Over the last several weeks, the Reading Public Schools anti-bullying committee has developed a draft of the anti-bullying plan that will be submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in late December as required by law.  This draft plan will be presented at the Reading School Committee meeting on Monday evening.  The plan is now available for public comment.  There are several ways that you can give input to the plan.  One way is to post your thoughts on this blog.  Another way is to complete the public comment form, which will be available next week.  A third way is to attend one of the community forums, which will be held on November 9 (Parker), November 16 (Killam), and November 29 (Superintendent’s Office).  All three community forums begin at 6:30 p.m.  We will also be discussing the FY12 budget at these forums.   Another way is that you can email your comments directly to Assistant Superintendent Patty de Garavilla at pdegaravilla@reading.k12.ma.us. Finally, Mrs. de Garavilla is convening a group of parents to give input on the plan.  If you are interested in being a part of that group, contact her directly.

During the month of November, we will be receiving feedback on the plan, making the necessary revisions, and presenting a final plan to the Reading School Committee and the Community in early December.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Patty de Garavilla at 781-944-5800 or at pdegaravilla@reading.k12.ma.us.

Stepping Stones….

Here are some other events going on in our schools:

1.  Reading School Committee Meeting on Monday, November 1st-The Reading School Committee will hold a regular session meeting on Monday, November 1, at 7:30 p.m. in the Reading Memorial High School Library Media Center.  You can access the agenda and packet here.  There will be monthly office hours in the Superintendent’s Office prior to the meeting from 6:00-7:00 p.m.  At the meeting, there will be a presentation of a draft of the anti-bullying plan, as well as, a presentation by RMHS teachers Janet Dee and Sharon Burke on the different ways that Reading Memorial High School is integrating technology.

2.  RMHS Drama Club Fall Show Opens November 13-Students from the RMHS Drama Club are busy rehearsing for their upcoming production of  The Scarlet Pimpernel.  The show, set in the early stages of the French Revolution, combines mystery, comedy, intrigue and engaging music.  I was able to get a sneak preview of the show and the acting, costumes, props, and music are amazing.  Show dates are November 13, 19, and 20 at 7:30 p.m. and November 14 and 21 at 3:00 p.m.  You can purchase tickets during box office hours:  Tuesday through Thursdays from 6:00-7:00 p.m., or by mailing RMHS Drama, P.O. Box 432, Reading, MA 01867.  More information can be found on the RMHS website:  www.rmhsdrama.com.  Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and students.  Please come and support the arts in Reading and be part of the excitement!

3.  METCO Elementary Update-We are pleased to announce that beginning this Wednesday, we have been able to arrange bus transportation so that the elementary METCO students will be able to spend Wednesday afternoons in Reading either participating in their school’s extended day program or going over to a friend’s house.  If you would like to host a METCO elementary student at your home on Wednesday afternoons from 12:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., please contact your child’s building principal or METCO Director Jesenia Castro at jcastro@reading.k12.ma.us.  

3.  Coolidge Middle School Receives a Surprise Thank You from Afghanistan-For the past five years, Coolidge Middle School has collected items and sent “care packages” from Coolidge to our troops who are stationed overseas. Coolidge Teacher, Amy Kasprzak, and her colleagues have coordinated the efforts; and Ms. Kasprzak’s brother, Major Robert Pawlak, currently overseas in Afghanistan, has helped by giving her addresses of people stationed in remote locations. The other day the Coolidge Community was surprised by a very long distance phone call from Captain Robert Williams, and in a follow-up email letter with photos, he expressed heartfelt and very enthusiastic thanks from all of his team in a very remote section of Afghanistan.

Captain Williams writes, “On behalf of the Nagahan Village Stability Team I would like to express our deepest appreciation for your care package that we received on 26 Oct 2010. Your thoughts and well wishes have added a few more smiles to our daily routine, and possible a few more cavities as well! As deployed soldiers we always have our loved ones and family back home with us. We carry photos, email when we can, and make the occasional phone calls in order to feel just a little closer to those things we cherish and miss while we are deployed. These are things we plan for, and we accept as part of our duty. Unexpected, uncontrolled, unsolicited acts of kindness from those friends we have yet to meet however are not planned for, and the impact is enormous. Your actions are truly reflective of a compassionate and caring School Staff and Student body.”

In total, Coolidge shipped out twelve boxes, with a total weight of 568 lbs, to our troops in Afghanistan. Each box ranged from 40 – 50 lbs and had a little bit of everything in it. Major Robert Pawlak provided twelve addresses for remote locations along the Pakistan border and in the Helmand province.  This is another example of how these types of efforts are alive and thriving in our schools.   

5.  A special thank you to the Verrier family for hosting a neighborhood coffee last Friday morning. 

Have a safe Halloween!

Even though it is only October, the fiscal year 2012 (July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012) budget process has been progressing along since last month with the September meeting of the Financial Forum (a meeting of the Finance Committee, Board of Selectmen, School Committee, and Library Board of Trustees).  During the early months of the process, there are numerous conversations with Town officials, school department administrators, and local boards to begin to identify the needs of the school district and town government, the revenue projections for the overall budget, and the projected expenses for next year.  In addition, we are currently having discussions as a community on ideas to generate additional revenue and to consolidate costs and reduce expenses.

There are still several months to go in this process and it is much too early to identify what the budget picture will look like for next year.  One key piece of data that will not be determined until late January will be how much state aid the Town of Reading will receive.  State aid makes up about 18-20% of the revenue coming into the general fund for the Town of Reading.

There are also several other unknowns in the FY12 budget.  We will be going out to bid for a new natural gas contract, a new substitute teacher contract, a new bus transportation contract, and new copier lease contract.  In addition, we will begin negotiations over the next few months with all five of our collective bargaining units.  Each of these unknowns may have an impact on the FY12 budget.

Over the last several weeks during my meetings with school groups, community groups, and neighborhood coffees, we have discussed the priorities for this school district and what must be maintained at all cost.  These meetings have been extremely productive and are continuing over the next few months.  I will be using this data as I draft the FY12 budget.  In addition, as I mentioned in last week’s post, there will be opportunities beginning in November at our community forums to give your thoughts on budget priorities, revenue generation, and cost savings ideas. 

Another way that you can be involved is to become a budget parent.  we are still looking for a few budget parents to be a part of the process.  Any parent who has children attending the Reading Public Schools may be a budget parent.  The role of the budget parents is as follows:

• Participate in meetings with the Superintendent of Schools and Director of Finance and Operations in November and December to learn about the school department budget and the budget process
• Work with the Superintendent and the Director of Finance and Operations to review, critique and give input on the budget and the budget process
• Understand how the budget process works and advocate for the entire school department budget
• Act as a liaison between the school department and their child’s school by reporting back to other parents both formally (PTO and School Council meetings) and informally
• Participate in November Community budget forums
• Attend School Committee meetings and other pertinent meetings during the budget deliberations in January, February, and March.

We are looking for two budget parents for each elementary school, three for each middle school, seven from the high school, and one from the Special Education PAC group.  The purpose of having multiple budget parents for each school is so that everyone does not have to attend every meeting.  The meetings will begin in November and will last until March.  If you are interested in participating in being a budget parent, please contact your child’s building principal.

As we learned last year during the FY11 budget process, there are always many unknowns, particularly in these current economic conditions.  Our goal is always to develop a budget that uses our resources as effectively as possible with the final goal of doing what is in the best interest of our children.  What we need from you is to become involved early in the process and to stay involved and educated about our budget.  If there are ways that we can communicate the process to you more effectively, please let us know.

Stay tuned, this year’s ride has just begun!

Over the next several weeks, you will be seeing and hearing about some events that will be affecting the school district.  We encourage your participation in the process by attending meetings, responding to this blog, or simply contacting the Superintendent’s Office or the Reading School Committee for more details.  Described below are some of the upcoming events:

• Reading School Committee Meeting this Monday-The Reading School Committee will be meeting this Monday, October 18, at 7:00 p.m. in the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston.  You can access the School Committee Agenda and Packet here.  This meeting will focus on our successful METCO program and will give parents the opportunity to engage in discussion with the Reading School Committee.  METCO director Jesenia Castro will be highlighting some of the accomplishments of the program including the inception of the elementary program a few years ago, the town/school collaboration in providing transportation for the high school METCO students who participate in extra-curricular and sports activities, and how elementary METCO students can now access the extended day program on Wednesdays.
• Race to the Top Application is due this week-All of the school districts in Massachusetts who are participating in the Race to the Top Federal Grant Program are required to submit their grant application this week.  A description of the grant is located on the DESE Website. A draft of the Reading Race to the Top Implementation Plan is located here.  This draft contains measurable outcomes for high school graduation rates and MCAS scores as outlined by the Massachusetts Race to the Top Application.
• Antibullying Plan Scheduled To Be Released November 1-A draft of the Reading Public Schools Anti-bullying plan will be released on November 1st for public comment.  We encourage parents and community members to give input on the antibullying plan, which will need to be submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education no later than December 31st.
• Community Forums-The Reading Public Schools will hold three community forums to give parents and the school community the opportunity to give input and hear updates on the district’s antibullying plan draft and the FY12 budget process.  The dates and locations are as follows:

                      November 9 (6:30 p.m.)-Parker Middle School

                      November 16 (6:30 p.m.)-Killam Elementary School

                      November 29 (6:30 p.m.)-Superintendent’s Office

The first part of each meeting will focus on the antibullying plan and the second part of each meeting will focus on the FY12 budget process.  All are welcome to attend.

• Connect Ed Test Message This Week-As part of our annual testing of the Connect Ed system, there will be a Connect Ed test message going out this week by email, text, and phone.
• Neighborhood Coffees-I have attended several neighborhood coffees so far and they have been very productive forums for dialogue about our schools.  If you would like to host a neighborhood coffee, please contact Linda Engelson at lengelson@reading.k12.ma.us.
• Reading Public Schools recently highlighted in Education Week-The Reading Public School’s best practices of integrating technology and 21st Century Skills into the curriculum was recently highlighed in Education Week, a national newspaper which focuses on Education.  You can access the article here.

Have a great week!



Last Thursday, September 30, the RCASA (Reading Coalition Against Substance Abuse) Annual Meeting was held at the Reading Public Library.   This meeting was symbolic because it marked the 5th year of community collaboration to address the serious issue of substance abuse among the citizens of Reading.  The Coalition was formed in part because of an increasing number of cases of drug related deaths to young adults prior to 2005. 

Since the Coalition was formed in 2006, membership has increased to 525 members and has a Board of Directors with representatives from several stakeholders of the Reading Community including School Committee, Board of Selectmen, Town Government, School Administration, Police, Parents, Students, Board of Health, Mental Health, Clergy Association, YMCA, Pharmacist, Recreation Committee, and the general community.  These members meet monthly under the direction of Executive Director Erica McNamara to identify the issues at hand, hear updates of progress, and strategize next steps. 

The model has been successful and our community is beginning to see results.  At the meeting last Thursday, Erica McNamara, Police Chief James Cormier, and Reading Memorial High School Health and Wellness Department Chair Tom Zaya presented data on the indicators that are being used to measure the progress of the Coalition.  The greatest positive changes thus far is in the community response to the problem.  One such example is the “Reading Rx Round Up” which is located in the Police Department lobby where residents can dispose of unwanted prescription medication.  Since November, 2009 when the program started over 1,440 bottles of prescription medication has been disposed of safely.  This means that this medication is less likely to be available in homes for improper use.

Another significant statistic presented was the selling of tobacco products and alcohol in local stores to minors.  Because of local community efforts, the percentage of tobacco products sold to minors in compliance checks has decreased from 19% to 0%.  A similar trend occurred with alcohol sales to minors with the compliance check decreasing from 15% in 2008 to 0% in 2010.  These community changes are important and communicates to our youth that using alcohol and tobacco products puts them at risk and is not readily available in our stores.

However, it was also evident that the work is far from done.  Data presented by the group indicated that the number of adult overdoses remains high compared to previous years.  The 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, one of the key data sources, for the coalition, shows that 24% of our middle school students have drank alcohol, however, that number is lower than 2005.  Another example is with the passage of the new marijuana possession law in 2009, marijuana use is increasing among high school students.

The goals to reach for 2012, which is the last year of the grant, include reducing the percentage of students before Age 13 and in the past 30 days who are using alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana.  The goals are attainable as the Coalition continues to reach out to students in a variety of means.  For example, this year, the RCASA youth crew and administration plan on reaching out more to middle school students to educate them about making healthy choices.

RCASA has proven to be essential partner in reducing substance abuse and abuse in Reading.  However, the coalition’s greatest challenge over the next few years is to create sustainability.  The federal grant (approximately $100,000 per year) will end in two years and only 50% of the existing coalitions in the country receive a second round of funding.  The funding is needed to sustain staffing, program outreach, stipends for the youth crew, administrative support and the evaluator for the program.  The coalition is developing a sustainability plan to maintain the human, social, and material resources necessary to achieve the long term goals. 

You can access the latest RCASA newsletter which includes the data presentations from the Annual Meeting here.  For more information about RCASA, contact Executive Director. Erica McNamara at 781-942-6793 or emcnamara@ci.reading.ma.us.

The Reading School Committee invites any interested parties to submit nominations for naming of buildings, fields, structures, rooms or other such edifices in accordance with policy FF – Naming of Facilities or Places within or on School Property.  Only the official nomination form will be accepted. The nomination should include a written explanation outlining specific reasons why the area should be dedicated to a particular physical location; geographical area; distinguished local, state, and national leader whose name will lend dignity and stature to the school; outstanding educator associated with the school, or significant or pertinent event.   All interested parties can submit the application form that can be found on the Reading Public Schools website on this link.

Nominations will be accepted from September 28 through October 28, 2010. The tentative date for nominations to be presented to the School Committee by the nominee is November 1, 2010.

Completed nomination packets can be emailed to lengelson@reading.k12.ma.us or sent to

Reading Public Schools

Office of the Superintendent

82 Oakland Road

Reading, MA 01867

In addition, we will be seeking members of the Reading Community to serve on the subcommittee who will be researching the nominations and making recommendations to the Reading School Committee. If you are interested in serving on the nomination subcommittee, please contact Linda Engelson, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent, at the above contact information.

When a new Superintendent enters a school district for the first time, it is important for he or she to provide opportunities during the first six to nine months to meet with all stakeholders of the community, gather data about the school district, and assess what the next steps should be in moving a school district forward.  For new Superintendents, this is called an entry plan, but since I have been an educator in the Reading Public Schools for 23 years, I am referring to it as a transition plan as I transition to this new position.

Since July, I have been interviewing stakeholders from the entire Reading Community to gather data for the plan.  So far, I have attended 11 neighborhood coffees and have begun meeting with school staff, PTO, School Councils, Town Officials, and community members.  In the next several weeks, I will continue to meet with the above groups, as well as, Senior Center attendees, the Reading Clergy Association, students, and other community organizations. In addition, we will be sending out online and paper surveys to the community for those who cannot attend a meeting and would like to still give input. Some of the questions that I will be asking during these sessions include:

• What are you most proud of in the Reading Public Schools?
• What do you want to preserve most in the Reading Public Schools?
• What has gone well in the school system?  What are the strengths?
• What does the school system need to work on?
• What do you think must be maintained at all costs?
• What ideas do you have on how to improve the school district?
• What are the key issues that you think the school system must face?
• What issues do you think should be the highest priorities for this school district?

Over the next several months, I will be sharing with you some of my findings on this blog.  The information that I gather from these conversations will help me in determining what is working, what we need to change, and what do we need to preserve the most.  Moreover, the data provided will help me develop the FY12 Superintendent’s Recommended Budget.  My plan is to present a final report to the Reading School Committee in January.

It is important for me to hear all of your voices so that we can continue to move this school district forward in a positive direction.  In the meetings that I have already had with staff, parents, and community members, I have appreciated the honest and candid feedback that I received during those meetings. 

If you would like to have an individual meeting with me or host a neighborhood coffee, please contact Linda Engelson, administrative assistant to the Superintendent at lengelson@reading.k12.ma.us.

Stepping Stones….

Reading School Committee Meeting on Monday, September 27 (7:30 p.m.-Barrows)-The next meeting of the Reading School Committee will be on Monday, September 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Barrows.  There will not be office hours prior to this meeting. 

This year, the Reading School Committee will be holding meetings at least once in each of the schools.  As part of each schoool meeting, the school staff will be highlighting a best practice for their school.  This week, the Barrows staff will be doing a presentation on their character education program, Shining Stars.

In addition to the school presentation, the School Committee will be reviewing the timeline for accepting and reviewing nominations for the naming of new facilities or places within or on school property, Assistant Superintendent Patty de Garavilla will be giving a presentation on the 2010 MCAS results, and RMHS teachers Joanne Alvarez and Dr. Jeff Ryan will be discussing proposed RMHS trips to Spain and Russia.

Thank You-A special thank you to the Fantasia, Angelou, and Wright families who hosted neighborhood coffees last week.

September represents not only the beginning of the school year, but also the annual release of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) results.  This week, MCAS results for students in Grades 3-8 and 10 will be mailed home to Reading Public School parents.  As you can see from this press release students across the state continue to improve overall.  To see how Reading students performed this year compared to previous years, please go to this link.

For those of you who have students in Grades 4-8 and 10, you will notice a new section of the student report called the student growth percentile (SGP).  The student growth percentile is different from the performance level score that you have been accustomed to for the last several years in that they answer two different questions.  Student performance levels have asked the question,  “How much has this student achieved compared to the state’s grade-level learning standards?” This is in contrast to the Student Growth Percentile (SGP) which answers the question, “How much did a student grow over the previous year compared to his or her academic peers?”  The Student Growth Percentile ranges from 1 to 99 and is calculated by comparing one student’s history of MCAS scores to the scores of all the other students in the state with a similar history of MCAS scores.  Simply stated, students earning high growth percentiles answered more questions correctly on the spring 2010 MCAS test than their academic peers; conversely, students earning low growth percentiles answered fewer questions correctly than their academic peers.

Similar to MCAS scaled scores, SGPs require some interpretation. The following chart from the DESE provides a way to think about student performance from both an “achievement” perspective and a “growth” perspective.

The DESE has developed several resources including a parent tutorial on the growth model.  You can access that tutorial here.  There has been some discussion in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Formerly known as No Child Left Behind) that the growth model will be a critical component in determining future Adequately Yearly Progress (AYP). 

The data from the growth model will help assist us as a school district to continue to create classrooms where students are stretched and challenged to take risks in their learning. 

At our September 27 School Committee Meeting, Assistant Superintendent Patty de Garavilla will be giving a comprehensive presentation of our districts MCAS scores, including the performance levels, student growth percentiles, and AYP determinations.

Other News…

Reading School Committee Approves New Anti-Bullying Policy

Last Monday evening, the Reading School Committee approved two policies, Policy ACAB/ACAC, which is the updated Harassment, Discrimination, Bullying, and Hazing Policy, and Policy FF, which is the Naming of Facilities or Places Within Or On School Property Policy.  You can access both policies here.  The highlights of the new Anti-Bullying Policy are as follows:

• Creates definitions for bullying, discrimination, hostile environment, sexual harassment, harassment, cyberbullying, target, and aggressor.
• Eliminates specific examples of each type to avoid misinterpretation.
• Sets up clear procedures and process for reporting, investigating incidents, and determining consequences of incidents.
• Establishes a process on the obligations for administrators to notify others.
• States clearly that no person will be retaliated against for reporting a bullying incident.
• Lists the rights of the target and the aggressor during an investigation.

Policy FF (Naming Policy) sets up specific criteria and the process that will be used for naming a school or places within a school (i.e. gymnasium, classroom, library) after a person or place.

Both policies are in effect immediately.  The Anti-Bullying Policy is one part of the new anti-bullying plan that is currently being developed by a Reading Anti-Bullying task force committee consisting of teachers and administrators.  A timeline for accepting nominations of the naming of places within a facility is currently being developed and will be announced later on this fall.

RTEF Brick Fundraiser

The Reading Technology and Education Foundation continues to offer the brick fundraiser which will help fund technology projects throughout the school district.  If you are interested in purchasing a brick which will be displayed at the high school, please go the RTEF website, located here.

On May 2, 2010, Governor Deval Patrick signed the Massachusetts Anti-Bullying Law, one of the most comprehensive anti-bullying laws in the country.  In order to fully understand the many components of the law, several teachers, administrators, and our School Resource Officer, attended workshops and meetings over the summer.  During the first part of this school year, we will be educating the parents, staff, students, and the community on the components of the law.

The key components of the law are as follows:

• Creates a clear definition of bullying as follows:

“The repeated use by one or more people of a written, verbal, or electronic expression or a physical   act or gesture or any combination thereof, directed at a target that:

a)      Causes physical or emotional harm to the target or damage to the target’s property;

b)      Places the target in reasonable fear of harm to himself or herself or of damage to his or her property;

c)      Creates a hostile environment at school for the target;

d)      Infringes on the rights of the target at school; or

e)      Materially and substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school” (Chapter 92 of the Acts of 2010).

• Includes a definition for cyberbullying, as well as, gives greater authority to school districts when cyberbullying incidents occur off campus.
• Expands the school district’s obligations in monitoring, reporting, and investigating all bullying incidents.
• Requires that staff report any case of bullying immediately to a building administrator.
• Requires annual training for all staff, including teachers, paraeducators, administrators, nurses, cafeteria workers, custodians, bus drivers, athletic coaches, advisors to extra-curricular activities, secretaries, and other support staff.
• Requires an anti-bullying curriculum for all students.
• Requires opportunities for parents to receive training.
• Identifies the process of notifying law enforcement when criminal charges may be appropriate.

The most important addition to the law is the development and implementation of a district anti-bullying plan, which includes several of the above components.  The school district is currently developing this plan and will be asking for community feedback on the plan beginning November 1^st.  The plan is due to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education by December 31, 2010.

In addition, the Reading School Committee is currently reviewing a revised version of policy ACAB/ACAC, which is our school district’s Harassment, Bullying, Discrimination, and Hazing Policy.  A draft of this policy is found on Edline.  The final draft of the policy will be voted on at the September 13^th School Committee Meeting.

This law is well-intentioned, but it will not stop bullying in the Reading Public Schools or any other school district in this Commonwealth.  It is just one piece of the puzzle.  In a recent New York Times article on this issue, Susan Engel and Marlene Sandstrom write,”…for laws like the one in Massachusetts to succeed, they have to be matched by an educational system that teaches children not only what’s wrong, but how to do what’s right.”  What will work is our school community working together to create a culture where students will respect each other’s differences, where bystanders will speak up when someone is targeted by an aggressor,  and where aggressors realize they cannot pick on their peers or other targets. Over the next several months your input will be critical as we put together an anti-bullying plan that is in the best interest of the Reading Public Schools and doesn’t just fulfill the law.  Our plan will focus on creating a supportive and respectful culture that is free of intimidation and where both students and staff feel safe and welcome.

Over the next several weeks, I will be updating you more about the law and the progress that we are making in our draft anti-bullying plan through this blog and other venues.  We welcome your input as we address this critical issue together.