Meeting in Devens
The School Committee met Monday in Devens. George Ramirez, executive director of MassDevelopment, welcomed the committee.
“I think that this is certainly a step in the right direction to be able to begin to have these kinds of meetings,” Ramirez said.
This is the second time in three years the School Committee has met in that community. Harvard has a contract to educate students that live in Devens. Interim Superintendent Joseph Connelly took advantage of the setting to report on the administration’s response to a survey done last spring of 61 households in Devens on the school district’s performance.
“The response from the 61 households was overwhelmingly positive,” Connelly said; 95 percent of responders said they would like Devens to continue its contract with Harvard.
The few negative comments in the survey results had to do with bullying, lack of communication, and some behavioral problems in both schools, Connelly said. In response to that, he said the district’s new bullying intervention and prevention plan is now in place and, on the communications front, the district is working on an improved website with more easily accessible information for all parents.
“We have a very responsible administrative team, so please contact us when concerns arise,” Connelly said. “We can’t help you unless we’re aware of your concerns.”
Connelly said there is now a Devens parent serving on the Hildreth Elmentary School Council and he would love to have one on the Bromfield School Council.
The one thing school administrators wanted to emphasize to Devens families, Connelly said, is that all students in Harvard schools are treated the same by faculty and staff.
“We look upon our 1,250 students as all students belonging to our school community and they’re not identified by where they come from,” he said.
‘Minnow Cup’ opening soon
The School Committee learned that the new after-school drop-in center for middle school students will be opening on Monday, Oct. 3.
“[Center coordinator Sharon Correnty] was working with middle school students last week and we are ready to open up,” said Bromfield Principal James O’Shea.
The center has been christened the “Minnow Cup,” after the “Fish Bowl” at the high school. Activities there will include pool, pingpong, and music. It will open at 3 p.m. after school and stay open until 5 p.m., though students won’t have to stay the whole time. But, O’Shea said, “Once they officially leave and they’re not going to a school activity, they can sign out just once; they can’t come and go during that two-hour period of time.”
Membership for the drop-in center costs $50, and parents were informed with a letter sent home last week. However, O’Shea said, no middle school students will be turned away. If the staff notices a student who is not a member returning often, the school will contact that student’s parents and ask them to pay the membership fee, O’Shea said.
Superintendent Connelly also noted, “We have already started to receive donations: games, board games, things of that nature.”
—Matthew Cook
