Watertown Board of Education
Minutes
Meeting Date: April 25, 2005
Meeting Time: 7:30 p.m.
Meeting Place: John Trumbull Primary School Library
Members Present: Ms. Mary Ann Rosa, Board Chairperson
Mr. Victor Vicenzi, Vice Chairperson
Ms. Mary Colangelo, Board Secretary
Ms. Maureen Caine, Board member
Ms. Gina Calabrese, Board member
Ms. Mary Dzioba, Board member
Ms. Joanne Pannone, Board member
Mr. Michael Abdalla, Interim Superintendent of Schools
Ms. Amelia Grover, Dir. of Budget and Financial Planning
Ms. Betsy Hackett, Director of Special Services
Mr. Todd LoFrese, Director of Operations
Ms. Jenna Apicella, Student Council Representative
Absent: Mr. Charles Fenn, Board member
Mr. James Marks, Board member
Dr. Philip Pelosi, Assistant Superintendent of Schools
Press: Mr. Tommy Valuckas, Waterbury Republican
Mr. Jim Taylor, Town Times
Guests: Dr. Joseph Erardi Jr., Incoming Superintendent
Ms. Cathy Newmark, Y.M.C.A.
Other interested citizens: Mr. Whitey Greenwood, Mrs. Sandy Greenwood, Ms. Sharon Bielarczyk, Ms. Pat Corvello, Ms. Erin Cortez, Ms. Fayne Malloy, Mr. Kris Kuegler and Ms. Cathy Newmark. Ms. Judy White, Ms. Marcia Moriarty, Mr. Bill Brown, Mr. Bob Grady, Mr. Bill Leifert, Ms. Peg Germain, Ms. Fran Palmer, Ms. Mraz and Several High School Students
A. Convene Regular Meeting - 7:30 PM
Ms. Mary Ann Rosa, Chairman, convened the meeting at 7:30 p.m.
Ms. Rosa led the pledge to the flag.
Mr. Abdalla: We will begin this evening’s Board meeting by recognizing two students from the High School for their Student Leadership Award, presented by the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, Inc.
Ms. Rosa congratulated and presented each student with his or her certificate.
The Board would like to present two high school students with a Student Leadership Award. This award is sponsored by the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, Inc. and recognizes high school students for being community leaders.
The following students are the recipients of this outstanding award:
Meghan Casey, Grade 12, Watertown High School
Christopher DeLauretis, Grade 12, Watertown High School
My son Jean-Paul is a senior at the High School and will be graduating in June. It’s a day we’ve been looking forward to for a while. In the past graduation has been a time of celebration and transition from High School to the starting of a new life for the students. It’s also been a day of great worry and concern for parents and the fact that they will be graduating and then going to parties. Sometimes they don’t always make the right choices, and I know this not personally with my family, thank goodness, but I’m a nurse, I work in the hospital and I have seen a lot of tragic things happen on Prom nights from all over the State. Schools and parents have come together in the past to solve this problem and to come up with ideas. Communities have come together and that’s how Project Graduation came about in the past to make our family members and the members of our community safe. Students come, they celebrate and they have fun, they choose to come to Project Graduation and I’m asking you to make a difference in the lives of our children and this town and to listen to what they are saying to you. They want to be safe, they are asking you to have Graduation and Project Graduation on the same night and I think this is a reasonable request. I think we can all work together in the town and make it safe for our children because this is what we do as a community.
Ms. Rosa closed Public Participation at 7:35 p.m.
Report from Student Council Representative – Ms. Jenna Apicella-
Ms. Apicella: Spring Sports are off to a good start; the Boy’s and Girl’s Track team share a 4 and 1 record, Softball has a 5 and 3 record and Baseball has 2 and 5 record. Boy’s Tennis has a 2 and 1 record, the Girl’s Tennis split it down with a 2 and 2 record and Golf has a 1 and 0 record. Around the school, Junior Prom is coming up this Friday and it’s an exciting event for all the juniors. But with the seniors there are other concerns obviously, just to reiterate what Mrs. Bielarczyk said, I understand how we can’t receive our diplomas on Friday because it hasn’t been 181 days or however many we need. I believe that someone else recommended it last meeting to have the graduation go on but to receive phony diplomas, so to say, and we would get our real diplomas on that Tuesday after completing 181 days. I don’t know if that is still an option, I’d like that to be our #1 option, I think that is the only thing that makes sense. For all the money and time that people have put into Project Graduation, if it’s just on a regular Friday night I really don’t think that attendance would be as high, which is just wasting away money and it really defeats the point of it. It’s not keeping the kids safe after graduation, I think having some sort of fake diploma system would really solve the problem in every way.
Ms. Rosa: There is a Budget Summary is in your packet.
E. Committee Reports:
1. Advertising Committee, Charles Fenn, Chair
Mr. Fenn was absent, no Report.
2. Athletics and Facilities Committee, Mr. Victor Vicenzi, Chair
Mr. Vicenzi stated there was no Report.
3. Curriculum & Instruction Committee, Gina Calabrese, Chair
Ms. Calabrese stated there was no Report.
4. Policy and Labor Committee, Mary Colangelo, Chair
Ms. Colangelo stated there was no Report.
5. Cablevision, James Marks
Ms. Rosa stated that to her knowledge Mr. Marks has not attended a meeting with them as of yet.
G. Communications – Secretary
Ms. Colangelo stated there was no Correspondence.
1. Regular Board of Education Meeting— April 11, 2005
Motion presented by Ms. Colangelo seconded by Ms. Calabrese that the minutes of the Board of Education meeting of April 11, 2005 be approved as presented.
Ms. Rosa: Are there any corrections?
Ms. Dzioba: I noticed that in the Discussion for the High School Graduation I did suggest that we still graduate on Friday night and give out diplomas on Tuesday and that is not reflected in the Minutes.
Recording Clerk stated that it was not picked up by the recording mic.
(6-In Favor, 0-Opposed, 1-Abstained)
In Favor: Ms. Rosa, Ms. Colangelo, Ms. Calabrese, Ms. Dzioba, Ms. Pannone, Mr. Vicenzi
Abstained: Ms. Caine
Mr. Abdalla read the student’s names listed below to recognize their artwork.
1. Artwork on Display – (Information Only – No Action Required)
The student artwork you see tonight on display has been done by the following students:
Giuliana Rinaldi, John Trumbull Primary School, Grade 2
Jillian Noseworthy, Judson School, Grade 3
Amber Caouette, Polk School, Grade 5
Christina Nguyen, Heminway Park School, Grade 6
Brendan Jayne, Swift Middle School, Grade 8
Elizabeth Langlais, Watertown High School, Grade 12
2. Judson School’s Involvement with the Watertown Community – (Information Only – No Action Required)
Mrs. Patricia Corvello, Principal of Judson School, is present this evening to give a report on Judson School’s involvement with the Watertown Community.
Mr. Abdalla introduced Principal Patricia Corvello to give a report on Judson School’s involvement with the Watertown Community.
Ms. Corvello: I have brought Erin Amarale with me; she is a Grade 4 teacher. I was thinking about what I would talk to you about tonight and I thought about when I was teaching High School English and the students used to say to me does spelling count. Spelling always counts because you don’t just learn your spelling to do well on a Spelling test and you don’t just learn your Math to be able to your Math projects, you learn whatever you are learning to be able to apply it to real-life. What we have tried to do at Judson is have the children, in addition to our wonderful interdisciplinary projects, we try to have a real integrated curriculum. So that if you are looking at an individual project, Math, Language or the Science doesn’t hit you but you know when you look at the project that the children are using and applying all of those skills. I went by Ms. Amarale’s room one day and the kids were all sitting on the floor and on their desks and doing all kinds of different things and she said, “It’s coming together Mrs. Corvello”. Two weeks later I went in and they had these absolutely beautiful PowerPoint presentations in a project, a problem that they were given in which they were able to use their Language Arts, Science, Math, Art and their Computer Skills, which they put together themselves and obviously under her guidance, those PowerPoint so I’ve got a little bit of information about the project and I will turn it over to Erin.
Ms. Amarale described the two-part project outlined in Attachment A while showing and reading the two examples of the PowerPoint presentations that were created by the students.
Ms. Corvello: For the people who don’t know this, Judson School is a Grade 3-5 school and this was done by 4th graders so we are very, very proud of them. We’ve done lots of things similar to this where the learning is almost effortless. The children were dragging me into their rooms wanting me to see their individual PowerPoint presentations. When I was getting it ready for tonight, as you can see, I couldn’t have put something like this together without a lot of help so I’m very proud of them. I’m very proud of our program and all of my teachers, I hesitated because Ms. Amarale is not Ms. Amarale any more, she is Mrs. Cortez. That is a little bit of what we do, I think one of the best parts in terms of community is that the children learn how to work together so well, they pull weight for each other, they do learn to do that. Thank you, are there any questions?
There were not any questions from the Board members.
3. Transfer of Funds – (Information Only – No Action Required)
At its meeting on November 22, 2004, the Board took action to reaffirm that the Director of Budget and Financial Planning may continue to make transfers of $2,000 or less between objects without prior Board approval. Attached, for information only, are a number of those transfers. (See Attachment A.)
J. Report from the Chairman
Ms. Rosa: We have been approached with a call to Todd by the Public Buildings Committee with information that there is the possibility that the Swift project may be over budget. They are asking to make some modifications with the architects in the expansion of the small gym. There is going to be a Public Buildings Committee meeting on Wednesday evening, prior to the Public hearing that evening. But before any decision can be given to the architect, the Board will need to make a decision. It’s really our call with regard to that structure and how it is utilized, and we need to communicate that to Public Buildings before they can pass that information along to the architect. We had hoped at some point to be able to hold a meeting where we would be able to talk about it, decide and be able to convey that information to them prior to Wednesday night but it doesn’t appear we are going to be able to do that. The meeting may be posted as a joint meeting, I’m not sure, we were originally going to do that. The notice that I got from the Town Annex or Manager’s office says joint meeting in very large letters but it doesn’t mention the Board of Ed.’s name on it. It only says Public Buildings Committee so I’m not sure if it is a joint meeting or not. Any Board member that would like to come and hear the explanation on Wednesday night; I think that is important, but we are no doubt going to have to have them come to us and talk to us on an evening when we can sit and make a decision on it. It’s just so that you are informed and you know what is going on and that there is a question with regard to the funds and the structure at Swift.
Ms. Colangelo: Where is the meeting going to be held?
Ms. Rosa: I believe it is at the Annex.
Mr. LoFrese: I think it is in the High School Guidance Conference Room.
Ms. Rosa: OK, so they moved it. Well for joint they would have to, High School Guidance then how will we get from one meting to the other on time?
Mr. LoFrese: I believe the Public hearing is in the Auditorium.
Ms. Colangelo: So their meeting is only a half-hour then because the Budget meeting is at 7.
Mr. LoFrese: I believe their meeting begins at 6.
Ms. Rosa: Yes, their meeting is at 6 and the hearing is at 7. If I get any more information we’ll have Barbara call you but that is what we have so far. We’ve got to make a pretty quick decision don’t we Todd?
Mr. LoFrese: I believe so, yes.
Ms. Colangelo: So what are they asking, to cut the Gym or not to build it?
Ms. Rosa: To downsize it.
Mr. LoFrese: To look at making it an option when it goes out to Bid.
Ms. Rosa: Now obviously, if we are cutting programs at Swift and that is a cut that stays; then it’s conceivable that there could be some reconfiguration of the rooms that are going to be used and that would have an impact on what they want to do with the Gym. We need all of the information and we need to set a meeting to sit and talk about it with the architects who can tell us what is going on.
K. Action Items-adoption of Items to be approved by Consent
a. Consideration and Approval of Transfer of Funds – Tabled April 11, 2005
It is recommended that the Board approve of the attached transfer of funds. (See Attachment B.)
Motion presented by Ms. Colangelo seconded by Mr. Vicenzi to take this item from the Table.
Motion Passed Unanimously
(7-In Favor, 0-Opposed, 0-Abstained)
Motion presented by Ms. Colangelo seconded by Mr. Vicenzi that the Board approve of the attached transfer of funds. (See Attachment B.)
b. Consideration of Approval of Dates for Graduation for Swift Middle School and Watertown High School – Tabled April 11, 2005
With the use of seven snow days this year, Tuesday, June 21, 2005 will be the last day of school for the 2004-2005 school year.
It is recommended that:
1. Swift Middle School’s Graduation occurs on Monday, June 20, 2005 at 6:00 PM. (In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved indoors and begin at 7:30 PM.)
2. Watertown High School’s Graduation occurs on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 at 6:30 PM. (In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved indoors and begin at 7:30 PM.)
Project graduation, the traditional all-night substance-free celebration for the graduates, will be held on Friday, June 17, 2005.
Discussion:
Ms. Rosa: This item is the item that many of our guests are interested in and I think that I will turn the mic over to our Superintendent and let him give an explanation before we make our Motion so that we have the appropriate Motion.
Mr. Abdalla: The question has been brought up and justifiably I would guess, as to whether graduation ceremonies can be held prior to the 180th day. The State Dept. of Education state law says absolutely not, graduation cannot take place under normal circumstances until at least the 180th day. There are two exceptions to this rule, neither one pertains to Watertown at this particular point. One exception is this, the Board of Education in its annual calendar, has scheduled graduation on the 185th day, if because of snow days the school year goes beyond the designated 185th day, you can hold graduation on the 185th day. Our calendar did not reflect 185 days as it was approved last year. The other exception that exists in state law is if the Board of Education designates a graduation date after April 1st and then there are additional snow days, or weather related days, then the Board can maintain the date that is designated after April 1st. Neither of these conditions applies to the Watertown School District this year. Consequently, we must have at least 180 days of actual school meetings before a graduation ceremony can be held and this then precludes that Friday because that is only the 179th day. I know the students and parents and members of the Board are concerned about the graduation parties that will occur afterwards. We have been making efforts to find another place that would take us on graduation day and so far we have been unsuccessful, I’m told there is only one place remaining that we have not yet heard from but we are trying. We are trying to change the location for Project Graduation and make it compatible with our recommended graduation date but as far as actually changing the date of graduation to Friday the 179th day, the state law and State Dept. of Ed. edicts absolutely preclude this. I’m sorry to have to tell you that.
Ms. Rosa: Not good news but nothing that we have any control over here in Watertown. It’s mandated by the State and we have to follow the rules and regulations. Bearing that in mind, we need a Motion to set the dates for the High School and Swift graduations.
Mr. Vicenzi: Before we make a Motion, I have a question. Mike, you said that we are still looking at one more place that we haven’t heard from?
Mr. Abdalla: Yes.
Mr. Vicenzi: When do you expect to hear from them?
Mr. Abdalla: Hopefully within the next several days.
Ms. Rosa: That won’t change anything though. That’ll only change Project Graduation to be the same night as graduation. It wouldn’t change the graduation date.
Ms. Colangelo: Was there any suggestion of maybe switching these around. Were we able to get a place for Monday? Was that offered as a suggestion?
Mr. Abdalla: We looked at both Monday and Tuesday and we are still trying in that regard.
Ms. Apicella: I don’t understand what is the graduation without diplomas? I don’t understand why the State wouldn’t allow you to have a pretend ceremony. Can you explain that to me please?
Ms. Rosa: No, I don’t know what their thinking is. Unfortunately, all we can do is follow the rules that say a graduation ceremony cannot be held before.
Ms. Apicella: Graduation ceremony, you can’t hand out diplomas?
Ms. Rosa: Graduation ceremony cannot be held before the 180th day, our hands are tied.
Ms. Dzioba: So there is nothing that can be done here?
Ms. Rosa: The only thing is if we are successful in finding another location for Project Graduation, if someone has an idea of someplace that hasn’t been called, it’s more than a month away, there might be a facility that we can locate. We are still trying but right now there isn’t.
Ms. Dzioba: Has anyone looked into the State?
Ms. Rosa: Let’s put a Motion on the Table before we discuss it any more please.
Ms. Dzioba: I make a Motion for the purpose of Discussion that we discuss and consider Swift’s graduation to be on June 20, 2005 at 6 p.m. and Watertown High School’s graduation Tuesday, June 21, 2005 at 6:30 p.m.
Ms. Caine: I’ll second it.
Ms. Rosa: Mary, you have another question?
Ms. Dzioba: Have we asked the State if it is possible that we have the “ceremony” on one night and bring people back on the 180th day to receive their diplomas? Is that a possibility?
Ms. Rosa: They need to be dated that 180th day.
Mr. Abdalla: No, I did not ask the question in that particular tone, I did ask the question as to whether it was possible to hold a graduation ceremony prior to the 180th day. I was told under no conditions was that permitted.
If I may, this is a form letter that came out several years ago but it is still germane, the State has not rescinded this or modified it in any way, shape or form. It came out from Ted Sergie who was Commissioner of Education at that time and it’s subject is graduation dates and length of the school year. Paragraph 2 begins as follows: “Our law requires each school be in session for at least 180 days and graduation may not be held until this requirement has been completed.” It then goes on in more detailed but I believe that opening sentence is quite explicit.
Ms. Calabrese: Mike excuse me, in that same letter I believe it said that in recent years they had not granted a waiver but it didn’t say they would not hear of one.
Mr. Abdalla: We made a request.
Ms. Calabrese: Is it a written request?
Mr. Abdalla: I’ve gotten a written request from the State because I spoke with them verbally and they sent at my request a written answer that it was not permitted.
Ms. Calabrese: Is that the same as, in other words they officially denied a waiver?
Mr. Abdalla: Yes, in fact I even tried to speak to our previous Superintendent who I felt had some connections on the State level and he was unable to do anything for us.
Ms. Calabrese: It may be too late this year but correct me if I’m wrong, I want to understand the situation. Are you saying then that we would avoid this scenario from ever happening again where we don’t end up scheduling them on the same evening, Project Graduation and graduation, if we simply set the graduation date when we set the calendar, on the 185th day. We would not be having this problem right now? It’s unbelievable that we are in this situation because we set the graduation date on or after April 1st and I am assuming that this is what we have done in past years.
Ms. Rosa: Well, that is when you know school is going to end, you set 185 days at the beginning of the year and you may only use 182 days.
Ms. Calabrese: But it seems to me that we have had over the past few years, sometimes run into a difficulty in trying to coordinate Project Graduation on that same night. It seems to me, and Project Graduation is a wonderful thing and I think we are all very committed to it. Why don’t we for the future just make sure that we set the date for the school year on the 185th day and we won’t ever be in this situation again. It’s fairly simply, I wish that this had been done for this year, unfortunately it had not and I think this situation brought forth this State law and now we understand it.
Ms. Rosa: Thank you. That is a good suggestion for the future, but unfortunately, we are in this position for this year.
Ms. Caine: Are we shy one day or two?
Ms. Rosa: One day.
Ms. Caine: Is there any possibility that a day could be made up? That all the seniors could attend school on a Saturday and if teachers…? There is no wiggle room at all with the State.
Ms. Rosa: No.
Ms. Calabrese: Could we hold Project Graduation at the school?
Ms. Rosa: Sure you can, I think we did that in the beginning.
Ms. Calabrese: Well, can’t we just do that? Just have it at the school the same night as graduation.
Ms. Rosa: Betsy?
Ms. Hackett: In addition to the place, you buy a package of entertainment about $6,000-$7,000 worth of entertainment and they are also involved in this decision about moving to another night. You really are looking at two factors -- the place and the entertainment and you are looking at transforming the High School into something that the kids would want to come back to. Yes, we have a wonderful pool and we have considered that as many other school systems have but we don’t have the manpower at this point.
Ms. Calabrese: Manpower?
Ms. Hackett: To create it on the same day that the kids are in school, transforming the High School into a place you would want to go back to at night, a place that doesn’t look like the High School. It’s just been that, it certainly could be done but I don’t believe it could be done this year, at this point in time.
Ms. Colangelo: Betsy are you saying you cannot get the entertainment for Monday or Tuesday?
Ms. Hackett: Yes, it’s my understanding that the entertainment packages are taken. We asked what nights they still had available once the decision about the graduation date had been made. They only had several dates that they could give us as well, so we coordinated that and the dates happened to be the 17th and the 24th. So, it was either before it or after it or not do it at all.
Ms. Pannone: I can only speak from the fact of being involved with the Technical school. We had that same situation one year, where we went almost until June 30th because of the snow days. What we did do at that point was to have our ceremony and give the kids just the jacket of the diploma and they had to promise that they would come back every day until the days were made up. We did not give them their diploma until the last day; those who decided to take any time off were not given their diploma until September, which upset many of them of course.
Ms. Rosa: But that is not in keeping with what the law and the written correspondence we have says, it says you cannot have the graduation ceremony prior to 180 days.
Ms. Pannone: Well, that’s what I’m wondering. What did we do? We were a State school. I’m sure we had to follow the State rule.
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