Natick Report

More than you really want to know about Natick, Mass.

Natick Public Schools Supt. Anna Nolin a finalist for Newton’s top school job

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Natick Public Schools Supt. Dr. Anna Nolin is 1 of 3 finalists for the job of superintendent for the Newton Public School district.

Giana Macchiano's "What's Your Life's Blueprint"

 

Nolin has been with Natick Public Schools for some 20 years, including the past 4 as superintendent. She earlier served as principal of Wilson Middle School in Natick, and before that, as a teacher in Framingham. Last year, Nolin was named president of the New England Association of School Superintendents‘ board.

Her competition for the Newton job consists of New Bedford Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Anderson and Acton-Boxborough Regional School District Superintendent Peter Light, according to the Newton Superintendent Search Committee.

The Newton district serves nearly 12,000 students across 15 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 2 high schools and 2 alternative high school programs, and an integrated preschool program.

If Nolin is hard to find in Natick on Feb. 15, that’s because she’s slated to visit Newton for in-person tours, staff meet-and-greets, and an online community form. The Newton School Committee that night will conduct public, in-person interviews.

Dr. Kathleen Smith, former Brockton Public Schools superintendent, has been serving as Newton’s interim superintendent. She succeeded David Fleishman, who left last year to lead the Jewish Vocational Service in Boston.

Newton seeks to have a new superintendent in place by mid-year.

Natick presents its ‘rebalancing year’ budget

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Natick Town Administrator Jamie Errickson and Public Schools Supt. Dr. Anna Nolin led a presentation on Feb. 1 (see Pegasus recording) at a joint meeting with the town’s Finance Committee on the preliminary fiscal year 2024 budget. This balanced $193M plan reflects some unusual realities, including stimulus funding that won’t be around forever and financial turn backs resulting from hard-to-fill jobs.

We’ve embedded the overall budget, as well as the school budget that accounts for 44% of the overall town budget, at the bottom of this post.

“This is a rebalancing year for us,” Errickson said at the meeting, which helps to prep the government bodies for Annual Spring Town Meeting, slated to start on April 25. Post-pandemic trends are starting to emerge and local receipts are rebounding faster than expected, but inflation is being felt across the board (the Department of Public Works, for example, is experiencing a 10% cost increase from energy and supply chain issues). “So [the budget] certainly does come with some caution,” he said.

Nolin added to this by noting the schools’ efforts to “not to create a cliff of support,” where students’ are soon robbed of the sorts of academic, social, and emotional resources that pandemic-related funds have covered. “It is this delicate balancing act that we’re trying to do, and my School Committee governance team has been asking all the hard questions about which things in what order should stay and how do we plan for the long term,” she said.

Errickson cautioned that the preliminary budget has been crafted without knowing some key data, including health care costs and state aid (the latter of which he hopes will be increased and help the town restock general and operational stabilization accounts).

Deputy Town Administrator John Townsend dove into the details of the preliminary budget, highlighting among other things, a projected 27% increase in local receipts (excise tax, etc.) over the current fiscal year. While that’s certainly heading in the right direction, the projected amount still pales vs. the receipts that would have been expected by now if there hadn’t been a pandemic. “So while the pandemic has receded, we from a financial point of view are still suffering from it,” he added.

Townsend also covered other revenue issues, including planned restraint on using free cash and reserves to shore up the town’s financials in the way it has had to do over the past few years.

On the expense side, he highlighted the biggest increases, which will come from schools and its $83M-plus budget and public works, facing nearly a 10% increase in costs. Debt service is an area to watch, but Townsend noted the town didn’t need to do any large scale borrowing during the pandemic without big projects getting underway.

A public form will be scheduled between now and Town Meeting, and a revised budget book will be out by the end of March, he said.

School budget

Supt. Nolin joined forces with Assistant Superintendent for Finance Dr. Peter Gray in sharing the school system budget, over 90% of which is fixed based on mandates and contracts, such as for busses and teachers’ pay.

Nolin addressed challenges in coming up with a budget. These included everything from surprising changes to the student population (Natick had an influx of refugee students, including from Ukraine, who required English Learner services) to teacher shortages (25-30 per day). “It’s a time of extreme change in our profession and desirability of being an educator in public schools,” Nolin said.

The compensation request is up 3% and the request for other expenses is 13.5% higher than in fiscal year 2023. Compensation is rising in part because Natick is striving to reward teachers who stick around for a long time. Nolin acknowledged Natick was one of the few districts in the area without longevity incentives. With nearly half the staff in the system for over 11 years, Natick Public Schools want “to send the message that experienced teachers matter in the district,” Nolin said.

Natick’s also looking to fill new positions, including those related to the upcoming closure of Johnson Elementary School and due to the need for more technology instruction for staff. A surprising increase in French language popularity also calls for a new middle school teacher. More staff are needed as well to address early student intervention as a result of possible and actual learning and socialization delays caused by the pandemic. More parents are asking for special education evaluations. “We are about to see the impact of those children hitting elementary school,” Nolin said.

Other expenses are up for assorted reasons, including inflation affecting utility and fuel costs, an $800K out-of-district tuition increase (not something the district is taking lying down, per Nolin), and teacher and student laptop replacements.

To the future

During Q&A with the School Committee, Select Board, and Finance Committee, the presenters fielded questions about the FY24 budget, but also those going forward. Things have been messy and unusual over the past few years, as new sorts of grants and outside funds have become available that likely won’t be available going forward, and there have been big changes in staffing and services as more work shifted to online and town employees had more work piled on them.

Errickson stressed his focus on figuring out how to retain good staff, and rightsize the amount of work they should be expected to handle. “For me, rightsizing isn’t cutting or adding, rightsizing is what’s the reality of the job market and let’s figure out how we can position our existing positions,” which could include adding consultants or addressing community service needs in other ways, he said.

The town’s administration is admittedly looking ahead month to month and quarter to quarter, with longer-term projections much more challenging. Errickson said that a year ago he never could have foreseen the way some things have stabilized or improved, and that while increased local receipts and the Boston area’s general economic strength offer room for optimism, there are also broader forces at play, including the geopolitical environment. “It is a crystal ball that is really challenging to look into right now,” he said.

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Save the date: Maple Magic pancake breakfast at Natick Organic Farm, March 4

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Don’t miss the Natick Community Organic Farm‘s Maple Magic Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, March 4, 8am-10am, at the Memorial Elementary School cafeteria, 107 Eliot St., Natick.

Load up on all you can eat pancakes with all the fixins, and plenty of real, local maple syrup made from sap collected from area maple trees and boiled down in the farm’s sugar shack. Vegan and gluten free options will be available.

There will be live music, a raffle, and more.

Members $10/adults, $5 child under 12. Non-members $12/adult, $6 child under 12.

Natick Community Organic Farm, sap buckets

 

Natick Community Organic Farm, Natick

Take a sweet tour

Freezing nights in the 20s and warm days in the 40s trigger the sugar maple sap run, which starts the farm’s sugaring season. Learn the science and history of “sugaring” during tours at the NCOF that start Feb. 11 and run through March 11.

Visitors will learn Indigenous people and Colonist historical techniques for making maple sugar. Learn about tree identification, qualities of sap and syrup, how to tap, and more at the farm’s outdoor displays and tapped trees. If the weather’s just right, tour groups will watch sap dripping into buckets and boiling in the sugar shack.

Even though Mother Nature can’t guarantee the sap run (and boiling) on any given day, tours are still interesting and fun, and offer visitors a fascinating view of this enduring New England tradition.

Tours are one hour long and are open to the public for a $10 fee per person. Babes in carriers are free.

A Preview of Natick High School Theatre’s ‘9 to 5’

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Natick Report is working with The Natick Nest, Natick High School’s official student-run school newspaper, to help bring the students’ work to a larger audience. We’ll be republishing some of their articles, and plan to coordinate with their staff on additional pieces. This article originally appeared in The Natick Nest.

By Ella Stern, editor-in-chief, The Natick Nest

Not many empowering shows also include kidnapping and fantasies of murder. 9 to 5, however, strikes that balance perfectly.

From its feminist messaging to its well-thought-out acting, choreography, music, and set to its opportunities for growth, Natick High School Theatre’s production of 9 to 5 promises to be spectacular.

9 to 5 foto

 

9 to 5: The Musical follows Judy, Violet, and Doralee, three very different women who are friends because they work at the same office. The office is run by Franklin Hart, a misogynistic boss who mistreats his female staff. The three women band together to build up the company and make it a better place for its workers (after dreaming up ways to murder Hart, of course).

9 to 5’s clear message of female empowerment drew Marly Rotenberg ’23, the student director, to the show. She said, “What makes this show different from other shows with female leads is that it’s all about women coming together and bringing each other up and doing something positive and making a lasting change.” Even though the movie version of 9 to 5 (off which the musical is based) was written in 1980, its feminist message is still relevant and necessary over 40 years later. Further, 9 to 5 allows audiences to connect the topics discussed in the show with modern issues by themselves without feeling singled out for their lack of knowledge about sexism. Marly said, “The message that [9 to 5] spreads—and it deals with heavy topics of sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the workplace—is told through as comedic of a lens as humanly possible when dealing with those subjects to try and make it seem less confrontational.”

The female-driven cast was also appealing because the current theatre program skews heavily female. The creative team (9 to 5’s student leaders) wanted to choose a show that would fit those demographics and give as many people as possible their time to shine. 9 to 5 has multiple female leads of differing vocal ranges, which allows some actors to get a starring role for the first time. Marly wanted to give people this opportunity, even though it had not always been given to her. “What always stood out to me about Marly is that she always really wanted to give everyone a fair chance, and to give everyone a voice, and I thought that was really cool and special,” said Anna Huynh ’23, 9 to 5’s music director.

Even though 9 to 5’s feminism was a huge point in favor of the show, the student leaders had to consider various cons when choosing which show to direct. For instance, 9 to 5 is a difficult show with an expansive and challenging score. On top of that, this production is entirely student-run, and the cast, crew, and pit have had a very short time to put everything together. However, the creative team decided that they were up to the challenge.

Photo by Nick Peace '23

 

Marly said that the biggest obstacle she has faced in shaping the acting of the show has been helping everyone understand the character that they need to portray. “Acting is all about storytelling,” she said, so she wants each character to be three-dimensional and dynamic. To accomplish this, Marly has actors think about what their character is like throughout the show as a whole and how they change from song to song and scene to scene. Marly is especially proud of the way the three female leads portray their characters’ perseverance, growth, and empowerment. This enhances the acting moments about which Marly is most excited: the end of Act I, when the characters finally do something about their frustration, and the end of Act II, when they share their frustration with the world.

The story of the show is also told through its choreography. For instance, the opening number, “9 to 5” introduces lots of characters and brings them from waking up in the morning to arriving at the office. Sydney Carner ’24, the choreographer, said that that song was the hardest to choreograph because of all its moving parts and all the information it has to convey. Sydney is proudest of the choreography for “One of the Boys”. When putting together most of the numbers, she took inspiration from the Broadway version, but “One of the Boys” has Sydney’s own choreography and ideas more than any song in the show, especially in its dance breaks. Even better, it is the song whose choreography people have liked the best, which has been validating for Sydney.

Sydney’s choreography would not be complete without the music to which it is set. 9 to 5 features a whopping 18 songs (all written by Dolly Parton!), and they are not easy. Anna Huynh ’23, the music director, said that the biggest challenge for themself and for the cast when it comes to music is the limited rehearsal schedule. She has had to spend days making practice tracks, and the cast has not had much time to master each song, but they have all been pulling their weight and making significant progress on the music. One of Anna’s favorite things about the music in this show is that it is very ensemble-oriented. “Many people have the impression that [the] ensemble isn’t important, but it is in this show. We have all been realizing the importance of the ensemble and how they frame the show and how they really make the show come to life,” they said.

The pit band is also playing some challenging music in this show. In fact, the creative team was advised to use background tracks rather than a student pit, but they decided that the pit was up to the challenge, and that they would let them play. Isaac Hoffman ’23, the pit conductor, said that the pit has learned to sync their difficult parts and changes, especially in complex songs like “Dance of Death”. Isaac is conducting for the first time for this show, and is enjoying it. He has especially grown as a conductor from slower songs like “Heart to Hart”, which force him to be perfectly in time. Isaac is proudest of the opening number, “9 to 5”, as it has come together well and is a song everyone will know and appreciate. The pit band as a whole is excited to be performing onstage (on a platform built by stage crew) for the first time.

Despite 9 to 5’s abbreviated time frame, the stage crew has been able to put together an impressive set. Charlotte Gagliardi ’23, the stage manager, said that her only requirement for the show was a stationary set. When the crew does not have to focus on moving large set pieces, they can make the movements of smaller pieces (for this show, the desks and other furniture) more intricate. Further, when the set stays the same throughout the show, the actors can settle in and be confident in moving around the stage and interacting with the set. In this show, the thing Charlotte is most proud of is the other people in stage crew. Earlier this year, Charlotte was one of the only stage crew members left who remembered how things were before Covid, but she and the other crew heads have done a great job teaching their assistants how to run things. They have all loved watching the underclassmen fall in love with crew and become more confident in their abilities. Charlotte is also excited about having a working elevator onstage, as its opening and closing doors allow the actors to interact with it realistically.

9 to 5’s creative team has had to learn new skills for the show too, whether that is allocating money, teaching high schoolers, or finding the balance between director and friend amongst a group of their peers. It has been a challenge, but has taught them life skills, such as communication, teaching, and leadership.

The creative team is made up of Marly Rotenberg ’23, the director; Anna Huynh ’23, the music director; Charlotte Gagliardi ’23, the stage manager; Sydney Carner ’24, the choreographer; Naomi Zwelling ’23, the producer; and Isaac Hoffman ’23, the pit band conductor.

With all of these differing roles, there is the potential for overstepping, but this is not the case for this group. One of the greatest strengths of 9 to 5’s creative team has been giving each other the space to excel in their area of expertise, and trusting each other to do their thing well. Charlotte said, “These guys don’t bother me at all, and I love it…They gave me specific things they wanted for the set and then they let me do what I’m already good at.”

In addition to preventing conflict, this trust has given each member of the creative team significant influence over an area of the show, making them more confident in their abilities. “Once you’ve done something before and once you feel like you’ve learned enough to be confident in your perspective on it, it becomes a lot easier to make your voice heard,” Charlotte said.

This confidence is one of the things the creative team as a whole is most excited for in the final production. It has been a privilege for them to help the cast, pit, and crew learn their roles and build trust in their own talent. They cannot wait to see even more confidence shine through as all the pieces of the show start to fit together and they head into show weekend.

9 to 5 will be playing in the Natick High School auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 3 and at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 4 and Sunday, February 5. Tickets can be preordered at this link or bought at the door.

The creative team encourages residents of the Natick area to come see the show because it is bursting with talent from the cast, pit, and crew, and is a great way to support local artists and get a good couple hours of entertainment. Or because, as Charlotte said, “I love Dolly Parton, and so should you.”

9to5

Please send tips, photos, ideas to natickreport@gmail.com

Natick School Committee votes to expand METCO into elementary school level

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metco-logo

The School Committee as a whole supports METCO expansion, though the question at the Jan. 23 committee meeting (about 10 minutes into the Pegasus recording) was whether to expand it starting in the 2023-2024 or 2025-2026 school year. The argument for starting sooner was to realize the benefits right away and help the next wave of Natick METCO students establish connections within the school system as pre-teens, while the argument for waiting was to ensure that the support infrastructure is in place to make the expansion successful, and that the expansion will work in light of enrollment projections.

The METCO discussion began with a motion from School Committee member Julie McDonough to start the METCO enrollment expansion into elementary schools starting in the 2025-2026 school year, and it was quickly seconded. McDonough’s rationale for waiting is that current enrollment projections are not stabile enough, with enrollment up 44 students this year from the past year alone. By waiting, she argued that the system should have a better sense of elementary school enrollment in the wake of the Johnson school closing and with more information about the renovation or rebuilding of the Memorial Elementary School. The latest NESDEC figures also indicate fewer students entering Natick kindergarten in 2025-2026 from the previous year, she said.

Committee Chair Cathi Collins put a competing motion on the floor to start the expansion in third grade in 2023-2024, as proposed by Natick METCO Director Rasheedah Clayton (see request document below). This motion was also quickly seconded. Collins said there is room at Ben-Hem to support the program in the next school year, commenting that “we are 1 of 2 [METCO] districts that doesn’t have [the program in] elementary school, which I just find borderline criminal…I think it’s important that we start this. One cohort is what’s being asked for…”

Committee member Dr. Shai Fuxman said sooner is better since METCO creates “opportunities for belonging, for friendship, for conversations, for perspective taking that are so critical for the development of our students’ well being.” He’s sees the METCO program currently having not just dozens of students, but thousands, given its impact across the student body in grades 5-12.

Natick’s METCO program is much smaller than that of some nearby communities such as Lincoln and Newton, which have 7.5% and 3.7% of their student population from METCO vs. 1.3% in Natick with the near-term expansion, said School Committee member Elise Gorseth. “That just doesn’t feel like an effective program to me, it feels like it’s too small,” she said. “I think we should go big or go home, and we should take that extra year to really try to build this program and to see if we have the extra capacity to expand to what would be a more similar number to other districts that have really strong DE&I programs.”

Natick METCO Director Clayton emphasized that funding might not be available for expansion if the town waits, citing uncertainty over how the new Commonwealth administration will approach this. The school system passed on more than $120K in funding last year when it decided not to go forward with METCO expansion, she said. The proposal she submitted to the School Committee for consideration says there are 50 METCO students in grades 5-12, and that the aim is to add a K-4 cohort of another 16-20, starting with about 6 students in the initial phase.

Supt. Dr Anna Nolin added that the school system initially is looking to just return to METCO program numbers it once had before transportation issues forced it to scale back.

Several METCO alum or parents of current students urged the School Committee to consider expansion sooner than later. Tamika Scott, who attended the Dover-Sherborn school system from elementary through high school as a METCO student, said she created bonds from early on that have lasted through her life, and encouraged Natick to expand its program to earlier grades to “further the commitment of your community” to “interconnectedness.” Her daughter had a great, but different experience in the Natick METCO program, where she has had to catch up in bonding with other students having started here in middle school.

In the end, School Committee voted against expanding the program in 2025-2026 by a tally of 4-3, and voted 4-3 in favor of expanding in the 2023-2024 school year.

Ben-Hem school summer

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