June 2005

Good Luck Class of 2005!!

Dear Oakmont Parents/Guardians, As the 2004-2005 school year draws to a close I have a few final announcements to share with you.  Overall we have had an extremely positive school year.  The past two months have seen one successful event after another from the musical Kiss Me Kate, Evening of the Arts, to the Junior/Senior Prom.  I am pleased to report that the administration of MCAS went smoothly  for our sophomores.  I am also pleased to enclose a list below of the vast cross section of colleges and universities where members of the Class of 2005 have been accepted.  Below is a copy of the letter from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Public Secondary Schools.  At

their March meeting the commission voted to award the school continued accreditation.  If you are interested in being part of the NEASC Committee that follows up on recommendations please contact Mr. Jeff Lawrence.  Please review our School-Wide Reading Program for next year.  Discuss with your student the courses that require summer reading as well as the recommended reading list.  Summer is a great time for students to enrich their reading skills and better prepare for the next school year as well as the SAT.  Research shows that there is a direct relationship between strong independent readers and high verbal scores. After 18 years I am writing my final news letter as the Oakmont Principal.  As I reflect back over my

tenure I am pleased with the changes that have occurred in the schools operation.  The development and implementation of a middle school, the restructuring of the high school program with additional electives and the renovation of the Oakmont building all have occurred during this time.  Regardless of program changes and repairs to the building, the real key to Oakmont’s success has been a student body that is committed to learning  and parents that make education a household priority. Thank you for your support of Oakmont Regional High School over the years. Sincerely, Bill Waight, Principal

Important Dates: June 15 @ 7:30 p.m. Undergraduate Awards June 17 -- Finals (A&B) -- Early Release 11:30 a.m. June 20 -- Finals (C&D) -- Early Release 11:30 a.m. June 21 -- Exam Review -- Early Release 10:30 a.m. -- Last Day of School August  7-12 -- Marching Band Camp (physical required) August 22 -- Football Conditioning (physical required) August 25 -- Team Double Session Practices August 31 -- 2005-2006 School Year Begins

 

Commission on Public Secondary Schools

Dr. Pamela Gray-Bennett, Director (781) 271-0022 ext. 325 pgraybennett@neasc.org	Charles J. McCarthy, JR, Associate Director (781) 271-0022 ext. 317 cmccarthy@neasc.org
Janet D. Allison, Deputy Director (781) 271-0022 ext. 318 jallison@neasc.org	Ann L. Ashworth, Associate Director (781) 271-0022 ext. 341 aashworth@neasc.org
April 21, 2005	Roberta E. Knight, Assistant to the Director (781) 271-0022 ext. 319 rknight@neasc.org

William A. Waight, II

Principal

Oakmont Regional High School

9 Oakmont Drive

Ashburnham, MA 01430

Dear Mr. Waight:

The Commission on Public Secondary School, at its March 20-21, 2005 meeting, reviewed the evaluation report from the recent visit to Oakmont Regional High School and voted to award the school continued accreditation in the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

The Commission was impressed with many of the programs and services at Oakmont Regional High School and wishes to commend the following:

• the inclusive process used in the development of the school's mission and expectations for student learning
• the positive school climate that is reflective of the core values of the mission statement
• the unwavering focus on academic excellence in the decision-making process
• the learner expectations that reflect high expectations for all students
• the student recognition of the extent to which the school lives its mission
• the offering of new courses to more effectively meet the needs of students based on assessment results
• the variety of course offerings at a number of levels
• the co-curricular activities that provide students with a wide variety of opportunities to extend learning beyond normal course offerings
• the use of a wide range of instructional strategies to implement the school's mission and expectations for student learning
• the open communication between students and teachers enabling teachers to assess and improve their instructional strategies
• the extensive availability of technology to support classroom instruction and student learning
• the engagement of students as active learners
• the use of a school-wide writing rubric
• the use of a wide variety of assessment strategies
• the use of assessment results to inform changes in classroom curriculum and instruction
• the designation as a "high performing" school by the state of Massachusetts

Further, the Commission was pleased to acknowledge:

• the principal who is a strong, effective educational leader and has an unwavering commitment to student learning and achievement
• the effective leadership role of the faculty in school programs and services
• the widespread recognition and celebration of student success
• the fostering of heterogeneity and inclusiveness
• the high level of regard for the state-of-the-art school facility
• the collaborative efforts of the guidance, special education, and health service departments to meet the academic and psychosocial needs of students
• the welcoming, attractive library facility
• the variety of programs available for students to meet the school's social and civic expectations
• the state-of-the-art facility which supports the implementation of the school community's mission and expectations for student learning
• the strong support in the communities despite competing budgetary concerns
• the effective partnerships established with business/community and institutions of higher education
• the recent support for override votes
• the level of parental support for and involvement in the school

All accredited schools must submit a required Two-Year Progress Report, which in the case of Oakmont Regional High School is due on October 1, 2006.  In that report school officials should indicate the status of each recommendation in the school's evaluation report by classifying it in one of five categories: Completed, In Progress, Planned for the Future, Rejected, or No Action.  In addition, they should provide a brief description of the action that has been taken on each valid recommendation in the evaluation report and include anticipated dates of completion where applicable.  Special care should be taken to include appropriate information to justify the Rejected or No Action status of any recommendation.

The Two-Year Progress Report should also provide detailed explanations regarding the manner in which each of the following highlighted recommendations has been addressed:

• determine the agreed upon level of performance for each of the school-wide academic expectations for student learning
• identify the school-wide academic expectations for which each department has primary responsibility
• develop and implement a long range plan to adequately fund curriculum offerings, instructional materials, textbooks, and technology
• designate content area personnel to support the supervision and evaluation of teachers in order to improve instruction
• increase funding to support professional development opportunities that focus on site-based needs
• develop and implement a plan for assessing and reporting the degree to which all students meet the school-wide learner expectations
• create formal opportunities for teachers and staff members to work collaboratively to share student work and school-wide learner expectations assessment results
• study and make appropriate adjustments to teacher assignments to improve teacher-student ratios
• examine the staffing needs of the guidance department and develop a plan to address identified needs
• develop and implement a formal program to provide an adult member of the school community who serves to personalize each student's educational experience
• ensure that the librarian is involved in the curriculum evaluation and revision process
• ensure equity of educational opportunities by eliminating or totally reimbursing user fees for all students

The Commission congratulates the school administration and faculty for completing the first two phases of the accreditation program: the self-study and the evaluation visit.  The next step will be the follow-up process during which the school will implement valid recommendations in the report.  The Commission's Follow-up Seminars should help you and your faculty develop a schedule for implementing valid recommendations.  In addition, the Commission's Accreditation Handbook provides information on follow-up procedures.

The school's accreditation status will be reviewed when the Commission considers the Two-Year Progress Report.  Consistent with the Commission's follow-up procedures, the Two-Year Progress report should be signed by the principal and chair of the Follow-Up Committee and sent to the Commission office by certified mail, return receipt requested.

Sincerely

Janet D. Allison

cc:    Michael Zapantis, Superintendent, Ashburnham-Westminster Regional Schools

David Christianson, Jr., Chair, Ashburnham-Westminster Regional Schools

Bernadette Cleland, Chair, Visiting Committee

Martin Gray, Chair, Commission on Public Secondary Schools

209 BURLINGTON ROAD, BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS 01730-1433║781-271-0022║FAX 781-271-0950

www.neasc.org

 

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES

CLASS OF 2005

 

American Motorcycle Institute Anna Maria College Arcadia University Art Institute of Boston Assumption College Atlantic Union College Bay State College Becker College Bennington College Bentley College Berklee College of Music Boston College Bowdoin College University of Bridgeport Bridgewater State College Brockton Hospital School of Nursing Bunker Hill Community College Bryant College Castleton State College Cazenovia College Champlain College Clark University Colby College Colby-Sawyer College Colgate University College of The Holy Cross Cornell University University of Connecticut Dartmouth College University of Delaware Drew University Eckerd College Elms College Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Emerson College Emmanuel College Endicott College Fairfield University Fitchburg State College Florida Gulf Coast University Florida Institute of Technology Florida Southern College Florida State University Fordham University Framingham State College Franklin Pierce College Gettysburg College Green Mountain College Hamilton College University of Hartford Hawaii Pacific University Hobart & William Smith College Husson College Ithaca College I.T.T. Technical Institute Johnson & Wales University Kalamazoo College Keene State College Lafayette College Lasell College Lesley University Lyndon State College Maine College of Art University of Maine – Farmington Marymount Manhattan College Marywood University Marist College Massachusetts College of Art

Massachusetts Maritime Academy University of Massachusetts - Amherst University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth University of Massachusetts - Lowell Mercer University Merrimack College University of Miami Michigan State University Middlebury College Montserrat College of Art Mount Ida College Mount Wachusett Community College Newbury College New England College New England Institute of Technology University of New England New Hampshire Institute of Art University of New Hampshire Niagara University Nichols College  Northeastern University North West Arkansas Community College Northwood University Norwich University Nova Southeastern University Palm Beach Community College Philadelphia University Plymouth State College Providence College Quinnipiac University Regis College Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island School of Design University of Rhode Island Roger Williams University St. Anselm’s College St. John’s University (NY) St. Joseph’s University (PA) St. Michael’s College Salem State College Salve Regina University Savannah College of Art and Design Simmons College Skidmore College University of Southern Maine Southern New Hampshire University Springfield College Stetson University Stonehill College Suffolk University SUNY Buffalo State College SUNY Plattsburg State College Syracuse University Towson University Temple University Trinity College (CT) Tufts University University of Vermont Villanova University Wellesley College Wentworth Institute of Technology Wesleyan University Western New England College Westfield State College Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester State College Wyoming Technical School Yale University

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2005 AND GOOD LUCK IN ALL YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.

 

ATTENTION CLASS OF 2006
SAT – Registration Dates:
Test Date	Register by:
*October 8, 2005	September 7, 2005
November 5, 2005	September 30, 2005
December 3, 2005	October 28, 2005
ACT – Registration Dates:
Test Date	Register by:
*September 24, 2005	August 19, 2005
October 22, 2005	September 16, 2005
December 10, 2005	November 4, 2005
*Important for “early action/decision” candidates.

CAMPUS VISITS:

Summer is a good time to narrow your college search.  Visit as many as you can during your summer vacation.

THE GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT WISHES YOU ALL A HAPPY SUMMER.  SEE YOU IN THE FALL!!

Back to Oakmont main page                                                 Posted May 31, 2005