| School board discusses non-proficient students, district accountability
The Spencer Community Schools Board of Education attempted to dissect some unfavorable data Monday night when it received a comprehensive update on student achievement data submitted in Spencer's 2006-07 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) report for the district's accountability status under No Child Left Behind. The report's data has placed Spencer in a "watch year" this year as well as a school "in need of assistance" for having not met reading comprehension goals at the third-through-fifth grade and middle school levels respectively. Both identifications were based on students' non-proficient scores in the special education subgroups. "This does give us some red flags. But, I think we can use this data to help us make some things that we can do better," said Assistant Superintendent Kathy Elliott.
Meet Susan Wilkinson, Macomber School principal
Susan Wilkinson comes to the Macomber School as its new principal after serving as principal of the Walker School in Taunton, which serves kindergarten through fourth grade. She has also been principal at the Oxford School, an elementary school in Fairhaven. She has been an educator since 1989 with a focus on special education. She grew up in Somerset but her husband, Bob, grew up in Westport; he attended Westport schools up through middle school, then Diman Vocational Technical School. They live on Meadowbrook Lane and have two girls, Bailey and Delaney. The girls will be attending first and second grade in Westport this fall. Mr. Wilkinson owns a catering business; he used to own Wilkie's restaurant in Somerset. When interviewed in her new office on Aug. 24, Ms.
Apples, wine and cheese
Wine and cheese are ageless companions, like aspirin and aches, or June and moon, or good people and noble ventures. — MFK Fisher, culinary writer Our summer road trip turned into a surprisingly delicious gastronomical tour inspired, in part, by the World's Largest Apple. In August I flew to Toronto to meet my sister Lauren. She and her dog Eddie had departed Los Angeles a month before in her new Subaru to cross the continent at a leisurely pace. I had planned to meet her in Iowa, but was delayed. So we picked a city closer to the East Coast. The plan: shared driving, new experiences to refresh our work-weary souls, and quality time for sisters living on opposite coasts. Lauren is a city girl and award-winning animator inhabiting a loft in downtown L.A.
Summer and early fall is when cultural organizations bring in the bucks
Late summer and early fall may be the season for vacations and enjoying the mellow weather for many, but for nonprofits, it's the season to get serious. Fundraisers and benefits have become the fuel for keeping many organizations and their community programs running, and although the tabs may be steep, up to $75 or $100 a ticket, the most successful events raise from $45,000 to $100,000. This time of year, with dry, warm and sunny weather, is the perfect complement for outdoor galas, picnics and home tours. Saturday was the annual Deepwood Garden Gala, Summer Enchantment, which saw its attendance grow from 100 to 160 people this year. Upcoming events include the Smith Fine Arts Series Summer Picnic & Auction in Monmouth Tuesday, Salem Chamber Orchestra's Taking Flight Gala fundraiser Saturday, Salem Assistance League's Cooks Tour Sept.
Robert Irving III: Gaining Momentum
Robert Irving III is a keyboard player known in different quarters for different things. He played electric, of course, as a young man in the band Miles Davis unveiled when he decided to return to performing in 1980 after his infamous five-year hiatus. He produced albums with Miles, but also Sting, Carlos Santana, Dianne Reeves, Branford Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Gerald Albright, Grover Washington, John Scofield, David Murray and others. He was musical director for Sister Sledge and has performed with the likes of Oscar Brown Jr., Michael Brecker, Marcus Miller, Wallace Roney, Buster Williams and more. But Irving (who's known to friends as Baabe, which is pronounced like Bobby) is also an acoustic pianist who loves the sound of the instrument and has been busy for years providing that sound in a variety of settings.
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