Updates from last week...previews of the week to come

The last week of November was a busy one. On Monday, November 26th, there was a special Town Meeting in the auditorium at Belchertown High School. Most of the business was financial in nature, with the town voting on a variety of articles related to using money from free cash and stabilization accounts, other special accounts, and extra revenue given to us by the state during the final budget approval process. The town voted to appropriate $67,000.00 from those additional state revenues, including chapter 70 aid to public schools, to the school district. We appreciate the support of the Finance Committee, Selectmen, and townspeople present at the meeting in voting this appropriation.

On Tuesday, November 27th, the School Committee met and discussed the use of these additional funds for FY 2013. Based on earlier conversations about the need for extra support for our mission of ensuring the development of standards-based curriculum and implementation of that curriculum, coupled with 16 new mandates from the state - including a new complex and rigorous Educator Evaluation System - the School Committee voted to establish two positions. The first is an Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning. This type of position is not new to the district; it is the reinstatement of similar positions that have been established in the past and later eliminated in order to fund other needs.

The second position is a reading specialist teacher for Chestnut Hill Community School. The purpose of this position is to provide some extra assistance in helping struggling readers. Teachers have been hired to provide this type of support at Cold Spring School and Swift River Elementary School, funded by a federal grant. There are also two reading specialist positions at Jabish Brook Middle School to support students in this area. These additional supports have helped students achieve success in reading, which prompted the School Committee to approve this position for Chestnut Hill Community School to provide continuity in this area. Other funds appropriated from the special Town Meeting will be used to support the district improvement plan.

Other news...

The BHS music department held its annual Winter Concert on Thursday, November 29th. Our student musicians did a phenomenal job, as always! Congratulations go to Lyndsay Boysen, Director of Bands, and Susan Comstock, Choir Director, for providing a wonderful evening of music for those in attendance. The high school music department will be presenting their annual Holiday Extravaganza! Concert on Tuesday, December 18th at 7:00 pm.

The Jabish  Brook Middle School will present their annual holiday concert on Thursday, December 6th, at 7:00 pm in the high school auditorium. Plan to join them for what promises to be an outstanding evening of music!

Congratulations go to our varsity football team for  making it to the Division III Superbowl for the first time in several years. Although a Superbowl win was not to be this year, they played a good game against Mount Greylock and, overall, had a great season! Our winter sports season is getting underway and a meeting for all winter athletes and their parents is scheduled for Tuesday, December 4th at 6:30 pm in the BHS auditorium.