2003-Annual Town Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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prepared for 18 months in advance for this momentous Report of the visit. School Committee Mashpee High School students continued to steadily make progress on MCAS examinations, To the Honorable Board of Selectmen Ninety percent of the graduating class of the 2002- and the Citizens of the Town of Mashpee: 2003 school year went on to post-secondary education garnering $110,000 in scholarship awards. The vale. MASHPEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS dictorian was Elizabeth Finn and co-salutatorians were Frank Peros and Elizabeth Davidson. The Mashpee Public Schools,despite tight frnan- cial constraints that were tempered by incredible com- munity support, were able to offer the strong educa- varied club organizations as well as an outstanding tional program that the citizens of Mashpee have come athletic program. to expect and deserve. The Mashpee Public School System provided Curriculum areas under revision were Physical special education services to over 435 students ages three through twenty-two. The intensity of the Special Education, Health and Music. All other curricula areas are under constant review to ensure alignment Education programs range from monitoring of a stu with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. dent's progress to more substantially separate pro grams depending on the individual student needs. The The Kenneth C. Coombs School had an enroll- Cape Cod Collaborative continues to serve the ment of 520 children. 2002-2003 was a year in which Mashpee Public Schools by providing programs,sup- Coombs staffing numbers remained stable. The port services as well as some special needs transporta Coombs School continues to build on its National tion. Additionally,Mashpee collaborates with the sur- Accreditation for pre-school and kindergarten. Much rounding public school districts, human service agen- of the Coombs success can be attributed to the high cies, and private Chapter 766 schools and with Cape level of support from parents, P.T.O., local, state and Cod Child Development in providing appropriate pro- � federal grant sources, volunteers, the School Council gramming for Mashpee students. Mashpee continues and the English Language Arts (ELA) and Math to support programs to include students with special Coordinators, Ann English and Joy Blackwood. A needs in the regular setting whenever possible. seamless curriculum pre-K through grade 2, the "Countdown to Kindergarten" initiative, are strong The Director of Special Education continues to professional development for all staff(paraprofession- be actively involved in the development of programs als and teachers) and national accreditation are hall- for young children. The Community Partnerships for marks of the Coombs School. Children program with support and guidance from the Council has provided support for families,young chil The enrollment of the Quashnet School was 753 dren, day care providers and educators. Currently the in 2002-2003. The Quashnet School is also a school Department of Education, through a grant, funds this where tremendous parent, P.T.O. and community-at- program in the amount of$112,669. large support is evident. MCAS scores continued a positive progression. The DARE float, once again, The Mashpee Public Schools continue to suc- took honors in the annual Christmas parade and many cessfully meet the needs of children identified as hav- special events were held thanks to the generosity of ing special needs. Through a comprehensive range of program offerings, children are served within the least local granting agencies — Willowbend Children's restrictive setting whenever possible in a manner con- Charity and the Mashpee Concert Committee. sistent with their individual educational plans. Of special mention at the Quashnet School is the The Mashpee Public Schools' Indian Education retirement of Assistant Principal, Marianne Monacci. Program is designed to provide Native American stu- She will be sorely missed. dents with a strong sense of cultural distinctiveness, Mashpee High School saw an overall increase in integrity, and values. This helps to promote self- student population but no increase in staff. In March, awareness through the use of the knowledge of their own histories and assist in providing them with educa the New England Association of Schools & Colleges made an evaluation visit to determine if Mashpee High tional opportunities which will help them make and School qualified for initial accreditation. School staff realize positive short-term and long-range goals coni cerning their individual education. By developing 118