Pembroke School Committee Approves Eagle Scout Project, Reviews Professional Development Plans
Junior's wall ball backstop proposal for North Pembroke Elementary receives enthusiastic support as committee also assigns subcommittee roles for upcoming year
PEMBROKE - June 3 - The Pembroke School Committee unanimously supports a proposed Eagle Scout project that will add a wall ball backstop to North Pembroke Elementary School's playground, giving students another recreational option during recess.
Grayson Glass, a junior at Pembroke High School, presented his Eagle Scout project proposal at the June 3 meeting, explaining that the wall ball backstop would provide an accessible activity for elementary students.
"I went to North Pembroke. And I always thought recess was great. But there wasn't a lot to do there, really," Glass says. "At the Hobomock fields, there used to be a wall ball backstop there. And it was always a lot of fun. Because you could play whenever. And it's easy."
The proposed structure will be 12 feet wide and 8 feet high, constructed with pressure-treated lumber and secured with concrete footings and posts. Glass notes that the backstop will be versatile, allowing for various handball and kickball games.
Committee Chair David Boyle immediately pledged financial support for the project, offering the first $100 donation and volunteering former Chair Patrick Chilcott for a matching contribution.
"You raised your first $200," Boyle tells Glass, noting that Pembroke has produced 68 Eagle Scouts, with Glass potentially becoming number 78.
Superintendent Erin Obey confirms that North Pembroke Principal Michael Murphy is enthusiastic about adding another activity option to the playground. The school already features a gaga pit installed by Glass's brother as a previous Eagle Scout project.
"I know that Mr. Murphy was very excited to add something else out there," Obey says.
The committee also received a comprehensive overview of professional development plans for the 2025-26 school year from district administrators. The plans include summer training for teachers in Advanced Placement courses, Project Lead the Way programs, and curriculum development.
"Once you approve something, it doesn't really end there," explains Marybeth Brust, Assistant Superintendent. "For a lot of our AP classes, that requires that our teachers attend AP summer institutes in order for them to have like college board certification to teach a college-level course to high school students."
This summer, six or seven teachers will attend AP institutes for courses including AP Precalculus, AP Seminar, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP Language, AP Biology, and AP Physics.
The district continues to expand its Project Lead the Way offerings, with teachers training for computer integrated manufacturing and principles of engineering courses. The biomedical program grows with the addition of a "medical interventions" class, while the middle school will introduce a "medical detectives" course.
Professional development for the upcoming school year will focus on several key areas based on teacher feedback, including:
- Student behavioral support strategies
- A simplify writing pilot for K-5 literacy
- FOSS science curriculum pilot
- Artificial intelligence and cell phone use in classrooms
- Grading practices review
- Applied learning expansion beyond science courses
- The Democratic Knowledge Project for civics education
"Teachers are looking for support around student behaviors," Brust notes. "There's a group of teachers looking for strategies for sort of de-escalation for maybe students that have high behavioral needs, and then there's a group of teachers looking for supports for students who have anxiety, depression, executive functioning."
Committee member Allison Glennon expresses excitement about the AP Precalculus addition, while Susan Bollinger praises teachers for their summer commitment to professional development.
"Kudos to the teachers that are taking the time to do all this work this summer because, you know, like I mean that's a lot, especially with the AP classes, like that's amazing," Bollinger says.
In other business, the committee:
- Approved the FY26 administrator salary grid with a 2.5 percent increase
- Authorized an overnight out-of-state trip to Quebec City for middle school students in May 2026
- Selected Teaching Learning Alliance to develop the district's strategic plan at a cost of $20,000
- Assigned members to various subcommittees and liaison positions for the upcoming year
- Discussed potential outreach opportunities at community events and parent-teacher conferences
- Scheduled upcoming meetings for June 17, July 8, August 5, and August 19
Bollinger expresses particular interest in the district's plans to address artificial intelligence and cell phone use.
"I just am excited that somebody's going to take a look at the AI and cell phone stuff, because I don't know what the right answer is. I have no idea, but I know that what we're doing may not be working," she says.
The committee also discusses investigating the potential for adding cameras to school buses, reviewing the district's attendance policy, and improving safety along Learning Lane.