Anne Wilson, Ph.D.
An Evening Chat with Superintendent Wilson:
Superintendent's Conference Room
40 Fairbank Road
Please Drop-In at Your Convenience
Thursday, May 16, 2013
6:30 - 8:00pm
Dear SPS Families,
Thank you for your cooperation over the last few months as we implemented locked front doors at all schools. We are now ready to “go live” with our buzzer entry system. As of Monday, April 29, 2013, all visitors to our schools will need to be “buzzed in.” After entering the building, please follow the same procedures that have been in place regarding signing in and obtaining a badge to wear during your visit.
We have conducted staff training on the new equipment and we are prepared to make adjustments to our protocols, as needed, after the system is operational. We thank you, in advance, for your patience with this new process. Please help us to implement the system in a way that allows all to benefit from the enhanced security by being alert to the following:
Thank you, again, for your cooperation and patience as we enhance the security of our schools.
Respectfully,
Anne
A Morning Chat with Superintendent Wilson:
Superintendent's Conference Room
40 Fairbank Road
Please Drop-In at Your Convenience
Monday, April 29, 2013
7:30 - 9:00am
Dear SPS Families:
It is with a heavy heart that I write to you again about events that are incomprehensible. We all hope for a world that is safe and supportive for our children. However, the tragic Boston Marathon bombings shake our feelings of comfort and safety. As the school community comes together again on Monday, we will be prepared to support our students as we engage in our normal daily routines. We will be alert to students who may exhibit behaviors or ask questions that require our attention and support. Please do contact your school counselor, principal, or assistant principal if your child has been directly impacted by the Marathon bombings so that we are able to proactively check-in and provide the support needed.
Some families may be out of town and the full impact of the Marathon bombings may emerge upon return home. Each child and adult will process the information in a unique way and we will do everything in our power to provide a consistent and supportive environment in all Sudbury public schools. Below, please find links to articles that provide age/developmentally appropriate suggestions for parents when talking with children about the Marathon bombings.
http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2013/04/talk-children-marathon-bombs
http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/talking_kids_about_terrorism_or_acts_war
http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/Helping_Children_Cope_With_Terrorism_2013.pdf
As a Sudbury community, we will find strength in working together and supporting each other through these difficult times. We are undoubtedly united in the care and concern of the children entrusted to us. By working together, we will reassure our students that the adults in their lives care deeply about their well-being.
Respectfully,
Anne
Anne S. Wilson
Superintendent of Schools
Sudbury Public Schools
Dear SPS Families:
As we watch the snow disappear and hope not to see more before next winter, I would like to share some exciting news and respond to some questions that have been raised recently.
I thoroughly enjoyed last night’s opening night performance of the musical Willy Wonka Jr. at Curtis Middle School. It was such a pleasure to see the many talented students who performed and those who worked as crew members to produce such an exceptional show. The pride and excitement reflected in our students last night was phenomenal and exemplifies the value of such co-curricular activities! As always, it was great to see so many teachers and parents in attendance to celebrate and support our students’ achievements. Congratulations to all students, staff, and parent volunteers who made opening night such a success!
Have a wonderful weekend.
Respectfully,
Anne
Anne S. Wilson
Superintendent of Schools Sudbury Public Schools
Loring Assistant Principal and Curtis House Administrator for 2013-2014 School Year
I am thrilled to announce that two current SPS teachers will be stepping into administrative roles in Sudbury for the 2013-2014 school year. Please join me in congratulating Sara Zawadzkas as Loring Assistant Principal and David Jurewicz as Curtis House Administrator. I am so thankful for their years of excellence in teaching and teacher leadership in Sudbury, I am appreciative of their continued commitment to Sudbury, and I look forward to working with them to enhance our district leadership capacity!
Loring Assistant Principal
Sara Zawadzkas has been a teacher for the past 13 years. She has been a fourth grade teacher at Loring for the past nine years. Prior to her experience at Loring she was a third grade teacher in Atlanta, Georgia. During Sara's time as an educator in Sudbury she was selected as the lead teacher of the mentoring program for new educators. Sara holds a Master of Education in Organizational Management from Endicott College, a Master of Literacy and Language from Framingham State College, and a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College.
Curtis Middle School House Administrator
David Jurewicz has been working as a Technology Education Teacher at Curtis Middle School since being hired in Sudbury in September of 1995. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, David serves as a mentor teacher in the district. Before coming to Sudbury, David worked as a technology education instructor in Framingham. David earned a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) from Fitchburg State University, a Master of Education degree from Cambridge College, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Fitchburg State University.
Professional Development and Consultants In Sudbury Public Schools PK-8
In response to recent questions about consultants in Sudbury Public Schools, I wanted to provide you with an overview of the ways in which we utilize consultants and internal expertise to provide professional development for staff and administrators. Professional development, mentoring, and coaching are essential components of any successful organization and we plan for these activities as a part of our annual budgeting process. In education, in particular, ongoing training and support for all teachers, administrators, and staff members allows us to continue to improve educational opportunities for all students.
In Sudbury, we use a variety of internal expertise and outside consultants to provide ongoing learning opportunities for teachers and administrators across the district. Some professional development is consistent across the district while individual schools also have professional development offerings that are site specific and typically aligned with School Improvement Plans (SIP).
In-district experts facilitate a significant portion of our professional development activities. This includes implementation of the Common Core in Mathematics and English Language Arts, implementation of the new educator evaluation system, and improving on Data Analysis to Inform Instruction. All of these activities are planned by our Professional Development Council, including teachers (general education and special education) from across the grade levels and all schools and principal representation from elementary and middle school, in concert with the Assistant Superintendent and the Math and ELA Curriculum Coordinators.
In addition, staff and administrators at each school have worked with Stan Davis through monthly Skype consults related to the implementation of our anti-bullying policy. These Skype sessions may focus on individual case studies or responses to school-wide issues and they are designed to build internal capacity (expands thinking, strategies and resources in the system to build a wider base of internal expertise to share within the system.) Individual school staff and administrators also consult with Kevin Russo, Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), to build our capacity in responding to particular student behaviors. Teaching and Learning Alliance (TLA) consultants have worked with primary grades teachers and administrators to provide training and in-class coaching and consultation related to English Language Arts instruction. TLA consultants have facilitated needs assessments and guided observations as well as ILAP workshops and an Instructional Strategy Summer Institute.
Finally, we have engaged in professional development activities through Teachers21, a non- profit, highly regarded professional development provider in Massachusetts. We worked with Teachers 21, a Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) approved provider, for initial training on the implementation of the new educator evaluation system. First, administrators participated in training in August of 2012 and then in the fall and early winter of 2012. Then teams from each school, including teachers and administrators, participated in the complete DESE training for the new educator evaluation system.
In addition to our work with Teachers21 around the implementation of the new educator evaluation system, we have participated in professional development activities to enhance district and school culture as well as training in effective two-way communication. During the current school year staff and administration at Noyes and Nixon are working with Teachers21 on school culture and effective two-way communication. This work specifically supports teachers and administrators to address goals within the individual School Improvement Plans. Planning for the professional development activities typically involves consultation between Teachers21 and the site administrator prior to, during, and as follow-up to the activities. It is our responsibility to support staff and administration in continuing to improve on our practice and build our internal capacity so that we continue to improve on excellence for our students.
SPS engages consultants for purposes other than professional development, one such example is our affiliation with New England School Development Council (NESDEC), which is a private, not-for-profit educational organization with over 300 school districts as affiliates. Through our affiliation with NESDEC, we have recently commissioned an Enrollment and Demography study to help us better understand anticipated enrollment changes in order to make sound program and budget decisions that will best serve our community. The results of the study were used for FY 14 enrollment projections and budget development and were shared at School Committee meetings and at the Finance Committee budget hearings.
School systems are complex organizations and we will continue to utilize in-district expertise as well as external resources to best meet the needs of the school system as we work to “improve on excellence.”
Last Day of School 2013
As of today, the last day of school for the current school year is Monday, June 24, 2013.
Evening Chat with the Superintendent
Please drop-in, at your convenience, for an informal two-way conversation with the Superintendent on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 6:30 - 8:00pm. Evening Chat is held in the Superintendent's Conference Room at Central Office, 40 Fairbank Road.
Dear SPS Families:
I am writing to update you on the last day of school, as of today (3/21/2013).
Barring any additional “snow days,” our last day of school will be Tuesday, June 25, 2013 (early release schedule). Monday, June 24, 2013 will be a regular school day.
Respectfully,
Anne
Anne S. Wilson
Superintendent of Schools
Sudbury Public Schools
Dear SPS Families:
As we all patiently await the arrival of Spring, I would like to highlight the accomplishments of our middle school students in Art and also share some current district information.
During my weekly school visits, I am continually impressed with the hard work and accomplishments of our students and staff. The highlight of my day is talking with a student about their learning, especially hearing the enthusiasm and pride they express regarding their work. From reading with kindergarten students to hearing middle school students explain their thinking in a mathematics classroom, I have firsthand information about the wonderful learning experiences taking place in all five Sudbury PK-8 schools. I continue to be extremely proud and appreciative of the ongoing efforts of our teachers to provide unique learning experiences and to meet the varied needs of all students.
I look forward to seeing our students shine in an extra-curricular activity when I attend opening night (March 14th) of the Curtis Middle School musical Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory! Hope to see you there or at another upcoming SPS event.
Respectfully,
Anne Wilson
Superintendent of Schools
Sudbury Public Schools
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Student Accomplishments – Art
Student Art on Display at the Worcester Art Museum
The following student artists from Curtis Middle School will have their art displayed at the Worcester Art Museum throughout the month of March in an exhibit sponsored by the Massachusetts Art Education Association (MAEA): Matt Becker, grade 6; Anna Cass, grade 8; Kerstin Kelly, grade 6; Peter Lindblom, grade 7; Abigail Marks, grade 6; and Cali Schineller, grade 7. The display of student artwork is part of Youth Art Month, a national celebration emphasizing the value of art education for all children and a local effort to encourage support for the quality art programs in Massachusetts' schools.
Scholastic Art Award Winners
Curtis Middle School students were honored with 10 awards at this year's Scholastic Art Awards! This is a new record for Curtis and we were again one of the top-performing middle schools in Massachusetts. The Scholastic Art Awards is the most prestigious student art competition in Massachusetts with thousands of entries from across the state in a variety of artistic categories.
Congratulations to the following ECMS students who were honored with awards:
Grade 7
Grade 8
All of the ECMS Massachusetts Silver and Gold Key winners have their art on display in Boston (in the MA State Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza Boston) through April 19, 2013.
The following students also represented ECMS at the Scholastic Art Awards:
Alexa Babick, Hannah Brodsky, Bitsy Hamilton, Lauren Kim, Peter Lindblom, Bailey Prince, Izzy Ross, Brianna Supple, Ashley Thomas, Megan Wei, and Rachel Wiesler.
Congratulations to all of the above named students for their hard work, creativity, and perseverance. We are so proud of their efforts and accomplishments!
Congratulations and appreciation to ECMS Art teachers Scott Greenaway and Yael Kupiec-Dar who provide a wide range of learning experiences and challenges that support the best efforts and success of students!
District News and Updates
Enhanced Safety Measures Update
We have executed a contract with Johnson Controls for the installation of enhanced front door security at all schools. It is anticipated that work will be completed within the next four weeks, contingent upon availability of all necessary equipment. When installation and staff training is complete, we will no longer have front door attendants. You will receive a communication from your building principal when the work is complete and the new system is in place. Thanks so much for your patience, cooperation, and support as we work toward enhancing front door security.
Whitsons Food Service Update
This is the first year that we have worked with Whitson's as our food service provider. In the last month, I have purchased and eaten a student lunch at each of our schools to get a better sense of the offerings for our students. A nice variety of fresh fruit and vegetables are available on a daily basis and Whitson's is working closely with us to identify food choices that are most appealing to students.
As you may be aware, just prior to February vacation we had an incident at Noyes where undercooked chicken was served to a small number of students before being noticed and removed. This is an unacceptable occurrence. Mary Will, Director of Business and Finance worked with Whitsons to respond to this incident and put enhanced oversight measures in place. While the serving of undercooked food is absolutely unacceptable, the response from Whitsons has been prompt, thoughtful and proactive. All raw chicken products have been removed from all school kitchens and will no longer be ordered for our program. In addition, the following steps have been taken with regard to food service operations oversight:
As always, SPS continues to have independent ServSafe inspections at each of our kitchens on a regular basis.
SEA Sponsored SOFTBALL BONANZA To Raise Money For Student Scholarships
Each year, The Sudbury Education Association holds its annual Softball Bonanza to raise funds for the Wally Bell Scholarship Fund. The Fund is named after longtime Sudbury resident and educator, Wally Bell, who inspired so many Sudbury students to reach their maximum potential in school and in life. Last year the SEA was proud to recognize 6 Lincoln-Sudbury Seniors with a scholarship of $1000 each. The SEA is passionate about continuing to support the students of Sudbury by raising funds for this scholarship.
You are invited to save the date for SEA's annual Softball Bonanza on Friday, May 17, 2013 at Curtis Middle School. The game will feature teachers from all 5 schools in Sudbury versus the boys baseball team and girls softball team at Curtis. The game will start at 5:00 pm. Tickets to the game are $7.00 for individuals and $25.00 for families. In addition to the game, there will be theme baskets sponsored by each school that will be raffled off before the last inning of the game. There will be refreshments for sale and maybe even an appearance by Clarence the Cougar. Students are encouraged to come and cheer for their teachers.
This is a fun event for a wonderful cause - I hope you will be able to attend! Stop by and say "hi" - I will be helping to serve refreshments as I did last year.
Upcoming "Meet the Superintendent" Opportunities
Please consider attending an upcoming "Drop-In" Meet the Superintendent session to ask questions or share your thoughts. Sessions are scheduled as follows: March 20th, 6:30pm-8:00pm; April 29th, 7:30am-9:00am; May 16th, 6:30pm-8:00pm, and June 5th, 7:30am-9:00am.
I am very interested in hearing your thoughts about the various methods of communication I have employed this school year. Below you will find a link to a survey that will assist me in planning direct communications and two-way communication opportunities for the remainder of this school year as well as for next year. Please take a few minutes to complete the superintendent communication survey, sharing your feedback about what works and what might be more helpful for you at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BSFB283
Thanks, in advance, for taking the time to share your thoughts!
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