From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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Currently on display at the Rochester Historical Museum on County Road as part of our Maps, Signs and Celebrations exhibit are pictures, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings and artifacts that tell the stories of how Rochester celebrated two important anniversaries. In 1976, they joined together to celebrate the Bicentennial of the United States and then from 1979-1986, the Tricentennial anniversary of Rochester.

            Like the earlier celebrations of the 200th and the 250th anniversaries of Rochester’s founding, costumes played a big role. In the earlier celebrations, many of the costumes were authentic, colonial clothing stored in ancestor’s attics. By the 1970’s, a lot of that clothing was no longer available or like the historical clothing at our museum was too small for adult wear due to better modern-day nutrition, though there is evidence of a few unfortunate alterations made of historical dresses.

            Not to be deterred, local seamstresses got to work creating period appropriate clothing for all ages. For some events, such as the Women’s Club Bicentennial Ball, costumes were optional, but there is a picture of Katherine Church and Mrs. Thomas Gayorski Jr. and her daughter, Michelle, in colonial dresses and mop caps promoting the dinner and dance.

            Another picture at an outdoor event shows Ronnie Hedges, age 2 and Jenny Taylor, 18 months enjoying the event in their colonial costumes. There are also pictures of similarly attired parade participants. The picture with this article is of Greenwood Hartley’s Bicentennial costume which is currently on display at the museum.

            Costumes (hopefully, they saved the ones from 1976) continued to play a prominent part in the 1979 and 1986 Tricentennial events. On July 7, 8, and 9 of 1979, an encampment of reenactors of the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Artillery & Light Co. was set up on the green in the center of town. On that Sunday, a special “in-costume” service was held at the First Rochester Congregational Church. A picture on display shows Rev. William Fillerbrown and a family of greeters waiting in the doorway of the church to welcome the visiting red-coated artillery who represented the colonial army in 1679. The costumed greeters were the Gayorski family, Deborah, Michelle, Diane, Lisa, Thomas Jr. and Dorothy.

            Just an FYI- we all may need to rev up our sewing machines as it is just two years until the United States turns 250 years old in 2026, and I’m sure Rochester will again rise to the challenge of celebrating in proper style.

By Connie Eshbach

Rochester Women’s Club

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The ladies of the Rochester Women’s Club will be hosting a visit from Santa on December 16 at the Club House located at 37 Marion Road. From 11 to 1, Santa will be available for a chat and a photo. This is an opportunity for parents to bring along their phones or cameras and catch a glimpse of their little one with Santa. Refreshments will be available. This is a completely free event. Donations to benefit our scholarship will be gratefully accepted.

            On Wednesday December 29, you may find the Women’s Club Carolers at your door. We will be out in force starting at 4:30 pm.

Bishop Road House Carefully Conditioned

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            Rochester’s Conservation Commission Tuesday struggled to approve a rather problematic Notice of Intent to construct a single-family home with an on-site well, septic and associated grading within the 25-foot wetland buffer zone at 0 Bishop Road.

            Even the applicant’s representative, Darren Michaelis of Wareham-based Foresight Engineering admitted the plan proposed by the landowner to sell the property to a potential homeowner is not a simple one because of the limited lot space there to work with.

            “I’m planning it the best way I can,” Michaelis said. “The lot is grandfathered, but with your town zoning is not enough.”

            The commission approved the Order of Conditions, but not before placing strict conditions to bar any construction work too close to the wetlands buffer zone.

            “It looks like we’re looking at a mitigation nightmare,” commission member Ben Bailey said. “If we don’t restrict your work now, we’re not doing our job.”

            The commission set the permit condition that there be no cutting of trees or the stumps of trees that did not “die a natural death” within 15 feet of the wetlands buffer zone. Upon Michaelis’ recommendation, the board added the condition that the developer notify the town of any work being done within 15 feet of the buffer, so the Conservation Agent can supervise the work and that any agent of the town can inspect said work without advance notice.

            Next, the commission responded cautiously to a pitch for the town to join a state Farmland of Local Importance designation program. State soil scientist Maggie Payne, a former Conservation Commission member attending the meeting remotely via Zoom, explained this program seeks to create a list of the soils across the state that are the most suitable for farming. The goal, she said, is to identify farmland areas in order to protect and preserve them and allow their landowners to be eligible for certain programs.

             Chair Chris Gerrior asked the following critical questions: Who so designates the farmland? The town? The property owner? What would be the board’s next step?

            Payne said the state consultant creates the list, and each community decides whether to join the program and agree to the list. After Payne’s call ended, the commission agreed its next step is to consult with the Select Board but not because they like the idea behind the program.

            “The Planning Board has rejected this as with any government program,” said Bailey, who is also a member of the Planning Board.

            “I’m dead set against this,” Commission member Matthew Bache said.

            Commissioner Michael Gifford said he needed more information. He said he wasn’t hearing enough details on the program’s plusses and minuses.

            Gerrior agreed with these sentiments but added that consulting with the Select Board remains the best next step.

            The Rochester Conservation Commission scheduled its next public meeting for Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Conservation Commission

By Michael J. DeCicco

Tall Guys, 3-Point Shots and Ball Boys

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            It looks as though the Red Sox are not going to win the World Series … what? Oh, that’s over. Well, with a new Chief Baseball Officer, and new star players to be hired, it will be a sure thing next year. Right?

            The less said about the Patriots the better. There is the Revolution, Robert Kraft’s other sports enterprise, if anyone knew they existed. They don’t seem to get much publicity. The Bruins and the Celtics are in the running toward a championship, as usual, but always seem to be one game or two short of the prize.

            You may not know this, but there is an abundance of professional women’s sports teams in Boston, including the Renegades, a women’s tackle football team, four-time National Champions of the Women’s Football Alliance. The Beantown RFC is Boston’s women’s rugby team; they’ve been around since 1976 and have won six Women’s Premier League National Championships. There is also the Boston entry in the Professional Women’s Hockey League, Boston United Women’s Pro Soccer and at least three women’s lacrosse teams, the Cannon, the Blazers and the Storm. Who knows how many more? I can’t keep up.

            The Celtics have always been my favorite team. I go way back to the days of Bill Russell, Bob Cousy (“Mr. Basketball”), Tommy Heinsohn and later, John Havlicek. I even remember George Mikan, the league’s first “big man” at 6-foot-11 (short by today’s standards), who played for the Minneapolis Lakers. I liked him because he wore eyeglasses and so did I. I knew that Chuck Connors, who starred in the TV western The Rifleman, once played for the Celtics and the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team. Yikes, I am old!

            As a kid, I subscribed to all the basketball magazines: Sport, Sports Illustrated, Pro Basketball and Sports Forecast. I knew all the college players coming up, Larry Bird of course among them. I can honestly say I played intercollegiate basketball in college. Of course, it was an art school team consisting of players who were too short, too fat or were talented enough to be artists but not athletically talented enough to have their tuition paid with sports scholarships elsewhere.

            When we lived near Boston, I’d watch every Celtics game. I yelled at the TV so much my bride used to think their center Robert Parrish’s name was Parrish Ustiff.

            Our downstairs neighbor was a statistician for the team. Coincidently, I had his grandmother as a substitute teacher at Center School. Small world. He often gave us free tickets to the games at the old Boston Garden. They were right behind the team bench where a baker’s dozen of assistant coaches, “player enhancement coaches,” trainers and consultants now sit. Heinsohn was the coach (he had one assistant.) He would chain-smoke cigarettes and toss them on the floor for some poor ball boy to stamp out and pick up the butts.

            The game has changed since those days. The players are bigger, taller, stronger and richer. Not like in Heinsohn’s playing days when he had to sell insurance in the offseason to make ends meet. The players get away with more these days. Since the advent of the 3-point shot, set plays are seldom used, and palming the ball, traveling and 3-second violations under the basket are ignored. Streetball style is not enjoyable for an old fan like me.

            By the way, ball boys (haven’t noticed any girls) and towel boys apparently aren’t poor anymore. According to AS USA, a sports website, they earn enough to “own suburban homes and go to private schools,” plus they get good benefits, including health insurance. I think I missed my calling.

            The website goes on to say that some water/towel/ball boys can make more than $100,000 a year, though the average pay is about $58,000, and no experience is required.

            Do you think I’m too old to apply?

            Editor’s note: Mattapoisett resident Dick Morgado is an artist and retired newspaper columnist whose musings are, after some years, back in The Wanderer under the subtitle “Thoughts on ….” Morgado’s opinions have also appeared for many years in daily newspapers around Boston.

Thoughts on…

By Dick Morgado

Christmas Cantata at Matt Congo

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The Mattapoisett Congregational Church invites the community to a special event. “Sing Joy to the World” is the theme for this year’s Christmas Cantata which will be held on Sunday, December 17 at 10 am featuring the Seaglass Theater Company Quartet of Emma Whynacht, Patrice Tiedemann, Jeremy Young, Alexander Breault, the choir of the Mattapoisett Congregational Church and Music Director, Michelle Gordon.

            Everyone is welcome at Mattapoisett Congregational Church.  For additional information, please contact the church office at 508-758-2671 or mattcongchurch@gmail.com.

BookRemarks: from Plumb Library

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Greetings from Plumb Library. Welcome to BookRemarks, a monthly feature focusing on all things library related.

            Over 3 billion packages are shipped each year in the U.S. between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Those packages contain all manner of things from art supplies to zoo keeper uniforms, a hand-knit scarf from your Grandma, a perk from your credit card company, pantry staples, a surprise from someone far away, and books, so many books. Boxes of all shapes and sizes arrive at the Library weekly, full of books, magazines, DVDs and library supplies.

            The collection of Plumb Library numbers around 30,000 items, which is pretty amazing in our tiny building. How do all those books make it onto the shelves at your Library? It starts with our director, Kristen, who reads professional reviews on books of all types for kids and adults. She considers what’s popular based on authors and subject matter, as well as any titles that have been specifically requested by staff or patrons. An order is built in an online system with companies that deal exclusively with library book orders, which once submitted, is picked and packaged and shipped off to us. New releases, favorite authors, replacements for damaged items, large print selections and DVDs are all boxed up and sent to the Library. Magazines, which come from a subscription service, arrive by USPS. From there, they are unpacked, cataloged, covered and set out on the shelves for our patrons to enjoy, or they are sent off to other libraries to fill hold requests. Digital eBook orders are filled almost immediately, with new titles appearing in the Libby app within 24 hours of purchase.

            Is there something you’d like to see added to the collection or donated in memory of someone? Let us know. While not every requested title can be purchased, we are happy to review requests.

            As always, your Library Staff, Kristen, Jen and Lisa are here to help you find what you need. Feel free to call (508-763-8600) or email us (info@plumblibrary.com) with any questions. Better yet, come by and say hello.

Short-Term Renters Share Viewpoints

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            The second discussion held by the Marion Planning Board on short-term rentals ushered in the perspective of people doing the renting, and Monday night’s public meeting at the Police Station was well attended as the board entertained more points of view.

            “Eighty percent of our business are guests here for something to do with Marion,” said Marion-based realtor Bernadette Kelly, who was looking to dispel the notion that short-term rentals in town are owned by investors from far-away places devoid of any interest in the community.

            Kelly says her short-term clients typically visit Marion to attend family events and Tabor Academy events, including trustees of the school by the sea.

            “The reason we started doing this is because we host a family reunion at our house. We could never find the room,” said Kelly. “I have never been approached for a prom party … by underage people. This is much more about Marion.”

            Kelly was not the only landlord to speak, but her sentiments were echoed by other renting residents concerned that the town may enact a bylaw that from their point of view, would cripple Marion’s ability to host visitors.

            The Planning Board’s initial discussion was prompted by residents in coastal neighborhoods who have become concerned that Airbnb-style rentals of homes in their neighborhoods constitutes a commercial activity and thereby augments the community in an uncomfortable manner. People are saying they feel like they have hotels instead of neighbors, and they don’t know who their neighbors are.

            They want oversight, and the Planning Board has begun to entertain a bylaw meant to offer those residents a comfort zone. Board Chairman Tucker Burr asked the members to size up the problem and return on December 4 prepared to discuss potential solutions.

            “Hopefully, we’ll eventually come to an agreement on what a bylaw would look like,” said Burr, outlining a process that would necessarily include a public hearing that would be advertised in The Wanderer, then reckoning with feedback presented and finally, a potential article crafted by the middle of March for the Annual Town Meeting warrant.

            Before the floor was opened to the public, each board member was asked to respond to the issue.

            “Short-term rentals are here to stay, so it’d be nice to get some oversight,” said Vice Chairman Andrew Daniel, who considers inspections essential. “My goal with this – purpose very similar (to) Barnstable and New Bedford, is health and safety welfare, quality of life for surrounding residents, home values. … I’m going to write something that protects everybody.”

            Member Jon Henry wasn’t so sure the Planning Board should be taking the process too far at this time.

            “I think we’re putting the cart before the horse,” Henry cautioned, citing the authority of other adjudicatory boards, “starting with the Select Board on down that have input on this subject. … The selectmen issue business permits.”

            Henry referenced a 30-minute conversation he had held earlier in the day with Fire Chief Brian Jackvony to get his feedback on the safety issue, potential overcrowding and traffic.

            “Before looking at other towns … I feel as though we’re ignoring people who have jurisdiction,” said Henry, alluding to septic systems as one example. “We all hear from the Buzzards Bay Coalition … one of the leading causes for nitrogen in the bay is failed septic systems. … They might just be overtaxed.”

            Any power that the town has to control short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods, Henry is convinced, will come down to zoning. In the meantime, he is adamant that the next step is getting Marion’s other boards, commissions and committees in on the discussion.

            Attending the meeting remotely, member Alanna Nelson said the state Department of Revenue is necessarily involved once a rental exceeds 14 days.

            Agreeing with comments made by Henry and Nelson, board member Eileen Marum shared a report she authored on the subject, examining economic costs and benefits of short-term rentals.

            “My concern is the rising housing costs. I believe that’s the key problem, not only in Marion but all across the United States,” said Marum, who feels as though short-term rentals gone unchecked could further leverage lower-income families out of Marion.

            “Even small changes in housing supplies can cause significant price increases,” said Marum, adding that she believes “this is a reason why we’re not seeing young families in Marion. … Short-term rentals are not worth it … it benefits a small portion of people.”

            Advocating for a tax on water, Marum argued that the shift from traditional hotels to Airbnb lodging leads to less reliable tax payments to communities. “If you have a lot of Airbnbs in your community, I think it destroys the fabric of the community because you don’t know who your neighbors are,” she said.

            Henry noted that the Town of Marion has an enterprise system for water but not for sewer. He identified the complexities of taxing sewer as a key issue.

            Marum suggested taxing those who rent Airbnbs but admitted it is difficult to be sure how many guests are using a house. “I think you would have to put a substantial tax on the water,” she said.

            Member Ryan Burke told the board that he has looked at Salem, which requires special permits. That adjudication process allows the town to hear from abutters seriously affected by the short-term rental in their neighborhood.

            Daniel reiterated his interest in some regulation but not overregulation. He suggested a $1,000,000 policy in short-term rental insurance.

            “If we write something, we have the ability to put those things in there. … I’d rather have some regulation than overregulation,” he said. “I’d like to have a list of who owns these properties and who stays there.”

            Daniel thinks it prudent to learn if the trash is being put out or if an Airbnb is being overrun with rats because tenants are not being responsible. “The owner also has a hand in this game,” he said.

            Select Board member Randy Parker noted that the Marion Select Board opted in on the bed-and-breakfast tax.

            Resident Dianne Cosman asked Kelly to confirm collection of taxes and the passing of that money to the state. Kelly confirmed it goes to the state, not back to the renters.

            “I think your kind of business is probably what we should have. It’s the little neighborhoods that are the big concerns for me,” said Cosman. “Route 6 is a totally different situation than those of us who live in these residential neighborhoods. Planting Island, I have an Airbnb next to me. People coming for weekends … I have no idea who they are.”

            Cosman said she no longer feels comfortable letting her granddaughters out of the house.

            Town Planner Doug Guey-Lee, sitting in as board administrator in the absence of Terri Santos, reminded the attendees that all questions should be directed through the board chairman and emphasized “comments … we’re looking for opinions.”

            Residents Kitt Sawitsky and Pam Oliveira spoke, echoing Cosman’s long-standing concern about the character of the neighborhood.

            “I don’t think there’s a lot of controversy about Airbnbs and if someone wants to build a hotel, if it’s zoned, but a dwelling place that has become a business. What matters to me is the neighborhood now has transient people who are not invested in their neighbors or the community,” said Sawitsky.

            Resident Dan Crete, who also owns the 288 Wareham Street boatyard, acknowledged as a renter that there could be problems in certain areas.

            “We’re registered and complying with all the regulations we’re aware of. We’re very careful of who’s in there and how many,” said Crete, who recalled terminating a rental during a Tabor graduation. “There’s a certain responsibility that comes with it.

            “In my mind, the idea of having to register with the town, a small fee, $200 a year, doesn’t offend me. … What scares me is the ‘no, you can’t do it’ kind of thing.”

            Michelle Crowley, who operates an Airbnb on Spring Street, serves many people coming to visit family or for Tabor-related events.

            “We don’t have places for people to come to visit family. To ban it or to put a lot of regulations on it are going to change things for people,” she said. “My question would be, let’s see the police report; are we really having a problem with too many people overcrowding, causing problems?”

            Dr. Laura Hussey, who grew up summers in a seasonal cottage in Marion, is concerned after she said vagabonds were camping out and approached girls at Brainard Marsh. She said that situation decreased her sense of Marion as “homey and safe.” Agreeing with Henry, she pointed to zoning. “We’re looking for some insulation against commercial activities.”

            Burr said he is concerned that 20 years from now he will wake up to learn these properties are owned by hedge funds based in Wisconsin, but Kelly disagreed.

            “From a business point of view, they’re not going to invest here. We don’t have that kind of resort destination appeal. And that’s a good thing,” said Kelly.

            “I wonder how many (Cape Cod) towns would have said that 50 years ago,” Burr replied.

            Daniel reiterated that the town would do well to have “a mechanism … you have some control, some authority, some teeth in it.”

            Burr wrapped up the discussion and encouraged attendees to continue submitting comments to Santos. He said, pending more development in the discussion, that the matter could be revisited when the board meets next on December 18.

            Per developer Matt Zuker’s request, the board voted to continue to January 2, 2024 at 7:05 pm the public hearing on 78 Wareham Road LLC (aka The Cottages.) Zuker is seeking a Special Permit. The project is subject to Major Site Plan Review.

            The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, December 18, at 7:00 pm at the Police Station on Route 6.

Marion Planning Board

By Mick Colageo

Tri-County Symphonic Band Children’s Christmas Concert

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‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the land, Town folks were gathering to hear the Tri-County Symphonic Band.

            The Tri-County Symphonic Band, under the direction of Philip Sanborn, celebrates the festive holiday season with its annual Children’s Christmas Concert, on Sunday, December 10, 1:30 pm at the Sippican School, 16 Spring St. Marion, in the Multi-Purpose Room. The concert is a wonderful family experience designed for all ages and is free of charge.

            The Tri-County Symphonic Band will perform seasonal favorites including “A Most Wonderful Christmas”, “Christmas Lights”, “Celtic Carol” and “Christmas at the Movies”, “Christmas Calypso” and “Troika.”

            A special part of this year’s concert will feature the Sippican School Concert Choir, under the direction of Patricia Richard performing delightful yuletide carols. The Concert Choir will also perform “The Christmas Song” with the Tri-County Symphonic Band.

            The youngsters in the audience will enter a drawing with the winners playing the sleigh bells with the Tri-County Symphonic Band in Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride.”

            The concert will conclude with a “Christmas Sing-a-Long” featuring the Sippican School Concert Choir, followed by a volunteer community band called the “Cottage Street Jam Band”, under the direction of Hannah Moore, leading a march from the Sippican School to Island Wharf to greet Santa as he arrives via “water sleigh.”

            As the band rounds the corner and jolly Santa’s is in sight, he wishes peace to all and to all a good night.

Mattapoisett Cemetery and Memorials Advisory Committee

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Mattapoisett’s newly formed Cemetery and Memorials Advisory Committee has several areas of responsibility.

            Acting in an advisory manner, the committee will assist the Select Board in matters related to the municipal cemeteries Barlow and Hammond.

            They will advise and assist in the coordination of memorial bricks and benches. New forms are available for the purchase of memorial bricks from Town Hall, the Library, or the Council on Aging.

            They are also seeking information for the future recognition of all veterans, either buried or interned in Mattapoisett. The committee is working with the Sons of the American Revolution to establish a commemorative plaque naming those Patriots.

            Expanding on the identification of all Veterans’ graves, if you have information that can assist the committee, please contact Chairman Ray Hanks through the Select Board’s office.

Sippican Welcomes RSO

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            While the Marion School Committee’s November 30 meeting dealt with the intense academic business of MCAS testing results and the School Improvement Plan, it was also an occasion to celebrate the achievement of many supporters’ goal of getting Sippican Elementary School a Student Resource Officer.

            Calling it a “landmark introduction,” Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson said, “I get the privilege of introducing our certified School Resource Officer, Jon Tracy. … Once the town, taxpayers and voters approved the Marion Police Budget, which included the SRO for Sippican Elementary School, the work really took off in the summer.”

            Nelson summarized the process, including the state-approved Memorandum of Agreement between the Marion School Committee and the Marion Police Department, working with Chief Richard Nighelli and conducting interviews.

            “I would say, just about two weeks prior to the school year, which was getting a little close for me, we conducted our interviews, and we feel very fortunate that Officer Tracy was interested in the job in the first place with the experience that he brings with him, then was ready right at the beginning of school.”

            Tracy and Nighelli identified a training opportunity to complete the certification process.

            “I’ll tell you in all my observations and interactions, it doesn’t feel like he’s a first-year SRO,” said Nelson. “Within the first few months, you can tell he’s already part of the school culture. The kids know him. You can tell how easy they feel interacting with him, and I can tell the staff are dependent on him and his expertise as a SRO here in the school, which is pretty neat, considering all the efforts this committee has made and others.”

            With that, Nelson thanked the Town of Marion for supporting the initiative.

            Sippican Principal Marla Brown publicly thanked Tracy “for being such an integral part of everyday life here at Sippican. We have kids earning time to play (sports) with him. … I’m just so grateful for everything he does for us every day, and I just can’t imagine the school without him.”

            “I’m loving every day I’ve been here,” said Tracy, thanking the committee for the welcome to the school.

            “We’re very happy that you’re here, absolutely,” said Committee Chairperson April Nye.

            The ensuing MCAS presentation focused on Old Rochester Regional District-wide and Marion-specific results.

            “We believe this data will inform our future decision-making regarding our Teaching and Learning Action Plan,” said Nelson, noting that Marion is the final stop the ORR District for MCAS review. “As always, I think it’s important to remember that MCAS results represent only one set of data that is available to us in that we have to acknowledge that we judge student growth on so much more in terms of what’s happening day in and day out here, beyond standardized testing.

            “With that said, I believe that at the conclusion of this presentation you’ll see what I have seen, that there are a lot of great things happening here at Sippican, even when you’re only looking at the MCAS data.”

            Taking the floor, Dr. Shari Fedorowicz, Asst. Supt. of Teaching and Learning noted that Student Growth Percentiles  (SGP’s) were issued to students having registered prior scores and having met current grade-level requirements on a 1-99 scale and are measured against the state’s mean SGP. English Language and Mathematics are counted but not Science. SGP’s were only measured for Grades 4-8 and Grade 10 (not Grade 3) and only in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics (but not Science.)

            MCAS testing performance peaked in 2019. There was no MCAS testing in 2020, and it only came back partially for elementary students only in 2021, but since then 2022 and 2023 scores reflect the gaps created by remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

            “The slide is significant because the state’s looking to get back to the 2019 scores, so we’re looking and comparing progress not only from last year but our recovery relative to 2019,” said Fedorowicz.

            The good news, said Federowicz, is statewide trends, indicating that Marion students in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics are performing in a recovery stage. Grade 3 students, who were in Kindergarten in 2020, have shown improvement in against a flat trend statewide.

            Grades 3-6 across the ORR District performed slightly lower than last year in ELA, slightly better in Math, and better in both areas than the state average. Grade 5 Science performed lower than last year and lower than the state average. Overall, however, district students performed 4% better than last year and 11% above the state average with a higher and faster curve toward recovering 2019 levels.

            Reporting on Sippican Elementary School’s performance, Principal Marla Brown said that Grade 3-6 ELA students tested 2% worse than last year but remained 4% better than the state average. Brown also noted that Sippican has is reporting 31-40% low-income students, up a bracket from 21-30% last year.

            The district-wide performance is similar in Math to that of ELA. ORR is 1% better than last year and 10% above the state average. Grades 3-12 remain above the state average but have come down a notch on the growth scale.

            Math students in Grades 3-6 continue to test significantly higher than the state average. Grades 3, 4 and 6 meet or exceed the state average in all Math categories. Out of five Math categories, Grade 5 only fell below the state average in Operations and Algebraic Thinking.

            Science has been a bit of a different topic across the ORR District, where Grades 5 and 8 remain 7% above the state average but dipped in performance from last year by 11%. In commenting on a Grade 5 chart showing a 21% dip from last year (3% below the state average), Brown noted that district-wide faculty has analyzed these results and created an action plan to ensure a recovery in those scores.

            “The state has started using content in alignment with Open Sci-Ed, even though we’ve only just started implementation as a pilot (program). The kids have not had access to that instruction. They’re getting that access this year through the pilot program in Grade 5,” said Brown. “We’re hopeful that our participation in that pilot program for Open Sci-Ed this year will provide our students with more access to the types of questions that they’ll see on the test this year.”

            Grade 5 students scored above the state average in three out of four Science categories, Earth and Space Science, Life Science and Technology/Engineering. They fell short of the state average in Physical Science.

            Along with continued implementation of Open Sci. Ed. curriculum, action steps to address Grade MCAS deficiencies include STEAM sessions, small groups and co-teaching and planning with Enrichment and Science teachers.

            Brown said that emphasis on reading and math coming out of the pandemic, plus a lack of experience with Open Sci. Ed. exposure when those questions were including in the test, contributed to the lower scores in Physical Science. Brown credited the teachers for their work in professional development and bringing the students up to speed.

            “I will say, having spent time in Mrs. White’s fifth-grade Science class, the kids are completely excited about everything they’re learning and really doing a phenomenal job and … doing a lot of writing about science already,” said Brown.

            Nelson said that Grade 5 Science scores were down across the state and that in other areas where there were lower scores statewide, the ORR District did not dip with the state.

            “We are looking at the whole child here, and if we look back to 2019, that was a very different world than it is now,” said Fedorowicz, identifying MCAS as but one albeit important data point. “There’s a lot more focus on the social-emotional, our students have been through a lot. These kiddoes, for some of them this is their first go at the MCAS.”

            Nelson publicly thanked Fedorowicz, Brown and the staff for their work with the students.

            The School Improvement Plan is part of the school’s five-year strategic plan, beginning with a Year 1 presentation to be succeeded by two, two-year plans.

            The Year 1 plan as presented was broken into strategic objectives of Teaching and Learning. The first goal is to develop curriculum emphasizing the Hill for Literacy Program, a literacy-assessment plan and auditing and updating content via the district-wide council. The second goal is related to professional development and the third an overall strengthening of academic, behavioral and social-emotional learning. The fourth goal is to provide an inclusive, equitable and positive climate and culture that promotes a sense of belonging for all members of district schools. The fifth goal is to provide safe, secure and equitable learning environments, including a new cyber-security program that the ORR District is rolling out.

            The committee approved donations from St. Gabriel’s Parish of four $50 gift certificates each from Walmart, Shaw’s and Target for needy families. Also, from the Ludes Family Foundation a donation of $500 to Sippican Project Grow was approved.

            The committee also approved the admittance of the Brockton and Whitman-Hanson districts for membership in the READS Collaborative.

            The next meeting of the Marion School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, January 4, 2024, at Sippican Elementary School, and the next meeting of the Joint School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, January 18, 2024, at the ORR Junior High media room. Both meetings begin at 6:30 pm.