Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Readers submitted their photos from Tuesday's first day, and you can upload your own to this gallery.
The school year is officially underway. Tuesday was the first day of school across the district, and several readers sent along pictures of their children heading out for the big day. Now you can share your photos as well. All you have to do is upload the photos to the gallery above, and tell your fellow readers the names of the students in the picture.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Life in the Mom Lane columnist Christine MacKenzie explains how she gets back into the routine of the new school year.
Well, here we are again. Another summer is winding down and another fall is almost underway. It's allmost time to replace trips to the beach with afternoons at the farm and switch from ice cream to apple cider for a treat. Most of all, in a mom’s world, the end of summertime means its time for the kids to go back to school. For some moms it’s the happiest time of the year and for others, like me, back to school is more of a bittersweet ending to my favorite season. I guess it all depends on just how you look at it. Love it or hate it, however, back to school means adjusting to a new schedule, a new routine and a lot of different responsibilities. As a mom you aren’t actually going back to school yourself but, frankly, it really does feel …
Monday, August 27, 2012
Superintendent of Schools Joanne Benton said she is excited for the new school year, and she believes the district's students share that sentiment.
Summer doesn’t officially end for a few weeks. But for Wilmington students and teachers it does on Monday and Tuesday. And for Superintendent of Schools Joanne Benton, that’s just fine. Benton said that she is excited for the end of the district's summer vacation as teachers report for orientation on Monday before students pour into schools around town for the first day of the new year on Tuesday. “I can’t wait for Tuesday, and I can’t wait to have students in the schools because that is what it’s all about,” said Benton. “It makes it so much more fun when the little ones are around, and I can’t wait for the high school kids to cross over Church Street to start the new year. I think the students are just as excited as I am.” It’s routinely…
Saturday, August 25, 2012
New national study indicates that drug and alcohol use during the school day is a bigger problem than previously thought.
According to a new study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, roughly 17 percent of American high school students engage in smoking, drinking or doing drugs during the school day. The study also said that approximately 86 percent of students indicated that they knew of classmates who abuse drugs or alcohol during the school day. This was the 17th such study conducted by the NCASA. The group interviewed more than 1,000 students ages 12-17, according to an article appearing on Huffington Post. Perhaps more disturbing aspects to the survey included roughly 50 percent of the students indicating there was a place on there campus where students reguarly went to do drugs or drink alcohol. And about 44 percent said they knew of…
During a School Committee meeting earlier this week, Superintendent of Schools Joanne Benton said 23 positions were filled leading into the new school year.
When students return to school on Tuesday, there will be many recognizable faces surrounding them. But there will also be plenty of new ones with the hire of 23 staff members across the district. Superintendent of Schools Joanne Benton provided School Committee members with a list of the district’s newest employees during a meeting earlier this week. Though most of the work is done, Benton said there is some last minute shuffling remaining after she received three letters of resignation in the last six weeks. “Last minute ones are always hard to fill because we’re up against deadlines since we start earlier than many other districts,” said Benton. I understand that some teachers, at least three, have to do with location. Some positions are…
Friday, August 24, 2012
If you have a recognizable face you'd like to see featured in Flashback Friday, e-mail their name and year of graduation to matthew.schooley@patch.com.
Christine McMenimen may have graduated with the Class of 1984. But she didn't leave Wilmington Public Schools for long. McMenimen was an active member of her graduating class, and is now the principal at Wilmington Middle School. During her high school career, McMenimen was a four-year member of the Wildcat softball team, and a captain of the girls volleyball team during her senior year. In addition, the student nicknamed "Mick" was a member of the yearbook staff, student council and prom committee among other activities. Do you have a recongizable Wilmington High School graduate that you'd like to see featured on Flashback Friday? E-mail Local Editor Matt Schooley with their name and year of graduation.
42.555542
-71.166322
Wilmington High School
159 Church St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/which-class-of-1984-member-leads-a-local-school
763855
/locations/7659112
42.55178
-71.187537
Wilmington Middle School
25 Carter Ln, Wilmington, MA
/articles/which-class-of-1984-member-leads-a-local-school
763590
/locations/7659113
Thursday, August 23, 2012
The Wilmington School Committee discussed its pilot programs during Wednesday night's meeting.
Wilmington continues to work towards a possible 1:1 learning strategy using laptops or iPads, but the district is taking its time in arriving at a plan for implementation. During Wednesday’s School Committee meeting, Technology Coordinator Neal Ellis updated board members on the district’s pilot programs that could ultimately shape how a possible permanent program will look. Four carts containing 25 netbooks each have been purchased for Wilmington Middle School, which was recently made wireless thanks to funds that were approved during this year’s Annual Town Meeting. Middle School teachers will soon meet to decide how to deploy the laptops. In addition, a high school pilot program is being developed that will be a Bring Your Own Device …
The leadership program, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, helps nurses become leaders within their community.
Editor's Note: The following press release was provided by the Professional Development Division of the Center of Alcohol Studies at Rutgers University. The Johnson & Johnson School Health Leadership Program is a fellowship program designed to facilitate the empowerment and further development of school nurses as leaders within their community’s educational and health services teams to improve student health practices. This year, we are pleased to announce 48 nurse fellows represented by 13 schools were selected and completed the Johnson & Johnson School Health Leadership 5-day residential Institute and are now the first cohort representing the redesign for this program. The institute provides an opportunity for teams of school nurses …
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Not all lessons children learn are taught inside the classroom.
Ok, I’ll admit it. I am likely the only mom in my town who didn’t realize that school begins next week. Yes, I knew that, traditionally, we always begin before Labor Day and, yes, I knew that it wasn’t far away. But, even so, I was absolutely shocked when another mom at the football field this evening mentioned the first day of school. Like many of the kids in town I guess I was simply in denial. As crazy as it sounds I don’t look forward to “back to school.” I said it last year and I will say it again this year. I love summer vacation. I enjoy the freedom, the chance to hang out with my son and, frankly, the lack of homework and the early morning race to the school bus. That’s not to say, however, that I don’t value education. I have …
Saturday, August 18, 2012
With the first day of school just over one week away, the Wilmington Police Department begins its traffic enforcement program on Monday.
Students and teachers aren’t the only ones getting ready for the new school year. The Wilmington Police Department is getting drivers ready for the first day of school as well. Beginning on Monday, police will begin their traffic enforcement program in an effort to remind Wilmington drivers to slow down with the first day of school just over one week away. Lt. Joe Desmond said the department will set up its sign board near Town Common to alert drivers to slow down. There will also be additional patrols near some of the major bus routes such as Glen Road and Woburn Street. “If we can get the message out and get more people aware, it helps in the long run,” said Desmond. “Drivers get out of the routine during the summertime. Traffic dies …
42.5508
-71.172999
Wilmington Police Department
1 Adelaide St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/speeding-drivers-on-wpd-s-radar-as-school-year-approaches
763591
/locations/7633895
MsJennie
7:27 am on Sunday, November 25, 2012
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wilmington-Substance-Abuse-Coalition/296593140463929?fref=ts more ›