In this Newsletter

Info@MascoPAC

• A Message from Kevin Goldenbogen about the Emerson Center Dances for middle school students of the Tri-Town
• Q&A With Middle School Principal, Len Broughton

PAC Sponsored Activities this Month

1. The Tri-Town Council and the Masco PAC team up to offer a Community Forum addressing teen substance abuse and unsupervised parties in our communities-Please join us on November 17th 7-9 P.M.!
2. Masco PAC will be Scheduling High School Parent Teacher Conferences.
3. PAC Membership Drive Ending
4. Early Release Movie Day for Middle School

Previous PAC Sponsored Activities Report

1. Masco-In-Motion Fundraiser
2. Early Release Movie for Middle School Students
3. Middle School Parent Teacher Conference Scheduling

Parent Volunteer Opportunities

News from other school affiliated organizations

• Communication with Teenagers: Making it Work for Both of You

Feedback/Questions

Info@MascoPAC

A Message from Kevin Goldenbogen about the Emerson Center Dances for middle school students of the Tri-Town    [Return to top]

Dear Tri-Town Families,

I have many emotions as I write to notify you that we will be discontinuing the Middle School dances at the Congregational Church of Topsfield, United Church of Christ.

For the past 7 years, our church has sponsored and hosted Middle School dances in our Fellowship Hall at the Emerson Center in Topsfield. The church’s Senior High Leadership Team started the dances to create a safe, fun place for students to go on a Friday night and to raise money for its Senior High mission trips. The dances grew to be so popular that they routinely exceeded our self-imposed capacity of 300 attendees. By 2004, each dance required more than 15 adult chaperones and a police officer to help us ensure safety as well as 20 senior-high students who organized, advertised, “DJ-ed” and ran concessions. Over the years we added uniforms for dance “staff,” streamlined ticket sales and coat-check systems, implemented traffic control, and created a “parent information” table in the parking lot to address questions and concerns. We began coordinating dance dates with Masconomet High School and sharing expectations about dress codes and dances rules. The dances even became a platform for successful canned-food drives that benefited the Salem Mission. Proudly, from the first dance to the last, there were no reported or discovered instances of alcohol or drug use, major injury, or major rules violations. There were some instances of poor behavior and poor choices, of course. In a few cases, students were even sent home. Still, three Friday nights a year the Emerson Center dances were most certainly “the place to be” for tri-town 7th and 8th graders and a fun, safe place for students to go.

As a Youth Pastor, my job is to advocate for our youth. So often these days, our youth are portrayed negatively and as “time bombs” just waiting to go off. In the Tri-Town area there are some, but not enough, un-programmed activities in which our young people can be involved. There are sports teams, lessons, school, Scouts, etc., that are geared for youth. But where do our youth go to hang-out, to socialize and just relax? If the church and I believe so strongly about the need for the dances and other similar activities, and there has not been any incident or problem, then why are we canceling them?

There are three reasons we are canceling the dances:

• The dances have diverted resources from the church programs they were intended to support. The financial success of the dances has allowed our Youth Ministry programs to do amazing things, from taking week-long service trips all over the country to building strong relationships with local service agencies, all while positively impacting the lives of dozens of teenagers. Time and energy spent on the dances, however, has had a negative impact on the time and energy our youth can spend on other programs that are part of our Youth Ministry.
• The dances have outgrown the scope of our mission. Our Youth Ministry programs are designed to provide students with the time, place and relationships they need to reflect upon their community, their world and their God. As the dances have usurped more of a central role in our programming, they have moved beyond their intended purpose.
• The dances are creating a negative, inaccurate perception of the Congregational Church of Topsfield, United Church of Christ. I believe that there is a growing, negative perception in the community that “anything goes” at the Emerson Center dances. I have heard it is a common belief that our dances were an unsupervised free-for-all run by students with little adult supervision. I hope that my statements above have worked to counteract such a perception. Taking a hiatus from the Emerson Center dances will end this perception and send a strong message to the community that The Congregational Church of Topsfield, United Church of Christ, is committed to the safety, protection and moral development of our youth. The financial and social benefits of these dances are not more important than our relationship to and reputation within the community we exist to serve.

My thanks go out to the many students who attended our dances. I also want to thank the Masconomet Middle School for its cooperation and assistance through the years. A special thank-you goes to PAC Co-President Caryl Kennedy and Tri-Town Council Youth Counselor Joan Murphy for their understanding, assistance and partnership. We hope to continue to strengthen our relationships with community leaders so that the quality and depth of youth programs and activities in the Tri-Town area increases. Finally, I want to thank all of the Senior High students who helped make the dances so successful. Youth advisors empowered these students to make these “their” dances. We took a chance on them and they proved they could organize and implement a safe, successful dance series. For many years they worked hard to make the Emerson Center dances something special and they should feel proud of this achievement.

I hope this letter answers your questions about why we are canceling the Emerson Center dances. I regret the disappointment this cancellation causes for our young people and I want them to know that we are working on other events and fundraisers that will replace the dances. While we are getting out of the “dance business,” we are still committed to providing safe, enjoyable and wholesome activities for Tri-Town youth. Stay tuned!!

Peace and Joy,
Kevin Goldenbogen
Director of Youth Missions and Outreach
Congregational Church of Topsfield, United Church of Christ

Q&A With Middle School Principal, Len Broughton    [Return to top]

From time to time, people email us with questions about Masco. Recently, we had the chance to sit down with Principal Len Broughton and get some answers you may find helpful and informative.

Why is my daughter’s gym class so large? She tells me there are almost 50 students in the class. Are the classes under control enough to actually accomplish anything?

Mr. Broughton: Your daughter’s gym class is larger than we would like. It is one of three of our 21 Physical Education sections that are oversized. The large size is the result of a scheduling issue related to 7th and 8th grade Band and a budget reality.

Currently, 103 7th Graders and 74 8th Graders are enrolled in Band. Students who participate in band are limited to just four possible times for taking Physical Education. That’s why the classes are so large. We understood that these sections would be bigger than usual; however, budget constraints precluded us from hiring and scheduling an additional Physical Education teacher. When faced with budget limits, we opted to keep academic classes as small as feasible. One of the results of this constraint is four super-sized Physical Education sections. We have hired tutors to assist the Physical Education teachers, which is our best solution for this year. During the first few weeks, these tutors were primarily observing and being trained. As of now, the tutors are actively participating and helping teach the classes. While not an ideal situation, the tutors have athletic teaching experience in areas including dance, gymnastics and golf. I feel confident that the classes are under control and that students are getting what they need. We plan to address this problem through this year’s budget process.

My child plays three sports outside of school. Can he opt out of Physical Education?

Mr. Broughton: Opting out of Physical Education is not an option in the Masco Middle School. Participating in Physical Education gives students exercise during the day and enables them to have opportunities for social interaction. Attending Physical Education class is one of the shared experiences all 7th and 8th graders undergo that helps bring them together as a “class.”

Why don’t the classroom TVs work? My child isn’t hearing any morning announcements?

Mr. Broughton: I’m glad you asked. Many people have called asking about why the TVs didn’t work on Open House night as well. It took us much longer than I would have liked to identify the problem. We have ordered the part needed and have been told that it’s on backorder. As soon as it is received, we will install it. I expect to have the system up and running within four weeks.

Even with the TVs back on-line, the Middle School television studio won’t be fully equipped. We have a wish list of equipment we’d like to see in there for the studio to be a really effective educational and communication tool. Although equipping the studio is a high priority for administration, I foresee the likelihood of this continuing to be a funding issue in the future. The PAC Co-Presidents have asked me to publish a list of what we need to see if there is anyone who has ideas on how to secure a donation. That list will be published in the next PAC Newsletter. If anyone has any ideas or connections to pursue, please CLICK HERE to contact Caryl Kennedy.

What happens to the money raised at school-sponsored dances?

Mr. Broughton: School-sponsored dances are self-funding. For example, we had 260 students attend the last dance. We charged $2/student. The money collected paid for the DJ, the required police detail, extra custodial duties, and food and beverages. We made a “profit” of $20, which is rather typical. The dances are designed to be social events and not money makers. Although you can never exactly anticipate the number of students that will attend, the dances usually break even or generate a very nominal profit or loss. Any small profit goes into the Student Activity Fund and any nominal loss is covered by that same fund. The money in the Student Activity Fund comes primarily through the magazine drive and is used to underwrite field trips, guest speakers and other team based activities.

Our Masco PAC website redesign is ongoing. We’ve taken your feedback and developed a website we think is easier to navigate and loaded with useful information.

(See our www.MascoPAC.org website and explore its features.)

PAC Sponsored Activities this Month

The Tri-Town Council and the Masco PAC team up to offer a Community Forum addressing teen substance abuse and unsupervised parties in our communities-Please join us on November 17th 7-9 P.M.!    [Return to top]

An unsupervised party – a teenager’s dream come true – and a parents nightmare! This scenario is all too common, unsupervised parties happen everywhere, and it may happen in your home, when you least anticipate it. There have been recent reports of a local unsupervised party, one of the first big “busts” that has occurred since last year when Masconomet’s zero tolerance policy was challenged by the student council and subsequently scrapped. In the wake of its absence there are a lot of questions and concerns to be discussed and the event has spurred the need for a community forum to help parents and students sort out the issues.

The Tri-Town Council in conjunction with the Masco PAC will assemble a panel of experts to address issues and questions with parents, students and other community members The forum is scheduled to be held at “The Commons” located at 4 North Common Street across from the Congregational Church in the center of Topsfield on Wednesday evening November 17th 7:00 – 9:00 P.M.

Please join us. We hope to address a number of questions important to all of us:

• What are the liabilities and ramifications to the homeowners and the teens involved in these events?
• Are only the athletes or club members receiving consequences for their behavior?
• What are the responsibilities of the parents of the other teens in attendance?
• What about the responsibilities of the teens themselves?
• How do parents connect and communicate to create an environment where these parties are minimized?
• What affect does the absence of the zero tolerance policy have on our young people?

To better gauge the number of people in attendance please CLICK HERE to email us to let us know you will be attending. If you have a specific question you would like addressed and/or a comment to make -- please include it in your email

Masco PAC will be Scheduling Parent Teacher Conferences for all parents of High School Students.    [Return to top]

• Three reasons prompt the PAC’s involvement in scheduling parent teacher conferences
  • Equity - Our electronic scheduling process ensures each request is date and time stamped. We schedule on the basis of the receipt of the request. It is our mission to schedule as many requests as possible ensuring that your first meeting priorities are met and the time allotted is maximized.
  • Ease - Almost all of our families are on line. This methodology provides you with access 24/7. It allows you to place your request when it is convenient for you. If you are not on line you can submit the request on paper through the High School main office.
  • Efficiency - Nobody gets left out. If you request a teacher meeting you either get the time slot or the teacher is notified you would like to see them and an alternative time is arranged.
• For more about scheduling via email from Tues. Nov. 1st through Fri. Nov. 19th and to schedule a parent teacher conference, simply CLICK HERE. You will be notified via email by November 21st what schedule has been arranged to meet your request. It is that simple!
• Time slots with teachers are scheduled every 15 minutes from 3:00 to 8:00 P.M. on Monday November 22nd. (A short dinner break is scheduled for each teacher during that evening also.)

PAC Membership Drive Ending    [Return to top]

We have over 400 families and want to add to ranks before the drive ends! The deadline is just around the corner; we’ve extended it to Friday November 19th, 2004. Our membership directory will be published and will be sent home with our member’s student. We will announce the distribution date so you can ensure it makes it out of the backpack. Please JOIN US to help us reach our goal of 600 member families. Every membership dollar collected will go directly to programs and services for students, staff members and parents.

Early Release Movie Day for Middle School    [Return to top]

On November 15th a showing of PG Rated “SHREK 2” will be aired beginning at 12:15 P.M. and ending at 3:00 P.M. A complimentary snack will be served to all participants. Students should sign up in their homeroom and make arrangements with their families or friends for a 3:00 P.M. pick up on that day.

Previous PAC Sponsored Activities Report

Masco-In-Motion Fundraiser    [Return to top]

On Friday, Oct. 15th, the entire class of 2008 participated in a community fundraising event called “Masco-In-Motion.” The 6-mile walk through Topsfield is and annual event where the Freshmen choose a charity to support and solicit donations to support their walk. This year the funds were designated for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and contributions to help fund the cost of a heart transplant for Danny Colbert (a MASCO 8th grader). Many parent volunteers supported the coordination efforts of Masco Co-President Gimmie Valacer and teacher, Mr. Greg Serino. The participants were served drinks provided by Coke and a pizza lunch funded by PAC and Tonnelli’s Pizza of Middleton. The successfully raised over $14,000.00.

Early Release Movie for Middle School Students    [Return to top]

On Monday October 25th, “RADIO” aired for an audience of nearly fifty 7th and 8th graders staffing after school on the second early release day of the year. Faculty and staff were involved in a half-day in service training in the auditorium while students enjoyed the movie offered in the high school chorus room. Parent volunteers, Maggie Judd and Leslie Levenson kept a watchful eye on the group and served an ice cream snack during intermission. The PAC plans to continue to offer a free movie and snack on many of the upcoming early release days. Notices will be emailed home to announce upcoming events and all programs will be posted on our website.

Middle School Parent Teacher Conference Scheduling    [Return to top]

Year two of our new parent teacher conference scheduling process has been successfully completed. Over 150 parents were able, through the PAC website and guidance office, to schedule brief meetings with the child’s teacher. Our goal is to provide as many parents as possible the opportunity to meet with the teachers during the designated time allotted and if that isn’t possible; to provide them with the tools and information to make contact in the other ways available.

We plan on making additional improvements by allowing more time between progress report distribution and the scheduled conference day and have considered suggesting an extension of the time allotted to 15 minutes. Although that would reduce the number of appointments available overall, it would make the pace a little less hectic. Please CLICK HERE to provide valuable feedback on your experience with middle school parent teacher conferences.

Parent Volunteer Opportunities

Middle School Library Volunteers are needed during middle school library hours.    [Return to top]

The Middle School library is open from 7:30 A.M. until 3:00 P.M. CLICK HERE to send us an email if you are interested and we will send you the necessary paperwork.

High School Library Volunteers are needed during the lunch hours.

The High School library lunch hour is 11:45 A.M. to 12:45 P.M. CLICK HERE to send us an email if you are interested and we will send you the necessary paperwork.

Masco PAC

• Directory Publisher (approximately 10 hours total, familiarity with Excel required)
• Proof-readers (approximately 2 hours can be done from home, all materials provided)
• Assemblers (copying, collating and organizing distribution of directory -- 2 hour shifts at the middle school, complete instructions provided)

News from other school affiliated organizations

Communication with Teenagers: Making it Work for Both of You    [Return to top]

Sue Blaney is the author of Please Stop the Rollercoaster! How Parents of Teenagers Can Smooth Out the Ride and Practical Tips for Parents of Young Teens. Sue spoke at MASCO several months ago and was well received. She writes a monthly newsletter and grants permission for organizations like ours to post her material. This month’s segment is all about:

Communication with Teenagers: Making it Work for Both of You. CLICK HERE to read her article.

Carla had many strengths as a parent. Comfortable and confident in her role, she believed in keeping firm boundaries, and she had had few problems with her children. But when she noticed that the battling with her teenage son had increased substantially, she spoke with some friends and realized she had to take a good look at her own communication style. "One of my friends asked me a good question," she said. "She asked me if I had changed the way I talk about the rules with my son. And I realized that I really hadn't changed my communication style at all."

The need to change your communication style to reflect your teenager's growing maturity is not always obvious to parents. And yet it is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve the dynamics in your relationship. Interestingly enough, sometimes the rules aren't the problem, but the way the rules are communicated can work against the compliance, and relationship, you seek.

Here are several ways parents can use their communication style to positively affect their relationship with their teenagers:

• Negotiation is good: It is appropriate to negotiate with teens. Negotiation gives you a great deal of worthwhile information about your teenager's values, interests and needs. It gives you a sense of what is really important to her, and it teaches her to express herself and communicate her ideas. And most importantly, while teaching life lessons that have real value, you are allowing her the opportunity to have input into the rules for which she is held accountable. Negotiation doesn't have to turn into a win/lose proposition; skillful parents can make the discussion a "win" for both of you.
• Demonstrate respect: Parents expect their teenagers to show respect, yet there are often times when parents don't model that behavior to the kids. Modeling the behavior we wish to see is the most powerful way to teach our teens how to behave. Hopefully you have demonstrated your respect for your child throughout his life; this is essential now as he is building confidence in his decision-making ability and growing into adulthood.
• Take a "relational" approach: Parents of teenagers need to keep important rules in place, and the rules can be communicated in such as way as to encourage "buy in" from the kids. To communicate in such a way places important focus on a positive relationship, rather than on managing in an authoritarian way. Think about the tone and manner in which you want to be spoken to, and offer that style when in communication with your teenager - especially when discussing important rules and expectations.
• Keep your goals in mind: Is your goal to raise a competent young person who will be prepared to thrive and compete in the world upon high school graduation? If so, be mindful about the skills your teenager needs to acquire by that time. Make sure that you are helping to teach and support those skills in the way you share information, expectations and responsibility. Kids don't learn these things overnight, it's a gradual process. Be sure that your communication style supports your teenager's growing independence and developing skills.

Sue Blaney is the author of Please Stop the Rollercoaster! How Parents of Teenagers Can Smooth Out the Ride and Practical Tips for Parents of Young Teens. For a subscription to her free monthly e-newsletter and information about parenting discussion groups, CLICK HERE to visit www.PleaseStoptheRollercoaster.com.

Feedback/Questions

We are working hard to provide the information, access and services we think you want and need, but feedback is essential. Please let us know the information that is important to you.    [Return to top]

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