New Principal Hired at Wilson Elementary School

Framingham Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott announced today he has hired a new principal for the level 3 school, from the Pawtucket School System.

Framingham Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott announced Friday afternoon he has hired a new principal for Wilson Elementary School, one of the town's level 3 schools. Scott hired John Haidemenos, Jr. the Principal at the Joseph Jenks Jr. High and the Jacqueline Walsh School for the Arts in Pawtucket, R.I. Haidemenos Jr. and current Wilson Elementary School Assistant Principal John Maynard were the two finalists to replace retiring Robin Welch.  “I have considered the input from the school staff, district staff, and the community in my selection of the next building leader for the school. The candidate that best fits the school’s identified needs of academic advancement for all students to exceed our expectations is Mr. John Haidemenos, …

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FACES Wins Environmental Award

"FACES is very honored to receive this citizen award. Alone, the burden was too great, but together and with the help of Toxics Action Center and legal support of Anderson & Kreiger, we were able to make a difference in the community."

Press Release from FACES: More than 300 citizen activists from across Southern New England gathered at Local Environmental Action 2013, the region’s largest conference on public health and the environment recently, For the first time, Toxics Action Center co-hosted Massachusetts Climate Action Network, and co-sponsored by more than 100 other local and state-wide groups. Three community groups were honored with Outstanding Activist Awards for their work to protect their communities from local environmental and public health issues. “This event brought together hundreds of ordinary residents who are doing extraordinary work to protect the health and safety of our communities,” said Claire Miller, Massachusetts State Director for Toxics …

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Residents: General Chemical Cleanup Plan Doesn't Address Safety, Lacks Details

Framingham residents and town leaders expressed serious concerns about General Chemical's clean-up efforts presented at a public involvement plan, hosted by the Massachusetts DEP Thursday night.

Neighbors of General Chemical said they are worried about children playing in the wetlands behind the property and in a nearby drainage ditch near a condo complex during a public involvement meeting Thursday night, held by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) on the ongoing assessment and cleanup plan for the closed disposal site on Leland St. Residents want signs placed on the wetlands, at the drainage ditch and also on two homes General Chemical purchased, now abandoned, to warn people of the potential health and safety risks. "Jack & I have been all through the wetlands," said Rodene Lamkin, MassDEP's project manager for the General Chemical site. "I don't see how kids are going through that dense area." …

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Wilson Reports Missing Juvenile, Pedestrian Struck, 6 Crashes and 3 Arrests

The following information was supplied by the Framingham Police. Where arrests or charges are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.

Monday, March 11: 3 arrests and 6 crashes 6:53 a.m. Pedestrian struck at 429 Concord St.  9:11 a.m. Motor vehicle reported stolen at 40 Beaver Park Road Apt B.  9:28 a.m. Motor vehicle crash reported at 14 Cochituate Rd., with no injuries. 10:48 a.m. Motor vehicle crash reported at 341 Cochituate Rd, with no injuries. 11:51 a.m. Motor vehicle crash reported at Route 9 and Route 30, with no injuries. 12:15 p.m. Police arrested at Bishop and Pond streets Christian Cordero, 25, of 89B Beaver park Road of Framingham. Charged with operating a motor vehicle after license revoked.   2:15 p.m. Breaking and entering reported at 160 South St. 3:35 p.m. Motor vehicle crash reported at 37 Waverly St., with no injuries. 3:43 p.m. Hit & run crash …

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State: Achievement Gap Between Elementary Schools Widens

The achievement gap at Framingham's eight public elementary schools is widening according to report by the State of Massachusetts. At one elementary school, 79 percent of students were proficient in English, at another school only 33 percent.

There are "wide variations in proficiency rates across the eight elementary schools" in Framingham, according to a Massachusetts Elementary and Secondary Education District (DESE) Review report. The State's DESE review report looks at data from 2007 to 2011 and made in person visits to 12 of the 13 Framingham Public Schools in May 2012. "The differences in proficiency between the highest- and lowest-performing elementary schools widened during this period for both ELA (English language arts) and mathematics," concluded the report. Framingham does not have neighborhood elementary schools, instead parents have a limited school choice. Parents prioritize from 1-8 which elementary school they would like their child to attend. The District, …

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Sharon Machlis Gartenberg

10:42 am on Thursday, March 14, 2013

The fact that they say "1 year" for all students regardless of age tells me all I need to know about rules for ELL students: They're arbitrary and do not give useful data. I might agree that a child who comes here at age 6 could be ready to test in English after a year (especially if living in a household with well-educated parents). A student who arrives here at age 14? Much less likely.   more ›

Schools Plan to Hire District-Wide Translator and Literacy Coach for Wilson Elementary

The following is a press release from the Framingham Public Schools on how it has spent the $996,825 additional money allocated to the school department from the Special Town Meeting in October 2012.

Editor's Note: The following is a press release from the Framingham Public Schools. *** The Framingham Public Schools appropriation was increased by $996,825 at the October 2012 Special Town Meeting. To date, we have spent just over $221,000 of these funds. We are pleased to report that we have used these additional revenues to: increase the hours of 26 classroom aides in kindergarten classes; established three administrative internships; hired a new custodian within the district; increased the amount of days for 10-month elementary school office managers; and provided transportation services for the Cameron Middle School after-school program when grant funding was not awarded. We are also planning to use the funds for the following new …

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POLICE LOG: Fay Road Woman Charged With Burglary, Armed Assault; Police Called to Wilson Elementary

The following information was supplied by the Framingham Police. Where arrests or charges are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.

Wednesday, Dec. 19: 8 crashes and 3 arrests 6:12 a.m. Motor vehicle crash reported at Oliver and Concord streets.  8:51 a.m. Breaking and entering reported at 434 Concord St. 10:47 a.m. Motor vehicle crash reported at High and Main streets, with unknown injuries. 10:48 a.m. Juvenile problem reported at Wilson Elementary School, 169 leland St. Framingham Police assisted.  12:24 p.m. Motor vehicle crash reported at 34 A St. 1:05 p.m. Motor vehicle breakin reported at SMOC Hosuing, 300 Howard St. 1:24 p.m. Motor vehicle crash reported at Edgell Rd and Water St, with unknown injuries. 1:33 p.m. Suspicious activity reported at 161 Second St. Framingham Polcie made an arrest. 2;15 p.m. Police arrested at 105 Hollis St Marcial Batista, 48, of 157…

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United Way To Launch Imagination Library

With a grant from the Sudbury Foundation, the Framingham-based United Way of Tri-County plan to launch an early literacy program, which will provide Framingham families free books.

With a grant from the Sudbury Foundation, the Framingham-based United Way of Tri-County plan to launch Imagination Library, and early literacy program. Imagination Library gives every registered preschool child a book a month, from the time he or she is born until the child reaches kindergarten, 60 books in total, delivered straight to their mailbox. Since 2001, the program has distributed more than 41.5 million books nationwide. The Sudbury Foundation grant will provide resources to United Way of Tri-County, as they engage community stakeholders and develop business and fund development plans to support the launch of Imagination Library for Framingham families with children age 0-5, providing them with an age appropriate book every month…

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News by the Numbers

Framingham Elementary School 2012 MCAS Results

2012 MCAS results for the eight elementary schools in the Framingham Public School district.

2012 MCAS results for the eight elementary schools in the Framingham Public School district.

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Reaching All 50 States To Strive for Eagle Scout [VIDEO]

Students at three of Framingham's elementary schools have new maps of the United States on their playgrounds thanks to an Eagle Scout Project by a Framingham High sophomore.

As a child Matthew Crone attended McCarthy Elementary School. Today, the students at his former elementary school can learn the 50 states while at recess thanks to the high school sophomore's Eagle Scout project. And so can students at Hemenway Elementary and Wilson Elementary. A member of Framingham Troop 21, Liberty District, Knox Trail Council, Crone proposed painting maps of the United States on each of the three elementary school's playgrounds to earn Eagle Scout. He made presentations to each of the schools, and received approval to paint on the playgrounds. He secured funding for the giant stencils and the paint from the Verizon Pioneer Foundation. The first map was completed at Wilson Elementary on April 7. McCarthy was next on …

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