A New Principal for Chestnut Hill Community School

It is my pleasure to announce that Ms. Paula Fitzgerald has been appointed as the new principal of Chestnut Hill Community School, effective July 1, 2013. I would like to thank the members of the Search Committee, administration, faculty staff, parents, and others who gave of their time to screen and interview applicants and meet with our finalists. Your input was most valuable in the decision-making process.

Ms. Fitzgerald is currently the principal of Quarry Hill Community School in Monson, MA. Prior to that experience, she worked in the Holyoke Public Schools as a reading teacher and coach, and principal. She has both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Elms College and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

There was a qualified pool of applicants for the position, making this decision a difficult one. The Search Committee conducted an initial screening of applications and a first round of interviews, resulting in the selection of three finalists. Each of the finalists interviewed with me and visited CHCS as part of the process. A team from the school, led by Mr. Brian Cameron, Assistant Superintendent, visited their schools as well. 

We will have more details for you regarding Ms. Fitzgerald’s transition into the school in the coming weeks. I hope you will join me in welcoming Ms. Fitzgerald to Chestnut Hill Community School.

MCAS testing and end of the year activities

Our students have been taking MCAS mathematics tests and will continue to do so this coming week. Our tenth graders will also be taking the biology test in June. These tests will complete this year's statewide testing schedule. 

As we bring the 2012-2013 school year to a close, there are many activities in all of our schools. Be sure to check the district calendar (a link can be found on the main page of our web site: www.belchertownps.org) for updates. We will celebrate the accomplishments and graduation of the Class of 2013 on Sunday, June 2, 2013 at 2:00 pm at Belchertown High School! The last day of school for the rest of the students will be Monday, June 24th. This will be a half day. The middle and high school students will be dismissed at 11:00 am. Dismissal for the elementary students will be at 12:00 pm. Lunches will not be served. It's hard to believe that another year is coming to a conclusion!

As always, if you have any questions or comments about this post, please call me at 413.323.0423, or email me at superintendent@belchertown.org.

Best regards, Dr. Judith Houle, Superintendent of Schools

A Debt of Gratitude

April and May are months when there is a lot of focus on appreciating others around us. Administrative Professionals Day, National Volunteer Week, National Teacher Day/Week, and Nurses' Day are all opportunities to say thank you to these people in our schools.

When I think about these occasions, I am humbled by the awesome task that it takes to educate the 2,500 children in our schools each day. Not only the folks listed above deserve our thanks, but everyone who works with our students, including: paraprofessionals, special education support personnel, custodians, food service workers, bus drivers, coaches, tutors, principals, assistant principals, other administrators, technology support personnel, and a host of others who provide contracted services to assist us in educating these young minds.

Without the quality and caring teachers in our classrooms each day, our children would not have the privilege of an outstanding education. Without dedicated paraprofessionals who support our teachers and provide supervision for children at lunch and recess, our children would not be able to achieve their very best in those classrooms. Our technology staff helps us by providing the infrastructure necessary to access the global learning community and with data needed to help us examine and improve our curriculum and instructional practices. Our athletic coaches and teachers who take on the task of providing extra-curricular activities help keep our students engaged in school while pursuing areas of special interests. Thank you all for what you do.

Our nursing staff provides healthcare to all our students and supports students who are medically fragile.The food service workers provide healthy and nutritious lunches to feed their bodies and minds so they can learn. The custodians, maintenance staff, and others who support them ensure that our schools are clean and safe places in which to learn.  Our School Resource Officer also works to further ensure that safety. I am grateful to all of them for their work.

The bus drivers and all the staff at First Student work tirelessly to ensure that our children are transported to and from school safely every day. Our special needs students are transported with care by the drivers and staff from Van Pool. Thank you all for your service to our children.

Our School Committee and administration provide resources, policies, and a necessary framework to ensure that everyone has the tools to accomplish this task. I appreciate all that you do.

Last, but not least, countless hours of time are volunteered by parents, guardians, grandparents, family members, and others in our community who wish to help our schools. Our PTOs, along with music and athletic boosters raise funds to support our teachers and other activities that benefit our students both inside and outside of the classroom. We are also grateful to area business who provide donations of money, goods, and services to support the various activities in our schools. Without your support, particularly in a time of economic difficulty in our country, we would not be able to provide for the children as we would like.

On the town side, we are supported by our Town Administrator, members of Town Government, Department of Public Works, Fire, EMS, and Police. They also deserve a heartfelt thank you for the work that they do on our behalf, as do our area childcare providers and health providers also support us in caring for our children.

The ancient saying, "It takes a village to raise a child," is true here in Belchertown as it is in every town in our nation. We are blessed to have such a committed and caring group of employees and volunteers who are willing to take on this work. Please join me in the upcoming days in appreciating them for all they do.

If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please feel free to call me at 413.323.0423 or email me at superintendent@belchertown.org.

Gratefully, Dr. Judith Houle, Superintendent of Schools