2016-2017 School Calendar - Third Revision

Help Wanted - Substitute Custodians

Substitute custodians are needed for all schools

Hours are typically 2:00pm - 9:00pm, but can vary

No prior experience necessary

For more information, please call

781-925-4400 Ext. 1114 

or email dbennett@town.hull.ma.us

Recess Run Club for Students

HULL – Christine Cappadona, Principal of Lillian M. Jacobs Elementary School, is pleased to announce that to promote exercise and healthy habits, students are now able to participate in the Recess Run Club.

Lillian M. Jacobs Elementary School students run laps during their recess as part of the Recess Run Club.

Developed by students and staff, the club is designed to give children in second through fifth grade a reason to be active during recess.

The topic of last week’s Spirit Day assembly was exercise and movement, where students were encouraged to be active for at least 60 minutes a day.  Research shows that an hour of physical exercise a day has numerous benefits for the body and mind.

Those who participate in the Run Club will spend their 25-minute recess running laps around the perimeter of the school yard.  At the end of recess, students can then share the number of laps they ran with teachers on recess duty, which will be recorded in their Run Club binder.

At the end of each week, Physical Education Teacher Keryn Murphy will tally the results and students will be awarded color-coded “Toe Tokens” for every five miles they run.  Five miles earns students a red token, 10 miles, a blue token, and so on.  The tokens can then be displayed on students’ backpacks, sneakers and other personal belongings to showcase their achievements.  Murphy will also share the total miles run each month by all students during school assemblies.

“The Recess Run Club is a great way for students to stay active and increase their physical fitness,” Principal Cappadona said.

“With the cold weather behind us, and warmer weather on the horizon, we encourage students to put down their devices, head outside and get moving!”

Left to right: Sofi Zalduondo, grade four, Grace Naylor, grade four,
Leah Frady, grade three, and Meghan McDonald, grade four. 

Hull High School Announces College Acceptance List of Class of 2017

HULL — High School Principal Michael Devine is pleased to announce that students from the graduating class of 2017 have been accepted to a number of impressive colleges and universities and will pursue degrees in a variety of fields this fall.

Seniors have been offered admissions to the following colleges and universities: Babson College, Boston College, Fairfield University, Fordham University, George Washington University, Ithaca College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, Providence College, Quinnipiac University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Suffolk University, University of Virginia, Villanova University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Members of the Class of 2017 have also been accepted to each of the Massachusetts state universities and several were granted admission to the prestigious Isenberg Honors Program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Additionally, five members of the graduating class have committed to serving in the U.S armed forces.

“The Class of 2017 is an extremely talented class. They have achieved greatness in the classroom, on our stage and in athletic competitions,” Principal Devine said. “Their amazing college acceptances reflect not only their great intellectual ability, but also their drive and determination.”

This past year, 10 students of the graduating class were named Advanced Placement (AP) Scholars for earning exceptional scores on various AP examinations, and three members were named National Merit Scholarship Commended Students for earning scores in the 99 percentile out of more than 1.6 million high school juniors who took the PSAT in October of 2015.

The commencement ceremony for the Hull High School Class of 2017 will be on Saturday, June 3, at 1 p.m. at Hull High School.

KidsCare - Summer Registration

KidsCare - April Vacation

Message from Hull Public Schools Principals

Hull Public Schools

180 Harborview Road

Hull, Massachusetts 02045

 (781) 925-4400 ext.1118            Fax (781) 925-8042

March 29, 2017

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We, the three principals of the Hull Public Schools, are writing to share our thoughts over recent questions about whether or not students have the option to opt-out of the state-wide MCAS assessments being given this spring to students in grades 3-10.  The facts are very clear on this: The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) does not have an opt-out provision and the Commissioner has stated that testing is mandatory.  All students in grades 3-10 are required to participate in MCAS assessments.

Although there are some who do not see value in these assessments, we disagree.  We work diligently to ensure that your students are provided with a rigorous curriculum that allows them to acquire the necessary skills to succeed in school and later in life.  The results of the MCAS provide valuable information as to what we are doing well and areas where we should improve.  In addition, these results enable us to make the changes to strengthen what is taught and how that material is presented to your child each day.  

Another benefit of taking the MCAS exam is that students become familiar with standardized tests which they will encounter throughout their education careers.  Such familiarity should make students more comfortable taking the PSAT, SAT, ACT and AP examinations and perhaps even the MTEL, GRE, MCAT and LSAT examinations. 

There is also the potential for a serious negative consequence to the entire student population and to the town as a whole when a small number of students refuse to test.  Currently, the Jacobs School is rated by DESE as a Level 1 school. This solidly places JES in the top 20% of all elementary schools in the state.  This is the highest rating that a school can receive.  Memorial School and Hull High School are rated as Level 2 schools (out of a total of 5 levels).  Even if a small number of students do not fully complete the MCAS testing because of refusal or absenteeism, the school and the entire district may drop to a Level 3 school due to lack of student participation.  In one scenario, if as few as four students do not take the test, the entire district, not just one school, will be designated as Level 3, an underperforming district. 

Our message to students is simple.  Your teachers have prepared you well.  You have worked hard throughout the school year.  You have the skills and knowledge to do well on the MCAS.  Just do your best.

Enclosed with this letter is a statement from Mitchell D. Chester, the Massachusetts Commissioner of Education.  His letter provides more information about the value of the MCAS assessment.

If you have any questions about this, please feel free to contact one of us at your earliest convenience.

Very truly yours,

Christine Cappadona                      Anthony Hrivnak                           Michael Devine

Principal                                         Principal                                         Principal

Jacobs Elementary School             Memorial Middle School               Hull High School

Enclosure

Statement from Mitchell D. Chester, the Massachusetts Commissioner of Education