Accolades went around the table at the Wednesday evening meeting of the Marion School Committee at the Marion Town House. According to state standards, Sippican Elementary School was at a level 2 last year, but due to improved MCAS scores and other various improvements, it moved up to Level 1, a Massachusetts educational rating, which was celebrated by the school and School Committee last evening.
In other business, volunteers from Marion, young and old are needed to come and give input to the school on four issues involving the future of education in the community.
The board is looking for anyone in the community who has an interest in giving input on any of four areas being researched. Areas include: Academic Rigor, Twenty-First Century Technology, Organizational Goals, and Relationships Between the Town of Marion and the School District. Anyone interested in joining in can call Diana Russo at (508) 758-2772, ext. 195
In Superintendent Doug White’s report, he highlighted the success of the Abigail Adams Scholarship and said that almost one-third of the graduating class had received a tuition waiver for up to eight quarters of undergraduate education at a Massachusetts state college or university.
These ORR students have scores of advanced and proficient on grade 10 MCAS tests in English language arts and mathematics and have combined scores on MCAS tests that place them in the top 25 percent of students in the graduating class in their district.
“This is an amazing number of our local students receiving this incredible advantage,” Chairman Joseph Scott said. “This is an incredible success story.”
Next up was Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Elise Frangos. Frangos said that on December 3 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, a highly noted speaker will give a talk for parents, grandparents, and students on the responsible and ethical use of social media. The talk will be held in the ORR Junior High library, and all are welcome.
“Sexting, texting, and all about what is ethical and appropriate will be discussed,” Frangos said. “We encourage parents, grandparents, and others to attend.”
A statistic quoted by Frangos noted that those between the ages of 16 to 34 years old regretted social media notes and data that remain in the social domain years later and may be resulting in fewer job opportunities and future options.
A parent of a student came before the board and asked for permission for a fundraiser for the sixth-grade class at the school. His proposal was for students to draw a map of the town of Marion, with local advertisements around it, as seen in many towns, and distribute it, free, to local businesses. The board, after a brief discussion, agreed to the request.
In other business, Gene Jones, Director of Facilities, reported that the interior and exterior light upgrade at Sippican is 95 percent completed.
By Joan Hartnett-Barry
