[CabotCommunity] CABOT JabberLite for Tuesday, November 14th 2006

[Jo Doherty]

JABBERLITE   Tuesday, November 14, 2006

 

This Jabberlite contains information about:

Launch of Campaign for Cabot

Shopping Online 

Social Actions Thanksgiving Food Drive

Newton Teachers in Contract Negotiations

Cabot Space Crunch Update

 

Upcoming Dates

A complete & updated calendar for all events for the year can be found at
www.cabotpto.org <http://www.cabotpto.org/>   

 


November 14, 2006

Parent to Parent Series, Partnerships Between Parents/Guardians & Teachers

After drop off 


November 15 to Nov 22

PTO Food Drive for Newton Food Pantry


November 20, 2006

School Council 6-7:30 PM


November 21, 2006

Autumn Fest, 11 AM


November 22, 2006

12:00 Noon Dismissal for Thanksgiving


November 23 to Nov 24

Thanksgiving, NO SCHOOL


November 27, 2006

School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM


December 6, 2006

PTO Learning Express Fundraiser


December 11, 2006

School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM


December 14, 2006

Early Release Day, 12:30 PM Dismissal


December 15, 2006

Hanukkah Begins at Sundown


December 19, 2006

Affinity Group


December 22, 2006

School finishes at normal time 3PM


December 25, 2006

Christmas Day


December 25 to Jan 1

Vacation, NO SCHOOL


December 26, 2006

Kwanzaa

 

 

Annual Campaign For Cabot 2006- 2007

We have launched the Annual Campaign for Cabot and you should have already
received your letter and donation card in the mail. As many of you know 

this is the single largest source of funding for the PTO ensuring the
fulfillment of our mission to enrich the educational experience of all our
children, support 

the school staff and build the community that makes Cabot School such a
special place. The Campaign for Cabot was initiated several years ago
because parents 

said that they would prefer to support the PTO by making a tax-deductible
donation instead of engaging in numerous PTO fundraising events. 

This year the PTO will spend over $55,000 - which translates to
approximately $133 per child - on a range of programs and resources.  

Our annual budget and spending plan can be seen at www.cabotpto.org
<http://www.cabotpto.org/>  . 

 

Each week in the JabberLite we will be highlighting a particular area to
show how PTO funds are used to enrich all our children's experiences at
Cabot & to support 

the faculty, and in doing so we hope to give you a good idea of how well
your money is used.  Obviously our goal is to reach & exceed our target of
$24,000 

but as important is the hope that every Cabot family will participate so
please contribute whatever you can - little or large all contributions are
gratefully received!

 Please feel free to ask us any questions about the Campaign and we thank
you in advance for your support. 

 

Shopping Online

Do you shop online? Do you realize that if you go to the online store via
www.cabotpto.org <http://www.cabotpto.org/>  to do your shopping that a % of
your purchase will be donated to the Cabot PTO! Check out the many online
stores available via the SHOPPING icon on the home page. There are a great
variety to choose from & it won't cost you an extra penny! So please, before
you do your holiday or birthday shopping online go to www.cabotpto.org
<http://www.cabotpto.org/> 

 

Food Drive

The annual Social Action Thanksgiving Food Drive will be collecting
non-perishable foods from Wednesday November 15th through Wednesday November
22nd. Details to follow.

 

NEWTON TEACHERS IN CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS

You may be aware that all teaching professionals in Newton are still without
a contract & are at this time in negotiations with the City. According to
Newton Teachers Association Union President, Cheryl Turgel, members of the
NTA have agreed not to volunteer for committees or other events that meet
outside of the school day & are not part of their professional
responsibilities. They are however completely fulfilling their professional
obligations. We recognize that this is a very difficult for our teachers and
faculty members at Cabot who are committed to teaching our children. For the
sake of all of Newton's students, we sincerely hope for a prompt resolution
to these negotiations, ending in a fair contract for all.

 

CABOT SPACE CRUNCH UPDATE

Thanks to the some 190 respondents we had for the online survey. I sent out
an email to the Cabot community identifying the results on Sunday and these
were also 

sent to School Committee members, The Superintendent of Schools & Mayor
Cohen. Although this email provided a summary of the survey results we
recommend 

you take a look at ALL the survey results & the comments made. It is very
easy to read & not time consuming. 

Just click on this link:
http://www.cabotpto.org/announce/space_crunch_survey/ 

 

Still not sure what options the School Committee is exploring? 

Go to http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee/actions/elem_space.html
and see the report for yourself. Remember you can always email your views to
the School Committee at schoolcommittee at newton.k12.ma.us
<javascript:parent.ComposeTo('schoolcommittee at newton.k12.ma.us',%20'');>  .

 

 

Update on November 13th School Committee Meeting

Overview

The School Committee continued the discussion on short-term space needs (one
to two year solutions) at the elementary school level with a report on
modular classrooms and optional zones.  There were two main goals for the
meeting:

 1.) Update the School Committee on Optional Zones and Modulars.

2.)Give guidance to Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Young on which of the
various options hold promise and which might be taken off the table.

 

For a copy of the Memorandum released to the public, please click on the
following link: 

 <http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/school%20committee/docket/Elem_Space.pdf>
http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/school committee/docket/Elem_Space.pdf

 

Optional Zones

By definition, optional zones are areas where families are given the choice
between two districts.  They were created when some elementary schools were
closing and the School Committee needed a way to offer families some choice
as to where they could send their children to school. Cabot School and
Underwood have an optional zone between the two districts.  Of the 11
children in that zone, all of them chose Cabot School. 


Modulars


Due to concerns about security, the School Committee did not release the
full report on modulars because it included building floor plans.  City
engineers and school personnel have evaluated the feasibility of installing
modular classrooms at 12 elementary schools.  (An enrollment report due on
11/27 will indicate which schools have enrollment problems of a magnitude
requiring additional space - preliminary data indicates that 5 schools
require more space.)

There was some discussion about locations for modulars, particularly at
Cabot School. One proposed location at Cabot is in front of the library.
School Committee member Reenie Murphy (former Cabot parent) noted that this
particular area has undergone extensive landscaping related to the outdoor
classroom and should not be disturbed.  There are additional sites at Cabot
listed in the report that was not released to the public.  We believe that
the two other proposed sites include an area in the faculty parking lot and
another on the blacktop. The School Committee is interested in feedback from
principals about the location of modulars.  The School Committee chair noted
that they will find a way to make the report public without compromising
security.


Conclusions


The other key points from the meeting were:

*         The School Committee is looking at 1-2 year solutions only.  (A
separate long term facility planning process is in its early stages.)

*         The enrollment report at the November 27th meeting will give a
better sense of how big the problem is and if schools are experiencing a
temporary blip in enrollment or a more permanent issue.

*         Installation of modular classrooms is an option still being
considered

*         Optional zones should be looked at if it can really help alleviate
the problem and if siblings can stay together.

*         The Carr School is not a short-term solution and should be taken
off the table as an option.  (It will be considered in the long term
facility planning process.)

*         Citywide re-districting is not a short term solution and should be
taken off the table as an option (but will be considered in the long term
facility planning process.) 

*         Cohort re-districting should remain an option.

*         Removal of art and music from a classroom to free up space for a
classroom should remain an option.

*         Removal of citywide programs from elementary schools should remain
an option.

*	It is possible that there will be several solutions used and that
one solution will not solve the short-term space issues.  Once the
enrollment information is released, the School Committee will also have a
better understanding of where to focus efforts.

 

Please consider coming to a School Committee Meeting - all at 7:30pm at the
Ed Center, 100 Walnut Street. The next meetings are important:

 

November 27th-Annual Enrollment Report and Superintendent's Policy
Recommendations

 

December 11th-Vote on Solutions for Short-Term Space Issues

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sarah Ecker, Isabelle
Thacker or Sue Covitz

 

 

 

Compiled for you by the Cabot PTO 

 

Jo Doherty

Cabot PTO Co-President

11 Leonard Avenue,

West Newton, MA 02465

617-332-1530

jcdoherty11 at comcast.net

 

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