Thursday, December 29, 2016

Scheduled Plumbing Work at Daniel Webster School

Below is an notification that went out the DWS community related to upcoming plumbing work at the DWS.

December 23, 2016

To Families and Staff at the Daniel Webster School:

We wanted to take a moment to inform you that there will be plumbing work done at the DWS to help alleviate some of the issues that have arisen over the first part of the school year.  This work will begin over the Holiday Vacation and will continue into early January, once school resumes.

The area where the work will take place is not adjacent to any classrooms and is focused on the side hallway leading to the boiler room.  To get to the impacted pipes, a small area of tiles will have to be removed from the floor.  Due to the age of the tiles, there is trace amounts of asbestos in the adhesive that holds them down.  Because of that, there are extra precautions that will take place when the tiles are removed.  That work will be done over vacation and will adhere to strict abatement requirements.  An industrial hygienist will supervise the removal.

We are hoping to schedule the remainder of the plumbing work for the first or second week of January.  Any work that creates an abundance of noise will be done during non-school hours.  The work that is done during the school day should not create a disruption to our learning environments.  At all times, that work will be cordoned off from the rest of the school and again, and the work will only be taking place on the side hallway leading to the boiler room, away from all classes.  Throughout the project, we will work with the contractors to ensure a safe and clean working environment.

We hope this gives you a better understanding of the work we have scheduled for the DWS, but do not hesitate to contact us if you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey W. Granatino                         Sara Prouty                                      Brian Adams

Superintendent                                DWS Principal                                 Director of Facilities

Communication on Water Sample Testing

The following notification went out to the MPSD community on December 19th.

Dear MPSD Families and Staff:

The Marshfield Public Schools recently opted to participate in a voluntary program offered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to test for lead and copper in our school water system.  As you may be aware, school districts from across the Commonwealth are taking similar steps.  Please see the link for information as per DEP:


Per the DEP’s recommendation we tested all fixtures considered a drinking source in our schools.  The test results from all schools have not been returned, though results from a few schools just came back to us.  As we receive information on each individual school, we will follow up with a school-specific letter outlining the findings from those schools and possible steps that we may have to take based on the findings.

As always, our school system is committed to protecting student, teacher and staff health, and we will work with the DEP to ensure we are meeting the needs of the entire school community.

Sincerely,


Jeffrey W. Granatino
Superintendent


Cc:     Marshfield School Committee
          Marshfield Board of Selectmen
          Rocco Longo, Town Administrator
          Tom Reynolds, DPW Superintendent

Winter Programs @ Marshfield Recreation

Good morning and happy holidays.  Below you will find a link to Marshfield Recreation's Winter Program Brochure.  I hope you find it useful.

Marshfield Recreation Winter Programs

Thursday, December 15, 2016

A Day In The District

Here are a few photographs of students and staff in action throughout the school day and during in-service workshops after school.









Sunday, December 11, 2016

MHS "Our Story"- Volume 11 Week 14

A link to a week in review at MHS through the lens of Twitter:

MHS "Our Story"

Message From SRS

Below is a link to the Weekly Message from the South River School:

SRS Weekly Message

Martinson Messenger- December 11th

Here's a link to the Martinson Messenger Newsletter for this week:

Martinson Messenger

Proposed FY18 Capital Budget

In their last meeting in November, the Marshfield School Committee voted on a proposed FY 18 Capital Budget. Below is a link to the budget so that you can see which items we have identified for funding.  It's a long road before we get to the ATM in the spring and we look forward to working with the Capital Committee and a variety of town boards to see which of these priorities may be able to be funded in the next capital budget.

Proposed FY18 Capital Budget

Friday, December 9, 2016

GWS Weekly Bulletin for December 9th

Below is a link to all of the weekly happenings at GWS:

GWS Weekly Bulletin

Weekly Happenings at Furnace Brook Middle School

Interested in what's going on at the FBMS?  Here's a link to their Weekly Bulletin:

FBMS Weekly Bulletin- December 2, 2016

Upcoming Events at Ventress Memorial Library

If you are looking for things to keep your children busy after school is out in the upcoming weeks, look no further than Marshfield's Ventress Memorial Library.  Below are a few links to events coming up before and after the holidays.  In addition, I've put up a link to their complete calendar of activities.

Ventress Library Chess Club
Ventress Library LEGO Club
Ventress Library Book Club for Grades 2 & 3
Ventress Library Calendar

MHS Winter Concert a Success

Kudos to the many performers at this week's Winter Concerts I & II.  Below are a few pictures of our talented musicians in action.






MHS Building Committee Announces over $2 Million in Savings on High School Project

At this week's School Committee Meeting, MHS Buidling Committee Chairs, Bruce Spitler and Principal Bob Keuther announced that, as the high school project comes to a close, there were over $2 million in savings from the original bid costs.

Below is a memo outlining the cost savings from Principal Keuther:


Date:   December 2, 2016

To:       Town of Marshfield School Committee

From: Robert Keuther, Co-Chair School Building Committee
Bruce Spitler, Co-Chair Marshfield School Building Committee

Re:      Final Budget Results – New Marshfield High School


The Marshfield School Building Committee completed the financial statements for New Marshfield High School Project and approved our final financial statements that will now be audited by the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Once the audit is complete the project will be finished. Our final budget numbers are below:


Initial Total Approved Budget:       $103,958,839

Total Bid Budget:                             $101,630,087

Final Project Cost:                           $99,569,033

Budget Savings:                              $2,028,254



In addition, here is a link to the article highlighting the savings to the Town of Marshfield.

Eames Way Update from December 9

The following link will take you the EWS Virtual Backpack for December 9th:

EWS Virtual Backpack

Webster Weekly For December

Here's a link to the Webster Weekly newsletter for December.  I hope you enjoy the read:

http://www.mpsd.org/cms/lib011/MA02212716/Centricity/Domain/13/Webster%20Weekly%20December%209%20%202016.pdf

Friday, December 2, 2016

Mrs. Kemmet named MA Assistant Principal of The Year

Congratulations to Mrs. Maureen Kemmett, Assistant Principal at the FBMS, for being named Assistant Principal of the Year by the Massachusetts Secondary Schools Administrative Association (MSSAA).  This is an amazing accomplishment for Mrs. Kemmett and it highlights the great work she does on behalf of our students and staff on a daily basis.

Following is the announcement that Principal Sullivan sent out to the FBMS community:

Greetings FBMS Families,
I am honored to report that Maureen Kemmett has been chosen as the 2016-2017 Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year by the Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators Association.  This is a tremendous honor, as Massachusetts has 330 middle schools!  Mrs. Kemmett is also a candidate for National Assistant Principal of the year.
 
This award is a testament to Mrs. Kemmett's support of teachers and parents and to her commitment and dedication to help students reach their maximum potential.  This recognition also serves as a reflection of our wonderful school community.  
 
Thank you for your support of Mrs. Kemmett and FBMS.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan
Principal
FBMS

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

MHS Freshman Field Hockey In Action

Here are a few shots of our Freshman Field Hockey team in action today against Scituate.  Due to a few injuries the MHS girls had no substitutes but played hard for  the entire game and never gave up.






Monday, October 17, 2016

Homework Free Nights

Good evening.  I am writing to inform you that the Marshfield Public Schools will be “Homework Free” across the district from Thursday Night, November 10th through the Veterans Day weekend.

This is the second year that we have gone “homework free” in conjunction with Veterans Day.  In part, as the district focuses a great deal of attention on the social-emotional well-being of our students and staff, we are looking to give them a break from homework.  For some, schedules and stress levels continue to grow as the year progresses and having homework free nights will help relieve some of that stress.

In addition, time away from homework will allow our students and staff, and their families, to focus on the importance of recognizing Veterans Day, which takes place on November 11th.  In lieu of homework, I hope that members of our school community will find the time on Veterans Day to thank a Veteran they may know for their service to our country.  The person they reach out to could be a relative, a neighbor or a friend.  In addition, if members of our school community can attend the Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 AM at Veterans Memorial Park, it would be greatly appreciated by an amazing group of men and women who have served our country so valiantly over the years.

We will be scheduling a few additional homework free nights later in the school year as well.  We will send out further information as we get closer to those dates.

Thank you and have a good night.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey W. Granatino
Superintendent


Special Town Meeting-Monday, October 24th @ MHS

Just a reminder to everyone that Marshfield's Special Town Meeting will take place on Monday, October 24th.  The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM and will take place in the MHS Auditorium.

The MPSD will have two articles in relation to the Furnace Brook Middle School.  One article will seek $700,000 to replace the three existing boilers at the FBMS with new, high efficiency boilers.

In addition, there will be an article seeking $60,000 to pay for a Schematic Design Study at the FBMS for a potential roof replacement project.   The district is seeking reimbursement from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) to assist with the cost of this potential project.

Short Term Evacuation at MES Today

The following is a note sent from Principal Scollins to the MES community this afternoon, after a brief building evacuation:

Dear Families,
Today at Martinson Elementary School there was a reported smell of natural gas in the main hallway of the building.  As a precaution, we evacuated the building and walked to the back field. The Marshfield Fire and Police Departments determined there was no danger and the gas company was called to follow-up.  I want to thank the staff and children for evacuating quickly and quietly, it was “textbook”.   I would also like to thank the Marshfield Police and Fire Departments for their quick response, and Superintendent Granatino, Marshfield High School Principal Keuther, Furnace Brook Middle School Principal Sullivan and their staff for assisting us on the field.  The safety of your children is our biggest concern, therefore we will always err on the side of caution. If you have any questions or concerns please call me at 781 834-5025.
Respectfully,
Dr. Scollins

PSAT/NMSQT Exams at MHS on October 19th

On Wednesday, October 19thALL students in grades 10 and 11 will be taking the PSAT/NMSQT exam during school hours in their homerooms.  PSAT bulletins will be distributed on Friday 10/14  so students can preview the exam and gain study strategies. Although this exam is a practice for the College Board SAT, it also provides Juniors an opportunity to qualify for a National Merit Scholarship if they score well enough. Students should take the PSAT/NMSQT during BOTH their sophomore and junior years, prior to taking the SAT exam in the spring.
 
For questions please contact the Guidance office- 781-834-5055

Parent Discussion Night at FBMS, Monday, Oct. 17 @ 7 PM

Parent Discussion Night 

The goal of the FBMS Parent Discussion Nights is to support families in raising kids who think critically, participate responsibly, and behave ethically in their online lives. By hosting discussion groups of parents, we hope to encourage and support rich and relevant "community conversations" about kids’ digital lives throughout the school year.

The Parent Discussion Night takes parents on a deep dive into a topic that FBMS parents have identified as critical.
Topics:
  • Monday October 17 Parent Discussion Night #1 7PM/FBMS Library "Online Privacy/Safety"

  • Monday November 14 Parent Discussion Night #2 7PM/FBMS Library "Sexting & Other Social Media Pitfalls"

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Spending Time at the Martinson Elementary School

I had a great day yesterday visiting with Dr. Scollins at the MES.  We had a wonderful time visiting classes throughout the building and seeing the wonderful things going on at every level.  Here's a few snapshots from the visit.

The beautiful mosaic adorning the front wall at the MES.

Ms. Steinbergher's students presenting to the class.

Ms. Bazzano's students turning challenges into goals.

Stand-up desks in action.

Ms. Connor's students singing a song on the states and capitals.


Ms. Debyah's students harvesting the carrot crop.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Upcoming "Back to School" Nights

While MHS had a very successful Back to School event last night, the remaining six schools will be holding their events over the next few weeks.  Below is the schedule:

Furnace Brook Middle School:  Back To School Night, Wednesday, September 14th @ 6:00 PM
Eames Way Elementary:  Curriculum Night, Tuesday, September 20th @ 6:00 PM
Daniel Webster Elementary: Curriculum Night, Tuesday, September 20th @ 6:00 PM
Governor Winslow Elementary:  Curriculum Night, Tuesday, September 20th @ 6:00 PM                 
Martinson Elementary:  Curriculum Night, Tuesday, September 20th @ 6:00 PM
Sourth River Elementary: Curriculum Night, Tuesday, September 20th @ 6:00 PM

Marshfield School Committee Recognizes Ned Bangs

Earlier this week, I was able to join the School Committee in recognizing and honoring Marshfield's Recreation Director, Mr. Ned Bangs, as he prepares to step down from his role after 34 years of working with the children of Marshfield.  Ned has had an impact on generations of youngsters in this great town and he will be sorely missed.

Here's a photo of Ned, with the School Committee, after each member was able to share their thoughts on Ned.

Thank you Ned!


Visit To South River School

Had a great morning visiting Mrs. Scolaro and Mrs. Fultz at the South River School.  There's so many great things going on in the classrooms at SRS and here's a few pictures of what I was able to see today:

Celebrating the wonderful staff at SRS.

Students presenting to students in Ms. Pollard's class.

Ms. Fiorentino's guide to active reading

Ms. Durfee's class working together.

Students in Ms. Serra's room showing off their math skills.

Some great ideas from Ms. Habel's Peace Builders.

Monday, September 5, 2016

First Responders Night 2016- Friday, September 9th

The following is a note from Principal Keuther from MHS regarding a ceremony that will take place prior to the first football game on Friday, September 9th:

We will begin our evening at 6:30 PM with a celebration and recognition of our Town of Marshfield Police and Fire Departments, as we recognize the individuals who make our town a safe place. Included in our presentation will be the presentation of our Nations colors, a time for reflection and recognition of those who protect us and an opportunity to celebrate that we are part of the community of Marshfield.  At the conclusion of our pregame ceremony, we will celebrate with our community the debut of our cheerleading squad, our marching band and our high school football team.
WE ARE MARSHFIELD is our cry!
Please plan to attend.

Here's a link to the flyer for the event:  First Responders Night 2016

Opening Week



We had a wonderful first week of school for students and staff.  Here's a few highlights from the opening few days.
















Thursday, August 25, 2016

Marshfield School Committee Recognizes MCTV's, Liam Keane

At our July meeting, the School Committee recognized outgoing senior, Liam Keane, who spent the previous year filming our meetings for MCTV.  Liam is a fine young man, who will be heading off to college in the upcoming days.  He worked hard at his craft and was able to bring a unique brand of levity to our meetings.  He will be missed.


Overdose Awareness Vigil-August 31st at 6 PM

On Wednesday, August 31st from 6:00-8:00 PM, the town of Marshfield will recognize International Overdose Awareness Day by holding its 2nd Annual Overdose Awareness Vigil on the Town Green. Beyond bringing attention to the opioid crisis plaguing the country, by placing over 1,400 flags on the town green, those present will be paying respect to residents of Massachusetts who lost their lives to opioid overdose in the past year.

This important event is the result of many stakeholders coming together to join with hundreds of Marshfield and area residents to help battle this epidemic. That list includes the Marshfield Board of Selectmen, the Marshfield Drug Task Force, the Marshfield Coalition Against Heroin, the Marshfield Police & Fire departments, Marshfield F.A.C.T.S. (Families, Adolescents and Community Together against Substances), the Kiwanis Club of Marshfield, along with the Marshfield Public School Department..

We hope you can join us on the 31st for this important event.  For those who want to assist in placing the flags, volunteers will be doing that work at the town green on Tuesday, August 30th at 5:30 PM.

Below is a picture from last year's preparation for the Vigil.


MPSD's Newest Educators

Below are the names of the District's newest educators and professional support staff.  It has been a very busy season in the personnel world and we are thrilled to be able to welcome so many talented educators and professionals to our team.  After going through a three day induction program this week, our newest educators are looking forward to meeting their new students and fellow educators next week.

Below are some photos from this past week along with a breakdown of our new staff and where they will be.






Brittany Carmical Math Teacher FBMS
Corey Cuddihy Special Education FBMS
Katelyn Damaris Guidance Counselor  MHS
Nicole Dickinson School Nurse DWS
Meghan Flanagan Physcial Education Teacher MHS
Jeremy Frey Physics Teacher MHS
Renee Gallo ASD Specialist DISTRICT
Meka Genatossio Music Teacher MES
Emily Hardwick Business Operations Coordinator CENTRAL
Megan Hartman English Teacher MHS
Siobhan Hayes Special Education FBMS
Laura Howerton Biology Teacher MHS
Melissa Humphrey Data Systems Specialist CENTRAL
Marissa Jones School Psychologist FBMS
Dana Junior Technology Education Teacher MHS
Kathleen Keenan School Nurse FBMS
Mandy Keith Kindergarten Teacher SRS
Carolyn Magowan SLP GWS
Catherine Mulligan Elementary Teacher DWS
Kathleen Murrill English/LA Teacher  FBMS
Melissa O'Brien Science Teacher FBMS
Rebecca O'Dowd School Adjustment Counselor MHS
Joseph Powers English Teacher MHS
Benjamin Raymond English Teacher  MHS
Adrienne Robatzek Elementary Teacher DWS
MacKenzie Sharpe Special Education MES
Pamela Smith Early Childhood Teacher DWS
Tyler Spilhaus Physics Teacher  MHS
Julie Stiles School Nurse FBMS
Katherine Tracey Social Studies Teacher MHS
Erin Waffle Guidance Counselor  MHS
Erik Whitaker Math Teacher  MHS
Meghan Wilkers Special Education GWS
Elizabeth Zimmer Special Education GWS

WEB Leaders Greet FBMS 6th Graders

As we get ready for the start of the new school year, the 8th grade WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) Leaders, along with many of the FBMS staff, greeted the newest grade 6 arrivals to the Furnace Brook Middle School today.  There was a lot of excitement, information sharing and team building going on throughout the school.  By the end of it all, the 6th graders had a better understanding of life at FBMS and they also knew that they had a number of "veteran" students who would be there for them on Day 1 next week.

Here's a few photos from the day: