Thursday, May 10, 2012
Commissioner Gist honored East Providence High School as one
of 12 Rhode Island schools which are “leading the way” in
education, crediting the school for marked improvements in NECAP scores.
To the editor, Last week at the Rhode Island State House, in front of the General Assembly and Governor Chafee, the Rhode Island Commissioner of Education, Deborah Gist delivered the annual State of Education address. In her speech, she honored East Providence High School as one of twelve Rhode Island schools which are “leading the way” in education. She credited EPHS for marked improvements in NECAP reading scores (a 25 point increase) and an increase in math scores (a 12 point increase) over the past five years. “This evening, I want to recognize some of the schools from across Rhode Island where teachers, families, and school leaders have come together to achieve results. These are schools that are making sustained and dramatic progress…
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Follow along with live updates posted live from Tuesday night's meeting. Hot topics included reductions to the city's cumulative deficit, changes to school start times and student achievement.
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Monday, April 30, 2012
Area students benefited from two-day ‘Backhoedown’ event.
Over 1,300 students from public, private, technical and charter schools throughout the state attended Construction Career Days this weekend. The hands-on career exploration event was sponsored by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and University of Rhode Island Transportation Center (URITC). RIDOT’s Midstate Maintenance Facility in East Greenwich, across from Centre of New England, was the host site for event, begun 12 years ago. Outside, students were given a chance to operate almost two dozen backhoes as well as excavators, pavers and bucket trucks. Under guidance from several professionals and with hard hats always on, they changed a tire while being timed, attempted to …
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Ellen Eggeman left her post as finance director to work at Portsmouth Abbey School.
East Providence Finance Director Ellen Eggeman will be leaving her municipal post on May 18 after she accepted a position at Portsmouth Abbey School. According to City Manager Peter Graczykowski, he hopes to fill her position by July. An advertisement for the job that will also oversee the school department's finances is on the city's website and SchoolSpring.com, an education site for teachers. [Click here for the full job description.] "Under the direction of the City Manager and the Superintendent of Schools, this position assumes responsibility for the direction, planning, coordination and administration of all financial affairs of the city, including its school department," reads an announcement on the city's website. A RFP to hire …
41.81971
-71.37596
East Providence City Hall
145 Taunton Ave, East Providence, RI
/articles/city-on-the-search-for-new-finance-director
1776799
/locations/6902992
Friday, April 27, 2012
Project 106 hopes to raise funds to pay for middle school sports programs.
A group of dedicated community members have been tinkering behind the scenes to stop cuts to the East Providence middle school sports programs. According to Chrissy Rossi, Project 106 is well on its way to becoming a 501c3 non-profit. The goal: to raise the funds privately through Project 106 fundraising efforts and present a hefty check each season for the sports programs - the amount of money it costs to run the programs, according to the city budget. "Hopefully, the city will one day be able to pull the cost back into the school department budget," she wrote in an e-mail. According to Rossi, coaches have yet to meet with budget commission members to discuss stipends. Project 106 will have an information booth set up at the Waddington…
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Asbestos testing has been paused while the project is finalized.
Administrators can't finalize a project to renovate East Providence school buildings until a buyer is found to purchase a $9 million bond previously approved by voters. "We are working to find a lender and the School District is in the process of finalizing the project time line to determine the financing needs," wrote Christy Healey, a state employee who works with the budget commission. According to Mary King, finance director for the school district, project coordinators began work on the project a month ago. Members of the East Providence Fire Department have been assessing fire safety and code issues. But until the $9 million is secured, the rest of the plans can't be firmed up as construction bids can't be awarded, she said. "We're …
41.81842
-71.3558
East Providence High School
2000 Pawtucket Ave, East Providence, RI
/articles/east-providence-school-district
1718579
/locations/6874117
Friday, April 20, 2012
East Providence Chamber of Commerce is one of the latest sites that is "flocked."
The East Providence Chamber of Commerce has been "flocked." Eighty pink, plastic lawn ornaments covered the Chamber’s lawn in a sea of pink, according to various Patch users. Patch users also reported Vine Yard East employees found flamingos on the restaurant's lawn. The "flamingo-ing" is part of the East Providence High School fundraiser to support the post-prom event which provides a safe, free, drug and alcohol-free environment for seniors at EPHS. Flamingo orders for both residential and businesses will be taken through the end of the month. According to organizers, a team usually plants the birds in lawns overnight and let them graze for about two days before they are picked up. "What a fun surprise!" writes Jennifer Wall, executive …
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-71.343047
East Providence Area Chamber of Commerce
1011 Waterman Ave, East Providence, RI
/articles/residents-spy-pink-visitors-throughout-city
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/locations/6835968
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Volunteers from elementary schools are hosting fundraisers to help cover repair, technology and playground equipment needs.
School committee member Chrissy Rossi provided city council members with these East Providence School District updates at Tuesday night's meeting. Orlo Avenue Elementary School James R. D. Oldham Elementary School Alice M. Waddington Elementary School Kindergarten Registration Full-day kindergarten registration is on-going. Register your child between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Administration Building located at 80 Burnside Avenue. Requirements:
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Alice M. Waddington Elementary School
101 Legion Way, Riverside, RI
/articles/school-news-fundraisers-support-equipment-upgrades
1724447
/locations/6826362
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
The East Providence representatives are backing a bill that would provide full-day kindergarten funding for up to four districts.
Rep. Joy Hearn (D-Dist. 66, Barrington, East Providence) hopes to help close Rhode Island’s achievement gap in early education by backing a bill that would provide full-day kindergarten funds for four Rhode Island school districts, according to a press release from her office. The legislation would allow the commissioner of elementary and secondary education to determine which districts would receive the funds. The state education department would then report on the progress of the program by May 1 of each following year, reads the release. “A quality, full-day kindergarten program reaps benefits for all students,” Representative Hearn said. “We need Rhode Island’s students to be prepared to meet the expectations of an education that grows…
On Saturday volunteers installed a small playground area.
This weekend was a big one for volunteers involved with the Orlo Avenue Elementary School playground project. Community members made plans to build a small playground area and also install two basketball hoops at the back of the school. East Side Construction & Remodeling donated their time to rip at asphalt at the site on Saturday morning. According to organizers, the work isn't done just yet. "The PTA and it's volunteers have worked very hard to make this happen and they continue to raise funds towards Phase 3 of the project. Phase 3 will consist of a grassy area with swing sets and other playground equipment for the children," writes Elizabeth Fox in an e-mail. A ribbon cutting to unveil the final renovations is planned for Wednesday, …
Alum
11:10 am on Monday, May 14, 2012
Read Go Local Providence. It is a disgrace that Gist is excited about East Providence School System. It ranks 36 out of 51 schools, which includes alternative schools. It has a graduation rate of 69.3% pretty much the same as Central Falls. It's SAT scores average is 1300, which a student would have trouble getting into URI with that score. And all that for about $14,000 a year per student. Is … more ›