Superintendent's Community Corner

Top "50" School Districts in Massachusetts

2011-09-20T14:45:00.000-04:00

Every year in its September issue, Boston Magazine ranks the top "50" school districts in the state. Again this year, Hanover Public Schools is ranked in the top 50 of all the school districts in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The rankings are arrived at by examining 19 criteria some of which are student - to - teacher ratio, per-pupil spending, MCAS scores, number of Advanced Placement classes, and graduation rate, to name a few. What is an interesting fact is that the districts that rank first through tenth have per pupil expenditures that range from a little under $14,000 to over $18,000. Hanover spends $10,561. We should all be proud about the quality of educational programs and services that are provided to students in the Hanover Public Schools!

New High School Dedication

2011-09-14T15:46:00.000-04:00

On behalf of the town of Hanover, the School Building Committee and the Hanover School Committee, I would like to invite you to attend the dedication ceremony this Sunday, September 18, 2011, at 1:00 P.M. in the auditorium. The ceremony will be followed by building tours from 2:00 - 5:00 P.M. We hope to see you there to take a tour of our new high school designed for 21st teaching and learning.

Victory!

2011-09-12T09:13:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Coach Brian King and the HHS football team for its opening season victory against Abington this past Friday night. If you were't there then you missed something special! The new athletic complex was packed" with fans of all ages! You felt like you were at a Thanksgiving Day game, just under the lights! The Hanover community is proud, and rightly so, of its team and facilties! What a way to "kick-off" the football season, a new high school and athletic complex!

Opening Night "Under the Lights"

2011-09-09T14:44:00.000-04:00

Tonight marks the "kick off" of another football season that is especially welcomed as the Hanover High School Indians open under the lights in their great new athletic complex! It also marks the time to rededicate the field in the name of the late Harry E. Gerrish, lifelong Hanover resident and former Hanover Athletic Director, head football, baseball and golf coach. Hope to see you there!

Opening of School

2011-09-07T18:37:00.000-04:00

With the exception of rain on the first day and the new high school traffic pattern, opening day went smoothly. At the high school, we are working to ameliorate the traffic flow issues which are due to the fact that the rest of the roadway (completing the loop) cannot be done until the demolition of the old high school is finished. The contractor anticipates having that work done by the end of October. However, Dr. Rabb has made some immediate changes to help improve the A.M. and P.M. traffic congestion. Today when I was there in the afternoon, the traffic stream moved more smoothly. Please bear with us as we will continue to make adjustments as warranted. However, the permanent fix will not come until the construction company can complete their work! Otherwise, it was a great first day!

Music, Music, Music!

2010-12-09T15:03:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I got a chance to attend the Taunton Christmas Parade on Sunday specifically to see the Hanover High School band march in their brand new navy and gold uniforms. Yes! We finally have new uniforms for the band! Thanks to a generous donation from the band parents' (HPMC) combined with the remaining monies from the school department budget, we have purchased 70 new uniforms replete with plumed headdresses. Over sixty high school musicians marched proudly on a cold day last Sunday to mark the holiday spirit feeling good that Santa had come early for the Hanover High School marching band!

Randume Axe7

2010-11-23T09:17:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity this past Saturday night to attend Randume Axe7, a "variety" production of sorts that featured well over 100 students singing, dancing, playing instruments, and performing in skits...not to mention all of those who worked the "front end" as well as behind the scenes to "pull off" this two night production. This was no small task to undertake...all of which was directed superbly for the seventh time by MS music educator, John Schumacher. I particularly enjoyed the nostalgic, but often humorous, look back at the history of Hanover High School that was artfully woven throughtout the performances with video vignettes, impeccably performed by four students, and shown on large screens. The evening was a glowing display that the arts are alive and well in Hanover! I can only imagine what magic will be made next year in our new state of the art auditorium. Thanks to all!!

FY12 Budget

2010-11-09T18:33:00.000-05:00

Dear Parents, Guardians and Community Members,
I want to provide you with some early information on the development of the FY12 budget. At a recent joint meeting with the Town Manager,Selectmen, the Advisory Committee and the School Committee, we were provided with the directive to prepare a level funded budget, the same budget figure ($23,132,796) that we have submitted for the last two years. A level funded budget is a "reduction budget" as annually we need to increase the school department budget over $1million dollars to meet the contractual and fixed cost
obligations. FY12 is no exception as we anticipate that if we submit a level funded budget, the school department will need to make an estimated reduction of $1.6 million dollars, even with the use of FY11 federal "education jobs" grant money which we have deferred until FY12.

With this amount to reduce, nothing will be spared, and our school system - its personnel, programs and services -will not look the same next year. The administrators are currently developing their reduction lists which will be shared publicly at future SC meetings in December. The following amounts reflect what each school has been asked to cut: HS - $260,625, MS- 342,375, C/S - $219,375, Cedar - $174,000. The total of these amounts represents just under $1 million dollars. The remaining $600,000 in reductions will be dispersed among athletics, SPED, transportation, technology, and maintenance, to name a few.

I invite you to attend the SC budget meetings on December 15th, 18th and 22nd where discussions will take place regarding personnel, programs and services reductions and when the SC will need to make some difficult decisions. If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to post your questions on my blog or, if you prefer, email me at knash@hanoverschools.org. As always, whatever, the decisions we make, they will continue to be based on what is best for students.

Kristine E. Nash Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Body Mass Index (BMI) Screenings in Grades 1,4,7 & 10

2010-11-03T09:17:00.000-04:00

To Parents and Guardians,
At the end of this week you will be receiving a letter from your school principal and nurse about the state's newly implemented Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening Program for students in grades 1,4,7 & 10. This new regulation, which was passed last April, requires all schools in the state to collect height and weight measurements from the students in the above listed grades. You will have the option to "opt out" as long as you do so in writing prior to November 19th. Otherwise, your child will be screened. Screenings will take place December 6th - 17th with results mailed home before the holday break. More detailed information about the screening process will be provided in your letter. If you have any questions, please contact your school principal or nurse.

Kristine E. Nash Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Hanover Public Schools Nurse Honored

2010-10-28T12:20:00.000-04:00

We have always believed that Hanover Public Schools has had the best group of nurses of any public school district in the area. The professionalism and care that our nurses provide to our students and staff is outstanding. However, now, one of our own has been recognized for this work at the state level! Last Saturday, Maureen Shea, elementary nurse at Sylvester School was selected and honored by her peers, the Massachusetts School Nurses' Association, as the "Massachusetts School Nurse of the Year for Advancing Excellence in School Nurse Practice." On behalf of the school district's students,staff and administrators, congratulations Maureen!

Walking Tour of the New High School

2010-10-26T17:25:00.000-04:00

Good Evening,
As I mentioned last week, I wanted to create a means by which you could see the construction progress of the new high school through a video tour instead of just looking at slides. I just completed the video where you follow me on a full building tour that is approximately 22 minutes in length. By clicking on the link below, you should be able to start the tour. If you have any questions, feel free to either email me at knash@hanoverschools.org or post a comment below. I hope you enjoy it!

http://hanoverschools.org/sbc/galleries/buildingtour1010.htm

Kristine E. Nash Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

New High School Tour

2010-10-18T17:49:00.000-04:00

Good Evening,
If you have been following the new high school pictures on our School Building Committee website (hanoversbc.org), then you surely are able to view the building progress. However, what you can't sense is what it really feels like when you walk through the new high school and marvel at its layout and design. Still pictures without words cannot fully depict how the space will be utilized for 21st century teaching and learning Thus, last week, I decided to create a video tour. On Friday, Colleen Smith (the town's Cable Access Media Specialist) and I took a walking tour of the inside of the building. After some editing this week, I will post it to my next blog. I am looking forward to your comments.

Kristine E. Nash, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Welcome Back! 2010-2011 School Year

2010-08-23T22:04:00.000-04:00

Dear Parents, Guardians and Community Members,

Welcome to the 2010 - 2011 school year. As we "kick-off" a new year, the continued focus of the Hanover Public Schools is to provide excellence and equity in programs and services for all students, their parents, and the community. I am happy to report that the new Hanover High School is still on schedule and under budget. The turf field, concession, and maintenance buildings will so be available for use this fall and the new high school will be occupied next September. In addition, despite the reductions that the school district faced with its current budget, the addition of one - time federal funds (ARRA and SFSF) allowed us to maintain our current class sizes and minimally impact programs and services for the upcoming year. However, I have noteworthy concerns as we enter the FY12 budget planning process as the town's financial outlook continues to remain bleak and $600,000 in federal funds that offset additional FY11 cuts will not be available for the FY12 budget.

For the second year in a row, the Hanover Public Schools' website was selected as the best school district website in the state. We continue to strive to provide relevant and timely information about the district and our schools. As the district and the schools go more "green," I urge you to familiarize yourself with our website's homepage, the district links, and, in particular, the individual school links.

More and more this year, we will be utilizing these sites in lieu of sending home print copies for such things as parent notices, notices of upcoming events in our schools and for parent information on new technologies, MCAS, and timely topics such as the new bullying and harassment law.
Finally, as students enter the classroom today, much different from those students whom we have educated before as "digital natives" not "digital immigrants," we are also committed to providing students with a broader set of 21st century skills and authentic learning experiences that will prepare them for a vastly different future, one that will be constantly changing, and that will require them to be adaptable, flexible, innovative and creative.

On behalf of Hanover Public Schools, the administrative team, professional staff and support staff, I welcome you to join us as partners in preparing your children for their future. If we can be of assistance to you throughout the year, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you!

Kristine E. Nash, Ed.D.

Staff Appreciation 2010

2010-05-07T14:48:00.001-04:00

Dear Colleague,

I write this letter with much appreciation and gratitude when nationally during the week of May 3rd – 7th all teachers are recognized for what they do all year. Have you ever thought why this week of appreciation for teachers comes so close to the end of a school year? The thought crossed my mind as I started to write to you. My sense is that it has to do with your students who have been sitting in your classrooms since September. For one thing, by the end of the year, maybe that student or those students whom you never thought you could reach surprise you. They surprise you because they do something or say something that demonstrates their progress or achievement. Why? Very simply, because of you! You never gave up on them! You cajoled them, prodded them and even scolded them at times during the year to persevere. You changed their lives. You influenced their thinking. In short, you made not a difference, but the difference! Your teaching opened up an unreachable goal for them, a door they never thought they could walk through, a dream!

So this is just one reason why we pause this week to recognize all that you do…your efforts, your dedication, your unwillingness to let even one child fail to achieve! I’d like to close with this quote by Henry Adams as it sums up my thoughts about the importance of your work…”A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” Thank you on behalf of our students! Please enjoy this Mother’s Day weekend with family and friends.

Dr. Kristine E. Nash