School Committee to Allow Zoom Access to Meetings

The Winthrop School Committee met on Monday, April 11, where it voted to allow remote Zoom attendance at its future meetings.

Zoom

The School Committee voted unanimously to allow its meetings to be accessible via Zoom. Meetings will still be broadcast live over WCAT.

At least initially, there won’t be an option to make public comments over Zoom. However, public comments can still be shared via email or in person. Emailed comments can be read aloud at the meeting at the sender’s request.

Tech-savvy students from Winthrop High School will manage the remote access, gaining valuable volunteer experience that can translate to future career opportunities.

The School Committee did not set a date by which Zoom access will go into effect.

Accreditation

Winthrop High School (WHS) recently finished a ten-year accreditation review. The extensive process involved evaluating all aspects of the school, generating reports, and meeting with school administrators, teachers, students and School Committee members.

WHS Principal Matt Crombie reviewed the accreditation board’s report with the School Committee.

“The report really highlights a lot of the good things we’ve got going on at the high school,” he said.

Strengths included teacher-student relationships, school pride, demonstration of core values, curriculum development, interventions, new hires, personalized support, aesthetic upgrades, creative use of the budget, and digital literacy, among others.

WHS hired a library media specialist and developed an intervention process in response to the accreditation board’s suggestion. It is also realizing a full review and overhaul of its existing curriculum.

The following ten-year accreditation review process begins immediately.

School Stars

WHS Senior Daniel Tracy was accepted into Harvard University.

Girls’ Hockey goalie Summer Tallent was named Lynn Item Player of the Year, Boston Herald All-Scholastic, and Boston Globe All-Scholastic. Girls’ Hockey members Emma Holmes, Julia Holmes, and Talia Martucci were named Lynn Daily Item All-Stars.

The Middle School Quiz Bowl Team came in First Place at Malden Catholic.

WHS Drama Society is the Regional Drama Champion for its production of “Everyman.” 

Connie Grayson, a fourth-grade teacher, won this year’s Winthrop Chamber of Commerce “Excellence in Education Award.” The awards ceremony will be on May 21 from 6 to 8 pm.

Jillian Dempsey, a fifth-grade teacher and Captain of the Boston Pride Hocket Team, won the Premier Hockey Federation championship against the Connecticut Whales.

General Updates

Autism Awareness t-shirts and patches are for sale at the Winthrop Police Station. Profits go to the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism.

WHS Class of 2022 will host an Easter Bake Sale on April 16 at the Arthur T. Cummings/Pauline St. Loop from 10 am to 1 pm.

There will be an Annual Walk to School on May 4.