Elementary, middle and high schools reopen after being closed for two days.
All good things must come to an end and so does the "blizzard vacation" for Belmont public school students. All Belmont schools – the four elementary, Chenery Middle School and Belmont High School – will reopen Tuesday, Feb. 12, according to the School District's website.
Not surprising as blizzard heads to town.
One of the least surprising announcements has been made in front of an anticipated historic nor'easter heading towards Belmont. School has been cancelled, according to the blog run by Belmont High School Principal Dan Richards. In addition to cancelling classes, the School District has declared that: In addition, Belmont Hill School, the private boys school, has also cancelled classes.
Each elementary school will have their own Kindergarten Parent Information Night.
The Belmont School District's orientation program for all parents of incoming kindergarten students has been scheduled with each elementary school hosting its own program at the schools. Butler School, Wednesday, March 27 at 7:00PM Burbank School, Wednesday, March 27 at 6:30PM Wellington School, Thursday, April 11th at 6:30PM Winn Brook School, Thursday, April 11th at 7:00 PM Please note that the annual Kindergarten Registration for children entering Kindergarten in September, 2013 has been changed this year. Rather than separate events for Registration, Visiting, and Screening, all of these events will be combined into a single Kindergarten Orientation event held by appointment. Butler School, Thursday, May 2 and Friday, May 3, 9:00AM-3:…
Strong barriers and procedures only go so far; no school is "100 percent safe."
The staff and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. did everything right last Friday. Just after 9:30 a.m., as a stranger unknown to the school's office staff approached the main entrance carrying a high-powered rifle, the front doors were locked as part of a recently-installed buzzer system at the only public entry. A 9-1-1 call went out while teachers and their aids directing children into safe areas in classrooms and began locking the doors as Principal Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung and Mary Sherlach, Sandy Hook's school psychologist, confronted the gun-touting man. And still 20 first-graders, four teachers and aids along with Hochsprung and Sherlach were gunned down in the second worst school massacre on US soil. So …
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Kingston seeks to keep "our schools are as safe as possible."
After the killings at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. on Friday, Belmont Superintendent Thomas Kingston issued a statement regarding safety at Belmont's six public schools which was released on the district's website. "In light of recent events, all of us in the Belmont Public Schools have increased concern and regard for the safety of the students and adults working in our buildings. We do not discuss publicly our safety protocols or interventions because someone who might have ill intent could misuse such information." "However, I do want to assure the public that we have heightened our vigilance, conferred with public safety officials, continually review our drills and procedures, and are doing all we can within our …
Hurricane Sandy's pending visit shuts down town's six schools.
The Belmont School District will be closed Monday, Oct. 29 due to effects of Hurricane Sandy. "Because of the severe weather conditions, Belmont High School will be closed Monday, October 29th. Enjoy the day off," read Belmont High School Principal Dan Richards' blog as of 5:37 p.m. today, Sunday, Oct. 28. It is the first closure of Belmont's six public schools this year.
After a life-time of travel, experienced administrator looking to settle down.
A decade ago, Amy Spangler had just finished her second year as principal at Forest Hill Elementary School in Lake Oswego, Oregan. She called it the perfect job for the educator at the top of her field: She loved the school and the facility and community were supportive and happy to have her onboard. Then her husband, a high-level executive with Starbucks, told her that he was being transferred to its business hub in Toyko. "It nearly killed me," she told an assembly of teachers, parents and school committee members yesterday, Oct. 25, during the first of two meetings with the parents and staff of the Wellington Elementary School as part of the finalist process as the Belmont School District seeks to replace long-time principal Amy Wagner …
Lexington assistant principal and an administrator who is a bit of a mystery.
An assistant principal/teacher from a neighboring town and an experienced administrator with an impressive resume were named finalists Friday, Oct. 19, to replace Amy Wagner as Wellington Elementary School principal, according to Belmont School Superintendent Dr. Thomas Kingston. Lexington's Ellen Quirk and Amy Springer from Greater Atlanta will be presented to teachers, staff and the public today, Monday, and Wednesday at the school. The schedule is: Kingston said earlier this month that hundreds of resumes were received for the position after Wagner offered her resignation in September which will take effect Dec. 1. Ellen Quirk has for the past two years been both the assistant principal and a fifth-grade teacher at the Bowman Elementary…
10:37 am on Monday, October 22, 2012
That might be true, angryeric (angryeric? Wow, you may want to rethink your handle as it's a 'tad' negative) but give them a chance to speak to parents and staff and there might be a great candidate. more ›
Relatively the same scores from last year; nine of ten students advance or proficient in math, English.
There is good news arriving for Belmont students and the school district's staff: Belmont continues to score near the top of schools and districts in Massachusetts after the release today, Sept. 19 of the 2012 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test scores. Students from the six public schools show a much higher level of advance knowledge and proficient skills than the state average in the annual test, which was administered this past spring. Statewide, just under 20 percent of students are advanced in English while Belmont has double that amount. In Math, 82 percent are either advanced or proficient compared to the 59 percent of students statewide. 2012/2011 MCAS Comparison All schools Needs Improvement Failing The test…
High School band director takes over from retiring William Pappazisis.
Seven years ago, Arto Asadoorian said his "dream job" would be directing music in Belmont. Starting next month, the Belmont resident will be leading the entire arts curriculum in the Belmont School District as the popular High School band conductor was named the new Director of Fine and Performing Arts by Superintendent Dr. Thomas Kingston at the School Committee's Tuesday night meeting, June 5. "(Asadoorian) was the candidate who has the greatest promise of eventually filling the shoes of Mr. Pappazisis," said Kingston, whose announcement was met with a round of applause. William Pappazisis who has headed the department since 2001 and is responsible for the growth of the arts program across the town's six schools is retiring next month…
Franklin Tucker
10:58 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
As for being escorted to a classroom, it happened to me twice but I suspect that was done because I am not a parent of a current student and I do get lost too often to remember. more ›