Volume 4, Issue 1, August 14, 2006

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Volume 4, Issue 2, September 5, 2006

At its regular meeting held Tuesday, September 5th, the Board of Education –

…approved the minutes of the regular meeting of August 14, 2006.

…congratulated Kate Madura for being selected the 2006-07 Teacher of the Year.  Kate will represent the district in the search for Connecticut’s Teacher of the Year.  The Board also congratulated the following nominees:

Eileen Bechtel

Charlene Best

Bob Bruch

Marian Carson

Laurie Fitzgerald

Leslie Kintz

Laura Luther

Cassie Pallon

Anne Wilson

Congratulations to all who were honored!

… approved the meeting schedule for the period from July 2007 through January 2008.

…approved a motion to name “Gym B” at Morgan “The Norman L. Drew Gymnasium”.

…listened to reports from administrators regarding:

·        Summaries of the CAPT and SAT scores

·        Opening of the Year Report

·        An idea to build the district’s substitute teacher base

…listened to reports from various Board committees including:

§         The upcoming Public Forum on the FY 2008 budget;

§         The status of the boilers at Morgan.

§         The next committee meeting dates: Instruction/Public Relations Subcommittee –Sept. 18^th at 6 PM; LEARN –Sept. 15^th; Policy Committee –Sept 13^th at 9:30 a.m.; Technology Committee – Oct. 4^th at 9:30 a.m.; Instruction/Public Relations & Budget/Finance Committee – “High School of the Future” - November 6^th at 6 p.m.

…was made aware of an upcoming field trip on Sept. 22^nd by Mrs. Len’s class to The Big E in Springfield, MA.

…accepted the resignations of Lynda Hampson from the position of Title I Instructional Assistant at Joel, Claudia Uehlein from the position of Assistant Cook at Eliot, and Sally Holmes from the position of Special Ed IA.

…approved the appointment of:

·     Heather Bertrand to the position of Sp. Ed. IA) LC III @ Pierson; and

·     Carol Cullen to the position of Assistant Cook @ Eliot

…acknowledged payment of bills in the amount of $194,827.23 from the 2006-07 operating budget.

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September 18, 2006

 Not Available

October 3, 2006

 Not Available

Volume 4, Issue 3, October 16, 2006

At its regular meeting held Monday, October 16th, the Board of Education –

…approved the October 3, 2006, minutes.

…welcomed the student representatives for this year, [student name removed] (12th grade), [student name removed]  (12th grade), and [student name removed] (11th grade), and invited them to provide feedback this year not only in regard to their class activities but to offer input on issues of concern to students and on items on the Board agenda.  Items of interest were:  Homecoming will be on November 11th (with the theme of “Seasons”); Student Council, which is selling poinsettias, took on the task of fixing up areas to make the district grounds look better; the junior year’s float theme is “Winter”; November 14th is “Pasta Night”; the majority of juniors took the PSATs last Saturday; Cascade will be the location for April’s junior prom; Husky magnets are being sold as class fundraisers; SATs were held 2 Saturdays ago; the senior float theme is “Summer”; and, in general, the seniors believe the proposed breathalyzer policy is an invasion of privacy.

…approved a motion to institute a breathalyzer policy.  The policy will be reviewed in June 2007 to ensure it is not intrusive.

…listened to reports from staff and administrators regarding:

·     K-3 Summer Reading Program which provided support to 54 students entering 1^st through 3^rd grade;

·     Special Education Summer School Program for 42 participating students and an “Explore America” theme.  The high school program involved several landscaping projects and hosting a patriotic luncheon for administrative and summer school staff;

·     STEP which enjoyed a 92% participation rate.  Ms. Eriksen thanked teachers, John Husani from Subway who agreed to provide food for all students free of charge, and the 70 upperclassmen who gave of their time by speaking about the various clubs and taking the freshmen on tours of the high school; 

·     the Institute which provided resources to a struggling student who successfully completed the program;

·     a general update on Board of Finance activities and a cafeteria report.  Mrs. Hanson provided information on milk bids, food pricing and quality and gave the head cooks credit for offering fresh fruits and salads;

·     the next Budget/Finance Committee meeting set for Monday, December 11, at 5 p.m..  A tentative second meeting was set for January 4, 2007, at 5 p.m;

·     class size report –Grade 6 = 20/1, Grade 7 = 18/1, and Grade 8 = 19/1.  Morgan’s numbers fluctuate as class sizes vary greatly;

·     the preliminary AYP Results for Districts;

·     the Athletic Advisory Council which heard a request from students to form a girls’ gymnastic team.  The Council suggested the students come back next year properly conditioned and the committee will be more amenable to approving a one-person team.

·     Open house night participation rates:  91% at Joel, 85% at Pierson, 70% at Eliot and 60% at Morgan.

 

…encouraged groups to be aware of good nutritional practices when sponsoring fundraising activities and approved a motion to permit the sale to students of food and beverage items that do not meet the CT Nutrition Standards under the following conditions:

·      the sale is in connection with an event occurring after the end of the regular school day or on the weekend; and

·      The sale is at the location of the event and the food and beverage items are not sold from a vending machine or a school store.

…listened to reports from various Board committees including the status of the boilers at Morgan, and a scheduled Board self-evaluation.

…was made aware of an upcoming field trip by 42 Morgan students to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty on October 24, 2006.

…acknowledged payment of bills in the amount of $374,157.30 from the 2006-07 operating budget.

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Volume 4, Issue 4, November 6, 2006

At its regular meeting held Monday, November 6, the Board of Education –

…approved the October 16, 2006, minutes.

…heard reports from student representatives [student names removed] who announced that this week is float building week and that there is a pep rally on Thursday.  A Veterans’ Day celebration will take place on Friday.  The Morgan field hockey team, soccer team and volleyball team are going to the States.  The Homecoming Parade will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday and the game is at 1:00 p.m.  Pasta night will be held on November 15^th; the Bowl-o-Rama event will take place next Sunday.  Morgan won the conference volleyball championship this weekend and $1,000 was raised by the haunted house event. 

…awarded sweatshirts to Morgan students who have earned the Morgan Scholar Award.  Students’ accomplishments will be also be engraved on a plaque displayed in the high school’s academic showcase.  The students who have earned this award are all juniors.  Local businesses and industries assist in funding the cost of the sweatshirts and plaque. 

…acknowledged and applauded the presentations of the art, music and science curriculum representatives made in prior meetings stating that what they were most impressed with was the articulation from school to school not only in terms of the flow but the communication occurring among the staff on all grade levels. 

…listened to reports from staff and administrators regarding:

·     October 27th professional development activities;

·     The SSP which is also available via a link from the district’s website;

·     A CABE 2006 communications award for the art calendar compiled by Allison Friday and featuring artwork of students from all grades;

·     A thank you note from Eliot administrators for the construction work done on the parking lot;

·     The Life Skills Bread Baking Program offered by the King Arthur Flour Company to 6^th graders at Eliot and coordinated by Dawn Paradis;

·     A congratulatory letter from the father of a Cromwell High School girl’s soccer player stating how impressed he and other Cromwell parents were by the deportment and attitude of The Morgan School girls soccer team;

·     An upcoming school wellness conference; and

·     An invitation to the Board to visit technology classes and business classes to see the variety of interesting work going on at the high school.

 

…listened to reports from various Board members and committees regarding the status of the boilers at Morgan, a scheduled Board self-evaluation, and the defeat by the town’s Board of Finance on a motion to fund the SOS grant.  The Board agreed to work with the CT Dept. of Emergency Management and Homeland Security to put together a comprehensive plan for resubmission to the Board of Finance.  The Board was also asked to appear before the town’s Capital Expenditure Committee on Monday, November 13^th at 7 p.m. and be prepared to review, defend and convince the committee of the need to fund work on the gym floors, the Eliot courtyard, the pickup and the bleachers. 

…accepted with appreciation the resignation of Dr. Mary Peraro, effective December 11th.

…approved the appointment of Jeff Manning to the position of Interim Varsity Boys Basketball Coach at Morgan and Kevin Kilbride and Marvin Meyer who will split the position of JV Wrestling Coach at Morgan.

…acknowledged payment of bills in the amount of $911,582.42 from the 2006-07 operating budget.

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Volume 4, Issue 5, December 4, 2006

At its regular meeting held Monday, December 4, the Board of Education –

…elected Deborah Grass to the office of Chairperson of the Board and Susan Skidmore to the office of Secretary of the Board.

…approved the minutes of the November 6th regular meeting and of the November 16th special meeting.

…heard reports from student representative Geoffrey Elliot who announced that Pasta Night has been postponed.  The junior class won first prize for their winter float.  The windows in the cafeteria will be decorated by each class and a contest will be held to determine the winner.  Morgan holiday concerts are coming up this month; the choral concert will be held December 5th at 7:30 p.m. and the band concert will be held on Thursday, December 21st at 7:30 p.m.  Fill the Truck is starting this month with boxes in every school for donations.

…recognized Mr. Louis Russo for donating his time and labor to refurbish the baseball dugout at Morgan. 

…heard presentations from coaches and team captains/representatives who gave brief presentations regarding the fall sports program.  According to Mike Underwood, 35% of the student body was enrolled in the fall sports program.

…approved the music, science and art curricula.

…held a small farewell party for Dr. Peraro, who is continuing her career in the Branford Public Schools.

…will present its FY 2007-08 operating budget to the combined Boards of Selectmen and Finance on February 15th.  On March 5th, the Board will meet with the CEC to present its capital budgets for 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2010-11.  The Town has asked the Board to trim its capital budget request for 2007-08 by $61,200.  The Town will propose funding $110K for the Joel playground in 2008-09.

…was pleased to hear that Randy Cummings had saved the Town approximately $15K by repairing the fence at Eliot himself.

…listened to a report from the Superintendent including:

i.            A draft of the criteria for selecting a new assistant superintendent as well as a timeframe for filling the position;

ii.          The impact The Miles of Smiles Mobile Dental Program has had on the district;

iii.         The purchase of the book Boss Canvas Man written by Pat McKiernan, former English Department Chair who retired in 1992, as a tribute to Rex Avery;

iv.        Preliminary details on a project the state is starting re online formative assessments.  Pierson has been nominated to participate in the project.

v.          Linda Tucker has been notified that Eliot has been recognized by the state for their website which will be featured on the ConneCT Kids website. 

…approved a resolution to continue participation of the district in the Interdistrict Cooperative Magnet School Program in New Haven for the 2007-2008 school year.

…was made aware of student field trips to New York, VT and the Boston Science Museum.

…accepted the retirement of Lloyd Topping from the position of custodian at Eliot effective December 15th.  The Board thanked Mr. Topping for his years of dedication.

…approved the appointment of John Litevich to the position of varsity baseball coach and Sal Fiorillo to the position of varsity softball coach at Morgan.

…acknowledged payment of bills in the amount of $854,982.81 from the 2006-07 operating budget.

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January 8, 2007 - not available

January 19, 2007 - not available

Volume 4, Issue 6, February 5, 2007

At its regular meeting held Monday, February 5, the Board of Education –

…approved the minutes of the January 8^th and January 29^th board meetings.

…heard reports from student representatives regarding cap and gown selection, SADD spirit night, upcoming social events, fundraising activities, and the student representatives’ college plans.  The Board thanked them for their reports and wished them luck.

…heard School Improvement Reports from Shawn Parkhurst and Linda Tucker.  Highlighted in the reports were the three areas on which Pierson is focusing (literacy proficiency, math proficiency, and character education)  and the four areas on which Eliot is focusing (math proficiency, literacy, school climate, and character education).  The reports on Joel and Special Education will be presented on March 5^th and the report for Morgan will be presented on March 19^th.

…approved the calendars for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years.

…agreed to pursue the methodology of interest-based negotiations, a program that trains opposing sides to come to a consensus during negotiations as opposed to approaching negotiations as adversaries.  Sue Schreck will determine the teachers union’s interest at their February 14^th meeting.  The training and facilitator are provided at no cost.

…listened to a report from the Superintendent including:

i.           An assistant superintendent search update - Nineteen resumes have been chosen and will be read this week by committee members who will meet on February 15th to determine who will be interviewed and what questions will be asked.  Interviews will be held after February vacation.

ii.         Principal Search – Approximately 20 applications have been received. 

iii.       Response to Intervention (RTI) Study Process – The committee has met on several occasions and a framework has been developed to study the issues. 

iv.       United Way Award & Progress Report on Best Beginnings – The District received a “Community Impact Award” from United Way which is excited about the work Clinton has been doing as a community (Best Beginnings, First Selectman, CYFS).  Clinton Youth and Family Services also received an award. 

v.         General Update – The 2007 Progress Reports from Best Beginnings were distributed.

…reviewed various policies and regulations regarding vending machines, the use of computers in instruction, and students with disabilities, which will be voted on at the March 5^th meeting.

…approved the FY 2007-08 operating budget which will be presented to the combined Boards of Selectmen and Finance on February 15^th.  On March 5^th, the Board will meet with the CEC to present a five-year capital budget. 

…was made aware of student field trips to Ellis Island and Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island.

…accepted the resignation of Shawn Parkhurst as principal of Pierson School, effective March 30, 2007.

…approved the appointment of Daniel Maher to the position of custodian at Eliot, Bernadette Shea to the position of business teacher for the Morgan Alternative Program, and Mike Simmons to the position of lacrosse varsity coach for the 2006-07 season.

…acknowledged payment of bills in the amount of $1,093,460.18 from the 2006-07 operating budget.

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Volume 4, Issue 7, March 5, 2007

At its regular meeting held Monday, March 5, the Board of Education –

…approved the minutes of the February 5th board meeting.

…heard reports from student representatives regarding SADD’s spirit night on March 30th; a trip by the Morgan band to perform at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World; the success of the “Penguin Plunge”; and the upcoming musical, “Oliver”, which will be performed on March 22-25.

…heard School Improvement Plan reports for Joel School and for the Special Services Department.  Special Services’ five goals are to (i)  increase student achievement for students with disabilities and limited English proficiency; (ii) increase academics, language/communication, behavioral and daily living skills for students with disabilities; (iii) increase student achievement; (iv) increase academic achievement and social development for students with disabilities; and (v) increase student achievement by properly identifying students under state law.  The Joel School 06-07 SIP’s goals are to (i) improve student performance on reading assessments; (ii) improve students’ ability to write; (iii) integrate technology into the language arts curriculum; (iv) improve math scores on the CMTs; (v) reduce the number of student referrals sent to the office for adjudication; and (vi) reduce the number of student and staff injuries or safety incidents.

…heard a Technology Report from John Crovo who described the initiatives the technology department supports district-wide, specifically detailing the areas of collection/upload, software support, and hardware/ software.

…heard from Rosemary Hanson who reported that the Board of Finance recommended the budget go to public hearing which will be held on April 4th at 7 p.m.  The only recommended cut in the education budget was $15K - the same amount predicted saved by hiring another maintenance person.  The bonding referendum passed.  On March 7th at the Board of Selectmen meeting, the First Selectman will recommend the formation of a school construction committee consisting of Gerry Vece, Mike Koziy and one other person to guide such upcoming projects such as the oil tank removal and replacement of Morgan windows. 

…listened to a report from the Superintendent including:

·         NCLB Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP);

·         An update on the assistant superintendent search –three candidates have been invited back for second interviews.  The committee anticipates reducing the field down to the favorite candidate, conducting a site visit, and hopefully making a recommendation to the Board no later than the first April board meeting.

·         General Update – The Pierson principal search committee has reviewed resumes and will meet tomorrow to select several candidates for interviews on or about March 22nd.  The committee will then narrow their selection down to a couple of candidates. 

…received small gifts in honor of Board Appreciation Week. 

…heard details of the Instruction/Public Relations Subcommittee meeting held earlier in which K-8 world language teachers presented their curriculum.

…heard from the Technology Subcommittee regarding a meeting with John Crovo last week to discuss such issues as funding, leasing vs. purchasing options, and a discussion regarding creative financing and what other districts are doing to keep their hardware up-to-date.

…heard about efforts to involve the community in a discussion on the topic of 21^st century education and facility needs.

…was made aware of a student field trip to Sturbridge Village.

…approved various policies and regulations regarding vending machines, the use of computers in instruction, and students with disabilities.

…reviewed various policies and regulations regarding Communicable/Infectious Diseases.

…approved the appointment of Mark Testoni as the J.V. Lacrosse Coach at Morgan School and James Snow as the interim principal at Pierson beginning on or before March 28th.  Mr. Snow would continue in his capacity as a per diem special projects manager until an assistant superintendent is appointed.

…acknowledged payment of bills in the amount of $553,955.41 from the 2006-07 operating budget.

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Volume 4, Issue 8, March 19, 2007

At its regular meeting held Monday, March 19, the Board of Education –

…approved the minutes of the March 5th board meeting.

…heard reports from student representative [student name removed] regarding the blood drive turnout, SADD spirit night, and the cancellation of the soccer trip to the Bahamas.  Don’t forget that “Oliver” will be performed on March 22-25. The Board also heard from Missy Mitko and the Eliot cheerleaders about their season.

…accepted the retirements of Katherine Kingsbury and Cathryn Pallon effective July 1, 2007.  The Board of Education expressed its extreme appreciation for their years of service to the district.

…approved the appointment of John (Jack) Cross to the position of assistant superintendent, effective July 2007.  Our thanks to the committee members for all their efforts in selecting a final candidate.  Welcome Jack!

…heard from Morgan Principal Bill Barney who stated that the SIP goals for The Morgan School are:

1.       All students will reach state standard on CAPTs. 

2.       The mission statement and statement of expectations will be revised.

3.       Assessment rubrics assessing the statement of expectations will be created.

…heard a report from the Superintendent regarding:

·         A boatyard management program offered by Maritime Educational Network, Inc., housed in Old Saybrook, which apply through the State of CT to bring the four districts of Clinton, Regional District 4, Westbrook and Old Saybrook together to participate in an interdistrict cooperative grant program.  The program would take place during the school year and would be offered to seniors at Morgan for elective credit.

·         An arbitration award from the secretary negotiations.

·         Professional Day, Friday, March 23rd is a half day for professional development.  Each school is participating in a different workshop.

·         The results of the radon testing performed during the last several weeks came back normal.  Five areas will need to be retested as the canisters in those areas were accidentally moved. 

·         Former principal, Kopi Saltman has passed away.  The Superintendent represented the district at a memorial service held today in New Haven. 

·         Eight candidates for the Pierson principal position will be interviewed Thursday to hopefully reduce the field to 1-3 finalists.  Second interviews are anticipated to take place the following week.  A special board meeting may be required to approve the recommended candidate. 

…was reminded that a town meeting on the 2007-08 budget will be held on April 4^th at 7 PM.  The Town referendum is scheduled for May 9^th.  I

…learned that interest-based negotiations were approved by the teachers’ union.  The Superintendent has spoken with the Board’s attorney to move forward.  The National Labor Relations Board will provide training for union and board members.  A timetable has been established, so that negotiations will begin by July 20^th.

…will hear for the first time next meeting from the new School Projects Committee.  The committee’s members are Gerry Vece, Mike Koziy and Matt Duda.

...heard a report from the combined Instruction/Public Relations and Budget/Finance committees about the March 14th meeting which drew an audience of approximately 35 people.  As a follow-up, the community will be invited into the high school to tour the facility. 

…acknowledged National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 6 – 12.

…approved various policies and regulations regarding Communicable/Infectious Diseases.

… approved the Capital Expenditure Plan.

…acknowledged payment of bills in the amount of $203,195.44 from the 2006-07 operating budget.

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Volume 4, Issue 9, April 16, 2007

 

At its regular meeting held Monday, April 16, the Board of Education –

…approved the minutes of the March 19th board meeting.

…established Tuesday, June 19, 2007 as the graduation date for The Morgan School’s Class of 2007.

…was made aware of a field trip by the social studies department to take 46 students to Boston Museum of Fine Arts on May 14th

…heard from Mimi Logan regarding the Morgan music program’s trip to Florida to perform at Disney World:  Mrs.  Logan thanked Mr. Smith, the chaperones and the Board.

…heard reports from student representative [student name removed] and [student name removed]  regarding Spirit Night, the Morgan band performance at the Magic Kingdom, the prom fashion show for Interact, and their final college choices.

…accepted the retirements of Ellen Luciani, Janice Kraus and Mark Williams effective July 1, 2007.  The Board of Education expressed its appreciation for their years of service to the district.

…accepted the resignation of wrestling coach Don Kramer, effective March 23, 2007.

…will not renew the coaching contract of Timothy Callahan, Boys JV Basketball Coach at Morgan.

…approved the appointment of Angela Guarascio to the position of principal at Pierson, effective May 14, 2007.  Our thanks to the search committee members for all their efforts in selecting a final candidate.  Welcome Angela!

…listened to reports from team captains/representatives regarding the winter sports program.  Mr. Coviello thanked Mike Underwood for pinch hitting in Athletic Director Bob Brigockas’ absence.

…approved the appointment of the following personnel for the Joel Summer Reading/Writing program and SPED Summer School program:

Holly Levy, Director - 2007 Joel Reading and Writing Summer Program

 

Teachers - Aimee Slocombe, Jill Bizeau, Letitia Viemeister, Tammy Minick, Justin Esposito, Laurie Fitzgerald

…heard from Jack Cross, Assistant Superintendent-Elect regarding his meetings with Morgan staff and students today and his upcoming meetings with the other district schools, town officials and other leaders in the community. 

…heard from Mrs. Hanson about the Board of Finance which has finalized the budget to go to referendum as discussed with a $15K cut.  Also, Tom Hollinger will represent the Board of Finance in teacher negotiations.

…heard a report from the Superintendent including:

·         Three programs taped by Morgan are currently running on the access channel; the June 2006 Morgan Jazz concert, the 2006 June concert and the 2006 Veteran’s Day ceremony.

·         Eliot School did not make AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) in the area of Special Education math.  To put into perspective that Eliot did not make AYP, on last year’s CMT in math (Special Ed subgroup) it was noted that out of 137 districts with a large enough special ed subgroup, only ten made AYP this year and eight were “safe harbored” (including Clinton).

·         An executive summary on the secretary negotiations award was distributed.  At 4 PM on April 19th, negotiations with the instructional assistants will resume.

·         The summer administrator’s retreat will be held off-campus from August 19th through 22nd, and will focus on building professional learning communities.

·         Pierson School is sponsoring a TV Turnoff Week.  Mrs. Nunan’s child development class at Morgan will be working with the Pierson committee and students to give them ideas of what to do when not watching television.

…heard from various committees. The next combined Instruction/Public Relations & Budget/Finance Committee subcommittee meeting will take place on April 24th at 7 PM to determine next steps.

…approved sending the Capital Expenditure Plan on to the Capital Expenditure Committee for its consideration.

…was informed that the Special Projects Committee have the following items on their agenda; i) the Pierson roof, ii) removing the fuel tank at Eliot and replacing it with a 12,000 gal tank this summer, iii) repair of the Morgan auditorium roof (which will probably not be completed until summer of ’08) and iv) repair of the Eliot roof in summer of ‘08. 

…acknowledged payment of bills in the amount of $826,927.42 from the 2006-07 operating budget.

 

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·         The Annual Staff Recognition Social will be held on Thursday, May 31st from 3 - 5 p.m.

·         An opportunity through the CT-China Educator Exchange Program to host a teacher from China at Morgan for one year.  The Board voted to direct the administration to continue its study of the exchange program and, pending the outcome of the financial arrangements, to sponsor the program for the 2007-08 or 2008-09 school year. 

...heard from various committees:  The next Budget & Finance Committee meeting will be held on May 23rd at 5:00 p.m.  The Buildings & Grounds Committee reported that the CEP for years 2009-2011 were finalized at the last committee meeting and approved at the BOE meeting held after that.  The May 21st meeting of the Instruction/Public Relations Subcommittee has been canceled.  The next Policy Committee meeting will be held on June 5th at 9:30 a.m.

…approved a motion to ask administration to pursue 3-4 persons or organizations to interview as consultants to assist in the development and possible implementation of a strategic plan regarding 21^st century schools.

…approved a two-year special education IDEA grant application. 

…approved Policy 6145.3 regarding publications and  Policy 4112.5 regarding security checks and fingerprinting after a second reading. 

…was informed that the Special Projects Committee chose a style of chair and a vendor for the Morgan auditorium seating.  The renovation will not decrease the number of seats in the auditorium, but will be shut down when school closes in June and will not be available until November 1st at the latest.

 …acknowledged payment of bills in the amount of $540,224.69 from the 2006-07 operating budget.

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Volume 4, Issue 11, May 21, 2007

At its regular meeting held Monday, May 21, the Board of Education –

…approved the minutes of the May 7th board meeting.

…heard from Geoffrey Elliot, student representative, regarding the junior prom, upcoming elections for student council and the final band performance on Memorial Day.

… approved the final plans and specifications for the Eliot oil tank replacement and Pierson gymnasium roof replacement projects so that the ED 042 and the ED 049 forms may be filed with the State Department of Education:

…heard a report from the Superintendent regarding:

·         Potential Consultants for “High School of the Future” – Mr. Coviello provided information on four potential groups who could work with the Board.  The Superintendent made a number of recommendations including one that the Board develop a set of questions for the groups in order to equally evaluate them.

·         A suggestion for the Policy subcommittee to consider permitting certified staff that live out of town to enroll their children in our district on a no-tuition or reduced-tuition basis.

·         The staff appreciation reception which will be held on Thursday the 31st at Morgan from 3-5 p.m.

·         A suggestion to reserve any budget surplus to cover Special Education expenses.

·         An update on the status of the Morgan Assistant Superintendent interviews was provided.  Jack Cross and three Board members are included on the selection committee.

·         NEASC – Mr. Coviello and Mr. Cross spoke about the changes in the NEASC accreditation process and standards.

 …approved changing the second parent conference dates for school years 2007-08 and 2008-09 for Morgan from Feb 24^th to March 11^th in 2008 and 2009. 

...heard from various committees:

•  The next Budget & Finance Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 23^rd at 5 p.m.  Interest-based negotiations workshops will take place on May 22^nd and May 29^th. 

• The CABE Board of Directors meeting was held last week.  New dues have gone up approximately 4%. 

• At the last LEARN meeting held on May 10^th, Dr. David Title, Superintendent of Bloomfield Public Schools was the speaker on the topic of analyzing data. 

• The next Policy Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 5^th at 9:30 a.m.

• An informal group of the combined Instruction/Public Relations & Budget/Finance Committee members will meet at 1:00 p.m. on May 24^th to formulate questions and criteria relative to interviewing potential consulting groups for the High School of the Future. 

…accepted the retirements of Janet Abildgaard  and Carol Mills, effective July 1, 2007.  Our thanks and appreciation for their dedication to the district. 

…approved the appointment of appoint Maria Santiago to the position of French & Spanish, Gr. 7/8 teacher, effective August 29, 2007.

 …reviewed the “Business Person of the Year” nominations and will decide at the next meeting which nominee is deserving of the award. 

  …acknowledged payment of bills in the amount of $272,905.85 from the 2006-07 operating budget.

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Volume 4, Issue 12, June 4, 2007

At its regular meeting held Monday, June 4, the Board of Education –

…approved the minutes of the May 21st board meeting.

…heard from Ruth Logan, from the Morgan Jazz Band, invited everyone to the Eliot/Morgan Jazz Band Concert on June 12^th at Morgan Auditorium.

…listened to Mike Underwood (standing in for Robert Brigockas) and team captains/representatives who gave brief presentations regarding the spring sports program.

…celebrated First Selectman Willie Fritz for having the Eliot parking lot and drive-through designed and completed in time for the start of the 2006-07 school year. 

…was provided with the status of the radon testing.  One issue exists in the music room at Pierson and is possibly due to a faulty ventilation part in the system.  The part is being replaced and radon levels will be tested again.

…heard a report from the Superintendent regarding:

·         Morgan Assistant Principal Search –Resumes are being reviewed.  The committee has an aggressive timeline and is comprised of certified and non-certified staff, parents, administrators, community members and students.

·         Graduation Reminder – Graduation will be held on Tuesday, June 19th, promptly at 6:00 p.m.  Eliot’s graduation will be held on June 18th at 6:30 p.m. 

·         General Update – The Superintendent invited everyone to a signing and singing concert at Joel on Wednesday, June 13th at 9:30 a.m.  The Eliot and Morgan Jazz bands will perform at Morgan on June 12th. 

…heard a report from Mr. Vece on the Morgan auditorium renovation.  Plan designs are complete.  We are waiting for the State to approve them and we will hopefully go to bid by mid-June or the beginning of July.  Work will begin as soon as possible after that.  Demolition is scheduled for the week of June 25^th.

…accepted the retirements of Diana Avino and Robert Brigockas.  Our thanks and appreciation for their dedication to the district. 

…accepted the retirements of Raymond Rivard, Cynthia Marsella and Tom Dolan.

 …approved the appointments of:

• Alina Gonzalez - TESOL, Grades 6-12;

• Katherine Godiksen - Language Arts Teacher, Grade 7;

• Gary Baier - Physics Teacher, Grades 9-12;

• Jodie Haupt - Math Teacher, Grade 7;

• Jeffrey Duda - Science Teacher, Grade 6; and

• Jacqueline Bonner - School Psychologist.

…thanked Sharon Leon for time and effort contributed to the athletic program during the absence of the Athletic Director during the majority of this school year.

… approved the appointments of Jill Harder to the position of Teacher and Michelle Levenduski to the position of intern, both for the summer school program.

…transferred Rachel Shook into the full-time social studies position vacated by Mr. Brigockas.

…approved the Class List of high school students eligible to graduate this year and reviewed the list of colleges to which Morgan students have applied and those that they will attend.

…determined the winner of the Business Person of the Year award.  The honoree’s name will be kept confidential until the award is made.  The honoree will be celebrated at a Chamber of Commerce dinner in the fall and will receive a plaque.

…approved a prioritized list in the event of a 06-07 budget surplus.  I) $10K for musical instruments, ii) $5K for replacing the carpeting in the Morgan music room with tile, iii) $25K for augmenting the Technology Plan’s technology equipment, iv) $30K for replacing the fence at Morgan, and v) $10K for discretionary amounts to schools.

…approved the operating budget for the 2007-08 school year in the amount of $27,354,290.00.

…approved the salary and benefits for certified and non-certified non-union employees and established Terms of Employment for 2007-2008. 

 …acknowledged payment of bills in the amount of $79,972.18 from the 2006-07 operating budget.

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