2010-2011 School Calendar: It’s official! September 8, 2010 is the first day of school for students after the 2010 summer vacation. Download the 2010-2011 school calendar online at http://www.somerville.k12.ma.us/calendar. The calendar is available online in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole. All dates have also been added to the online, searchable calendar at http://www.somerville.k12.ma.us/events.NEws

Parents as Partners Workshop Series: Preventing alcohol and drug use by students, understanding and preventing bullying at school and at home, and recognizing the impact of family violence on learning are among the topics being addressed in the Parents as Partners Workshop series co-sponsored by the Somerville Public Schools and the Somerville PTA. The first FREE workshop for families across the City is scheduled for January 13, 2010 from 6:30-8:00 PM at the Healey School (5 Meacham Street).

Other free workshops in the series include:
• Thursday, February 11, 2010 from 6:30-8:30 PM: Introduction to Grant Research and Writing
• Wednesday, March 10, 2010 from 6:30-8:00 PM: Bullying and Cyber Bullying
• Wednesday, April 14 from 6:30-8:00 PM: Family and Relationship Violence.
Information collected from students on the annual Youth Risk Behavior Survey helped us determine the workshops we are offering this year. Teen leaders from Somerville High School will share data from the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey with the community on Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 6:00 PM at Somerville High School (81 Highland Avenue). Please join us for this presentation to learn more about trends in youth risky behaviors.

Stories of Learning: What stories would you tell to answer these questions? “What does an inclusive classroom look like?” “What impact does music and theater have on students’ aspirations?” “How do Somerville High School graduates feel about their education?” These are the questions families who are new to Somerville have about our schools. Whether you are a current student, a parent/guardian of a current student, a graduate or a teacher we want to hear your stories so we can share them with families interested in learning more about the public schools in Somerville. Log onto our website at http://www.somerville.k12.ma.us/stories and share your story with us online. If you’d rather share your story with a real person please contact Lisnerva Nuez in the Office of the R&D, Public Information and Grants (lnuez@k12.somerville.k12.ma.us or 617-625-6600 x6013) to arrange a time for 30 minute telephone interview. We will review all stories of learning in Somerville and post appropriate stories on our website and in various publications.

You’ve heard that a picture is worth a thousand words? We will be hosting a “Pictures of Learning” Digital Photography contest beginning in late Winter 2010. Look forward to more information about this after February break.

Continuing to Shape Up Somerville Schools: Congratulations Somerville! Undersecretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, Kevin Concannon, visits Somerville on January 14, 2010 to recognize three more Somerville Elementary Schools for their extraordinary efforts to promote healthy students through improvements in food service, nutrition education and physical education. The Argenziano School, Healey School and West Somerville Neighborhood School join the Winter Hill Community School as the only schools in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to be certified in the national HealthierUS Schools Challenge, which has been met by fewer than 1% of eligible schools nationwide. At the special assembly honoring the Winter Hill Community School last year, then School Committee Chair Paul Bockelman told the audience of students, staff and honored guests, “It is easier to get into Harvard University than it is to get this award.” More information about the HealthierUS Challenge can be found online at http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/healthierus/index.html.

Students at the three newly certified schools will be congratulated by local leaders during lunch time on the 14th, and a special assembly honoring each school and the School Food Service Workers will be hosted at the Argenziano School on the 14th from 1:45-2:20 PM. Members of the Argenziano, Healey and West Somerville Neighborhood School communities are invited to this assembly to congratulate staff, students, and administrators on this important accomplishment.

Welcoming Potential Kindergarten Students and Families: From January 20-22 between 8:30 AM and 1:30 PM every elementary school across the City will host Open Houses for families of potential Kindergarteners. Tours of school buildings, meetings with the Principal and other special events will be part of these Open Houses designed to introduce families to the unique qualities of each one of our schools. The Parent Information Center, located at 42 Prescott Street, will offer free coffee and information between 9:00-10:00 on these days for families investigating Kindergartens in Somerville. The Open Houses kick off the September 2010 School Registration process for incoming Kindergarteners. Somerville children who will be five years old by August 31, 2010 will be welcomed in schools across the City as we launch the 2010 Kindergarten Registration Process.

Questions about the Kindergarten registration process can be answered online at http://www.somerville.k12.ma.us/register or by calling the Parent Information Center at 617-625-6600 x6962.