Melrose Public Schools to Host Kindergarten Tours

Prospective kindergarten students in Melrose can tour the five elementary schools in the city in November.

Melrose Public Schools is inviting parents of incoming kindergarten students to visit the city's five elementary schools in November, according to a school press statement. "Our full day kindergarten program, which is free of charge, is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the world’s largest accreditation organization and developmental services for children from birth to 8 years," reads the statement. "Each full-day kindergarten classroom is staffed by a highly qualified teacher and at least one full-time paraprofessional.  "Additionally, Melrose Public Schools offers Education Stations, a flexible after-school program until 6 p.m. that allows children to stay in a safe and teacher-supervised …

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Letters to the Editor

Letter: Lessons from Principal Search Process

Martha Grover shares what she learned as a member of the elementary principal "super" search committee.

To the editor: I recently participated in the 15-member Elementary Principal "Super" Search Committee. The Committee, made up of two principals, four teachers, one school committee member, one administrator, six parents and a community representative screened resumes, interviewed candidates, and passed on qualified candidates to outgoing Superintendent Casey and incoming Superintendent Taymore to interview. Together they made the final principal selections and school placement choices for the Hoover, Horace Mann, and Roosevelt Elementary Schools. As the candidate screeners, our clearly defined task was to identify candidates who are excellent instructional leaders with solid communication skills, have a commitment to collaboration, the …

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Daniel DeMaina

5:31 pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Gotta admit: #6 made me laugh.   more ›

UPDATE: Principal Herrera Leaving Winthrop School

Mary Alise Herrera is the fourth Melrose elementary principal and fifth principal overall to leave the district after this year.

Editor's note: This article was updated on Tuesday at 4:45 p.m., correcting Herrara's new position and adding a statement from Superintendent Joe Casey. Another Melrose principal is leaving after one year in the district. Winthrop School Principal Mary Alise Herrera is leaving her post to become the principal at Tyngsborough Middle School. She was previously an assistant principal for preschool through Grade 2 and a fifth grade teacher at Tyngsborough Elementary School before coming to Melrose. Herrera said in an email sent to Winthrop families late Monday evening that her announcement comes with "great difficulty" and that she was offered the new position last Friday, notified Melrose of her intent to take the job and submitted her letter…

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Elementary Support System Means Adding Wellness, Cutting Library Specialist

Adopting the state's blueprint for aligning class schedules and maximizing schools' support staff requires creating a common fourth specialist class, as proposed by Melrose principals and administrators and approved by the School Committee.

Melrose elementary principals and school administrators want to implement the state's blueprint for aligning class schedules and maximizing their support staff, but in order to do so, they're eliminating the elementary library media specialist to make room for two new wellness teachers. Principals originally proposed adopting the blueprint, called the Massachusetts Tiered System of Support, during budget deliberations earlier this spring, but there wasn't room in the budget to pay for the additional staff needed to implement it. Creating an aligned class schedule across each grade level in each school, thereby creating common learning time for students and common planning time for teachers, would require four common specialist subjects. …

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Full-Day K Funding Approved by Aldermen

Melrose Public Schools will eliminate the full-day kindergarten fee next year and in future years as the $497K in funding bridges the one-year gap before additional state aid kicks in.

One-time funding that will allow Melrose Public Schools to eliminate the $2,500 full-day kindergarten fee received final and unanimous approval from the Board of Aldermen last night. Several aldermen spoke in favor before the final vote approving the $497,425 transfer from a variety of accounts to the school department, including Ward 7 Alderman William Forbes, who said that "we always hear about full-day kids coming out ahead of half-day kids. "That argument ends here tonight," Forbes said. "Every kid is going to have an equal opportunity and that’s the way it should be." The one-time expenditure will bridge the one-year financial gap before additional state education funding would kick in, via the state's Chapter 70 formula, to cover the…

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Last Chance: Principals, Curriculum Director Search Committee Letters Due

The Melrose Public Schools district is forming two search committees: one for principals at the Hoover, Horace Mann and Roosevelt Schools, and one for a new curriculum director.

Hundreds of events are posted on Melrose Patch each week, but how often does one pass you by that you wish you hadn't missed? Each week Melrose Patch will give you a quick reminder about an event, an important sign-up, or a looming deadline you won't want to forget. The Melrose Public Schools district is forming two search committees: one for principals at the Hoover, Horace Mann and Roosevelt Schools, and one for a new curriculum director. Those who are interested in serving on either committee are invited to submit their name and a letter of intent to principalsearch@melrose.mec.edu summarizing what they can add to the committee. Reference the committee you're interested in serving on in the subject line. The deadline for the curriculum …

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Full-Day K Funding Gets Initial OK From Aldermen

The one-time expenditure of $497K next year would bridge the one-year financial gap created by the elimination of the $2,500 full-day kindergarten fee, before additional state education funding would kick in and cover the cost of the program.

One-time funding that would allow Melrose Public Schools to eliminate the $2,500 full-day kindergarten fee received initial approval from the Board of Aldermen on Thursday night. The aldermen's Appropriations Committee, comprised of the full board, unanimously approved the $497,425 transfer from a variety of accounts to the school department, and the full board should take a final vote to approve the move at its next meeting on Monday, May 7. The one-time expenditure would bridge the one-year financial gap before additional state education funding would kick in, via the state's Chapter 70 formula, to cover the cost of providing full-day kindergarten to all students. In addressing the aldermen last night, Mayor Rob Dolan reiterated that a …

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Letters to the Editor

Letter: Melrose Needs Elementary Library Professionals

Christina Gagliano advocates that Melrose Public Schools hire dedicated, trained elementary library media professionals.

To the editor: Thank you for bringing attention to School Library Month and the important role that school libraries can and should play in "a quality educational experience." School libraries are critically important not only for helping students obtain the information and literacy skills they need to succeed in this day and age, but also for creating a welcoming, common learning area where students have the freedom to explore their own interests. Many readers may not be aware that our five Melrose public elementary schools do not have professional librarians—or even paraprofessionals—on staff, and that the libraries are not open for students to come in and explore on their own. Instead, one highly dedicated and overworked elementary …

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Principals Clery, Strasnick Leaving Melrose Schools

Roosevelt School Principal Kerry Clery is taking a curriculum director position in Groton-Dunstable and Horace Mann Principal Jeff Strasnick is taking an elementary principal position in Wilmington.

Two more Melrose elementary principals are on the move, as Roosevelt School Principal Kerry Clery and Horace Mann School Principal Jeff Strasnick are leaving for positions elsewhere. Clery is taking a curriculum director position in Groton-Dunstable Schools, Superintendent Joe Casey said on Tuesday morning. Wilmington Superintendent Joanne Benton announced in a press release Tuesday morning that Strasnick is taking the principal position at the Woburn Street and Wildwood Schools, which cover grades K-3. The two principals join in their departure Hoover School Principal Dr. Dennet Sidell, who is leaving to become the elementary principal at the Carlisle School, responsible for grades K-5 and discipline for grades K-8. Casey expressed …

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