Ipswich School Committee Newsletter

SPRING is here at last! I hope everyone is getting outside and enjoying the warm weather after a long winter. Our staff and students are busy across the district wrapping up the school year. Days are filled with MCAS, projects, and finals, and evenings are filled with sports games, concerts, and celebrations. Don't forget to slow down when you can, and soak up these precious spring days.

The School Committee would like to thank our administrators and staff for a year filled with joy in learning. A highlight of my learning this past year included hearing 5 minute lesson snapshots from teachers at the beginning of our meetings. These snapshots gave the School Committee a peek into what is happening in classrooms across the district, and how education has evolved since many of us were in school. Other highlights include the presentations on Social Emotional Learning and our English language learners program. These presentations gave us a deeper understanding of these programs and their importance in our schools, and serve as a reminder of why we do what we do. I am constantly amazed at the students in our district - from the art hanging in the PAC lobby to the infectious energy at the STEAM showcase to the students speaking at Town Meeting in front of 500 citizens - these students are engaged, confident, and passionate. And behind every successful student is an inspirational teacher, so thanks to our dedicated staff.

We would also like to thank the community for supporting the school budget and recognizing the need for new roofs on our buildings. We look forward to getting the work done as soon as possible, and spending less time talking about maintenance going forward and more time talking about learning.

Enjoy the summer, thank you for supporting our schools!

-Kate Eliot, School Committee Chair

Our District is fortunate to receive generous gifts from community donors throughout the school year. Although these gifts are mentioned and gratefully accepted at each meeting, we wanted to take the opportunity to highlight these acts of support for our schools and students.

• Bank of Gloucester:

• $500.00 to the High School RC Racing Team for the Racing Challenge Engineering Project

• Institution for Savings:

• $1000.00 to the High School RC Racing Team for the Racing Challenge Engineering Project

• $2000.00 to the STEAM Team for the STEAM Showcase

• Ipswich Education Foundation:

• $5000.00 to the High School RC Racing Team for the Racing Challenge Trip

• $3000.00 to the Middle School to fund the after school YMCA bus driver’s stipend

• $15,140.00 to the High School Athletics to fund the purchase of JV baseball, Varsity softball, and Varsity and JV lacrosse uniforms

• $4,275.00 to the High School Athletics to purchase swim team jackets and lacrosse equipment

• Ipswich Shellfish Company:

• $5000.00 to the High School RC Racing Team for the Racing Challenge Engineering Project

• The Siverman Family:

• A painting entitled “The Journey Begins Here” by Robin Silverman to IMADA who framed the painting and asked that it be hung in the Dolan Performing Arts Center

• Zeno’s Roast Beef:

• $1000.00 to the High School RC Racing Team for the Racing Challenge Engineering Project

• Winthrop and Doyon FRIES for their continued support of our students and staff each year

At the May 16, 2023 Annual Town Election, the Ipswich School Committee sought the opinion of voters on how to address our aging elementary buildings. The results of this non-binding public advisory ballot question will guide the School Committee if accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority program. A feasibility study, timing, and cost will be independently determined at a later date.

2,485 Ipswich voters reviewed potential scenarios, and 2,322 voted for one:

1: One new school (single project): One new school serving all students Grades Pre-K through Grade 5 to be located at Doyon.

=1374, or 55.3% of total voters

2: One new school and repair of the Winthrop School (sequential projects): One new school serving all students in Grades 1 through 5 located at Doyon; then repair of the Winthrop School to serve all students in Grades Pre-K through Kindergarten.

=352, or 14.2% of total voters

3: Two new schools – split Grade level (sequential projects): One new school serving all students Grades Pre-K through Grade 2 located at Doyon; then one new school serving all students Grades 3 through 5 located downtown.

=113, or 4.5% of total voters

4: Two new schools – Pre-k through Grade 5 (sequential projects): One new school serving Grades Pre-K through Grade 5 located downtown, and one new school serving Grades Pre-K through Grade 5 located at Doyon.

=483, or 19.4% of total voters

Blanks

=163, or 6.6% of total voters

The School Committee will use this information as a data point, along with other information including listening session feedback, cost, timing, and results of a feasibility study in making decisions regarding the future of our elementary buildings.

In April, Dr. Blake submitted a Statement of Interest (SOI) for each elementary school to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), with the approval of the School Committee and Select Board. These documents highlight the following MSBA priorities for the future of our elementary buildings: 1) Elimination of existing severe overcrowding, and 2) Replacement of or addition to obsolete buildings in order to provide for a full range of programs consistent with state and approved local requirements.

Multiple data sources were referenced to compile these documents, including: the Facility Condition Assessment by EMG/Dude Solutions (2019), the Elementary Education Plan (2019), the Town of Ipswich Strategic Plan (2020), the Ipswich Educators Association Elementary Building Project Statement (2022), as well as reports from the Facilities Department regarding recently completed work and newly identified structural deficiencies. Building sizes, spaces and layouts, and student enrollment numbers were also described to further illustrate the overcrowding and inadequacies of both buildings for education in 2023 and beyond.

A required field on the SOI form is an answer to the MSBA question: “Is this SOI the District Priority SOI?” Based on the above mentioned data, Winthrop was listed, as it presents the most notable SOI in relation to our two priorities (overcrowding and obsolete building). Another required question is: “Is this a Potential Consolidation?” The answer was listed as “Yes,” as consolidation is being considered and may be further investigated during a future Feasibility Study.

This SOI application process is extremely competitive, and we eagerly await our response from the MSBA, which is expected this December.

Please visit: https://www.massschoolbuildings.org/building/SOIs/CP_Process_Overview for more information on the MSBA and SOI process.

The Traverso-Weatherall Innovation Grants are awarded on a bi-annual basis, spring and fall, to current Ipswich Public Schools faculty and staff. These funds are dedicated to the pursuit of innovation in education for the benefit of all Ipswich Public Schools students. They are named in honor of Edmund Traverso and Robert Weatherall, whose diligent discovery and passionate persistence made the Feoffees funds and their benefits possible.

Proposals should involve as many students as possible, depending on the program and identified need; stimulate creativity in or out of the classroom; meet each student’s needs and increase motivation to learn; encourage unique ideas; and enhance, enrich, or extend the educator(s’) subject, department, or grade level curriculum. Individual grant applications shall not exceed $7,500.

This Spring’s 2023 grants are as follows:

• Kindergarten Aquatic Safety (Doyon/Winthrop)

• Building Community One Sign at a Time (Doyon)

• Performing Arts Environment Enhancement (Doyon)

• Preschool Classroom Library (Doyon)

• The Power of Progress Monitoring (Doyon/Winthrop)

• Auto-Bed-Leveling for 3D Printers (High School)

• Destination Organization for Multilingual Students (High School)

• HeartMath IHS Pilot: Bio Feedback for Self Management (High School)

• Cultivating Mindfulness in the Classroom (Winthrop)

• Novels in Verse (Winthrop)

• Jazz Night at Shalin Liu (Middle School/High School)

• Drums Alive (Winthrop)

March

• Update on MS/HS Outdoor Recreation Paine Grant Update

• Vote to Create Pure Pals Club and Boys Intramural Volleyball Club at HS

• Overnight Field Trip Request: HS Robotics Team

• Vote to Approve the Submission of Two SOIs to the MSBA

April

• IEA Snapshot Presentation: Finding Area-Decomposing and Rearranging

• Overnight Field Trip Request: Project Adventure

• Review of HS Attendance Policy

• Vote of Superintendent Contract

May

• HS Robotics Team Presentation

• Dyslexia Mandate Presentation

• MS Handbook Changes

• Security Update

• IEA Snapshot: Coding in the Classroom

• Superintendent Evaluation

• June 2 - Grade 5 Move Up Day

• June 4 - Ipswich High School graduation

• June 9 - Doyon Grade 5 Moving On Ceremony

• June 13 - Crane Beach Day

• June 14 - Crane Beach Day Rain Date

• June 15 - Ipswich Middle school Grade 8 Graduation

• June 16 - Winthrop Grade 5 Graduation

• June 16 - Last day of school, happy summer!