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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-02-13 School Committee MinutesReading Public Schools Reading, Massachusetts Regular Meeting of the School Committee Open Session Date: February 13, 2012 Time: 7:30 p.m. Place: Schettini Library Media Center School Committee Members Present Karen Janowski David Michaud Chris Caruso Chuck Robinson Lisa Gibbs Hal Croft Visitors: Ellie Freedman, RMHS Principal Tricia Puglisi, RMHS Assistant Principal Mike Scarpitto, RMHS Assistant Principal I. Call to Order Staff Members Present John Doherty, Superintendent RECEIVED TOWN CLERK REt',DING. MASS. 1011 APR -2 P 2: 31, Patty de Garavilla, Assistant Superintendent Mary DeLai, Director of Finance and Operations Alison Elmer, Director of Student Services Ashley Testa, Student Representative Garrison Doodlesack, Student Representative Barbara Jones, Reading Chronicle Mike McSweeney, RMHS English Department Head Kate Fiorello, RMHS Wellness Teacher Chairperson Robinson called the School Committee to order at 7:35 p.m. He reviewed the agenda and welcomed guests. I1. Recommended Procedure A. Public Input (I) Reports (I) 1. Student Ms. Testa reported that the course selection process has begun for underclassmen and that the Drama Club had a successful weekend presenting "The Little Prince ". Mr. Doodlesack stated that the Boys' Basketball Team won the league championship and the National Honor Society had a successful fundraiser. 2. Liaison Mrs. Gibbs attended the production of "The Little Prince" with her family and thoroughly enjoyed it. She also noted that "To Kill a Mockingbird" is the second winter production in March. She also attended a presentation as part of the "A World of Difference" initiative. February 13, 2012 She thanked the Girls' Varsity Basketball Team for helping out at the Special Olympics basketball practice session recently. 3. Assistant Superintendent Mrs. de Garavilla updated the School Committee on Project Lead the Way — a science program that introduces hands -on, project -based engineering courses. The plan is to start the program with 2 middle and high school courses. She has been working with representatives from WPI to obtain grant funding for the program. 4. Superintendent Dr. Doherty discussed the recent NCLB waiver Massachusetts received from the USDOE. The Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) will no longer be a determining factor, replacing it will be Annual Measurable Objectives. This tool will allow the district to look at proficiency gaps allowing for more realistic goals. B. Continued Business RMHS Principal Search Dr. Doherty said that applications have been coming in and the screening committee should be in place by the end of the week. He and Elizabeth Conway have met with several groups including the high school PTO, School Council, student leadership groups and has 2 student luncheons scheduled this week to gather input. Surveys have also been sent to middle and high school parents and teachers. The Superintendent asked the School Committee what qualities they would like to see in a high school principal. Mr. Robinson would like to have a principal that is not afraid to make changes and is student focused. Mrs. Gibbs added that she would like to see a principal that could diplomatically make change and understands that students have different learning styles. Mr. Michaud would like to see a person that is comfortable as a leader and is willing to be visible and part of the community. Mrs. Janowski would like the principal to be comfortable using social media to connect with the community and is a lifelong leamer. Mr. Caruso would like the individual to be a vested member of the community, visible at activities. Mr. Croft would like an individual that is not afraid to take risks and fail and willing to address class size concerns by exploring team teaching concepts. He would also like to see someone with an evolving intellect and have the students take ownership in the facility. February 13, 2012 The Committee asked the Superintendent what he was hearing from the students. The students would like a principal that is highly visible in the halls and at events and interacts with students. They also want an effective communicator that will listen to student concerns. C. New Business RMHS Presentation Chair Robinson thanked Mrs. Freedman for hosting the meeting and the tour of the building. Mrs. Freedman provided an overview of the Real World Problem Solving process. She reviewed what project based learning was at RMHS. It is student - centered curriculum that is inquiry- based, has real world applications, and incorporates higher order thinking skills. The role of the teacher is facilitator or coach. She reviewed the expectations for student learning and why real world problem solving. Mrs. Freedman also provided an overview of the rubric that would be used t evaluate the students and their projects. Principal Freedman indicated that the goal of our school district is to ensure students are armed with the skills they need to compete in the 2151 century. Our students need to become critical thinkers with good communication and problem solving skills. Mr. McSweeney had approached Mrs. Freedman with the idea of offering this alternative to midyear exams. He worked with a faculty committee of 8 teachers from all disciplines to determine how to develop the program. They used three guiding principles. Feasibility — Can the idea actually be carried out; Viability — Will the idea survive for the long -term; and Desirability — Will people like your idea. From these principles the group created case studies and discussed how to teach the kids these principles and could the kids meet the principles. The group chose two case studies — Teen Center in Reading and Bike Friendly Reading. 173 students signed up to participate in this alternative to midyear exams. Students were broken down into teams of 10 -12 and randomly given one of the two case studies. The week began with a guest speaker, David Mancuso to set the stage as the students took on the task. The teams participated in team building activities to help them learn to work together as a group. Wednesday and Thursday the teams worked on the projects. The students had the freedom to leave school and go to outside sources to gather information. On Friday the students presented their projects to a panel of judges. Each presentation was a maximum of 8 minutes, it had to have a visual component, a minimum of 3 group members speak and the presenters could not answer panelists' follow -up questions. Components of the student/project evaluation included the expert panels, rubric for guiding principles, collaboration rubric and team self - evaluation. The students learned how to work together as a group toward a common goal. The students had to learn how to work with all different personalities and skill sets. They also had opportunities to work with people they did not already know. Presentation #1: Bike Trails Around Reading RMHS juniors Meghan Friedmann, Jon Ross, Jessica Swanson and Shannon Sciarappa presented their project "Bike Trails Around Reading ". The students discussed the reasons Reading wants bikes. The benefits include increased health benefits, cutting fuel emissions and savings on gas. It may also encourage non - bikers to become bikers. The students next discussed the research February 13, 2012 they did regarding the types of bike trails. Types included raised bike lanes, bike lane /split road and shared sidewalks. The raised bike lanes could be used on busier roads to ensure biker safety. The bike lane /split road lanes are used on wider less busy street and the shared sidewalks would be used on narrower roads with sidewalk. The bikers would share the sidewalk. When developing the trail system the group took into account points of interest in town such as schools, Library, athletic fields, downtown and the lake in Wakefield. The discussion continued regarding bike hubs and rentals. The group decided on the locations of the hubs which included the Town Compost Center, RMHS, Town Hall and the Atlantic Building. There was discussion of fees and methods to offset the cost of the bike usage such as advertising on the bikes. They discussed the fees for bike usage and options such as a year long, unlimited use pass and day passes. Revenues could be used to fund healthy living events such as bike to school and town bike races. A fleet of 55 bikes, 12 per station was proposed. The DPW would provide weekly checks on the bikes to ensure they are evenly distributed and removed if service is needed. The group researched bike rental systems and determined the system used by the City of Boston would be the best for their program. They next discussed the cost and trail information. The initial cost for the program would be approximately $860,000 which includes paving/sidewalks, bike racks, signs, helmets, paint and machine rental. The annual operating cost for the program would be approximately $191,400 which includes the bikes, kiosks and maintenance and the focus on health initiative. The group determined that the income per year generated by the initiative would be approximately $10,200. Presentation #2 — Teen Center RMHS juniors Steffanie Brian, Katherine Ferolito, Aashi Jhota, Jenna Maroney, Michela Tucci, Abigail Wilson and Alex Valente presented their project on a Teen Center in Reading. There are 3141 adolescents in Reading looking for something to do after school and at night. They presented information on teenage drinking and substance abuse based on the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The group developed a mission statement with the basis of providing a safe place for teenagers to exercise, socialize, or learn. The felt it would be good to partner with the YMCA. The YMCA strongly supports the idea that Reading needs places for teens to come and feel comfortable. The students felt that the YMCA partnership would be beneficial in the pursuit of grants. The group determined that the old Imagination Station site would be a prime location for the center because of the proximity to three schools and the YMCA. Mr. Feudo and Mr. LeLacheur also supported the idea of a teen center in town. The students next presented an architectural 3D presentation of the proposed building. The building would include a small gymnasium with locker rooms, a lounge area, a study area, classrooms and office space. The building would also be energy efficient. The design allows for students to participate in a variety of activities including a variety of sports in the gym, watching movies or hanging with friends in the lounge area, studying and homework help. The students provided information on a construction timeline and a breakdown of costs. The approximate cost of constructing the Teen center would be $3,438,730. The approximate total cost per year would be $241,113. The group would seek grant funding from the Greater Boston YMCA, Home Depot, Best Buy and several other retailers that have grant programs. They next presented a sample schedule and the hours of operation. In their research it was determined that the center should be closed one day a week to allow for preparation and February 13, 2012 regrouping. The center would be employ teens. The Board of Directors would be a combination of adults and kids. The center would employ an adult financial advisor and supervisors would be placed based on areas of expertise. They explored the possibility of offering a high school credit program similar to Field Seminar. The group referenced the guiding principles. The project is feasible because they have a solid plan, it is viable because of the YMCA partnership and it is a desirable solution to the teens needs in the town. The School Committee asked the students if they enjoyed the experience. The students did enjoy the experience and found it to be very educational. Mr. Robinson asked for a quick review of the process. Mrs. Freedman said the student were broken into teams and were given one of the two case studies. The case studies were given out randomly. The students said the experience highlighted individual skills of the team. They were able to recognize individual strengths and make use of them. Mr. McSweeney was impressed at the level of knowledge the students gained and how seriously the students took the assignments. Ms. Fiorello was impressed at the amount of work the students achieved in two days of work. Mr. McSweeney was asked about the next steps and if the program will be expanded. He said that the high school will review the project and determine the organization and scheduling of an expanded program. Chair Robinson thanks all participants and called a brief recess at 8:44 p.m. Chair Robinson called the meeting back to order at 8:49 p.m. Community Service Presentation Mrs. Freedman presented information on community service opportunities at Reading Memorial High School. The school has several service options including co- curricular projects, service learning, independent projects and team service effort. As part of the Freshman Advisory program students are required to perform 10 hours of community service. Clubs such as the Leo Club, Samantha's Harvest and A World of Difference promote community service opportunities. There are several other clubs and groups that also promote opportunities such as walkathons, community clean ups and a blood drive. RMHS has two service societies — National Honor Society and the National Spanish Honor Society. NHS students tutor middle school students and the NSHS is involved in teaching English to Hispanic adults in Everett. Students have initiated projects in school including a book and blanket drive for the Mission of Deeds. Our athletic teams also are involved in service activities raising money for different causes and working for the Habitat for Humanity organization. Opportunities can be located on the high school website and through the daily announcements. Mrs. Janowski asked what percentage of students were involved in community service activities. Mrs. Freedman said about 60 — 70% were involved and it is completely voluntary. February 13, 2012 Approval of Field Trip Dr. Doherty reviewed the proposed service trip to Camp Sunshine in Maine. Mrs. Janowski moved, seconded by Mrs. Gibbs, to approve the proposed service field trip to Camp Sunshine in Casco, ME during the summer of 2012 as outlined in the Superintendent's memorandum dated February 6, 2012. The motion carried 6 -0. III. Routine Matters • Bills and Payroll (A) • Approval of Minutes Mrs. Janowski moved, seconded by Mr. Caruso to approve the open session minutes with corrections dated January 23, 2012. The motion carried 6 -0. Mrs. Janowski moved, seconded by Mr. Caruso to approve the open session minutes with corrections dated January 30, 2012. The motion carried 6 -0. • Bids and Donations Award of Contract Ms. DeLai outlined the Request for Proposal procedure. She said that two firms picked up the document but only one firm submitted a proposal. Mrs. Janowski moved, seconded by Mrs. Gibbs, to authorize the Superintendent to enter into contract with Frank Locker Educational Planning of Dover, New Hampshire as outlined in the Director of Finance and Operations memorandum dated February 7, 2012. The motion carried 6 -0. Accept Donation Mrs. Janowski moved, seconded by Mr. Michaud, to accept the donation from the RMHS Basketball Support Team in the amount of $1.943.43 to be used to support the coaching assistant position as outlined in the Superintendent's memorandum dated February 7, 2012. The motion carried 6 -0. Calendar IV. Information V. Future Business VI. Adiournment Mrs. Janowski moved, seconded by Mr. Caruso, to enter into Executive Session to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining, to discuss strategy with respect to litigation and February 13, 2012 approval of minutes and not to reconvene in open session. The roll call vote carried 6 -0. Mr. Robinson, Mrs. Janowski, Mr. Michaud, Mrs. Gibbs, Mr. Caruso and Mr. Croft. Meeting adjourned at 9:22 p.m. NOTE: The minutes reflect the order as stated in the posted meeting agenda not the order they occurred during the meeting. Jo . Doherty, d.D. Su 'ntendent of Schools