Sept. 30, 2011

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The Bromfield School is in full swing both in and out of the classroom. As we have visited various classrooms, the high level of student engagement combined with the enthusiasm of our teaching staff, are creating a great atmosphere for learning. Whether it is debating the legality of banning wearing of the burka in France, solving a complex science or math problem, reading and analyzing literature from an English or World Language, performing a band or choral piece, or creating art from examining the human hand, our students and staff are doing an outstanding job.

It is very hard to believe that we are at the midpoint of the first term. Progress Reports will be issued to students next week. We hope and trust that your child is having a strong start to the school year. Please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions or concerns. Please remember to contact your child’s teacher if you have a concern or question about a class policy or your child’s overall progress in a class. In addition, your child’s guidance counselor will be happy to assist with any scheduling or concerns about their overall school experience. Finally, do not hesitate to contact either one of us with questions or concerns about The Bromfield School. While on the subject of assessment, MCAS scores were mailed to you last week if your child is in grades 6-11. Please contact the school if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child.

Speaking of our guidance department, the Parent to Parent College Information Night held on Tuesday night was a great success as parents who had been through the college application process with their children gave sage advice to those who are just beginning this process. In addition, guidance hosted a coffee and muffin for our new parents on Friday, September 23rd which was very successful in introducing our new parents to the services provided by the guidance department.

We are very excited to announce that the new Bromfield School Website will make its debut next week. You can access the website by going to www.psharvard.org and then clicking on The Bromfield School. We feel that the new website will be much easier to navigate and we welcome any feedback from you. We want to thank Bromfield teacher Martha Brooks and Bromfield student Arpitha Hayes for their outstanding work on this project. The Minnow Cup (Middle School Drop-In Center) is scheduled to open next week. Special thanks and recognition are due to Community Education Director, Judy Cavanaugh, Bromfield supervising teacher, Sharon Correnty, and superintendent of schools, Dr. Joseph Connelly for their tireless efforts to make this program a reality. We also appreciate all of the middle school students who have met with Mrs. Correnty to give imput on the needs and wants of the sixth, seventh, and eighth graders.

As the school year has progressed, we are noticing that both students and parents are not always remembering to adhere to the traffic pattern particularly in the morning. Please remember that if you are arriving after 7:15 p.m., you should enter the school from the Pond Road entrance. In addition, please remember that there is a stop sign at the crosswalk at the front of the school. We have put several large cones as a reminder. Finally, it is very important that students, staff, and parents use the crosswalk to go from the front parking lot across to the school. We are noticing people (especially students) weaving through the cars and busses instead of using the crosswalk. While using the crosswalk and proper traffic pattern may not be the quickest way to go to and from school, it is definitely the safest way.

Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for November 21st, 22nd, and 30th. Please remember that dismissal will be at 11:05 on those days. The PTO is again generously funding the on-line sign-up this year and we truly appreciate their support. Sign-ups will begin on October 15th. Directions about the sign-up process for conferences are available on Edline and the parent addendum of the Bromfield Daily Bulletin.

Please remember that next weekend is an extra long weekend for students. Students will not only be out of school for the Columbus Day Holiday on October 10th but also on Tuesday, October 11th due to the teacher professional day. The bulk of the professional day will be spent preparing for the NEASC visit in the Spring of 2012.

Finally, we do want to make you aware of some upcoming events at The Bromfield School. The Fall Music Concerts will occur over the next couple of weeks. On Thursday, October 13th, our grade level bands will perform while our choral groups will entertain us on Thursday, October 20th. Both concerts will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be held in the Cronin Auditorium. We are also very pleased to present “Building a Supportive School Community” on Wednesday, October 12th as part of the Harvard Public Schools Bullying Prevention Program. Guest presenter Rob Jones will be working with Bromfield peer trainers from the World of Difference to lead this important and engaging evening. We hope to see many of you at 7:00 p.m. in the Cronin Auditorium.

Have a great weekend!

James F. O'Shea
Principal

Scott M. Hoffman
Assoc. Principal