what they have been led to expect…”
Samuel Butler
Hi All;
Only eight more days left until our lengthy December break, and I hope to be able to have few interruptions as
we wind down 2009.
Many of you likely saw the brief e-mail from Superintendent Steve Hiersche last week indicating that on
December 15 there will be a timeline presented to the school committee regarding plans for future student
assignments in the Framingham Public Schools. The actual plan itself will be presented to the school
committee at its regular meeting on Tuesday, January 5, 2010. I have been a part of a subcommittee of
principals and district directors who have been discussing the findings from last year’s Re-Districting Task
Force and we have been working hard to come up with a plan that will stand the test of time and work for the
district as a whole. While all the details have not yet been ironed out completely, it is expected that most
issues will be hashed out by January 2010. There will be a number of opportunities for public input and
discussion of the proposals after the presentation on January 5th, and ultimately the decision on how to move
forward will be the school committee’s. I am sure there will be more information coming in the days ahead.
It was a slippery mess getting to school last Wednesday, and the timing and intensity of snowfall could not
have been worse. It was only snowing very lightly when I came to school, but it certainly picked up in
intensity as we got closer to our opening time. This made for some challenging conditions at the usual drop
off time, but it seemed as though most people got to school safely. Remember that we no longer have an
overnight custodial crew at FHS, so we won’t always be able to get all entrances completely down to bare
walkways as quickly as we have in the past. It is usually just Pa and me in the morning! As we begin to
experience more inclement weather, we will likely lose some parking spaces also in the lots surrounding the
school as the town works to clear them as best they can. Please remember that we need to keep access to the
school open for emergency vehicles, and no one should park in areas that restrict this access. In short, don’t
park in places that are not normally legal spots when there is not snow on the ground. This is especially
important around the back of the school in the lots near F-hall, as these tend to lose spots when snow is piled
along the edges of the lots there. I have advised officer Ottaviani to enforce this requirement so that we do
not place the school at risk. Please remember to take your time, plan ahead, and park safely so as not to
jeopardize the safety of others. This may mean a bit more of a walk, but it is critical to keep access open.
Thank you for your anticipated cooperation as we approach the colder months!
Last week’s shooting incident outside Brockton High School should give us all pause to review the
procedures used any time there is a potential emergency situation either inside or outside the school. In past
years we have practiced our “Code Yellow” drills to simulate an emergency situation outside the building, and
we always need to continue practicing for these events. As mentioned earlier this year, make sure you have
your multi-colored flipchart under your phone and take time to be aware of the expectations for these events.
We will likely be practicing for these situations in the weeks ahead, and our staff memo this week will
provide a little refresher course in the key points. Please let Gerri or me know if you do not have a flipchart,
and be ready for drill.
If you are not busy this Wednesday night this week (December 16th), you are officially invited to the FHS
Winter Concert. There will be many, many students performing from all the vocal groups as well as the
FHS orchestra. The event begins at 7:00 PM in the auditorium, and teachers, parents, and students are
welcome to attend. It is a great opportunity to see the other talents possessed by so many of our kids.
Two FHS health teachers, Ms. Kweder and Mrs. Ames, and their classes, have been participating in a
research study in conjunction with the National Institute for Health (NIH) and Northeastern
University. As part of this research, students have been logging onto and using an active website called
BodiMojo.net. Some students are simultaneously wearing computer devices on their shoes, similar to that of
a pedometer, which tracks their activity. The study has been going on since the start of this school year and
is nearly finished. The administrators of the study are doing a market survey to see if parents and/or students
would subscribe to BodiMojo. The survey takes 3-5 minutes. If you want to learn more about BodiMojo
and/or have 3 minutes to spare, please visit the site and take the survey .
Thank you. Your time and opinion are appreciated.
Speaking of student health, the Framingham High School school-based health care center is moving one
step closer to reality. The MA Department of Public Health conducted a final inspection of the area a little
over a week ago, and I believe the school committee will review the final use and occupancy agreement this
week. A registered nurse practitioner will staff this school based health care center and this will allow for
immunizations, sports physicals, and lab screenings to be conducted on site. The center will be affiliated with
the Great Brook Valley Health Center and this will allow for referrals to a wide array of medical services.
The center will only be open to current students at FHS and only on days when FHS is open to students. The
center will likely stay open 30 minutes before and after school to accommodate students and avoid missing
class time. They will be open and available to all students whether they have health care coverage or not, and
will work with students and their families to obtain this coverage through Mass Health as needed. There will
likely be additional information sent home directly to families in the next few weeks, and I will keep you
posted as events dictate.