers decorate the dining room and set up a hot meal which is served in two seatings, during the scheduled dinner breaks. Volunteers can participate by agreeing to prepare food at home (state law does not permit use of the school kitchen), shop for food and paper goods, set   up, serve or clean up (or any combination of these). Each year we also request donations of baked goods and treats for every teacher to take home. Interesting ideas have been honey with tea, a coffee card in a commuter mug, jars of candy, baked breads, jams with crackers, cheeses, even whole pies! We encourage parents to send thank you cards and notes as well. We cannot guarantee that a specific teacher will get your item but a very gracious and appreciative teacher or administrator will. If you would like to help in any of the ways described, please contact Kate Bird at either 978-369-0100 or birds.house4 at verizon.net or Anita Tekle at atekle at concordnet.org or 978-369-7165 as soon as possible.
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PARENT'S ASSOCIATION MEETING:
All Parents are invited to the Parent's Association monthly meeting, Monday, November 3rd at 7:30 pm in the CCHS Library. 

                AGENDA
1. Introductions
2. Student Government Representative's Report
3. Principal's Remarks
4. Approval of Minutes 
5. Treasurer's Report
6. Updates from PA Committees
             Campus Beautification; Grants; Teacher Appreciation
7. Class Reports (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007) 
8. Other Business
             CCPI announcements: CPT announcements

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Concord Ed Fund Spelling Bee - Looking for Teams!

Tenth Annual Concord Education Fund Spelling Bee
 November 22, 2003 - 6-9:30 pm in the CCHS Auditorium

     An annual highlight on the fall calendar, the bee is great fun for all, but especially for contestants.  Why not put together your own team - this is the last call to be part of this great fundraiser for Concord Public
Schools.  Teams cost $500 to sponsor - how about one of these grouping ideas:  Your neighborhood?  Your book group?  Your over-40 soccer league pals?  Your poker buddies?  Join the fun - call Dan at 369-8699 for details.

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The SAFE HOME PLEDGE For the Benefit of Our Children and Our Community:

A community wide effort for parents to communicate with one another and make our community safer for our children.

     Many Parents want to sign the SAFE HOMES PLEDGE but have either lost their forms or find the process cumbersome. We are now providing you an option to send your pledge via e-mail.  I would like to encourage parents to read the pledge and e-mail this form back to rrajgopal at aol.com at your earliest convenience.  Your e-mail with your name and the completed form will be considered the same as physically signing and mailing in the form. Each Parent in a home must send a separate e-mail. 
     This pledge must be renewed every year! So those of you who have signed this pledge last year need to sign the pledge again.

THE PLEDGE FORM CAN BE FOUND AT THE END OF THIS DOCUMENT.
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NOTES FROM THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE:
     It was a great disappointment to the School Committee that the September override failed at the polls.  Over a half million dollars in cuts have been made at the high school in this year's budget alone and include technology, textbook replacement and purchases, supplies and materials, equipment, field trips, professional development, an additional .75 teacher to support increases in enrollment, a software system to track student attendance and other student information required to be sent to DOE.  The current software is old and no longer supported by the vendor. 
      Additionally, the reduction taken in the summer includes more supplies ($27,000), a custodian ($33,000), custodian overtime ($12,000), a library aid ($11,500), secretarial positions ($25,000), career assistant ($24,600), and more cuts in information technology ($3,100).  The effect will be that the school does not have the same custodial coverage it had, the library will close shortly after classes end at the high school and be short staffed during the day, and computer equipment replacement will fall behind, meaning older technology will be in our school.  It takes a very short time for outdated technology to impact curriculum instruction.  Our students need facility with technology to be productive in the future.  The loss of instructional supplies money means that textbooks cannot be purchased in sufficient quantities if at all.  All of this has affected our High School.  One physics class was using an old textbook due to the lack of funds available to buy a sufficient quantity of new texts for all sections of the course.  Another planned course will not be offered partially due to lack of funds to purchase the textbooks.  Good school systems need to continue to improve and change the curriculum, and we are seriously hampered in this effort.  This is the impact of a lack of funds. 
       In addition to our curriculum needs, our superintendent, Dr. Finn, at a recent Finance Committee meeting called our school's capital needs a "compelling challenge".  "Capital needs have been delayed for many years; as a consequence, systems are falling apart just at a time when resources have disappeared."   The School Committee is well aware of the challenge at the high school to accommodate enrollment, provide more adequate science classroom and laboratory space, and update the 1960's gymnasium and locker rooms.  We anticipate bringing a building proposal and capital plan to April Town Meeting.  The Department of Education recently informed school districts across Massachusetts that the new Circuit Breaker Provision for funding Special Education did not have enough revenues to cover the costs of the provision.  The whole idea of the Circuit Breaker was to help districts cope with the extraordinary costs of special education residential and day programs and prevent these costs from impacting regular education programs.  The Circuit Breaker was to pay districts 75% of any costs that exceeded $29,320 for both day and residential students.  In the past, there was the 50/50 program that paid half for residential programs only (not day programs).   The new estimate for the Circuit Breaker is that instead of the 75% reimbursements, districts may expect only 27.62%.  
      What does this mean for Concord?  Because we have a regional high school, our budgets must be seen separately.  For CPS, K-8, the news is good.  Most young children with special needs in the elementary grades are in day programs that are less costly, and in the past day programs were not covered.  Therefore, with the new coverage, the SPED budget for FY04 for CPS has not been impacted the high school is another matter.   Children with acute needs who when younger may not have needed residential placement, at high school age often do.  Therefore, the high school has more expensive residential needs and the decrease in funding from the old 50/50 program to the now 27.62% after @$30,000 funding program has impacted the CURRENT high school budget to the tune of a $150,000 deficit.  These constant and continuing reductions from the state have made budgeting unmanageable for school districts throughout Massachusetts.  The School Committee is in the process of determining how to handle this latest deficit.  We have cut so much and now, in October, must cut yet again.
     The needs of our schools are growing and require that we pay close attention to local, state, and federal education policies, mandates and funding.  Our FY05 budget outlook for our schools looks dismal.  I encourage you all to contact your State and Federal representatives to express your dismay:  Senator Kennedy - 617-565-3170; Senator Kerry-617-565-8519; Representative Meehan - 978-459-0101; Governor Romney-617-727-6250; Lt. Governor Healey-517-727-6250; Senator Fargo-617-722-1572; and especially Representative Atkins-617-722-2040.  
      Thankfully, within Concord and within our schools, we have many who are committed to preserving the best of public education despite these difficult days.  Parents have stepped forward to lend a hand and a dollar in a valiant effort to keep our schools attractive and our children's bodies and minds nourished.  Interiors have been painted, exteriors landscaped, programs funded, committees formed.  This is our community.  This is our strength.   But we must join parents across this nation to fight for every child's right to a free and excellent public education.  Thank you!
 
Becky Shannon
Concord/Carlisle School Committee
(978) 371-1806
Bshan96880 at aol.com
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CCHS FOOTBALL VS. LAWRENCE AT HOME TONIGHT!

GO CC!!
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SAFE HOMES PLEDGE FORM...NEXT PAGE...

To complete the Pledge form, you may:
1. Print the form and return it via mail to Meena Rajgopal, 53 Sarah Way, Concord, MA 01742
OR
2. Cut and Paste the form provided into an email and return it electronically to:  rrajgopal at aol.com


The SAFE HOME PLEDGE For the Benefit of Our Children and Our Community

A community wide effort for parents to communicate with one another and make our community safer for our children.

Many Parents want to sign the SAFE HOMES PLEDGE but have either lost their forms or find the process cumbersome. We are now providing you an option to send your pledge via e-mail.  I would like to encourage parents to read the pledge and e-mail this form back to rrajgopal at aol.com at your earliest convenience.  Your e-mail with your name and the completed form will be considered the same as physically signing and mailing in the form. Each Parent in a home must send a separate e-mail. 

This pledge must be renewed every year! So those of you who have signed this pledge last year need to sign the pledge again.


PARENT PARTNERSHIP FOR SAFE HOMES PLEDGE

*  I/We will actively supervise parties and gatherings of youth in our home or on our property or provide responsible adult supervision.
* I/We will not serve or allow the use of alcohol by youth under the legal drinking age in our home or on our property.
* I/We will not allow the use of or presence of any illegal drugs in our home or on our property
* I/We will set expectations for our child(ren) by knowing where they are going, who they are with, what their plans are and when they are to return home.
* I/We will communicate with other parents and youth to promote a safer community.


  Parent Partnership for SAFE HOMES

Parent Name:

Address:

Town:
                         
Phone:

E-mail (Safe Homes use only - not for publication)


Student Name:

Grade Level:

School:


We agree to list the above information in the Safe Homes Directory and to follow the Safe Homes Pledge for the benefit of our children and our community.

If you have questions, call Meena Rajgopal,  Safe Homes Coordiator  @ 978-371-6674.

Safe Homes is under the umbrella of CCPI (Concord Carlisle Parent Initiative)
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