Blogs - Kids First Monadnock

Please consider helping these students!!!

Hello friends and colleagues, Please consider helping out our local students. They have worked very hard for this unique opportunity! Please read their letter below... Thanks, Kristen ___________________________________________________________________________

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Added by Kristen Goodenough on April 22, 2009 at 11:26am — No Comments

Group reaches the top tier of major fund raising challenge - Yeah BeTTYS!!

Good News story from the Keene Sentinel: http://www.keenesentinel.com/articles/2009/04/21/news/local/free/id_352574.txt Monadnock on the RISE...momentum continues!!

Group reaches the top tier of major fund raising challenge By Anika Clark Sentinel Staff Published: Tuesd… Continue

Added by Kristen Goodenough on April 22, 2009 at 11:21am — No Comments

BeTTYS meets the $30,000.00 Challenge!!

This weekend the BeTTYS team reached their GOAL!

From the community jars, to the Monadnock Rocks Tees, mini-golf tournament, various school and district events, the KSC girls Basketball donation, the MRHS Band donation, painted roof rocks, Rock candy sales, PTO donation, indivi… Continue

Added by Kristen Goodenough on April 13, 2009 at 10:44am — No Comments

Thanks All!

Hello everyone. I just wanted to give a quick thanks to everyone who got out to vote yesterday. My husband and I wanted to thank everyone for their support. I know my husband is eager to get to work and we hope he can become a great asset to this district. We thank everyone for their support. With Appreciation, Megan Continue

Added by Megan LeClair on March 11, 2009 at 4:41pm — No Comments

Article 7

This year Article 7 is about the size of the school board. Town "power" is based on a the number of students each town has in the school system. Swanzey has approximately 50% of the student population and therefore has about 50% of the vote. No matter number of reps, Swanzey has 50% of the vote. Based on Surry's departure the board has been operating at 14 members which is outside of the RS's governing such matters which say Boards should operate with an odd number of members. The School Boar… Continue

Added by Michael Hoefer on March 9, 2009 at 9:38pm — No Comments

Voting

Hi everyone. My name is Megan LeClair and I just joined Kids first a short time ago. I live in Swanzey and have three children that will be attending the Monadnock school district. My husband and I are very concerned about our schools as well as the town. We started attending the school board meetings in the fall and quickly realized that some help is needed. So with much thought my husband, Dan LeClair has decided to try to help in any way possible and felt he could contribute to the district b… Continue

Added by Megan LeClair on February 9, 2009 at 9:42pm — 2 Comments

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. ~Dr. Seuss

School Board Meeting tonight! 7PM MRHS Library MRSD Deliberative Session - 02/07/2009 - 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Continue

Added by Kristen Goodenough on February 3, 2009 at 6:01pm — No Comments

In case you missed it...a voice of reason in last night's Keene Sentinel...

One of the many reasons why I stepped down is that I feel very strongly that locally we are all just "spinning our wheels" until something changes with education funding at a higher level...either State or Federally...sometimes I wonder if I am in the minority opinion...and while it may sound a bit old fashioned...who better to look to for guidance than some of our Community elders who have seen it all from the beginning...just as I am always grateful to hear the infinite words of wisdom from lo… Continue

Added by Kristen Goodenough on January 8, 2009 at 10:21am — 1 Comment

My apologies...I accidently deleted yesterday's blog post...I will do my best to recreate it...sincerest apologies to those who already commented!!

News from the Board Meeting Tuesday January 6th, 2009...Please Comment! Your opinion is needed to determine further action: The board voted last night to change the warrant article about board representation. Mr. Carnie's motion to change membership from 15 to 13, with Swanzey having 5 members rather than 7, carried by a vote of 8.95 to 8.85. Mr. Felton was absent, and the vote went along town lines. Swanzey would continue to have 49% of the proportional vote, with each of the five members carr… Continue

Added by Kristen Goodenough on January 8, 2009 at 10:18am — 1 Comment

Is the School Board being too Fiscally Conservative?

This post by Noble Prize winning economist Paul Krugman, suggests that spending is what is needed in times like these "...slashing spending in a time of recession, often at the expense both of their most vulnerable constituents and of the nation’s economic future." While he main point is targeted at the state level, it has some relevance for our situation as well. Continue

Added by Michael Hoefer on January 5, 2009 at 11:57am — No Comments

We Need You! Elections are just around the corner!

Every year approximately one third of the School Board is up for Election. Having strong educational advocates on the school board is the #1 way we can influence change in the MRSD. Imagine the impact of electing six representives who understand and are willing to stand up for our kids and our schools. In the weeks ahead we will being contacting folks that are up for reelection and being recruiting candidates who will improve the dire situation we currently find ourselves in. Elections will be… Continue

Added by Michael Hoefer on December 27, 2008 at 3:28pm — No Comments

Any fool...

"Any fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction." -Albert Einstein Continue

Added by Kristen Goodenough on December 23, 2008 at 12:03pm — No Comments

Dis...

Dismayed, disillusioned, discouraged, disengaged, flabbergasted and appalled - that about sums up my reaction at the budget committee meeting last Wednesday night when I found out what the school board had done. I felt like I was in the twilight zone. How we went from $30M to $1M in repairs and renovation in two short weeks is ludicrous. And to top that off, that million came out of the operating budget! With the middle school warrant article already removed, the facilities committee met on Dec… Continue

Added by Jennie Gomarlo on December 22, 2008 at 4:52pm — No Comments

Wow!! 41 Members...

Welcome aboard all!! Please help spread the word, send an invite to friends and family to join Kids First Monadnock. We especially need to get the word out to some of the other district towns...Troy, Fitzwilliam, Gilsum, Sullivan! Thanks and Happy Holidays, Kristen Continue

Added by Kristen Goodenough on December 21, 2008 at 11:30pm — No Comments

Marlborough Taxpayers will benefit from poor economy

From the Sentinel “It’s a little funny, but as the economy gets worse and worse, we’re starting to feel better and better about the budget. “We’re expecting the bids to be better than we would have seen,” Marinace said. It's too bad the Monadnock Regional School Board has taken the prerogative of the voters away and will not let them vote on the needed major school improvement projects this yea… Continue

Added by Michael Hoefer on December 21, 2008 at 10:39pm — No Comments

Teachers, building fixes cut from plan

(A couple of years ago The Sentinel gave us permission to repost their articles for future reference) Monadnock board trims budget proposal By Anika Clark Sentinel Staff Published: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 SWANZEY CENTER — Up to $41 million in new construction and renovation projects for Monadnock Regional Middle/High School has been dropped to about $1 million. At the same time, the school board has agreed to slash the proposed 2009-10 budget by more than $900,000. The school board’s vot… Continue

Added by Michael Hoefer on December 18, 2008 at 12:31am — No Comments

How is this going to work?? I need someone to explain the math to me...

Last night the MRSB decided to rescind the proposed $11.9 million infrastructure bond warrant article that was to be used to address code violations and accreditation facilities improvements over a 3 year period and replaced it with a pay as you go $1 million per year for 5 years. (Voters will only be asked for $1million in March 09) How is this going to work?? How do you get $11.9m in renovations for $5m? Considering inflation over the 5 years? I just don't understand. Additionally 11 +/- pos… Continue

Added by Kristen Goodenough on December 17, 2008 at 3:27pm — 1 Comment

If I were new to the area would I look at houses in Keene or Swanzey?

Keene board: build a new middle school Proposal will go before voters again By Sarah Palermo Staff writer at the Keene Sentinel meanwhile down the road in Swanzey... Looking at ways to cut $1 million from school spending By Anika Clark Staff writer at the Keene Sentinel Good schools attract families to the… Continue

Added by Kristen Goodenough on December 16, 2008 at 2:58pm — No Comments

Links of Interest Sunday Dec 14

The NH advantage at work... an article in the Concord Monitor talks about the last town in the state not to offer Kindergarten filing a lawsuit against the decision as an "unfunded mandate" from Concord. And lots of chatter regarding who will be Obama's choice for Secretary of Education and what that person's approach will mean for the direction of education. -- New York Times "… Continue

Added by Michael Hoefer on December 14, 2008 at 11:03am — No Comments

Should I Feel Absolved or Just Sad?

As I continue to wrestle with my guilt I was surprised to find an editorial in the Sentinel last night...For those of you who may have missed it, I found it well written and poignant; Jim Rousmaniere, editor and president of the Keene Sentinel sat in on the December 2nd school board meeting and wrote the following from his observations: SENTINEL EDITORIAL: Monadnock's school board n… Continue

Added by Kristen Goodenough on December 9, 2008 at 2:11pm — 1 Comment

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