BPS in the News

Here is just some of the recent news coverage of Boston Public Schools students, teachers, schools and programs:

McCormack Middle School students "Discover America" with Driver Dave.

The Boston Banner profiles Boston Community Leadership Academy student Uniqua Mason.

The Roslindale Transcript covered the installation of a new sculptural fence at the Haley Elementary School.

A feature story in Education Week highlights the Boston Teacher Residency program as a national model.

The Boston Globe describes Superintendent Johnson's proposal to create a citywide high school marching band.

Read about the new outdoor classroom and garden at the Ohrenberger Elementary School in the West Roxbury Bulletin.

WHDH / Channel 7 aired a piece about school uniforms at the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School.

WCVB / Channel 5 covered the O'Donnell Elementary School's participation in International Walk to School Day.

Urban Science Academy was featured in a Boston Globe editorial about Science education.

VLA seeks student art for holiday cards

BPS students in grades 7-12 are invited to submit entries for the annual Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Holiday Card Contest. Young artists can win art supplies and up to $200 if their creation is selected to be featured on the cards this year. Download the flier (PDF) here. Submit artwork with an entry form by October 24. Pictured here is one of last year's winning designs by Boston Latin Academy student Mallory Pearson.

Hip-hop rally today; voter registration deadline tomorrow

Tomorrow is the deadline to register to vote in the Presidential election on November 4. Anyone who will be 18 years or older by that date must register to vote by October 15. Community members are invited to a "Hip Hop Voter Registration Rally" today from 2 - 6 p.m. at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, featuring hip hop artists Bow Wow, Bun B, Joell Ortiz and Ahmir.

October is College Month in the BPS

Boston students of all ages will celebrate "College Month" throughout October, with activities, events and resources to encourage higher education after high school. In partnership with area colleges and universities, as well as community organizations, the district offers college access programs and services throughout the year, but the month of October is a particularly active and important time for students to learn more about the application process, financial aid, and academic expectations at the college level. What is your school doing to celebrate College Month? Post a comment here.

"Pathways to Excellence" would strengthen and reorganize Boston schools

Superintendent Carol Johnson presented details about her ambitious "Pathways to Excellence" plan to the Boston School Committee last night. The plan calls for expanding, relocating and consolidating various schools and programs in order to advance the Superintendent's academic agenda for all Boston Public Schools.

The outcomes would include 6,000 more students served in K-8 programs, nearly 2,000 new pilot school seats, and new secondary programs to eliminate the dropout rate. Confronting challenging economic realities, Dr. Johnson estimates that the plan would reduce costs by about $13.8 million over the next five years. Families and staff will participate in a series of community forums over the next four weeks to review and comment on the proposals.

Visit the BPS website to learn more.

On the school lunch menu: locally-grown corn on the cob

Students at the South Boston Education Complex enjoyed a rare treat in the cafeteria yesterday: fresh corn on the cob. To celebrate Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week, students helped organize a special lunch featuring fresh corn from Lanni Farms in Lunenberg, MA. Students also put their knowledge about our nation’s top crop to the test in a trivia contest all about corn. The lunch kicked off "Fresh Start Together," a pilot farm-to-school program designed to introduce local produce to students at ten Boston Public Schools that will feature a different locally grown fresh vegetable or fruit each month.

Boston continues improvement in MCAS Math

Boston Public Schools students continue to make significant progress in Mathematics, according to new MCAS results released yesterday. In almost every grade tested, Boston students made gains comparable to or greater than improvements statewide. However, like school districts throughout Massachusetts, Boston’s English Language Arts (ELA) scores remained flat or declined in most grades. Boston students continued to make some of the greatest improvements at the high school level, with performance in both Math and ELA outpacing State gains. Two Boston high schools -- Brighton High School and Madison Park Technical Vocational High School -- made double-digit gains in percentages of students scoring at the "proficient" level or higher. See coverage in the Boston Herald.

Have you visited the new BPS website?

Boston Public Schools started a brand-new school year with a brand-new website!

It offers many new and improved features, including:

• updated, dynamic content about schools and major education initiatives;

• “Welcome” pages in eight languages, with translations of publications;

• podcasts, video library and other digital media content;

• redesigned “Careers” section for on-line recruiting and hiring;

• new “School Choice” section for school selection and registration;

• email notification systems; and

• improved search capabilities.

Visit www.bostonpublicschools.org to test drive the new model. Then you can take a short survey to provide feedback and be entered into a drawing to win a $50 Target gift card.

Three schools vie for "School on the Move" Prize

Three Boston Public Schools have been named finalists for the annual Thomas W. Payzant "School on the Move" Prize: Rafael Hernandez K-8 School, Samuel W. Mason Pilot Elementary School, and F. Lyman Winship Elementary School. EdVestors will announce the winner of the $100,000 prize at its annual gala on October 17. Read about previous winners: Sarah Greenwood K-8 School and Excel High School.

UPDATE: Congratulations to the 2008 winner, the Mason Elementary School!

Harvard Letter highlights BPS principal leadership

The current issue of the Harvard Letter features profiles of five former BPS principals who successfully led school transformation efforts. "Creating a Culture of Reciprocal Accountability" describes how these new school leaders engaged their faculty and students to institute change.

Four at BLS named National Merit semi-finalists

Four seniors at Boston Latin School have been named semi-finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program: Juncheng Dong, Paul E. Kreiner, Yukun Li, and Hannah S. Mogul-Adlin. Students are selected based on their PSAT and SAT scores, academic record, letters of recommendation, and personal essays. They will compete with approximately 16,000 students from across the country for college scholarships.

O'Bryant graduates are ready for MIT

Bruno Piazzarolo (left) and Alban Cobi, 2008 graduates of the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science, are beginning their freshman year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). They are featured in the MIT News section of the university's website.

Back-to-school in Boston!

Students in grades 1-12 begin a new school year today in the Boston Public Schools. (Kindergarten students begin on Monday.) Pictured here, principal Deb Socia (left) welcomes students back to the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School in Dorchester. For more back-to-school information, visit the new BPS website.

A new beginning for the Burke High School

Teachers and other staff returned yesterday to the new Jeremiah E. Burke High School after a two-year, $50 million renovation. See coverage on New England Cable News and in the Boston Globe.

Come to the Back-to-School Jamboree!

More than 2,000 Boston Public Schools students, families and staff will gather on City Hall Plaza tomorrow for the first Back-to-School Jamboree! The free event takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and features fun and informative activities for the whole family. The first 1,500 BPS students to arrive will receive a free backpack filled with school supplies. Enjoy face painting, health screening, family fitness, and much more.

Boston Magazine commends BPS high schools

Congratulations to 14 Boston Public Schools included in Boston Magazine's list of the 141 best public high schools in the area, ranked both for academic performance and cost efficiency:

• Boston International High School
• Boston Latin Academy
• Boston Latin School
• Brighton High School
• Jeremiah E. Burke High School
• Charlestown High School
• Community Academy
• East Boston High School
• Excel High School
• Fenway High School
• Monument High School
• New Mission High School
• Odyssey High School
• Snowden International School

Boston Schoolyard Intiative earns national attention

Officials from cities across the country visited Boston recently to tour our unique outdoor classrooms: the schoolyards refurbished through the Boston Schoolyard Initiative. Since 1995, the program has helped reconstruct 71 schoolyards, with plans to invest in at least 16 more over the next two years. The Christian Science Monitor highlighted the initiative in a recent feature story, touting Boston as a national model for schoolyard design and construction. Pictured here, Isiah Davis (left) and Giovany Perez enjoy the refurbished schoolyard at John P. Holland Elementary School and Community Center (Photo by Ann Hermes for the Christian Science Monitor).

Shop at Whole Foods on August 20 to support kindergarten!

On Wednesday, August 20, the three Whole Foods Markets located in Boston will donate 5% of all net sales to Countdown to Kindergarten. Shop at the Whole Foods at 15 Westland Avenue (near Symphony Hall), 181 Cambridge Street (near Mass. General Hospital), or 15 Washington Street (Brighton), and a portion of your spending will support Countdown to Kindergarten's work to help families and students make a successful transition to kindergarten!

Boston principals gather for August Institute

The 143 principals and headmasters of the Boston Public Schools are gathered this week for professional development at the annual August Institute, held this year at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Superintendent Johnson addressed the group this morning, reflecting on her first year in Boston and outlining goals for the year ahead. For the first time this year, school leaders were joined by other members of their administrative team and some teacher leaders. During the spring and summer, Dr. Johnson announced the appointment of new principals and headmasters in 27 Boston Public Schools.

Financial aid workshops for BPS graduates

The City of Boston and Boston Public Schools, in partnership with the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA), are hosting two workshops for BPS families and students about financial aid for college. Details about the forums (to be held on August 11 and 18) are posted on the district's new web page, "Paying for College," which includes a variety of resources about financing higher education. The workshops will include opportunities for participants to have personalized assistance from counselors about financial aid options.