NATURE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: Greening ideas for the Swampscott school-building design team
Toni Bandrowicz
Opportunity seldom knocks twice. As the town of Swampscott embarks upon the siting of a new elementary school, I can hear it knocking.
Here, at the planning stage, the town has the opportunity to ensure that the new school is environmentally sustainable, protects neighboring natural areas, and provides ample open space for play and learning. It will be much harder and more expensive to incorporate energy saving and sustainable solutions after the project is completed, rather than now at the design phase.
Why is this important? It’s because open space - not just classroom space - is vital to our children’s education. Research consistently shows that access to open space, especially natural green open space, promotes cognitive, physical, social and emotional wellbeing. In designing the new school, we need to expand open space wherever possible, and protect the
True gent Ian Bonthrone left his mark on Perthshire
Tributes have been made following the death of Bankfoot s Ian Jock Bonthone.
Ian Bonthrone from Bankfoot died on January 27, aged 82 (Image: submitted)
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Swampscott students will return to hybrid-learning plans
Leigh Blander / Correspondent
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After falling short of state education requirements, Swampscott Public Schools is anticipated to launch new hybrid-learning plans Jan.19, increasing the time that students are actively engaged with a teacher.
“A major feature of these new models will be an increase in the amount of time students are live with their teachers when they are learning from home,” Swampscott Superintendent Pamela Angelakis wrote to families.
“Major upgrades to our Internet cabling over the holiday break, as well as teacher’s learning over the past several weeks about best practices for simultaneously managing both in-person and at-home students tuning into the classroom via Zoom have enabled us to make these changes,” she said.
NATURE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: Go take a bath in the Woods
Toni Bandrowicz
“Forest Bathing” or
Shinrin-yoku in Japanese is the new trend in reducing stress and depression, lowering blood pressure, boosting immunity, and improving overall mental and physical health.
For those unacquainted with the term, it essentially means taking a quiet, leisurely, mindful walk in the woods. No water is involved; just soaking up the forest “atmosphere.” That this type of activity would be good for both the mind and body should come as no surprise. People have been extolling the benefits of spending time in nature for centuries and modern studies just keep confirming it.
New rules governing Swampscott dogs taking effect
Violations come with hefty fines, officials say
Leigh Blander
New rules banning dogs from town-owned property, including parks and school fields, are taking effect. Violators will face hefty fines.
“There are people who think the fields are their personal dog parks,” said Swampscott Board of Health Chair Marianne Hartmann. “People who work at the schools see this happening and with kids using the fields more now for outdoor mask breaks and class time, you would hope that people would be more responsible, but it’s just not happening.”
Town Meeting voted in 2019 to ask the Board of Health to develop language for new regulations banning dogs from town-owned parks and playing fields. The BOH approved the language in October. Signs at the impacted parks and fields are going up now.