“There have been a lot of donations so far, however, we are hearing that the distribution sites across the state are running low compared to this time last year.

Please consider making a donation. All State Police Barracks are accepting new toy donations through December 13th. Toys for boys and girls, aged newborn to 14, with non-violent themes.

Again, please consider making a donation. Every child deserves a little Christmas.

Please share this post.

#ToysForTots” -Massachusetts State Police.

Mayor Mitchell will hold neighborhood office hours for the month of December on Tuesday, December 10, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Vasco da Gama Restaurant, 85 Dartmouth Street.

Mayor Mitchell announced he would set aside time each month to hold office hours in city neighborhoods so that residents could meet with him outside of normal business hours and in their own neighborhood.

In his State of the City last year, the Mayor announced that a new format of office hours would be established, inviting residents to join him at local restaurants in different neighborhoods of the city. Food will be available at the office hours.

City residents are invited to attend the neighborhood office hours to meet with Mayor Mitchell directly and share their concerns and ideas, as well as a bite to eat. The sessions are open to all New Bedford residents, no advance appointments are required and meetings with the Mayor will be done on a first-come, first-served basis.

The students at Discovery Language Academy will be travelling the world…virtually, that is…when the school becomes the first in the area to introduce virtual reality (VR) to its curriculum, beginning this December.

Only a few schools in the state are currently utilizing this revolutionary technology as a tool for language and cultural learning.

Virtual reality (VR) technology utilizes computer-generated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world. By injecting students into all sorts of places and situations, it captivates their attention and fully immerses them in the learning experience.

Dr. Leslie Vicente, Executive Director, sees the introduction of this technology as significant step toward Discovery Language Academy’s mission of providing innovative opportunities for students of all ages.

“The students are aware that we are going to incorporate Virtual reality into the curriculum and they are very excited about it” stated Vicente. “This will permit our students to virtually visit many places of interest worldwide such as Lisbon, Portugal or Washington, D.C.”

Virtual reality will be incorporated into the school’s curriculum at all grade levels twice a week, with different modules for younger and older students and shorter experiences for young students.

The National Training Laboratory (National Education Association of the United States) reports that retention rates for lecture-style learning are 5%, with reading rates at 10%.  Meanwhile, VR scored a retention rate of 75% and at the top of the class is learning by teaching others. 
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Although the technology has been used in gaming for years, it has only recently made its way into the classroom. This method of learning can be especially beneficial for students who may have trouble learning by more conventional means.

The modules that Discovery Language Academy will use simulate situations ideally suited to second language learners and, in addition to three-dimensional, real-looking visuals, includes auditory cues to stimulate interaction and help with pronunciation of new words.

For example, one module explores navigating an airport, taking students from check-in and immigrations to security and boarding. After completing the module, the students will be scored on their preparedness to navigate their way through an airport in a Lusophone country using only Portuguese.

For hardware, the school has invested in two set ups of an Oculus Rift S with an accompanying PC, giving students the very best of the virtual reality experience. With this setup, six or seven students can share and discuss each experience together. While one student uses the headset, five or six others will simultaneously see that student’s experience on a large screen. Eventually, the school hopes to have 16 complete units with the financial assistance of community.

Originally incorporated in 1979 as Portuguese United for Education (PUE), the school changed its name to Discovery Language Academy in 2016, when it moved to the DeMello International Center in Downtown New Bedford. It provides educational opportunities responsive to the diverse needs of the South Coast community in the areas of Portuguese and English language acquisition and cultural understanding.

The Family Institute for Student Success (FISS) Leadership Committee and Hayden McFadden Principal Tammy Morgan will graduate 60 parents. Former Hayden McFadden student and current Principal of Brooks Elementary, Jennifer Medeiros, will be the keynote speaker. The FISS Leadership Committee would like to thank the administration for its support and hosting the Nine-Week Program. NBPS is committed to strengthening the relationship between home, school and community to ensure student success.

From FISS graduates:

“It is a program worth having around to help bring back the lost, but not forgotten, sense of community between parents, teachers, students, and neighbors; like they said: “It takes a village to raise a child.”

“The FISS program impacted my life tremendously! Sharing experiences with other parents was helpful to hear their ways of discipline and academics at home. It gives me a boost as a parent to make sure my kids are on the right path. It really supported my ability to be the perfect mother to my children.”

“I decided to join the Family Institute for Student Success because I want my children to have better opportunities in their school life.”

WHY: Research has shown that parent engagement in education is the most effective way to improve the lives of our children, end the cycle of poverty, reduce crime, and help build communities. According to a study by McKinsey & Co., by eighth grade more than 40% of African-American and Hispanic students will score “below basic” for math and reading and nearly 50% will drop out of high school. Those who drop out will be five to eight times more likely to go to prison and will earn 40% less than a college graduate. FISS’s goal is to reverse this alarming trend.

DATA: In 2013, a longitudinal study completed by San Diego State University and Claremont Graduate University on the impact of FISS’s 9-week program between the years of 2005 and 2007 showed that 90% of the children of FISS participants in Los Angeles, San Gabriel Valley, and San Bernardino, graduated from high school and 70% of those students enrolled in college.

WHAT: Graduation ceremony to recognize 60 parents’ commitment and hard work on behalf of their children’s education
WHEN: Thursday, December 5, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.
WHERE: Hayden McFadden Elementary School, 361 Cedar Grove St., New Bedford, MA 02746

_____________________________________________________________

ABOUT FISS: The Family Institute for Student Success (FISS) is modeled after the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) out of California. FISS New Bedford was made possible by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education. PIQE’s mission: to provide families with the knowledge and skills to partner with schools and communities to ensure their children achieve their full potential. PIQE is a 501(c) (3) community-based organization dedicated to innovative educational reform by informing and motivating low-income and immigrant parents to become knowledgeable about how to navigate the school system and seek the educational opportunities available for their children. Since its inception in 1987, PIQE has graduated more than 650,000 parents and impacted the social and educational development of over 1.9 million children.

Due to the continued weather conditions, the overflow will be opened again tonight. All inquiries can be forwarded to Sister Rose House and 1-800-homeless.

All guests should plan to arrive for 6:00pm and the cutoff time will be 8:30pm. Dinner will be served between 6:00pm and 7:30pm and we wrap up between 9:45pm and 10pm.

As a reminder, the overflow will be activated on nights that the temperature is expected to be at 28 degrees or less. If the temperature were to drop below 28 at 4 or 5:00am rather than 7 or 8:00pm as an example, it doesn’t ensure that the overflow would open. All guests are expected to get up at 5:00 am and exit the premises by 6 or 7:00am.

Also, precipitation or snow alone doesn’t ensure that the overflow will open but are taken into consideration coupled with the temperatures. We also view the feel like temps, so as an example if the temperature was expected to be at 30 degrees but the wind-chill coupled with rain or snow presents or “feels like” 25 degrees then the overflow would be activated.

Every year we always have grey area days but we do the best in our judgment to make the right call. On days that we are expected to open an email blast will be sent by 12pm.

Also, 1-800-homeless will notify any callers if the overflow will be open on expected days. This will be our 4th season and with all the challenges at any given time, we are hopeful to continue safe operations and save lives, especially on the coldest nights. We also are looking for extra help, especially if the number of guests expected on any given night reaches 30. We also have 25 guests on the main floor so manpower is very important.

Effective Thursday, December 5 – Wednesday, January 1.

In an effort to encourage everyone to do their holiday shopping in New Bedford, the City will again offer a special Holiday Parking Program with both downtown parking garages offering two hours of free parking. From Thursday, December 5 through Wednesday, January 1, both the Elm Street Garage and the Zeiterion Garage will offer FREE parking for up to two hours.

Anyone parked in either of the downtown garages while doing holiday shopping who receives a ticket as a result of parking in excess of the 2-hour limit may mail or present their ticket along with a copy of a sales receipt for $10 or more from a downtown restaurant or merchant to the City of New Bedford Traffic Commission office within three weeks (21 days) of receiving the ticket. The parking ticket will be forgiven with the presentation of the same-day receipt.

Metered street spaces will no longer offer free parking, after earlier this year the parking limits at meters were extended. In October, the City announced that parking limits were to be extended from the former 2-hour limit to 3-hour, 4-hour, and unlimited, in several zones of downtown New Bedford, as part of the 2019 Downtown & Waterfront Parking Study.

The highest-demand area, or the core, of downtown is now capped at a 3-hour limit. Moving farther from the center of downtown, a second zone was extended to a 4-hour limit. The farthest zone from the downtown with metered spaces has an unlimited time limit.

With the new, longer limits, there are three zones for parking. The zones and parking time limits will be indicated by signs indicating the time limit in that area. The zones and signs are also color-coded.

Zone 1 (Green) is at the center of downtown. Parking will be extended from its current 2-hour limit to a 3-hour limit.

Zone 2 (Blue) is the next zone outside the center of the downtown. Parking will be extended from its current 2-hour limit to a 4-hour limit.

Zone 3 (Yellow) is the farthest zone outside the center of the downtown. Parking will be extended from its current 2-hour limit to unlimited parking.

The Downtown & Waterfront Parking Study recommendations included significant input from stakeholders, including residents and small business owners in the downtown and waterfront area, and collection of data on parking use in the area, the recommendations were developed to document existing demand and improve parking for residents and visitors.

It had been several decades since the City last undertook a comprehensive look at parking in the downtown and on the waterfront, and with many significant changes and developments in both areas, as well as advancements in parking management practices and technology, the City determined a study was long overdue. The study was funded through a combination of the Downtown Parking Enterprise Fund, New Bedford Port Authority, and MassDevelopment funding. The full 2019 Downtown & Waterfront Parking Study is available here.

The Traffic Commission office is located at 51 Elm Street and is open from Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Questions regarding the Holiday Parking Program should be directed to the Traffic Commission Office at 508-961-3153.

Due to the continued weather conditions, the overflow will be opened again tonight. All inquiries can be forwarded to Sister Rose House and 1-800-homeless.

All guests should plan to arrive for 6:00pm and the cutoff time will be 8:30pm. Dinner will be served between 6:00pm and 7:30pm and we wrap up between 9:45pm and 10pm.

As a reminder, the overflow will be activated on nights that the temperature is expected to be at 28 degrees or less. If the temperature were to drop below 28 at 4 or 5:00am rather than 7 or 8:00pm as an example, it doesn’t ensure that the overflow would open. All guests are expected to get up at 5:00 am and exit the premises by 6 or 7:00am.

Also, precipitation or snow alone doesn’t ensure that the overflow will open but are taken into consideration coupled with the temperatures. We also view the feel like temps, so as an example if the temperature was expected to be at 30 degrees but the wind-chill coupled with rain or snow presents or “feels like” 25 degrees then the overflow would be activated.

Every year we always have grey area days but we do the best in our judgment to make the right call. On days that we are expected to open an email blast will be sent by 12pm.

Also, 1-800-homeless will notify any callers if the overflow will be open on expected days. This will be our 4th season and with all the challenges at any given time, we are hopeful to continue safe operations and save lives, especially on the coldest nights. We also are looking for extra help, especially if the number of guests expected on any given night reaches 30. We also have 25 guests on the main floor so manpower is very important.

New Bedford
• New Bedford Public Schools will be on a 2-hour delay on Tuesday, December 3, 2019. There will be no morning Pre-K and Administrative Offices will open 1-hour late.
• New Bedford Vocational Technical High School will have a 2-hour delay. Students should report to school by 9:30 and report to their Block 1 class by 9:40. Bus schedule will run with a two-hour delay.
• St James- St John School closed today.
• Alma del Mar closed today.
• City On A Hill school closed today.

Dartmouth & Westport
• Dartmouth Public Schools are closed today.
• Friends Academy
• Bishop Stang High School
• Westport Community Schools will be closed today, Dec. 3.
• UMass Dartmouth will have a delayed opening of 11:00am.

Fairhaven & Acushnet
• Fairhaven Public Schools are closed today.
• Acushnet Public Schools are closed today.

Tri-Town Area
• Mattapoisett Public Schools are closed today.
• Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School is closed.
• Old Rochester Regional is closed today.
• Marion Public Schools are closed today.

Freetown
• Freetown Lakeville Public Schools are closed today.

Are you interested in snow removal ? Complete Labor & Staffing has plenty of snow removal jobs all around the area please come on down to 256 Union st or call the office (508) 858-5595 this is going on now first come first served. They are HIRING NOW, on the spot.

The office is open NOW, if you want to work and you need a job, they will make it happen.

Starting wages are $13 to $17 an hour.

DRESS WARMLY. Bring TWO forms of ID. Licensed drivers are a huge plus.

What is needed to start once you’re hired:

Jeans and Boots essentially work clothes
Dress prepared for the weather, Snow Gear, Rain gear
Keep any certifications on you like an osha card
Be prepared, bring a lunch and water.

Located at: 256 Union Street
New Bedford. MA
508-858-5595

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing that in New Bedford there will be full lane closures soon at the Tarkiln Hill Road grade crossing as part of South Coast Rail Phase 1 infrastructure work.

Beginning at 7 a.m., Thursday, December 5, and continuing through to 4 p.m., Tuesday, December 10, Tarkiln Hill Road will be closed to all traffic at the grade crossing. A detour route will be implemented – see the detour map for more details. Access to all local business establishments and driveways will be maintained during business hours. Police details will be present throughout the construction period.

The South Coast Rail corridor project at Tarkiln Hill Road is taking place with the support and cooperation of the City of New Bedford. The project work is occurring in advance of upcoming municipal work to fully replace the existing water main and is being completed in advance of other Commonwealth of Massachusetts infrastructure improvement projects in the vicinity of the grade crossing.

Members of the public traveling in the area of Tarkiln Hill Road are encouraged to allow extra time to travel through the area. Scheduled construction work is weather dependent.

MassDOT is making important updates to the Tarkiln Hill Road grade crossing as part of Early Action construction work for Phase 1. The crossing will receive critical roadway drainage improvements that are necessary to prepare for follow-on rail construction and future Phase 1 service.

For more information about the South Coast Rail Project, please visit: www.mass.gov/southcoastrail