Read more and see photos on our school blog!

National Junior Honor Society Tutoring

This year at the McGlynn Middle School, members of our National Junior Honor Society will be available after school to help their peers excel.

Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday NJHS members will be in the library working with 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students until 3:00. These students have volunteered to be a part of this tutoring group and are excited to get started. Each of these students are prepared to help in any area of need on any given day, but Tuesdays will focus on providing math help and Wednesday will focus on providing help in the area of writing.

Please consider coming down to the library after school on one of these days to ask questions, study for a test, start an essay or get help with a math problem.

Please also note that the library is open for Study Hall during all lunch periods on Tuesday and Wednesday. Students will need to ask their teacher for a pass. They are welcome to come to the library to check out a book, do some quiet reading, work on your homework, and use the library resources for academic purposes.

Math Tutoring at Tufts

Are you looking for a math tutor? The Tufts Literacy Corps math tutors are bright, capable college students who love kids AND math, and are available to work with middle school students on the Tufts campus.

TLC tutoring is free of charge and the tutors are committed to working with your children from October through April.

For more information and a registration form, please go to the Tufts Literacy Corps website at: https://sites.tufts.edu/tuftsliteracycorps/ OR contact Dr. Cynthia Krug at Cynthia.Krug@tufts.edu.

We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

– The TLC Middle School Math Team

A flag football clinic run by Medford High Football seniors will take place on Thursdays in April.

Our goal is to get kids out of the house and get them doing physical activity, while learning the fundamentals of leadership, competition, and football. We are former football players for Medford High and we wish to extend our knowledge to young kids of middle school age. During our clinic we will teach the kids how to play flag football while also teaching them leaderships traits.

The clinic will be on Thursdays in April starting at 3:15 pm. You don’t need anything; just cleats if you have them and a water bottle.

The first session will be position related and learning the rules. The athletes will decide on their position and go with the coach corresponding with that positional group. They will learn the fundamentals of their position and the rules of the game.

The next coming sessions will consist of team making and beginning the tournament. We will create a bracket for the teams and share it with the participants. If a team is out of the tournament, they will still be playing games against teams who are also out of the tournament allowing athletes to get all of the benefits of the clinic.

*Joel Disla is certified in CPR, First aid, and AED as well as being trained as an Emergency Medical Responder. If there are any issues or things we should know in advance, (allergies, medical conditions, medications, etc.) please contact him at jdisla19@medford.k12.ma.us or (781) – 608 – 8191.

*Please make sure your child has transportation for after the clinic

How to register: Email jdisla19@medford.k12.ma.us and a registration form will be emailed to you.

The 6th and 7th grades at the Andrews and McGlynn middle schools were visited by the award-winning artist and author Raul the Third. Raul Gonzalez is the illustrator of the middle-grade graphic novel series, Lowriders in Space. He is also the author and artist of a new book series called Vamos!, the first book in the series Vamos! Lets’ Go to the Market will be available in the spring.

Through words and pictures including live drawing, Mr. Gonzalez shared his own story of how he became an artist and author. The smell of books and the blast of air conditioning are the two things he remembers vividly the first time his mother took him to the public library when he was a young child. This is where he discovered books and the power of words and pictures as a form of expression. The librarian encouraged him to draw about the stories he was reading and this sparked an interest in drawing that would continue through his childhood. Even today, his illustrations and his stories are based on the things around him, and his characters are based on the people in his life.

Mr. Gonzalez encouraged students to tell their own stories about the people and places around them. He reminded students that everyone has a story which is unique and important to share.

The author visit was a part of the middle school reading challenge, Reading Without Walls. Reading Without Walls encourages students to expand their worldview by reading books about characters and topics beyond their usual choices. Students are asked to read books from three categories: with characters unlike themselves, about a topic they are unfamiliar with, and in a genre/format they don’t normally read.

Middle school students can still participate in the challenge. Find more information at the Reading Without Walls website.

Thank you to the Medford Educational Foundation for their generous support of the author visit and the Reading Without Walls program.

Upcoming Bridge Closures

Beginning March 22, 2019, three major bridges in Somerville, MA will be closed to facilitate construction of the Green Line Extension (GLX) project. Traffic detours will affect local and regional commutes through Medford, Somerville, Cambridge, and Boston. Motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists should plan accordingly and may want to seek alternate routes.

Bridge Closure Schedules:

BROADWAY BRIDGE at Ball Square on the Somerville / Medford border
Closed March 22, 2019 to March 2020

WASHINGTON ST BRIDGE (Underpass) in East Somerville
Closed April 2019 to Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 to Fall 2020

MEDFORD ST BRIDGE at Gilman Square in Somerville
Closed July 2019 to Spring 2020

For further details on bridge closures, including directions and helpful area maps, please visit www.greenlineextension.org.

The closures of the Broadway and Medford Street Bridges are necessary in order to accommodate the construction of new Green Line light-rail tracks. Currently, these bridges are only wide enough to accommodate the existing commuter rail service that operates beneath them. The Washington St. Bridge requires a complete reconstruction of abutments and structural span in order to accommodate the addition of new light-rail transit service and the Community Path.

For urgent matters relating to GLX construction work please use our 24/7 Construction Hotline – (855) GLX-INFO (459-4636).

For all other Green Line Extension inquiries please contact the project at info@glxinfo.com.

Detour Information

Broadway Bridge at Ball Square
Closed March 22, 2019 to March 2020
Broadway Detour Routes

For Vehicular Traffic headed North / West
– Broadway to left on Cedar Street
– Right onto Highland Avenue
– Right onto College Avenue
– At traffic circle, 5th exit onto Broadway

For Vehicular Traffic headed south / east
– Broadway to traffic circle at Powder House Square
– 3rd exit onto Warner Street
– Straight onto Harvard Street
– Right onto Main Street
– Continue onto Medford Street
– Left on Broadway

مشروع تمديد خط القطار الأخضر
جسر برودواي في ساحة بول
سيغلق من 22 مارس ، 2019 إلى مارس 2020
تحويلات طرق برودواي

للمركبات المتجهة شمال / غرب
اتجه من برودواي إلى اليسار في شارع سيدار
ثم يمين الى شارع هايلاندايف
ثم يمين الى شارع كوليج ايف
ثم خذ المخرج الخامس من الدوار الى برودواي

للمركبات المتجهة جنوب / شرق
•عند دوار باودر هاوس
خذ المخرج الثالث الى شارع وارنر
مباشرة الى شارع هارفارد
ثم يمين الى شارع ماين
استمر الى شارع ميدفيرد
غادر الى برودواي

Extensión Línea Verde
Puente de Broadway en Ball Square
Cerrado el 22 de Marzo de 2019 a Marzo de 2020

Rutas de desvío de Broadway

Para tráfico vehicular en dirección norte / oeste
– Broadway a la izquierda en Cedar Street
– A la derecha en Highland Avenue
– A la derecha en College Avenue
– En la rotonda, quinta salida hacia Broadway

Para tráfico vehicular en dirección sur / este
– Broadway a la rotonda en Powder House Square
– 3ra salida hacia Warner Street
– Directamente hacia Harvard Street
– A la derecha en Main St.
– Continuar hacia Medford Street
– A la izquierda en Broadway

Broadway Bridge nan boul kare
Fèmen 22 mas, 2019 rive mas 2020

Broadway wout detou

Pou trafik machin te dirije North / West
– Broadway ale sou Cedar Street
– Dwa sou Highland Avenue
– Dwa sou College Avenue
– Nan sèk trafik, 5yèm sòti sou Broadway

Pou trafik machin te dirije sid / bò solèy leve
– Broadway nan sèk trafik nan Powder House Square
– 3yèm sòti sou Warner Street
– Dwat sou Harvard Street
– Dwa sou Main Street
– Kontinye sou Medford Street
– Ale sou Broadway

On Friday, March 15th and Saturday, March 16th the McGlynn Middle School Drama Club presented a hysterical comedy, “The Brothers Grimm Speculathon.”

The play managed to smash together 209 fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm into one gigantic mega superstory- and boy did it deliver! Led by 8th graders Melissa Antoine, Isabella Duque-Munoz, and Ember Kerstetter, these narrators guided the audience on a non-stop trip of laughs. Elijah Walton brought down the house in the second half by playing 8 different characters all in one scene.

Director and club advisor Lindsay Repucci credits the hard work of the actors and crew along team 8A in bringing the show to life.

“I’m so proud of the energy and enthusiasm the students have shown. It’s so nice to see their efforts pay off in such a big way.”

Both nights were well attended with Mr. Tucci, Principal of the McGlynn, getting in on the act.

Mr. Tucci commended and congratulated the drama club on their performance, “The shows were fantastic. It was wonderful to see the teamwork on display- from the lights technicians, to the backstage crew, to the actors and actresses, to the public relations team, to the 8th graders that contributed to the beautiful set decorations. Everyone did a great job and made the school community proud. I thank all of our teachers, students, families and friends that came to support these performances. Last but not least, I want to thank Mrs. Repucci, the advisor to the drama club, for her leadership and dedication to bring everything together so nicely.”

An even bigger surprise came when, Mrs. Rideout, the Science teacher on team 8A, made a surprise appearance as “the plant”.

The club thanks the community of Medford and the families of the McGlynn for their support.

In an effort to better balance the racial and socio-economic differences between the Andrews Middle School and the McGlynn Middle School, the Medford School Committee at their regular School Committee Meeting on February 11, 2019, voted unanimously (7-0) to implement a random lottery system. Since that time, the district has been investigating different lottery models, as well as how other communities have addressed their own imbalances. The Medford School Committee scheduled a Committee of the Whole as an opportunity for public discussion as a first step in the implementation process.

Our efforts are toward a more equitable school community and to embrace Medford’s wonderful diversity. We hope to build on our existing strengths and encourage all families to believe in One Medford.

Timeline of Events

Superintendent Dr. Edouard-Vincent will be available to speak to parents of 5th grade students at each of the elementary schools on the following dates:

Thursday, March 21, 2019 – 6pm-7pm Roberts Elementary School (Library)

Monday, March 25, 2019 – 5pm-6pm McGlynn Elementary School (Library)

Monday, March 25, 2019 – 6pm-7pm Columbus Elementary School (Library)

Wednesday, March 27, 2019 – 5pm-6pm Brooks Elementary School (Library)

Additionally, the Superintendent will send communication to parents of sibling groups on the following dates:

Tuesday, April 2, 2019 – Sibling opt-in forms will be sent home with students

Tuesday, April 9, 2019 – Sibling opt-in forms due back

April 15 – April 19, 2019 – April Vacation Week

Tuesday, April 23, 2019 – Each 5th grade student will receive a lottery number

Tuesday, April 30, 2019 –3pm-4pm Lottery will take place in the Medford High School Library

Welcome Orientations- First half of May, 2019, TBD

Racial and Socio-Economic Differences Between Middle Schools

Dayanara Torres with Mr. Nick Tucci (Principal of the McGlynn Middle School) and Dr. Nicole Chiesa (Director of Humanities in the MPS)

Congratulations to McGlynn Middle School 8th grade student, Dayanara Torres, for winning the “Silver Key” Scholastic Award for Poetry which recognizes stand out works that demonstrate exceptional ability.

Dayanara wrote a poem in 8th grade McGlynn Middle School teacher Mrs. Kristin Zeckman’s class titled “An Original Poem, The Rare Flower.”

Each year, the Alliance partners with more than 100 visual arts and literary arts organizations across the country to bring the Scholastic Awards to local communities. Teens in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up) apply in 29 categories of art and writing. In 2019, students submitted nearly 340,000 works of art and writing to the Scholastic Awards.

Submissions are juried by luminaries in the visual and literary arts, some of whom are past award recipients. Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.

Dayanra Torres was the only middle school student in the Medford Public Schools to receive this recognition. Below is the poem that she wrote that earned her the “Silver Key.”

An Original Poem, The Rare Flower

Having the life of a rare flower
Being the wearer of all the petals nature has given us
The two unfamiliar species that not even half the world knows
Hiding in plain sight, becoming a mystery of us living
As we were made bright and different
Soft and fragile, silent and with a unique fragrance
Having royalty in our background and knowing we are gorgeous and beautiful
Who is, what is Youtan Poluo?

Dayanara was presented with a certificate of recognition by the Medford School Committee for her achievement on March 6, 2019.

Click here to view the McGlynn Morning Show

Please remember to order your McGlynn Middle School Yearbook. The deadline is April 5th.

You can order at: https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/

The school code is: 13017919

Please click here to view important testing information

Dear Parent or Guardian,

We know that you, as your child’s caregiver, desire the best resources for your child and the young people in our Medford community. The Community That Cares Survey, administered every two years to our high school students, consistently demonstrates that some of our grade 9 students try alcohol, marijuana and other drugs and by the end of high school, many more students report substance use.

In January 2016, Governor Baker signed a law that requires public schools to screen students for risk behaviors. This law is named “An Act relative to preventing adolescent substance abuse by expanding SBIRT.” SBIRT refers to a screening questionnaire and stands for Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment.

In order to help prevent students from starting to use substances, or to intervene with early substance use, the counseling and nursing staff at McGlynn Middle School will be providing an interview-based screening for all 7th grade students about the use of alcohol, marijuana and other drugs. This screening is based on the most commonly used substance abuse screening tool for adolescents in Massachusetts, the CRAFFT.

Student screening sessions will be brief (approximately 5 minutes) and conducted confidentially in private, one-on-one sessions by the school nurse and counseling staff. Students who are not using substances will have their healthy choices reinforced by the screener. The screener will provide brief feedback to any student who reports using substances or who is at risk for future substance use. If needed, the student will be referred to our counseling staff for further evaluation.

Results of the screening will not be included in your child’s school record, nor will results be shared with any staff other than the SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment) Team. The SBIRT Team is composed of the nursing staff, school adjustment counselors and guidance counselors. All students will receive some educational material and a resource list at the time of the screening.

As with any school screening, you have the right to opt your child out of this screening. Please contact Toni Wray, Supervisor of Health Services and SBIRT coordinator, via email twray@medford.k12.ma.us by April 1, 2019 if you wish to exclude your child from this screening. Additionally, screening is voluntary and students may choose not to answer any or all of the screening questions. Screening will be conducted during April 2019.

One way to prevent youth substance use is to talk with your child about your family’s thoughts, expectations and values regarding substance use. Research shows that parents’ influence is the #1 reason young people decide not to drink alcohol. Together, parents and Medford Public Schools CAN make a difference in the lives of our Medford youth.

Sincerely,

Toni B. Wray, MS, RN, NCSN
Supervisor of Health Services

Nicholas Tucci
Principal, McGlynn MS

Save the dates!

Please be aware that Medford’s spring street sweeping is taking place Tuesday, April 16 through Friday, May 3.

In particular, the following sweeping dates are scheduled in areas near some of our schools.

No parking is allowed on those side streets while sweeping is taking place between 8 am and 6 pm. Parking will be allowed on main arteries. Cars parked on side streets during the sweeping time will be ticketed and possibly towed.

Brooks– Allston, Auburn, & Prescott, Thursday, May 2

Columbus– Hicks Ave., Wednesday, April 17

Roberts– Court St., Thursday, April 25

Weather permitting: The schedule is subject to change due to the weather. Updates will be posted on our website, the city website and on the full sweeping schedule (link below).

The full street sweeping schedule is available on the City of Medford’s website:

• http://www.medfordma.org/2019/03/28/spring-street-sweeping-starts-april-16-2019/

Come learn about the shifts in middle school mathematics education, the impact of mathematics curriculum on high school decisions, and the opportunities for middle and high school mathematics courses.

Location: Medford high school, 3rd floor – science lecture hall room B319

Date: Thursday, April 11th 2019 @ 6:30 PM

Who should attend: Parents of current 6th grade students

They came bearing pancake syrup, vegetable oil, water, and dishwashing liquid—not to make breakfast but to conduct experiments in density.

This year’s community partnership with MIDE engineers coordinated by Camden Houghton, a mechanical engineer with MIDE and assistant principal Jody Liu, culminated with visits to the McGlynn Middle School on March 21 and 28. During these two days, MIDE engineers worked with the entire 6th grade in conducting the experiments that incorporated STEM curriculum shared by the math and science teachers to include not only the concept of density but also the measurement and calculation of volumes of different shapes and related terms. Students were guided in measuring the density of the liquids and gathering data first, and then predicting to what level everyday items like popcorn kernels and glue stick pieces would sink in the graduated cylinders filled with levels of the liquids of varying density. It was rewarding to watch students develop their hypothesis and observe the results.

Medford Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Marice Edouard-Vincent was on hand to observe and was impressed by the level of student engagement and enjoyed interacting with the students and engineers. Principal Nick Tucci and Director of Science Rocco Cieri joined Assistant Principal Jody Liu with the students in the experiments as well.

6th grade science teachers Ms. Duffy and Ms. Taylor facilitated and later asked students about their experiences:

Marian noted, “It was really nice to have the engineers…because it was a nice change.” Jadon thought “It was very interesting and put a new spin on a regular science day.” Endrick shared: “The engineers were super kind. They remembered our names and gave us turns at doing things in the experiment.” Daniel said, “What I liked most was that we were doing an experiment and we were amazed by our results.” Brandon thought, “The engineers were nice and even brought in a prototype for a diving suit of theirs…My group’s engineer was Gabe, a nice man who also liked Mythbusters like me.” One of the goals of the engineers was to have students understand what engineers do and that engineering is a career path, as well as to encourage more female engineers. From what 6th grader Victoria said, their goal was met: “The [engineers] I was talking were very nice to me…I learned volume+mass=density. Now I am thinking of becoming an engineer if I don’t want to be a scientist.”

Jody Liu, the assistant principal of the McGlynn, explained just how much this was a community partnership: MIDE CEO, Dr. Marthinus van Schoor’s children graduated Medford Public Schools, and the visiting engineers included Jared Keegan, father of a Brooks Elementary student; engineer Gabe Hollings is a graduate of the McGlynn Middle School and Medford High School (and has a brother who is currently an MHS junior).

Assistant Principal Jody Liu and Superintendent Dr. Edouard-Vincent observe MIDE engineer Mike Motola-Barnes conducting density experiments with students.

MIDE engineere Camden Houghton and Sarmad Al Khamees conducting density experiment with 6th graders.

MMS alumnus Gabe Hollings working with students

Mike Ostromecky and Jared Keegan working with students

Mike Motola-Barnes and Sauro Liberatore work with students while Rocco Cieri, Margie Martignetti, and Nicole Martignetti (a Medford Public Schools alumna) observe.

Mrs. Duffy and Rocco Cieri observing Mike Motola-Barnes and Rob Parent working with students.

Mr. Tucci joining in the experiment with Camden Houghton and Mrs. Duffy’s students

Mrs. Taylor observing Gabe Hollings and her students

MIDE engineers introducing themselves and the experiment.

Becker Aqwatty works with the 6th graders.

Boys and girls in grades 4th-8th are welcomed to come join Volleyball head coach Taylor Dyer and the MHS volleyball team for a week of skills, drills, and game play.

Where: McGlynn Middle School

When: Tuesday, April 17th- Friday April, 20th

Time: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm

Cost: $80

** Please bring a water bottle and a snack**

Registration: Click here to download the registration form (PDF)

Medford Special Education Parent Advisory Council

in collaboration with the MA Office on Disability presents:

Emergency Planning for Persons with Disabilities

Wednesday, April 10, 2019
7-9 pm
Andrews Middle School

Join the Special Ed Parent community as we work with local first responders and community members to understand and create emergency plans for our loved ones – both in school and in the community. This event includes free emergency ‘go packs’ for people with disabilities, sample IEP accommodations and additional resources.

We expect members of the Medford Police, Fire, Ambulance and Crisis Response will be in attendance as well as representatives from the MA Office on Disability and the Medford Disability Commission.

Pizza and refreshments provided

Please RSVP for emergency to go kit at Medford.sepac@gmail.com

Accommodations will be provided upon request. In order to make requests, please contact Evan George at 617-979-7313, no later than April 05, 2019.

The Medford Public Schools Office of Clinical & Behavioral Services, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Partnerships For Youth, Inc., will be hosting a parent informational meeting called “Navigating the Cyber World”.

This meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 11, 2019, at 6:30 PM at the McGlynn Middle School.

All Medford parents are cordially invited to attend. Information will be presented that discusses internet use across all student age groups.