The statewide results from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) taken by all public-school students last spring have been released. The tests are administered to students in Grades 3 through 9 as well as Grade 10 and cover the subjects of English and language arts (ELA), mathematics, and science and technology engineering. The MCAS were established in 1993 in accordance with the standards adopted in the Education Reform Act of 1993.

All students in the appropriate grades educated through the state’s public funds are mandated by law to take the tests. The MCAS-Alt was developed to ensure that students with significant cognitive disabilities that would not be able to take the standard tests even with appropriate accommodations be able to be assessed.

As a district, Silver Lake has a higher percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in all categories than the state average. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has various designations assigned to a school’s progress. Silver Lake Regional High School was determined to be making moderate progress toward their targets. In addition, SLRHS is meeting the state target for the four-year graduation rate. In all eligible subgroup categories, the number of students completing advanced coursework improved. Of particular note, 73 percent of students at the high school are meeting or exceeding new and rigorous math standards set by the state. “Teachers at the high school and middle school have been working on aligning courses with the new state frameworks for history and will use a backwards design approach to create curricular units that are more closely aligned with state standards ELA, Math, and Science,” Assistant Superintendent Jill Proulx said.

Like the high school, students at Silver Lake Regional Middle School were found to also be making moderate progress toward their targets. Notable achievements by the middle school students included high growth scores in ELA for all students as well as exceeding the state’s target for students with disabilities in ELA. In addition, chronic absenteeism declined from 10.6 percent to 8.4 percent.

Both the Dennett Elementary School in Plympton and Halifax Elementary were designated as having made substantial progress toward their targets. Students in Plympton had high growth scores in ELA and Math for all students and for all eligible sub group categories. Additionally, Grade 5 students at Dennett exceeded their targets in Science. Results for Halifax students showed typical to high growth scores in ELA and math for all students as well as the “lowest performing” subgroup. Grade 3-6 Halifax students demonstrated overall achievement gains in ELA from 2017 to 2019.

According to Proulx the district is taking steps to ensure continued improvement in student performance. Both elementary schools in the district have adopted a new math program that is more closely aligned with the state standards. Science teachers hope to follow suit as they begin to look at ways to better align their own teaching practices with the newer state standards. Title 1 supports have also been allocated as a means to providing additional targeted interventions where necessary.

Crediting the efforts of Curriculum Coordinator Melissa Farrell, Proulx said that an “Early Literacy” grant has been awarded which will be used to improve student proficiency in reading, writing, and effective communication at the elementary level. “The grant will allow professional development in writing throughout the 2019-2020 school year,” Proulx said.

Further review of the results is still underway and administrators hope to identify potential gaps in the current curriculum. The district also plans to create individualized plans (EPPs) based on student needs and recommend interventions as necessary.

There’s no comparison of the color of brilliant cranberries surrounded by a boom, to the color swatches claiming to be “cranberry.”  We are so fortunate to have this amazing sight every autumn.  It takes your breath away!

Susan Basile took these harvesting photos of the bog  out in back of her home on Thompson Street, Halifax.  At the left, berries that have been agitated from their vines float to the top of the flooded bogs, where they are rounded up with floating booms, bringing the berries to the vacuum where they are sucked up to be deposited onto the back of a waiting trailer truck.

The Halifax Cultural Council is now accepting applications for the
Council’s Fiscal Year 2020 grant cycle. All applications must be submitted to the Halifax Cultural Council, 499 Plymouth Street, Halifax, MA 02338 no later than Tuesday, October 15.

Grant applications and other  information are available on the Council’s web site:
http://www.halifax-ma.org/cultural-council, or applicants can apply
on-line at

https://www.mass-culture.org/Halifax (click on the “Apply Now” tab).

This year, the Council’s priorities include an emphasis on
events in Halifax, but not just in the  municipal   centers, programs
related to nature, science, environmental education and the Town’s
history, programs for seniors, library patrons, people with
disabilities, families, and teens, and programs involving artists and
speakers from Halifax.

Applicants can obtain more information through the Halifax Board of Selectmen’s office at 781-294-1316.

The Halifax Collector-Treasurer will be issuing the first of the two property tax bills for Fiscal Year 2020 (the period from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020) in late September, 2019. Payment for this bill is due on Friday, November 1, 2019. The second bill will be issued by Wednesday, April 1, 2020 with payment due by Friday, May 1, 2020.

 The property tax rate for Fiscal Year 2020 is $17.44. This is a 0.17% decrease from the tax rate in Fiscal Year 2019 which was $17.47.

The average value of a single-family home in Halifax increased from $335,124 in Fiscal Year 2019 to $344,453 in Fiscal Year 2020, an increase of 2.78%.

The annual taxes on an average single-family home went from $5,854.62 in Fiscal Year 2019 to $6,010.70 in Fiscal Year 2020, an increase of 2.67%.

The search for the new Council on Aging director was discussed during Tuesday’s Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting. The search committee interviewed five candidates last week before narrowing the field to three. The next step for those candidates will be an interview with the Board of Selectmen in late September.  Town Administrator Charlie Seelig told the Board that the candidates had indicated that they would like to receive the top step of the salary range posted. At Seelig’s urging, the Board agreed that the candidates should be notified that the Wage and Personnel Board may not approve a salary on the higher end of the stated range.

The Board voted to approve a number of live entertainment permits including one to Bob Bergstrom for Mudfest on November 10. A representative from Nessralla Farm attended Tuesday’s meeting to provide the Board with an update on where they were with permits and licensing for their annual corn maze and festivities. Owners of the farm are still waiting for approval from the state to utilize a zipline as has been done in the past. The attraction is 440 ft. long with an 18 ft. drop.

White Dog Cranberry earth removal permit

Bill Madden of JF Engineering attended the meeting on behalf of John Makepeace and White Dog Cranberry to ask the Board for a renewal of an earth removal permit. The original permit was requested as a result of a small supplemental water supply reservoir that was designed for the local cranberry company in 2017. Surface wetting will be done as a means of dust mitigation and a 100 ft. buffer zone from wetlands will be retained during the removal of the remaining 39,000 yards of earth. The property, which is also home to Makepeace’s residence, was once a Cumberland Farms corn field.

Beach privileges for Hanson resident?

The Board had an appointment with Hanson resident Caroline Forth to discuss the possibility of her having privileges at the town beach despite being a nonresident. Forth’s property on Waltham St. in Hanson is partially located in Halifax meaning she pays a small amount of taxes to the town. Selectmen Tom Millias said that he believed the request had merit and while he didn’t have a problem with it there were no procedures setup to deal with such a situation. Chair Troy Garron said, “I don’t see a major issue with that… You are a taxpayer.” Garron’s only concern was that he didn’t want to open a Pandora’s Box of sorts. The Selectmen promised to take it under consideration.

Cook wants to buy 100 parcels of land

Seelig informed the Board that Brian Cook is interested in purchasing 100 parcels of land off of Crystal Lake. Seelig described the land, which is believed to be town-owned, as having “a long, convoluted ownership history” and said that his biggest concern was with what the development possibilities are including how many lots the land can be divided into. Millias said,

“Honestly, it’s an engineering nightmare” but did acknowledge that the land is developable. Millias also added, “Financially it doesn’t make sense unless you’re buying them all so that you have all of it to work with.”

Seelig and the Board agreed that the first step would be to find out more about the land rights such as whether or not the town owns the conjoined lots in common title.

The Finance Committee currently stands at four members, but one member will need to step down shortly due to job commitments. Resident Cheryll Zarrella Burke expressed interest in joining both the Finance Committee and the Council on Aging. Seelig recommended that Burke’s placement on the committee (pending approval) be expedited so as to ensure that there are at least four members on the committee at all times.

SL Budget for FY20

The Silver Lake budget for the upcoming year was discussed. Seelig said, “It’s only September but I think it’s advisable that the three towns start talking to Silver Lake Regional School District about budgets for fiscal year 2020/2021.” Seelig said that he would like to see various officials from the three towns, including members of the Finance Committees and Boards of Selectmen attend the Silver Lake meeting on October 24 prior to any decisions being made by the school regarding spending. The hope would be to make it onto the agenda for that night but if not possible, the officials could speak during the public participation portion. Seelig stated that his intention is to ensure that the school budget will fit the towns’ financial situations.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen seeks Halifax residents interested in serving on the Halifax Finance Committee.

The Committee’s primary role is to recommend an annual Town budget covering all town and school departments to be presented at the annual town meeting in May. This recommended budget is based on the revenues available to the Town along with the needs of residents and businesses for Town services.

In addition, the Finance Committee makes recommendations on all other matters to be voted on at town meetings including the capital budget and proposed by-laws. The Finance Committee generally meets twice a month from June to December on Monday nights except for August (usually no meetings) and then every Monday (except for holidays) from January to May.

Residents interested in serving on the Finance Committee should complete a Talent Bank form available at http://www.halifax-ma.org/town-clerk/files/board-committee-volunteer-form and send it to the Halifax Board of Selectmen, 499 Plymouth Street, Halifax, MA 02338 or call the Selectmen’s Office at 781-294-1316 for a copy of the form.

Currently, there are three vacancies on the seven-person Committee and members are needed to review budgets and to
ensure that there are a sufficient number of members attending each meeting in order to have a quorum.

More information is available through the Selectmen›s Office.

Once again, experience will not be on the side of the Silver Lake High girls volleyball team this season as they continue to rebuild, but opportunities for playing time will be abundant.

The Lakers are coming off a 4-16 season where they fared much better in the second half of the year than they did in the first; while they started the year at 0-8, they won four of their last 12 matches of the season. However, most of that team is no longer with the program as the Lakers graduated nine of their 13 players from last season.

That said, the majority of the roster will not have varsity experience for the Lakers this season. Even so, it will not be a completely new team.

The Lakers are expected to return four seniors this season who have varsity experience. Highlighting this group would be middle hitter Catherine Donovan, who led the team in both kills (80) and blocks (85) last season, as she played in 60 of the team’s 72 sets.

Outside of Donovan, setter Julia Tarantino, who led the team with 188 assists last season, and outside hitter Lindsey Bernasconi, whose 14 aces serving, were each regulars for the Lakers in 2018. The two of them both played in more than 50 sets as juniors. Plus, middle hitter Natasha Tierney gained some valuable experience on varsity, competing in eight sets for the Lakers last season.

The Lakers are scheduled to open up their season on the road against another rebuilding team: Bridgewater-Raynham. Last season, B-R went 0-19 and dropped 57 of the 61 sets they played. That game will take place at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4.

The Lakers first home game of the season will come one week later on Wednesday, Sept. 11, against Pembroke at 5:15 p.m., a Patriot League team who went 12-8 last season.

Each and every season, high school sports rosters look different with teams losing some of their top talents to graduation. That said, here is an early look at a handful of the top returners to watch for at Silver Lake High this fall.

Field Hockey

Junior Abby Colton will be an asset to the Lakers as they continue to rebuild. She put up a team-high six goals in 18 games for the team last season.

Football

The Lakers will return many starters, including their quarterback: junior Ben Lofstrom.

Cross Country

The boys team will benefit from the return of a pair of Patriot League All-Stars: Chris Tilton and Ryan McCarthy. The now-seniors each had first place finishes for the Lakers last season.

Boys Golf

The Lakers will have an experience this season, highlighted by junior Tyler Brown. As a sophomore last fall, he established himself in the No. 1 spot, shooting, on average, a 39 over the course of the season.

Boys Soccer

The Lakers had six Patriot League All-Stars last season, but what matters now is the one they have coming back: senior midfielder James Gallagher.

Girls Soccer

Even though the Lakers lost some of their more experienced players to graduation, they do have a Patriot League All-Star coming back: senior Calliste Brookshire. Last season, she put up 20 points (9 goals, 11 assists). Holly Reeder-Morning, a senior who missed all of last season with an ACL tear, should also be a welcomed addition back; in 2017, she put up nine goals for the Lakers.

Girls Volleyball

The Lakers will be on the inexperienced side with the exception of senior Catherine Donovan. A four-year starter, she led the team with 80 kills on the season.

Jon Wilhelmsen, chairman of the Plympton School Committee, brought good news to the Board of Selectmen at their meeting on August 5, as he shared the results from the latest water testing done at the Dennett Elementary School.

Wilhelmsen reiterated his theory that the high lead results were likely due to the testing occurring at or around the backwash cycle that is run every 14 days. Water is pumped backward through the filter during backwashing and if the tests were taken the same day as the backwash cycle it would be pulling in the lead that had been filtered out of the water over the previous two weeks.

Wilhelmsen said that the theory appears to be correct as the test results from the end of June show no lead or such a minimal amount that it’s barely detectable. All other levels look good as well. Wilhelmsen said, “The lead issue appears to be figured out and we are going to be putting in some procedures to make sure that they don’t test around any of the backwash cycles.” He added, “I hope to never use the words water and Dennett again.”

Selectmen discussed the MassWorks grant application to explore different design options for the intersection of Main Street and Ring Road. Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy, who was not present at this week’s meeting, submitted the grant application on Friday, August 2.

Selectman Chair Christine Joy explained the purpose of the grant saying “The MassWorks grant is for design services so we’re looking at several options; nothing is set in stone. We’re just looking at the best option for that area to accomplish what we’re looking to do which I think is to slow people down and provide a safer area for people to negotiate on the road.” Vice Chair Mark Russo added, “Let me just emphasize that an integral part of the process will be public input especially input from abutters and neighbors.” The board said that they will begin preliminary discussions regarding the intersection during their next meeting on August 19 and urged concerned residents to attend and share their thoughts.

Correspondence from the Board of Health was shared stating that the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) risk level in Plympton has been raised to high. A dusk to dawn curfew for town owned properties remains in effect. Residents can call Plymouth County Mosquito Control at 781-585-5450 to have their properties sprayed. The notice also included safety tips including selecting a repellent with an EPA approved ingredient, removing standing water from property, repairing screens, wearing long sleeves, and avoiding outdoor activities during peak mosquito hours.

The Board also discussed developments with instituting a campus committee to deal with ongoing structural issues in the town buildings. John Traynor said, “We’ve talked about having the public safety committee transferred to the campus committee and each one has been talked to and each one has accepted.” The appointments will be made official during the next Board of Selectmen meeting. The public safety committee will continue on for a while longer to deal with any ongoing issues. Traynor will serve as a representative on the new campus committee. Russo said, “I think John’s enthusiasm and energy will be really helpful.”

An update was provided on the two municipal lots that are still for sale. The board is hopeful that they will receive some bids now that they have been advertised in multiple sources. Russo described the land as “two beautiful lots on Prospect Road.” Joy agreed adding “with conservation land in your backyard.”

In other town news, Dave Batchelder will join the Council on Aging Board. Batchelder will also work with State Representative Kathy LaNatra regarding issues that affect senior citizens in Plympton. Traynor who said he’s delighted to have him on board said, “Dave, for those who don’t know him, has been in town government for many, many years in many, many positions.” Like the campus committee, his appointment will also be made official at the next Board of Selectmen meeting.

A final note from the meeting – hazardous waste clean-up day is scheduled for Saturday, August 10 from 9-12 at the transfer station.