1998-Annual Town Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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The High School Council continued to meet on a Report of the monthly basis. The Student Handbook was revised and a school improvement plan was approved by the School Department Council. The first scholarship committee was also formed. Retired teachers Patricia DeConto and Priscilla Rollins were the driving forces behind its for- The Mashpee School system continued to grow mation. during 1998. Total enrollments in grades preschool through twelve were 2,132 students. The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System(MCAS)tests were given to students in grades Instruction across all areas of the curriculum con- 8 and 10 at the high school. The results were received tinues to reflect the efforts of very active curriculum by the school department in December. Individual stu- committees across the grades and content areas. dent results were mailed to parents shortly after they were delivered to the school. On the high school level, new curriculum is devel- oped each year as Mashpee High School expands to The Kenneth C. Coombs School maintained an grade 12 offerings. In all grade levels, the staff is average enrollment of 530+ students again with three reviewing and matching our local curriculum to the classes on each grade, K-6. Special services included newly finalized state curriculum frameworks. This is remedial for grades 3,4 and 5,with the continuation of a very tedious,yet important task,as these frameworks our special needs inclusion services and the Title One encompass the learning standards by which all program. The Won Way phonics program, which has Massachusetts students will be evaluated on upcoming demonstrated success, expanded to a few more classes high stakes state testing (MCAS). in the lower grades. In particular, the Mashpee school system is con- The fifth grade classes did a study of pond life and ducting a full-scale revision of the Science, Art and grade 6 did a field study of the salt marsh. Our fifth Family and Consumer Sciences curricula. Teams of graders also participated in the Whale Watch. In the staff, together with community advisory boards, will language arts and reading area, grade 6 students were work on this initiative for the entire 1998-1999 school engaged in the Great Books program which empha- year. sized critical thinking activities, and the on-going writing portfolios for the oldest students represented a During the 1997-1998 school year, approximately year-long monitoring of their progress. Toward the 520 students in grades 7, 8, 9, and 10 attended end of the year, grade 6 also participated in a fantastic I' Mashpee High School. This was the first full year program run by the Clerk Magistrate's office at when the entire building was open to the students. Falmouth District Court. This was a series of class- room presentations and field trips designed to famil- During the year, many new staff members were iarize adolescents with the juvenile court system. hired at the High School. This included the teachers for the eleventh grade students along with additional In the area of curriculum, we continue to make the staff to meet the demands of the growing high school transitions in many areas to the new state frameworks. population. The third grade students were quite successful in the 3 Iowa tests administered in April and the fourth graders a The school's programs continued in full swing took the challenging MCAS test across major curricu- throughout the year. The band and chorus performed lum fields. A number of staff are trained in activities concerts in January and June. The theater arts depart- surrounding the watershed here. In the print, the ment, performed its second play in March. The Coombs School reinstituted Math Night which National Junior Honor Society and Awards Program brought together parents and their children at a full (^} were both held in June. The Science Fair took place in range of grade levels to participate in some different March. and mind-bending math activities. IL The athletic program also continued to grow. A few special events were the traditional Career t i Junior Varsity sports were offered for the first time to Day, Grandparents and Special Friends Day and cre- ' the student. This included, during the fall, football, ative Science Fair activities. Prior to the winter holi- field hockey, cross country, boys and girls soccer. days, another wonderful Craft Fair was organized. Winter sports were track and boys and girls basketball. This event provides an opportunity for children to set The spring season offered tennis, track,baseball, soft- up a mini-business and sell their creations as holiday ball and golf. gifts. 132