Newsletter #1 - CSI: Scituate Message

CSI: Scituate Message by Barbara Lydon and Sharon Mohr, CSI: Scituate Chairs

This newsletter is written for the community, by the community. It represents the views of the many constituencies of Scituate including the selectmen, school administration, school committee, teachers, students, parents, senior citizens and citizens for limited taxation. It grew out of the need and request for improved communication between all parties related to the public schools.

CSI: Scituate endorses the concept that community participation in the efforts of the schools is essential if the school system and the community are to maintain mutual confidence and respect and work together to improve the quality of education for students.

Scituate is our Town. We are ‘the Town’. If ‘the Town’ does not take action to get more done, it means we did not take action. We all need to work together with Town officials to identify issues, propose solutions and ensure we have adequate funding to maintain and improve our municipal services.

Demonstrate your commitment to this community and its public schools - educate yourself on the issues, think proactively toward solutions and take action by voting and volunteering your time. We appreciate the fact that we, as individuals, are working longer and harder than ever before in the home and outside the home, but we need to set aside time to ensure the needs of the Town and our schools are met.

Individuals and groups have stepped forward over the years, and many recently, to demonstrate that time is well spent working with others who have similar ideas and solutions for district-wide school issues. As examples:

- SEA is a foundation whose board of parents, teachers and Town officials have provided funding and programs to enhance education throughout the community since 1999. Safe Routes to School, Community of Concern, Kids Voting, Alcohol Awareness, ProActive Parenting and Open Circle are SEA-driven initiatives. http://www.scituate-sea.org/

- S.H.O.R.E was established in 1990 by parents when widespread budget cuts threatened the quality of education. Since inception, S.H.O.R.E. has provided over $650,000 of financial support for academics, arts, sports and technology at Scituate High School. www.scituate.k12.ma.us/shs/parentsupport

- The PTOs of the Gates Intermediate School and Cushing, Hatherly, Jenkins and Wampatuck Elementary Schools raise and fund over $200,000 annually to provide enrichment programs, curriculum materials and “supplies” through volunteer efforts. PTO news and information is available on each of the school websites. http://www.scituate.k.12.ma.us/

- CORSE (Community of Resources for Special Education) has raised and funded over $16,000 since inception in 2006, to support supplemental special education programming. http://www.corsefoundation.org/

- Other activity-specific groups, including Friends of Scituate Recreation, Scituate Friends of Music and the various sports organizations and booster clubs, raise significant funds each year for their various causes.

We thank these organizations for funding the costs of this newsletter.

Scituate Public Schools is this community’s largest employer and most significant expenditure. We need to make time to educate ourselves about the school system by attending School Committee meetings (or watching them on Channel 22 - The Public Education Access Channel), and attending PTO, School Council and Joint PTO/School Council meetings.

Provide your input, feedback and questions by being an active participant in the CSI: Scituate blog http://www.csiscituate.org/. CSI Scituate is open to your suggestions as to how best serve the communication needs of our community as they relate to the schools. We look forward to working with all of you!