Superintendent's November Newsletter

Greetings,

As we enter the Thanksgiving break I would like to provide parents with some updates and information:

Schools will be closed November 23 and 24 for the Thanksgiving break.
The next Board of Education meeting has been rescheduled back to December 5 at 7:30 P.M. at the Board of Education offices at Town Campus.

School Configuration Update

On October 17, the Board of Education (BOE) took action to contract the district from six schools to five schools by closing Island Avenue School, with a target date of closure of June 2019. With that action, the BOE also charged the administration with developing a plan to reconfigure the grade levels in the K-12 system.

An analysis of the potential grade level configurations is being conducted to determine the optimal model at our schools once the district contracts to five schools. The assumed model of grade levels results in two elementary schools (Jeffrey and Ryerson) serving grades K-3, grade 4 joining grade 5 at Brown School, and Polson serving grades 6-8. Last Tuesday night, I presented an additional consideration to the BOE regarding the reconfiguration of the middle level program in our schools. This additional consideration would make Polson an intermediate school (grades 4-6), and Brown the upper level middle school (grades 7-8). Both models are under consideration and viable to provide an excellent middle level program to our students.

The administrative team, in conjunction with our school facility consultants, and the district wide "Whole Child Wellness Team", has given attention to both configurations in helping to identify the optimal model regarding programming, grouping, cost, and overall child development, among other considerations. In the near future, no earlier than the December 19 meeting, or perhaps even beyond that date, the BOE will take action to determine the configuration of grades by level and school. Once this decision has been made, a series of other decisions can be discussed, including redistricting timelines, programmatic decisions, etc. At this point in time, the slideshow from the BOE meeting on November 14 is available for review. Additional resources will be added. Your input is welcomed and you are encouraged to share your thoughts. I may be reached by email at: scaricet@madison.k12.ct.us, or by phone at 203-245-6320.

Food For Thought

As a father, I struggle with the pace of parenting and the culture of pushing children sometimes to unhealthy levels. It is a highly debatable topic, but I do wonder what the impact will be of the decline of "free time" for kids, the sharp increase of anxiety and depression in children, and the shift in motivation from intrinsic ideals to extrinsic rewards over the years. You may or may not agree with my assessment, but I invite you to read an opinion piece that stopped me in my tracks. Just food for thought for any parent out there trying to figure it out like me:

The One Question Every Parent Should Quit Asking

What are smartphones doing to young people? That might be one of the most important questions adults can ask during the development of this generation, referred to as "iGen". Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, Jean Twenge, explored this topic in a recent book in her analysis of the iGen children we serve in our schools. She, along with Canadian technology journalist, Clive Thompson, was interviewed recently on this topic. Click to hear the interview, or simply read the summary article: What Are Smartphones Doing To Young People?

I hope you and your family have a restful Thanksgiving weekend.

Sincerely,

Tom Scarice

Superintendent of Schools