Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Community of Giving

I would like to commend Domenic DeSantes (gr. 9) and Daniel Heine (gr. 11) for their collaboration with two of our schools on recent drives for the needy.  Prior to the break, these two young leaders, both of whom were previous Project 351 Ambassadors, worked with students and staff at the Furnace Brook Middle School and the Governor Winslow School in collecting food for the Marshfield Food Pantry and toys for the Marshfield Community Christmas.

These drives were in addition to the ones that took place around Thanksgiving and ones that are planned for the new year.  The boys coordinated with each school and at the end of the drive, they had two SUV's full of boxes and donations. 

Marshfield is full of individuals and organizations who consistently give to those in need and the efforts of Domenic and Daniel, along with the two schools, are just another example of Marshfield students (and staff) stepping up to help others.

Than you boys!

 
 

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Winter Concert At MHS

Here are a few pictures from tonight's Winter Concert at MHS.  The students sounded wonderful.  We hope you can make it to the second night of performances tomorrow at 7 PM in the MHS Auditorium. 
 




MPSD Stays With MCAS for Spring of 2016

The Marshfield School Committee voted last night to remain with MCAS for the spring of 2016.  Students in grades 3-8 will continue to take the MCAS instead of the PARCC exams that came forward last spring.  At that time, Marshfield joined many districts in staying with the MCAS and will continue with it for one more year before moving to a newer version of the MCAS (“MCAS 2.0”) that was discussed and voted on at a recent Board of Elementary & Secondary Education (BESE) meeting.

In an update from Commissioner Chester, we learned what many of you may now know: “At its November 17 meeting, BESE voted to transition to a next-generation MCAS test that will be given for the first time in spring 2017 and use both PARCC and MCAS items, as well as items developed specifically for the Massachusetts test.”  In addition, the Commissioner noted that, “The spring 2016 MCAS tests will include a limited number of PARCC items in order to help make statewide comparisons easier and to offer students and staff the opportunity to experience PARCC items while the new assessment is being developed.”

With regards to the 10th grade proficiency exam, Commissioner Chester informed districts that, “All high schools will continue to administer the grade 10 MCAS in English language arts and mathematics, as well as the high school science and technology/engineering tests, in 2016 and 2017.”
Based on the vote taken by BESE the following changes also took place:

•Each MCAS test in grades 3–8 ELA and Mathematics will be supplemented with a small number of PARCC items.
•In ELA, one of the PARCC items will require students to write in response to text.

•Because of this change for ELA, the Department has decided to eliminate the ELA Composition in grades 4 and 7 in spring 2016. The ELA Composition for grade 10 will continue to be administered.

•The MCAS ELA administration window for grades 3–8 will begin and end one week later to accommodate changes to the test and allow for additional instructional time. The new ELA administration window for grades 3–8 will be March 28 to April 12. Please note that grade 10 ELA testing dates will remain the same.

The district stands ready to implement these changes and our staff will continue to enhance their instructional strategies in order to provide the optimal learning environment for all of our students.

Monday, December 7, 2015

Hour of Code @ MHS- Friday, December 11th


Computer Science Education Week is upon us and our friends in the newly formed MHS Technology Club plan to highlight this event by hosting an Hour of Code event.  The Hour of Code is a worldwide initiative meant to introduce students to computer science by having them engage in an hour of programming.

Members of the Technology Club will be in the MHS Presentation Center throughout the day Friday, December 11th and will set up stations where students/faculty/staff can jump into a variety of coding activities using Chromebooks.  They plan to have a demo coding station during most blocks, as well as videos and information about computer science.  They are very excited to spread the word about how much fun computer science can be!

Events like this help provide more students with the opportunity to learn computer science.  Beyond the applicable problem-solving skills that are part of computer science, students who get involved with these types of activities will be better prepared for success in the 21st century workforce.

Here is a link to the Hour of Code website.

Representative Cantwell to Speak at MES

The 2nd graders at the Martinson Elementary School will have a special guest tomorrow, Tuesday, December 8th.  State Representative Jim Cantwell will make his annual visit to the MES to speak to the 2nd graders about citizenship and the role that government plays in our community.  Thank you Representative Cantwell.

Kindergarten Registration Coming Up



KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION / REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION



Kindergarten registration will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015 and Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016 from 9:30 -12 noon at the Daniel Webster, Eames Way, Governor Winslow, South River and Martinson Elementary Schools.

Children entering Kindergarten must be five (5) years old by August 31, 2016.

Parent should bring the following documents to registration:

1. Proof of Residency (Utility bill with name and address)

2. A certified copy of the birth certificate (baptismal or hospital certificates not accepted).

3. A dental examination document.

4. A physical examination, including the following immunizations:

a. Three (3) doses of Hepatitis B Vaccine

b. Four (4) doses of Polio Vaccine

c. Five (5) doses of DTaP/DTP

d. Two (2) doses of Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccine

e. Lead Screening Certificate

f. Two (2) doses of Varivax Vaccine (chicken pox) or documentation from physician that child has had illness prior to entering Kindergarten

Kindergarten Screening will be held in the spring at each elementary school within the

Town of Marshfield. Parents will be notified of the day and time their child’s screening will be

scheduled.

If interested in Full-Day (fee based) Kindergarten Program please refer to Full-Day Program Option available @ www.mpsd.org or in each elementary school office.
 



 

Importance of Art in STEAM Education

As the MPSD has continued to increase the growth of our STEAM efforts, here's a link to a timely article from District Administration on the importance of Art in STEAM.  Hope you find it informative. 
 

Monday, November 16, 2015

Early Release Schedule For Wednesday, November 25th


This is a reminder that Wednesday, November 25th, the day prior to Thanksgiving, will be an early release.  Below is the schedule for the day.
 
Dismissal schedule for Wednesday, November 25, 2015 will be as follows:
 

                                    10:15 a.m.      Marshfield High School

                                    11:00 a.m.      Furnace Brook Middle School

                                    11:35 a.m.      Martinson & South River Elementary Schools

                                    12:10 p.m.      Eames Way, Daniel Webster & Gov. Winslow Schools

 
Lunch will not be served.

 
Morning Kindergarten session will go home on the regular elementary dismissal bus, not a special Kindergarten bus.   There will be no afternoon Kindergarten.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Thank you to Veterans of every generation for your service to our country.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient To Speak at FBMS

As part of the Furnace Brook Middle School's annual Veterans Day activities, we are fortunate to have  Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Captain Thomas Kelley, U.S. Navy (Ret.), speaking to two student assemblies tomorrow morning.  The school is thrilled to have such an esteemed speaker addressing their students and staff on such an important day.  The school has also invited Marshfield Veterans to these assemblies to thank them and honor their service.

The following link summarizes Captain Kelley's acts of bravery and heroism:  Captain Thomas Kelley

Monday, November 2, 2015

Homework Free Night- Tuesday, November 10th

Good evening.  I am writing to inform you that on Tuesday, November 10th, the Marshfield Public Schools will have a district wide “Homework Free” night.

In part, we are looking to give our students a night off of homework because, for some, schedules and stress levels grow as the year progresses and a night without homework will be good for our students.  In addition, a night away from school work will allow us all to focus on the importance of recognizing Veterans Day, which takes place on Wednesday, November 11th.

In lieu of homework, I am hopeful that students will find the time over the Veterans Day holiday to thank a Veteran for their service to our country.  This person could be a relative, a neighbor, a friend or a Veteran they just met for the first time.  In addition, folks may be interested in attending the wonderful Veterans Day Ceremony that takes place at 11 AM on November 11th at Veterans Park, to help further shine the light on an amazing group of individuals who have served our country so valiantly over the years.

Thank you and have a great evening. 

Sincerely,

Jeffrey W. Granatino

Superintendent

Friday, October 23, 2015

Follow Me On Twitter

If you want to stay connected to things happening around the district on a daily basis, feel free to follow me on my twitter account: @MarshfieldSuper.  My next goal is to reach 1,000 followers. 

MHS Fun Fest


Marshfield High School’s Student Council will be sponsoring the annual Halloween Fun Fest on Saturday, Oct. 24 from noon to 4 p.m. It will be held in  Marshfield High School Student Dining(Gym Entrance). The Fun Fest is geared toward children between the ages of 1 and 12, and all participants are encouraged to dress up.  Admission is $5 a child . All activities are operated by fully costumed members of the Marshfield High School Student Council. The Fun Fest will include games, prizes, picture taking, a haunted hallway, coloring, face painting, and other fun activities!  A costume parade will also be held, with prizes awarded for the best costumes.  For more information please e-mail Mrs. Jayda Vitez at jvitez@mpsd.org.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Elementary Standards Based Report Cards

Marshfield Public School District provides a Standards Based Report Card for elementary students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. The school district developed these report cards using the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.
 
The Standards Based Report Card allows us to identify students’ progress toward their mastery of the curriculum frameworks. The report card benefits students, teachers, and parents/guardians by providing detailed performance level expectations in each of the following academic areas: Literacy, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music and Physical Education. Visit www.mpsd.org for more information.
Standards Based Report Card for Trimester 1 will be issued on December 4. PLEASE NOTE: progress reports will only be sent home as needed.

Reminder to FBMS 7th Graders

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires that all 7th grade students must submit a copy of a recent physical examination with documentation of immunizations to include Tdap (tetanus/pertussis) and second dose of Varicella (chicken pox) vaccinations.  This documentation must be submitted to the nurse by Friday, October 23, 2015.

SC Accepts Donations

At this week's School Committee meeting, two organizations were recognized for their generous donations to the district.

The Pesko family and their company, Childscapes Commercial Playgrounds, were recognized for their donation of swings and playground equipment to the South River School. 

In addition, Mr. John White and the Marshfield Lodge of Elks #2494 were recognized for their generous donations of dictionaries to each third grade student in the district.  This is the 10th year that the Elks have made this generous donation to our students.

Thank you to the Pesko family and the Marshfield Elks for their continued support of the Marshfield Public Schools
 

MHS Project Recognized By US Green Building Council


Marshfield Public Schools and the Marshfield School Building Committee are pleased to announce that the new Marshfield High School project has been certified LEED Gold by the US Green Building Council.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices.  The LEED Gold is the second highest certification that can be achieved through the program. 

The project team included the Design Team lead by Ai3 Architects, LLC of Wayland, MA; the Owner’s Project Manager Compass Project Management, Inc. of Medfield, MA; and the General Contractor Brait Builders Ventures of Marshfield, MA.

The approximately $100 million dollar project which achieved its LEED Gold certification under LEED for SCHOOLS v2009 included the following notable elements:

·         Energy efficient heating and cooling systems

·         Energy efficient lighting systems

·         Regionally sourced materials and low VOC finishes

·         High efficiency glazing with operable windows for natural ventilation

·         Improved storm water management

·         Rainwater collection system

On the LEED matrix, the project received notably high marks for:

·         Water Efficient Landscaping

·         Innovative Wastewater Technologies

·         Water Use Reduction by 32%

·         Optimized Energy Performance (20% below code)

·         Over 96% construction waste diverted from landfills

·         Recycled Materials over 20%

·         87% FSC Certified Wood

·         Low-Emitting Materials
 
“This is a significant achievement for our town.”  Said Bruce Spilter, Co-Chairperson for the Marshfield High School Building Committee.  “In many ways, a high school is the centerpiece of a community, and in our case, this project is the largest capital project ever completed by the Town of Marshfield.  The new school certainly demonstrates our commitment as a community to education and to our youth.  This LEED Certification now validates our dedicated effort to thoughtfully improve our facilities when these opportunities arise.  We can all be very proud of this accomplishment.”
There will be a brief ceremony commemorating this recognition at 5:30 PM on Monday, October 26th in the front lobby of Marshfield High School.

Marshfield School Committee Votes on PARCC Resolution

I wanted to update you on a vote that was taken by the SC at this week’s meeting.  SC Member, Sean Costello brought forth a resolution related to the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education's (DESE) pending deliberation on whether to make PARCC the state’s official proficiency assessment for graduation.  The resolution called on  DESE to NOT move forward with PARCC and to keep MCAS in place.  There was  a great deal of discussion on the concerns that have come up with PARCC as well as on the merits of the current system and what we’ve been able to do with data we that has come from years of MCAS testing.  In the end, the Committee voted unanimously to support the resolution (see below) and it has been submitted to DESE for their consideration.

DESE will be voting on this matter in less than a month and if you did not see it, Commissioner Chester noted that he is now looking at a possible move that would use some aspects of PARCC to help create an “MCAS 2.0”.  Here’s a link to the Boston Globe article on this option:  http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/10/20/chang-other-superintendents-tout-new-parcc-test/RVFnwTEQwjPya5muMlWHeL/story.html.   This option will be discussed at the DESE board on November 16th, before they vote on the 17th.  We will update everyone once DESE makes their decision.

 
Resolution Opposing Implementation of PARCC Testing
 

WHEREAS:          the Marshfield Public Schools provide a safe, healthy and collaborative learning environment that fosters respect and responsibility, empowering all to achieve their maximum potential; and
 

WHEREAS:           the future well-being of our society relies on a high-quality public education system that effectively motivates and prepares all students for college, careers, citizenship, and lifelong learning; and
 

WHEREAS:          the Marshfield School Committee fully understands the obligation of the District to administer, with its very best efforts, a state-mandated proficiency test; and
 

WHEREAS:          school districts in Massachusetts and across the country have been spending increasing amounts of time, money, and other resources on high-stakes testing; and

 
WHEREAS:          student performance on standardized tests is used to make major decisions affecting individual students, educators, schools, and districts; and

 
WHEREAS:          concerns have been noted over the years on the over reliance of a single state assessment and the impact the pressure of said exams has had on students and educators across the Commonwealth; and

 
WHEREAS:          Marshfield has used the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) proficiency test as a tool to gauge student progress and adherence to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and has utilized this important data to improve curriculum, and enhance instructional strategies; and

 

WHEREAS:          the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exam system is scheduled for review and a future implementation decision in the fall of 2015 regarding its use as a statewide assessment in all Massachusetts public school districts; and
 

WHEREAS:          the usage of MCAS testing in Marshfield Public Schools was reaffirmed over PARCC testing in a 2014 School Committee vote; and

 
WHEREAS:          the implementation of PARCC exams requires massive infrastructure expenditures in technology at every level, in districts across the Commonwealth, with no financial plan to support these costs in an era in which school budgets are strained with accelerated, decreasing state aid; and

 
WHEREAS:          initial findings from some districts administering PARCC testing raise concerns on whether it reliably tests skills in an age appropriate fashion; it puts too much of a financial burden on districts trying to meet the technology needs of the assessment; the extensive time needed to appropriately plan for and administer PARCC outweighs any potential benefits and negatively impacts the teaching and learning that takes place in those schools; and
 

WHEREAS:          the Marshfield Public Schools District 5-year Improvement Plan for 2013-2017, approved and adopted in 2012, set forth a goal to maximize the potential of students, staff, parents and community partly through providing sufficient time to assess the effectiveness of emerging practices; be it therefore

 
RESOLVED:          that the Marshfield School Committee and the Marshfield Public Schools District supports more time for educators to teach and students to learn; and be it further

 
RESOLVED:          that the Marshfield School Committee does not support the potential implementation of PARCC testing as an unfunded mandate; and be it further

 

RESOLVED:          that the Marshfield School Committee calls on state education policymakers to reject the implementation of PARCC testing over MCAS; and be it further

 
RESOLVED:          that the Marshfield School Committee encourages state policymakers to re-evaluate the practice of current and proposed future methods of standardized testing; and be it further

 
RESOLVED:          that the Marshfield School Committee affirms the aforementioned statements in order to encourage educators, parents, and other members of our community to work together to support our teachers, enhance positive educational practices, and better prepare students for lifelong learning.

Monday, September 28, 2015

The Price You Pay-October 6th

Save the date: October 6th!

 Marshfield High School will host Drug Story Theater's debut performance, The Price You Pay, on October 6th. There will be two performances during the day for students and a public performance at 7PM for the community.

 Marshfield High School PTO will sponsor this event. The $3000 fee to present the program goes in part to support the writing and improvisational coaching for this and future productions, and in part to support 529 college funds for the performers.

 We are also seeking volunteers to help at all performances.

For more information on Drug Story Theater,read this Marshfield Mariner atricle:
http://marshfield.wickedlocal.com/arti…/20150919/…/150917464

Friday, September 25, 2015

The Finest Hours Day at FBMS

Here's a few pictures from today's Finest Hours event at the Furnace Brook Middle School.  Great work by Mr. Sullivan and all of the staff in putting on this event and a big thank you to Finest Hours' author, Casey Sherman for being a part of this wonderful day





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Thursday, September 24, 2015

Boston Red Sox & Jimmy Fund Come to Martinson Elementary School

Due to the terrific fundraising that MES students and staff have done over the past year on behalf of the Jimmy Fund, the school was treated today with a visit from Blake Swihart and Devin Marrero from the Boston Red Sox.  Below is a sampling of some of the scenes from the day.  Great job MES!!









Wednesday, September 23, 2015

MES Recognized By Red Sox & Jimmy Fund For Fundraising Efforts

Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart will be visiting the Martinson Elementary School (K-Grade 5) in Marshfield, MA, this Thursday morning, September 24.  Martinson Elementary School School raised $6,064 for the Jimmy Fund this year which supports adult and pediatric cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This is the fifth year the school has participated in the Rally for the Jimmy Fund, having raised more than $15,500 in total. This is the first time the school is winning a visit from a Red Sox player.  The Rally for the Jimmy Fund program has raised more than $590,000 to date in 2015 - and more than $4.6 million in the program's ten year history. Blake will speak to students, answer questions, and be available for photographs at the appearance. 

Way to go MES!!

Spotlight on Excellence: Professor Jennifer Love

Professor Jennifer Love was honored at last night's School Committee meeting in their "Spotlight on Excellence" portion of the meeting.  Principal Pat Sullivan, from the FBMS, spoke on behalf of the district's principals who have benefited from Professor Love's hard work and passion for all things STEAM-related.

Below are the words Mr. Sullivan shared with the School Committee last night in recognizing Professor Love for her efforts:


"I am honored to say a few words regarding Professor Jennifer Love who has made significant contributions to the Marshfield Education Community.  Her influence can be experienced in the STEAM Labs at our elementary schools, our amazing Club Invention at the elementary schools, Club Invention Project at FBMS, the new CSTEM lab and Math Application classes at FBMS, and plans for STEM Lab carts at MES and DWS.  Her volunteerism has inspired our educational community to embrace inquiry based, problem-solving approaches in and out of the classroom.  STEAM (a blending of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics in order to solve real-life problems) is a great way to teach 21st century skills that will prepare students for the work force and for life.  STEAM has energized educators by linking teachers and students back to that spark of wonder that fuels everything that is great in education.
 
Her most recent collaboration with Furnace Brook Middle School in co-writing a $26,000 MEF grant has offered our students a lab where they learn the introductory principles of computer programming using the interactive game and animation application “Scratch,” as well as the Lego Mindstorms Robot system.  Students are presented engineering design challenges (what is also known as problem-based science) such as designing a home with varied materials, modeling bridges, and constructing aerodynamic CO2 cars and pressure rockets. These problems enhance studentsproblem-solving skills and help to foster authentic engineering practices.  This grant also provided chrome books for math applications classes at FBMS.

Jennifer has been a huge influence on the STEAM lab initiative at South River Elementary, as she initiated and co-wrote the $20,000 MEF grant that allowed South River to establish a STEAM lab.  In collaboration with the assistant principal, principal, and teachers, she has been involved in all aspects of STEAM at SRS, including:  the physical setting of the lab, ordering furniture, supplies, curriculum materials, organizing PD for teachers through the Museum of Science, personally providing PD for teachers (both individually and in groups), and collaborating and co-teaching with educators at all grade levels to ensure that all students have access to STEAM education.  In addition, she helped to plan and present the SRS “Spotlight on Excellence” at the May School Committee meeting. 

Jennifer has been an outstanding volunteer at Governor Winslow School; sharing her time willingly in many ways, including:

·         Beautifying the outside of the building by helping with landscaping and gardening

·         Coordinating the Pre-school backpack program

·         Leading the STEM lab initiative at GWS and providing professional development for teachers

·         Teaching at the Club Invention summer program

She continues to support the GWS community by supplying valuable STEM information.

While her two children attended Eames Way, Jennifer collaborated with her children’s teachers by volunteering to assist with STEM activities (Hexbugs and Simple machines).  She collaborated with Peter Van Buskirk on writing MEF grants (two years consecutively) to provide STEM supplies to EWS.  Jennifer also presented at a EWS spotlight to school committee regarding STEM presenting the “Kind Hexbug lesson.”

Plans are also currently underway for Jennifer to collaborate with Martinson Elementary School and Daniel Webster Elementary School to help create STEM Lab carts. The Martinson and Daniel Webster communities are very excited for this collaboration.

On behalf of the Principals and the Marshfield Education Community I want to thank Jennifer Love for her enormous contributions.  We are all very fortunate to have Jennifer Love as a member of our community."

Friday, September 18, 2015

Bill Battis Named Assistant Principal at MHS


Below is a message that was sent out to the MHS community last week by Principal Keuther on the announcement of Bill Battis as MHS' newest Assistant Principal.  Bill took over for Jim Thomas, who departed after a long and fruitful career in the Marshfield Public Schools. 

I am excited to announce that Bill Battis has accepted the position of Assistant Principal of MHS.  Bill has a wealth of experience in education at Marshfield High School as a teacher, coach and department head. He has a student-centered approach and clearly has demonstrated his commitment to our learning community. Bill very much values the Marshfield educational experience, is himself a graduate of our schools and will continue to work daily to insure our school is a great place for students.

Bill will transition to his position over the next few weeks and will be working directly with grades 10 and 12. Please join me in congratulating Bill as he moves to this new leadership position. A big thank you goes out to everyone who served on the hiring committee.  Well done!

We are Marshfield!

Principal Keuther

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Elementary Back to School Curriculum Night- Tuesday, September 15th


We are excited to be hosting our first Back To School Curriculum Night this evening at all of our elementary schools.  The events will take place at each of the five elementary schools from 6:00-8:00 PM.
 
This parent/guardian-only event will provide an opportunity for principals, teachers and specialists to present an overview of their programs so that parents may gain a better understanding of their child's grade level expectations and curriculum. 
 
We hope you can join us at this very informative event.
 
 


 

 

Thursday, September 10, 2015

MPS District Goals

The following link will take you to the Marshfield Public Schools' District Goals for the 2015-16 School Year.  These goals were reviewed and revised by the leadership team over the summer and were voted on by the School Committee on September 8th.

District Goals 2015-16

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Images From First Day of School in Marshfield

A few images from this morning as the Marshfield Public Schools begin another school year.






Monday, August 31, 2015

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Overdose Awareness Vigil- Monday, August 31st @ 7 PM

With Representative Jim Cantwell, Marshfield Selectmen, Matt McDonough, Steve Robbins, Michael Bradley, and Marshfield Town Manager, Rocco Longo after set up for Monday's vigil.  

Friday, August 28, 2015

Overdose Awareness Vigil- August 31st @ 7 PM

Good morning.  I wanted to share with you information about a very important program that is being brought forth as part of the the Board of Selectmen's Drug Task Force.
Monday, August 31 at 7pm will be Marshfield's Overdose Awareness Vigil. Please join us on the Town Green for a candle light vigil with music, song, reflection and access to resources to combat the opioid crisis. Thanks to our flag sponsors, The Molly Fitzgerald Fund and Marshfield Kiwanis, we will be planting 1,256 purple flags on the Town Green, 6pm Sunday August 30. Each flag represents a resident of the Commonwealth who died from overdose in 2014. We can use more volunteers for the flag planting and appreciate your support.
 
Thank you and we hope to see you there.

 

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Opening of 2015-16 School Year

Good morning.  The last few days of summer are upon us and I wanted to remind you of some key dates during the first two weeks of the school year.

Opening of School Year

Monday, August 31st-  Teacher Orientation (no classes)
Tuesday, September 1- Opening Day of classes for students in Grades 1-12
Friday, September 4- No School
Monday, September 7- Labor Day- No School
Tuesday, September 8- Classes resume and students in Pre K & K begin their year

Bus information and other school information can be found on the main page of the District's website at:
http://www.mpsd.org/pages/Marshfield_Public_Schools

Enjoy the final few days of summer with family and friends and we look forward to seeing you next week.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Great Day for Marshfield Public Schools!

What a day in Marshfield!  Beyond the wonderful Fair that is taking place right outside my window, today was a tremendous day for the Marshfield Public Schools!!!

The day started with over 40 educators taking part in a wonderful workshop entitled "Demystifying ELL" led by our ELL instructor, Mary Bradshaw, upstairs in the Ventress Building.  Teachers and administrators from all levels came together to enhance their understanding of working with ELL students.  It is always a joy to see that many educators coming together to hone their skills during the final few days of the summer.

In addition, Eames Way teacher, Linda Hurstak led a workshop for about two dozen teachers and administrators on "Teaching Smarter".  The teachers were engrossed in the activities and added to their ever-growing "tool box" of skills that they will be bringing to their classrooms this fall.

Beyond the teachers working on their professional development and the dozens that were present setting up their rooms for the upcoming school year, we had groups of students at the Furnace Brook Middle School and Marshfield High School learning and applying their leadership skills.  At the FBMS, we had a few dozen WEB. (Where Everyone Belongs) Leaders taking part in training that will prepare them for this Thursday, when they will help work with incoming 6th graders during their orientation day as well as when school begins next week.

Moreover, student leaders from grades 10-12 at Marshfield High School spent the day leading activities in the Freshman Leadership Academy.  This is a tremendous program that brought upper classmen together to work with incoming Freshmen.  They worked on team building, collaboration and problem solving skills.  They also worked on easing the transition for the new high school students and these young leaders will serve as a friendly face and point person for the 9th graders when they enter MHS next week.

Finally, we had friendly "welcome" gatherings for a number of our incoming Kindergarten students at their respective elementary schools.  Our newest students are always a little anxious and today's fun activities allowed students and parents to get used to the new environment in a family-friendly fashion.

There have been so many great things going on around the district this summer, but today was really a highlight for me and one that made me quite proud to be the Superintendent of this wonderful school system. 

Monday, August 17, 2015

Construction Update at MES

Work on the damaged support beam above the computer lab at the Martinson Elementary School is close to complete.  As you may recall, with last year's record amounts of snow, there was damage to a support beam that caused the school to keep the computer lab shut down towards the end of the school year.

Over the summer, work has been progressing on the damaged area and we got word last week that outside engineers and the town of Marshfield completed and approved an inspection of the repaired area.  The contractors have some finish work to do, but they appear to be on schedule for completion before the start of the school year.

Thank you for everyone's patience at the MES.

Monday, August 3, 2015

Assistant Principal Named At South River Elementary

Below is a note that Principal Scolaro sent out regarding the hiring of their new Assistant Principal; Mrs. Amy Fultz.

Hello Everyone,

      It is my pleasure to announce that  Mrs. Amy Fultz, has been hired as the new Assistant Principal of SRS. Amy comes to us from GWS where she worked for several years as a special education teacher in co-taught classrooms. Throughout her teaching career and while preparing to earn administrative licensure, Amy has consistently proven herself to be an intelligent, dedicated, and visionary leader. We are very fortunate to have her join the SRS team!
     I would like to thank Deb DiBona, Susan Dupuis, Erin Gullekson, Alisa Pozner, and Jane Williams for serving on the screening/ interviewing committee. There were many worthy candidates, and the hard work and commitment of this committee ensured that we found the perfect match for SRS.

Monday, July 27, 2015

Coffees With The Superintendent

I am excited to announce that I will be hosting a series of “Coffees with the Superintendent” throughout the month of August.  These coffees will take place in each of our seven schools and they will give me a chance to introduce myself to parents and stakeholders at our respective schools.  In addition, I will be able to hear from you and get a feel for the issues that are of interest around the district.

Each coffee will take place between 8:30-9:30 AM on the dates listed below.  It would be great if you can stop by.  I look forward to meeting you over the next few weeks.

All the best,

Jeffrey W. Granatino
Superintendent

  

Coffee Dates (all meetings are scheduled for 8:30-9:30 AM):

Monday, August 3rd @ Governor Winslow Elementary School (Library)

Thursday, August 6th @ Furnace Brook Middle School (Library)

Monday, August 10th @ Marshfield High School (Café)

Tuesday, August 11th @ Eames Way Elementary School (Library)

Friday, August 14th @ Martinson Elementary School (Cafeteria)

Wednesday, August 19th @ Daniel Webster Elementary School (Library)

Friday, August 21st @ South River Elementary School (Library)