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Board - Committee
Town of Reading
Meeting Minutes
Commission - Council:
School Council -Wood End Elementary
Date: 2017-04-03 Time: 3:15 PM
RECEIVED
TDCiN CLERK
READING. MASS.
1811 APA I I P 1: $411
Building: School - Wood End Location: Conference Room
Address: 85 Sunset Rock Lane
Purpose: Monthly Meeting for April 2016-2017 School Year
Attendees: Members - Present:
Joanne King, Caitlin Koehler, Melissa Murphy, Elena Raffa
Members - Not Present:
Lynda Michel and Andrea Freeman
Others Present:
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Melissa Murphy
Topics of Discussion:
The sixth monthly meeting of the Wood End Elementary School Council was held in the
Conference Room of the Wood End Elementary School on April 3, 2017.
Call to order:
A quorum of members being present and the meeting having been duly convened at Wood
End School by Wood End Principal, Joanne King called the meeting to order at 3:20 p.m.
and proceeded with business.
Public Comment:
None.
Review and Acceptance of Minutes:
Members reviewed draft minutes from the February meeting.
There being no discussion, Mrs. King moved that the minutes from the February 6, 2017
meeting be accepted as drafted. Ms. Raffa seconded the motion. The members then voted
unanimously to approve the minutes.
Vote: Minutes Accepted 4-0-0
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New Business:
School Building Budget Update:
We discussed Dr. Doherty's most recent Pathways post regarding budget cuts and where
Wood End can save money. Currently Mrs. King is reviewing supply needs and the allocated
budget for Wood End. Teachers will likely have less money available to spend on classroom
needs for next year.
Teacher assignments:
Mrs. King has asked for feedback from teachers on their preference for teaching
assignments next year, as several teachers will need to change due to enrollment and
grade -level changes (i.e. three grade 5 classes this year will become two next year, two
grade 3 classes this year will become three next year). Unlikely all requests can be met as
there needs to be movement of teachers due to the number of classes, but teacher
feedback is Important as well as licensure (need different certification for Kindergarten than
Grades 1-6).
Homework survey for parents - needs review/approval
The survey was created by Joanne King and was reviewed as a group. We made some edits
and additions to the survey to help make It as Informative as we can for parents,
community, and School Council members. The goal is to learn more about families' attitudes
and beliefs on homework at the elementary level before making any changes to current
practice.
The survey will go out to parents next week and will need to be completed by the end of
April. A similar survey will be sent to teachers for feedback as well. The hope is to revise the
homework policy to best meet the needs of students for the 2017-18 school year.
Misc:
The benches for the outdoor classroom have been delivered. Principal King has reached out
to George Strazzere, DPW for help with Installation, and Is waiting to hear back. The goal Is
to have the benches Installed by the end of May and continue with the grounds (mulch,
gardens, etc.) with the financial support of the PTO.
Signs needs to be replaced along the driveway. Mrs. King met with Officer Savio in 2014 to
secure a quote for replacement. The cost was estimated at $2,300 for appropriate signage.
The School and Town cannot afford the replacement of signs. Mrs. King is reaching out to
the PTO for support, and will ask Officer Savlo to come to next meeting to provide updated
information before any further decisions are made.
Adjournment
There being no further business, the School Council adjourned at 4:15 with plans to
reconvene on Monday, May 1, 2017 at 3:15 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Melissa Murphy,
Recording Secretary
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