Published by The Boston Globe
Part of "Counting to Ten: A regional update on the first decade of the 21st century"
Ten years ago, green was the color to describe someone looking a little ill. Nowadays, however, it also symbolizes a worldwide movement to protect the earth’s environment.
In the past few years, Massachusetts communities have been taking green to a level above reduce, reuse, recycle. Hopkinton was the first town in the state to add solar panels to municipal buildings, setting up 1,800 panels on four structures as part of an energy-conservation plan.
The panels were built even before the town applied to become a Massachusetts Green Community, a designation established in 2008 as part of the Green Communities Act.
The program allows any town or city that meets five criteria for reducing energy use to apply for grants to fund future green projects, said Mark Sylvia, Green Communities director.
“The Green Communities criteria for the grant program are a high bar,’’ said Sylvia. “Municipalities that meet the five criteria are committed to do a number of things. . . It really demonstrates them as leaders in the Commonwealth.’’
Hopkinton was among the 35 municipalities named in the first round of the Green Community program in May, while 18 more earned the designation two weeks ago. Area communities also on the list are Acton, Arlington, Harvard, Lexington, Lincoln, Marlborough, Medway, Natick, Newton, Sudbury, Watertown, and Wayland.
It was several years ago that Hopkinton selectmen formed the town’s Sustainable Green Committee, which then organized a plan to fulfill the Green Community requirements, said committee member John Keane.
“Sustainability is important to us,’’ said Keane, president of a local energy consulting firm. “When the governor announced the program, it was very much in keeping with goals of the town.’’
The program allowed the town to move conservation plans forward and receive grants for more projects, he said.
The program requires adoption of the Stretch Building Code, an optional addition to the state’s set of regulations covering construction projects; the new code sets higher energy-efficiency standards, among other requirements.
Hopkinton Town Meeting passed the stretch code, which adds about $3,000 to the cost of building a typical single-family home, but also sets up an average of $400 in annual savings on energy bills, including rebates and tax credits, officials say.
“Obviously, there was some lively debate,’’ said Keane. “Some people felt it was, in this particular economic climate, tough to put more burden on new development, but more people were in favor of it.’’
The stretch code is scheduled to become mandatory for all new buildings statewide in 2012 anyway, said Keane.
The cost of implementing energy-saving changes will be about $2 million, according to the town’s plan. The federal Energy STAR program is providing rebates and incentives worth about $540,000. Whatever parts that couldn’t be funded by rebates will be covered by the Green Communities grant, said Keane.
Hopkinton expects to save $428,373 on energy annually after about three and a half years, with a 29 percent return on investment, the committee’s plan states.
“A payback like that is overwhelmingly justified,’’ said Keane. “Moving forward, all the benefits are cost free.’’
All of Hopkinton’s planned projects are on schedule, he said.
Other than adopting the stretch code, participating communities must generate, research, or manufacture alternative sources of energy; approve expedited permitting for alternative-energy companies; reduce energy consumption by 20 percent within five years; and use fuel-efficient vehicles in municipal fleets.
Local officials have been eager to implement these changes to reduce costs, improve energy efficiency, and show their town is “on the cutting edge,’’ said state official Sylvia.
Sometimes, residents or grass-roots organizations push local leaders to apply for the program, as is the case of Marlborough. Resident Jennifer Boudrie, who founded the group Green Marlborough in 2007, was the first to audit her city’s energy usage in 2006.
“In some ways, we were the engine behind this drive to become a Green Community,’’ Boudrie said of her organization. “But we worked shoulder to shoulder with municipal staff, people in the business community, and residents.’’
Marlborough, which created its Sustainability Action Plan in 2008, was among those named as a Green Community two weeks ago. When the City Council saw how much could be saved in energy and money, its members were inspired to “help lead the community in a greener direction,’’ said Boudrie.
“The state was very wise to create the Green Communities program,’’ she said.
Priscilla Ryder, Marlborough’s conservation officer, said now is the time for builders and officials to learn about energy efficiency, because the economy is slow and there is more time to develop new skills. When the economy picks up again, Marlborough will be ready to use those skills, she said.
“Clearly, incentives for the grants fold right into where we’re going anyway,’’ said Ryder. “We might as well get some benefits that help us to advance it.’’
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Business brisk at hardware store
Published by The Boston Globe
NEEDHAM — Other Needham storefronts were dark and empty, but Harvey’s Hardware at 1004 Great Plain Ave. was bustling with customers who trekked through the snow and wind to mitigate their snowstorm needs.
Gary Katz, the owner, said he arrived at Harvey’s at 2:45 a.m. yesterday to clear snow for a delivery truck. The store opened promptly at 7 a.m., the regular opening time, with a half-dozen employees ready for the day’s commerce.
“Hey, we’re a hardware store, right guys,’’ said Katz. Sure enough, customers soon materialized.
Walter Schmid, 62, came in to get new shear pins for his broken snow blower. He had put off the repair last year, and it took him an hour to clear his driveway with his neighbor’s snow blower so he could drive to Harvey’s to get his own one fixed.
“And I have a big driveway,’’ said Schmid, who lives on High Street in Newton Upper Falls.
John Faggiano, a 43-year-old Needham resident, was checking out the sleds hanging on the brick wall outside the store. He was planning to buy a few for his four children to bring them to the hill at Needham High School.
“They don’t know; I’m going to surprise them,’’ said Faggiano, with a huge grin. “I’m just thankful I have the day off so I can take them.’’
NEEDHAM — Other Needham storefronts were dark and empty, but Harvey’s Hardware at 1004 Great Plain Ave. was bustling with customers who trekked through the snow and wind to mitigate their snowstorm needs.
Gary Katz, the owner, said he arrived at Harvey’s at 2:45 a.m. yesterday to clear snow for a delivery truck. The store opened promptly at 7 a.m., the regular opening time, with a half-dozen employees ready for the day’s commerce.
“Hey, we’re a hardware store, right guys,’’ said Katz. Sure enough, customers soon materialized.
Walter Schmid, 62, came in to get new shear pins for his broken snow blower. He had put off the repair last year, and it took him an hour to clear his driveway with his neighbor’s snow blower so he could drive to Harvey’s to get his own one fixed.
“And I have a big driveway,’’ said Schmid, who lives on High Street in Newton Upper Falls.
John Faggiano, a 43-year-old Needham resident, was checking out the sleds hanging on the brick wall outside the store. He was planning to buy a few for his four children to bring them to the hill at Needham High School.
“They don’t know; I’m going to surprise them,’’ said Faggiano, with a huge grin. “I’m just thankful I have the day off so I can take them.’’
It’s not about winning, but living right
Published by The Boston Globe
In the last girls’ soccer game of the season at Maimonides School, an underclassman pulled off her uniform and handed her jersey over to an injured teammate.
Senior player Tifara Ramelson had torn ligaments in her knee during her final season, but Shoshana Ehrenkranz, a seventh-grader, wanted Ramelson to have one last chance to play.
Moments like these permeate the athletic program at Maimonides School, a Jewish day school in Brookline.
For its athletes and leaders, it was no surprise they were recognized for good sportsmanship this year.
“For me it’s not about winning the game; it’s about playing well,’’ said Sophie Edelman, the varsity volleyball captain. “I want to have a good relationship with my teammates rather than show them I’m the best server in volleyball.’’
Today, Maimonides will honor its athletic teams at the opening game of the girls’ basketball season by presenting the District Sportsmanship Award.
The school received the award last month at the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s 17th annual Sportsmanship Summit at Gillette Stadium.
The summit recognizes one school in each district for sportsmanship, and Maimonides won the award among private schools, said Peter Smith, the association’s assistant director. The summit has grown in the past several years as more schools are interested in attending, with 1,100 people participating this year, he said.
“This is the type of stuff you take for granted,’’ said Smith. “There are a lot of people out there doing good things, and they’re not things you see in the news.’’
Maimonides won the award after being nominated by Marie Laundry, athletic director at Mount St. Joseph’s Academy, an all-girls Catholic school in Brighton.
“They come prepared all the time. They’re good sports and play hard right up to the last minute,’’ said Laundry, who coaches basketball and soccer against the Maimonides teams. “They never give up, and they encourage each other.’’
Maimonides students, administrators, and coaches all agreed their sportsmanship stems from values the school teaches starting in kindergarten. Half the school day is spent in academic classes, while the other half is spent studying the Torah, administrators said.
Lashon harah, for example, is in Jewish law the prohibition of gossip. It teaches students to be mindful of what they say about others, said Rabbi Dov Huff, assistant principal of general studies.
“In the newspaper, you read about how some schools do terrible things and haze. That just doesn’t happen at Maimonides,’’ said Elan Baskir, a senior who plays soccer, basketball, and baseball.
Baskir said the men’s soccer team made the quarterfinals for the first time in school history this year. It wasn’t easy. One victory, Baskir recalled, came on a freezing, rainy day.
But when the team stood on the brink of losing in those quarterfinals, said Huff, he overheard the players chatting in their huddle, with their captain praising his teammates not only for a great season, but also for respecting others.
“To me, it was shocking. . . . What was on their minds is they did it the right way,’’ said Huff.
Rabbi David Ehrenkranz, who teaches the Bible and the Talmud and coaches varsity softball, said he teaches the same concepts in class and during practice.
“Dignity and self-restraint are second nature,’’ said Ehrenkranz. “I see no difference from students in my class, the way they behave in the classroom, compared to my athletes.’’
Athletic Director Hal Borkow said other schools and referees often compliment him on Maimonides students’ behavior, such as when a tough call is made, and the athletes take it in stride.
“The ref made a point to let me know that the kids behaved like mature young adults,’’ said Borkow.
But not everyone has to study the Torah to promote sportsmanship. Students said one of the most important ways to develop good attitudes is to maintain good relationships with teachers.
Huff, who graduated from Maimonides before becoming an administrator, said every grade has a tradition called shabaton, when students will spend the weekend at a teacher’s house, eating meals together and talking about important issues.
“Teachers in the school as a whole play a big role in how to behave,’’ said Tamar Kosowsky, a senior varsity volleyball captain. “Every school should focus on what it means to be athlete on the field.’’
Administrators said receiving the award meant they were doing the right thing, in and out of the classroom.
Judy Boroschek, general studies principal for the school, said, “It felt very affirming of what we’re trying to accomplish — to think school can have that much of an impact.’’
In the last girls’ soccer game of the season at Maimonides School, an underclassman pulled off her uniform and handed her jersey over to an injured teammate.
Senior player Tifara Ramelson had torn ligaments in her knee during her final season, but Shoshana Ehrenkranz, a seventh-grader, wanted Ramelson to have one last chance to play.
Moments like these permeate the athletic program at Maimonides School, a Jewish day school in Brookline.
For its athletes and leaders, it was no surprise they were recognized for good sportsmanship this year.
“For me it’s not about winning the game; it’s about playing well,’’ said Sophie Edelman, the varsity volleyball captain. “I want to have a good relationship with my teammates rather than show them I’m the best server in volleyball.’’
Today, Maimonides will honor its athletic teams at the opening game of the girls’ basketball season by presenting the District Sportsmanship Award.
The school received the award last month at the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s 17th annual Sportsmanship Summit at Gillette Stadium.
The summit recognizes one school in each district for sportsmanship, and Maimonides won the award among private schools, said Peter Smith, the association’s assistant director. The summit has grown in the past several years as more schools are interested in attending, with 1,100 people participating this year, he said.
“This is the type of stuff you take for granted,’’ said Smith. “There are a lot of people out there doing good things, and they’re not things you see in the news.’’
Maimonides won the award after being nominated by Marie Laundry, athletic director at Mount St. Joseph’s Academy, an all-girls Catholic school in Brighton.
“They come prepared all the time. They’re good sports and play hard right up to the last minute,’’ said Laundry, who coaches basketball and soccer against the Maimonides teams. “They never give up, and they encourage each other.’’
Maimonides students, administrators, and coaches all agreed their sportsmanship stems from values the school teaches starting in kindergarten. Half the school day is spent in academic classes, while the other half is spent studying the Torah, administrators said.
Lashon harah, for example, is in Jewish law the prohibition of gossip. It teaches students to be mindful of what they say about others, said Rabbi Dov Huff, assistant principal of general studies.
“In the newspaper, you read about how some schools do terrible things and haze. That just doesn’t happen at Maimonides,’’ said Elan Baskir, a senior who plays soccer, basketball, and baseball.
Baskir said the men’s soccer team made the quarterfinals for the first time in school history this year. It wasn’t easy. One victory, Baskir recalled, came on a freezing, rainy day.
But when the team stood on the brink of losing in those quarterfinals, said Huff, he overheard the players chatting in their huddle, with their captain praising his teammates not only for a great season, but also for respecting others.
“To me, it was shocking. . . . What was on their minds is they did it the right way,’’ said Huff.
Rabbi David Ehrenkranz, who teaches the Bible and the Talmud and coaches varsity softball, said he teaches the same concepts in class and during practice.
“Dignity and self-restraint are second nature,’’ said Ehrenkranz. “I see no difference from students in my class, the way they behave in the classroom, compared to my athletes.’’
Athletic Director Hal Borkow said other schools and referees often compliment him on Maimonides students’ behavior, such as when a tough call is made, and the athletes take it in stride.
“The ref made a point to let me know that the kids behaved like mature young adults,’’ said Borkow.
But not everyone has to study the Torah to promote sportsmanship. Students said one of the most important ways to develop good attitudes is to maintain good relationships with teachers.
Huff, who graduated from Maimonides before becoming an administrator, said every grade has a tradition called shabaton, when students will spend the weekend at a teacher’s house, eating meals together and talking about important issues.
“Teachers in the school as a whole play a big role in how to behave,’’ said Tamar Kosowsky, a senior varsity volleyball captain. “Every school should focus on what it means to be athlete on the field.’’
Administrators said receiving the award meant they were doing the right thing, in and out of the classroom.
Judy Boroschek, general studies principal for the school, said, “It felt very affirming of what we’re trying to accomplish — to think school can have that much of an impact.’’
Friday, December 17, 2010
Sex ed update with 'Net in mind
Published by The Boston Globe
Needham parents praised a proposed new sex-education curriculum for the public schools that would include discussions on new social networking media and technology, but some worried that until the program takes effect certain students would be missing important lessons.
“I think it’s wonderful you’re doing this,’’ Pamela Rosin, who has two children in sixth and ninth grades, told district officials during a presentation on the proposal Monday at the high school. “I thought we were doing it already. It’s an eye-opener.’’
Kathy Pinkham, director of the school system’s wellness department, said she would try to find a way to fill the transitional gap between the old and new programs, but parents may need to teach the material to their children themselves. She is working on a website that will display the curriculum and give suggestions for ways that parents can talk to their children about sex, she said, with the goal of having the site up before Christmas break.
“We really looked at this as a relationship with parents,’’ Pinkham said.
She said that under the new program, which the School Committee will consider next month, older students would be given materials from the sex-ed classes to take home for their parents, helping them become more involved in the discussions. Pinkham has been offering outlines of the curriculum to parents all week. She will offer another presentation today at 9 a.m. in Needham High’s media center, with other sessions planned for after the winter break.
On Monday, Pinkham said the new curriculum would endeavor to help students develop mature attitudes toward sex in the Internet age, when sexual encounters often start with texting. Answering a parent’s question, she said the classes will promote abstinence but also confront the reality that some students will have sex before marriage.
“The culture has changed. It used to be people got married at 18, 19, 20 or 21. Now it’s later and later,’’ she said. “We will put it into context of what they want in life and their goals.’’
Needham does not offer much sex education in the schools, after cuts and changes in health programs multiple times over the years, said Pinkham. The district decided to reexamine the program in part because of new issues in teen sexuality brought about by changes in media and technology, she said.
The current curriculum provides lessons about puberty for fifth-graders, and limited courses in sixth, ninth and 11th grades. The proposed curriculum would expand the existing courses and add some sex-ed topics for students in seventh, eighth, 10th and 12th grades, said Pinkham.
The new program will focus on providing the skills to help students make good decisions, said Pinkham. For example, students more often are making plans via text message or online, taking away the thought that goes into asking someone on a date, she said.
“The risk is easy. . . Sometimes people end up with someone else because of happenstance,’’ she said. “We will emphasize the importance of face-to-face communication, and that spending time together is important.’’
Traditional sex-ed programs usually only teach about anatomy, sexually transmitted diseases, and abstinence, said Pinkham. Those elements will still be taught, but the new program will also look at delaying sex and giving students the tools for healthy sex and relationships when they are adults, she said.
Kari Hayden, who has children in fifth, eighth and 12th grades, said during the forum, “The safest sex is abstinence, and students need to hear it in the classroom.’’
Pinkham told her that the program would promote abstinence, but not as the only point of discussion. She said students who decide to have sex and those who become sexually active as adults both will need to know how to negotiate safe sex.
A subcommittee of the School Health Advisory Council that developed the program over the last two years will present it to the School Committee at the end of next month, said Pinkham. A pilot program might begin next semester, but probably only for freshman and sophomores. If approved, the entire program would be implemented next fall, she said.
Some parents voiced concerns that sixth-graders would miss out on crucial lessons in the new curriculum for their grade level if the program is implemented next school year rather than next semester. The sixth-grade program would include teaching the difference between sex and sexuality, cover behaviors such as oral sex, and discuss sexual identity, said Pinkham.
Pinkham said she hopes parents can use the website being developed to discuss some of these topics with their children. She said the homework assignments for parents will involve a series of questions to be discussed after their child covered the material in class. Similar assignments are encouraged and successful in the fifth-grade program, but the school wants to extend them, she said.
“I appreciate the homework assignments, the face-to-face time, and the way the questions were structured to develop a conversation over things that were a little unsettling,’’ said Jan Keeler, parent of an eighth-grader and an 11th-grader, as well as two high school graduates.
Keeler also suggested a partnership between parents and the schools to create guidelines for parents of even younger students. She said she was concerned with the messages her children are exposed to every day on television, even at a very young age.
Needham parents praised a proposed new sex-education curriculum for the public schools that would include discussions on new social networking media and technology, but some worried that until the program takes effect certain students would be missing important lessons.
“I think it’s wonderful you’re doing this,’’ Pamela Rosin, who has two children in sixth and ninth grades, told district officials during a presentation on the proposal Monday at the high school. “I thought we were doing it already. It’s an eye-opener.’’
Kathy Pinkham, director of the school system’s wellness department, said she would try to find a way to fill the transitional gap between the old and new programs, but parents may need to teach the material to their children themselves. She is working on a website that will display the curriculum and give suggestions for ways that parents can talk to their children about sex, she said, with the goal of having the site up before Christmas break.
“We really looked at this as a relationship with parents,’’ Pinkham said.
She said that under the new program, which the School Committee will consider next month, older students would be given materials from the sex-ed classes to take home for their parents, helping them become more involved in the discussions. Pinkham has been offering outlines of the curriculum to parents all week. She will offer another presentation today at 9 a.m. in Needham High’s media center, with other sessions planned for after the winter break.
On Monday, Pinkham said the new curriculum would endeavor to help students develop mature attitudes toward sex in the Internet age, when sexual encounters often start with texting. Answering a parent’s question, she said the classes will promote abstinence but also confront the reality that some students will have sex before marriage.
“The culture has changed. It used to be people got married at 18, 19, 20 or 21. Now it’s later and later,’’ she said. “We will put it into context of what they want in life and their goals.’’
Needham does not offer much sex education in the schools, after cuts and changes in health programs multiple times over the years, said Pinkham. The district decided to reexamine the program in part because of new issues in teen sexuality brought about by changes in media and technology, she said.
The current curriculum provides lessons about puberty for fifth-graders, and limited courses in sixth, ninth and 11th grades. The proposed curriculum would expand the existing courses and add some sex-ed topics for students in seventh, eighth, 10th and 12th grades, said Pinkham.
The new program will focus on providing the skills to help students make good decisions, said Pinkham. For example, students more often are making plans via text message or online, taking away the thought that goes into asking someone on a date, she said.
“The risk is easy. . . Sometimes people end up with someone else because of happenstance,’’ she said. “We will emphasize the importance of face-to-face communication, and that spending time together is important.’’
Traditional sex-ed programs usually only teach about anatomy, sexually transmitted diseases, and abstinence, said Pinkham. Those elements will still be taught, but the new program will also look at delaying sex and giving students the tools for healthy sex and relationships when they are adults, she said.
Kari Hayden, who has children in fifth, eighth and 12th grades, said during the forum, “The safest sex is abstinence, and students need to hear it in the classroom.’’
Pinkham told her that the program would promote abstinence, but not as the only point of discussion. She said students who decide to have sex and those who become sexually active as adults both will need to know how to negotiate safe sex.
A subcommittee of the School Health Advisory Council that developed the program over the last two years will present it to the School Committee at the end of next month, said Pinkham. A pilot program might begin next semester, but probably only for freshman and sophomores. If approved, the entire program would be implemented next fall, she said.
Some parents voiced concerns that sixth-graders would miss out on crucial lessons in the new curriculum for their grade level if the program is implemented next school year rather than next semester. The sixth-grade program would include teaching the difference between sex and sexuality, cover behaviors such as oral sex, and discuss sexual identity, said Pinkham.
Pinkham said she hopes parents can use the website being developed to discuss some of these topics with their children. She said the homework assignments for parents will involve a series of questions to be discussed after their child covered the material in class. Similar assignments are encouraged and successful in the fifth-grade program, but the school wants to extend them, she said.
“I appreciate the homework assignments, the face-to-face time, and the way the questions were structured to develop a conversation over things that were a little unsettling,’’ said Jan Keeler, parent of an eighth-grader and an 11th-grader, as well as two high school graduates.
Keeler also suggested a partnership between parents and the schools to create guidelines for parents of even younger students. She said she was concerned with the messages her children are exposed to every day on television, even at a very young age.
Carlisle is tops in rate of college graduates
Published by The Boston Globe
CARLISLE — At Gleason Public Library in Carlisle, the town with the highest percentage of college graduates in Massachusetts, dozens of children were running between the shelves or working at computers yesterday afternoon.
“People utilize the library, and that’s generally a reflection of a community,’’ said Angela Mollet, the library director. “People are fully involved in the library and school system, and I think that’s a celebration of knowledge.’’
According to the American Community Survey, released yesterday, about 87 percent of Carlisle residents over 25 years of age have an undergraduate degree or higher, while more than 50 percent over 25 have a graduate degree or higher. The national average for a bachelor’s degree is about 27 percent, and the statewide average was 38 percent.
Leslie Thomas, 52, said she moved to this town northwest of Boston because of Carlisle’s rural quality and because she thinks the residents are more educated.
“There’s a lot of emphasis on education in Carlisle, and the parents are very involved,’’ said Thomas, who has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Northeastern University. “People are more open to different things.’’
Mark Quinn, 58, said census statistics showing Carlisle with the highest percentage of college graduates “just makes sense.’’ He remembers his two daughters, now working for the government and studying pharmacy at the University of Connecticut, were always studying or working on group projects while they were in school at Carlisle.
“My daughters had high-achieving friends; practically everybody did,’’ said Quinn, who has a master’s from Lesley University. “My youngest daughters’ friends were really into the sciences.’’
Quinn was at the library yesterday picking up five books he had on hold. He says he always reserves novels and history titles online and sometimes has up to 10 books waiting for him at the front desk.
CARLISLE — At Gleason Public Library in Carlisle, the town with the highest percentage of college graduates in Massachusetts, dozens of children were running between the shelves or working at computers yesterday afternoon.
“People utilize the library, and that’s generally a reflection of a community,’’ said Angela Mollet, the library director. “People are fully involved in the library and school system, and I think that’s a celebration of knowledge.’’
According to the American Community Survey, released yesterday, about 87 percent of Carlisle residents over 25 years of age have an undergraduate degree or higher, while more than 50 percent over 25 have a graduate degree or higher. The national average for a bachelor’s degree is about 27 percent, and the statewide average was 38 percent.
Leslie Thomas, 52, said she moved to this town northwest of Boston because of Carlisle’s rural quality and because she thinks the residents are more educated.
“There’s a lot of emphasis on education in Carlisle, and the parents are very involved,’’ said Thomas, who has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Northeastern University. “People are more open to different things.’’
Mark Quinn, 58, said census statistics showing Carlisle with the highest percentage of college graduates “just makes sense.’’ He remembers his two daughters, now working for the government and studying pharmacy at the University of Connecticut, were always studying or working on group projects while they were in school at Carlisle.
“My daughters had high-achieving friends; practically everybody did,’’ said Quinn, who has a master’s from Lesley University. “My youngest daughters’ friends were really into the sciences.’’
Quinn was at the library yesterday picking up five books he had on hold. He says he always reserves novels and history titles online and sometimes has up to 10 books waiting for him at the front desk.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Needham weighs new sex ed program
Published by The Boston Globe
The Needham schools may devote more time to teaching sex education if the School Committee approves a proposed pilot program, the district’s wellness director said.
Kathy Pinkham, director of the schools’ Wellness Department, said she will introduce the new sex ed curriculum to parents and welcome feedback in three different presentations next week.
She has already met with some parents and is offering one-hour, open forums on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday of next week.
Proponents hope to introduce the curriculum in a pilot program later this school year, and implement it permanently next fall.
Needham does not offer much sex education in the schools because health programs have been cut and changed multiple times, and sex ed has been lost over the years, said Pinkham. Needham has maintained education about puberty in fifth grade, but health classes in other grades devote less time to sex ed, she said.
The school district was aware of the missing component for some time and decided to study the sex education program because it has become a topic parents expect their children to learn about, said Pinkham.
Pinkham said students can be influenced or confused by new media such as cellphones and social networking. As an example of the changing landscape, she cited the controversial new website www.rateBU.com, where students can rate photos of their peers.
“Kids are maturing so much quicker at younger age,” she said. “They’re more interested in things. I think they need some language and some guidance to navigate life.”
The School Health Advisory Council spent two years comparing Needham’s program with those of other districts, holding focus groups with students and parents and conducting other research, she said.
The current health program teaches social and emotional learning skills related to drugs and alcohol, such as making good decisions, communication and healthy relationships, said Pinkham. The new health program will apply these same skills to sex-related contexts, she said.
The program will also introduce “homework” assignments for parents and families involving a series of questions to discuss after class lessons, said Pinkham. Similar assignments are encouraged and successful with the fifth grade program, but the school wants to extend them to sixth, ninth, and 11th grades, she said.
“We’re really trying hard to create partnership with parents around health,” said Pinkham. “The response has been fairly positive actually. Parents are very appreciative of the effort to include parents in the process.”
Monday’s forum is at 12:30 p.m. in the upstairs conference room of the Emery Grover Administration Building at 1330 Highland Ave.
Wednesday’s meeting will be from 7 to 8 p.m. at Needham High School, 609 Webster St., in room 728. On Thursday, Pinkham will present at 9 a.m. in the Needham High School Media Center.
Pinkham will meet with parents again after the winter break and present a pilot program to the School Committee for approval in January, she said.
The Needham schools may devote more time to teaching sex education if the School Committee approves a proposed pilot program, the district’s wellness director said.
Kathy Pinkham, director of the schools’ Wellness Department, said she will introduce the new sex ed curriculum to parents and welcome feedback in three different presentations next week.
She has already met with some parents and is offering one-hour, open forums on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday of next week.
Proponents hope to introduce the curriculum in a pilot program later this school year, and implement it permanently next fall.
Needham does not offer much sex education in the schools because health programs have been cut and changed multiple times, and sex ed has been lost over the years, said Pinkham. Needham has maintained education about puberty in fifth grade, but health classes in other grades devote less time to sex ed, she said.
The school district was aware of the missing component for some time and decided to study the sex education program because it has become a topic parents expect their children to learn about, said Pinkham.
Pinkham said students can be influenced or confused by new media such as cellphones and social networking. As an example of the changing landscape, she cited the controversial new website www.rateBU.com, where students can rate photos of their peers.
“Kids are maturing so much quicker at younger age,” she said. “They’re more interested in things. I think they need some language and some guidance to navigate life.”
The School Health Advisory Council spent two years comparing Needham’s program with those of other districts, holding focus groups with students and parents and conducting other research, she said.
The current health program teaches social and emotional learning skills related to drugs and alcohol, such as making good decisions, communication and healthy relationships, said Pinkham. The new health program will apply these same skills to sex-related contexts, she said.
The program will also introduce “homework” assignments for parents and families involving a series of questions to discuss after class lessons, said Pinkham. Similar assignments are encouraged and successful with the fifth grade program, but the school wants to extend them to sixth, ninth, and 11th grades, she said.
“We’re really trying hard to create partnership with parents around health,” said Pinkham. “The response has been fairly positive actually. Parents are very appreciative of the effort to include parents in the process.”
Monday’s forum is at 12:30 p.m. in the upstairs conference room of the Emery Grover Administration Building at 1330 Highland Ave.
Wednesday’s meeting will be from 7 to 8 p.m. at Needham High School, 609 Webster St., in room 728. On Thursday, Pinkham will present at 9 a.m. in the Needham High School Media Center.
Pinkham will meet with parents again after the winter break and present a pilot program to the School Committee for approval in January, she said.
Needham parents barred from speaking on hazing allegations at meeting
Published by The Boston Globe
Parents of Needham High girls’ soccer players will not be allowed to present information related to an alleged hazing incident to the School Committee tonight as they had requested, the board's chairman said.
‘‘Details of student issues, we won’t discuss in public,” said Connie Barr, chair of the committee.
The Boston Globe reported last month that several members of the varsity girls' soccer team were suspended for hazing, but they returned to school while an appeals process began to determine whether to extend those suspensions.
Barr declined to comment on the appeals process.
At the last School Committee meeting, Mary Ellen Dunn, whose sophomore daughter is on the team, requested permission on behalf of the team’s parents to publicly present information related to the incident.
Dunn said parents are concerned that the soccer players’ civil rights may be violated if they are suspended. Dunn said that after she requested to present information at the committee meeting, Barr and Marianne Cooley, the committee’s vice-chair, offered to meet with her and other parents.
The parents met with Barr and Cooley, then with Superintendent Daniel Gutekanst, before the Thanksgiving break, said Dunn. She said she does not know whether the information she gave administrators has made an impact on the appeals process.
“We have provided them with all the information we have, including the information we have regarding the due process and civil rights violations that occurred with the suspensions,” said Dunn.
Dunn said the parents are not opposed to taking action against hazing behavior, but they believe the athletes should have had appeals before facing suspension. She said other punishments less harsh than suspension would have conveyed the message.
“We certainly agree they should investigate it, and there should be some consequences,” she said. “I would support a no tolerance message; every parent would, short of suspension from school.”
Parents of Needham High girls’ soccer players will not be allowed to present information related to an alleged hazing incident to the School Committee tonight as they had requested, the board's chairman said.
‘‘Details of student issues, we won’t discuss in public,” said Connie Barr, chair of the committee.
The Boston Globe reported last month that several members of the varsity girls' soccer team were suspended for hazing, but they returned to school while an appeals process began to determine whether to extend those suspensions.
Barr declined to comment on the appeals process.
At the last School Committee meeting, Mary Ellen Dunn, whose sophomore daughter is on the team, requested permission on behalf of the team’s parents to publicly present information related to the incident.
Dunn said parents are concerned that the soccer players’ civil rights may be violated if they are suspended. Dunn said that after she requested to present information at the committee meeting, Barr and Marianne Cooley, the committee’s vice-chair, offered to meet with her and other parents.
The parents met with Barr and Cooley, then with Superintendent Daniel Gutekanst, before the Thanksgiving break, said Dunn. She said she does not know whether the information she gave administrators has made an impact on the appeals process.
“We have provided them with all the information we have, including the information we have regarding the due process and civil rights violations that occurred with the suspensions,” said Dunn.
Dunn said the parents are not opposed to taking action against hazing behavior, but they believe the athletes should have had appeals before facing suspension. She said other punishments less harsh than suspension would have conveyed the message.
“We certainly agree they should investigate it, and there should be some consequences,” she said. “I would support a no tolerance message; every parent would, short of suspension from school.”
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