Is America’s “high-stakes and high-pressure” culture hurting its children? Are students today really overworked, overstressed, and underprepared for the working world? That is the argument put forth by filmmaker and mother of three Vicki Abeles, whose first feature-length documentary, Race to Nowhere: The Dark Side of America’s Achievement Culture, will be presented to the Canton […]
Oct 19 2011 | Posted in
News,
Schools | By
Jay Turner
State health officials have alerted 200 Massachusetts communities — including Canton — of a public advisory not to eat fish caught by local fishermen because of elevated organic mercury levels. In Canton, the four principal locations impacted by the advisory are Reservoir Pond, the Neponset River, which stretches from Walpole to Boston, the Ponkapoag River, […]
Oct 19 2011 | Posted in
News,
Schools | By
Mike Berger
At the John F. Kennedy Elementary School, students of all ages share the playground. Sometimes the fifth graders use it; sometimes the first graders use it. Last fall, one first grade girl, Lucy Falcone, was having so much fun that she didn’t want to leave the playground. A fifth grader, Jenny Wolicki, was standing on […]
Oct 19 2011 | Posted in
News,
Schools | By
Mary Ann Price

For the first time in many years, the Canton High School graduation ceremony will take place on a different day of the week at a new location. The Canton School Committee, in consultation with Dr. Doug Dias, voted last Thursday to change the date of this year’s ceremony from Thursday, June 7, to Friday, June […]
Oct 13 2011 | Posted in
News,
Schools | By
Mike Berger

Editor’s note: Below is the first in a series of occasional articles examining recent trends in education and their impact on Canton students. Coming soon will be a look at the new Common Core State Standards and what they might mean for MCAS. In an effort to service more special education students while also saving […]
Sep 21 2011 | Posted in
News,
Schools | By
Jay Turner
School Superintendent Jeff Granatino will be forming a study group of teachers, students, and parents to discuss the possibility of later start times at Canton High School. Addressing the issue at Monday night’s School Committee meeting, Granatino acknowledged that a time change would impact start times at other schools and practice times for athletics. However, […]
Sep 21 2011 | Posted in
News,
Schools | By
Mike Berger

With the aid of a $500 grant from the Paul Matthews Foundation and an enthusiastic endorsement from the Canton School Committee, CHS adjustment counselor Donna Bauman is moving forward with plans to beautify the high school’s five courtyards. Bauman, who presented the idea to the School Committee last week, learned of the grant award on […]
Aug 31 2011 | Posted in
News,
Schools | By
Mike Berger

From a child’s viewpoint, the new playground behind the Luce School is a sight to behold, a colorful array of twists and turns just begging to be climbed and explored. To the adults who had a hand in building it, however, the structure is special for a different reason — standing as a kind of […]
Aug 17 2011 | Posted in
News,
Schools | By
Jay Turner
The Canton School Committee has reported some progress in its talks with the teachers’ union as both sides have agreed to return to face-to-face contract negotiations without the aid of a mediator, beginning August 30. The committee also announced at its meeting on July 28 that it has reached a one-year settlement with the custodial […]
Aug 3 2011 | Posted in
News,
Schools | By
Mike Berger
The School Committee last week agreed on a $780 family cap on athletic user fees for the 2011-2012 school year, which begins on September 6. Earlier this year, committee members had voted to increase the user fee from $125 to $195 per student, which enabled them to save a handful of programs that had been […]
Aug 3 2011 | Posted in
News,
Schools | By
Mike Berger