Latest email, 1/31/14 -- Bottom line: Do we want to push to keep our kids at Devo for 6th grade in 2015? Please discuss! It would be great to have input we could bring to the 2/6 meeting -- Hi Fourth Grade families, We have tried to compile a complete list of 4th grade families to ensure that everyone is getting information related to the transition plan and the proposed use of Old Lincoln School (OLS). If anyone does NOT want to be on this e-mail list, please let us know and we will remove you! Thank you to all of you who came out to hear Lupini talk on Monday. Carey took notes which I will distribute later but I wanted to communicate a few important points. 1. Public comment hearing will be held on Thursday February 6th at 6:00 at Town Hall. We have learned that having a strong showing at these kind of meetings/hearings is extremely important. Even if you do not plan to talk or make comments, the more Devo families there, the better. Also now is the time to communicate our thoughts and ideas. If there are going to be any adjustments, now is when we should push for them before everything becomes “set in stone”. 2. It is clear that some configuration of grade will be going to OLS for the period 2015-2018 (three academic years). Lupini also seems set that it will be upper grades and not lower grades. It was also clarified that the 2015-2016 school year transition relates NOT to construction (which will begin in July 2016 in theory), but rather relates to capacity. Devo will not have adequate space for all its students by the 2015-2016 school year. This makes sense as the bubble of 6 and 5 section grades from the past few years makes its way through the system, there are not enough classrooms as the upper grades only have 4 sections each. The question was raised as to whether ALL 6-8 grades need to move for that first transition year - the 2015-2016 school year. For example, if ONLY 7-8 goes to OLS in 2015-2016 that would free up 8 classrooms, which could be enough to meet the need for that year. Then in 2016-2017 the 6th grade would migrate over when more space is needed due to construction and for the next two years, OLS would be 6-8. This “phased” approach would ensure that no cohort would be at OLS for more than 2 years (the 6th grade that goes in 2016 would in theory come back to the renovated school for their 8th grade year). This second issue is appealing on many fronts – 1. It keeps our current 4th graders at Devo for one more year before going to OLS and 2. it means that no one spends more than 2 years there – which historically has been the typical period of time at OLS for renovations. Lupini appeared perhaps open to this idea (or I should say he didn’t shoot it down). The issue he raised was some academic programs and special education services are linked through the 6-8 grades and this might present challenges. I do not know what these issues are and in my experience with 6 and 8th grade years, I have seen no academic links at Devo between 6 and 7th grades. I have in fact seen links between 6th and 5th grades – a perfect example of this is Math League. If this is something folks want to push for, we should come in full force Thurs night and advocate for this. We might also want to write a letter to Lupini and the school committee advocating for this. If folks have thoughts, it might be best to e-mail Carey and myself rather than including everyone on this list to help manage everyone’s e-mails! Other take aways form the Monday meeting were: · Part of the reason for sending older rather than younger kids to the Old Lincoln is that the bathrooms there are suitable for older kids, and the building will later revert to the high school. · The Old Lincoln School will definitely not be used as a 9th grade campus because it cant fit Brooklines whole 9th grade. · There will be very extensive busing of Devotion kids to the Old Lincoln School, and the district will work with parents to figure out the best routes. · A principal will be hired for the transitional middle school at the Old Lincoln by Feb vacation, and will have more than a year to plan for it. · Middle schoolers from one other Brookline school -- either Pierce, Driscoll or Lawrence -- will also attend that school, and its not clear yet whether the students from the two schools would be totally lumped together or kept in any way separate. Thanks and we look forward to seeing everyone on Thursday! Sarah and Carey
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 11:44:47 +0000
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