Please share in this great news received by Davis School Principal Darlene Campbell about science teacher Jake O'Neill. Mr. O'Neill has been named a National STEM Scholar in 2018!

Dear Principal Campbell,

We were delighted to name John O'Neill a National STEM Scholar in 2018. John was one of 10 middle school science teachers selected this year from a pool of more than 200 applicants in 37 states.

In addition to a week of advanced STEM training and funding for a classroom Challenge Project, the Scholars spent an afternoon interacting with Dr. Eric Mazur, internationally recognized thought leader and celebrated speaker in the field of education and knowledge retention. Dr. Mazur has extended an invitation for any visiting Scholar to tour Harvard's School of Education and monitor his class free of charge.

In addition, the 2018 Scholars designed an experiment that will travel in a NanoLab aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard space vehicle for launch into microgravity this spring. A mimic project for classroom implementation will allow their students to build the experiment, make predictions and follow the launch live. The result(s) of the experiment will be available to all 10 Scholar schools within a few hours of the experiment's return to Earth.

The National STEM Scholar experience fosters new ideas and approaches to teaching, builds lateral impact through peer-to-peer education at home, provides a national network of colleagues for career-long interaction, and creates unique access to thought leaders who participate in the program and choose to stay engaged.

Thank you for your ongoing support of John's National STEM Scholar experience and their outstanding achievements. We look forward to hosting the 2018 class at the NSTA National Conference in St. Louis April 11-14, where John will represent Edgar B Davis School during an NSTA-invited Share-A-Thon.

Best regards,
Dr. Paula Grisanti

PDF Version of Announcement

The Brockton Public Schools Music Department is pleased to announce that the following students have been selected to participate in the 2019 Southeastern Massachusetts Senior and Junior District Music Festivals:

Senior Districts

Brockton High School

CHORUS – Joseph Albertson*, Craig Andrade*, Geovanny Antunes, Joey Banks*, Sharon Banks*, Rebecca Chagas, Domenick DeAndrade*, Craig Duong*, Jade Etienne*, Mynthia Gonkpala*, Miranda Jean*, Ashley Jeanty*, Matthew Matta, Lara Mendes, Giovanni Pereira*, Josie Pierre*, Mark Pierson, Jolanda Regis, Joseph Seymour*, Victoria Sueiro*, Marc Valcin*

BAND – Samantha Gedeon*, Jasmine Geslin, Nicholas Gustin*, Elizabeth Moukit*, Mary Pyrdol*, Michael Pyrdol, Nicholas Trunfio

*denotes All State Recommendation

Junior Districts

Brockton High School

CHORUS – Junie Charles, Hillary Clark, Andy Lopez, Amanda Vivieros

BAND – Kyle Gildner, Rakim Johnson, Maziel Samba

South Middle School

CHORUS – Liliana Ali, Weskenlee Charles, Analiese Maldonado-Mattison, Malik Oliveira, Ariel Richardson

West Middle School

CHORUS – Yanisa Andrade, Andrea Moreno, Dounia Namir, Alessandra Sueiro, Isis Wilson

Plouffe Academy

BAND – Eidy Davila Santos, Paedyn Elchami

Ashfield Middle School

CHORUS – Matthew Almeida

Thank you to the Brockton Public Schools community for your generosity on Lee National Denim Day.

By contributing any amount from $5 and up, we raised a total of $3,554.00 to support Breast Cancer Research. This terrible disease has affected us all in some way and we do our part to help in the fight annually.

Sincerely, Audrey Brown

Please join us in congratulating 16 outstanding recipients of the Superintendent’s Red Apple Awards for December who were honored at a wonderful event at Brockton High School. These ceremonies are some of the most heartwarming events of the year and are an opportunity to say thank you to outstanding educators and staff who truly make a difference to students, families and colleagues.

1. Faculty Emerita - Claire Appling
2. Arnone School - Tracy Politano
3. Barrett Russell - Kristen Noonan
4. Brookfield School - Lisa Trochez
5. Hancock School - Julie Quill
6. Adult Learning Center - Noreen Giuggio
7. Bilingual Education - Gloria Cho
8. Brockton High School - Kaitlyn Fitzgerald
9. Brockton High School - David Gault
10. Brockton High School - Cheryll Leach
11. East Middle School - Principal Dr. Kelly Silva
12. Gilmore School - Kathy Norman
13. Davis K-8 School - Brenda Marquis
14. Raymond School - Elizabeth Doyle
15. Plouffe Academy - Pedro Reis
16. Baker School - Maria Pina

… Special thanks to Coordinator of Elementary Literacy K-5 and Social Studies K-8, Dr. Julianne Andrade, and Parent Engagement Specialist, Jane Feroli, for their help, as always. 

Brockton Public Schools teachers, Abigale Jansen from East Middle School and Miren Mendiguren from Manthala George Elementary School, were selected as model teachers for a national professional development course connected with the Book, Language Power:  Key Uses for Accessing Content by Margo Gottlieb and Mariana Castro.  They have been working with their English language coaches to create lessons that integrate the key uses (recount, argue, explain, discuss) into instructional practices to promote academic language in their classrooms.

Author (and WIDA founder) Margo Gottlieb and Corwin Press came to videotape  their lessons to be included in a national professional development course to go along with the book.  It was a wonderful day for the teachers and students, who were able to share their work together. Margo Gottlieb emailed later that day these words,

“Brockton is truly a showcase of multilingual multicultural excellence where multilingual learners, their teachers, coaches, and administrators are indeed thriving. To me the district's mission and vision resonate in every classroom. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to observe the strong positive and reciprocal relationship between teaching and learning in action. It was such a wonderful experience that will long stay in my memory.”

Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt, via its Game On! Foundation and national non-profit Good Sports came together to support Brockton youth with donations of more than $90,000 in brand new sports equipment to five of our schools and the Boys & Girls Club of Brockton to support education programming and sports teams.

Recipients were Louis F. Angelo Elementary School, Edgar B. Davis Community School, Manthala George Jr. Elementary School, Mary E. Baker Elementary School, Brockton High School and theBoys & Girls Club of Brockton.

This donation is part of a new partnership between Yasso’s Game On! Foundation and Good Sports in support of local youth and the shared belief that all kids deserve the opportunity to be physically active and reap the countless benefits of sport and physical activity. Both college athletes who grew up in Brockton’s neighboring town of Easton, MA, Yasso co-founders Amanda Klane and Drew Harrington aim to cultivate the inner health rebel in everyone through Game On!, inspiring local communities to sweat, lead, and tackle obstacles head on through sport.

Four students from Brockton High School, Joey Polvere, Jade Etienne, Rivers Pokraka andEmily Goyette competed in the Massachusetts Acting Monologue Competition on December 1 at St. John's Prep in Danvers. With many participants around the state competing, Joey Polvere placed 4th in the state and Jade Etienne placed 5th in the state earning Brockton two of the top five spots in the state in this acting competition. 

Both students will both be invited to The Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild Gala to mingle with local, state and national figureheads in this field. They will also be invited to the state finals for the METG where they will receive awards for their outstanding monologues.

After reading an article in Scholastic’s “Storyworks” magazine and learning about the impact that Smile Train has on kids around the world, Mrs. Rainone’s fourth graders at the Angelo School were inspired to make a difference, too! 

They’re excited to share that their collection brought in $831. Thanks for helping us change the world, one smile at a time!

Brockton High School hosted over 400 people, including over 250 children, to the dinner of Champions. The dinner was put on by Mayor Bill Carpenter who coordinated with many departments within Brockton Public Schools.

The Red and Yellow Cafeteria's were transformed into holiday hallways and decorated to the 9's. 

Families were hosted to a lovely Turkey dinner provided by Chartwells. Almost 1,000 gifts were donated and distributed to kids attending the event. Kids were able to get their faces painted, get balloon animals, decorate their own gingerbread men and have a little dance party.

This whole evening was a success because of our students from a number of different groups including:

• Freshman PACT mentors led by Joanne Nelson
• Student Council led by Jean Foley
• Boxer Community Outreach led by Jocelyn Liberty and Steven Crupi
• The Junior Class Committee led by Rola Bezreh and Laura McGee
• The Senior Class Committee led by Nicole Otero and David Brophy
• Daniel Corbett for playing the role of Santa Claus.

How ugly is ugly? Really ugly in the case of the NBC 10 Ugly Sweater Contest and West Middle School's own Rebecca Desmond is a finalist! Please help us get Rebecca and her sweater into the winning position.

The final winner will receive four tickets to "Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic" which runs from December 21, 2018 to December 30, 2018 at the Agganis Arena at Boston University.Vote at the below link and click the blue box with her name!

Vote Here!

PDF Version of Invitation

Six days…mark your calendars!
Tuesday, January 8, at 6 p.m.

Dear Fellow Brockton Colleagues and Community Stakeholders:

In March 2018, the cities of Brockton and Worcester hosted “A Tale of Two Cities,” highlighting the critical need for equity in education funding, followed by “A Tale of Four Cities” in October 2018, where we were joined by the communities of Springfield and Holyoke.

I know you care greatly about your children, the education they receive, and the job market and economy that awaits them in the coming years. It has become evident to parents, teachers, superintendents, school committees and lawmakers that the educational model we are currently using is in desperate need of an overhaul. The way we teach, and the ways students learn will have a significant impact on our economy moving forward. Right now, that formula is broken and needs to be overhauled to meet those needs.

We must find ways to expand access to educational opportunities for all our students, teach viable work-related skills, and most importantly, ensure we include students in the bottom of the income bracket. Our local and statewide economy is dependent on all of us to ensure all students have the skill set for today’s workplace.

To that end, the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS) is sponsoring community forums on Tuesday, January 8, at 6 p.m. in three locations: Fitchburg State University, Malden High School and New Bedford High School.

Local and state educational leaders will discuss the gravity of the situation and propose solutions. These forums will focus attention on this critical issue and instigate the changes needed to ensure all students, regardless of ZIP code or income level, have equal access to educational opportunities.

I strongly encourage you to attend one of these upcoming forums. The Brockton team will be offering support alongside other school districts at the Malden High School location. I ask that you join us as we highlight the problems, challenges and issues facing our public schools.

To learn more go to the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents website.

Sincerely,

Kathleen A. Smith, JD
Superintendent of Schools

Image: From left to right, back row: Kathleen Quinn, ALC Coordinator; Marie Carmita B. Jean; Willie Wilson, ALC instructor; Leia Fernandes; Tiana Teixeira; Ann Lafavore, AHT instructor; Gladys Contreras; Myrtho Lubin, and Libby Reichman, AHT instructor
Front row: Fatima Silva, Dana Joseph, Lucileide Miller, and Roniva dePina

PDF Version of Press Release

Local and state legislators recently joined family members, friends, teachers and school administrators to celebrate the accomplishments of Brockton's newest certified nursing assistant (CNA) graduates. The December 19 ceremony marked the successful completion of Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) training by nine CNAs eager to join the booming health care industry.

According to ALC Coordinator Kathleen Quinn, the CNA course was developed as a collaborative effort between the Brockton Public Schools Adult Learning Center, the MassHire Greater Brockton Workforce Board, the Academy for Healthcare Training, and the Baypointe Rehabilitation and Skilled Care Center. It was made possible by a grant awarded to the Adult Learning Center by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to fund CNA and civics training free of charge for one cohort of English language learners during FY2018 and two cohorts in FY2019. "The program has enjoyed great success, as 100 percent of the Spring 2018 cohort passed the state exam," said Quinn. "We expect the same great results for our Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 students."

The nine Fall 2018 participants were selected from a field of over 100 applicants via a rigorous screening test required for acceptance into the program. Phase one, comprised of eight weeks of study at the ALC with a certified classroom teacher, featured curriculum specifically adapted to the needs of English language learners. This study period was followed by 90 hours of CNA/Home Health Aide training that included specialized care for Alzheimer's patients and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); instruction was provided by the Academy for Healthcare Training in a simulated clinical lab made available at a discounted rate by MassHire. Next came a 28-hour supervised practicum at the Baypointe Rehabilitation and Skilled Care Center in Brockton. The course concluded with a return to the ALC classroom for two weeks of intensive review and preparation for the state exam. All nine newly-minted CNAs passed their prerequisites with flying colors and are ready for the test.

In addition to receiving their CNA training certificates, each graduate was awarded a citation signed by Massachusetts Representatives Claire Cronin and Gerard Cassidy and by Massachusetts State Senator Michael Brady. Superintendent of Schools Kathleen A. Smith, JD made the presentations at a celebration in the graduates' honor at the Adult Learning Center.

The Spring 2019 cohort of 10 new students begins on January 7. For more information, follow the Brockton Adult Learning Center on Facebook or call 508-580-7475.

PDF Version of List of Winners

Congratulations to all students who competed in yesterday's National History Day competition. The following students are the contest winners for the 2018-2019 Competition:

Individual Exhibits

First Place

The Regime of Queen Nzinga by Maya Brown

Second Place

Mormon Migration to Utah by Alnair DaCosta

Honorable Mention

• Dorothea Dix by Pascalle Jean Baptiste
• Van Gogh by Dalia Brito Dos Santos

Group Exhibits

First Place

The Crisis: The Little Rock Nine by Brianna Santos, Lidia Soares, Glorialys Renta, Michelle Sinewski

Second Place

First Man on the Moon by Oliviana Lima, Giselle Quinde, Shawn O'Brien, Jovina Monteiro

Third Place

The Little Rock Nine: How Nine African-Americans Paved the way for Black Students by Catarina Barros, Andrew Dordete, Chylah Clay, Sincere Andrade

Honorable Mention

• The Blues of the Blues by Nylah Bedgood, Taliyah Houston
• Mowtown Record by Ahsan Jaramillo, Kyla Leni, Aahilyana Goncalves, Annike Da Silva, Jayla Pulley

Individual Websites

First Place

H.H. Holmes: Using Triumph to Create Tragedy by Wilson Fernandes Soares Rosa

Second Place

Navajo Code Talkers by Neyana Fortes

Third Place

Legislation of Same Sex Marriage Laws by Victoria Medeiros

Honorable Mention

• The Salem Witch Trials by Diana Dosous
• The Salem Witch Trials by Annelysse Rivera

Group Websites

First Place

Farm to Factories: The Industrial Revolution by Kyle Antione, Sam Lucien, Elsa Andrade, Zuri Massiah

Second Place

The Spanish Flu by Amaya Gormley, Andrew Stec, Samantha Thevenin

Third Place

The Atomic Bomb by Jonathan Simon, Kenny Tu, Nicholas Lynch

Fourth Place

The Civil Rights Movement by Eloise Lopes, Kingsley Merilan, Hardley Jean Joseph

Honorable Mention

• The Jackson State Massacre by Avian Deane, Cindy Vargas, Jaylon DaRosa, Rebeca Lopez
• Heddy Lamare by Leah Chadwick, Isabelle Soares
• Griswold vs. Connecticut by Zeida Barros, Amaryllis Osorio

Individual Documentaries

First Place

The Burning of Black Wall Street: How African- Americans suffered during the Tulsa Riots by Carissa Pierre

Second Place

Disco Demolition Nigh by Joodzell Louis

Honorable Mention

• Susan B. Anthony: Crusader for the Women's Suffrage Movement by Laura Gayot

Group Documentaries

First Place

Betrayal of African- American Women by Nicolette Theinin, Kelsey Tambi, Dijiaura Dixon, Abigail Hollant

Second Place

Rocky Marciano by Kyle Gildner, Rakim Johnson

Papers

First Place

Japanese American Internment Camps by Matthew Norman

Second Place

Mad Jack Churchill by Matt McAllister

PDF Version of Announcement

Brockton High School Boys Basketball Coach Bob Boen has been named the 2017-2018 Northeast Coach of the Year Award by the National Federation of State High School Coaches Association for Boys Basketball. Bob was nominated by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) as the most deserving recipient of the honor among coaches in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. In the letter of notification, the committee said, “It is our pleasure to recognize leaders and role models at the interscholastic level.” In a shout out to BHS Athletic Director Kevin Karo, the committee said, “Athletic Directors like you are the reason that coaches are able to contribute to the youth of our country and your community.”

Congratulations to Bob and the BHS team!

Here is one of the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s new Public Service Announcements focused on the impact of teachers. Brockton has figured prominently in this campaign.

The Brockton High School Boys Sprint Medley relay team ( ranked 23rd in the United States) has accepted an invitation to run at the New Balance Grand Prix on January 26 at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston with the New Balance professional athletes.

The team:

• Javier Donegan - 800 meters
• Isaiah Laguerre - 200 meters
• Jordan Williams - 200 meters
• Marvin Dure - 400 meters

Olympians Sydney Mclaughlin, Jenny Simpson, Emma Coburn, Edward Cheserek, Donovan Brazier and Clayton Murphy will warm up alongside the Brockton boys and race after the Scholastic Relay. The meet will be nationally televised on NBC. The start time for the race is 4:29 p.m. For tickets or more info, please go to New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.

If you happen to notice the below photo on billboards around the state next month it is none other than our own Brendan Coughlin, a Brockton High School Oceanography Teacher, who has been chosen as one of the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s faces of February and an “aMAzing Educator” making a difference in Massachusetts.

Please join us in congratulating Brendan for his achievement in being named an aMAzing Educator in the Commonwealth.

PDF Version of Upcoming Registration Events

Pre-School going into Kindergarten

March 1 - March 2, 2019

• Pre-School Students from the Arnone Elementary School and the Barrett Russell Early Childhood Center will receive a choice form for Kindergarten Placement.
• Parents will be asked to make 3 choices of school.
• Placement decisions will take place in May and June.
• Letters will be mailed to students' residences in July.
• SPED students will not receive a choice form. These students will be placed by SPED.

Citywide Kindergarten Showcases for the Dual Language Programs

Juntos Spanish-English
Unidos Portuguese-English
Amitie French-English

Monday, March 4, 2019

Parents are invited to attend one of the showcases to obtain information about the language immersion programs offered by the Brockton Public Schools.

• 6:00 PM at the George School - 180 Colonel Bell Drive

Citywide Kindergarten Showcase

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Parents are invited to attend the Kindergarten showcase to obtain information about the kindergarten registration process.

• 11:00 AM at the Arnone Elementary School - 135 Belmont Street

Citywide Kindergarten Showcase and Family Event

Saturday, March 9, 2019

Parents are invited to attend the Kindergarten showcase to obtain information about the kindergarten registration process.

• 11:00 AM at the Arnone Elementary School - 135 Belmont Street

Kindergarten Registration

March 18 - May 17, 2019

8:30 - 2:30 Monday - Friday Last registration at 2:00 PM

5:00 - 7:00 PM Wednesday Evening (when school is in session)

A-I: March 18 - March 30, 2019
J-Q: April 1 - April 12, 2019
R-Z: April 15 - April 26, 2019
Open to All: April 29 - May 17, 2019

• Students with an incomplete file will not be placed until their file is completed.
• Placement decisions will take place in May and June.
• Assignment notices for students registered during March 18 and May 17, 2019 are mailed to families' homes in July.
• Any registration done after May 17, 2019 will be on a first come, first served basis.

Citywide Pre-School Showcase

April 3, 2019

Parents are invited to attend the Pre-School showcase to obtain information about the kindergarten registration process

• 6:00 PM at the Arnone Elementary School - 135 Belmont Street

Citywide Pre-School Showcase

April 27, 2019

Parents are invited to attend the Pre-School showcase to obtain information about the kindergarten registration process

• 11:00 AM at the Arnone Elementary School - 135 Belmont Street

Grade 6 Placement

May - June, 2019

• Grade 5 regular education students will receive middle school informational letter on March 18^th.
• Students will be assigned to the school closest to their residence based on their home address and classroom space availability.
• Preference will be given to students who will have siblings in a middle school for the 2019-2020 school year.
• Grade 6 placements will be done in May.
• Notifications of school assignments will be emailed to the sending/receiving schools on May 20^th.
• Notifications of school assignments will be mailed to the parents' home in June and emailed to the sending/receiving schools.
• Parents can make a ONE-TIME appeal of the placement decision at the School Registration and Parent Information Center from JUNE 10-27, 2019.
• TAG, SEI, SPED, Two-Way students will be placed in the same programs at the middle school level. They will receive a placement confirmation letter in June.

Out-of-Zone Re-application

May 13 - May 24, 2019

• Parents of students who attend a school out of their zone will receive a choice form for next year's Out-of-Zone placement.
• Placement decisions will take place in May and June.
• Letters will be mailed to students' residences in July.

Grade 1-12 Registration

June 1 – September, 2019

• Registration period for parents registering students who will attend grades 1-12 during the 2019-2020 school year.

Transfers K-8 for the 2019-2020 School Year

June 1 - July 31, 2019

• Transfers will be done during this allotted time only.
• No transfers will be accepted in August.

Brockton High School - School Choice Program

June 1 - August 1, 2019

• Students who do not reside are invited to register to attend Brockton High School during this time.
• BHS will choose the "School Choice" students.

BHS Athletic Director Kevin Karo was asked to swing by the East Side Shaws on Friday, January 25, 2019, to receive a $500 donation from Store Manager Sean McPartlin and the store’s team. Funds will be deposited into the Save Our Sports Hockey Account and go toward defraying the cost of needed equipment or experiences that fall outside the parameters of the athletics budget, Karo said.

Deepest thanks to this generous community partner for showing appreciation and assistance to, and for, the Brockton Public Schools.

Please join us on Thursday, January 31st from 4:00PM-10:00PM in support of The Angelo School

10% Donation Night

Bring the Texas Roadhouse Flyer and 10% of your total food purchases will be donated to the Angelo School Gators.