School districts across the state had been bracing for a possible dip in test scores, given last school year’s transition from the MCAS to PARCC. But students at Sippican School overall remained steady in their performance on the test, which was a new format for students relative to the test format, online administration, and the increased rigor of the questions.

In Grades 3 through 5 in the Math portion, the already low percentage of students not meeting the standards fell to zero – a point of pride for the Commendation School.

Increase in growth overall was steady although any drop in scores will not be held against the district because this was the piloting of the PARCC exam; however, a rise in performance would benefit the district.

“Our (Math) scores really stack up nicely to other schools that are nearby us,” said Principal Lyn Rivet. “I have great admiration for the job they did.”

Students will take the PARCC exam again this school year, but the state elected this November to devise its own high stakes test considered to be a hybrid between the MCAS and PARCC, which students will take for the first time in 2017. For this “next generation test,” the state, rather than the federal government, will devise the exam and select the questions. The test will continue to be administered online.

“For never having taken the test before … it looks pretty good,” said School Committee Chairman Christine Marcolini. “I think that our kids and our teachers should be very proud.”

In other matters, school administration explained the reason behind the November 10 unintended lockdown in the school, citing an accidental code activation of the security system function that announces a lockdown over the loudspeaker.

The school has a newer security system that utilizes a different lockdown system in the event of a threat and subsequently, the older functioning lockdown announcement has been permanently disabled.

Nonetheless, Superintendent Doug White praised the children and teachers for their swift response to the announcement, a good indication that the ALICE protocol has students and staff ready to respond to an emergency.

“There were some great comments on how everyone handled themselves in the situation,” said White.

Rivet expressed gratitude to the police and fire for their rapid response and for the extended time after the incident that they took to reassure students and staff that they were safe.

“They were incredible. They stayed well after they cleared the building to make sure everyone was safe,” Rivet said. “In some ways it was a genuine practice, and I have to say teachers really put into motion what they learned from the ALICE program, and the children…”

Discussion then segued into a proposed new barricade device for Sippican School doors that Facilities Manager Gene Jones introduced to the School Committee for consideration.

The door barricade is an extra lock that slides onto the doorjamb to create a force against opening the door.

“This would just add an extra layer of security,” said Jones. He said they measured the ability of students to unlock the device in the event of a fire or emergency evacuation, and two kindergartners asked to disable the barricade were able to easily remove the metal pin that holds the barricade lock in place.

Jones has passed on information about the device to local fire and police, given the specific safety and fire codes in place. Jones added that the barricade is inexpensive and could easily be purchased within the budget.

“It’s a scary time we live in,” said Marcolini.

Also during the meeting, White asked the committee to consider piloting a school breakfast program at Sippican School after the success of Rochester Memorial School’s new breakfast program.

White said 20 percent of the Sippican School student population now receives free or reduced lunch.

“This may be an opportunity for everyone to get a meal,” said White.

No action was taken, but a plan is in the works to present the committee with a proposal to hold a pilot of the program to gauge its potential success.

“Our population is changing a little bit, and we certainly don’t want little people hungry,” said Marcolini.

The next meeting of the Marion School Committee is scheduled for January 7 at 6:30 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry

The Rochester Board of Selectmen on December 7 ratified an agreement with SEMASS to receive $10,000 annually from the energy-from-waste facility as a gesture of “good corporate citizenship,” as Town Administrator Michael McCue put it, with an additional $10,000 gift to go towards the purchase of the town’s new fire truck.

SEMASS, which is located in Rochester, is under no obligation to propose a “host agreement” with the Town of Rochester above and beyond the statute-mandated monthly agreement it already has with the Town pertaining to funds in exchange for waste tonnage; however, said McCue, the annual donation is a welcome gesture of generosity.

“In being a corporate citizen … they’ve (SEMASS) always been good,” said McCue.

McCue said the Town would collect the $10,000 annually and allow the various town boards and committees to submit a formal request to the Board of Selectmen to be considered as recipients of the funds for various projects or purchases.

An additional one-time payment of $10,000 was also accepted and will go towards offsetting the recent purchase of a new fire tower truck, on which Santa Claus rolled in just moments before the meeting that evening.

In other matters, the board approved Police Chief Paul Magee’s request to allow an open sergeant position to be a temporary position while the department looks to fill it permanently.

“We have the support of the union,” Magee said. “I think this is going to be a good step towards filling the position.”

The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for December 14 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Jean Perry

Rochester Town Administrator Michael McCue will remain in suspense as to whether or not he will be chosen by the Fairhaven Board of Selectmen as Fairhaven’s first official town administrator after selectmen refrained from taking a vote on Tuesday night, December 8.

Fairhaven Selectmen Chairman Geoff Haworth preferred to wait until the board was unanimous in its selection before announcing a chosen candidate from the three final contenders selected by a screening committee appointed by selectmen to hand-pick the applicants best suited for the new position to replace retiring Executive Secretary to the Selectmen Jeffrey Osuch.

Selectmen entered a mid-meeting executive session to discuss the matter at about 7:30 pm and then emerged after about an hour, announcing that no candidate had been chosen because selectmen were not unanimous in their choice. They released no further information on the matter that evening.

“This is obviously a very serious decision that will affect Fairhaven for quite some time,” McCue told The Wanderer Tuesday night. “It is understandable that the board wishes to take its time.”

McCue attended an hour and a half-long public interview on the morning of Saturday, December 5, along with the two other finalists for the position: former City Manager of Portland, Maine Mark Rees and current Whitman Town Administrator Assistant Gregory Enos.

“It speaks highly of your background to be selected by the committee,” Haworth told McCue on Saturday.

McCue, 49, married with two children and currently living in Mansfield, said the Fairhaven position appealed to him because of its location, the challenge it would offer, and the historical character of the town and its architecture.

McCue told Fairhaven selectmen during his interview that he enjoyed working in Rochester and his looking elsewhere for a position was in no way “an indictment of the Town of Rochester.”

“When opportunities like this arise,” said McCue, “…a job like this might not come up for another 20 years…”

Fairhaven selectmen plan to continue discussing the town administrator vote and will strive to make a decision on Monday, December 14, during a noontime meeting.

By Jean Perry

This was no “which came first, the chicken or the egg” question during the December 1 meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission. The commissioners concurred: lot lines come first before an Order of Conditions is rendered by the commission.

John Churchill, Jr. of JC Engineering, representing Daniel and Deborah Clark of 272 Mary’s Pond Road, petitioned via a Notice of Intent for property located at 258 Mary’s Pond Road to have an Order of Conditions issued for the construction of a new four-bedroom single-family dwelling. The parcel in question is currently a 10-acre piece that the owners plan to subdivide in the future. But, rather than appear before the Planning Board, Churchill sought ConCom’s approval first.

This perplexed the commission, and member Kevin Cassidy wondered aloud why Planning Board approval of the subdivision wasn’t first, making what he believed would be a cleaner paper trail at the Registry of Deeds. The commissioners were also concerned that by supplying an Order of Conditions on a yet-to-be-established lot within the acreage there might be the appearance of accepting an application for the establishment of two homes on one parcel.

“This isn’t a complete plan … it doesn’t show property lines,” Cassidy told Churchill.

Churchill gently questioned if it was within the purview of the commission to review anything other than wetlands-related issues but demurred, “I’m not here to be argumentative … I can go to the Planning Board.”

Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon offered, “We need to make legally sound decisions…. It’s an important technicality.”

Churchill conceded by saying, “OK, we’ll go through the Planning Board first.” The hearing was continued until January 5.

Churchill’s other hearing of the night was a NOI filed by Dos Amigos Realty LLC, 12 Fellowship Circle, for the construction of a new three-bedroom single-family home. While the house will be situated in Rochester, the septic system will be in Freetown. The NOI was conditioned.

Other agenda items went quickly with two more continuances. Clean Energy Collective’s hearing for resource area delineation for property located on 0 New Bedford Road and a Notice of Intent filed by David Vermette for property located off Vaughan Hill Road for the construction of a single-family home will come before the commission again on December 15.

A Request for Determination of applicability with an Order of Conditions was approved for the Rochester Land Trust’s Old Field Farm property for the expansion of existing trails, as was a request from the Rochester Golf Course for the removal of five maple trees on the fourteenth green.

The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is scheduled for December 15 at 7:00 pm in the Rochester Town Hall meeting room.

By Marilou Newell