Looks like winter’s here. A weekend full of flurries finished with a nice coating of light snow. Another winter storm is possible Friday. Keep those shovels handy!
HALF DAY TUESDAY FOR ABINGTON STUDENTS
Tuesday is a half day for all Abington students. High School students are dismissed at 10:45 a.m., Middle School students at 11:10 a.m., Woodsdale students at 11:40 a.m., and Beaver Brook students at Noon. There will be no afternoon preschool classes. Teachers and admins will stay behind for professional development. School officials said teachers will focus on the following:
Special Educators and Related Service Providers at each school will collaborate on professional activities related to the unique needs of their students and functions of their role or participate in building-specific activities noted below. Support Staff at each school will focus on tasks/activities related to the unique needs of their students and functions of their role or participate in building-specific activities as applicable. Abington Early Education Program The staff at AEEP will complete the first module of Safety Care Training. This training will continue on subsequent professional development days throughout the school year. Safety Care is a trauma informed approach to de-escalation and management of challenging behaviors. Beaver Brook Elementary School BBES teachers will be diving into the Massachusetts Science Curriculum Frameworks and exploring our current Science and Engineering resources in order to experiment with and expand on hands-on learning experiences for our students. Woodsdale Elementary School Woodsdale teachers will be participating in an interactive literacy workshop studying strands of nonfiction text complexity and using them to support readers. Abington Middle School Grade 5 and 6 staff will delve more deeply into best instructional practices in numeracy or literacy. Grade 7 and 8 staff will participate in the departmental sessions noted below.
Abington High School Staff will work in departments (7-12) on professional activities including: Art – Enhancing lesson plans with a focus on the 2019 visual arts standards. Computer Science – Curriculum alignment and implementation. ELA – Align writing assessments that focus on persuasive writing and literary argument so that our tasks are in line with the current MA Curriculum Standards and data from the 2022 MCAS Item Analysis. Discuss appropriate academic language, map the vertical alignment of assessments, as well as work on developing rubrics and scoring guides to optimize feedback for revision that improves students’ skill acquisition. ELE – Complete training and finalize the district-wide testing schedule for the state-mandated January 2023 WIDA ACCESS exams. Guidance – Guidance Staff will review best-practices in recognizing and responding to anxiety in students. History & Business – Curriculum revision and high quality performance assessment development. Math – Curriculum review and exploration of best instructional practices to promote perseverance, problem solving, and building thinking skills in the math classroom. Music – Participate in an SEL workshop presented by Sing, Explore, Create. Based in Rockland, their Creative Arts Wellness programming focuses on the social emotional needs of each student by board-certified music therapists. The Music Department will be then able to implement strategies introduced at the workshop in their classrooms. Nursing – The nursing team will audit a course through BU Shields on Immunization Survey Updates, review Massachusetts Department of Public Health updates, and begin the state Immunizations Survey. Science – Discuss the use of online resources and learning platforms and how those resources are incorporated into our curricula in grades 7-12. Assess chemical and lab equipment inventory and determine how said inventory is utilized by our classes. Wellness – Curriculum alignment and meet with representatives from the American Heart Association to plan for Heart Health Awareness activities and fundraisers. World Language – The members of the department who attended the ACTFL conference in November will present some key ideas from the sessions they attended.
AEF TEAM TRIVIA NIGHT BACK ON JAN. 7
After a two year hiatus, the Abington Education Foundation’s Team Trivia Night is back. The popular event is scheduled for Saturday, January 7 at 7 p.m., at the Abington Knghts of Columbus. Each team can have up to 10 people. There is a limit of 22 teams of tables for the event. The cost of each Team Table is $250 and can be paid through Venmo (please memo team name) or by check (made out to Abington Education Foundation). Click here to register.
MS/HS HOLIDAY CONCERTS START THIS WEEK
It’s holiday concert season and the Abington Middle and High School spectaculars start this week. The AHS Holiday Concert is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. The AMS Holiday Concert for Grades 7 & 8 is Thursday at 7 p.m. The AMS Holiday Concert for Grades 5 & 6 is Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. All the concerts are in the M/HS auditorium and free to the public.
ABINGTON HOLIDAY CONCERT SATURDAY
And finally, don’t miss the Abington Holiday Concert Saturday evening featuring performances by the Abington Town Choir (under the direction of Katie Beckvold), the Island Grove Chorus ( under the direction of Pat Hoitt), and the Abington Community Band (under the direction of Joyce Harrington). The concert takes place at the Middle/High School auditorium at 7 p.m.
GREEN WAVE ATHLETICS
BOYS BASKETBALL
Monday, Dec. 12, 6:45 p.m. vs. Hull High School
Friday, Dec. 16, 7:30 p.m., vs. East Bridgewater
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Monday, Dec. 12, 5:15 p.m., vs. Hull High School
Friday, Dec. 16, 6:30 p.m., @ East Bridgewater
HOCKEY
Wednesday, Dec. 14, 7:50 p.m. vs Norwell (Rockland Ice Rink)
Saturday, Dec. 17, 4 p.m. @ Cohasset (Connell Rink, Weymouth)
MEETING SCHEDULE
MONDAY
Griffin Dairy Farm Committee, 5:30 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes reports from the project manager, and community garden manager, plus an update on a survey of the southern lot line.
Affordable Housing Trust Fund Committee, 5:30 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes a dicussion about the Center and North School properties, and CPA requests.
Board of Selectmen, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes a discussion on the Community Choice Power Supply Program, new personnel policies, and a vote to open the FY 24 Town Meeting warrant.
TUESDAY
Abington & Rockland Joint Water Works Board of Commissioners, 3:30 p.m., 366 Centre Ave., Rockland. Agenda includes board reorganization, and discussions on holding water for unbuilt projects and water rates.
Fire Station Building Committee, 6 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes discussions about the project site, design, schedule, and budget.