• It is my pleasure to share with you our high school principal’s [Mr. Mezzanotte] 2010 graduation speech [found here]. His speech reflects rather concisely some of the cumulative and significant accomplishments of our young students as they progress through our school district. It is truly awe inspiring to think how our children often start out at the age of 5 in kindergarten and progress to achieve some of the accomplishments noted in his speech. Enjoy reading!  

• After the joint TC/SC meeting followed by the July 20, 2010 SC meeting, the work began to balance the FY 11 budget! [Click on here].  We will certainly do our best as we have in the past. We instituted an immediate requisition freeze and protocol in anticipation /preparation of the real possibility of the FY 11 school department budget being in deficit during the school year. 
  • All administrators have their respective "balanced" [reduced] budgets as of 8-4-2010. 
  • As stated, we have also instituted a spending freeze and a “requisition protocol" simultaneously.o 
  • Once the SC has viewed the final FY 11 balanced budget categories, it will be placed on our web site under “FY 11 budget”.   

• We are very proud of the teachers and students who participated in the high school Advanced Placement program this past year.  Our Advanced Placement scores reflect both the high expectations and the high achievement of our students. [click herefor more information]
  • In AP Literature, 8 of 9 students took the test. The class average was a 3.5, with 5 students scoring a 4 and 2 students scoring a 3. Students who receive a score of 3 or better on the AP test can receive credit for the class from most colleges and universities.  The class instructor was Ms. Hannah Cevoli.
  • In AP Calculus, 5 of 6 students took the test, with all five scoring a 3 or better. The AP Calculus instructor is Mr. Thomas Yeaw.
  •  In AP United States History, all 15 students in the class took the test. The class average was a 3.7, which was above the national average. On this test, four students received a score of 3, six students received a 4, and three students scored a 5. This class is instructed by Ms. Kimberly Rawson.
    
    
• Thanks to the Northmen Athletic Club for stepping up and committing to raise $110,000 to assist in maintain the entire sports program. Thanks to the SC also for their gigantic vote of trust and faith in the NAC and community at large.  Please continue to visit our web site for a link to the NAC web page in the near future. 

• Although we will miss Dr. Chevrette, congratulations to our MS Assistant Principal, Clare Arnold who will be recommended to the SC to become our Director of Curriculum and Instruction. We are very fortunate to have her lead our initiatives addressing curriculum revisions; classroom instructional professional development; work with the HS Principal addressing the many secondary regulations for curriculum , instruction and graduation requirements.   

• Look for bus routes in the Breeze 8-19 and on our web site 8-17. 

• Bus monitors. We have researched the legal process by which the district can apply for a waiver/variance. We are in the process of reviewing and developing such a request. 

• Important reminder of bus pick up and drop off safety protocol. [Click on School bus transportation to the left] 

• Important changes for both school groups and any [non school] group that exists to support any school program. There is a most important policy on extracurricular fundraising that requires ALL groups to "register” as well as receive approval BEFORE initiating any fundraiser. [See “district news” to the right.] 

• Common Planning Time initiative. – IMPORTANT. Mr. Mezzanotte, Mr. McGee, Mr. Pepin and I have spent a great deal of time developing the specifics of this initiative. IT IS NOT SCHEDULED FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND IS STILL IN A DISCUSSION STAGE. Please see “district news” to the right and follow the link. I encourage you to check this out on our web site. 

• NSES drinking water system upgrade project. The bid award was approved by TC to Northeast Water Solutions. This is the company we deal with for our drinking water distribution and monitoring compliance. Unfortunately there is a short turn around now between the approval and completing the project. They will certainly do there best to get it done before school starts. 

• MS kitchen closing. As part of the reductions to balance the budget we are closing the MS kitchen and we will provide lunches as a “satellite” site similar to NSES, Halliwell. 

• Performance Based Contracting. You may have read recent newspaper articles in weeks past.  It is a new and different approach to identifying and completing significant capital improvement projects connected to energy savings. The difference is the funding source. This approach-widely used in many states- uses a lease bond approach with annual payments derived from the energy savings as a result of the specific projects. I’ll share more in the weeks ahead. The good news is that we will receive up to 39% reimbursement on the school district specific projects and the municipality was able to join this initiative and has benefited tremendously.

I would like to personally thank, the following town residents -Mr. Josh Silvia, Mr. Paul Nordstrom , Mr. David DeQuattro, School Committee members Mr. Paul Vadenais, Mrs. Francesca Johannis, School Department employees Mr. Anthony Kopacz and Mr. Kevin Mathieu and the entire School Committee for their unwavering support as well as the Town Council and Town Administrator and the Town Solicitor, Mr. Richard Nadeau and especially Mr. Robert Erickson, Town Planner, for his enthusiasm and commitment to these projects.