Nestled below the Picasso print of Don Quixote hanging on the wall in my office are 49 plastic bins full of PARCC materials patiently waiting to bring joy and mirth to all of the wonderful children of Stony Brook. Students fortunate enough to pass by my office this week have bubbled with enthusiasm as if uncovering the secret hiding spot for holiday gifts and surprises. The ironic juxtaposition of the famous impossible dreamer tiling at windmills hovering over the mandated state assessments brings a smile to my face every time I see the bins waiting to be distributed.
With the PARCC assessments moving to May from the traditional MCAS window in March, it makes the slide from April vacation to the end of the year seem even faster for our 8th graders. In no time, many of them will be journeying to Washington DC while others will be acting as ambassadors to some of our elementary students assisting with some of their community work and field days. Quickly after finishing the PARCC assessments, they will be participating in the 8th grade science MCAS exams which will still take place later in May. Every week in May has some event or other that keeps the 8th graders from wallowing in the sorrow that they will soon be leaving the hallowed halls of Stony Brook to embark on the new adventures awaiting them in high school.
Speaking of Washington DC...the parent meeting for all students participating in the Washington DC Trip is being held on May 18 at 6:00 in the auditorium.
But alas, before we get into May, there are a couple of things happening this weekend...
Best of luck to the cast and crew of BEAUTY AND THE BEE as they participate in the MA Middle School one-act festival at Tyngsborough High School tomorrow.
Tomorrow is also Clean-up Westford day with opportunities all around town for individuals and groups to volunteer and help keep Westford looking beautiful. I am very grateful to Westford Cub Scout Pack 102 for volunteering to clean-up around the track and help us keep the campus looking as wonderful. Information for Westford Clean-Up day is available on our homepage and in our Twitter feed. Registration is at 8:30 at Roudenbush Community Center.
Spring sports are in full bloom and we had a number of competitions this week already. It is always wonderful to see all of the activity after school whether it is practices or games on all of our fields or students in the building adding the finishing touches on set-pieces or costumes or other students collaborating on the final proofs of the yearbook. The energy is refreshing and inspiring to see additional opportunities for students to exhibit their strong skills and passions.
The final follow-up information regarding the Westford in Tune program is that 45 large garbage bags of clothing and shoes were collected and an additional $650 of donated money was used to purchase brand new clothing for the children in need. The total amount collected was 1,145 articles of clothing or shoes. Thank you again to Emily Blagg for all her work and everyone who participated in the event to help support the work of Cradles to Crayons. Congratulations on a job well done!
On that note of accomplishment and service, have a wonderful weekend!
Chris
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