1992-03-30 School Committee Minutes

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READING PUBLIC SCHOOLS Reading, Massachusetts SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING OPEN HEARING MINUTES CALL TO ORDER 30 MARCH 1992 Chairman Barbara Philbrick called the meeting to order at 7:25 in the auditorium at Arthur W. Coolidge Middle School. All members of the School Committee were present. Also present were Superintendent Robert J. Munnelly and Assistant Superintendent Lynn M. Bak. About twenty -five members of the Coolidge community of faculty and parents were present. Barbara Philbrick introduced the Reading School Committee to the Coolidge community and gave a special welcome to newly elected members of the School Committee, Robin D'Antona and Susan Cavicchi. WELCOME TO THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE OPEN HEARING Superintendent Munnelly turned the meeting over to Principal Lahood who gave a brief history of the school, and then introduced the chairperson of the Coolidge Parents Advisory Council - - Jean Thomases. Mrs. Thomases spoke about how the Coolidge Parents Advisory Council works, and about the projects which P.A.C. has undertaken this year. T4T(.T4T T('-T4TC Coolidge Science Department Chairman John Doherty presented the "School Highlights" about the hands -on science lab program at the school. Students Danielle Boucher and Michael Rossetti helped to describe the integrated learning approach which stresses the application of science to every day life. Shown by Ms. Boucher and Mr Rossetti were videos depicting several science activities including the culmination of a science unit on nutrition, the week -long field trip to an environmental camp, a lesson on rock identification through scientific testing and a research effort using computers. PUBLIC COMMENT AND QUESTIONS Questions and discussion related to the science presentation followed. Of special note was a discussion on young women and science teaching as depicted on the video about frog dissection. A parent asked about the issues the School Committee will have on their agenda this spring. Another asked about graduation requirements and scheduling. "Is there a capital expenditure for computers in the school budget ?" The short answer is "Yes" but it is not funded and has not been funded for the last few years.