New Hardy Elementary School Principal Announced

Kristin DeFrancisco take on new role on July 1.

  Arlington Public Schools officials announced this week that Kristin DeFrancisco has accepted the position of principal of Hardy Elementary School. She will officially assume her responsibilities on July 1.  “We are very pleased to welcome Ms. DeFrancisco into a new role in Arlington," said Dr. Kathleen Bodie, Superintendent of Schools. "Kristin brings to her new leadership position her experience as a teacher in the Elementary Level, as well as active involvement in District-wide Committees. Through her years of teaching and active committee work, she brings a deep understanding of the mission of the Arlington Public Schools and the wonderful teaching and learning taking place in our schools." DeFrancisco has worked in the Arlington …

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Report: Arlington High Athletic Director Fired

Ted Dever is planning to file a grievance against the school district, according to Boston.com.

After months of turmoil, Arlington High Athletic Director Ted Dever was fired by the school district in late March, his attorney recently told Boston.com. Dever’s attorney, Rick Grundy, said he was planning to file a grievance against the district on behalf of his client, according to the report. District administrators would not comment on the personnel matter but said Dever was taken off the payroll March 22, the report states. Dever had been on paid administrative leave since last August, when it was announced he was the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation. That investigation is still ongoing, Arlington Police Capt. Richard Flynn told Boston.com. No details have been released on the nature of the investigation. In November, …

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Arlington Public Schools Closed Tuesday

Schools will be closed due to the winter storm passing through Massachusetts.

Tell the kids they can roll over and go back to bed: Arlington Public Schools will be closed today, Tuesday, March 19 due to the winter storm. The latest National Weather Service forecast for Arlington calls for rain, snow, and sleet before noon, then rain and snow, with a total daytime snow and sleet accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible and a high temperature near 38.

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YOUR TURN: Too Much Snow for School?

Arlington Catholic, St. Agnes, Lesley Ellis and New Covenant all closed their doors Friday, but the Arlington Public Schools held regular hours. Was there too much snow for school, or is this much ado about nothing?

Arlington Catholic, St. Agnes, Lesley Ellis and New Covenant all canceled classes Friday, but the Arlington Public Schools? They were open on time. Was this the right call, or was there too much snow for school today? Should there have been a delay or a snow day? Share your stories of trying to get your kids to school in the comments section below. Something to consider: The last day of school is currently Thursday, June 27, in Arlington, meaning that if the district closed today and then had just one more snow day, it would have had to cut into Good Friday, a weekend or April vacation.

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You Ask... Patch Answers

When Is the First Day of School Next Year?

The district recently announced when students will be returning after summer vacation.

The first day of school next school year for Arlington public school students in grades 1-12 will be Tuesday, Sept. 3, according to a recent district announcement. The first day for kindergartners will be Monday, Sept. 9. Labor Day is Monday, Sept. 2, in 2013. This school year, students in grades 1-12 returned the Thursday after Labor Day, Sept. 6.

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Four Arlington High School Principal Finalists Named

All four finalists are external candidates.

The following is from the Arlington Public Schools. Arlington Public Schools Announces High School Principal Finalists The Arlington Public Schools is pleased to welcome four finalists for the position of Arlington High School Principal to meet with teachers, students, parents and administrators. Please note that parents and community members are invited to meet with the candidates on Tuesday, February 12, and Wednesday, February 13 from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. at Arlington High School in the Media Center. Tuesday, Feb. 12 6:30-7:15 p.m. Matthew Poska 7:30-8:15 p.m. Shirley Lundberg Wednesday, Feb. 13 6:30-7:15 p.m. Matthew Janger 7:30-8:15 p.m. Debra Heaton Debra Heaton is currently the Acting Principal of Marblehead High School. Prior to …

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Longtime Arlington Educator Passes Away

Mary T. Murphy was laid to rest Saturday.

Mary T. Murphy, a longtime Arlington educator, passed away Sunday, Dec. 30, at Bear Hill Nursing Center in Wakefield, where she had been cared for since 2011. She was 90. Murphy worked in the Arlington Public Schools for 40 years. She was a teacher and then the principal at Dallin. Murphy was the daughter of Jeremiah and Hannah Murphy of Arlington. She is survived by Mary-Jane and John Beach of Yarmouth Port, John Donelan of Middleton, Mark and Kelly Donelan of Danvers, Nancy and Charles Sabanty of Danvers, Susan and Dan Burke of Malden, Gael and Robert Tarleton of Seattle and Karen Donelan and Philip Amrein of Belmont, as well as 13 great nieces and nephews and six great great nieces and nephews. Murphy graduated from Salem State and …

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Former Arlington Special Education Administrator Allegedly Solicited Nude Photos of Girl, 15

Steven C. Orloff, who was one of the district's assistant directors of special education up until the summer of 2011, pretended to be a 14-year-old boy to solicit the photos, according to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office.

A former Arlington special education administrator has been charged with posing a child in the nude after he allegedly pretended to be a 14-year-old boy and solicited indecent images from a 15-year-old girl in Maine. Steven C. Orloff, 47, 189 Potter Rd., Framingham, was arraigned Wednesday in Framingham District Court on charges of distribution of obscene matter and pose or exhibit a child in the nude, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone said in a press release. Orloff was the Arlington Public Schools' assistant director of special education for secondary students as recently as 2011. In the summer of 2011, he took a job as the director of student services for the Stoneham Public Schools at $102,000 per year. Framingham District Court …

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Report: School District Trying to Fire Athletic Director Ted Dever

Arlington Superintendent Kathleen Bodie has told Dever it’s due to his past job performance, but Dever’s attorney isn’t buying it, according to the Boston.com report.

The Arlington School District is trying to fire Athletic Director Ted Dever, according to a Boston.com report. Dever, who has been on paid administrative leave since late August because he’s the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation, received a dismissal notice from Superintendent Kathleen Bodie on Thursday, Nov. 15, according to the report. Dever and his attorney, Rick Grundy, then met with Bodie and an attorney representing the district last Tuesday, Dec. 4, the report states. Grundy told Boston.com that Bodie’s claiming Dever’s being let go because of his past job performance, not the criminal investigation. Grundy said that Bodie’s specific complaints of Dever’s performance are untrue. Dever has not been charged, and still no …

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Arlington Educator Named MIAA Wellness Coordinator of the Year

Cindy Bouvier, director of wellness and counseling, received the honor.

The following is from the Arlington Public Schools. Arlington Public Schools Educator Named 2012 MIAA Wellness Coordinator of the Year The Arlington Public Schools proudly announced that Cindy Bouvier, Director of Wellness and Counseling, was named the 2012 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Wellness Coordinator of the Year. The award was presented at the MIAA Annual Wellness Summit, Healthy Choices: Winning Choices, held on October 19, 2012.   Wellness Coordinators are the educational leaders from MIAA member schools and middle schools who have been delegated to promote wellness at the local level. Ms. Bouvier has served Arlington Public Schools in this capacity for the past 6 years, directing the district's efforts…

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