Canton’s Students Give Generously to their Community

by Lynn K. McMullin

     Last year at this time, two high school seniors, Chris Robataille and Ryan Abraham, made the news when their Senior Project raised over $20,000 for the Lance Armstrong Cancer Foundation and the two young men were selected to receive a Red Cross Good Samaritan award
     However, well before that, and since then, Canton’s students have regularly been acting as ‘samaritans’ by giving back to their community – often creating service projects of their own design, as Chris and Ryan did. From learning about and understanding the world around them, our students realize the ideal that together we can take action to change the lives of others less fortunate.
     Certain philosophies hold to the concept that acts of charity fall into a tiered structure. At the lowest level of giving are the actions that have little impact on us, such as throwing our change into the bucket under the McDonald’s drive-through window or buying a poppy from a Veteran. These acts, while nice, require little thought and little of our resources or time. At the higher levels of giving, we sacrifice more of our time, as well as the resources that are important to us, and we give to people without their knowledge and without any thought of personal reward beyond the act of giving itself.  As you look at what our students are accomplishing, you’ll proudly see that they do engage in these higher levels of giving. Their actions are thoughtful and varied.
      This week at the high school, CATA (Canton Adolescents Taking Action) made 15 plates of homemade cookies for the Canton Food Bank.  At the same time, their math classes are competing in an annual food drive for non-perishables which will be delivered by the carload to the food bank.  With the support of two teachers, Ms. Gabrielle Laux and Ms. Loreen Forastiere, the students have undertaken this project annually for 12 years, always making their delivery in plenty of time for the community’s holiday needs.
     At Cherry Brook Primary School, during their annual Book Fair, students and their families donated $300 to “Bucks for Books” to provide books for impoverished schools. Students also collected four boxes of non-perishables at Thanksgiving for the Jack Bannan Food Drive, and are currently bringing in mittens, hats, and unwrapped toys for Canton “Gifts of Love.” The teachers regularly donate $5.00 a month on “wear jeans day" which also goes to “Gifts of Love.”
     Several CHS students have been teaching computer skills to our senior citizens through the "Surfing for All Ages" program which was just completed at the high school.  This volunteer program bridges the generations through the mutual gifts of interest and time. Twenty sophomores pitched in and completed an extensive fall clean up for the Lowells. In return, the Lowells donated $400 to the Canton Food Bank in their honor. Fifteen students also volunteer regularly as mentors and tutors at Canton Intermediate and Cherry Brook.
     On November 11th, as part of their Veterans' Day activities, the Canton Middle School students in each advisory group went to the website http://www.anysoldier.com/, where they selected soldiers to whom they would write letters and mail care packages. The 19 advisory groups wound up with over 70 boxes loaded with letters from students and the kinds of things the soldiers had asked requested, items we often take for granted such as personal hygiene items, granola bars, soup, Band-Aids, and Chapstick. In return, the response from the soldiers has been equally amazing, with a couple of the soldiers writing a note to each and every child in an advisory group. One serviceman, Major Anthony Beatman, mentioned the thrill a young Iraqi girl got from receiving a backpack because the Iraqi children, particularly the girls, attend schools with no supplies. This week, the middle school is sending Maj. Beatman an additional 20 boxes of school supplies.
     During the first two weeks of November, Canton Intermediate School students also participated in Jack Bannan’s Farmington Valley Food Drive. Students and staff together collected over 2,057 pounds of non-perishable food items. That’s over 1 ton of food that students moved into the school and out again on its way to people who need it in these hard times. Currently, CIS students are engaged in a toy, book, and gift certificate drive for the Canton Chamber of Commerce.
     CIS has also started a new club called “Kids Care.” As their first project, they are collecting gently used books, toys, art supplies, puzzles, and blocks for children ages birth to age 5 for the Therapeutic Child Center.
     At Canton High School, two freshmen Autumn Magro and Shayla Durbois, pledged to go 30 hours without food to raise money to ease hunger in Africa. They began their fast at 8:00 a.m. on December 11th and ended it at 2:00 p.m. on the 12th.  Through pledges, at the end of their 30-hour fast they were able to donate over $400 to the World Vision Organization.  During the two days, the young women also spent time with the Salvation Army in Hartford wrapping presents for those in need and ringing bells at store fronts.
     Also at the high school, students and staff raised over $500 for Greg Mortensen’s “Pennies for Peace” program, supporting his Central Asia Institute which builds schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  The National Honor Society collected school supplies for Hartford elementary schools and made holiday cards to send to senior citizens. The Student Council collected new, unwrapped toys as admission to their recent dance.  This group also adopted two local families through Avon Social Services’ "Adopt-A-Family" program.  For the holidays, the Student Council presented the families, via social services, with nearly 40 gifts!  The Student Council is also in the process of organizing a "team" for the Komen "Race for the Cure" in June of 2010.
     A relatively new student group at the high school is called “Be the Change,” and these students made 12 fleece blankets that were delivered to "My Sister's Place," a shelter for battered women and children in Hartford.
     For the past two years, Canton Intermediate School has had an ongoing vested interest in the Kilimanjaro Education Foundation through which they are helping to build a school. To raise the necessary $12,000, they have produced a CD, hosted volleyball competitions with Cherry Brook, held a 6th grade Talent Show, and participated in a basketball shoot-out, all to build a CIS classroom in their sister school in Oltoroto, Tanzania. The walls are up, the roof is on, and what remains is finish work, painting, and furniture. The students have raised $9,458 so far, and will have completed their goal in the next few months. Once the classroom is done, CIS will receive pictures of their sister school classroom.
      The Middle School’s SFS (Substance Free Students) and Team Hybrid (a group of students from 7th and 8th grades) ran a canned food drive and sent 30 cartons of food Canton Food Bank.  In addition, the 8th grade team made sandwiches for "House of Bread" in Hartford, and about a dozen students (one or two students from each advisory group) traveled to Hartford with the teachers to make their delivery in time for lunch.

          All this generosity in the first four months of school! 
  Happy Holidays -- watch for the Blog to resume on January 8th!

School Closings and Delayed Openings: When? Who? and How?

by Lynn K. McMullin

To delay? Or, not to delay? To close? Not to close? When the weather is foul, parents, teachers, and the community at large often wonder how, when, and by whom the decision to close schools or to remain open is made. While one single factor is at the heart of each decision – student safety! – there still remains the question, how does a district determine when the roads are safe?

How are the weather-related decisions made?

First of all, I do set-up the AlertNow early notification system to teachers’ and students’ homes, and it is my voice you hear… but, I don’t make the decision.   In fact, no single individual makes the decision to cancel school or delay school’s opening.

The final call is a collaborative one usually made around 4:30 a.m. by Superintendent Kevin Case, Dean Martel owner of Martel Transportation who bears direct responsibility for student bus safety, Walter LeGeyt, the Director of Public Works, and the on-duty police dispatcher who is in constant contact with the police officers on the road. These individuals are paying close attention to the road conditions, particularly in North Canton where many times, due to a difference in elevation, the roads are more treacherous.  Ideally, at 4:30 a.m., they try to predict what the driving conditions will be like two hours later when the buses will actually hit the roads.  However, sometimes the conditions either worsen or don’t improve as anticipated and a decision to delay or cancel comes at 5:30 a.m. or later.

Yes, there are times when Avon or Simsbury have school and Canton doesn’t; but every town’s bus routes and road conditions are different.  Yes, there are times when your route, or my route, to work might be safely passable, but our older high school students and our buses must navigate some very difficult roads in the hilly North Canton neighborhoods.

In every case, only one question factors into the decision – will our students be safe today?


How to get weather-related updates!

First, the AlertNow Early Notification System is set-up to make phone calls to teachers and students’ homes on the morning of a delay or cancellation. Once the decision is made, the phone call to teachers is arranged immediately, usually around 5:15 a.m.  Hartford students also receive their calls at this time, too, since some of these students catch the bus around 6:00 a.m.  A second of round of calls to Canton students’ families is scheduled for 6:20 a.m.

Second, most schools have set-up the AlertNow student records to include email. If that is the case for your family, you can turn down the phone and use your email instead.   In a few days, you will be able to send a note to your school and arrange for a second email address if you need one.  You can also arrange to receive an email notice by registering for e-notifications at http://www.ctweather.com.   Just follow the on-line directions.

Third, check our www.cantonschools.org webpage.  I use the scrolling bar at the top of the page to post delays, cancellations, and early closings.  It is updated as soon as I have set-up the AlertNow calls.

Finally, you can still listen for school delays and cancellations on the radio and television as follows: WTIC – 1080 or 98.6, WDRC – 102.9, Fox 61, WVIT 30, WTNH 8, and WFSB 3.

More about AlertNow!

Sometimes I get requests regarding the AlertNow Early Notification System from families wanting special arrangements – Can we receive our call at 6:00 a.m., instead of 6:20?  Can we receive a call for delayed openings, but not for cancellations?  Can we receive a call on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays only?  I would love to accommodate, but AlertNow is not set up that way.  It operates from a database using our district’s student information system, so I can isolate ‘logical groups’ already existing within the system.  I could isolate gender or birthdates, for example, but those fields wouldn't make sense for announcements.  However, I can select “all students” and “all teachers” as sub-groups. AND, I can also isolate students by their specific bus routes.  The bus route sub-group, for example, is what allows me to place a special call to Hartford students.  There is a down-side to this special call, however; because when I later make the 6:20 a.m. call to “all students,” these families get a second call from me. The same is true for teachers who are also parents of a Canton student – two calls, one at 5:15 and one at 6:20.

Even with a computer-based system like AlertNow, mistakes happen!  If you are not receiving your AlertNow call, please contact the school with the correct phone numbers.  This past Wednesday, I disconnected a cell phone belonging to an elderly woman in South Carolina who called back to say she “has no kids and was enjoying her weather down south very much!”  Our records had her cell phone number listed as belonging to one of our teachers, but it was an easy fix.  After Wednesday’s call, I was also able to provide information to our schools about four invalid phone numbers and 22 disconnected phones, thus enabling us to correct our contact information.  I also know based on our “delivery report” that 78% of the calls went to answering machines, 14% were answered live (including the woman in South Carolina), 6% were ‘live partials’ (meaning the person hung up on us), and the remaining 2% were busy, disconnected, or invalid numbers.

How can Senior Citizens Be More Active in our Schools?

by Lynn K. McMullin

At a recent Board of Education meeting, this question was posed by one of our guests, and it’s a good one: How can our senior citizens be more involved in our schools? We would love to include senior citizens in a variety of ways and with flexible schedules. Join us once a day, once a week, once a month, once a year! Sometimes, we even come to you with programs at the Senior Center and would love your input about what you’d like to see more often.


Rather than answer this question school-by-school, I’ve grouped the possibilities for involvement in the school by interests, such as mentoring or working with clubs. All the contact numbers for volunteering are at the bottom of this posting.

We DO need mentors for young people!

Cherry Brook Primary School (grades K – 3) would appreciate seniors during lunchtime to help our littlest students open their milk cartons and snack packages, to sit with them while they eat, to talk to them as grandparents would, to promote intergenerational conversations. Cherry Brook Primary would always welcome assistance with read-alouds in the classrooms and with art projects, and especially on days when indoor recess is a must. Or, senior volunteers might prefer to help in the hallways in the afternoon at bus-time, saying “goodbye” and “see you tomorrow” to our littlest guests.

Canton Intermediate School (grades 4 – 6) is always looking for more senior citizens to volunteer as Friday morning greeters. This is an ongoing tradition and the kids and teachers love it! There is also a program, through the town’s Senior Center, in which senior citizens pair up with students once a week in the Talented and Gifted Program to complete writing projects.

Canton High School would welcome seniors willing to serve as mentors and tutors to students, particularly in the Canton Alternative Academy where mentors might work with students on real-life skills such as interviewing, communicating in the workplace, providing customer service, and so on. Canton Alternative Academy meets in the afternoon – early evening (from 3:00 - 6:00) and compassionate, caring mentors could make a real difference.


Are you interested in playing chess with students?

All four schools expressed an interest in senior citizens helping out with or starting up a chess club. Last week’s blog mentioned the academic and social success that students at Vaux Middle School, Philadelphia, achieved through chess, so this is a very timely request. Chess gives kids what is called “intellectual capital,” as it builds critical thinking and problem-solving skills. And, it’s fun!

Cherry Brook has an established Chess Club with about 80 students, and last year three students went on to state-level competition. The Cherry Brook Club, in its 7th year, is starting up again on January 13th, and it meets every Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:15 until March 31st.

We’d love to continue the success of Chess Club at CIS and the middle and high schools, so an individual or group of volunteers willing to start up a Chess Club would be an asset.  A Bridge Club or Cribbage Club is another possibility, and afterschool in the high school library is the ideal time and location for a new club to meet.

Why not attend student events? You’re invited!

Senior citizens are always welcome at our band and choral concerts, athletic events, and school plays. The high school Chamber Singers has an all-day concert tour around Canton on December 9th, and the full concert schedule is available on the high school website, by clicking on “Canton Music” and then “Music Calendar.” The PRISMS Concert is one highlight of the high school concert schedule. The evening is designed by the students and is always spectacular! This year’s PRISMS concert is scheduled for February 5th at 7:30 (rain date the 7th). Other events to watch for are the very popular “Concert in the Park” at Mills Pond on June 8th at 6:00 and the Senior Citizen Prom on June 10th at 3:00 in the Community Center.

The athletic calendar and daily events calendar are also good sources of information for inexpensive and fun events. Both calendar links are above this blog link on our webpage. For any of these events, you can also call the high school for a free ticket or even a ride, if you need one.

Have you considered auditing a course?

A course called “Surfing for Seniors” in which students taught seniors more about the Internet, just finished up at the high school. It met once a week on Wednesday afternoons. It will be offered again in the spring. But there are other interesting courses you might want to consider in areas such as technology education, art, and creative writing. High school courses held in the afternoon, during Periods E, F, and G, don’t rotate, so they meet at the same time every day. You might want to ask about courses held specifically during the afternoon.

For more information about any of these ideas, or if you have an idea of your own, please contact:


Tina McCarthy, Cherry Brook Primary School -- 693-7721
Lori Carlson, Canton Intermediate School -- 693-7717
Nan Bartlett, Canton Middle School -- 693-7712
Lisa Davidson, Canton High School -- 693-7707

Making the Right Choices: CABE / CAPSS Convention

by Lynn K. McMullin

The Friday blog was posted on Friday evening this week so that I could share some of our enthusiasm for today’s convention hosted jointly by the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education and the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents. It’s held annually and features speakers, exhibits, vendors, and a variety of workshops. This year Canton won first place awards for both the district webpage and the “Brick-by-Brick Report,” but that’s not why we were there. The convention offers an expedient way to get new ideas and resources to bring back to Canton.

This morning’s keynote speaker was inspirational; Salome Thomas-El is the author of two books and his story will be the subject of an upcoming movie with Will Smith. Thomas-El spoke of the difference a community of teachers and parents have made in Vaux Middle School in Philadelphia where learning to play chess has changed the lives of hundreds of students. His students have won world recognition as eight-time National Chess Champions. They accomplished this feat despite growing up in a world where “people everywhere waited in the wings to kill the dream.”  Thomas-El said ‘the Hollywood message’ tends to turn school success movies into stories of the lone hero teacher who rides in to save the day. That’s not how it really works; and he has negotiated for 11 months to secure the thematic concept that it takes twenty to thirty committed individuals, all with the same vision and belief, all working tirelessly, for lasting change to happen.

Canton's Board of Education members Leslee Hill, Beth Kandrysawtz, Sue Saidel, and newly-elected Mark Lange attended the convention along with Superintendent Kevin Case and me. After the keynote, we divided up the many workshops among us, so that we would come away with as much information as possible. In the morning we covered “Navigating Connecticut’s Freedom of Information,” “What it Will Take for Connecticut’s Students to be Prepared for the 21st Century,” “Trends,” Legal and Legislative Issues,” “Policy Implications of Recent Legislation,” and “Negotiations.” During the afternoon session we covered workshops in the common mistakes superintendents and boards make, communications, tapping parent leadership, restructuring schools to control costs, and quality education in difficult times. The evening’s keynote speaker provided a humorous, but eye-opening look at “the modern student’s technology.” Did you know voice mail and email are already “so three weeks ago!”?

I can’t predict right now the impact of this year’s convention because we haven’t had a chance to ‘debrief,’ but I can tell you we listened, took notes, asked questions, collected resources, and networked.  This blog is the result of last year’s convention at which Dr. David Title, Bloomfield’s Superintendent, urged the use of a weekly blog as an open communication tool.  This year, coincidentally, Dr. Title was named Connecticut's "Superintendent of the Year."  In the past, the convention has given us policy revision and negotiation ideas, newsletter and communications formats, and appreciations for the do’s and don’ts that translate into effective practices. When school leaders work together and share information about what works, it keeps us all from reinventing the wheel.

How to Make the Most of a Parent Conference

Every two weeks, I meet with our newly-hired teachers and discuss Canton’s philosophy and approach to various facets of teaching. Last week’s topic was “Conducting Effective Parent Conferences;” and we talked about welcoming parents and clearly communicating students' progress and expectations. While it is very important for teachers to know how to structure a conference, it’s also important for parents to know how to maximize that limited time as well.

Who should attend conferences?
Definitely attend conferences if your child is struggling academically or socially!  Definitely attend if your child is doing very well!  Every parent has a right to schedule a conference, to be treated with respect, and to be given a current progress report, clear goal statements, and suggestions for working together as partners in their student’s best interests. You should never feel like you don’t belong or are taking up the teacher’s time. If your schedule does not permit attending conferences, or if you have too many conferences to squeeze them all in, call and ask for alternatives.


Why should parents attend?
Maybe you’re asking yourself why you should attend for the umpteenth time and what you're supposed to say or ask during a parent teacher conference. After all, you’ve got a progress report; you’ve seen papers come home; you have, or will receive, a report card. What’s left? Face to face communication can be much more effective than a number or letter on a report card. You can learn so much about the teacher’s expectations and your child’s progress when you and the teacher review a few of those papers together. Facial expressions and body language can also help you and the teacher better understand each other’s attitudes and perceptions.

The art of the elementary school conference:
1. Ask how your child is doing overall in the classroom. Is your son or daughter behind, ahead, or on target academically and socially? Is your child happy in the classroom?
2. Ask to review some specific information about your child’s work in comparison to a benchmark. The teacher should be able to show you what the grade-level expectations are for writing, for example, or what a sample math problem or open-ended task looks like. The teacher should be able to tell you and demonstrate your child’s reading level.  Together, you should compare your child’s papers or written work to a benchmark or standard. Some teachers can also provide rubrics which describe what they are assessing.
3. Wherever your child is on the spectrum, ask what the teacher’s goals are for your child, when your child might reach those goals, and how your child is going to get there.
4. Ask about your child’s personal performance. Is your child working hard? To his or her full potential? Does your child enjoy the academic work?  Share what you observe during homework time. Share any strategies that motivate your child … or circumstances that shut him/her down.
5. Ask about your child’s social growth. Does your child get along with others? Is your child friendly and respectful towards others? Does your child handle frustration, disappointment, guilt, or anger appropriately? Is your child accepted by others?
6. Both the teacher and parents must try to give vague observations a clearer context. If you can’t picture your child in a particular scenario, say, “Tell me more about that.” Ask the teacher to describe a particular time, place, and situation. Provide the same specifics for the teacher, when necessary. The goal is to determine ‘what works.’
7. Ask the teacher about your child’s good qualities and strengths. How can you, together, as a team, capitalize on those qualities and strengths?
8. Ask the teacher for suggestions about what you can do at home to support what the teacher is doing in school. There are specific ways parents can help children develop number sense, engage in critical thinking, read and follow multi-step directions, or make connections between stories (or even movies) and their own lives.
9. Ask what’s coming next. What’s the next unit in math or science? The next skill in reading?
10. If necessary, plan a follow-up conversation. Sometimes the teacher needs to think through a question or research new information. In that case, the teacher will need to get back to you. Sometimes, you’ll agree to try new strategies at home or in school and a follow-up will be necessary to evaluate the strategy.

Middle school and high school conferences are much tougher. Because teachers must see 40 or more parents in three days, secondary school conferences are considerably shorter. As a result, specific details about the student (rather than generic observations) and the facial expression and body language from both parties become the key communication devices. There IS time to be friendly; but there’s no time to chat about older siblings who went off to college, where the student is currently working, or the outcome of a recent sport or music event.
The art of the 8-minute conference:
1. Ask how your child is doing overall in the subject. Is your son or daughter behind, ahead, or on target academically for that course? Is your child engaged, interested, and involved in the classroom?
2. Bring the last progress report with you and ask the teacher about any patterns you’ve observed. For example, your student might be struggling with homework or tests and quizzes. Ask the teacher for strategies which can strengthen weak areas. Ask for content-specific studying tips, such as flash cards or out-loud practice in front of a mirror. If you don’t know the amount of homework time expected each night, ask.
3. Ask to see your child’s work in comparison to a benchmark. The teacher should be able to show you what the grade-level expectations are for some elements of the content area -- a sample of a lab report, a one-page essay, or a test question response, for example. The teacher should be able to define the work qualities being assessed, such as labeling, showing all steps in a process, using complete sentences, or providing specific examples. Some teachers can provide rubrics which describe what they are assessing.
4. If necessary, plan a follow-up meeting or phone call, especially when a parent-teacher collaboration is required for the student to improve.

Conferences are November 17th, 18th, and 19th. Early release days are scheduled to accommodate the greatest number of parents.

Veterans Day in our Schools

by Lynn K. McMullin

Our school-based commemoration of our local veterans is now a decade-long tradition, and each year our celebrations become more meaningful.  In 2005, the Board of Education made the conscious decision that Canton would hold school on Veteran’s Day, rather than taking the day off. Board members, administrators, and teachers recognized that lessons about patriotism and what it means to serve your country would mean more if the kids were in school rather than at the mall or watching television.

However, some of our students had begun recognizing veterans five years earlier through efforts such as Veterans Voices and the Veteran’s Day Breakfast. Veterans Voices was a research and writing project in which high school students interviewed a local veteran, wrote a transcript of the interview, and then crafted a historical-fiction story especially for the veteran. The stories were read and presented during a special evening event. The interviews, stories, and pictures from this project can be found on our webpage near the bottom of the left menu, under “Canton.” By clicking this link, you can read the stories told by 50 local veterans. Sadly, some of these celebrated veterans are no longer with us. We’ve lost, for example, WWII veteran Sam Humphrey, who worked with two of our Canton students over the years; Robert Gillespie, who trained pilots during WWII, and my own father, Robert Ellershaw, a Navy electrician, who had never before spoken about the war.

Shortly after participating in Veterans Voices, two high school students Abby Daley and Sarah Miner, with the assistance of then-Assistant Principal Jordan Grossman, held the first Vetrean's Day Breakfast on a Saturday morning in early November 2000. Even the organizers of this event were amazed by the large turnout and the warmth and appreciation coming from the veterans they were trying to appreciate.

Now, that spirit, which bridged two generations, lives on in new projects. For the past four years, the Middle School students have reached out to men and women currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The students go to a website called www.anysoldier.com, where they can read about the needs of a wide range of military groups. There a representative of the group tells viewers who they are and what they need. The vast majority of our servicemen and women ask for Chapstick, suntan lotion, throat lozenges, personal hygiene items, socks, reading material, snacks – the things we take for granted in our everyday lives. They also want Beanie Babies, which they keep in their pockets and give to children they meet. Mostly, however, they want mail from people at home. If your family would like to help, visit the website and click on the “Tango Mike” video to get started.

This year, the high school’s video production class was inspired to write and produce a video honors veterans called “Why Veteran’s Day.” The video will be featured at the high school assembly at 9:15 on the 11th. All three PTO’s are volunteering breakfast or lunch for our guests and their families, and the schools’ bands and choruses are learning songs of tribute. It is a heart-tugging sight to hear the Middle School band playing each of the service anthems one-by-one and the veterans in the audience standing when they hear the theme of their branch.

Each school celebrates Veteran’s Day in its own age-appropriate way. The ceremonies are detailed below. Feel free to join us.

Cherry Brook Primary School

The PTO will host a luncheon from 1:15 – 2:00 p.m. for veterans and their guests. Lunch will be followed by a half-hour assembly in the gym in which students will sing songs and read poems. Then, from 2:30 – 3:15, the veterans will visit the classrooms of the children who invited them, where they can choose between reading a specially selected book provided by the teacher… or, telling a story of their own choice. Currently, fifteen veterans are expected, but any interested veteran is welcome. If you would like to participate at CBPS, please call Tina McCarthy at 693-7721.

Canton Intermediate School

The students and staff at Canton Intermediate School are looking forward to welcoming and honoring local veterans at the annual Veterans Day Celebration from 8:00 – 10:50 a.m. Before the event, students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 will have discussed what it means to be a veteran, why we celebrate Veterans’ Day, and why it is important for us to honor our veterans each year. Students have invited family members and friends who have served in the armed forces to participate in the celebration. Special vocal and instrumental music is being prepared, and some students will read speeches they have written for the occasion. In addition, the PTO is planning a breakfast reception for veterans, families, and student ambassadors. Veterans who would like to participate may sign up by calling the CIS office at 693-7717 by Monday, November 9.

Canton Middle School

The event will begin at 8:00 a.m. with an hour-long assembly of music and speakers. Two students are scheduled to speak about the history of Veterans Day and service to country, and both the band and the chorus have prepared patriotic and commemorative pieces for the assembly. Veterans may also speak to the whole assembly when they are introduced. On the stage, the boxes of supplies being sent to Iraq or Afghanistan will be displayed. Each advisory sponsored a group from anysoldier.com and tried to meet the needs of that group. A PTO breakfast will follow immediately, and then veterans are invited to attend any of the classrooms to speak and answer questions. Please call Nan Bartlett at 693-7712, if you would like to join the festivities

Canton High School

The Canton High School will hold a full assembly beginning at 9:15 a.m. in the auditorium. The assembly will begin with the pledge and a moment of silence. The student choral group, the B Sharps, will perform; and students will get their first glimpse of the video production class’s video titled “Why Veteran’s Day?”

Veterans will then be invited to attend specific social studies classes, such as World in Transition, U.S. History, or Government classes. Veterans are asked to call the school at 693-7707 if they would like to participate.

World Language at Canton High School

by Lynn K. McMullin

Some of the issues and decisions surrounding World Language at the Canton High School have captured the community’s attention, so I’d like to try to answer as many of the questions as possible.


Why were Honors and Academic combined into non-weighted classes?

Let’s lay some groundwork.

1. First, the division of the World Languages into two tracks, Honors and Academic, began in 2002 and was continued until 2008 – 2009, when the levels were still distinct, but were being taught in the same classroom. Prior to 2002, there had not been any Honors and Academic tracking or weighting of grades. Tracking was begun in 2002 under the assumption that an Honors track would increase the number of students who took Level 5 and AP classes in French and Spanish.  As of 2008 – 2009, enrollment in these advanced levels had not increased. Last year, in fact, no students took AP French, and one student took AP Spanish through an on-line Virtual High School course. So, the rationale for tracking students in the first place never fulfilled itself, and in all likelihood has created the division we currently see among students. In Grades 7 and 8, there has never been any tracking in World Languages.

2. We must offer students the same opportunities in both World Languages. We cannot offer Honors and Academic tracks in Spanish unless we offer Honors and Academic tracks in French. Honors tracks receive quality points in configuring a student’s GPA. To offer quality points in Spanish and not French would give Spanish students an unfair GPA advantage over French students and thereby doom the future of French.  Likewise, we cannot offer students the opportunity to advance to an AP level in one language and not the other.

So, last February, when we were building the budget, we were faced with some very hard choices. Based on the 2008 – 2009 enrollment figures, and February’s course selection sheets, if we had maintained Honors and Academic tracking, we would have had seven under-enrolled World Language classes:

□ French II Academic – 9 students
□ French III Academic – 9 students
□ French III Honors – 11 students
□ Spanish IV Academic – 7 students
□ Spanish V and AP / Honors – 10 students
□ French V and AP / Honors – 5 students

In fact, the French V and AP Honors enrollment of five students was so close to the Board of Education’s class size limit that we monitored it weekly to make sure one or two students didn’t drop the course.

When we look at enrollments, we make decisions based on the district’s needs and very often are weighing one difficult choice over another. Do we support low enrollments at the high school and eliminate a section at Grade 5, for example? Should we let the class sizes in the elementary schools rise above 23 and 24? Should we let English and social studies classes at the high school rise to 26 and 27?  We have to look at what we call ‘course load’ very carefully. Should one high school teacher have 105 students in his/her course load and another have 60?

It’s not a secret that last year’s budget caused some reductions in school personnel. The decision to end tracking in the World Language department resulted in average class sizes of 18 students per class in that department. Maintaining tracking would have resulted in even smaller class size averages.  Level IV in both languages does have Honors weighting, and there is a commitment to maintaining Levels V and AP in both languages as well.  Students applying to the most competitive courses will have the opportunity to take the most rigorous courses in World Language in their junior and senior years.  Incidentally, the number of students in AP Spanish has increased dramatically to12 students.

What are we doing to meet the needs of all World Language students?

We are asking teachers to differentiate their instruction by researching new strategies, implementing these strategies in the classroom, sharing what works with their colleagues, and incorporating technology. The use of technology, through a virtual language lab called Virtuoso, (which will be available by January), is a key component. Virtuoso, a computer-based program, will allow teachers to select, listen to, and provide feedback to students as the students individually respond to oral language cues and assignments. The program also records the students' responses for later reviewing, as well. This oral language strategy is the key ingredient in achieving success for all, as the students’ written work is easily differentiated.

Has overseas travel been cancelled because the World Language teachers no longer want to bother taking the kids on trips?

Nothing could be farther from the truth; the teachers are remarkably willing to resurrect these trips. Before it approves the Saltillo, Mexico, trip, the Board of Education is simply re-looking at its policy regarding these trips to ensure students’ safety.

Parents, however, do need to understand these trips from a teacher’s perspective, especially since overseas trips are not owed to a student.  In education, we are trained to always act "in loco parentis,” a legal term meaning that a teacher must act "in the place of the parent." That is a weighty responsibility. I have taken kids on several overseas trips in my career, and I can't even describe the level of concern you have for their safety minute-to-minute. What if a child forgets and just steps of a curb in front of a taxi which is coming from the other direction in Europe? If something were to happen to a student, a teacher’s greatest fear isn’t ‘getting sued,’ as parents believe.  That's not what this is about. Imagine the sense of guilt, responsibility, and regret that would plague you indefinitely: "What didn't I do that I could have done to keep this student safe?" That's the burden of "in loco parentis." In light of what happened a few years ago, the WL department has made a remarkable recovery, has once again readily proposed trips, and is now waiting for the Board of Education to reassess its policy.

The district's issues are complex and the intention here is to explain that no one is out to hurt kids through the decision-making process. The opposite is true!  I often explain to people that our budget is so tight it’s not as if we’re not choosing between champagne and caviar. We’re choosing between bread and milk.

Do We Get Grants?

by Lynn K. McMullin

Does our school district ever take advantage of grant opportunities?

The answer is, “Yes, we do! And, as often as possible!” Since July 1st, we have received $139,000 in grants, and we’re waiting to hear about another $34,000 in pending applications. What have we won, so far?

1. $114,950 for our participation in Open Choice. The grant award must be used to attract, retain, and ensure the academic and social success of Open Choice students. But, it must also include Canton students, so it was a win-win opportunity. Our proposal was to implement a reading recovery program, called Lexia®, at all four schools and it covers the salary for tutors, training, software, headsets, and computer equipment. It also includes $300 per elementary teacher for additional books for their leveled classroom libraries, professional development for Lexia and Botvin LifeSkills healthy choices program, and three renowned programs for grades 6 – 12. The best part is it’s renewable!

2. $15,750 for the curriculum development, textbooks, and materials for our new Personal Finance course at the high school.

3. $4,400 from the Canton Education Foundation for LifeCycles and additional aerobics equipment to support a curricular change in Physical Education grades 7 – 12.

4. $4,000 from the Connecticut Education Association (CEA) for the costs of mentoring our newly-hired teachers.

But, the answer to the question is also that there are dwindling numbers of grants available and often restrictions in the grants limit our opportunity to apply. A common misconception is that philanthropic organizations will simply give money away. In truth, organizations have a very specific mission and clearly defined projects that they want to support. We’ve applied for four grants totaling $$25,000 to improve the courtyard at CBPS. Both grants required “green” elements; in our case, benches made from recycled products and specific teaching stations where students can learn “green” concepts. Thus, we’ve included a photo-voltaic powered pump, solar lights, and a composting center, among other things.

Many grants have specific target audiences, such as urban schools, or disadvantaged schools with high percentages of free and reduced lunch, or schools in specific geographical locations, such as one for habitat studies in coastal areas and another for schools located near a Dow Chemical plant. Many grants target very specific projects, such as webpage development or the development of a Personal Finance course, like the one I mentioned we won above. Virtually none will support salaries, however.

So, how do we find the grants that are right for Canton? I subscribe to a service called “eSchool News Online Grants and Funding Alert” and read it monthly looking for grants that match our needs. Since most grants take many hours to write, it doesn’t make sense to apply for grants requiring us to develop programs we don’t really want or need. In addition, the Board of Education only rarely approves a grant which is embedded with future budget implications, called "future indebtedness" becuase it would require the BOE's support for additional years. Therefore, I most often look for one-time-only purchases or self-sustaining projects.

Feel free to make suggestion, ask questions, or offer a comment,
Lynn

Dealing with Adolescents

by Lynn K. McMullin

Last night, I had the opportunity to enjoy a humorous, yet very practical program with Dr. Anthony Wolf, author of Get Out of My Life, but First Could You Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall: The Parents Guide to the New Teenager. The program was hosted by the Canton Youth Services Bureau and the Canton Community of Concern. This weekend, the first thing I’m going to do, is log onto amazon.com and order Dr. Wolf’s book.

As parents in the audience, we felt like Wolf had looked in on our house and had somehow met our children. Wolf had us laughing at our kids, yes! -- but at ourselves, too, because we really do know what to say to our teens.

Wolf explained that inside every adolescent a little war is raging between the ‘baby self’ (which wants to be taken care of) and the ‘mature self’ (which wants to grow up and be in charge). In fact, he said our ‘baby self’ is still with us even in adulthood; we just manage it better. All day long at school, with friends, at sports, and at play, the adolescent works at letting his or her ‘mature self’ dominate. That's why teachers and adults tells us such wonderful things. However, at home, with parents, in a desire to return to the blissfulness of childhood, the ‘baby self’ emerges in our teen. Unfortunately, the ‘baby self’ is impatient, fussy, and demanding. The ‘baby self’ does not look at itself honestly, judge itself, or have a conscience. It simply wants what it wants. Wolf’s examples were very true and very funny:
“Mom, can I go to the mall?”
“No, dear, it’s a school night, and you’re fighting a cold.”
“I’ll be home by 9:30, and you know the mall closes at 9:30.”
“That’s not the point. I don’t want you out on school nights.”
“But, that’s not fair. You let Matt do all kinds of stuff because he’s a boy.”
“Matt is older. Besides we’re not talking about Matt.”
“You never let me do anything I want to do.”
“I said no, and that’s final.”
“Everyone else’s mother is letting them go.”
“You’re starting to make me angry.”
“You’re angry? I’m the one that can’t go to the mall when I need to.”

Wolf said the ‘baby self’ can go on like this for--EVER. And if only once in 20 or so attempts, the ‘baby self’ wears the parent down and gets what it wants, that’s enough to encourage the ‘baby self’s’ ongoing resilience and future emergence. Even though the adolescent does have a ‘mature self’ that should be saying, “OK, this mall-thing is really no big deal. I can go over the weekend, and I really should take it easy tonight,” it’s NOT going to happen at home, where the ‘baby self’ has dominance.

So, what did Wolf say a parent can do? The steps were easy: 1. Make a decision. 2. Express it firmly. 3. Disengage. Even, if you have to leave the room. But, never, ever argue with the ‘baby self.’ If something happens between you and the 'baby self', something that you do need to address, talk about it later when your adolescent’s ‘baby self’ is not dominating.

The hour and a half that Wolf held the audience in his grasp was entertaining and also very encouraging. The adolescent's ‘mature self’ is the REAL self, Wolf explained. It is the ‘mature self’ that the world is seeing, and it is the ‘mature self’ that will emerge almost completely in adulthood.

Dr. Wolf presented a terrific program, so 'thank you' to the two community groups mentioned above for bringing him to Canton. And, if you missed it, why not read the book?

Students' Wellness and Health

by Lynn K. McMullin

I'm using this Friday's blog to tell you more about our efforts to enhance student's wellness, a perfect topic this week because two fabulous events are on the immediate horizon.

The first is the chance to hear Dr. Anthony Wolf, author of Get Out of My Life, but First Could You Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall: The Parents Guide to the New Teenager. Dr. Wolf will present a sometime humorous, always practical look at parenting an adolescent. The talk is aimed at parents of children in grades 6 – 12, but all are welcome. Join us Thursday, October 15, at 7:00 in the CHS/CMS auditorium. We work closely with the Community of Concern and Youth Services Board who are co-sponsoring this program.

The second is an after-school cooking class for students in grades 9 - 12 to be held in the state-of-the art Culinary Arts Lab at the High School. This seven-week session begins on October 22, and students can register in the CHS Office. This Iron Chef program is offered by Teresa Dotson, who also provides the district with the “Building Healthy Families” programs and website.

But, what else are we doing?

1. This month one of the Middle School's PE/Health teachers is going to Virginia for two-days to learn the Botvin LifeSkills Training program for grades 7 and 8. A grant provided the money for both the training and materials. The program fosters students’ ability to make positive choices in all situations, not just the ones they have been told to avoid. Lifeskills Training is one of the few research-based intervention programs listed in the National What Works Database. Currently, 28 different research studies provide data that the program cuts tobacco use by 87%, alcohol use by 60%, and poly-drug use by 66%.

2. Over the summer the High School's PE/Health curriculum was rewritten to emphasize overall "wellness" vs. athletic skills. New objectives focus on warm-ups to prevent injury, personal fitness activities, aerobic and anaerobic exercise, and so on. The goals are for 100% participation, 100% of the time. When sports are de-emphasized as the means to wellness, students are more likely to develop active adult lifestyles. To this end, the Canton Education Foundation has provided a grant for two Lifecycles® and additional aerobic equipment, such as steps and Xertubes®.

3. The McCall Foundation is in its third year of working with high school students, and this year its services have expanded to include more students. McCall’s groups provide drug and alcohol education and counseling to students seeking help for themselves or for their peers. In addition, McCall, as well as Parents-4-A-Change, will visit 9th and 10th grade Health and Wellness classes. The McCall Foundation work is funded by the Community of Concern and Youth Services Board, another example of school and community collaboration.

4. Canton Intermediate and Canton Middle School are combining resources for a student program called “The Power of Words,” with Monte Selby. The program is aimed at positive school relationships and anti-bullying. Canton Intermediate also offered an Internet Safety Program for parents last week.

5. There is an active Substance Free Students group at both the High School and Middle School. Call the school offices for more information.

6. At CBPS, our students are part of an early morning walking club when they get off the bus until school begins.

These programs are just a few of the things we are doing to promote healthy choices among students and their families.

Opening Day in Canton

by Lynn K. McMullin

School opened with many excited students and only a few glitches. The three days of teacher inservice before school began were used to break out a new student information system, called Power School. This change was made necessary when Pearson dropped the SASI system that Canton had been using for years. Their new product, Power School, is internet based and will have features parents will appreciate.
Teachers also began working with a new Evaluation and Continuous Professional Growth Plan. In addition, we met to transition Special Education students from one grade to the next, to discuss bullying prevention and Title IX legalities, and at the high school, to study John Collins writing improvement strategies. We also began working with data teams and analyzing the summer's released test scores. (See CMT Scores and CAPT Scores articles in the scrolling gray box.)
We welcomed new staff (see our scrapbook of new faces under 'Featured Articles' below) and we celebrated with tremendous pride our preschool teacher Anne Lippincott as our 'Teacher of the Year.' During this celebration we learned the preschool was one of a few in the nation to receive a National Certification with scores of 100+ in seven of the 10 categories.
In short, it was a very strong and positive beginning to the 2009-2010 school year.

Approved Budget

by Lynn K. McMullin

On Monday, May 11th, at the Town Budget Meeting the town voters passed the proposed town budget; 106 voted in support, 13 opposed. The mill rate was set at 25.64

The school budget passed with a 1.19% increase, as follows: (decreases in the budget are in red and in parentheses.)

Salaries $273,055
Employee Benefits $227,917
Out-of-District Tuition $107,908
Other Operational ($ 33,494)
Dues and Fees $ 2,133
Capital Improvement Projects $ 70,262
Equipment and Furniture ($ 24,750)Heat Energy ($ 61,203)Supplies ($ 10,094)Technology ($ 93,946)
Board of Finance additional Reduction to Budget ($195,000)
2008-2009 Approved Budget $22,021,023
Total Operating Budget Increase 1.19% $ 262,788

Total Budget $22,283,811

This proposed budget:
Ø Reflects an additional decrease of $195,000 as directed by the Board of Finance. Specific line-item reductions will be determined by the Board of Education.
Ø Reflects services to 1,811 students, an increase of 46 students from the district’s actual enrollment in 2008-2009.
Ø Maintains appropriate class sizes in Grades K-8. All projected class sizes, K-12, for 2009-2010 are within the established guidelines as set by the Board of Education.
Ø Includes the implementation of a Participation Fee for athletics to fund the cost of the athletic trainer and other associated athletic costs.
Ø Does not fund the replacement of computers, laser printers, and other hardware to replace aging equipment per our district’s technology plan or fund any new technology.
Ø Provides services for 18 students placed out of the district. These tuition and transportation costs represent a 25.54% increase over this year’s budget.
Ø Includes funding for an additional Grade 2 Teacher at Cherry Brook Primary School to meet growing enrollment needs.
Ø Reflects a .5 reduction in the ACT Program at Canton Intermediate School.
Ø Reflects the decrease of 7 special education paraprofessionals at Canton Intermediate School and 3 special education paraprofessionals at Canton Middle School based upon the projected needs of the students and a different model for delivering support services.
Ø Reflects the reduction of a .5 Special Education Teacher at Cherry Brook Primary School based upon student needs.
Ø Reflects the equivalent of a decrease of 1.0 FTE position in the maintenance/custodial areas.
Ø Reflects the decrease of the Director of Physical Plant position from .7 to .5 FTE.

Feel free to ask questions or comment on the school budget. Your input is valued.

Current Proposed School Budget

by Lynn K. McMullin

The current proposed school budget is now a 2.08% increase or an increase of
$457,788. Since just two line items - salaries and benefits - total $501, 000, it's obvious there have been many decreases. Furthermore, the 2.08% increase includes Capital Improvements and $195,000 for a down-payment and architect for two or three much needed modular classrooms at Cherry Brook Primary School. Most area school districts fund Capital Improvements separately from the education budget.

Please view the budget presentation on Nutmeg TV on Tuesday, April 14th at 5:30 p.m. or Wednesday, April 15th at 9:30 p.m.
Please attend the Board of Finance's Public hearing on Thursday, April 16 at 7:00 at the Canton Community center and their Budget Workshop on Tuesday, April 21st, at 4:00 p.m. also at the Community Center.
Please read the most recent newsletter, visit and read the on-line 2009 Brick-by-Brick report and the 10 Questions feature.

Please post any questions you have -- we're here to answer.

BOE Adopted Budget

On the Webpage, just above this Blog Link, you can find information about:
1. The Board of Ed Adopted Budget, now at 2.58%
2. Dates for future meetings
3. Enrollments

If you have questions or comments about the budget, please share them.

Budget Process

by Lynn K. McMullin

The Administrative team, along with the Board of Education's Finance Sub-Committee, have been working very hard since November to develop a fiscally-responsible budget for the district which does not compromise the high achievement we have been reporting to you over the past few years. Now, the Board of Education begin its deliberations with the administrators and the community. Here are significant dates to mark on your calendar:

1. Thursday, February 12, 2009 -- 7:00 p.m. -- Canton Community Center -- Board of Education meeting -- Superintendent’s Budget Presentation

2. Tuesday, February 24, 2009 -- 10:00 a.m. -- Canton Community Center --Budget Presentation to the Community

3. Tuesday, February 24, 2009 -- 1:30 p.m. -- Canton Intermediate School --Budget Presentation to the Community

4. Tuesday, February 24, 2009 -- 8:00 p.m. -- Canton Community Center --Budget Public Hearing

5. Wednesday, February 25, 2009 -- 2:30 p.m. -- Cherry Brook Primary School --Budget Presentation to the Community

6. Thursday, March 5, 2009 -- 7:00 p.m. -- Canton Community Center -- Board of Education meeting -- Adoption of 2009-2010 School Budget

Please use this spot to post your budget-related questions or comments, so we can know what's on your mind.