The janitor had to bring water
in milk cans, only to be used as drinking water.
You could not wash your hands. Every student had
his/her own drinking cup. The school was heated
by a potbellied stove in the center of the classroom
and the children brought up wood or coal from
the cellar to feed the stove. There was a ledge
in the cellar, that was eventually blasted away
in order to put in toilets in the late 1920's.
They used three rooms in the school after a new
section was added on. The renovated structure
housed grades 1-4. The building was torn down
in the 1960's after the new school was built.
We are the new school. We consist of twelve classrooms,
a mini library, and a combination cafeteria, auditorium,
and gymnasium that we fondly refer to as a "cafetorium".
In recent years, corporate donations exceeding
sixty thousand dollars were combined with district
allocations to overhaul technology. Two new
computers were added to each of twelve classrooms,
four networked printers were set up in each
of three wings and in the main office, and a
dedicated server was added to the building's
technology resources. As well, Smart Boards
were installed in ten of the twelve classrooms.
Interactive responder systems facilitate data
collection. A computer cart filled with 25 net
books provided a computer lab that space constraints
in the school made impossible. We also purchased
eight listening centers for grades K-3 complete
with wireless headphones, added three multimedia
projectors that we fondly refer to as Elmos
and topped it all off with a Moviemate that
plays DVDs and is capable of projecting images
that would fill the side of a barn if we wanted
it to.
New families are warmly welcomed into the Oaklandvale
School Community. There are many opportunities
to meet new friends and get to know each other
better. Over the course of a typical school
year we plan book fairs, food drives, readers'
days, crazy hat days, coat collections, ice
cream sundae nights, art fairs, variety shows
and more. We participate in the Christmas Stroll
with raffles, games, and goodies. We celebrate
Unsung Heroes, Dr. Seuss's Birthday complete
with green eggs and ham, Incredible Kids Day,
and Teacher Appreciation Day, too. We recycle
plastic, card board, aluminum flip tops, and
cell phones. We offer after school programs
that prep students for the MCAS and throw a
field day celebration second to none! Although
the Oaklandvale community engages in gestures
of generosity and frolics in festivities for
fun, we never lose sight of our reason for being
- improved student achievement.
The Oaklandvale School Community fosters an
atmosphere of respect and concern for all. The
Saugus Public Schools Strategic Plan acknowledges
the importance of creating a culture of trust,
mutual respect, and acceptance for students,
parents, and staff. The Oaklandvale School Community
acknowledges that academics and social behavior
are profoundly intertwined. With each student's
rights comes the responsibility to be a contributing
member of the school community. There are two
rules that guide daily behavior - 1) be safe
and 2) treat others as you want to be treated.
The composition of the school community is
changing. Many Oaklandvale students speak English
as a second language. Among the languages spoken
in the home are Spanish, Portuguese, Albanian,
Swahili, Chinese, Creole, Vietnamese, and Arabic
just to mention a few. Similarly, the percentage
of Oaklandvale students receiving free and reduced
lunch is the highest among the elementary schools.
Thus, we are designated as a Title I School,
entitling us to additional funding to help struggling
students in the area of math. A full time reading
specialist, ESL (English second language) teacher,
and special needs teacher are on staff to fully
service the needs of our students.
Another form of community building occurs between
schools and local businesses - the Adopt-A-School
Program. Prominent members of the business community
band together to enhance the educational opportunities
for Saugus Public Schools, its students, and
its teachers. John Smolinsky, President of the
Saugus Federal Credit Union, adopted Oaklandvale
School. He teamed up with Hilltop, Perfect Party,
and Rossetti Insurance to make the Oaklandvale
School a better place to learn and play. The
students even operate a branch of the credit
union at the school for students and staff.
Last year we introduced a new leader to the
district, Superintendent Richard Langlois. He
continues to inspire a spirit of optimism in
the school community. Since the Education Reform
Act of 1993, the Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education (ESE) - formerly known as
the Department of Education (DOE) - has held
districts accountable for students' results
on the MCAS. This year through the DSAC (District
and School Assistance Centers), ESE is making
assistance available to qualifying districts.
While other communities are lining up, Saugus
is signing up for the targeted assistance offerings.
Mr. Langlois has already hosted meetings with
representatives of DSAC to delineate why Saugus
should be targeted for assistance. He has described
the momentum with which the district has already
forged ahead to implement changes and cutting
edge initiatives. He has the evidence to back
up his claims of progress - updated textbooks,
curriculum pacing guides across all subjects
and grades K-12, an infusion of technology across
the district, a revival of fine arts at the
elementary level, highly qualified teachers
in every classroom, and all day kindergarten
is available at each elementary school. DSAC
has already taken an interest in Saugus. Not
only will our administrators participate in
the National Institute for School Leadership
Training (NISL) but we may also be the training
site!
Mr. Langlois has also hired a statistical analyst
to provide detailed tracking and analyses of
assessment results (that's code for MCAS) so
we can use those results to inform curriculum,
instruction, and individual interventions. Professional
Learning Communities will take on the task of
massaging current practices into sterling examples
of best practices and effective instruction.
As always, MCAS motivates us all to keep raising
the bar of achievement and beating the drum
of accountability.
All of us at Oaklandvale School who share the
responsibility for the children are in the unique
position of daily witnessing the promise and
joy that they can provide. We celebrate the
presence of children among us!
Respectfully submitted,
Dr. Kathleen Stanton
Principal
