Are Drugs/Alcohol A Problem At Shawsheen And WHS?

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…

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Flashback Friday

Which Class of 1984 Member Leads a Local School?

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.

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District Easing Into Potential 1:1 Technology

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 …

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Back to School Lessons From a Historic Event

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 …

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Speeding Drivers on WPD's Radar as School Year Approaches

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 …

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Wilmington Wildcats

Game On: Fall Teams Will Play at Alumni Stadium

The fall sports schedule was up in the air, but with no end to the appeals in the immediate future, Wildcat teams will be able to play on their home field.

Summer vacation has been far from relaxing for Wilmington High School athletics director Ed Harrison. After months of not knowing what the Wildcat fall sports schedule would look like due to the appeals of the new high school construction, school officials are finally able to get to work solidifying venues for the upcoming sports season. Artificial turf installation was slated to be completed for the fall season, then was pushed back due to an appeal so that it would be ready for the Thanksgiving Day football game. However, there is no concrete end to the latest appeals in sight. As a result, Wilmington fall teams will now play home games at Alumni Stadium rather than on alternate fields and out of town on neutral sites as would have been …

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How to Use Wilmington Patch this School Year

Five things principals, educators, PTA members, parents and students need to know.

The school year will be starting soon in Wilmington, and Wilmington Patch will be there to cover all the big news. But we can’t do it without your help. To make sure you get the most out of Patch this school year, we invite you to get active in the news-gathering process. There are five things you can do to make sure your school and its students get all the coverage they deserve from Patch: You can also become a blogger and share your school's news directly with Patch readers on a regular basis. To find out more about using Patch this school year, just email matthew.schooley@patch.com.

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You Ask... Patch Answers

Why Is Work Being Done at the High School?

For our latest 'You Ask... Patch Answers,' we address why construction work is going on around the Wilmington High School grounds.

Construction for the new high school is delayed as the town awaits the result of two appeals of the recent Department of Environmental Protection's decision.  But one reader wants to know. If the school is being appealed, why are town employees working on the grounds? "Do you know why the town workers were digging up the sidewalk and grass at the High School on the Adams Street side (on Wednesday)?," the reader asked. "I thought work could not be done on the site due to appeals" Town Manager Michael Caira offered up the answer to this question on Friday, and said the work is unrelated to the new school. "The School Department requested that the town provide additional parking spaces in that area to better accommodate staff needing closer …

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Josephine MorningStar

2:17 pm on Sunday, August 5, 2012

are there barriers set up, to prevent the run off from this area going directly into the waterway behind and around the school?? I was under the impression that NO amt of disturbing the ground could take place that close to a wetland without it being approved by the state.. so what is the DEP # for that construction?   more ›