The Old Rochester Regional School Committee met on February 1 and approved the district-wide School Improvement Plan(s) for the 2023-24 academic year.
ORR Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson introduced the School Improvement Plan, beginning by explaining that Vision 2028 had recently been introduced. All the elementary school districts adopted a one-year plan to time out with the new district-wide plan.
Adoption of core values are articulated district wide for the first time.
ORR High School Principal Mike Devoll discussed the portrait of an ORR graduate. He said the high school will seek feedback from many stakeholders including business leaders, recent graduates and working back.
Within the five-year plan, there will be grade-level assessments. A group called the Structural Council will analyze survey data and help guide the process and inform professional development.
Devoll said there will be district-wide support systems. One example is a freshman seminar for incoming students.
ORR Junior High Principal Silas Coellner explained that targeted education is helping students needing intervention, and he “stole” the high school’s “pathways” program.
Lauren Millette, the director of Guidance for Grades 7-12, introduced four new courses at ORR this year: Statistics (elective after completing Algebra II); Architectural Design 4 (career-focused course); Introduction to Electronics and Robotics 1 (first in a series of courses geared toward robotics engineering); and Honors Portuguese 4 (full-year course for Grade 12.)
After hearing the presentation, the committee did not hesitate to approve the changes.
Millette’s summary of course changes included a list of renamed courses and some changes with prerequisites. Committee member Frances Kearns complimented the changes particularly as applied to engineering. Citing their ever-increasing application in the world, committee member Matt Monteiro expressed enthusiasm about the addition of a statistics course.
Referencing several meetings with the Budget Subcommittee, Nelson held a brief discussion on the FY25 Budget. Nelson noted that the governor’s preliminary budget was recently released, and Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Howard Barber has been using that information that drives school budgeting.
Nelson said the process is now in the final stages of examining those statewide impacts and getting closer to achieving a draft budget to bring to the school committee.
Committee member Margaret McSweeny discussed the Thrive Act (Bill H.495), which is supported by the Massachusetts Teachers Association and aims to end the tie between standardized testing (MCAS) and graduation.
McSweeny said the punitive aspects of MCAS tests are detrimental to students of color, students learning English as a second language and students on individual education plans. McSweeny said that the Thrive Act does not seek to eliminate MCAS as a data point but as a graduating requirement.
Monteiro considered it notable that support against standardized testing as a graduation requirement is found among several states across the country that otherwise have little in common.
Committee members will send feedback to secretary Melissa Wilcox to share with the committee when assembled. They also voted to create a draft resolution for review at their March meeting.
Member Jim Muse also spoke out against standardized testing taking precedence over all the curriculum and testing done internally.
In her Chairperson’s Report, Michelle Smith reinforced her year-opening message on collaboration among the committee members.
The committee approved a class trip to Paris, France, during April 2025 school vacation. The trip is being led by art teacher Joanne Mogilnicki and will be accompanied by special education teacher Danielle Dore.
“They’re looking at either April 18th to the 26th or April 19th to the 27th, depending upon what they’re going to book for their travel. But it’s the same trip,” explained Devoll, who stressed the importance of approval at the February 1 meeting so that fundraising can begin. “We don’t want to leave anyone behind. … If a student wants to go, we want to be able to give them the opportunities to go.”
Other school-vacation student trips in 2024 include one to Italy and Greece and another in June to Costa Rica.
The committee heard from two students regarding a proposed trip to Wisconsin for the American Field Service Club as part of a domestic student exchange and voted approval for their trip. The student representatives explained that the benefits of travel within the AFS Club include drastic cost-cutting, as in the students only have to buy a flight. Everything else is covered.
The March 14-17 trip will entail a day in the life of a Waterford, Wisconsin, student (population 1,100) and day trips to Milwaukee and Chicago. Last year the students took an AFS trip to California and maintain those friendships now.
The exchange program that makes unlikely friends from different parts of the country has ORR hosting in April (either 6-7 or 27-28.)
The committee voted to approve Out-of-State Travel for the ORR Science Olympiad team to Brown University in Providence. Devoll said the program is in its second year and will soon travel to Harvard University.
A trip to The Ronald McDonald House in Providence was approved for the Community Service Learning Club for a Saturday in March.
The following donations were approved: 48 lab goggles to the high school for Science Class from student Quinn Perry and family; a new Bulldog mascot suit for the high school from the Class of 2023 and the Athletic Boosters; $200 each from the Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester Police departments for a total of $600 to the Unified Sports Program; and $500 each from the Mattapoisett Cultural Council and the Cape Cod 5 Foundation to Kathleen Brunelle to support the project Ken and Barbie’s Shakespearean Adventure (separate votes.)
Greta and Tim Fox also donated additional copies of the following texts already in use within the curriculum: “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte, “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Animal Farm” by George Orwell, “1984” by George Orwell, “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, “Mythology” by Edith Hamilton, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot, “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson, “My Friend Dahmer” by Derf Backderf, and “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer.
The committee voted to approve the following grants: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part B (IDEA) Federal Targeted Special Education Program Improvement Grant ($11,601); Math Acceleration Academies Grant ($100,000); and High-Quality Instructional Materials Purchase Grant ($105,100.)
Committee member April Nye publicly thanked Nelson for sustaining the Math Acceleration Academies Grant that benefits students outside of the regular school calendar.
The committee approved the School Health Unit Application through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health submitted by school nurses Nicole Reedy and Linda Deveau for the district. Nelson called it a standard, annual obligation allowing the school nurse to train for and delegate potentially crucial medicinal administration by staff.
The committee approved a request from Old Rochester Youth Lacrosse to use the Main Field on a total of four Sundays during the months of April, May or June dependent on scheduling.
“We have a great relationship with the youth-lacrosse program, and what makes a great relationship is good communication,” said Devoll. “We want Bulldogs on campus, we want kids accessing our fields and our school and it just enhances our community.”
Stephanie Ferreira was hired as an instructional assistant for the 2023-24 school year.
The ORR mobile app has been launched, and member Joe Pires applauded the work to improve the ORR District website.
The committee voted to enter executive session and only return to adjourn the public meeting.
The next meeting of the Old Rochester Regional School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, March 7, and the next meeting of the Joint School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, March 28. Both meetings being at 6:30 pm in the ORRJH Media Room.
ORR School Committee
By Mick Colageo