Dear Worthington and Conwell community members:
Life is quieting in Worthington as we all complete fall projects and begin to move indoors in preparation for winter. The songbirds have left, we’ve turned back the clocks, we had our first snow, and the 3rd and 4th grade students have put their garden to bed. The school committee got to sample the delicious kale chips they made from their last harvests and the Conwell kitchen staff are planning a beautiful harvest lunch for the students and faculty to enjoy on November 21st, before their Thanksgiving break.
Thanksgiving reminds us of the many blessings we have to celebrate at Conwell. First on the list is our staff! We are lucky to have a very committed staff at Conwell. They are a positive, collaborative team, and many of them have been at Conwell since we opened. This year we also welcomed Lucia Shapiro as the lead preschool teacher, Alix Bossenger works as a paraprofessional in the preschool classroom, Katie Maunz is working in the kindergarten classroom, Besty Todd works with students in grades K-6 as the Interventionist, Arelys Rojas works in the 5/6 classroom as a paraprofessional, Jaime Ricci is working as an assistant in the kitchen, and finally, Nurse Stephanie Faas is sharing the nurse’s office with Nurse Meg Breymann.
In our November committee meeting we approved a new salary schedule that catches teachers up on cost of living adjustments. During the financial insecurity of COVID, our teachers accepted a 3-year schedule with COLAs that did not keep up with inflation as a way of contributing to managing town costs. For example, last year other town employees received 6.1% while the teachers received 2%. We’ve agreed to a new 3-year contract in which they will receive a 5% COLA each of the next 3 years, as we attempt to keep pace with inflation and correct the discrepancy. We are so appreciative of their hard work and feel it’s important to compensate them fairly.
We also appreciate our state legislators funding Rural Aid. This is additional state funding to assist rural school districts with the costs that are particular to districts with long bus routes and low population density. This aid is unpredictable because it’s dependent on the state budget passed each year, which happens after Worthington’s town meeting season. This year Worthington received $43,455, compared to $15,441 last year. We will use this year’s rural aid to offset an increase in tuition to Hampshire Regional, because the number of students attending has increased (families moved into town; 2 students switched from Smith Voc to Hampshire) since our original budgeting in April.
Worthington has been lucky to receive some small grants in addition to the predictable entitlement grants. One of them is the Expanding High-Quality Instructional Mathematics Grant of $7,000. This grant allocation allowed the district to purchase high-quality math materials and curriculum to support teaching and learning.
We want to extend our thanks to the Selectboard and Peg O’Neal for overseeing the second phase of the Conwell building renovations. Last year we were all grateful to say goodbye to the peeling paint when the newer cafeteria wing of the school was insulated and the siding was replaced. This fall a crew completed a less visible but equally important renovation to the back of the building – replacing sliding doors with windows and doors that provide better energy efficiency and greater security. It’s great to have the building all buttoned up before winter, and it looks beautiful. If you haven’t seen it, come take a look!
We are excited to announce that the Pavilion Committee will soon be launching their fundraising campaign to build a timber frame pavilion behind the cafeteria wing of the school and near the baseball field. The design is for a beautiful 24x42ft structure that will be used as an outdoor classroom and town gathering space. We have already raised $25,000 toward the estimated $100,000 cost. Stay tuned for opportunities to donate funds and, eventually, to help with the community timber frame raising!
Worthington and Conwell are very lucky to have such an engaged and supportive community. The Conwell families and the PTO have been very busy this fall. Late August, the PTO hosted a pot-luck for the Back-to- School gathering where hot dogs and hamburgers were grilled to kick off the school year. The second Harvest Festival for students and families took place after the Halloween parade. Students enjoyed games, cider, donuts and a fire pit accompanied by a grandparent who played the fiddle. The PTO continues to have fundraisers to raise money for various events and field trips for our students. So far this year, sweatshirts, Hillside Pizza, and Halladay’s Harvest Barn Soup/Dips have been sold.
As the school committee moves into the annual budget-building season, we also want to express our gratitude for Worthington voters’ consistent support of education in our town. We recognize your support for the blessing it is, and we will continue to exercise care in allocating your tax dollars efficiently while providing Worthington students with an excellent education.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
With thanks,
The Worthington School Committee