Little Compton school starts with new initiatives

Welcomes first tuition-paying students

By Tom Killin Dalglish
Posted 9/7/17

LITTLE COMPTON — The new school year at Wilbur & McMahon School began on Wednesday, August 30, with an enrollment of 240 K-8 students, and with 10 pre-K students, for a total population of 250.

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Little Compton school starts with new initiatives

Welcomes first tuition-paying students

Posted

LITTLE COMPTON — The new school year at Wilbur & McMahon School began on Wednesday, August 30, with an enrollment of 240 K-8 students, and with 10 pre-K students, for a total population of 250.

That total is down by six from last year's figure of 256 students (241 in K-8, with 15 pre-K students in 2016).

What's new this year is that four of those 250 students are out-of-district, tuition-paying students from Tiverton or Westport, who are each paying $6,000 per school year for the opportunity to attend school in Little Compton.

"We still have space in our morning and afternoon pre-school classes that we run in collaboration with Newport County Regional Special Education," said Principal Sonya Whipp. "If parents are interested in enrolling, they should contact Anne Marie McAndrews (Early Childhood Coordinator) at 401-847-3916".

Parents and others might notice a new website for Wilbur & McMahon, said Ms. Whipp.

"We went through a total update on our website this summer. The new website is up and running. The new format still provides everyone with many features of the old website, but new features such as links to bus schedules, school menu, Aspen Parent Portal, school calendar are much easier for parents to access. We've provided parents, students, faculty and the public with a more user-friendly format."

Other changes in the educational programs or administrative services of the school include:

• Middle School students are being give the option of choosing one from a cluster or block of three courses — art, band or chorus — for the full year, or two of the three for half a year.

• Both remedial help and enrichment support, for those who need more challenging work and rigorous assignments, will be available on a targeted basis, said Ms. Whipp.

• Some physical changes have been made in the location of certain classes, Ms. Whipp said. Grade four has moved in to its own wing (north of the middle school area; pre-school has moved into a classroom across from the elementary bathrooms; and Grades 5/6, and 7/8 science classes are located in classrooms next to each other.

• New staff have joined the faculty this year: Courtney Burrows, special education, Grades K-2; Kayla Kempar, speech pathologist; and Anne Marie Denelle , social worker.

• New teaching assignments are: Stephanie Harlow for Grade 1, and Çindy Pineau for Grade 3.

• The school is making a new effort to inform parents and the community about its activities.”

”As a school community, we will be celebrating our successes.We currently have a program called Citizens of the Month. Faculty and staff nominate students who exhibit school citizenship, which is measured by eight key values: integrity, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, love of country, civic duty, and work ethic. Students will be recognized each month. We will continue to provide celebratory programs like this and others throughout the year."

• A new wellness policy has been adopted and posted on the new website, Ms. Whipp said. It can be found under the heading for the school committee, in the policies and procedures tab.

"The intent of the wellness policy," she said, "is to establish the school's goals, expectations and policies in the area of health and wellness, for our faculty and staff, our students, and our families. The policy also seeks to document our compliance with federal and state laws as they pertain to nutrition, health and physical education curricula, and behavioral practices."

• The school is utilizing social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and more, Ms. Whipp said. She said she will continue her coffee hours throughout the year, and that "we will provide daily news updates via the school website and list-serv as well as monthly updates through the school newsletter."

• 'We will be providing information sessions on different nights for each grade, rather than an open house setting for all grades on one night," Ms. Whipp said. The parents have been notified of the date and time for each informational meeting. Those meetings will start in the Commons Area at the school, then move to the homeroom classrooms of their children.

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