Dr. Joseph S. Silva, Jr.
Volume 6, Issue 4 December 2001
It’s All About The Kids
Parting is never easy, as Shakespeare said. And it won’t be easy on December 31st. Thirty-seven years of my life have been spent in the New Bedford Public Schools. They have brought me great happiness and satisfaction; and I have come to know a wonderful group of people in the field of education – friends that I hope will remain with me for the rest of my life.
I was asked recently if there were times in my career which were more enjoyable than others; and, without doubt, my years as principal of the Gomes Elementary School were a highlight. But I have enjoyed every aspect, from teaching to being Superintendent. And I leave with few regrets.
What I find most interesting, as I look back over nearly four decades, is how quickly it all came and went. It seems like only a heartbeat from the early days at Ottiwell to the years at County Street. During that time, so much has changed in education. It is hardly recognizable today. But the core values that I learned as a young teacher remain the same.
The culture of a school; the importance of knowing families and building a true school community; the need to provide a network of support for the betterment of the student – those were key when I started in the ‘60’s; and they are just as important, perhaps more so, today. Elementary schools have an edge when it comes to this; but, as we continue to see, it is also critical at the middle and high-school levels. Society has changed, but what makes a student succeed has not. And that’s what it’s all about. That is why we get up in the morning and go into those classrooms, usually with a smile. We do it because we love it….we do it for the kids.
Whenever I’m asked about my life in education, I tell people I laughed – at least once – every day. I wouldn’t have been in this profession for so long if I didn’t love it and have fun doing it. Growing up, I was surrounded by educators – friends, neighbors, some family members. They made me want to be one of them. I knew there would be sacrifices, long hours, and not the greatest money in the world. But I felt it would be worth it. And it was.
My family made education important. I remember an uncle asking every time he saw me ‘how’s everything in school? did you do your homework? how are your grades?’ He was a wonderful man with no formal education himself. But, like my father, he wanted the best for me; and he knew the best would require a good education.
My first “teaching” job came at a relatively young age. My grandmother had nine children; and as she did for her other grandchildren, she would often baby-sit for me. I would watch as she struggled because she could not read or write, and I decided that I would teach her to write. She was thrilled the first time she could sign her name rather than make the ‘x’; and I was thrilled, too. This is what I learned teaching could do. It could change lives.
I feel I am a very lucky man. I have achieved all of my goals in education, including becoming the Superintendent of Schools and getting a doctorate. I wish that my father and my uncle and my grandmother, who gave me so much love and support, could have been with me on those two great occasions. But I am sure they were all smiling down.
When people remember my tenure, I hope they will think of me as a Superintendent who advocated for change. Did I please everyone? – absolutely not. And that wasn’t my job. My job was to make global decisions for this school district, and that meant getting beyond personal agendas. Security was always a paramount concern for me – everyone’s safety in our school facilities each and every day. An assault on a teacher years ago never left my memory, and recent events brought the issue home to all of us once again. But we were prepared, and lucky; and a possible tragedy was, thank God, averted.
The key to success in education? I feel it is keeping children interested – keeping education relevant. The idea that students can relate what they are learning to real-life situations makes the learning process exciting and stimulating. If they are interested, they don’t get bored.
Is it a challenge? You bet it is. But the look of wonder on the face of a child who has finally ‘got it’ is all the reward you could ever need.
I was never one for good-byes. I would much rather say “ate logo” or see you again.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy Holiday Season!
Sincerely, Dr. Joseph S. Silva, Jr.
NORMANDIN NEWS
Jumpstart to MCAS was launched at Normandin Junior High School on Thursday, November 15th. This activity was sponsored by the Normandin administration. All interested parents were invited to discuss their concerns related to MCAS from 5:30-7:00 PM. Speakers included Robert Jeffrey, Principal of Normandin and Mr. Darrell Pressley from the State Department of Education, who was brought in by GEAR UP personnel.
Hundreds of parents attended the Normandin JHS Open House that took place on November 20th. All parents met with teachers and learned about the extracurricular programs available to students. Peer mediators and 8th Grade Leaders assisted with refreshments and acted as hosts to the parents and families.
Longtime Normandin educator, Kevin Bellavance, will trade his flame of knowledge for the Olympic flame on December 27th. Mr. Bellavance was chosen as one of four (4) Greater New Bedford residents to carry the Olympic flame when it travels through the city, Mayor Kalisz announced last month.
Mr. Bellavance, nominated by two Normandin students for this honor, was chosen from 210,000 nominees nationwide. “I am just honored that my students, Aazia Otto and Stephanie Penler, would consider me for such a thing,” Mr. Bellavance said. “I am honored to be one of the representatives of both New Bedford and the School Department to carry the torch. It is really quite overwhelming.”
The torch will travel 13,500 miles across the country from Olympia, Greece. The 65-day journey will end in Salt Lake City, the host city of the 2002 Olympic Games. A celebration is planned at City Hall Square on the morning of December 27th for the event.
CS2 NEWS FROM NBHS
The after-school peer tutoring program for junior high school students has been very well attended. The INSIGHT Teen Center has been particularly busy with students looking for help. In fact, CS2 is looking for more high school tutors proficient in Math & English to tutor at INSIGHT. ATTN: NBHS Teachers: If you know of a Junior or a Senior who can tutor in Math & English on either Tuesday or Thursday afternoons, please contact Jane Jacobsen @ NBHS, Ext. 2379 or e-mail Jane at jjacobsent@newbedford.k12.ma.us. CS2 would like to recognize the following NBHS students for volunteering in the program and for their faithful attendance at the tutoring sites: Tiffany L. Normandin, Brian Pereira, Melanie Pereira, Vanessa Tavares, Brian Aguiar, Athena Paleologos, and Marie Rivera. These students are doing a great job!ROOSEVELT NEWS
The Peer Mediation Program is up and running at Roosevelt, Keith and Normandin and with everyone’s support, it will lessen the burden on the administration of having to deal with a lot of the conflicts that arise on a daily basis. Anyone can refer students to peer mediation. Each referral will be screened to determine the appropriateness for mediation. However, some guidelines have been established for the kinds of behavior or action that should be referred. Faculty, staff and administrators can refer students to peer mediation if they are aware of the following:· An interpersonal problem between two or more students.
· Ongoing repetitive arguments about rumors or other conflict.
· An indication that a student has an issue with another that may escalate.
· Continuous harassment (not sexual) of a student by other/others resulting in a hostile learning atmosphere for that student.
It should be pointed out that mediation is voluntary and no student will be forced to participate. Peer mediation will never take the place of discipline and should not be an alternative in a situation where a student confronts another student in a violent way. The administrators can refer students to peer mediation after they have received appropriate discipline.
Every effort is made to conduct a mediation on the day it is referred. Although this may not always be possible, conducting the mediations will be a top priority. Conducting mediations when the students have their Unified Arts classes will be the norm, but there will be times when this is impossible. The Peer Mediation Coordinators are: Ann Cinquini – Roosevelt; Mary Usdan – Keith; Kathleen St. Martin – Normandin.
The Active Parenting Class is underway and 8-10 parents attend on a regular basis. Tryne Costa, the facilitator, has been a parent liaison for a long time, which seems to contribute to the parents’ willingness to attend the classes and work together to learn effective parenting techniques that benefit the entire family. Anyone interested in starting an Active Parenting Class in their school can contact Ann Cinquini at 508-961-3170, Ext. 3386.
Sixth (6th) Grade students who worked on the United We Stand for America (USA) Flag Project will be attending the unveiling of the flag on Tuesday, December 18th at Roxbury Community College. Working with more than 650 schools and classrooms across the commonwealth, USA has created a 65-by-120 foot tapestry of the American flag made up of messages of hope, honor and peace from the young people of Massachusetts.
This will be the only showing in Massachusetts for 2001. Pictures of the students working on the project are available on the Website www.usa-americanflag.com.
PTO News – on Friday, November 30th, RMS celebrated a patriotic spirit day. The staff and faculty wore red, white and blue attire in support of the freedoms we enjoy.
Also on November 30th, the PTO sponsored a student dance…”United We Stand – Together We Dance”. This dance is a PTO fundraiser and it raised $500.
Upcoming Events - we will be starting computer classes for parents shortly after the holidays. The free classes will be offered to parents and open to community members. Funding for the classes comes from the 21st Century Grant.
School/Agency Collaborative - the goal was to form a partnership with community agencies and organizations that could help meet the identified needs of the parents, students, and staff. At the end of the 2000 school year, a number of local agencies and organizations were invited to join us as we began to look at ways in which we could work together and form partnerships. We came to be known as the School/Agency Collaborative.
The Collaborative meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 3:00-4:00 PM at rotating locations. For the December meeting (12/19) we are convening at Keith. All are welcome. The group is co-chaired by Carlos Pavao, CS2 Entrepreneur at Roosevelt Middle School and Marcia Picard, from the Plymouth Bay Girl Scout Council of Southeastern Massachusetts. Having the group co-chaired by a representative from the school as well as a representative from the community ensures that the collaborative relationship is a reciprocal one.
If you would like more information, please contact Carlos Pavao at 508-961-3170, Ext. 3385.
Mark Your Calendars - Mamadou Diop with the West African Drum Company will perform at Roosevelt on 1/23 at 6:00 PM. This is a free concert! The snow date is 1/30 at 6:00 PM. For more information, please call Carlos Pavao at 508-961-3170, Ext. 3385.
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ATHLETIC DEPT NEWS
Tess Wurm, a senior at NBHS, has been named by the Standard-Times’ as “Girls Volleyball Player of the Year”
New Bedford quarterback, Ryan Walsh, wins Otto Graham Award!
Walsh becomes the fourth (4th) New Bedford player to win the
award in the 20-year history of the event and the second in three
years since Dante Balestracci won it in 1999.
Pulaski Shines for Red Ribbon Week
During the month of October, Pulaski School began its celebration of Red Ribbon Week. For seven days students and staff joined together in a spirit week that focused on drug awareness. Each day carried a different theme: wear red to signify the beginning of Red Ribbon Week, wear sunglasses to “shade out drugs”, wear crazy sox to “sock it to drugs”, wear hats to “put a cap on drugs”, wear sports/hobbies attire to “team up against drugs”, wear bright colors to show “my future is bright”, and wear a costume to be “out-fitted against drugs”.In addition, an optional essay contest was held. The students submitted over 100 essays. They all did an excellent job and it was difficult to pick the winners because they were all winners. Every child who participated received an award certificate and a DARE pencil. The first place winners and runner-ups received a special award and prizes. It was truly a wonderful week and the students at Pulaski deserve a round of applause.
1ST PLACE WINNERS: Timothy Gifford, Rebecca Mills, Megan Ritchie, Michael Houde, Kerri Dawson
HONORABLE
MENTIONS: Mitchell Sylvia, Emma Price, Alyson, Warr, Nicholas Robert, Melanie Alves
LINCOLN SCHOOL NEWS
Shelley Moreau and Anne Bonville, Grade 1 Teachers at Lincoln School, celebrated Children’s Book Week with their children by doing many different activities.
On November 14th, the children participated in a B.E.A.R. (Be Enthusiastic About Reading) Breakfast. Each child brought their favorite book and teddy bear to school and enjoyed sharing their books and breakfast with their classmates. Many of the parents also volunteered to read during the week.
CS2 DISTRICT-WIDE NEWS
From Kathy Castro
Final plans for the Safe Harbors Summit are in place. Robert Macy, a nationally-recognized authority on school violence, will give the keynote speech and conduct a workshop on preventing bullying and harassment. Three (3) additional workshops are scheduled with topics that include: legal issues, behavior management, and substance abuse. Each panel will consist of people considered to be experts in their field. We have community partnerships with more than ten (10) local and state agencies in putting together the Summit, which will be held on Saturday, February 2nd from 8 AM – 1 PM at New Bedford High School. Our goal is to attract as many parents as possible. Credit goes to both Dr. Silva and Dr. Souza who, as early as last spring spoke to the need for a public school-safety day. And it is thanks to their ongoing support and commitment that the Summit will take place.School public relations continues with videotapings of “It Takes A Village…” and weekly segments on Radio Station WBSM with Pete Braley. Features were also provided to the Standard-Times on the Hayden-McFadden School projects and the CHIPS (Child Identification Program) scheduled for the Winslow School on January 30th. Once again, if you have stories that are of interest to the community – parents, fellow educators, etc. – please call or e-mail Kathy Castro and she will try to get you coverage. Kathy can be e-mailed at kcastro@newbedford.k12.ma.us or call her at Ext. 3394. It is most important that we share with the public all the good things that are happening in the NBPS.
Twenty-two (22) schools participated in the Lighthouse Logo contest last month, with more than 400 entries submitted for the final round of judging. (Grades were limited to 5-8). Each school had a winner, with the first prize going to Daryl Ramos, a sixth grader at the Rodman School. Daryl’s design will fly from city banners throughout the summer, and will grace the letterhead, invitations, and the cover of a nationally-distributed Lighthouse magazine. Congratulations to all the students, teachers, and principals who participated. In the Spring, we are planning an essay contest around the same theme – Children on the Beam; and we look for your continued support.
WEST SIDE NEWS
GAP has a new meaning for students at West Side High School. The Generational Art Production Program began this month at Dunbar School. Students from West Side High are teaming up with seniors from the Buttonwood Senior Center and taking their art program on the road. Betty LePage and Marie Perry will join the students every Wednesday morning at Dunbar School. The students and seniors arrive with ideas and supplies at Mrs. Hudon’s 5th grade classroom to encourage both art and intergenerational projects. In addition to weekly art projects such as Indian vests, beaded necklaces and moccasins, the students have decided to paint an ocean mural in the cafeteria, which can be enjoyed by all the students at Dunbar School. Now the work begins, students will research marine life and begin to work together to create their mural.W.W.S.H. Radio – West Side’s Broadcasting Studio and Radio Station
Disc Jockey Casanova, (Eric Johnson) summed it up in his words “WWSH radio is hiphop, alternative, r&b, classical, and pop music thrown in a blender with disc jockeys from many ethnic backgrounds – mix until pureed. So you wanna hear some music let us grant your wish.”
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Open House for students at West Side High was held on November 14th from 6:00 to 8:00 and again this year was a tremendous success. Students and staff worked together to prepare a culturally diverse buffet that was served in the Campus Kitchen. Approximately sixty people made up of parents and friends were on hand to speak to teachers, view the work of their children, watch a video about activities at West Side High. All parents who were in attendance were asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding programs they would like to see offered for themselves in the future. Programs requested varied from educational programs such as computer training to recreational activities like art classes. Each parent received a gift for their participation. Staff at West Side were so pleased with the results and attendance that another Open House is planned for March.
Real Theatre – Students from West Side are involved in a teenage theater group that presents dramatic scenes dealing with social, family and personal issues as they affect adolescents. The goal is to stimulate open communication among teens by bringing real life situations to the forefront. Programs such as these help students to openly talk about the issues which will assist them in making more informed decisions regarding their own lives.
Robotics – Students in this class learn the basics of designing, building, operating and programming your own robots using Mindstorms and Robix robotic systems. Last year’s challenges included remotely controlled racing robots, remotely controlled power robots, and independently acting “light hunter” robot, a cool long distance mechanical hand, a robotic burglar alarm, and a self-monitoring ski lift.
Fundamentals in Music – West Side High in collaboration with Brick by Brick are getting in the groove and making music together. Students are learning how to read music and play various instruments, i.e. keyboard, guitars and conga’s. Students will record and perform a song written by them and produce a CD by the end of the program.