CHS gymnastics team moving to private facility

Beginning this winter season, the Canton High gymnastics team will move its practices and home meets to a private gym facility, Metro South Gymnasium, located in a small industrial park on Revere Street.

The move was approved by the School Committee Thursday night following a strong recommendation from CHS Athletic Director Danny Erickson. The new facility offers safer and more spacious quarters as compared to the Rodman building, which will still be used by the cheerleading and wrestling teams. School Committee Chairman John Bonnanzio said the gymnasts should try the move this season “and see how it goes.”

The cost for making the move is estimated between $3,600 and $4,000 for the upcoming season. Erickson believes he can cover the costs through the facility revolving fund (ticket sales at home games) and from the additional $150 user fee charged to gymnasts. Swimmers and hockey players are also charged an additional $150 to help offset the costs associated with rink and pool use.

Erickson said the move came at the right time as he had been looking into other options to relocate the gymnastics team. Opposing coaches had expressed concerns over safety in the Rodman gym with its tight quarters, lack of padding on the walls, and the low spring surface on the floor. Erickson added that many other Hockomock League schools have moved to private facilities for practices and meets. Before the November 1 vote, only Canton and Attleboro still used school facilities for gymnastics events.

Erickson said CHS gymnastics coach Carla King and the gymnasts along with their parents are very excited about the move.

The only negative impact is to the Recreation Department’s own gymnastic program, which is held throughout the year at the Rodman building. The CHS equipment will either be moved to the new Revere Street facility or put in storage. Erickson said he will be meeting with Recreation Director Janet Maguire to discuss the impact to the recreational program, which is a feeder program for the successful CHS gymnastics team.

In other news:

* School Superintendent Jeff Granatino praised town officials, specifically Town Administrator Bill Friel, for encouraging NStar to restore power to the Kennedy School by late Tuesday, October 30, after the passing of Hurricane Sandy. If power was not available, Granatino was still ready to open school on Wednesday, October 31. Granatino said each of the Canton schools has a generator that could power the building for a day. Granatino reported some wind and water damage to one of the rooms in the Rodman building.

The German exchange dinner, originally scheduled for October 29, was held the following day after Granatino determined that there were no safety concerns in the town. Usually, if school is canceled, all night activities are also canceled. The exchange students left Thursday to return to Germany.

* Granatino announced a new three-year contract for the school secretaries union. The contract, similar to other contracts recently approved by the School Committee, calls for a 2 percent cost of living adjustment each year and some minor language modifications defining what makes up a school year.

* The Canton Chai Center received approval for a waiver of all building fees for the use of Canton High School on Sunday, December 9, for a community-wide Hanukkah event.

* Granatino praised the work of Galvin Middle School teacher Elaine McCarthy for holding a mock debate between two student presidential candidates. The students discussed economics and the federal budget, welfare and defense spending, and also took questions from the audience. “The debate received very high interest from the students,” said Granatino.

* GMS foreign language teacher Rebecca Stiles received permission to travel with middle school students to Montreal during the upcoming April school vacation. Last year Stiles took 31 students to Montreal and reported a very successful trip. She has requested the same tour guide and even the same bus driver. One chaperone per 10 students will be brought along on the trip.

* The School Department received a $2,000 school safety grant from District Attorney Michael Morrissey’s office, which will pay for two-way radios for Canton High School.

* The CHS production of Grease will be held this Friday and Saturday, November 9 and 10, at 7 p.m. in the CHS auditorium.

* The School Committee will next meet on Thursday, November 15, at 7 p.m.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Nov 7 2012. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.