Police, Schools Begin Lockdown Reviews

The lockdown drill at Hanaford Wednesday was the district's first since the shootings in Newtown.

The lockdown drill at Hanaford Elementary School started like this: Principal Beth Cauley's voice over the intercom saying, "There is an emergency. Lockdown is in effect."  Then there was the sound of doors shutting. Just that. No voices. No footsteps. It was only a drill, but it was the first lockdown drill since the shooting rampage at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., left 20 young students and 6 adult staff members dead. Because of that, Cauley had warned students, staff and parents (via email) about the drill. She visited every class on Tuesday and answered questions from students – questions like, "What if I'm in the bathroom?" and "What if we're outside?" She had answers for them. If a child is in the bathroom at the start of…

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Science Test Scores Up At EGHS, Cole

Results of the NECAP standardized science tests administered last spring show students in grades 4, 8 and 11 all scored higher than in 2011.

East Greenwich High School and Cole Middle School continue to gain ground in standardized science tests, according to 2012 NECAP results released last week by the R.I. Department of Education. Students in grades 4, 8, and 11 were tested last spring. "We've gone up in all levels," said science department chair Nicholas Rath Monday. "The fact that we continue to improve makes me very, very happy." He noted East Greenwich middle and high school students had tested better every year since the test was first implemented four years ago. "As our school improves, the ability to make large improvements gets more difficult," he said. East Greenwich High School juniors showed 62.6 percent proficiency in 2012, compared with 60.9 percent in 2011. Some…

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Hanaford Students, StrongHearts Collect Toys, Books, Food

This is the second time the elementary school has teamed up with StrongHearts, a local charity.

At the suggestion of Hanaford Elementary School Principal, Beth Cauley, the Hanaford Elementary School "Hawks" and the StrongHearts Organization, teamed up once again.   They collaborated in January and February to produce a "Souper Bowl" Challenge event, which resulted in a delivery of 550 canned good items for the St. Luke's Inter-Faith Community Food Kitchen. This time the theme of the event was "T B C" – Toy, Book and Can Drive. Each student was challenged to bring in at least one toy, a book and a canned good. Students who did more received a StrongHearts T- shirt, and there was a drawing held so that all students who participated would get a chance at a T- shirt.   The items collected are slated to be delivered to the following …

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Stronghearts & Hanaford School Team Up Again

Students collected more than 500 canned goods in February's "Souper Bowl"; this time, they'll collect toys, books, and canned goods.

At the suggestion of Hanaford Elementary School Principal Beth Cauley, the Hanaford Elementary School Hawks and the StrongHearts Organization have  teamed up once again. February "Souper Bowl " event was a big success. Students collected 550 canned goods to the Inter-Faith Community Food Bank at St. Luke's.   This time the theme of the event is "TBC — Toy, Book, and Can." From April 30 to May 11, students will be challenged to bring in at least one toy, a book, and a canned good. Students who do more will receive a T-shirt, and at the end there will be a drawing so that all students will have a chance to get a StrongHeart T-shirt.  The motto for the combined Hanaford-StrongHearts Project is "Giving Puts a Smile in Your Heart." It was the …

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Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: "Taste" Evening A Success!

"Taste of the World" raised money toward 16 grants for teachers from Hanaford and Meadowbrook Farms elementary schools.

The “A Taste of the World” fundraiser held March 10 in support of technology for East Greenwich elementary schools was a huge success, resulting in 16 fully funded grants for teachers at Meadowbrook Farms and Hanaford. Uniting teachers, parents, and community members, the gala affair was organized by Meadowbrook Farms and Hanaford Schools Technology Group. The goal was to fund grants for technology that teachers had posted on the website Donorschoose.org. Participating teachers included Mrs. Bose and Mrs. Cram of Hanaford as well as the following teachers from Meadowbrook Farms: Mrs. Cerro, Mrs. deGroot, Mrs. Doucette, Mrs. Flanagan, Mrs. Gorter, Mrs. Haskins, Mrs. Jennings, Mrs. Mateer, and Mrs. Morris. All of the teachers requested …

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Panel Recommends Moving 3rd Grade To Hanaford, Eldredge

Such a move, however, would require about $100,000 added to a budget already $1.2 million higher than this year's.

Supt. Victor Mercurio laid out the groundwork, survey results, building requirements and challenges to elementary school grade reconfiguration, then presented the Grade Reconfiguration Panel recommendation anticipated from the beginning: Move the third grades from Meadowbrook and Frenchtown to Hanaford and Eldredge. The School Committee, which heard the presentation during a meeting Tuesday night, will vote on the recommendation at a future meeting. The recommendation, coming on the same night that the School Committee voted to approve a $33.7 million budget for 2013, contains some additional costs the district can ill afford, including the addition of a full-time special education teacher and additional speech therapist help at Eldredge…

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Taste The World & Support Tech For Schools

A delicious event to raise money for technology at Hanaford and Meadowbrook schools takes place at the Varnum Armory March 10.

Sometimes, a little inspiration is all you need. After teachers at Meadowbrook Farms and Hanaford went ahead publishing a series of grants requests on the national website Donor’s Choose (which puts donors in touch with classrooms in need of support), parents realized they needed to step up their game in support. The result? “A Taste of the World,” a fundraiser at the Varnum Armory Saturday, March 10, will feature a sampling of dishes from a dozen or so area restaurants representing different regions of the world as well as a silent auction and raffle. All are welcome. Restaurants and other vendors from East Greenwich and throughout Rhode Island will showcase their dishes, including Restaurant 1149, The Fish Market, Millonzi’s, Los Andes…

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Hanaford Students Take The Souper Bowl Challenge

Inspired by EG resident and Hanaford grandfather Bruce Mastracchio, the kids collect food for the Interfaith Food Cupboard.

It started with one man’s challenge to a class of fifth graders: Bruce Mastracchio, whose grandson, Dylan, is in Mrs. Osmanski’s class at Hanaford, asked the class to do one good deed over the December holiday break. Mastracchio is the director of StrongHearts, an organization that promotes good works and provides help to Indian reservations, inner-city poor, military families and wounded veterans. Mastracchio gave each student a StrongHearts t-shirt and asked them to return from the vacation from one paragraph explaining what their good deed was and how it made them feel (three of those paragraphs are printed at the end of this article). That was such a success that the class and Mastracchio came back together again this week for the …

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Hanaford Students On Martin Luther King Jr.

Several children share their thoughts about the Civil Rights leader and his actions.

What do young students today think about the main figure behind the Civil Rights movement of the 1950 and '60s? Last week, we asked eight fourth and fifth graders at Hanaford Elementary School what knew about Martin Luther King Jr. and what they think still needs to be done today. The students in the video are Ari Vilker, Caroline Reilly, Rylie Paull, Gabriella Daumont, Lily Mollicone, Shannon Lake and Anna Grenier.

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Hanaford Students Dig Deep, Raise $446 For Needy Family

Teachers challenge students to collect money for the needy and the students step up.

Students at Hanaford showed excitement for a challenge given to them from their fourth and fifth grade teachers. Instead of making holiday snowmen again, students would collect money for a needy child through the Gingerbread Express. This program through the National Education Association of Rhode Island helps get gifts for needy children for the holidays. Last year the program gave 13,000 gifts. Students were asked to bring in a dollar, but then they decided to hold a challenge of which class could bring in the most money. This winning class would receive an extended recess. This upped the ante. Students dug deep into their piggy banks and raised $446 for the cause. Parent Judy Finkle served as the contact person, shopper and wrapper. …

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