Natick high runners eligible for Greater Framingham Running Club college scholarships

February 15, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Natick High School student-athletes are among those eligible for two $500 scholarships sponsored by the Greater Framingham Running Club.

The scholarships will be presented to local high school runners who plan to attend either a two or four-year accredited college or university and who also intend to run cross-country, track or recreationally while in college. The winning applicants must exemplify dedication, leadership, running talent, commitment and academic achievement. That is, the award will not necessarily go to the runners in the greater Framingham area with the most success in running, but the track or cross-country team members who have always been committed and consistently work hard to persevere, combined with academic achievement.

Applications are available now and are due by March 31.

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Natick School Committee meeting: student awards; space use study; naming the new Kennedy planetarium

January 16, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

At a Natick School Committee meeting conducted on Mon., Jan. 11 via Zoom, SC members, school administrators, faculty members, and families cheered on seniors who won two of Natick High’s most prestigious academic awards. Other agenda items visited included a report on a space and utilization study on 7 out of 8 of Natick’s schools; and talk of naming the new Kennedy Middle School planetarium.

Here are more details on a few things jumped out at us during the 3 1/2 hour Zoom meeting:

Certificate of Academic Excellence

Supt. Anna Nolin presented the Certificate of Academic Excellence from the Mass. Association of School Superintendents to two students. The annual award is given to high school students who have distinguished themselves in the pursuit of excellence during their high school careers.

In presenting to Ryan Scully, Nolin characterized her as, “A top student, a highly principled and trustworthy individual, and a thoughtful young woman who thinks deeply about ways to make a positive impact on the world.” Nolin noted that Scully was the recipient of the Harvard Book Award; a member of the National Honor Society; continues to participate extensively in community service projects; and was a captain of the varsity basketball team.

The second recipient was Spencer James Anderson, who was lauded by Nolin for his flawless academic performance and his outstanding character. “Spencer does not wear this outstanding ability as a badge. He is one of the most considerate, hardworking, and humble students anyone can encounter,” she said. Anderson has coached youth basketball; mentored young soccer referees; is a leader in the Natick High Politics Club; and has worked on a local senate campaign.

National School Development Council Awards

In addition, two students were awarded the National School Development Council Awards presented to high school seniors who have consistently pursued a high level of academic effort, and who have also served as positive role models for the student body.

Nolin congratulated Nathan Pravda for his award, noting that, “He has an innate tendency toward helpfulness and doing the right thing.” Pravda carried a demanding course load, and regularly appeared on the high honors roll. He is a recipient of the Yale Book Award; is an instrumentalist in the jazz ensemble; and is involved in taekwando as well as with the youth group at his synagogue. For his Eagle Scout project, Nathan built outdoor seating at the Bacon Free library, designed with accessibility in mind, and with a beautiful view of the South Natick dam.

Hannah Takasaki, “An industrious and disciplined student who is kindhearted, passionate, and trustworthy,” was the second recipient of the prestigious award.” Takasaki’s sincerity and exceptional time management and organizational skills that she used to tackle a rigorous program of study were cited. In addition, she is a member of the NHS gymnastics team, a pole vaulter, and a pianist.

Congratulations to the award-winning students.

Study of space

In an effort to address what one SC member referred to as “early warning data” that space constraints in the schools could become significant problems in the future, the town has contracted with TBA Architects to put together a study on the use and utilization of space in the Natick Public Schools.

Owner and principal Jason Humphreys of TBA gave a presentation that looked at seven out of eight of of the school buildings (the exception being the newly constructed Kennedy Middle School). The capacity of each school, along with the way the space is currently used, and the space needs now and in the future were included in TBA’s presentation.

Durning a fact-finding phase, TBA toured NHS; Wilson Middle School, and Johnson, Ben-Hem, Memorial, Brown, and Lilja elementary schools. From there, TBA developed diagrams of the existing space use of each room in every school, looking at how the buildings were used all day long. The goal was to figure out if spaces are adequately utilized, or over- or under-utilized.

In general, TBA found that space is tight in a few areas. For example, it isn’t unusual across the board for a school to carve workrooms and offices out of “found” spaces, especially spaces that were originally designed as storage or music practice spaces, as well as corridors.

Johnson, the smallest school in the district, was identified as the “most deficient” when held up to Massachusetts School Building Authority guidelines.

In addition, the ten-year old NHS was called out as overcrowded and over-utilized. “It appears designed for about 3/4 of its current enrollment,” Humphreys said.

Possibilities tossed out for future planning:

Incrementally add on to and/or renovate all schools.

To alleviate the pressing needs at NHS, move the preschool out into another building, freeing up much-needed classroom space.

Perhaps relocate the district-wide IT program offices, now located at NHS.

Construct a new early childhood center, and maybe relocate some schools’ kindergarten classrooms there.

Tear down and rebuild Johnson school.

Expand and renovate Memorial school.

Naming of the Kennedy Middle School planetarium

There is a proposal to name the planetarium at Kenned after Ed Jameson, a longtime and beloved Natick teacher. There are a few administration hoops to jump through, but the idea is popular and expected to pass easily.

Tune in next time

The next School Committee meeting is scheduled for Mon, Jan. 25, 2021, 7:15pm, virtual

Checking out Natick’s new Kennedy Middle School from inside, outside, & above

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Checking out Natick’s new Kennedy Middle School from inside, outside & above

January 12, 2021 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

After almost two years as a construction zone, Natick’s Kennedy Middle School has at last opened its double doors for the business of educating students. The brand-new, $81 million, 183,250-square-foot building on Mill Street stands ready to do its job for full-time in-person education when public health protocols allow, but gets to ease its way into use for starters.

John F. Kennedy Middle School, Natick — The newly opened 180K+ square-foot building is designed to accommodate up to 1,000 5th-8th grade students. The academic core and arts wing of the building is complete. The last major step: the new gym, to be built once the old school is razed.

Principal Andrew Zitoli is all about looking ahead. Gesturing out the window to the old Kennedy, which still stands for now, he said, “The old school will be torn down pretty soon. Once that’s done, the new gym can be built. Right now contractors are making their way through the punch list, and that’ll take a little while. Maybe into the summer.”

Come September, it’s hoped that the punch list will be down for the count, and students and staff will return to a fully in-person educational model.

Principal Zitoli took us on a tour of the school. Here’s what we saw:

Kennedy Middle School, Natick — A typical classroom. Tables are on wheels for maximum classroom layout flexibility. All classrooms have interactive white boards. The school can accommodate up to 1,000 students in its 30 classrooms and 8 science rooms.

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COVID-19 zaps Natick’s municipal electricity usage

November 7, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

In 2010, Natick became a founding member of the state’s Green Communities program focused on using clean and less expensive energy, and as such needs to share an annual report confirming that it’s keeping up this week.

Natick Sustainability Coordinator Jillian Wilson Martin shared the report with the Select Board this week to get its stamp of approval, and among the more interesting sets of data focused on the impact of COVID-19 on the town’s energy use among its municipal and school infrastructure.

The town, which has reaped some $1.7M in grants through its Green Communities participation, has seen energy use decline through various efforts, including LED retrofits and solar panel installations, by 27% since FY08. But as you can see in these charts, electricity use really plummeted since the start of this calendar year, particularly in schools that have been shut down since March. Electricity use has decreased at municipal buildings, too, though most of them have continued to operate with at least skeleton staffs, so the change isn’t nearly as dramatic.

green communities report — From FY20 Natick Green Communities report

Curiously, natural gas use has not really dropped off, so there’s an opportunity for savings if the town can address this.

“We really have been struggling as a community to manage our heating of our buildings efficiently,” Wilson Martin says. Even when data is normalized for weather conditions, the town’s natural gas use continues to be high. Energy controls operationalization is one key target, and Director of Facilities John Gadson is working on that. But the town is stuck in some situations, such as at Lilja Elementary School, which has a building control system from the mid-1990s that can’t be updated.

“It’s like having a computer from 1996, and so you wouldn’t have that computer anymore, you would have upgraded it by now, but we haven’t made those investments,” Wilson Martin says. Morse Institute Library’s control system is also out-of-date, with eBay among the options for finding parts.

On the bright side, the move from oil to natural gas in many town buildings is credited with much of the town’s energy use reduction over the past decade.

Finally, back to COVID-19, Wilson Martin addressed the issue of gauging the impact of leaving windows open at schools as the weather cools. Natick has reached out to other Green Communities, and energy costs for schools are expected to rise 20% to 25%.

For Natick, that rise would be attributed to heating costs as well as electricity costs for running new air purifiers in all the classrooms. “I don’t think the savings that we had from our energy reduction this past year will make up for the cost of these more intense operations,” Wilson Martin said.

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Dedham Country Day—educating children Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8

October 11, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

SPONSORED POST: Dedham Country Day believes that balance matters—in learning and life. They combine academic challenge with support and pedagogical tradition with innovation. Strong scholastics together with outstanding arts, athletics and service learning creates a program that is balanced and whole. At DCD, a premium is placed on both academic and emotional intelligence.

Dedham Country Day School — DCD is made up of a vibrant and diverse community from 32 different towns.

Children learn who they are as diverse individuals and how to be part of something bigger. Acceptance is a given, and children find encouragement in every connection they make. It’s a community that nurtures, nudges, and gives. That’s how DCD grows “whole” children—and, ultimately, adults who will thrive with the intellectual and emotional capacity to contribute to their world and enjoy meaningful lives.

While DCD’s campus and classrooms may look a bit different this year, reconfigured to maintain the health and safety of its community, DCD’s ability to deliver an education that is challenging, inclusive, and engaging, reflective of its mission, remains unchanged. From Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8, DCD students tackle hands-on projects, collaborate, take risks, solve problems and, most of all, engage deeply in their experience.

Explore DCD through a series of virtual admissions events and personal connections with the school’s admissions staff this fall. The first Learning Spotlight for Pre-K and Kindergarten is on October 20. Visit www.dedhamcountryday.org for details and
registration.

Dedham Country Day School

www.DedhamCountryDay.org
781-329-0850

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