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School Edition, December 13, 2019
Newsletter
Important Upcoming Events
12/13/19 --Half Day...Early Release (Professional Development for Teachers and ESPs)
12/20/19 -- Last Day of School Before Break (FULL DAY)
12/23/19 - 1/1/2020 -- Winter Break
1/2/19 -- School is Back in Session
Cohasset Public Schools Placed on the College Board’s 10th Annual AP® District Honor Roll for Significant Gains in Student Access and Success
News Release
Cohasset Public Schools is one of 250 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 10th Annual AP® District Honor Roll. To be included on the 10th Annual Honor Roll, Cohasset Public Schools had to, since 2017, increase the number of students participating in AP while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher. Reaching these goals shows that this district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for AP.
“I am so proud of the staff and their hard work in preparing the students and even more impressed with the effort and perseverance of the students”, Cohasset Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan.
National data from 2019 show that among American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students with a high degree of readiness for AP, only about half are participating. The first step to getting more of these students to participate is to give them access. Courses must be made available, gatekeeping must stop, and doors must be opened equitably. Cohasset Public Schools are committed to expanding the availability of AP courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds.
“With more students participating and succeeding in AP in this district, more students are getting a head start on college by earning college credit during high school,” said Trevor Packer, senior vice president of AP and Instruction at the College Board. “We are pleased to honor the teachers and administrators who have worked to clear a path for more students of all backgrounds to advance through AP.”
Helping more students learn at a higher level and earn higher AP scores is an objective of all members of the AP community, from AP teachers to district and school administrators to college professors. Many districts are experimenting with initiatives and strategies to see how they can expand access and improve student performance at the same time.
In 2019, more than 4,000 colleges and universities around the world received AP scores for college credit, advanced placement, or both, and/or consideration in the admissions process. Inclusion in the 10th Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on a review of three years of AP data, from 2017 to 2019, looking across 38 AP Exams, including world language and culture.
For inclusion on the 10th Annual AP District Honor Roll, districts must meet the following criteria:
· Increase participation/access to AP by at least 4% in large districts, at least 6% in medium districts, and at least 11% in small districts;
· Increase or maintain the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students taking exams and increase or maintain the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students scoring 3+ on at least one AP Exam; and
· Improve or maintain performance levels when comparing the 2019 percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher to the 2017 percentage, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70% of its AP students earn a 3 or higher.
When these outcomes have been achieved among an AP student population in which 30% or more are underrepresented minority students (American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander) and/or 30% or more are low-income students (students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch), a symbol has been affixed to the district name to highlight this work.
CONGRATULATIONS, STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND LEADERS!
Fabulous Concerts Took Place this past week at Osgood, Deer Hill and CHS. Thank you to our amazing music and arts programs and to all who made these concerts special for the students.
"A Million Dreams"... Deer Hill Chorus
Here are a couple of the beautiful works of art displayed at last week's middle school art show and concert
Here is an encore performance from the over 200 middle school chorus students at last week's concert
This Past Week Our Deer Hill Lego Team Competed at UMASS Boston and our Middle and High School Robotics Teams Competed at WPI. Great job, students, Suzi Corkhum, Bob Erlandsen and everyone who helped out.
(In case you missed it) Challenge Day at Cohasset High School
VAPE DETECTORS APPROVED BY SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OSGOOD PLAYGROUND TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR (HOPEFULLY SOONER)
Congratulations to Leah S, our Middle School Project 351 Ambassador
"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of the Beloved Community inspires our mission and youth-led service movement. Each January, Project 351 honors his life and legacy by convening a new Class of 8th grade Ambassadors who embrace the responsibility to lead with a determination to make a difference.
Selected by hometown educators, these unsung heroes and quiet leaders unite for a transformative year of service and leadership. They join a warm, welcoming community built on the belief that service is joy and that world changing impact is possible. They offer their unique gifts, force of idealism, and dedication to a cause greater than self. From 351 cities and towns, they become one community, one team, one force for extraordinary good.
Ambassadors are invited to “unite, act, and lead” for 12 months of inspirational service, empowering leadership training, and teamwork with a statewide network of friends." -- Project 351
We are very proud of Leah, and we look forward to the service she will take part of and inspire in others.
CRADLES TO CRAYON CLOTHING DRIVE AT CHS & CMS
Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Compass: Assistant Superintendent Leslie Scollins, Ed.D.
Data Teams
MCAS
There will be a presentation about the 2019 MCAS results at the December 18th School Committee meeting.
Elementary Math Pilot Update
On January 8th there will be a presentation to update the School Committee on the Elementary Math Pilot process. There will also be a presentation at the Deer Hill PSO meeting on January 14th at 9:30am.
Thank you to Osgood and Deer Hill for welcoming us into your classrooms!
From the Office of Mary Buchanan, Director of Student Services
Office of Student Service:
Peer Preschool Applications
Preschool Applications for morning and afternoon sessions will be available at the Office of Student Services or on Cohasset Public Schools website on January 2, 2020. There will be a lottery, if there are more students who register for preschool than seats available. Timelines and preschool process will be available at this time.
From the Director of Finance and Operations...Michael MacMillan
CAPITAL PROJECTS
The Special Town Meeting in November approved three school capital projects:
- - Upgrading the Middle School Entrance.
- - Purchasing a 7D vehicle for student transportation.
- - Replacing the Middle / High School Auditorium Projector
The work is now underway to select the vendors for these projects and to get the work done. However, we can’t rest on our laurels as the process for selecting the capital projects to be voted on in the Spring Town Meeting is now underway. We started work on list this by touring each building to review the condition of the building and it’s major components, we have created a comprehensive list of items which are now prioritizing before we submit our requests to the Town Capital Committee.
FY 21 BUDGET PROCESS
Work has begun on the school budget for next year. We will be presenting a "first pass" of the budget to School Committee at the December 18 School Committee Meeting. Over the next few months more information will be provided on the District website.
METCO UPDATE FROM METCO DIRECTOR MS. ALEISA GITTENS-CARLE
HOLIDAY WREATH SALE INFORMATION
Save the Date:
Monday, January 20, 2020
9:00AM - 11:00AM
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
16 Highland Avenue
Cohasset, MA 02025
$5.00 per person & $15.00 per family
Feel free to contact Ms. Aleisa Gittens-Carle-Carle or Ms. Atisha Winslow at (781)383-6117 with any additional questions.
We are excited for Cohasset's 250th Celebration
TRIVIA
What country is the Poinsettia, with its red and green foliage, native to?
Have a Great Weekend! Superintendent Patrick E. Sullivan, Ed.D.
Please follow me on Twitter for daily updates from the Cohasset Public Schools
Email: psullivan@cohassetk12.org
Website: https://www.cohassetk12.org/
Phone: 781 383 6111
Twitter: @SuperCohasset