News Bulletin Board
• (Visit the Old Colony Archives to read Old Colony Bulletin Boards from past years).
Notes of Interest for the Old Colony Community
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2011-2012 News ---------------------------
- NCLB Teacher Quality Standards
- Special Education Events
- CIS students help Acushnet with museum project
2011-2012 Bulletin Board Announcements
NCLB Teacher Quality Standards
Dear Parent or Guardian:
The federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act defines new standards for teacher quality. Under NCLB, teachers must be licensed, have a bachelor’s degree, and demonstrate subject matter knowledge, either through a state test or by majoring in the subject in college. NCLB standards apply to the subject matter taught by teachers: a teacher may be qualified to teach one subject but not another. With this in mind, we are doubling our efforts to make sure all teachers at our school are appropriately assigned to teach classes that reflect their degrees.
NCLB requires that parents/guardians of children enrolled in Title I schools be notified if their child has been taught for four consecutive weeks by a teacher who does not meet the federal standard.
If you have any questions regarding qualifications, please feel free to contact me. For additional information about the federal highly qualified teacher requirements and Massachusetts policies related to them, please visit the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Web site at http://www.doe.mass.edu/nclb.
Sincerely,
Patricia Foskett
Principal
Si Uds. Necesitan algún documento escolar traducido a su propio idioma, por favor llamen a
Patricia Foskett 508-763-8011 ext. 118.
Se voces precisarem de uma tradução ou maiores informações sobre a escola, favor ligar para
Patricia Foskett 508-763-8011 ext. 118.
Special Education Events
Dear Parents,
Our Special Education Parent Advisory Board (SPED PAC) and I are planning a few events over this upcoming school year that focus on supporting the specific needs of special education students. These events are designed for families and student’s participation and we encourage your involvement in the activities.
Two events will kick off the school year. Our first gathering will be on Thursday, September 22, 2011 where I will present “Parents’ Rights” at 6:00pm – 7:00pm in the Old Colony Library.
Basic Rights in Special Education: This workshop provides families with an introduction to their rights and responsibilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Massachusetts Special Education Law and No Child Left Behind (NCLB). It is designed to help parents learn how to be effective partners with their child’s school to decide the child’s eligibility for special education, and to plan, make decisions and monitor their child’s progress in school.
Then, the SPED PAC will host the Federation of Children with Special Needs presentation “Transition 101” on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 7:00pm – 9:00pm in the Old Colony RVTHS Library.
Transition 101 – High School to Adulthood: This workshop addresses effective use of the IEP and the Massachusetts Transition Planning Form for students who are ages 14 – 22. Individualized, person centered planning of curriculum and supports throughout high school leads to better post high school outcomes and opportunities in education, training, and/or employment for students with disabilities. Discussion includes age of majority, self-determination and self-advocacy, life skill development and preparing students to pursue as independent an adult life as possible.
Please save these dates and look for more information on the Old Colony RVTHS website, http://oldcolony.us/ , for winter and spring workshops.
I look forward to our time together and a cooperative, productive school year!
Sincerely,
Krystla Fay, CAGS
Special Services Coordinator
CIS students help Acushnet with museum project
Old Colony students will be involved in a project titled, "Town of Acushnet's Long Plain Museum Inventory Project." Thanks to a $3,000 grant provided by The Delta Kappa Gamma Educational Foundation, students will be provided with the equipment and the means to properly inventory the museum's artifacts.
Students in the Computer Information Systems (CIS) vocational shop will travel with their instructor, Karen Guenette, two times per week to photograph and record descriptions of all items using software, computers, and a camera provided by the grant funds.
Ms. Guenette initiated the grant application and will be responsible for overseeing the project that will begin in September 2010. The project is expected to be ongoing at least throughout the 2011-2012 school year. Ms. Guenette will also be responsible for regularly reporting the progress of the project, including its final stages.