Shutesbury

PUBLICATION INFORMATION – Please submit any submissions for the Community section to:  [email protected] by Wednesdays at 1:00.  Online attachments must be compressed (less than 500KB) and in PDF format.  Hard copies (65) must be submitted by Thursdays at 1:00.  Call x100 with any questions.

DATES TO REMEMBER

January 16, 2015

Dear SES Community,

It has been another busy, short and very cold week at SES!  On Tuesday we welcomed superintendent candidate, Jennifer Haggerty for a meet and greet breakfast. We will welcome our second candidate, Tara Brandt on Tuesday January 20^th from 8:00-8:45am in the library. All are welcome to drop by to visit with Tara and enjoy some delicious breakfast treats from Chef Gail. On January 26^th, both superintendent candidates will have public interviews at Erving Elementary School, beginning at 6:00pm. The community is encouraged to attend!

The School Council met on Tuesday and brainstormed ways to re-vamp and re-vitalize our annual family survey. We feel that this is an important tool to have in order to collect information and receive feedback regarding our school from the community. If you have any questions or ideas about questions to include or an idea to encourage participation and usefulness, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

The Student Council has given the SES student body an important task of creating a visual of our MOOSE mascot! All students are invited to create (drawing, or electronically) a friendly image of a moose! It is our hope to create a mural and T-Shirts with this image.

On Monday, school is not in session, in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  I would like to close this week’s letter with one of my favorite quotations from Dr. King:

 “ Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”- MLK, Jr.

Jackie Mendonsa, Principal

***SCHOOL NEWS***

Dear Parents/Guardians and Community Members;

The Superintendent Screening Committee has chosen two finalists.

They are:

Tara Brandt is the Supervisor of Mathematics in the Westfield Public Schools. She has previously taught at the kindergarten and fourth grade levels and was both a Math and Technology and a Science and Technology Specialist within the Chicopee Public Schools. Ms. Brandt is a doctoral student at UMASS/Amherst in Educational Policy and Leadership.

Jennifer Haggerty has worked in education for over 25 years. She is currently the Principal of The Dexter Park School, as part of the Orange Elementary Public Schools, and spent twenty years as a kindergarten teacher in the Fitchburg and Gardner Public School systems. She also was a trainer for the Northeast Foundation for Children providing instruction and mentoring for teachers throughout New England.

Below is a schedule of times you may either meet or participate in a forum with the candidates who will spend a day in the district. The following are the dates and times each candidate are scheduled in Shutesbury.

January 13, 8:00AM            Jennifer Haggerty

January 20, 8:00AM            Tara Brandt – RESCHEDULED FROM JANUARY 12 SNOW DAY

An Interview/Forum will take place at Erving Elementary School on January 26th at the following times:

6:00 P.M.                        Tara Brandt

7:30 P.M.                        Jennifer Haggerty

The Supervisory Committee of Union 28 will interview the candidates individually; the interviews may include allowing time for public questions.  Please join us during these events and share your valuable input as all audience members will have the opportunity to fill out response forms.

Bob Mahler

Superintendent of Schools

SAVE THE DATE:  Drama Club’s “Wizard of Oz” Performance – Friday, February 27 at 2:00pm (during assembly) and 6:00pm.  Written and directed by 3^rd grader Arin Andrews (and his mother, Corinne!) and starring Shutesbury Elementary School Drama Club students from Kindergarten through 4^th Grade.  There will be no Drama Club on Thursdays, Jan. 15 and Jan. 22.  Please send in a yellow note regarding the change in your child’s after school plans if they usually attend Drama Club.

SES Student Interview of the Week! 

Makenna!

JM: What do you love about SES?

MC: I love the teachers because they are kind, they help you and they are just really fun.

JM: What do you like to do in your free time?

MC:  I like to draw and read. This time of year, I love to go sledding.

JM: What do you want to be when you grow up?

MC: I want to be a fashion designer. I will probably go to college for this in a city!