depend as little as possible on external things…”
Epictetus
Hi All;
The frigid days and nights of 2010 continue, but to date we have not had a snow day this year! This is good
news (except perhaps if you are a senior), and I am hopeful we will not have ANY this year, but recent years’
statistics seem to imply that we will have a couple. Last week I was asked to participate in a discussion about
the possibility of having “delayed openings” in Framingham (as so many other surrounding districts do) in the
event conditions warrant on a snowy morning. It was a fascinating discussion, and I learned there are quite a
few factors to consider, and a relatively small number of instances when these factors would all align such
that a delayed opening would be appropriate. I also learned the last time we tried a delayed opening was
1978, and we have not attempted one since. In the years since that attempt, there are many more parents
driving their kids to school, and fewer and fewer students walking to school. This factors into the need for
sidewalk plowing, which is done all over Framingham under the assumption that many kids are walking to
school. In the end, we decided to approach other town officials to bring additional considerations to the table,
so don’t expect this to be approved any time soon. In the meantime, I’m all for cold weather; just not with
any moisture!
Just before the December break, I was approached by a group of students who are interested in a unique
project to liven up our hallways. The Art Club at FHS will design and create a mosaic-based mural for the
hallway wall outside the BLOCKS classrooms at FHS. The mural will consist of at least 6 child-sized figures
that are colorfully detailed except in the face area, which will contain of oval, face-sized mirrors. BLOCKS
students (and other, taller students) will be able to see their own faces reflected within images of storybook
characters and/or other fantasy/comical characters. The funding for this interesting exhibit is coming via a
generous grant from the Framingham Education Foundation (FEF). FHS Art Teacher Dan Nicholson took the
initiative applied for this grant, and I would like to use this opportunity to encourage others to apply in the
future also. Way to go, Dan! Please touch base with your department head to learn details about future FEF
grant timelines.
I learned late last week that the scheduling for hearing & vision screening for all freshmen will take place
during this last week before mid-year exams. Thankfully, said testing will take place during the directed
study period for most students, so the interruption and loss of valuable class time during this stretch should be
almost nil. Frank Rothwell (grade 9 vice-principal), Denise Dagle (Grade 9 assistant), Jane Spigel (grade 9
nurse), Betsey Abdou (program coordinator) have worked hard to get this scheduled and completed, so I
thank them in advance for their efforts. Ninth graders should be contacted during their directed studies, and if
you are assigned to one this week Mr. Rothwell will be contacting you with further details. The screening
will take place in various places adjacent to the lobby of the auditorium. Thanks for your help.
There was quite a bit of buzz around the district last week after Superintendent Steven Hiersche’s presentation
to the school committee regarding a pending district re-organization of feeder patterns and student
assignments. There were two presentations for faculty and staff after school last week, and this week there
will be presentations for the community on Monday, 1-11-10 at 7:00 PM in the Fuller Middle School
cafeteria, and on Thursday, 1-14-10 at 7:00 PM in the FHS cafeteria. A list of frequently asked questions has
been posted to the FPS website and may be accessed through the main reorg site here:
http://www.framingham.k12.ma.us/fps_reorg_plan.cfm
If you have particular questions you would like to be considered, please forward them to the reorganization
team at reorgteam@framingham.k12.ma.us .
Seniors remember to mark you calendars! On Sunday January 31 from 2:00-4:00 P.M. Framingham High
School will host College Goal Sunday. College Goal Sunday is a non-profit program that provides free
information and assistance to Massachusetts families applying for financial assistance for higher education.
College Goal Sunday mobilizes financial aid professionals from local colleges and universities to help
families of college-bound students complete the FAFSA the federally required form for students seeking
financial aid, including grants and loans, throughout the nation. Students are only eligible for financial aid if
they file a FAFSA.
The U.S. Department of Education now has FAFSA4caster, a website to help families determine potential
eligibility for federal financial aid much earlier in the application process. FAFSA4caster is available in
Spanish, and can provide an instant estimate of financial aid, early information about student’s potential to
receive a Federal Pell Grant, and automatic transfer of student information to reduce time needed to complete
the FAFSA during senior year. MEFA (the Massachusetts Educational Finance Authority) has developed a
resource sheet for families using FAFSA4caster. The resource sheet is also available on www.mefa.org .
Families may access FAFSA4caster through www.mefacounselor.org. For more information please go to
http://www.masscollegegoalsunday.org/ or contact Benjamin Tarshis in the College and Career Center.
On Saturday, January 30th at 2pm in the Costin Room at the Main Branch of the Framingham Public Library,
the Townwide PTO and the library will co-sponsor speaker Dr. Sharon Lamb who has co-authored Packaging
Boyhood: Saving our Sons from Superheroes, Slackers, and Other Media Stereotypes along with Lyn Mikel
Brown and Mark Tappan. The book explores the ways in which mass media besiege and manipulate boys,
encouraging slacking over studying, competition over teamwork and being cool over being yourself. This
book offers practical advice to parents about providing their sons with tools to resist these images and become
their true selves. Borders will sell copies of the book at a 20% discount and there will be refreshments. You
can learn more at http://packagingboyhood.com/. She is a mom, professor, author and clinical psychologist
and her previous presentation on Packaging Girlhood was well received by many in the audience.
This is the last five-day week of classes before our big week of mid-year exams after ML King, Jr. Day.
Today and tomorrow I will be completing the final two full days of my NISL (National Institute for School
Leadership) training. This is a nationwide program developed to help coordinate and better train school
leaders (principals and central office superintendents/administrators), and the district has sponsored five
members of the system in the training. The past 18 months of classes and trainings have been very
interesting, but the time out of school and the hours of reading and assignments have taken their toll on me. I
have learned a lot, but am also happy/relieved/exhausted now that it is over.
Remember to check the sequence of exams and make sure students who are absent make arrangements for
make-ups either after dismissal or during the make-up time on Friday. Buses will dismiss each day at around
10:55 AM. During the week after exams we will be gearing up to begin the registration process for next year
starting with the distribution of the Program of Studies for 2010-11, so it will soon be time to make course
recommendations for all students for next year. Remember to give a quick call or e-mail to solicit the help of
parents in the event students in your classes need a last minute poke to get any end of term work completed.
This will be a big help to the scores of parents who, despite honest attempts, do not get information with a
high degree of accuracy from their children. Thanks in advance!
Statistic Of Week
Average annual cost of tuition, fees, room and board at a Massachusetts State
College or University
$17,436
Average annual financial aid package (grants and loans) at a Massachusetts
State College or University
$9,436