10 Fast Facts From the School Committee Meeting

1. Superintendent Marianne O’Connor welcomed the new principal. Leigh Becker will begin her duties on Aug. 1. Her teaching background includes work as a reading specialist, speech pathologist and special education teacher. She has also served as an elementary school principal for seven years. “I believe Leigh brings the qualities we’re looking for,” O’Connor said.

2. The kindergarten lottery was held on Wednesday, and seven families did not get their first choice for full-day kindergarten placement for the 2011-12 school year. O’Connor said, “We will work to see if we can get them what they want.”

3. O’Connor announced that thesixth grade Math Olympiad team, made up of 31 students, recently competed with 142 other teams in New England and came in fifth place. The team tied for first place in Worcester County, she said, and its performance was in the top 2% of the 1,903 school Math Olympiad teams competing nationwide.

4. Two new Westborough Eagle Scouts received recognition at the meeting. James Murray and Sean Nolan each became Eagle Scouts with Troop 4. Nolan spoke at the meeting and explained his Eagle Scout project. He said that he located and mapped historical stone walls for the Westborough Community Land Trust (WCLT). “We all benefit from that,” said committee member Karen Henderson.

5. Assistant superintendent Dr. Daniel Mayer told the committee that Westborough’s bullying prevention plan, which was sent for state approval in December, has been accepted. He said that over 95 percent of the school department staff has now received training on bullying prevention.

6. Committee member Bruce Tretter encouraged the public to take advantage of a nature program being presented by WCLT. On April 9 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the  hall, WCLT will present a family program featuring wild animals. The program is expected to feature an eagle, falcon, owl and vulture. The event will be conducted by a licensed rehabilitation biologist who specializes in captive birds.

7. Tretter also reminded residents that WCLT will conduct its 13^th annual Earth Day Cleanup, a town-wide litter cleanup day on Saturday, April 16. There are two meeting times and three locations for volunteers to gather. At 6:30 a.m., volunteers will gather at on Bellows Road near the parking lot and the Westmeadow Plaza on Milk Street. At 9 a.m., volunteers will meet at . Tretter said that the event last year was the largest ever and he hopes to repeat the success. “It was absolutely fantastic,” he said. 

8. Committee member Karen Henderson reminded residents that Saturday is Family Fun Day. The event takes place at the school from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

9. Henderson reminded the public about the public hearing concerning the future of the Westborough State Hospital land. A meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 29 from 7 to 9 p.m. in Room 23 of the Forbes Municipal Building. She suggested that the future of the acreage is of special concern to the school district because of the impact on the schools that residential development on the property might have.

10. School committee chairman Ilyse Levine-Kanji corrected a misinterpretation of a recent headline in the Westborough News. She said that because of the newspaper headline, she has received public inquiries from residents concerned that the school district may be adding a teaching position at the . Levine-Kanji explained that a current teacher from the high school will now be splitting time between the two schools. The district is not adding a position, she said. She added that the Westborough News article was correct and that it was just a misleading headline. She said she would be sending a letter to the editor to correct any misunderstanding.