The school community and School Committee got a first look at the new pared down budget on April 9 — and it wasn’t pretty. “Tonight we are presenting a first draft, a first round of a 5% budget,” said Superintendent Dr. Frank Hackett. “You’re going to hate most of
At least 100 parents, staffers and a handful of children packed the School Committee meeting to show their displeasure with the plan – even after it was withdrawn – and what they perceive as the poor treatment of the Muraco community
A look back on how it started and why it’s important and maybe even more relevant today
When he took over the reins as School Committee chair on March 26, Tim Matthews said he hoped to be giving a very different speech. “After almost a year of preparation, followed by a sprint to last Saturday’s town wide vote, the disappointing result we face today has far
It was Mandarin lessons, lunch and ping pong when Xuemei Li’s students met their Chinese speaking pen pals for the first time. Natalie Taylor admits she was feeling nervous when she first walked into the Jenks Center to meet one-on-one with a new friend, but it didn’t take
I feel the need to apologize to the Teletub-bees seated at our table during WFEE’s recent Trivia Bee. I was one of the Winchester Newshounds, Round 5, losers. Reporter Will Dowd and editor Nell Escobar Coakley were my teammates and Will taunted those poor high school girls like it
Everyone likes to be recognized for their efforts and the Ambrose School is no different. The school recently received an A from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), being named a School of Recognition. “It’s very exciting,” said Ambrose Principal Andrea Phelan. A School of Recognition
You could blame the Muraco School for the fact that the Ambrose cafeteria became the site of a raucously rambunctious science fair on March 5. “They were the inspiration,” said parent volunteer Karen Kinnaman, who spearheaded the event. “They put on a huge science fair every year.” Kinnaman said it’
After a somewhat lengthy negotiation session that, at times, saw teachers marching with signs, the School Committee and the Winchester Education Association settled the teachers’ contract. Superintendent Dr. Frank Hackett said that under the new three-year agreement, teachers will receive what he called a 2-3 split for the current year,
Every budget season is tricky when it comes to School Department funding, but this year Winchester School Committee’s proposed budget comes with the added twist of a potential override and a will-it-or-won’t-it pass scenario. “This is a very unique budget year, and we spent a lot of time
Amid discussion of budgets, essential services and a possible override, the Winchester School Committee must also decide when is the best time to ask for a little bit more. The Muraco School project is fully in the jetstream of the Massachusetts School Building Authority funding program, but Superintendent Dr. Frank
The Winchester School Committee is still honing its fiscal year 2027 budget, but with a number of deadlines looming, the window for tweaking is just about closed. During the Jan. 22 School Committee meeting, member Michelle Berstrom presented a revised budget timeline that includes: • Jan. 28, 2026 – Budget Summit with
Parents show up to School Committee to support school councils Erica Walsh was a Vinson-Owen Elementary School parent for four years before she realized there was a school council. “It wasn’t until last year that a fellow parent mentioned to me and explained that we can attend,” she said.
It might not seem obvious since there are no shovels in the ground or designs plans to decipher, but the Muraco Elementary School project is nonetheless on the move “We’re kind of into it now,” said Superintendent Dr. Frank Hackett in a recent update to the School Committee. “We
It was a typical day in Xuemei Li’s Winchester High School Mandarin class — until a party broke out. Li, who is in her third year at WHS, was teaching as usual when a group of people came through her door armed with flowers and a surprise. Li had been
Everyone wants to be the best in their chosen field — or at least recognized, right? Turns out First Congregational Church’s Minister of Worship and the Arts Jane Ring Frank achieved that milestone without even realizing it. Choral Arts New England has named Frank the 2025 Life Time Achievement award
