Schools
Schools
Catholic school plan vetted at public, private meetings
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An ongoing process by the Archdiocese of Boston to drastically reorder Catholic grade schools in Dorchester and Mattapan was the subject of several meetings last week in the neighborhood and beyond. Pastors and principals huddled on Friday at St. Ann's church to discuss the 2010 Initiative, the official name of the process by which the Archdiocese plans to restructure &endash; and, they claim, revitalize &endash; urban Catholic education in Boston, Brockton, and Lowell. Read more
New system puts spotlight on city's dire dropout rate
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There are the dropouts of Dickensian doom, the gathering threat of the unemployed and the dysfunctional. There are also ordinary teens or young adults thrown off track shortly before graduating from high school, sometimes even after passing the MCAS exam. Read more
Church to 'slow down' school plans
Feb. 21, 2007
Archdiocese officials and Pastors of Dorchester's Catholic churches responded this week to a story in last week's Reporter that outlined a preliminary plan to reorganize the eight remaining Catholic grade schools in Dorchester and Mattapan. On Wednesday, Archdiocese spokesman Terrence Donilon confirmed that Dorchester's pastors had been presented with documents outlining a preliminary model to establish a regional system at the site of four existing schools. Read more
Four Catholic schools eyed for closure
Feb. 14, 2007
(Copyright 2007 Dorchester Reporter)- The Archdiocese of Boston is considering a plan to consolidate the eight remaining parochial schools in Dorchester and Mattapan into four regional K-8 schools that would be located at the sites of existing Catholic schools in the neighborhoods. The plan, outlined this week by two Dorchester pastors with direct knowledge of the details, will be discussed this Friday at a meeting of archdiocesan officials and the pastors and principals of the existing parochial schools. The plan calls for the creation of regional schools at St. Ann's in Neponset, St. Read more
Renovations brighten the Holland school
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Almost $20 million in improvements to the John P. Holland Elementary School has transformed an old drab concrete building into an educators dream.
"I feel like I won the lottery," said Michelle O'Connell, principal of the Holland School. Read more
Drive for dresses makes prom night dreams possible
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What is the value of a prom dress for a high school girl? The expensive dress might only get worn once, but the memories of that celebrated evening will last a lifetime. But for some high school girls, spending hundreds of dollars on a new dress is not an option and not worth sacrificing other necessities. Fortunately, there is a resource for girls who want to attend the prom without being left barefoot and broke the next day Read more
Quiz bowl, open houses mark week-long focus on Catholic schools
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Catholic Schools Week, the annual observance that will be launched this weekend at parishes around the neighborhood, promotes more than just open enrollment for prospective students. This year's agenda includes furthering the parents' involvement in their childrens' educational needs. Read more
Plan calls for phasing out of Cleveland School
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In a November 16 report to the Boston School Committee, Superintendent Thomas Payzant announced that the Grover Cleveland Middle School would be closed by 2008. The Cleveland is one of six local schools affected by the superintendent's "reuse and reprogramming" plan. The same report also recommended that the Harbor Middle School as well as fourth and fifth graders from the Patrick O'Hearn Elementary School move to the building currently occupied by the Cleveland at 11 Charles St. Read more
Foundation names Codman Academy teacher one of America's best educators
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Thabiti Brown walks through the halls in the Codman Academy Charter School with confidence.
An air of assuredness might be expected from someone recently named one of America's best teachers, but it's clear that Brown draws his inspiration from a different source. "He's definitely real," says Noble Williams, a senior who has known Brown for four years. "He cares a lot about his students, and he doesn't try to make them like him." Read more
At an Impasse: Codman Students Want Transit Deal Finished
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Students and faculty at the Codman Academy hope that this weekend will mark the end of their struggles with the MBTA.
After three years of lobbying for six-day student T passes by the Codman Academy, the MBTA created the pass last December and Codman students began using it for the first time this month. But during their first week using the passes in the first week of March, a number of students reported that MBTA bus drivers refused to accept their new passes, with one driver confiscating a student's pass. Read more
