Monday, October 24, 2011

Marciano Stadium Reopens For Events

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--Brockton's Boxers are now back on home turf.
On Friday night, Oct. 22, thousands of fans, players and alumni celebrated the reopening of Marciano Stadium after months of $1.2 million renovations at the field, including a new track, turf field, goal posts, lighting and drainage.
The evening also marked the debut of the 150-piece BHS Marching Band’s new uniforms –the first in 20 years – and the first time members of Boxer nation got a glimpse of the band’s new “Rocky”-themed half-time show.
The football team, the second Brockton squad to play on the new field following a soccer game Thursday night, made the best of homefield advantage and beat the Durfee Hilltoppers, 42-27 to improve its record to 4-3.
“This is a celebration of Brockton. We are a close-knit city with a small-town feel, and we believe in our kids and we set high expectations for all," said Superintendent
of Schools Matthew H. Malone. “I want thank Mayor Balzotti, the City Council and School Committee for committing the funds to refurbish the stadium for our students and our community to enjoy,” he said.

THIS WEEK IN BROCKTON PUBLIC SCHOOOLS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24
Baker: Halloween Skate Night at Carousel Whitman 6-8 p.m.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25
Parents’ Academy
Family Night – Dancercise with Mass in Motion & Tribe Dance Company, Arnone School 6-7:30 p.m.
B.B. Russell: Field Trip to St. Paul’s Soup Kitchen, During School.
B.B. Russell: School Improvement Council Meeting, 3rd Floor 5 p.m.
Davis: P.T.A. Meeting, Café 6 p.m.
Kennedy: Title One ~ Annual Breakfast, grades 2-5, 9:15 a.m.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26
Safe Routes to School ~ WOW~ Walk on Wednesdays at Brookfield, Davis, Downey, Hancock and Kennedy Schools
Baker: School Store Open During Lunches
Baker: Title One ~ Family Book Bag – K - Mrs. Cinelli, 1:30 p.m.
George: Title One ~ Annual Breakfast – K – Gr. 1, 9:15 a.m.
Hancock: Family Cooking Night Café 5:45–7:15 p.m.
Raymond: Family Cooking Night Hancock Café 5:45–7:15 p.m.
Brockton High School--Youth Halloween Party, 5-7 p.m.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27
BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL IN-SERVICE ~ EARLY RELEASE DAY
Davis: Title One ~ Annual Breakfast – K -5, 8:35 a.m.
West: Halloween Party Gym 3–5 p.m.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28
Angelo: Grade 1 Field Trip CN Smith Farm East Bridgewater, During School
Baker: Title One ~ Family Book Bag – Gr. 1 - Mrs. Fischer 1:30 p.m.
George: Harvest Dance Café 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Raymond: School Picture Day, During School
Raymond: Family Halloween Bingo Cafe 6-7:30 p.m.

Monday, October 17, 2011

THIS WEEK IN BROCKTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17
Ashfield: School Picture Day. During School
Baker: Texas Road House Bread fundraiser. Runs through 10/27
Huntington: Welcome Parents PTO Social. Café 6:30 p.m.
West: 21st Century Programs. Begin 2:35 – 5 p.m.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18
Brockton School Committee Meeting. B.H.S. Little Theater, 7 p.m.
Parents’ Academy--Homework Help Workshop--Arnone School 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Kennedy: Title One ~ Annual Breakfast K – 1, 9:15 a.m.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19
Safe Routes to School ~ WOW~ Walk on Wednesdays at Brookfield, Davis, Downey, Hancock and Kennedy Schools
Arnone: Title One ~ Haunted Bingo for Books Café 6 – 7:15 p.m.
Arnone: Family Cooking Night. Downey Café 5:45 – 7:15 p.m.
Baker: Title One ~ Family Book Bag – Gr. 1 - Mrs. Gordon 1:30 p.m.
Downey: Family Cooking Night Café 5:45 – 7:15 p.m.


THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20
PRE K-5 IN-SERVICE ~ EARLY RELEASE DAY
Parents’ Academy--Concussion in Sports Workshop--Arnone School 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
B.H.S.: Parent Teacher Conferences 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Baker: Title One ~ Family Book Bag – Gr. 1 - Ms. Hodges 1:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21
Parents’ Academy--Know Your Child Workshop presented by Families First
Gilmore Early Childhood Center 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Angelo: School Picture Day. During School
Angelo: P.T.A. Meeting. Café 9:15 – 10:30 a.m.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22
Raymond: Family Fall Festival 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

BPS Wellness Program Gets High Marks

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--Brockton Public Schools Wellness Coordinator Mary Ellen Kirrane is in Louisville, Kentucky today after being named Health Coordinator of the Year by the American School Health Association.
She will accept the honor and a plaque during the association's 85th annual conference Wednesday, Oct. 12.
"This isn't an award I earned, this is an award the school system earned," Kirrane said in an interview before she left for Kentucky. "This isn't my award this is the school district's award," she said.
Kirrane, who heads wellness and health programs for K-8, has been recognized for her professional leadership in the coordination of school health initiatives across the district.
Officials said Kirrane is the first non-governmental coordinator to win the award.
For the past 18 years, Kirrane has written and implemented several system-wide grants that have impacted the district greatly, officials said.
Those initiatives include middle school fitness centers, international nutrition events, peer programs and violence prevention curriculum.
Kirrane also acts as a liaison with other departments and community agencies in implementing local and state health mandates, most recently the newly signed Anti-Bullying Prevention and Intervention Model Plan project.
“Mary Ellen is always at the forefront of issues concerning student health and wellness,” said Superintendent of Schools Matthew H. Malone. “Our students benefit directly from her proactive approach to wellness,” he said.

Kirrane received a bachelor's of science in health education from Northeastern University in 1981 and a master’s in administration from Suffolk University in 1988. She certified as an elementary school principal and she has completed the New England Division of School Health Institutes Coordinated School Health Leadership Program.

One of Kirrane’s major focuses has been in advocacy for broadening health education in the Brockton Public Schools. She has worked closely with classroom teachers to integrate health concepts and skills into daily lessons. Kirrane has often begun presentations by reminding administrators and teachers that, “all teaches are teachers of reading, writing and arithmetic and also can be teachers of wellness when given the right tools.”
Kirrane chairs the Brockton Public School District Coordinated School Wellness Team, which utilized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s model approach to connecting school wellness initiatives to community resources.
Over the past four years, the district team has established school-based teams that meet regularly to assess the wellness needs of their buildings and to create yearly goals and objectives.
Through the coordination of the district team, each school is provided resources and support to achieve their goals.
This initiative was highlighted in the first issues of the Massachusetts Coordinated School Health Program Healthy Kids Better Students newsletter in the spring of 2009.
Kirrane has been an active advocate for school health at state and local levels.
She has served on the Massachusetts Interdisciplinary Health and Health Services Advisory Council as co-chairperson since 2008.
She is a regular presenter at health and wellness symposiums and in 2004 was named The Distinguished Outreach Partnership Award winner by the University of Massachusetts for her collaboration with UMass Extension Family Nutrition Program.
Kirrane serves as an adjunct faculty for Fitchburg State College teaching graduate level courses in wellness, classroom management and fostering responsible behaviors for life and also is the professional seminar advisor for graduate health and family consumer science candidates at Cambridge College.

THIS WEEK IN BROCKTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11
Arnone: Title One ~ Annual Breakfast - K 9:30 a.m.
B.B. Russell: Field Trip to St. Paul’s Soup Kitchen, During School
Downey: School Picture Day During School
George: P.T.A. Meeting Café 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12
Safe Routes to School ~ WOW~ Walk on Wednesdays
at Brookfield, Davis, Downey, Hancock and Kennedy Schools
B.P.S.: Community Schools Advisory Board Meeting, B.H.S. Green IRC 7 p.m.
Baker: School Store Open During Lunches
Brookfield: Title One: Bingo for Books Café 6–7:15 p.m.
George: Title One ~ Family Book Bag – Gr. 3 - Mrs. Lange 1:30 p.m.
Raymond: School Improvement Council Meeting, 10 a.m.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13
Parents’ Academy Darkness to Lights’ Stewards of Children Prevention Workshop
Arnone School 6 to 8 p.m.
Angelo: Family Cooking Night, George Café 5:45–7:15 p.m.
Baker: Title One ~ Annual Breakfast K-1, 9 a.m.
Baker: P.T.A. Meeting, Community Room 7 p.m.
Downey: First Safety Program for Grade 3 During School
George: Family Cooking Night, Café 5:45–7:15 p.m.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14
Arnone: Title One ~ Annual Breakfast – Gr. 1-5, 9:15 a.m.
West: Cheesecake & Cookie Dough Band & Chorus fundraiser runs through 10/28

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Hundreds In Brockton Join International Walk To School Day

By Lisa E. Crowley
BrocktonPost
BROCKTON—Lao Khang pushed a stroller carrying his preschool son Jordan as he led a group of youngsters including his daughter, third grader Britney and fourth grade niece Cyanne as the group walked to the Kennedy Elementary School for “International Walk to School Day,” which had 97 parents and more than 60 students arrive at school via their feet.
Khang (Pictured at top signing in with neice Cyanne) said it was the first time the family walked the ½ mile or so to their school and pledged to do it as often as they can. Until their pledge to walk to school on Wednesdays—when possible—Britney and Cyanne are usually dropped off at the Kennedy by their uncle.
While they have taken a pledge to participate—Khang held out a caveat.
“It depends on the weather,” Khang said, noting Wednesday’s sunny and 60 degree temperature made it easy for the family to join the estimated 6 million people in 40 countries who shed their automobiles and instead walked to their local schools.
Organizers, including school officials and representatives of the state Department of Transportation hope the worldwide observance will trigger a year-long, and life-long goal of children adding exercise into their daily routine and maybe having some fun along the way.
“It’s a walking school bus,” said Ben Hammer, the DOT’s statewide coordinator for Safe Routes to School, a program through MASS Rides that Brockton helped to pilot. (Hammer, pictured far left in photo below with Kennedy School student Alejandro Alphonse)
Hammer said Brockton has been a lead district in the walking to school
initiative and received a grant three years ago to promote the program.
Jane Feroli, the district’s Specialist for Parent Engagement, who leads numerous outreach initiatives in the district, said five schools —Brookfield, Davis, Downey, Hancock and Kennedy—for the past three years have taken part in the Safe Routes to School on Wednesday Program.
“To date, over 10,000 students at these schools have walked to school on Wednesdays, even sometimes in rain and snow,” Feroli said.
Feroli said 375 students at Brockton's 5 participating schools joined in yesterday's International Walk to School Day.
She said the walk is a great start to the school day because students—and adults—get exercise, fresh air, help reduce harmful emissions from vehicles and have fun talking to family and friends along the way.
“It’s not just about walking to school, it is bonding as a community and creating safe and sustainable practices that can be handed down to other generations,” Feroli said.

Monday, October 3, 2011

THIS WEEK IN BROCKTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3
Parents’ Academy, "No Such Thing as a Bad Kid Workshop,Arnone School 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Hancock: P.T.A. Meeting, Library 6 p.m.
West: School Store Opens, Auditorium Lobby 2:35 p.m.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4
Brockton School Committee Meeting, B.H.S. Little Theater 7 p.m.
Arnone: P.A.C. Meeting, Teachers Lounge 6 p.m.
Raymond: Title One ~ Annual Breakfast – K – Gr. 5 8:35 a.m.
West: School Improvement Council Meeting, Room 110 6 p.m.
West: P.A.C. Meeting, Room 110 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5
International Walk to School Day at Brookfield, Davis, Downey, Hancock and Kennedy Schools
Angelo: First Safety Program for Grade 3, During School
Arnone: Title One ~ Family Book Bag – K - Mrs. Wedge 1:30 p.m.
Davis: Family Cooking Night, Kennedy Café 5:45 – 7:15 p.m.
Hancock: Title One ~ Annual Breakfast, 9:15 a.m.
Huntington: Family Cooking Night, Kennedy Café 5:45 – 7:15 p.m.
Kennedy: International Walk to School Day with invited guests from MA DOT 8:35 a.m.
Kennedy: Family Cooking Night, Café 5:45 – 7:15 p.m.
Plouffe: P.A.C. Meeting, Café 6:30 p.m.
Raymond: P.T.A. Meeting, Café 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6
Brookfield: Title One ~ Annual Breakfast 9:15 a.m.
Downey: Pajama Day, During School
East: School Improvement Council Meeting, Room 130 5 p.m.
East: P.A.C. Meeting, Room 130 6 p.m.
Huntington: September Citizen of the Month Awards Assembly During School
Kennedy: Read for the Record. During School
Kennedy: First Safety Program for Grade 3. During School
Kennedy: Title One ~ Family Book Bag –Gr. 2 - Mrs. Mondillo 1:15 p.m.
Kennedy: School Improvement Council Meeting, Conference Room 6 p.m.
Kennedy: P.A.C. Meeting, Café 7 p.m.
North: School Improvement Council Meeting, Café 5 p.m.
North: P.A.C. Meeting Café 6 p.m.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7
Parents’ Academy, Welcome to the 2011 – 2012 School Year, Gilmore Early Childhood Center 9 to 10:30 a.m.
Angelo: Citizen of the Month Breakfast, Cafe 9–9:30 a.m.
Ashfield: Welcome Back to School Dance, 3:00–5:00 p.m.
Kennedy: First Safety Program for Grade 3. During School