Upcoming Events In Woonsocket Community And Education

There are so many interesting and important school and community events coming up this week and in the near future that I wanted to help spread the word in the Education Spotlight.  Some of these events have already been highlighted and some are new, but all are worthy of attention.  As always, the more people who participate in these events, the stronger the community as a whole becomes.  I will report on these events in the following chronological order.

1.  WNRI Radio Series focused on Woonsocket this week-May 4

2.   Advance the Arts and Creative Sector through Advocating for Change!-May 4

3.  WRNI Forum "Woonsocket's History, its Residents, the Economy and the City's Future"-May 5

4. Passport to Kindergarten-May 17

5. Community Build Day for Globe Park Boundless Playground-June 11

6. Opening Ceremony/Ribbon Cutting Day for Globe Park Boundless Playground-June 18

7. Practicing Internet Safety, Preventing Cyber bullying and Protecting Your Children from Online Predators-Coming Soon

WRNI Radio Series focused on Woonsocket this Week

WRNI has been broadcasting a radio series on urban education by Elizabeth Harrison.  This week WRNI will be focusing on Woonsocket.  Elizabeth interviewed me last week and spent considerable time in our schools.  I am confident that she will explain both the challenges and the successes in the Woonsocket schools currently.  This radio series will air on Wednesday morning.

Advance the Arts and Creative Sector through Advocating for Change!

Rebekah Greenwald, the executive director of emailed me about this upcoming event.  The Rhode Island Citizens for the Arts’ advocacy training sessions are happening throughout Rhode Island.  Training sessions have already been held in Providence and Westerly, but it is not too late to visit a training in Woonsocket or Pawtucket.

 The training in Woonsocket will be held on Wednesday May 4, 2011 from 9 a.m. until noon at RiverzEdge at 68 South Main St. in Woonsocket, RI.  The training in Pawtucket will be held on Wednesday May 11, 2011 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Gamm Theatre on 172 Exchange St. in Pawtucket, RI.

The purpose of this event is to learn how you can take part in developing a stronger voice for the creative sector.  RI CFA advocacy training is based on the Power Prism© model and was designed by M+R Strategic Services, a nationally recognized strategist for cause related advocacy. The training sessions offer a broad picture of organizing for change.  Participants are empowered with the tools they need to engage with their elected officials and advocate for the advancement of the creative sector, and become part of a growing network working on this effort in Rhode Island. 

The 3-hour training sessions are free for RI CFA members, $15 for non-members.  Non-profit organization members can send two of their staff (more depending on available space.)  RSVP is required. Contact RI CFA to register or for more details: info@ricitizensforarts.org, 401-457-8312. 

WRNI Forum "Woonsocket's History, its residents, the Economy and the City's Future"

Listen to WRNI in the first week in May for One Square Mile: Woonsocket. Moderated by WRNI Political Analyst Scott MacKay, the forum will engage community leaders in a discussion about  Woonsocket’s history, its residents, the economy and the city’s future.  WRNI’s One Square Mile series offers an intensive look at a small area in our state from a diversity of angles: politics, education, health care, the economy, its residents and its culture.

Join WNRI on May 5 for the live taping at which is located at Market Square, 42 South Main Street Woonsocket, RI.  This forum is free and open to the public, but space is limited.  Email rsvp@rifoundation.org or call (401) 427-4000.

The forum will be broadcast May 8, 2011 at 11 a.m. on WRNI.

Passport To Kindergarten Evening 

This is a Collaborative Event with Early Reading First Project, and our Principals' Kindergarten Orientation.  I must commend Principal Coderre for sending out flyers and organizing this effort.  The Passport to Kindergarten evening will be held on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 from 5:30 – 8 p.m. at Governor Pothier Elementary, 420 Robinson Street Woonsocket, RI  02895

The purpose of this event is to give parents and Kindergarten eligible students the opportunity to have fun together, receive information, and ask questions regarding their child’s Kindergarten year.  Attendance at this event is critical in preparing the families' child for kindergarten. Important information and handouts will be given out at this event to ensure a smooth transition to kindergarten.  I strongly urge all parents/guardians and students to attend.

All district teams will be represented as well as community agencies that provide before and after school programs/daycare.  Also in attendance will be district leaders, principals, kindergarten teachers, community partners, the transportation department, child outreach and school nurses.  The following is a schedule of events:

5:30--Event Registration and Passport Handout

5:45-6:00--Light Refreshments

6:15—District presentation for parents

6:15—K-eligible children to watch video “What to Expect in Kindergarten”

6:30-7:45—Families visit stations and activities

7:45—Parent Raffle and backpack giveaway for K-eligible children

This evening was thoughtfully designed to be a special night for students and families.  All activities will be geared toward Kindergarten-aged groups.  If older siblings attend, they will be brought to the library for childcare.  Younger siblings will be expected to be supervised by their parents.

Community Build Day for the Globe Park Boundless Playground

The entire playground will be built on June 11, 2011.  We need as much community help and support as we can possibly get.  Feel free to bring your family members or friends. We will reaching out to community members and families of our students at Globe Park and around the district as well.  Please plan to help out on this date!

This will be an organized event that Meghan O'Brien from O'Brien and Sons will facilitate with her contracted engineers.  A community build sounds like a lot of work, and it is, but it is a very organized process that will take place on this day.  Once the playground is officially "built," the contractors will come back to Globe Park school two days later and finalize the playground by pouring our "Poured In Place Protective Surfacing."  Please note that the playground will be "off limits" until this part of the project is completed.  

If you wish to attend the Community Build Day please contact Jessica Frechette email at JFrechette@Woonsocketschools.com or call her at Globe Park School (401) 767-4835. 

Opening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Day for the Globe Park Boundless Playground

On June 18 the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be held.  That is when the new Boundless playground will be officially "opened" at to our students, staff, and community. We will be planning some great events for this day. Stay tuned for more details about this fun-filled family event!  We hope that all of you can make it with your families and friends.  We will keep you posted about the time and events for this date. 

We have received many donations in the process of planning this project.  By  the middle of this month we will be preparing a plaque with a list of donors who have contributed $100 or more.  If you haven't already made a monetary donation, please feel free to do so as soon as possible. All checks can be written out to Globe Park School and sent directly to 192 Avenue A, Woonsocket, RI 02895.  

Practicing Internet Safety, Preventing Cyber bullying and Protecting Your Children from Online Predators

As part of our Title IV (Safe and Drug Free Schools) grant application, the Woonsocket Education Department has budgeted for a series of presentations by Dr. Lawrence Filippelli regarding the important issues of bullying and cyber-bullying to be presented this spring.

Cyber-bullying and internet safety have become an especially troubling concern for all schools and families with the growth of social networks such as MySpace and Facebook.  I have personally attended Filippelli's presentations in the past and have learned a lot that I did not know about the internet.  His presentations have been well-received and reviewed throughout the state as well.  We will be sure to announce the date(s) as soon as possible

In Summation

There are so many important events happening around us and we are all so very busy with our daily lives.  However, it is important to play an active role in our children's education and in our community.  Even if you cannot attend all of them, it is important to attend some to help shape our community.  I am hopeful that I will see each of these events crowded with members from our school community.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Gerardi, Jr., Ph.D.                         

Superintendent of Schools                             

Woonsocket Education Department  

"Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed.  You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read.  You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride.  You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.  We have seen the future, and the future is ours."

Cesar Chavez

(American Activist and Labor Organizer. 1927-1993)