Superintendent’s Report to the School Committee, 10/23/24

Four Retired Masconomet High School Educators were inducted into the “Masconomet Wall of Honor” on Monday, October 17^th 

The Educators recognized were:

Retired faculty members are inducted onto the Wall of Honor by a committee consisting of current Masconomet High School Faculty.  There are now 32 members of the Masconomet Teacher Wall of Honor, which is located in the main foyer at the high school.

Masconomet Visual Art Department Presenting at Artistry Unleashed Conference

Congratulations to Masconomet Visual Art Teachers Ursina Amsler, Erin Evans and Liz Saitta, who will be presenting at the Artistry Unleashed Conference at Lawrence High School on November 5^th. 

From the conference description: “Artistry Unleashed:  Igniting Imagination, Innovation, and Inspiration. Dive into a dynamic realm where creativity knows no bounds and innovation takes center stage at our first visual and performing arts conference.  Join a diverse lineup of visionary artists, cutting-edge performers, and trailblazing thought leaders for an immersive experience that blends groundbreaking presentations with interactive workshops.”

235 Juniors Participated in PSATs at Masconomet High School on October 16th

Masconomet Regional High School administered the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) to 235 Juniors on Wednesday, October 16.  Special thanks to our Guidance and Information Technology Departments for organizing and administering the fully online test in Masconomet’s Field House.

In addition to being great practice for students taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the PSAT/NMQT also qualifies students for the National Merit Scholarship Program, an academic competition for regional and national scholarships.

Faculty Participates in Training on New Individual Education Plan (IEP)

All Masconomet faculty in grades 7-12 participated in training on the newly-implemented Individual Education Plan (IEP) during Wednesday early-release professional development time on October 2^nd and October 9^th.  The training was led by Kelly Mertens, a recognized expert in the field of Special Education.

All students identified to receive Special Education Services in Massachusetts have an Individual Education Plan (IEP).  IEPs identify the accommodations and modifications a student will need in order to be successful.  IEPs are developed through a team-based process that includes the student, parents, regular education faculty, special education faculty and identified specialists.  Massachusetts implemented a new IEP form at the end of last year and Masconomet is in the process of migrating all students receiving special education services to the new form.  In addition to training the faculty, Masconomet has also held training sessions on the new forms for parents.  This training is designed to assist in meeting the District’s Improvement Goal “Strategic Initiative B:  Meeting the Needs of All Learners” included in Masconomet’s 2024-2025 Strategic Initiative Goals.

Faculty Begins Curriculum Review

On October 16^th, all Masconomet faculty in grades 7-12 began work during Wednesday early-release professional development time to align their department curriculum documents to Masconomet’s Portrait of a Learner Document and to department-based transfer skills.  Director of Teaching and Learning Kevin Cyr kicked off this work with an overview of the curriculum alignment project for all faculty in the Auditorium.  Faculty members then broke up into department-based groups to work under the direction of their department head.  Faculty will be engaged in this work for the eight weeks between October 16^th and the end of December. 

The work begun this fall represents the next step in a long-term process to focus on teaching students the skills they need for future success.  Last year, Masconomet faculty developed our Portrait of a Learner and department-specific transfer skills in response to the question “What knowledge, skills and dispositions does a Masconomet Learner need to master in order to be prepared for future success?”  The next step in this process is to review our curriculum documents and to revise them, if necessary, to ensure we are intentionally teaching these skills to our students.  This work is designed to address “Strategic Initiative A:  Curriculum Development and Review Process,” included in Masconomet’s 2024-2025 Strategic Initiative Goals.

Vaccine Clinic at Masconomet on October 25th

On October 25^th, the Masconomet Regional School District will be hosting a vaccine clinic for members of the public from 3-5 PM.  The clinic will be located in the Small Café at Door #26 and is open to all ages (3+ through senior citizens).  The vaccines offered are: Flu, COVID, Shingles, Pneumonia, Tetanus/Diphtheria, Pertussis (DTAP), RSV (click link for eligibility details)

High School Parent Coffee on October 25

Our next High School Parent Coffee will be held on Friday, October 25 in the High School Library.  Parents are asked to check in at the main office to sign into the building.  They will then be escorted to the library for the Parent Coffee.

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