Schools Roundup: School Committee Appoints Chair, New Dale Street School Principal and MHS Highlights

The first order of business for the School Committee Monday was naming a new chair to replace chairman .

Christopher Morrison, the committee’s recording secretary, nominated vice chair Debbie Noschese to be appointed chair, which was approved unanimously by the committee.

“I accept,” Noschese said. “Thank you.”

The committee also welcomed new member .

“I want to welcome Maryanne Sullivan,” Noschese said. “Welcome aboard and we are glad to have you. Thank you very much and we look forward to working with you and having you on our committee.”

Maguire Announces the Next Principal at Dale Street School

Superintendent of Schools Bob Maguire was pleased to announce at Monday’s meeting that the search for the next principal at was over and that the administration has named Louise Snyder, the current principal of Henry B. Burkland Elementary School in Middleborough, its principal, beginning in the 2012-2013 school year. Snyder will finish out the current school year in Middleborough before beginning work in Medfield on July 1. .

“I’m very pleased by [the decision to hire Snyder],” Maguire said. “Louise has been working down in Middleborough as principal for several years now and prior to that had worked over in Dover-Sherborn as a teacher. She’s coming over to us very highly recommended and we are excited to have her onboard.”

Medfield High School Advisory Council Updates the Committee

Medfield High School freshman Andy Letai shared the following news about the Medfield Student Council with the Medfield School Committee at Monday’s meeting:

• Freshmen and sophomore dance organized by the MHS Student Council raised $4,100.
• The Student Council is also organizing its annual to help raise money to build a well in Africa. The race will be held later this spring.
• Student Council member Joe Marie is running for vice president for the CBMSC, which is a statewide student council organization. “Some of us will be going to that later to support him during elections,” Letai said.
• for the level of work the council has done.

Medfield High School sophomore Dennis Krawec shared the following highlights from the high school’s social studies department with the Medfield School Committee:

• On April 3, the honors history students went to the Museum of Fine Arts. “Everyone loved it, they said it was a really fun trip,” Krawec said. “They said it went by wicked quickly.” For future trips, students would prefer teacher guides as opposed to museum guides so they could spend more time looking at the different exhibits.
• A few months ago, the social studies department participated in an activity to learn more about the Lewis and Clark expedition. “A bunch of different stations were set up all along the hallways going down to the cafeteria,” Krawec said. “Basically, you’re in groups of three and you start at one end of the hallway with a guide made by students and you visit each station answering questions about Lewis and Clark.” At each station, according to Krawec, students were given examples of what Lewis and Clark faced and they had to determine how they would handle those situations. “It was really fun,” Krawec said. “It ranged from food shortages to bear attacks.”

Medfield High School junior Henry Gagne shared the following highlights from the high school’s science department with the Medfield School Committee:

• The freshmen are gearing up for a big event where students choose a topic of something related to biology that you want to learn about and research it, make a formal lab report and do the experiment and then you participate in a symposium. The symposium will be held the week after break. “I remember it being a great time and a fun event for students,” Gagne said.
• In chemistry, the juniors are currently learning about solutions.
• In physics, the juniors are learning about universal gravitation. “We are getting towards the AP test,” Gagne said.

Medfield High School senior Andrew Velichansky shared the following highlights from the high school’s music department and drama club with the Medfield School Committee:

• Recently, the entire music department participated in the Massachusetts Instrumental & Choral Conductors Association (MICCA). The MHS band, orchestra and chorus performed at Bellingham High School last weekend and played two to three pieces each and were judged by music professionals. The orchestra and chorus both received silver medals. “It doesn’t mean the orchestra or chorus came in second place but it’s a very good rating in the MICCA system,” Velichansky said. The band received a gold medal, a superior rating in the system. As a result, the band was entered into a pool of other bands that received gold medals and from that pool, according to Velichansky, certain bands, including Medfield, were selected to play at Symphony Hall on Saturday, April 14. Medfield High School band will be playing at 1:30 p.m. at Symphony Hall and admission is free.
• The Jazz band has its coming up in May.
• The drama club is in the process of its one-acts. There are six different groups performing and the show is expected to be held in the first weekend in May.
• Last weekend, the drama club held a showcase within the group to give members of the group an opportunity to perform a song or a piece of a play that they didn’t get to perform this year. “Some people sang songs, it was like our own talent show,” Velichansky said. “Good opportunity for people to break out of their shells.”

Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Update

Senator James Timilty and State Representative Denise Garlick were in attendance at Monday’s meeting at the request of the school committee and Superintendent Maguire to discuss the status of the state budget and understand the process from the state’s perspective. Garlick said as of now, word out of Beacon Hill is that everyone at the state level is “cautiously optimistic” that education funding, primarily Chapter 70 funding and special education Circuit Breaker funding, will not be negatively impacted by the state’s FY13 budget.

Senator Timilty called April “the most important month for Beacon Hill” in terms of the state budget.

“It is critical for the Commonwealth to have a good April,” Timilty said.

Details of that discussion will be published Wednesday morning on Medfield Patch. State Representative Dan Winslow was also invited to participate in Monday’s meeting but had a scheduling conflict and could not attend.

As for an update on the Medfield Public Schools FY13 budget, Maguire said the district is in good shape.

“There’s really nothing new in terms of information,” Maguire said. “We will be paying attention to see what happens on Wednesday [April 11]. My guess is the legislature comes up with something that is similar in terms of the notion of level funding. That’s the only issue other than going to Town Meeting and being successful there.”

Timilty said Wednesday, April 11 is an important date for the budget because that’s when preliminary figures are released.

“Then we see what happens in May,” Timilty added.

Budget mailer is expected to be mailed out to residents Friday.

Father/Daughter Dance at Wheelock School

Morrison said he attended the father/daughter dance for the second time and called it a “privilege” to attend.

“It is a great event and a great town tradition,” Morrison said. “The staff did a terrific job of getting the kids ready to dance with their dads and they got all the dads out there dancing even though some of them really did not want to be dancing.”

School Committee Tables Meeting Minutes

Morrison suggested the School Committee table the regular meeting and executive session meeting minutes for Feb. 13.

Miscellaneous

• School Committee member Tim Bonfatti was absent from Monday’s meeting.
• Senator Timilty and State Representative Garlick discussed the state budget and education funding for 38 minutes with the School Committee Monday.
• Medfield Town Administrator Michael Sullivan, Board of Selectmen chair Ann Thompson and Board of Selectmen member Osler “Pete” Peterson were present at Monday’s meeting.
• The School Committee’s next meeting will be Monday, April 30 before Town Meeting. Likely time of meeting is 6:30 p.m. at a location to be determined.