Marguerite C. Rizzi, Ed.D.
This has been a busy year at the Stoughton Public Schools. We are very proud of the fine work of our students, teachers and administrators this year. In the following pages you will read the reports of the administrators and directors on their particular areas of responsibility. You will notice several themes that appear throughout the report. Stoughton has 4 proud Level 1 schools, including Stoughton High School, and is a high performing Level 2 district. This is due to the achievements gained in the State accountability system, which relies on standardized tests and statistics. We are pleased to report to you that in that area the school district is doing well. But this is just one facet of education, and arguably the reason to do well on these minimum competency tests is so that we can then give attention to the other aspects of education that make a well-rounded and well prepared student. The hallmark of a truly great education is that it provides students with a broad perspective, confidence in the world, the ability to think critically, act creatively, and solve problems, individually and in teams. Our students need high level social skills, technical skills, and cultural awareness and competency. In order to acquire these things, children must be exposed to a variety of activities and subjects, not just Language Arts and Math.
As you look through the report notice that the accomplishments of our students and teachers include excellence in music, in technology and engineering, in world languages, in athletics, in business competitions, and art. These are the things that open up the world to children, and prepare them to be highly competitive in it. The number of students participating in all of these things reached record numbers this year, and that is because our inspiring and motivating teachers have made these activities rich, meaningful, and fun.
After 5 years of work, originally spear-headed by Deborah Sovinee, who convened the Feasibility Study Committee in 2010, the Stoughton High School project has been accepted into the schematic design phase by the MSBA (the Mass School Building Authority) and actual design of the new building is under way. The School Building Committee and many others have worked countless hours to get the process to this point, and this transformative project is now very close to becoming a reality for the betterment of the students, and the entire Stoughton community.
We are now in the last year of a 3 year district improvement plan, and thanks to the generosity of Stoughton Town Meeting members we have been able to provide all of the things we envisioned when the plan was written. We have remediation programs underway for students struggling with the curriculum. We have enrichment programs for those interested in exploring additional subjects, and subjects in more depth. We have a mandatory afterschool program at the secondary level because we know that failure leads all too often to dropping out. Any freshman failing more than 2 courses is required to participate in the program, and so there are safeguards in place to prevent failure. A similar program is under way at the middle school. We have a parent engagement program in place, a Parent Child Home Program that helps poor students start school with some of the advantages that more affluent families can provide, and transitions summer programs for students who need more exposure to the curriculum before going on to 1st grade. We have put many resources in place to support students and teachers in the art of teaching writing, perhaps the single most important way to support higher order thinking.
Once again, thank you for your steadfast support of the school district. We will continue to work tirelessly, stretching every dollar as far as possible to provide you with excellent schools now and in the future.
Read more at Stoughton schools.org and choose quick links.