Woburn Police School Resource Officer Division, Joyce and Kennedy PTO's are pleased to sponsor this free seminar for parents, teachers and other interested adults.

It seems that not a day goes by without reading about bullying, cyber-bullying, incidents of sexting and inappropriate use of social networking websites.  The internet offers almost limitless opportunities to gain knowledge and make contact with others. When used appropriately, it is a powerful and positive tool. However, school staff and parents need to be aware of the risks inherent in this technology.  Participants will learn about online issues impacting youth, such as social networking sites, predators, and sexting.

A member of the Middlesex DA’s office will do a two hour presentation on these important topics.  Effective prevention and intervention strategies for teachers, school staff and parents will be outlined and discussed. The Middlesex District Attorney's Office Cyber Protection Program, created in 2007 by District Attorney Gerry Leone, will also be discussed.

For more information contact the WPD School Resource Office at 781-932-4510.

I want to express my thanks to Principal Joseph Finigan, the Woburn Police Department, the STARS team, and the staff and students of Woburn Memorial High School for their extraordinary efforts. The number of people that came together on short notice and the resources that were available to us helped make us all feel more secure. While these situations can be difficult to manage, we are very fortunate to have so many people who care about keeping students safe.

--Mark Donovan, Superintendent of Schools

Good evening, this is Woburn High School principal Finigan calling to inform you of a low level threat that was found on a girls’ bathroom stall today at WMHS. A custodian reported the writing to the main office and we immediately notified the Woburn Police Department.  In conjunction with the Woburn Police Department, the State Police and the regional School Threat Assessment Response Team, we are conducting an investigation into the origin of the message.

The safety of our students and staff are our top priority and therefore, in accordance with our school safety plans, we will take the following safety precautions:

Tonight, school and police personnel will conduct a thorough search of the building utilizing trained canines.

• While students may bring books and belongings to school tomorrow, we ask that students not take backpacks, book bags or athletic bags to school on Thursday, March 4^th.  Any bags or pocketbooks brought to school by students will have to be turned over to school administration and will be searched, held, and returned later in the day. Students who bring lunch should bring it in a clear plastic bag.
• On Thursday morning we will have a controlled entrance to the school.  Students will be directed to enter school though the main entrance or the drop-off area in the rear of the building.   No other entrances will be available.  The doors to the school will not open until 7:10.  WMHS staff will monitor these entrances to ensure that students abide by the guidelines outlined above.

All attendance rules will apply for Thursday, March 4^th.  We will continue to notify you in the days ahead with more information.  .

The Police Department and our office will continue the investigation to determine the person or persons responsible.  When identified, the responsible individuals will be held fully accountable by our school system and prosecuted through the courts.

Further information will be posted at this site as needed

The New Goodyear School: A View from the Entry Plaza (Tappe Associates)

I'm pleased to report that the new Goodyear School Building Project is proceeding full-speed ahead. The project is on schedule, and all of the timelines are being met.

Tappe Associates has provided us with some drawings that show what the new school will look like. In addition to the drawing above, we have a number of interior and exterior views. Click on the following PDF files to see these drawings:

Goodyear Site Plan 01.10.10
Goodyear Renderings 01.10.10
Goodyear Interior Renderings 01.10.10

(Please note: If these links don't work properly, I'll re-post this announcement.)

In addition to the mayor, members of the City Council and members of the School Committee were also sworn into office as the new year begins. The Woburn School Committee for 2010 is pictured below.

Front Row (l to r): Margarette Masotta, Pat Chisholm; Back Row: Chris Kisiel, John Wells, Chairman Denis Russell, Joe Crowley, and Michael Mulrenan

Dr. John Wells (R), outgoing chairman, passes the gavel to incoming chairman, Denis Russell.

At last night's organizational meeting of the Woburn School Committee, Denis Russell was selected as the Chairman of the School Committee for 2010. Here is the text of the speech he gave to the School Committee  following his selection:

Let me begin by wishing you and your families a very happy and healthy new year. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as Chairman this year.

Before I look ahead at the challenges we will face, I’d like to take a moment to recognize and bring my attention to the many things you do for the Woburn School District. Many nights are spent away from home whether at meetings or functions. We receive phone calls regarding a host of school matters at all hours of the day and evening. None of us punch a clock. Much of what we do is not reported in the newspaper nor seen on TV. But you can all take pride in knowing that the job you do is appreciated not only by me but by the families of Woburn. So to you I say thank you and to your families, thank you.

Looking ahead, this will be an exciting and challenging year. We have a new Mayor and a number of new Councilors. It will be a priority to keep the lines of communication open at all times.  To do this, frequent meetings with Mayor Galvin will be commonplace. I’ll ask our subcommittees to provide a quarterly summary of your meetings and accomplishments that will be presented to the Mayor and City Council.

Another important issue certainly is the ongoing construction of the new Goodyear School. We will provide whatever is necessary to keep this project going and keep it on time. As part of this project, I have asked Superintendent Donovan to move ahead with planning and informing the Clapp parents on the redistricting that will take place when the Goodyear School is completed. This information needs to be presented sooner than later to insure a smooth transition.

This year we will enter contract negotiations. It is our objective to come to a fair and expeditious agreement. Finally, budget time is upon us. Our goal is to continue to provide sound education for our students, and safe and well maintained facilities. Working closely with the Mayor, the Council and Administration we will develop a responsible and effective budget.

There will be many other issues that we will face but as in the past, I know that together we will find solutions.

Again, Happy and Healthy New Year.