The District Dispatch
April 2019
Culture of Excellence
Dear Faculty and Staff,
Within this edition of the District Dispatch, we celebrate our Middleborough Public
School’s collective “Culture of Excellence” as detailed in our Strategy for Continuous
This culture asks each of us to celebrate the accomplishments of students and
faculty/staff on a regular basis but is certainly very timely as we begin the “home stretch”
of the 2018-2019 school year and plan and attend many well-established celebrations
within our school system.
These include but are certainly not limited to the following; MHS Honors and
Scholarship Assemblies, our awesome Senior Walk and Graduation, district-wide plays
and concerts, Nichols Middle School Grade Eight Awards/Promotion Celebrations,
Grade 5 Move-Up Day, Kindergarten Step-Up Day, district-wide Celebration of the Arts, and the Kindergarten Family Social held annually at the Soule Farm.
We do a great job of recognizing and celebrating our student
accomplishments…. although it is also important that we recognize our faculty and staff also.
So, we are providing a “shout-out” opportunity to do just that!
As a faculty and staff, we are asking for nominations of those colleagues who go above and beyond to exemplify our district’s “Culture of Excellence” which is defined and described in
our Strategy as individuals who “Develop and nurture a positive culture wherein high
expectations for students, faculty, and staff achievement are articulated, realized, and
celebrated by the entire community”.
Does anyone come immediately to mind? If so, let us know so we can celebrate these
individuals!
As always, I genuinely appreciate all that you do to address the academic, social,
emotional and physical needs of every Middleborough student, in every classroom every
day!
Thank you!
Best Regards,
Brian E. Lynch
Nominations are Open! Nominate a Colleague Today!
FY '20 Budget Approved at Town Meeting
At Annual Town Meeting on April 22nd the voters of Middleborough approved the proposed School Budget for the 2019-2020 school year. We are thankful that the community appreciates the work that is done by the Middleborough Public Schools as we continue our Culture of Excellence.
Thanks,
Sarah
April Showers Bring… May K Screening?
Did you know that the Memorial Early Childhood Center (MECC) is currently preparing for kindergarten screening starting in May? For three Fridays in May the MECC and additional special education administration and staff will be fully engaged in welcoming in our newest families to the Middleborough Public Schools and conducting screening activities for all age eligible students on May 3rd, May 17th, and May 31st.
Are you wondering what the connection is between kindergarten screening and the Pupil Personnel Services Department? The answer is child find. “Child find” refers to an obligation set forth in federal law under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”) and state law under M.G.L. c. 71B to affirmatively identify and evaluate all students between the ages of 3-21 who are suspected of having an educational disability. The Middleborough Public Schools regularly engage in a multitude of efforts to comply with this obligation, but one of the largest yearly efforts is undertaken at K screen. During these three dates in May, students are screened using a formal assessment tool and various providers assemble to informally assess student functioning to determine whether any student requires an evaluation for special education and related services. Activities that identify students with disabilities early lead to better student outcomes because needed intervention occurs as a direct response to that identification.
For more information on child find activities in our district, feel free to reach out to the Pupil Personnel Services Department!
Thanks,
Carolyn
The Danger of a Single Story
TED Talks...I love them!!!! I always find so many benefits from them. TED Talks can be informative, motivational, or just out right funny. More often than not, I prefer to seek out TED Talks that will enhance my perspective or allow me to see the world through a different lens. One talk that I recently watched did make a profound impact on the lens to which I view our work.
I highly recommend you check out the Ted Talk by the Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Adichie, called "The Danger of a Single Story". I don't want to ruin this Talk for you. I do that if you take the time to watch it that it gives you a moment to pause and think about our work with diverse learners and how we help shape our students' world view.
Thank you Sam Dormady and Lori LeBlanc for sharing this powerful TED Talk with me!
If you have a favorite TED Talk to share or you want to chat about "The Danger of a Single Story", drop me a line! I love learning with and from the wonderful educators in our district!
Thanks,
Melanie
About Us
"...to foster a culture of excellence within every student, in every classroom, every day."
Email: MPSadmin@middleboro.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.middleboro.k12.ma.us/
Location: 30 Forest Street, Middleborough, MA 02346
Phone: (508)946-2000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MiddleboroughPublicSchools/
Twitter: @MiddleboroPS