DC School Committee:

mosquito control, AP courses

By Janet Stoica
Patriot Correspondent

REGION - Superintendent Sean Gilrein reported on the 2013 mosquito control program at Wednesday's Dudley-Charlton Regional School Committee meeting. Mr. Gilrein sought the committee's approval to gather information about outdoor-spraying guidelines such as the types of spraying materials to be used (organic vs. non-organic) and final costs to be considered.

School Committee member Pauline Aucoin mentioned that her concern was for the “Green Program” where organic spraying materials would be used, although costs would be higher. Other members asked questions about the proximity of artesian well-heads and the necessity of keeping those areas safe and non-toxic.

Mr. Gilrein offered to speak with the Charlton and Dudley town administrators as well as John Lafleche, Superintendent-Director of Bay Path Regional High School, to determine if there was interest in a group contract, thereby saving on costs associated with such a project to protect the health and wellness of all school students.

New business included information relative to a 3-day staff conference in August 2013 with the Gateway Institute, which would plan and develop high-quality curriculum with technology usage. The Institute was looking for 4-6 teachers to attend and Mr. Gilrein said that there are actually 8-10 staff members who are very much interested. The committee then unanimously voted for Mr. Gilrein to begin planning for the 2013 conference.

Mr. John Smolenski of the Massachusetts Math & Science Inititiave (MMSI) gave a presentation on AP programs. MMSI is a privately-funded organization devo, to puted to increasing math, science, and English advanced placement (“AP”) courses for high school students. It was noted that Shepherd Hill students have been doing very well in attaining goals in the AP course areas. Mr. Gilrein commented, however, that he had learned that “60% of incoming freshmen at Worcester State are taking remedial math courses.”

Mr. Smolenski then stated that “MMSI’s goals were to not only assist those students who were in the top tiers of the high school’s academics but to also reach the next 25% of the student body to push and pull them up to higher math, science, and English achievement. The more rigorous courses you take, the better the student’s chances of being accepted into the college of their choice, he said.  “There is an impact on admissions’ acceptance, an impact on college scores.” Following Mr. Smolenski’s presentation, the committee voted unanimously to support the MMSI goals.

Superintendent Gilrein also advised the committee on the upcoming accreditation of the Charlton Elementary School, noting that the accreditation team would be visiting/evaluating the school no later than March 30, 2013. He also thanked committee members for their upcoming participation in the Community Reading Week (Oct. 15-19) to be held at all K-8 buildings and offered a public reminder of the Charlton Middle School’s Fall Family Fest to be held on Friday, Oct. 19^th. “Come out and support your Charlton PTO, put on your costumes and come hungry,” Mr. Gilrein stated.

A discussion was held on the Rubrics Guides for Superintendents, Administration, and Teachers. Rubrics are assigned expectations for focused feedback and grading purposes, allowing all those involved to be aware of those goals in their areas of expertise.