2012-03-12 School Committee Minutes

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March 12, 2012 2. Liaison Mrs. Janowski reported on the Human Relations Advisory Committee Arts Contest Mr. Caruso reported that he and Mrs. Janowski held office hours. Mrs. Gibbs said that the play was spectacular from the scenery to the performances. It is hard to remember these are high school students. 3. Director of Student Services Ms. Elmer reported that there was good turnout for the first session of the Parent Workshop series. Ms. Elmer presented information on the iPad Pilot Program. She thanked Mrs. Janowski for the training she presented to staff on the use of the device. She also provided an overview and highlighted free applications. The pilot cohort includes the following schools, Barrows, Coolidge, Killam, RMHS and Wood End and involves program teachers, Speech & language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists and the Technology Integration Specialists. Ms. Elmer reviewed iPad pilot calendar for year one. As part of the program the district has opted to purchase several applications that vary in cost. The district will be looking for additional sources of funding for year two. Other considerations regarding the program would be the cost of purchasing individual licenses for each device, the expansion of the program to the remaining schools and specialist access to both devices and applications. 4. Superintendent Dr. Doherty also reported on the recent drama performance of "To Kill a Mockingbird ". This production featured the first time that several students participated in a production. He thanked Mrs. de Garavilla and Ms. Castro for arranging the METCO shuttle to allow students to participate. He also reported that the Girls Basketball team recently won the Division 2 Sportsmanship Award which will be presented Saturday at the State finals in Worcester. Dr. Doherty and 6 teachers will be presenting at the upcoming MassCue Leadership Conference on the Bring Your Own Device pilot in the district. 5. Human Resources Administrator Mrs. Conway updated the School Committee on the Reading Memorial High School Principal search. She went on to review the staffing changes for the last quarter. 6. Assistant Superintendent Mrs. deGaravilla thanked Mr. Zaya and Ms. McNamara for organizing another successful Health & Wellness Fair for the high school and 8h grade students. She went on to review the professional development activities that have occurred and are scheduled for the remainder of the year. She has worked closely with Ms. Elmer to ensure that the PD opportunities meet the needs of all teachers.