Living to Help the Deaf

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Back when she was a student at ORRJHS, Marion resident Nina Batt played a concert with the jazz band for an auditorium of deaf children.

“We did a concert at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf. I thought it was a horrible idea. Why would you play music for deaf people?” Batt said.

But then she noticed something unexpected. The students sat on the floor. Some had water bottles sitting in front of them.

“They could see the vibrations in the water bottles. They would put their hands on the ground to feel the music.”

Though she had learned to sign the alphabet in elementary school, this concert was Batt’s true introduction to deaf culture.

While attending high school, Batt was a member of the drama club. Through special arrangement, members of the Rhode Island School for the Deaf drama club came to see the ORR production of “Evita.”

“We had translators on stage signing during the whole production,” said Batt.

Later, a friend introduced her to the basics of American Sign Language, which acted as a catalyst for Batt’s interest in the deaf community.

Now, she is a student at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts where she is continuing to pursue her passions.

“At the moment, I’m an English major. I’m in the Teacher Education Program at the college. What I’m going to try to do is incorporate deaf studies in order to create a deaf education minor,” she said.

In addition to being a volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters, Batt is also a member of her college’s American Sign Language Club, which sponsors events geared toward raising awareness for the deaf and hard of hearing community.

“Last year, we ran a program called “Deaf Deaf World” which is a 24-hour period where you can’t speak. You go into a designated room and there are all sorts of activities to do without speaking.”

Over the summer, Batt worked as an intern with DEAF, Inc., a non-profit in New Bedford which serves the deaf community. While much of her job was administrative, she had the unique experience of using ASL from nine to five every day.

“It’s a very small office, so sometimes people would be waiting to be seen for an appointment and I’d sign with them and chat. One of my bosses was deaf and one was hard of hearing. It was really cool to have that dynamic with the both of them. I would have to sign the entire internship. It was definitely a full-immersion [situation].”

Since then, her mother, Sarah, has begun taking ASL classes at the DEAF, Inc. office in Alston, Massachusetts.

“She just wanted me to have somebody else I could sign with,” said Batt.

After the internship was over, her family began discussing the possibility of taking a vacation. Around the same time, Batt had been considering running a half-marathon, something that has been a goal of hers for some time. Her step-father pushed for a trip to Vancouver and happened to find a local race.

“My step-father has been out there and he loves it. He found [a half-marathon] in Vancouver, so we thought, when we’re there, why not take a mini-family vacation and hang around for a couple days?”

But Batt saw an opportunity to turn the race into something bigger than a checkbox on her bucket list.

“I wanted to make something good out of it, not just for myself but for the people who helped me out during the summer,” she said.

So she, her family and her friends sent out pledge letters to everybody they knew, including the ORR community, colleagues, co-workers and the Holy Cross women’s field hockey team, of which Batt was a member during her freshman year.

But it was not only Batt who ran. She was joined by her mother, step-father and family friend Sue Sullivan. Sullivan is also a Holy Cross alumnus, having graduated in 1985.

“In the end, we had raised close to $16,000 for DEAF, Inc. They can do a lot with that money,” said Batt, who hopes that the funds can be spread out to help all of the offices.

Batt may not be planning on running another race for the deaf, but her work with the hard of hearing is far from over. Her focus now is to finish college and eventually get her Master’s in education. Her ultimate goal is to teach English literature to deaf students.

By Eric Tripoli

RMS Cancels After School Activities Program

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Rochester Memorial School PTO has cancelled all after school activities for the autumn, with no guarantee that they will resume for the spring semester.

                  When asked during the public comments portion of the October 5 meeting of the Rochester School Committee, White deferred until after the meeting to answer questions.

                  According to White, the PTO made the decision to cancel the teacher-run after-school activities program the week of September 17.

                  “We didn’t have the personnel to run the activities,” he said.  White was unable to comment on whether or not the activities cancellation was an effect of the current contract negotiations between the Rochester Teachers Association and the Rochester School Committee.

                  “We’re working to make sure we can provide the best support for our kids both during the school day and afterward, and we continue to look for opportunities to help the kids,” White said.

                  Tina Rood, PTO treasurer, did not return a phone call requesting a comment.

                  Dr. Moira Rodgers, Rochester Memorial School’s new principal, did not respond to questions during the recent school committee meeting nor did she return phone call seeking comment on the situation.

                  White encouraged members of the community seeking after-school programs to register at the local YMCA.

By Eric Tripoli

SAT Prep with Pop Culture

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From a very early age, students in the United States are exposed to the existence and importance of the SAT. In junior high school, it’s the PSAT, which comes with a considerably lighter amount of pressure. But in high school, the specter of the SAT looms over the heads of virtually every student for four years.

The problem then becomes how to prepare students for the test in meaningful ways that will encourage them to study and face the test with less anxiety. Traditional tutoring materials tend to be about as interesting as the test itself. The old-school way of studying for the SAT relies on the student adapting to the curriculum, not the other way around.

This past weekend at ORR, students had the opportunity to prep for the test using a new type of material: pop culture.

“I think the advantage of using pop culture is that it makes things more interesting,” said proctor Mariel Heupler, who works for Catalyst Prep, the company responsible for putting a modern spin on SAT prep. “Students are most likely to remember this stuff if it’s related to something they actually like.”

For two days, participants spent a total of eight hours reviewing strategies for mastering the SAT, from using Lindsay Lohan to reinforce vocabulary to studying how Justin Bieber’s head can teach about parabolas.

“It’s getting me more comfortable with the SAT,” said Sophie Harding, a senior from Marion. “It’s making me more confident for the test.”

Harding said she had taken the PSAT and SAT in previous years, but did so with no organized preparation.

If Harding’s experience is any indication, this new-fangled approach to SAT prep may be the key to getting kids interested in studying.

“It’s still respectful. The material is relevant and helpful, but presented in a more accessible way,” Heupler said.

The next SAT is being held Saturday, October 6 at Tabor Academy.

By Eric Tripoli

Charity Yard Sales Held This Weekend

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As always, there are a plethora of yard sales scheduled this weekend in the Tri-Town, but two in particular will be raising money for local worthwhile charities.  Here’s the information for both!

  • St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Marion will be holding a Yard Sale on Saturday, October 6 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The Adult Choir of St. Gabriel’s is sponsoring the sale, and proceeds will benefit both the music program and St. Gabriel’s outreach and relief efforts. The sale takes place in the Parish Hall of St. Gabriel’s Church, located at 124 Front Street in Marion. A silent auction will also be held at the same location, with winning bids being announced at 3:00 pm. The choirs will also be hosting a bake sale at the same location, so plan to come and spend some time browsing and enjoying some delicious baked goods!
  • There will be a yard sale on Sunday, October 7, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. The location of the sale will be at the Knights of Columbus Hall, on Fairhaven Rd., Mattapoisett. If you have any attic treasures to donate please bring them Sunday morning between 7:30 am and 9:00 am to the hall. The proceeds will go to benefit The Community Cancer Fund to help families in the local area. As a community we can make this worthwhile cause a huge success! Note: No Furniture, Clothing Or Appliances. For information, please call Joann Price at 508-758-3116 or Nancy Gauvin at 508-758-6552.

This Weekend’s Yard Sales

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Random Drug Search Underway at ORRHS

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A random drug search is underway Friday morning at Old Rochester Regional High School.  More than a half dozen cruisers and K9 units from Mattapoisett, Stoughton, Weymouth, Yarmouth and Plymouth County Sheriff aided in the search.

The search is one of a few scheduled each year in order to ensure the school and students are in compliance with drug laws.  As of 9:00 am, nothing had been found.  We will update this story as more information becomes available.

Rodgers Praises RMS Lock-Down Response

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               The Rochester School Committee met at the Town Hall on Thursday night for their monthly meeting.  Superintendent Doug White began the meeting with his report.  He highlighted newly released information from the state regarding MCAS. According to the new numbers, the entire Old Rochester district has consistently scored above the state averages in reading, math, and science.  A special presentation detailing the MCAS was scheduled but due to the lack of a digital projector, was postponed until November’s meeting.

                  Then Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Elise Frangos, briefed the committee on her report, which focused on the success of the September 26 professional development afternoon.  Each school in the district hosted a different workshop to improve the performance and abilities of teachers.

                  Frangos also said that over 800 fourth through eighth grade students from the Tri-Town will be participating in a bread-baking outreach program as part of the King Arthur Flour Grand Project.

                  “As part of the program, children will be learning about the history of bread and how to bake their own bread,” Frangos said.  King Arthur Flour would donate the materials to the students and they would bake bread at home as part of the program.

                  The Committee voted in favor of proceeding with the King Arthur Flour project.

                  Frangos also mentioned the up-coming parent-teacher education forum, to be held on Wednesday, October 24 at Old Rochester Junior High Library. It will be led by Katie Collins, RN, and will include topics like eating disorders, self-injury, social and physical impacts of puberty and how to support children with difficult peer relationships.

                  “It’s a great way to understand adolescents and how they’re growing up, as well as how to deal with the concerns they have or their friends have,” she said.

                  Then, Dr. Moira Rodgers, RMS principal, gave her report.

                  “One of the most dramatic things that happened in the past month was the lock-down the building had on September 11.  It just reinforced for me the virtues of being prepared,” Rodgers said.

                  She spoke with Police Chief Magee about the procedures for safely responding to dangerous situations.  They had discussed holding a lock-down drill in October.

                  “There were no safety threats to the children or the community, but I have to say I was very impressed with the staff and student response.  It was truly impressive that the people followed the protocol and managed the situation perfectly.”

                  She added that better walkie-talkies would help the staff stay in better contact with one another during emergency situations.

                  “As principal, it was apparent to me that that’s a real need, as well as contact out on the recess field,” Rodgers said.

                  The larger school building makes for some challenges with the present radio system and Rodgers is looking to purchase new walkie-talkies in the near future.

                  In addition, Rodgers said that her “Coffee with the Principal” program has been successful so far and will be holding two more dates, on Tuesday, October 9 from 6:30 pm to 7:00 pm and Friday, October 19, from 9:00 am to 10:00 am.

                  “I look forward to meeting with more parents,” she said.

                  Ryan McGee, the Rochester technology director, then offered his quarterly report which highlighted the diverse use of technology in RMS classrooms, such as using iPod audio books to help reading fluency and posting video math tutorials to classroom websites.  Creating new ways to use technology to educate is something that the staff has largely supported and embraced.

                  “We’re definitely looking to share all of our resources, talents and skills,” he said.  “We’re having a parent night in November, but we’re working on dates.  We’re trying to get the community involved, get the schools involved.”

                  After the Committee approved the minutes from past meetings, White offered his financial update.

                  “As of the end of the month, we have $477,626 remaining, which is 8.57% of the budget remaining,” he said.

                  White bullet-pointed a few line items on the budget report.

                  “As you know one of the areas that jumps out is the principal’s line. That is actually a result of us having an out-going principal an in-coming principal,” he said, which required RMS to pay out a larger amount of salary due to the overlap.

                  He noted savings resulting from the shuffling of personnel around the district and from a new transportation contract for students who attend Bristol Agricultural High School.

                  “We have also have some students who may have some needs that aren’t being met by this budget,” he said.  “Building the budget on what you know compared to what you have, there may be the need for some transfers from other places.”

                  Committee vice chair Sharon Hartley was concerned about the costs of school utilities versus what is reflected in the budget, citing a potential shortfall of funds later in time.

                  “If that continues, that would leave us in a difficult position,” she said.

                   White continued the meeting with a discussion regarding the creation of a new superintendent evaluation tool that would allow fair judgment of the position across the different district school committees.

                  “I’m looking for some guidance from each of the committees and what your thought process is and how we can guide this,” he said, noting that different schools may prioritize performance standards differently.

                  White is responsible for creating an annual self-assessment in addition to being subject to the evaluation of his performance by district teachers and administrators.

                  “If I came in and I said I wanted to focus in on family and community, and the committee wanted me to focus on curriculum and instruction, where are we on that? What’s the work that needs to be done to address that?” White said.  “My suggestion would be the committee give their information to the chairs, and I meet regularly with them, then they can guide me.”

In other business:

•The Committee voted to accept a donation of $2,691.25 from Target, via the retailer’s Take Charge of Education initiative.

•Mark Ponte was hired to replace Teah Mazzoni as third grade teacher.  Mazzoni was recently appointed the ORR district ELL Specialist.

•The School Committee voted to adopt the new emergency response plan for RMS.  The complete plan is available in the school’s main office.

•Terri Hamm spoke to the Committee about the need for the addition of a new paraprofessional position to reinforce the special education needs of RMS students.  The school has hired a temporary sub to assist special needs students in transition, but she said there may be a need to create a permanent position this year.  The matter will be discussed further at the Committee’s November meeting.

                  The next meeting of the Rochester School Committee will be held on Thursday, November 1, 2012, at 6:30 pm at the Town Hall.

                  By Eric Tripoli

Senior Checklist

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As the beginning of the school year bedlam calms into routine, the senior class has a growing list of things we need to complete.

As of Monday, we can all check the Yankee Candle fundraiser off the list. The first step in our final months of fundraising, it is good planning to have that end right before our schedules really get packed.

Due this week is the money for caps and gowns, Class of 2013 t-shirts and the Ned’s Point field trip. If you missed the meeting for cap and gown sizing, you should speak to Mr. Parker, Ms. Raposa or Mr. Bushnell as soon as possible. Class t-shirts will be distributed before the Ned’s Point field trip on Friday, October 12.

For matters besides graduation, all seniors should be filling out the senior questionnaire and personality profile on Naviance for your guidance counselor whether you are pursuing higher education or not. For those of you who will be applying to college, you will not be able to receive the necessary guidance counselor recommendation without completing both the questionnaire and personality profile on Naviance.

For those college-bound, this is also the time you should be visiting colleges, working on your essay and getting your teacher recommendations. Also on your list should be setting up an account on www.commonapp.org if you are planning on applying to any colleges that use the Common Application. Securing your spot to take any SAT I, SAT II or ACT tests which you have yet to take should also be done within the next few weeks.

If you are planning on applying early action or early decision, you should be setting up an appointment with your guidance counselor at the earliest possible chance to set up a plan and to get the “yellow sheets.” These sheets will help the guidance department keep track of what colleges you are applying to and will organize the information.

The yearbook staff has their own checklist for seniors. Baby pictures, senior pictures, senior superlative sheets and your senior packet should be given to Ms. Blake, Maddie Boyle, Will Coucci or another member of the yearbook staff. The baby picture can be handed in as a print with the packets, but your senior pictures should be given to the yearbook staff through email or on a disc. All of this is due by October 31 at the latest, but should be brought in as soon as possible.

By Jessica Correia

RMS Commits to Increasing Physical Activity

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With September already behind them, this new school year is off to an active start for the staff and students at Rochester Memorial School. Recently, the RMS school community took the pledge to increase physical activity during the school day by actively participating in The JAM World Record 2012. The Rochester elementary school team joined nearly 1.3 million people across the nation in one minute of collective physical activity!

JAM stands for “Just a Minute” and is a national physical activity movement that has partnered with the Let’s Move in School initiative of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). The JAM World Record 2012 event provided a fun campaign to rally everyone to pause and take just a minute for a fitness break. The campaign is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of making physical activity a daily habit, ensuring that children learn about the benefits of a physically active lifestyle and that every school provides opportunities for quality physical education and physical activity.

“Schools are powerful places for cultivating physically active, friendly environments which will help in affecting academic performance and overall positive results,” said Kevin Woodward, RMS Physical Educator. “Rochester Memorial School is committed to increasing physical activity through staff, family and community involvement. We want to provide a setting that encourages children to get the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Many classroom teachers have seamlessly incorporated JAM physical activity into their daily teaching routines. Our educators understand that children need a break from traditional classroom routines; these extra opportunities to be physically active have been shown to increase a child’s academic achievements. Evidence supports the positive impact of high quality, school-based physical education and physical activity on academic performance. Lucky for us, it’s a win-win-win … good for the mind, good for the body and our students love it!”

Elks Student of the Month – September

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The Elks of Wareham Lodge No. 1548 sponsors the Elks Student of the Month and Student of the Year Awards for students enrolled in local area high schools.  The criteria used in nominating a student includes a student who excels in scholarship, citizenship, performing arts, fine arts, hobbies, athletics, church, school, club and community service, industry and farming.

We congratulate Senior, Jadon Peters, Rochester for being selected by the Old Rochester Regional High School faculty and staff.  Jadon is an excellent student and Eagle Scout.  He is a member of the band and the jazz band, as well as the Football Team.

Jadon volunteers for his church and the Pop Warner Football program.  Last year he assisted in the lab quite often and this year he has done an outstanding job as an official Lab Aide.  He is helpful, has an excellent attitude and is always willing to help the community.

Sippican Elementary Fails to Meet PPI

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The Marion School Committee met on Wednesday, October 3 for a regular meeting followed by an executive session. Elise Frangos, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, presented an MCAS update in which she explained Massachusetts’ switch from using Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) to the Progress and Performance Index (PPI) for school assessment.

Her presentation demonstrated the process for calculating PPI, which involves measuring the proficiency gap, dividing it by two, and adding it to the school’s baseline. The figure resulting from this calculation is the goal for each school to complete by the 2016-2017 school year.

PPI is a departure from AYP in that each school will have its own goal (reducing the proficiency gap by half by the target date). Under the previous system of AYP, schools were expected to meet 100 percent proficiency by the 2013-2014 school year.

PPI is calculated over the course of four years, with each successive year carrying more weight. Because of the poor 2011 MCAS scores, Sippican Elementary School’s PPI score falls short of its target of 75 by two points. This classifies Sippican Elementary as a Level Two school.

“You’re carrying the weight of the past years into the future,” Frangos said.

She will continue her presentation on PPI at the next meeting of the Committee, when she will discuss the PPI data for each grade level and content area.

Rania Lavranos, Co-Chairman of VASE, sought approval from the Committee for a gift card fundraiser. The fundraiser would allow for community members to purchase gift cards from over 500 popular retailers through Sippican Elementary, which would receive a portion of the sales.

The fundraiser was approved unanimously.

VASE is also seeking new members, particularly parents who would be interested in serving as the Co-Chairmen next year. Those interested in joining VASE may contact the current Co-Chairmen by emailing vase@orr.mec.edu.

“It’s a lot of fun, it’s very rewarding,” Lavranos said. “Someone will step up. Someone will do it.”

The Committee also approved the travel destination for the Safety Patrol trip. Parents and students overwhelmingly selected Williamsburg over Philadelphia and New York City. The proposed itinerary includes two days of academic tours and one day of non-academic, which would be conducted at Busch Gardens.

Brad Gordon, Committee Chairman and past Safety Patrol chaperone, spoke highly of the travel company but questioned the itinerary’s inclusion of an amusement park.

Ultimately, the Committee voted to approve the itinerary and defer to the administrators regarding the day trip to Busch Gardens.

Finally, the Committee heard from fourth grade teachers about the grading pilot. This year, the fourth grade teachers are foregoing letter grades in favor of a number system with extensive feedback for students. The hope is that the pilot will foster students’ growth by building one-on-one conversation between teacher and student, as well as ease the transition into the letter grade system.

Overall, the teachers thought well of the grading pilot; however, its true merits will not be measured until the school receives this year’s MCAS growth projectiles and feedback from parents.

In other business:

• The Committee approved an updated Emergency Plan.

• The Committee granted the kindergarten teachers permission to use the Massachusetts Kindergarten Entry Assessment (an intensive pilot program in which they are participating) in place of the traditional report card assessment.

• Elise Frangos announced a parent-teacher education forum entitled “Understanding Your Pre-Adolescent and Adolescent” to be led by Kathryn Collins on Wednesday, October 24. The free event, open to the public, will begin at 6:00 pm at the ORRJHS library. Collins will discuss eating disorders, self-harm, the physical and social impact of puberty, as well as how parents can support their children with difficult peer relationships.

• Principal Evelyn Rivet asked parents to visit the school’s website and take a survey about the open house procedures. Only 33 parents have taken the survey thus far.

• The Committee voted to accept two donations, one $500 donation in gift cards from the Visiting Nurses Association and one $25,000 cash donation to the Principal’s Account by an anonymous donor.

The next regular meeting of the Marion School Committee will be on Wednesday, November 7 at 6:30 pm at the Town House.

By Anne Smith