High-Stakes Testing Time in Somerville Public Schools
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(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

It’s high-stakes testing season again. On April 25, 2016, the Somerville School Committee unanimously passed a resolution opposing high-stakes testing. Yet, Somerville students are still being tested. Many students will spend at least five (5) days in testing: two (2) days proving their math abilities and three (3) days being tested on their English Language Arts capabilities (reading, writing, and analysis of fiction and non-fiction).

~Photos by Bobbie Toner

A fundraiser for Skills USA was held in the Somerville High School Highlander Café on Wednesday, March 29. The Culinary Department made a chicken parm dinner with salad and dessert. All the vocational departments donated their services for the raffles. All members of the Skills USA program helped by setting up, serving food and selling tickets. Skills USA program is lead by SHS carpentry teacher, Mario Sousa.

The Somerville Council on Aging was honored to host The Johnny Come Latelies, an all acoustic Irish Band on March 30 at the Holland Street Senior Center.

Part 2:  How will we live?

By William C. Shelton

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

History doesn’t move at an even pace. Consider England in the 7^th Century, for example. Then revisit it 700 years later. The names of the leaders and political divisions will have changed, but people are pretty much living the same way, wearing the same clothes, and doing the same work.

By Rebecca Danvers

On Saturday, April 8, more than 300 youth and adults are expected at the 11th Annual Somerville Youth Peace Conference at the East Somerville Community School, 50 Cross St. Somerville, from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m.

~ Photo by Timrice/Photo

By Daniel Sullivan

I was no fool walking into Thunder Road Saturday night, April 1. Thunder Road is a Rock and Roll club on Somerville Avenue near Union Square. With its stage and acoustics, this is as good a venue as the old and revered Johnny D’s.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

The month of March officially marks 175 years since Somerville separated from Charlestown (in 1842),and on Wednesday, March 29 the city threw a birthday party that was “very Somerville.”

By Jim Clark

Police responded to a Pearl St. residence last Thursday on reports of a larceny from a building. Somerville Police control advised the responding units that the suspect was a male in his twenties, small in size, wearing a blue hoodie with a black jacket over it, blue jeans and sneakers. The suspect was pushing a wheelbarrow, walking away from the victim’s house towards Pinckney Street then turned left onto Pinckney Place.

The $2.3 billion dollar Green Line rapid transit extension project was given the green light to proceed by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in early April 2017. Greater Somerville’s host, Joe Lynch spoke with MBTA – GLX general manager, John Dalton, one day after the FTA’s public announcement.

By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

Last week, I met with Somerville business leaders at the 12th annual Business Town Meeting, hosted by the Somerville Chamber of Commerce, to discuss a number of topics on the minds of our business owners. We gathered in the Rockwell Theater under Foundry on Elm as we always do and had an open discussion about what small businesses in our city find hopeful or challenging about the economic climate locally and nationally. We talked about what we as a city can do to ensure we continue to support and expand our local business base. As always, the Town Meeting was informative for me, and I want to share with you some of the things I presented as well as things I heard from the owners that serve you daily.