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Monday, June 30, 2014

WHO WILL ACCOMPANY WHO?

Unaccompanied minors pose challenge to Lynn officialsUnaccompanied minors pose challenge to Lynn officials


I learned something funny today, not funny ha,ha but funny in an ironic way. From watching THIS WEEK WITH GEORGE STEPHANOPOLOUS that the problem with UNACCOMPANIED MINORS and all that overcrowding problems with ILLEGALS draining our public resources is actually caused by legislation passed by GEORGE W. BUSH. You know the same guy who was the ARCHETECT of NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND. There were CONSERVATIVES on te panel who stayed silent when this was revealed.

GUESS SOME PEOPLE ARE TAKING IT LITERALLY.

That is not to say I am trying to absolve PRESIDENT OBAMA from all guilt. I AM NOT! It's just pointing out that they are not original policies that started with him. Now it as got out of hand.

BLAME, LIKE CREDIT IS A DISH BEST SERVED SHARED!


The responsibility for these children’s care and custody was transferred from the (now abolished) INS to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in the Department of Health and Human Services on March 1, 2003.Signed into law by President George W. Bush November 25, 2002.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

SEE YA LATER, GATOR!

I want you  to know I am not above risking life and limb to report on news about LYNN SCHOOLS. Such was te case today when I entered the field of battle today in the natural habitat of a GATOR and some BULLDOGS. Lucky for me one of the old DOGS must have had extensive home training such that he was promoted to the rank of a COMMODOREso he was able to keep order.

As with almost every NAVIGATOR'S home game some LYNN ENGLISH BULLDOGS always present the colors. To be honest I'm battling with that GATOR from the time he gets up in the morning. When I heard that former LYNN ENGLISH BULLDOG BEN BOWDON was now a COMMODORE for the NATIONAL CHAMPION VANDERBILT baseball team was going to throw out the first pitch, I was relieved to find out an officer would be there to maintain order!

So I survived te potentially harrowing ordeal thanks to the fact that I can run fast and I have a good imagination (Proof that is I think I can run fast!).

Saturday, June 28, 2014

OBERVATIONS ON REFLECTIONS

Retiring Lynn educator reflects on life in schools

You know, I've got this interesting observation. I'll leave it up to all those of you out there who are much smarter than me to draw your own conclusions. Far beit from me to try and stir up any contraversy, especially around events surrounding such an obviously honored and esteemed educator.

Does anyone out there find it peculiar perhaps that such a devoted proponent of the importance of play for students over testing chose this particular time to retire just when all of the incoming Kindergarten students that would have gone to her school are being shipped off to put in the new Kindergarten Center on COMMERCIAL STREET away from their West Lynn communities? They are all better off going to a place where they don'thave to put up with all that GRADUATION hoopla. Probably just a honest coincidence.

Funny though, from what I readit didn't appear she was quite ready to take up a life of liesure full of gardening and reading romance novels. Thank goodness itlookslike she'll be around to share some of her vast wealth of knowledge and soak up some consulting fees.

THE COST OF CONTINUING

Perhaps a petition is in order. The decision to extend the BUSINESS MANAGERS contract for THREE MORE YEARS is cause for concern, at the very least some deep reflection. The contract was extended with a carelessness that demonstrate how out of touch the LSC is with the concerns of parents and the general public at large.

KEVIN MCHUGH bares at least partial responsibility for putting LPS in thetenuous position of having underfunded the schools for apparently since 2011. There can be no excuse save incompetence that would explain the position we now find ourselves in. Despite some MULTIMILLION dollar calculations, this committee chose to continue his employment at a $120,000+ a year.

JUST WHERE CAN I GET ME ONE OF THOSE JOBS? I'M INCOMPETENT AT A LOT OF THINGS!

I GOT YOUR G(L)OAT


Kennedy: Lynnway poised to boom


So quickly after proposing budgets of DOOM
JUDY has the nerve to talk of BOOM?

Guess she's out seeking your PRAISE
All the while your taxes she'll RAISE!

She plays by her own RULES
For years shortchanging the SCHOOLS.


Friday, June 27, 2014

SLIP SLIDING AWAY (AND BY AWAY, I MEAN BY)

So......at the meeting last night a vote was taken to EXTEND he contract of KEVIN MCHUGH, SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGER until 2017. That was because the old contract will be up as of JUNE 30th and without an extention POOF the position goes away and there is no money to fund it. And since he is not likely to join me in the volunteer ranks, they decided to ust extend his current contract until such time as they can get down to the HARD (or should I say HARDLY) negotiations this measure will effectively tread our turbulent waters.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU AND ME?

Maybe that will come more clear  to you if I tell you what I think it means to him.

NO RAISE!

Well not exactly. You see, they do plan on bargaining in GOOD FAITH and all later, probably when things have calmed down a little. At that time when they come up with a NEW contract, it will supercede the old and any raises granted will be given RETRO and in a lump sum. You know how that works teachers, like the lump sum they owe you and PETER CARON, LYNN CFO said last meeting they don't know how they are going to pay you yours. What percentage was that anyway? I believe KEVIN got a 7% increase on his salary last time. Just sayin

ACCOUNTABILITY!

Again, not exactly. Yeah we'll know who to blame if things go wrong but they already have (NET SCHOOL SPENDING?) and he was at least partially to BLAME and insead of PUNISHING his apparent incompetence, we REWARD him with a THREE YEAR DEAL?

IT'S GOOD TO BE FRIENDLY

Since we are talking about a LPS employee, I got to plug this!

I would also be remiss if I failed to point out a fellow survivor of BRAIN DAMAGE! I wish I could stop by and say HI! but you see there is this GATOR, a helicopter, and 1500 GOLF BALLS!



HISTORY MAKING HISTORY


Frederick Douglass reading @ High Rock Tower

In what is now an annual event, The Highlands Coalition will present a reading from Frederick Douglass at High Rock Tower. There will also be live music, pony rides, face painting and food vendors. Did you know that High Rock Tower is a great place to watch the fireworks from?

FORD SCHOOL GARDEN IN ACTION - COTI'S CRUSADERS


Got to wonder if KNOW-ATOM will be NO LONGER with the budget problems we have? We did officially add RICHARD HELD officially as ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION FOR SCIENCE effective June 6, 2014. Which does beg the question, "What the hecks he been doing for the past year? Maybe he was just ACTING instead of TEACHING or DIRECTING  I wonder how we were paying him UNLESS he was volunteering like me.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

EVER GO ON A BLIND DATE?

JULY 10, well that's when the entire LSC is going on one. Yeah, there surprise partner is going to be the FY 15 budget. Okay it's not exactly completely blind. The committee members havehad a copy for a while, just no one else has seen it. Maybe a few speecial people have sneaked a glance but not me. No I've not seen either budget the $131 Million one or the $126 Million one.

This vote is going on the same day in a SPECIAL MEETING OF THE WHOLE the same day it is publically discussed for the first time. My memory doesn't always serve me well. I'm wrong an gosh awful lot of the time. I just don't remember a budget being pushed through so fast, not even with a convening of he FINANCE SUBCOMMITTE. See if they did that they would have to publically discuss it and the public, that;s us parents wouldhave an idear what's in it.

Oh meetings have been held, PRIVATE ones, BEHIND closed doors,with the MAYOR, DR. LATHAM, and I think CHIEF COPPINGER. We know that from the CRACK reporting of the ITEM. I guess some SMOKE leaked from thosed closed doors where they had that there meeting.  Must be why they call it a LEAK!

Anyway the MAYOR mus assume a POSITIVE vote is a foregoned conclusion because they are planning another SPECIAL MEETING right after that to set a date, at least 30 days hence for a public hearing. After which immediately there will be amother meeting ay which time another FORMAL and FINAL vote will be taken just in case the public testimony swayed anybody's opinion. Done deal, thankfully ATTORNEY MIHOS was there to walk them through the necessary procedural steps. Seeing some of the looks on those faces made me homesick for WV. I kept reminiscing how the deer looked along the roadside at night.

Now I got to tell you if I was MAYOR (forget it, I done had me enough of running for political office) I wouldn't be so sure of an affirmative vote. That's on account of PATTI CAPANO has already PUBLICALY stated that she wouldn't vote for a budget that had one penny less han the first one that DR. LATHAM presented. Of course that was before the MAYOR came with a sharpened blue pencil to do a little financial editing.  Funny she wasn't at tonight's meeting. Maybe when she saw the budget on the agenda she was afraid she was going to have to VOTE on it, she caught what BUZZY caught. There seems to be a lot of that going around, It is a horrible diseade, it affects the SPINE.

If I was JUDY (I do have these fantasies about dressing up) I wouldn't be too sure about GOOD OLE CHARLIE. I mean he does have his eyes cast toward another political prize that just might require him to take a sand, especially if it will garner him more votes,

I hope it does pass,so I can get a gander at it. You can rest assured I will go through it line by line pointing out the X's and O's (excesses and holes). Hey, it's what I do!

GET YOUR SUMMER READ ON!

The doors may be closed but that doesn't mean school stops!

http://www.lynnschools.org/ourschools_summer_reading.shtml

CAN'T GET A WORD OUT EDGEWISE

You know I've written letters to the City Councilman, state representatives, even a DESE official. You all seen them, after all I posted them. I think I  wasn't too offensive. I admit I get carried away sometimes.

I ust wanted to talk about NET SCHOOL SPENDING and that ridiculous raise concil voted for the MAYOR (who need I remind you CHAIRS the school committee) yet NOBODY has written anything back. Of course I did identify myself and the WATCH,promising to publish their response. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea ifn I wanted a response. You know hear what they had to say.

MAYBE THEIR SILENCE IS SAYING MORE!

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

WWCD - WE SHALL SEE

What Will CATHE Do,
Now that it's almost time to renew?

Her contract they might extend
But with the way the budget has been

Why would she go through this again
Choosing instead to just let it end?


GETTING MORE BANG FOR YOUR EDUCATIONAL DOLLAR


What do you think is MORE important: “A SRO officer in your child’s school OR a raise to JUDY making her the highest paid MAYOR in all the surrounding cities?”. Seems like a “No-brainer” to me. Well that’s exactly what your CITY COUNCILMEN used to give JUDY a raise while at the same time AUTOMATICALLY give themselves one. This by the way is equivalent to another SRO. So teachers, students how safe to you do you feel now?


Don’t worry; it looks like the school department will absorb the cost of their salaries. It probably does count toward the cost of NET SCHOOL SPENDING. HOWEVER……..I am sure that means money that might have went for BOOKS will now go for BULLETS.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL

I must admit, the LYNN SCHOOL COMMITTE, they done did me one better. Her I was all set to write a letter pleading with them not to pass a BUDGET unless it is fully funded. You know, a protest, a mater of principle as opposed to princiPAL.

Not only are they not going to pass it, they aren't even going to talk about it. Face it, people might ask questions like "Where is the money going?" and "Where is it coming from?".

Look at your calender. This is going to be the month of July soon and not even a FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE meeting to discuss the budget or at least contingencies.
Of course if they were to pass a budget then I, we'd would have 30 days to examine it before the public hearing.

I am not sure they want that.


SCHOOLING WITHOUT A NET

The MAYOR says it's okay from students to steal.
All part of the political payback deal.

Crime does not pay
Unless you get your way.

The student's needs no plan to address.
The MAYOR'S wants, another story I must confess.

MAKE PLANS FOR THURSDAY NIGHT


There is a Lynn School Committee meeting this Thursday, June 26th at 7pm; the regular SC meeting will be preceded by Policy and Curriculum Sub-Committee meetings starting at 6:15pm. The location is 100 Bennett St.
Included on this week's agenda:
-Parent Survey Presentation...
See More
CI.LYNN.MA.US

WELCOME BACK KIDS!

Just  got back from a wonderful event sponser by the HIGHLANDS COALITION at the FORD SCHOOL. About a 100 future first graders and their parents were WELCOMED TO THE NIEGHBORHOOD by HICO Executive Director WENDY JOESPH and fellow board member,former co-chair LESLIE GREENBERG, along HICO members DEB HINES and NURIAT. This after finishing up yesterday after a year at THE KINDERGARTEN CENTER.

Boy I could not believe the turnout. I know I don't think I would came when I was young but they were sure excited to be back home!

RECIPE FOR RUCKUS RAISING- MAKING THEM MEET THE NET

1. Complain to everyone. The Internet is a wonderful thing for shotgun dissent Being from WV I know a thing or two about the use of a shotgun but let me make perfectly clear, NONE of my weddings required their use.

2. Phone calls are nice too unless you sound like me. People are all he ime making wrong assumpions about me. No matter what people may try and tell you, we don't live in an enlightened world.

  • Lori D'Amico I got a second unexpected phone call today from the AGO. I answered the questions I was asked (stressing the fact that the law specifically states schools should be funded at 100%, not 95%. Therefore, the state should be enforcing what the law actually states!) I don't know what, if anything, will happen from here. I guess all we can do is wait and see.
    16 hours ago · Unlike · 1
  • Stanley Wotring Make me a sign!
  • Mary Ellen Palermo what did the AGO say? Did she just take down information or give advice?
  • Stanley Wotring The city of LYNN ought to be getting NERVOUS!
  • Lori D'Amico She was just asking questions about the situation and my conversation with the DESE. She said she was going to share the info with her supervisors.

Monday, June 23, 2014

ALL IS QUIET FROM OUR CITY LEADERS

Not a CITY COUNCILMAN answered me back and they vote on the city budget tomorrow night.

LOOKS LIKE OUR SCHOOLS WILL GET SHORTCHANGED AGAIN

BUT......

THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF CHANGE IN THEIR POCKETS!

Sunday, June 22, 2014

INVESTIGATIVE POETRY

Libraries are full of stories to read
A warehouse of knowledge indeed.

Me, I have stories to write.
In poetry, my passion does ignite.

While facts are often in prose
It's shown to expose.

When rhyme is brought to the fight
The truth more easily comes to light!

I'LL BE BACK

School is almost out for the summer and I can't wait for it to start again in the fall. I got a couple of reasons. One by the beginning of next year I easliy expect to be at the 400,000 view mark! Pretty impressive for a country hick poet. Now if I could just figar out some way to get paid.

But more excitin than eveen that is that it looks like I will be able to put one of my favorite things back on the shelf: MY ROLE AS VOLUNTEER LIBRARIAN! That way I will be able to have a bird's eye view of what's going on with the student's and I'll get to read some SHEL SILVERSTEIN now that my cataracts are HISTORY!

Thank you once again to he Mayor for her UNDERFUNDING the schools and to DR. LATHAM for the choices she made in where to allocate what few resources available. Maybe some one will send me a CORI form so I can fill it out and we can get the ball rolling

FROM THE LPS WEBSITE

Kindergarten Open Houses Scheduled For June 20 and June 23, 2014
Early ChildhoodAn Open House for all incoming kindergarten students will be held on
Friday, June 20, 2014.

Students from the Brickett, Ford, and Tracy districts will attend an Open House at the Early Childhood Center on Monday, June 23, 2014.

Invitations to the Kindergarten Open House have been mailed to all registered students. Anyone registering for kindergarten between now and the dates of the Open Houses will receive an invitation from the Parent Information Center (PIC) at the time of registration.

Students will receive a literacy bag of materials, including a bookmark entitling them to a free book at the Lynn Public Library, and parents will be given information literature.

Only students who are registered for kindergarten will receive an invitation.

To register, please call the Parent Information Center (PIC) at (781) 592-8796 to make an appointment.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

COBBETT CHORUS CAN BE COUNTED ON

At tonight's NAVIGATOR'S game were treated to a pitch perfect inging of THE NATIONAL ANTHEM by the COBBET SCHOOL chorus, minus a certain celebrity. However AMANDA, did show up later and was introduced to the crowd who showed her just how proud everyone was of her. She informed us she is working on an album that she hopes we all will buy.

Where better than a ball field to look for hits.

A RHYME OF THE TIMES

Lynn, Lynn, a city of fools.
Don't look now, we make up our own rules!

Hey other towns, they just let us slide.
So on your backs we will ride!

An education in corruption is what we teach.
So we'll continue to keep real learning out of reach.

The Haves will continue to have and the Nots will not,
As long as elections continue to be bought.

AN OFFENSE WITHOUT A DEFENSE

A willful violation of the law
By shortchanging the schools is what we saw.

That's what we shall say
If the Mayor gets her way!

Yeah, she'll do the crime
And our students will do the time

Cause their education will suffer
While her salary does prosper!

Friday, June 20, 2014

I DID IT LORI down the hatch

June 20, 2014


Dear Mr. Hatch,

I have grave concerns about the Mayor of Lynn's refusal to fund the schools at 100% OF net school spending as required by state law. In fact along with the city's CFO, she has even said the 95% mark is not assured, necessitating further penalties and reductions in Chap. 70 money therefore putting the public schools into a downward spiral. I am asking you to seek the aid of the ATTORNEY GENERAL to enforce compliance.

I look forward to your response. I need to inform you that I do have a blog, LYNN SCHOOL WATCH and I intend to share your response lack thereof with my readers.

Sincerely,

Stanley H. Wotring, Jr.
781 715-5614

SHAKESPEARE AND SCANDAL

Some people call me a comedian. I am really not that funny, just ask my wife - anyone of them, No I just try and tell the truth and that is usually funny enough. REALITY CAN BE FUNNY, hilarious even.

Take this FACT for example. During the last MAYORAL election, JUDY'S campaign manager was the former President of the SALEM TEACHER'S UNION. Now according to public testimony given before the LYNN SCHOOL COMMITTEE, PETER CARON the city CFO stated that their may not be enough money in the city coffers to pay LYNN PUBLIC SCHOOL teachers the RETRO-PAY already agreed to in the bargaining of their contract.

ET TU JUD-AS 

Beware the ides of March. I hope your DIET doesn't include CAESAR salad!

COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY

Yesterday at LTVI they had a COMMUNITY SERVICE DAY. THE commons AND i THINK SOME PARKS GOT CLEANED. IT IS GOOD THAT IN SOME PLACES THEY TEACH THINGS THAT
ISN'T REFLECTED ON STANDARDIZED TESTS.

 sorry about the caps but by the time I realized it I wasn't going to re-type it!

Thursday, June 19, 2014

THE SUBTOTAL IS SUBHUMAN

Here is a thought. Is the MAYOR engaging in WIDESPREAD CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS by refusing to fund the schools at 100% (Let's get REAL we probably won't hit 95%)?

Think about this. Who will dissproportionately suffer due to this failure? Not the city officials who just voted for exorbitant raises. It is almost if they are treating those affected

AS LESS THAN HUMAN!

Who you gonna call?

http://www.ci.lynn.ma.us/board_humanrights.shtml

LIL'LORI SEES A MASTERY OF BEING THE MASTER


City and school officials take full advantage of the population in Lynn. Lynn has a high non-white population, Lynn has a high uneducated (college) population and Lynn has a high low income population. All of these, in my opinion, are leading contributors to the lack of overall involvement from the residents of Lynn. Most of the stunts that our city and school officials pull and get away with would never happen in a more affluent community. In fact, most of our city and school officials would not last a day in these other communities!

I KEEP A KNOCKING BUT THEY WON'T LET ME IN

You know I have been writing a lot of letters lately and NOBODY writes me back. I am starting to get a COMPLEX.I mean there was the letter I first wrote to DAN CAHILL on the RECENT RAISES, asking for some RECONSIDERAION. He almost always writes me right back. Often we een carry on an email conersation the same day.Not this time.

I followed it up with a letter to all the individual council members a day later expressing my concern over the UNDERFUNDINGof our schools and the dire consequences. NOT A PEEP!

I've wrote REP. BOB FENNELL twice on LYNN'S plea for HOME RULE alongwith once to the other to Representatives in our delegation. MY INBOX IS EMPTY!

I am beginning to feel ignored just like I felt at the MAYOR'S STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS!

GREAT WAY TO START SUMMER VACATION!


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A TALE TO PITY

Twas the tale of a crime
Detailed in rhyme.

Raises over reading
Despite the public's pleading.

Taxes sure to rise
Spelling the city's demise.

Thanks to the MAYOR
We have a fiscal AFFAIR!
SAVE OUR SCHOOLS

PLAY BY THE RULES!


SHARE IF YOU CARE

DON'T WAIT FOR THE INTEREST TO COMPOUND


CONTACT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE ABOUT MAYOR KENNEDY'S REFUSAL TO FUND OUR SCHOOLS!!

One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108-1518
Phone: (617) 727-2200
TTY: (617) 727-4765

http://www.doe.mass.edu/finance/chapter70/compliance.html

INGALLS SINGS LOUD AND PROUD

I just want to thank the INGALLS SCHOOL choir for a rousing rendition of THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER at last night's NAVIGATOR game. You made me proud and you truly represent. Joining them as they appear at every home game was the LYNN ENGLISH JROTC COLOR GUARD.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

ABOUT THAT VOTE BOB?

Fact of the matter is, it is not uncommon for LYNN'S MAYOR to come from former or sitting state legislators. Kind of makes you wonder if the votes on the HOME RULE petition allowing for these exorbutant raises will be cast in the best public or PRIVATE interest, now doesn't it?

THOSE NAILS WHOSE HEAD LIL'LORI KEEPS HITTING GO TO LPS'S COFFIN

Lori D'Amico The city council never mentioned where the extra $62,500 per year and $11,000 per year for their and the Mayor's raise will be coming from (unless I missed something). During the public hearing, there was ZERO mention of there not being enough money in budget for these raises. However, just 2 days later, when it came to funding our schools, every other word was "no money" "not enough money" or "budget cuts". Here's what did happen at the school committee meeting: The Mayor made the superintendent cut her already deficient budget by $1.2 million. Peter Caron admitted as of today, we would be hit with yet another penalty (3rd year in a row) for not only under-funding our schools, but by not even hitting the 95% mark. Peter Caron stated the city would have to bond the $1.5 - $4 million Pace verdict and he had no idea where the money for the teachers raises would come from. Jaye Warry admitted our kids are using decade old history books and the current budget does not include any money for textbooks. And as has already been stated, our schools will not have librarians in the libraries (some, to my knowledge, don't even have libraries) Hey, who needs books anyway, right!!

Lori D'Amico Level 4, here we come!!

MOVING RIGHT ALONG, WELL MAYBE NOT "RIGHT" ALONG

Call me crazy! (I am sure there are people standing in line to do that) Why if everyone believes so much in the EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER are they taking some SPED students out of INGALLS to move there instead of their KINDERGARTEN class? I believe they are supposed to stay put.

In the meantime.....

Drewicz 5 year olds are going to be bused across town. Hmmm. I do believe I did a story once about the DANGEROUS traffic at that school. Well I am sure it will be much better now that a NEW bus
ART EXPLORATION CAMPS SUMMER 2014
SUMMER CAMPS
For ages 6-12, 9 AM—3 PM, Monday-Friday

Art Explorers will experience a broad range of visual and performing art forms through hands-on activities and instruction. Each week is designed to encourage creativity with projects that relate to broad, contextual themes. Your explorer will participate in morning visual arts classes that may include painting, multi-media sculpture, print-making and more. In the afternoon, explorers participate in performing arts classes, where they will discover new forms of expression through movement, acting, script-writing and story-telling. All camps include supervised lunch & breaks. Explorers need to bring their own food.

WEEK 1: JULY 7-11 PERSONALITIES ON PAPER
In this week of camp explorers will learn how to draw caricatures and cartoons. Bring in your favorite drawings, cartoons on paper or a photo of someone for inspiration! $175.00

WEEK 2: JULY 14-18 WATER WORKS
In this week of camp explorers will create original pieces of art-work and enjoy performance activities inspired by the theme of water. $175.00

WEEK 3: AUGUST 4-8 PET PORTRAITS
Let’s celebrate our furry friends, real or imaginary! Be inspired by famous paintings to create the ultimate pet portrait. This week will be a roaring good time! $175.00

WEEK 4: AUGUST 11-15 MAJESTY & MYSTERY
Inspired by princesses, knights, war-riors and dragons, this week the explorers will have the opportunity to turn the Chil-dren’s Gallery into a modern day castle! $175.00
 
To register or for more information:
Call 781-598-5244 or email lynnarts@verizon.net