Canton Public Schools: March 10 School Committee Meeting Recap

Canton MA

25 March, 2022

6:03 AM

Description

Press release from Canton Public Schools: March 23, 2022 CANTON — The Canton Public Schools would like to share with the school community several notable updates and information provided at the March 10 Canton School Committee meeting. A recording of the full meeting can be viewed here. Additional meeting materials, including the Superintendent's Report and all documents shared at the meeting are available here. On March 2, the District was accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority's (MSBA) Core Program for the William H. Galvin Middle School. The acceptance begins a partnership between the District and MSBA to assist in the program development and funding of new school construction or additions/renovations to an existing school. Over the next several months, the District will participate in the MSBA's Eligibility Period during which the District will complete several preliminary requirements, including submitting forms and data on current and proposed educational facilities, maintenance practices, teaching methodology, grade configurations and program offerings. The District will also form a School Building Committee. This decision was based on the District's submitted Statement of Interest chiefly authored by Interim Assistant Superintendent Sarah Shannon, for the Galvin for consideration by the MSBA in the summer of 2021. This submission followed a District Comprehensive Facilities Assessment in 2017 and a Feasibility Study in 2018, which determined the Galvin Middle School to be in need of renovation and/or replacement. The 2021 SOI was the fourth submission by the District. Though this decision is a clear path to a renovated or new GMS building, this is a multi-year process, and opportunities for community input and participation will be forthcoming. The District would like to thank the Town of Canton and the school community, the School Committee, the Canton Select Board and town officials, and the CPS staff for their support through the years to reach this milestone. Additional information on the District's acceptance, as well as background information and next steps can be found here. Vaccination Rates: See the updated vaccination rates for each grade/school here. Protocol Updates: As of February 28, masks are no longer required in the school buildings, in line with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's non-renewal of the state mandate. Masks are also no longer required on school-operated buses. The Test-and-Stay and contact tracing programs within the schools have also been discontinued as staff will transition to focus on the identification and response to symptomatic cases, and the at-home antigen testing program has been implemented. See the updated COVID-19 Response Protocols here. CAPT (Canton Association of Parents and Teachers) GMS CAPT President Catherine Hoberg presented information on the group, highlights from the past year, and opportunities for GMS parents to get involved. CAPT is a non-profit organization that strives to provide an enriched educational experience for the children by supplementing their daily curriculum with related equipment, supplies, and programs/field trips not funded by the town. Through active family fundraising, CAPT funds various presentations and field trips for students, agenda books and technology for students, teacher classroom requests, the eighth grade promotion ceremony and more. GMS CAPT is actively looking for parents and guardians to join the group, and several leadership positions within the group are open. Parents and guardians are encouraged to attend the school year's remaining meetings on April 4, May 2 and June 6. GMS CAPT can be reached at [email protected]. Galvin Middle School Highlights Interim GMS Principal Michael Green and Assistant Principal James Spillane highlighted GMS. GMS educates students in grades 6, 7 and 8 with the goals of providing a rigorous and engaging learning environment and fostering a positive, inclusive school culture where each student feels a sense of belonging. The school currently serves 795 students, educated by 116 staff members. Students are placed in a team and they operate on a 7-day rotating schedule. Each class is 52 minutes, which increases students' Time on Learning from last year, with an added daily X-Block. After-school clubs offered at GMS include, but are not limited to Creative Writing, Mural Club, French Club, Homework Club, Cooking Club, Ping Pong, Extreme Sports, and Gardening Club. The Unified Sports Program and Cross Country Team were highlighted, as well as the school's diversity, equity and inclusion work. Two GMS students also shared their experiences and the activities they're involved in at the school, and recognized their teachers. This press release was produced by Canton Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author's own.