Watertown Board of Education
Regular Meeting
Minutes
Meeting Date: December 12, 2005
Meeting Time: 7:30 p.m.
Meeting Place:Watertown High School Technology Center
Members Present: Ms. Mary Dzioba, Board Chairperson
Ms. Maureen Caine, Vice Chairperson
Mr. Todd Griffin, Board Secretary
Ms. Gina Calabrese, Board member
Ms. Mary Colangelo, Board member
Mr. Chris Lafferty, Board member
Mr. James Marks, Board member
Mr. Richard Mazzamaro, Board member
Dr. Joseph Erardi Jr., Superintendent
Dr. Philip Pelosi, Assistant 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
Mr. Matthew Dzioba, W.H.S. Student Representative
Absent: Mr. Victor Vicenzi, Board member
Press: Mr. Tommy Valuckas, Waterbury Republican American
Mr. Jim Taylor, Town Times
Guests: Mary Beth Gallo, Thad Hasbrouck, Mike Watson and MaryLou Kuegler. Arielle Polites, Amelia Luciano and Will Zeman. Joshua, Tom Szarkowicz and Elizabeth Miske.
Other interested citizens: Rick Sansoucy, Matt Geary, Janice Pond, Pat Corvello and Marylu Lerz. Fran Palmer, Mary Ann Rosa, Whitey and Sandra Greenwood, and
Judy White.
A. Convene Regular Meeting - 7:30 PM
Ms. Dzioba convened the Regular Board of Education meeting at 7:30 p.m.
B.Salute to the Flag
Ms. Dzioba led the salute to the Flag.
C. Recognition
1. The Board of Education would like to recognize the first-place winner and honorable mention winner in the 2005 holiday greeting card contest. This year the contest was held in grades 7-8. The contest is held in a different grade level each year.
The first-place winner in the 2005 holiday greeting card contest is Thomas Szarkowicz, grade 7 student at Swift Middle School. The Board of Education would like to present Thomas with a certificate of excellence and a $50 savings bond from the Rotary Club.
The honorable mention winner is Elizabeth Miske, grade 7 student at Swift Middle School.
2. The Board of Education would also like to recognize a grade 6 student at Heminway Park School for heroism. This student prevented another student from choking during lunch time. If Joshua would like to come forward, the Board would like to present him with a Certificate of Excellence for heroism.
Dr. Erardi: Tonight, we’ll go to our second student tonight first, please Josh come forward, Josh became a local hero last week at Heminway Park. Mrs. Pond, who is here this evening, called me to share what I thought, was just an incredible story that took place in the Heminway Park Cafeteria. What happened is, Josh was having lunch as he always had lunch, in the cafeteria and he noticed one of his classmates choking. Before any adult could react, Josh stood, went over to the table next to him and actually, in a way that is called the Heimlich maneuver, but I guess it was Josh’s own maneuver, he dislodged the food that was choking his fellow student. So, because of Josh’s very quick reaction and because of his foresight and insight to respond and get there as quickly as he can we felt the recognition was certainly due, with the entire Board of Education and with television rolling, to share with this public community, just how impressed Mrs. Pond and the folks in the cafeteria were, So Josh, on behalf of the administration, certainly on the behalf of the Board of Education, congratulations and thanks for being a very, very sharp young man.
Joshua received a certificate from Ms. Dzioba.
Dr. Erardi: Tom and Elizabeth please come forward and stand right there. Elizabeth can you share with us who is here that supports you. Is your Mom or Dad here?
Ms. Miske: Yes, my Mom and Dad are here.
Dr. Erardi: What are their first names?
Ms. Miske: Kim and Doug.
Dr. Erardi: Thank you. Tom, who are you are here with?
Mr. Szarkowicz: My Mom and Dad
Dr. Erardi: They are where and what are their first names?
Mr. Szarkowicz: In the back and they are Tom and Mary Ann.
Dr. Erardi: Thank you, we have with us tonight our runner-up and our winner of the Holiday Greeting Card Contest. If you haven’t seen the card that the Board of Education will be sending out on behalf of the School’s Administration, it is just one outstanding piece of artwork. I have brought a couple of copies that we can share with our audience. I had a chance to meet Tom and Elizabeth about a week ago and I let them know juts how impressed I was and how competitive the competition was and how proud we were of the work they had done. The Board Chair has a certificate as the Board’s way of saying congratulations.
Ms. Dzioba gave the students their certificates.
Dr. Erardi: I am going to ask Mr. Dunbar to join us at this time. Mr. Dunbar is President of the Rotary Club, is a local, very gracious businessman as the owner of Copes in Watertown. Thomas on behalf of the Rotary Club and congratulations from the Board of Education, Mr. Dunbar has a $50 savings bond for you, as a way of saying, terrific job. Congratulations Tom.
C.Public Participation
Mrs. Fran Palmer: 220 Middlebury Road, Watertown
Yesterday, I spent the whole day at Central Ct State University as a volunteer watching some of our Swift students participate in the FIRST Lego League's State competition.The letters FIRST represent For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.This organization wants to introduce students to challenges that will possibly peak their interest and lead them into science, technology or engineering fields. They also want to let the students have fun while they are learning. The FIRST Lego League is a precursor to the FIRST Robotics team like the one at WHS.
It was awesome watching our students participate. In a quick summary, as a group they had to design what the robot should look like, what attachments it needed to accomplish the tasks and how to program the robot to complete the tasks. Other members of the team had to research a topic associated with this year's challenge. At the competition they had to present their research project in front of three judges. All of these students did an awesome job. Rose Soboleski reintroduced the Lego League to Swift. She put together her thoughts about this endeavor which I would like to read into the minutes:
With the help of some grant funding from the Thomaston Savings Bank and additional backing from the Water-Oak Community Youth Center (WOCYC), the WOCYC was able to reintroduce the exciting science and technology program for middle school age students from the F.I.R.S.T. Lego League known in this year's Challenge as Ocean Odyssey. The team roster included eleven middle school members who met on Tuesdays from 2:45 to 5:00 at Swift Middle School with our volunteer coordinator Everett Condit, a technology teacher from Swift Everett put in a lot of time and energy with the students and was lent some assistance from Michael Miller, the camp coordinator/director from the Waterbury YMCA's Camp Mataucha. After its start on September 27th, the team was supported by five additional volunteer mentors from Watertown High School and Naugatuck Valley Community College, Swift Middle School teachers Fran Palmer & Kathy Sklanka and several parents of team members.
The purpose of the F.I.R.S.T. Lego League Challenge is to coordinate students to work in teams to embrace a current scientific or technological need facing the world today. The team members were encouraged to approach the Challenge with hands-on experimentation, and part of the preparation of their solution was to use a Lego robotics invention of their own creation. Soon, the team members actively started building components of the robot and loaded the required computer software into the lap top being used by the team. Six members later branched off to discuss and develop the oral presentation of the program. Their idea blossomed into a story line, with posters, pictures and information pulled together from their research of many different websites. Also developed were team tee shirts for the Swift Eagles that were cleverly designed with a Lego motif.
After many hours of measuring time, distances, programming, practice runs and reprogramming to obtain precise results, the team effort played out in the regional Ocean Odyssey competitions held in Bridgeport on December 3rd. They competed with 14 other teams, 5 of whom were also rookies. After six rounds on the demonstration fields, the oral project presentation and many informal discussions with the judges throughout the day, the team walked away with an award for "grace under fire" by persevering against all odds when it seemed that anything that could go wrong, went wrong with the robot, but the students kept their composure and continued to problem solve as the events went on, they came in 12th out of 14th. Much to our surprise, we were one of the five teams selected to receive "the golden ticket" for entrance to the state competition on December 11th, held for the seventh year at Central Connecticut State University,
Four more school afternoons of strategizing, rebuilding and reprogramming took place to prepare for the State event. Even the snow day off did not stop the work that went into their efforts. Up against 56 other teams, we made a great showing, both on and off the field, finishing the day after 3 rounds in the 40th spot out of 56. The oral presentation went smoothly and the students did very well. In the end, we all walked away winners and have the knowledge and determination to know that, next year, we will do better.
For information on this year's F.I.R.S.T. Lego League Challenge, visit the website www.firstleqoleague.orq.
Mrs. Palmer: The students were disappointed needless to say that they did not get a trophy at the State Competition but they all got a medallion. They also have an experience that they will not soon forget and they have a whole lot of new knowledge that was a lot of fun acquiring. Congratulations to all of them for their fine effort.
Mr. Lafferty: Mrs. Palmer, in 1999 I was on the first F.I..R.S.T., Lego league team and it was a great experience and thank you for coming out tonight and letting us know that it is still going strong. Thank you.
Ms. Dzioba: Congratulations to everyone who participated.
Mrs. MaryBeth Gallo, 151 Claxton Avenue, Watertown, Secretary Judson P.T.A., Swift Middle School teacher
Mrs. Gallo: All of the Parent/Teacher Organizations as always, remain quite busy, the highlights for all of the groups was the passing of the Swift expansion referendum. This was strongly endorsed by all of our groups as we work together to bring pride back into our school district. A special thank you to Dr. Erardi for unifying our community in this project, as we together passed this referendum, striving to guarantee our children every educational opportunity possible.
Now onto John Trumbull PTO, their Book Drive has ended, they have collected over 1200 books, which will be used in the school library, classrooms and left overs will be donated to the town libraries. The group will also be wrapping items for their Giving Tree on Wednesday; much support was given from area businesses to the Giving Tree.
The American Education breakfast at Judson School was a great success on November 29, as many parents, grandparents and guardians enjoyed breakfast and a visit to the classroom. Judson PTA has also made a generous donation to the Judson School Art program in order to supplement the many necessary materials in the Art classroom.
This Friday, the Swift Middle School students will be enjoying an enrichment program sponsored by the Swift PTSO, Ball in the House, which is a Boston-based acappella group.
We look forward to the many wonderful Winter Concerts ahead for this month. We begin on Wednesday, December 14 at 7:30, at Swift on the school auditorium. Thursday, at Polk School at 6:00 and the High School will perform on Monday, December 19 at 7:30. Finally, on December 21, there will be two performances in the Gym at Judson School at 1:30 and 6:00. All parents, caregivers and friends are invited to attend the concerts. As you can see, there are many exciting activities continue to happen in our schools.
Report from Student Council Representative – Mr. Matthew Dzioba
Mr. Dzioba: Good evening. The days are winding down towards vacation, but Watertown High School is still buzzing with activity. The beginning of practices for the Boy’s swimming and diving teams, Girl’s and Boy’s Basketball teams, the Hockey team and the Cheerleading team mark the opening of the Winter sports season. Coming up before vacation, the National Honor Society will be hosting a Book Fair in the library, starting tomorrow and running through Friday. Books can be purchased by students during school, or by members of the public from 2 to 6 pm.
On Monday, December 19th, the Watertown Music Department will hold its annual winter concert. The performance starts at 7:30 pm, and tickets are $4, but free for senior citizens over the age of 65. The pep band, chorus, string ensemble and concert band will all be performing, come out and see the result of their hard work.
Also, if you weren't aware, Watertown High School has a television show, filmed right here in the media center. You can watch the Indian Inquisitor with Will Zeman and Drew Vansteenburgen on Cable 5 every Thursday night at 7:30, immediately following the Superintendent's show.
Finally, tonight several students (including myself), Mr. Hasbrouck, Dr. Pelosi and other members of the administration will be presenting to the board the report from the NEASC visiting committee. I will be presenting a summary of the report to the Student Council on Thursday with Mr. Hasbrouck. You have the student council's full cooperation as you go through with the process of correction over the next few years.
E. Budget Summary – (Information Only – No Action Required)
Ms. Dzioba: The Budget Summary is in Board members packet for information.
F. Committee Reports:
1.Advertising Committee, Todd Griffin, Chair
Mr. Griffin: A meeting was held on Tuesday, November 29, 2005 at the John Trumbull Conference Room. The following items were discussed, we received an overview of the many efforts thus far, we reviewed the types of materials that are available for use, where the placement should be for the signs, how they should be affixed and the cost of the signs. We were also fortunate to have the owner of the Manchester Silk Worms provide the Committee with information as to how he handles the marketing and promotion of his team. The next Committee meeting will be scheduled for January 2006.
2.Athletics Committee, Chris Lafferty, Chair
Mr. Lafferty stated there was no Report this evening.
3.Budget Committee, Todd Griffin, Chair
Mr. Griffin: The Budget Committee is scheduled for December 19 and at this point I have no Report.
4.Curriculum & Instruction Committee, Gina Calabrese, Chair
Ms. Calabrese stated there was no Report this evening.
5.Facilities Committee, Rich Mazzamaro, Chair
Mr. Mazzamaro: Facilities Committee was held on Wednesday, December 7, 2005 at the John Trumbull Conference Room. Two main items that were discussed were the Swift Referendum and the NEASC Report on the High School. On the Swift expansion, Todd LoFrese issued a timeline of events which includes a jobsite kick-off meeting on December 21. Some small demolition work that will take place during the winter break and a February/March timeframe for when the construction will begin. We also talked about the oversight of the project and the second item discussed was the NEASC Report on the High School. We discussed some of the immediate needs that have to be addressed, including the showers in the Boy’s Locker Room, some broken tiles and some fluctuating temperatures in the classrooms. We also discussed a plan for developing a plan for the required improvements and building evaluations. We’ll hold our next meeting sometime in January, after the first of the year, it’ll be announced after the holidays and it’ll be here at the High School for a tour.
6.Policy and Labor Committee, Maureen Caine, Chair
Ms. Caine stated there was no Report this evening.
7.Cablevision, James Marks
Mr. Marks stated there was no Report this evening.
8.PBC Representative, Rich Mazzamaro
Mr. Mazzamaro stated there was no Report this evening.
G. Communications - Secretary
Mr. Griffin read a thank you note from Mrs. Donna Iacoviello, See Attachment 1
H. Minutes
1.Regular Board of Education Meeting – November 28, 2005
Motion presented by Ms. Caine, seconded by Mr. Griffin that the minutes of the Board of Education meeting of November 28, 2005 be approved as presented.
Motion Passed Unanimously
(8-In Favor, 0 -Opposed, 0-Abstained)
I. Superintendent's Recommendations and Report
1. Appointments – (Information Only – No Action Required)
a. Mr. Jeffrey Collins to the position of Girls’ Assistant Swimming Coach at Watertown High School for the 2005-2006 school year at a contractual stipend of $1,593.00 payable at the end of the season.
2. First Reading - Coca-Cola Company Proposal – (Information Only – No Action Required)
Board of Education members have received, under separate cover, a copy of a proposal from the Coca-Cola Company with the Watertown Board of Education. This proposal is presented for the first reading tonight.
Dr. Erardi: I’d like to ask Rich Beaudoin, Sales Manager for Coca-Cola and Paula Frohn, Business Management Developer for Coca-Cola to come forward and join us for the presentation. In a way of background information; Ms Colangelo and Mr. Marks have been working with Administration for the past six months. The design behind the initiative was to maximize opportunity outside of the Operational Plan and Mr. Marks and Ms. Colangelo, please feel free to add your thoughts. Back in July we made overtures to the major vending corporations in this area, and we asked for presentations and proposals. July led through August and September and in October the Sub-Committee that was assigned by the Board of Education, was able to put a compare and contract together, with all of the information that we had received and had at that time endorsed the Coca-Cola presentation. I’d like to share with the Board of Education the opportunity that is in front of us this evening. Before I do that, I’d like to assure the Board of Education that a display of the products we will be discussing, if the Board goes forward with this presentation, certainly either meet or exceed Federal guidelines and much of what we are talking about tonight, we are already doing. The majority of what we do in our vending machines are Coca-Cola products. What this offers to us, is an umbrella over 7 years of a commitment as a partner with Coca-Cola, with a total value of approximately $124,000. You have a detailed report that should have been in your packet and any information that we’ll talk about this evening, is a sub-set of a bigger issue that we discussed at our last meeting and that is the Cafeteria Plan. You’ll see much of the initiative that we have going forward would subsidized the Cafeteria Plan. Again, I would like to repeat that all of the products we are discussing we either already have in place or if it is a new product, it is a product that certainly meets the guidelines of the Federal and State guidelines.
With that information, both Rich and Paula have met with Administration, I believe, four different times. Through the course of our meetings, their presentation, we had felt as a Sub-Committee, was exceptional with regards to professional integrity, an easy read and by far, it superseded any other presentation that we had received. The presentation will consist of the following as far as the 7-year commitment; there would be a $5,000 per year check, given to the Watertown Board of Education. In addition to this $35,000 over 7 years, there would be an additional $4,000. In your packet it is listed as Scoreboard Funding, it doesn’t have to be a Scoreboard, it could be Technology, it could be anything that this Board deems we should be going forward with. The donated product of $2,800 or approximately, $400 per year would be used at different functions throughout our schools. The commission that you see of everything that we would sell at 35% certainly supersedes what we are doing right now. The Coca-Cola has a very unique partnership with the School for the Blind better known as BESBE, and BESBE has the right to refuse all of the public vending machines in the State of CT, so that partnership allows us to work with Coca-Cola and to stay in compliance with the Board of Education School for the Blind, along with that, an additional $400 to use at the discretion of our site-level Administrators and the Board of Education. The guesstimate value is nearly $125,000; Rich and Paula are here to answer questions that any Board members may have. Ms. Colangelo and Mr. Marks I’m sure that you may want to add comments or assist in the questions, Jim, Mary?
Mr. Marks and Ms. Colangelo did not wish to add anything at this time.
Dr. Erardi: Paula or Rich, any additional information for the Board at this time?
Mr. Beaudoin: No, you covered all of the topics; I really can’t think of anything that you missed. The only thing that I would say is what we have done with similar projects in other communities, as Dr. Erardi stated what we offer in terms of beverages we are currently offering at your school is well within guidelines and it’s an opportunity for revenue. There is really no change, our company sometimes we will see an opportunity like this, it’s not an advertising goal of our company We have gone to the extent that any of the soda machines that are in a school, that become available are on timers., they only become available after school and we have taken all of the Coke labels of it. In terms of advertising, it’s really not a big thing, sometimes people are concerned about that.
Dr. Erardi: Questions from Board members at this time?
Mr. Lafferty: You mentioned the provided beverages for certain school activities; can you elaborate on what that means?
Dr. Erardi: It could mean a lot of different things actually. It could mean a Parent meeting with the Advisory Council at the High School. It could mean a PTA function, where we are inviting parents for their monthly meeting. It could mean an Administrator wanting to reward students for outstanding behavior or academic achievement.
Mr. Lafferty: As far as the providing of beverages, what are being provided, just certain products that they offer, are they at the cost to us?
Dr. Erardi: It’s complimentary and it would be Coca-Cola product.
Mr. Beaudoin: A popular one is the Safe Prom night. I don’t know if you take part in that but that is one that we usually get a call for.
Ms. Dzioba: At sports functions and at the concessions, there would purely be Coca-Cola products sold?
Dr. Erardi: That is correct. One of the tings that I should have mentioned is that our Food Service Director, Maggie Dreher, sat through all of our meetings and is comfortable with this proposal and is ready to go forward if the Board chooses to, at the January meeting.
Ms. Caine: I am correct in understanding that essentially, what the difference will be in the future, should we go along with it, is that we will have a 7-year commitment in place, where as we do not have that now, while the same products are available, just that we will be locked in for the 7-year?
Mr. Lafferty: Dr. Erardi, right now the football team, for instance you were talking about the concessions at sporting events and so on, the football team has their Gridiron Club which purchases their own concessions and sells them and then works with the revenue themselves. How are they going to be governed as far as what they are going to be selling when they are buying it themselves? How are they going to get the products to sell?
Dr. Erardi: The Gridiron Club like all of our support groups that work in the best interest of students would receive a directive from the Administration as per the Board of Education, that they would be limited to Coca-Cola products, just like we would be, anything that is sold on school grounds would be a Coca-Cola product.
Ms. Frohn: What we do with some of our already existing schools is we set up accounts with Booster Club and PTAs and you get exclusive pricing. We have a contract that says you have exclusive pricing.
Dr. Erardi: If there are no further questions at this time, I’d like to say any members that do have questions before our next meeting in January can be sent to me and we’ll get answers to you.
3.Watertown High School Accreditation Report (NEASC) – (Information Only – No Action Required)
Principal Thad Hasbrouck, and the NEASC committee chairs Michael Watson and Mary Lou Kuegler, are present this evening to give a report on the recommendations made by NEASC in the Watertown High School Accreditation Report.
Dr. Erardi: I would suggest to the Board, this is a lengthy presentation, a multi-level presentation that will include Administration, Central Office Staff and Students, that we may be answering your question at some point during the presentation, so I would suggest that if you jot your question down, allow us to finish the presentation, then we will have an open forum because I know there will be a more than a handful of questions from Board members. I’d like to introduce Mr. Hasbrouck, the High School principal, who will share the format for the NEASC Report.
Mr. Hasbrouck: Thank you, Dr. Erardi. I wish I could say to you that it was my extreme pleasure to present this report, although in many ways it is, the news of the report has some disturbing components to it and yet they are ones that we need to hear this evening.
This evening you are going to hear from a number of individuals, after I have my portion of the presentation four outstanding students at the High School are going to present to you some of their information regarding the condition of our building. I’ll return with where we go from here and then be turning the program back over to Dr. Erardi and the Central Administration to present some further information for you.
I think we are all here tonight this evening because we are believers in public education. We are here with the common goal of bettering education in Watertown and certainly the quote of Mark Twain over a 100 years ago, hold true today as well.
Before I begin jumping into the NEASC Report, I think there are several things that we need to take stock of before we go forward there. One of them is taking a look at our District Mission Statement, particularly I bring you to the second and third lines, with a determination to be a world class educational leader, a centerpiece in this community and we do that by challenging our students. Our accomplishments of these goals is really through three means which were sited as commendations by the NEASC Visiting Committee, relative to the High School. That we hold high expectations for our students. That we partner with the community at large and their parents. We provide varied instructional strategies in such manner that we can provide for all of the needs of all of our students. Which leads us to the High School Mission Statement, I’m not going to read it word for word, what it is is, our goal to prepare our kids to the best means we possibly can so that they are ready when they graduate from High School to face the challenges of this new century.
One of the items that you’ll read continually throughout the NEASC Report is that of the Academic Expectations for Student Learning and they are an integral part, the core part of our Mission Statement. We call upon our students to be good decision makers and problem solvers. That they can communicate effectively, they can take computational and mathematical skills and apply them to solve problems. That as well, they can take technology and acquired information and process information utilizing the technology and then imparting that information, again, utilizing the technology. Also, to have an understanding of and an appreciation for the Arts, to take scientific inquiry methods and solve problems and take a look at the natural world around us and be able to come to a better understanding of it. Lastly, to develop a better knowledge of the World and the cultures of the World and our role as our country in the World affairs. As well, we hold our students to civic and social expectations; we want our students to be responsible with their learning, to be responsible with their behavior. To participate not only in school but in all of the school and the community has to offer and as well, to give to all of those organizations as well. We want our students to recognize that their learning is inter-related, that what they learn in Math ties in with Social Studies and all of the other disciplines, and as well that it is cumulative. That what they have learned in the past is relative to today and what they are learning today is relative to their future. Of course we want them to make appropriate decisions about themselves and about our environment and where they live, and as well we want them to be able to respect not only themselves, but others.
As well, tied into our Mission Statement there are several expectations for the community and for the District. One of them is to provide the financial support necessary to sustain the programs needed to meet these other academic, civic and social expectations. As well, to support the school community through volunteer efforts as well as attendance at school activities and thirdly, to foster a spirit of cooperation between the school community and the greater Watertown community.
Again, because several of you are new to the Watertown Board of Education; NEASC might just be an acronym and you wonder what does it mean? The New England Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six regional accreditation organizations in the Nation. Many schools and universities, both private and public, are members of the local or regional accrediting agency and strive to meet the standards of those agencies. Within NEASC there are six commissions, and the reason for that is that the needs and these items that you might be reviewing at the college level will certainly be far different than that at the public school level and again, far different from those of an independent school. So we, as Watertown High School report to the Public Secondary Commission. The accreditation process is a lengthy one; it begins with a comprehensive self-study, where faculty, students and parents examine the school and all of its aspects. Then that report is generated by those committees and forwarded to a visiting committee, who comes to the school and compares the self-study to that which they observe. They in turn write an extremely comprehensive report which forwarded to the Public Secondary Schools Commission. The Commission reviews it and produces the accreditation letter, the topic of which is this evening’s presentation. But we aren’t done then, we have several reports that need to follow up, the first one as early as this coming July. On July 1 we need to report to NEASC about our progress and as well in October, a 2-year report is due.
The High School timeline was even more arduous; it started about three and a half years ago with a complete curriculum revision and review. We used the Understanding by Design model and we developed a template by which the curriculums were structured, worked for uniformity and to better ensure completeness. That let us then to the self-study process, there are eight committees that were formed.
The first one is the School and Community Profile report, which is in effect a baseline data of the school and the community and of its aspects. I chaired the committee and to be honest I lost track of how many questions we had to respond to, our report was somewhere in the neighborhood of 45 pages, if I’m recalling correctly. From there that baseline data is shared with the other committees and they in turn have a series of guiding questions from the New England Association and they produce again, very comprehensive reports. There is a Steering Committee that oversees this entire process and I would like to thank Mary Lou Kuegler and Mike Watson, who are here this evening, who co-chaired that committee. I’ve asked them several different times, “How many hours did you put in as co-chairs of the Committee?” Their response was something like a rolling of the eyes and “I don’t even want to count.” It was hundreds and hundreds of hours that went into the development of this process.
This was then followed up in March of this past year with the Visiting Committee, fifteen members of educational systems from around the State and one from out of state, came to Watertown High School and in four days met with countless groups and individuals. Observed every teacher’s classroom and compared the information that we provided in the self-study with what they were observing as they saw the school in operation. In that comparison, they developed a very comprehensive, 110 page report on their findings That was shared with the Public School Commission and the Public Secondary Commission and in September, they reviewed and made their decision and in mid-November sent a letter out to Watertown High School.
That brings us to the present and discussing this evening the contents of that report, at Wednesday’s Faculty meeting, they too will have an opportunity to see the letter and to hear what it all means and start to digest it. As well we begin acting on the recommendations; I should back up and say that on the first In-service day, in August, the Faculty began to work on some of the recommendations that had come out of the Visiting Committee’s report, even though we had not received the official Commission report yet. We then begin to look toward the special progress report of July 1. Later in the presentation, I’ll be addressing some of the very specific items that were identified by the Commission that we must address as an educational community in our July 1 report.
It’s very easy for us to jump to the Recommendations, let’s cut to the chase, what do we have to do but I think the Commendations merit some attention because they were numerous. On our first page, and I am not going to read every single bullet item to you, the first page really was commending the Faculty for their work in developing a very strong Mission Statement and integrating it into the life of Watertown High School and that there was an understanding of that Mission Statement at a variety of levels, thanks to the hard work of our Faculty. The school-wide rubrics or a means by which we can assess students were also noted, as well as the means by which we can communicate with our parents the results of those school-wide assessments. As well, again, complimentary of our Faculty and the work that they do, specifically commenting on their dedication and their resourcefulness in light of the limited resources. Trying to meet the needs of all of our students through heterogeneous grouping, by analyzing the heterogeneous grouping, to have integrated courses, where teachers of different disciplines co-teach and provide students an enriched program. As well, we were noted for our academic rigor, particularly identifying the four graduation performance requirements that go above and beyond course work, that the students have to demonstrate proficiency in writing, math, technology and as well as service to our community. Because of our limited course offerings, which will be identified a little alter in our report, the Independent Study opportunities that were also available to our students was also a commendation. The curriculum revision process and the district-wide commitment to not only the curriculum development, but the professional development, were commendations, specifically noting the K-12 vertical teams which we organized last year on a district level, thank to work of Dr. Pelosi. The provision that we have common planning periods for some teachers who are teaching similar courses and a variety of other commendations. School leadership was commended as well. The fact that we study students work; protocols is a fancy term for a very formal means by which to study and analyze student work and analyze that to improve the delivery of on instruction. Referring back to Professional Development, the Block Schedule was noted as well, that we have made programmatic attempts to address issues, such as bullying, this year having a full implementation of an advisor/advisee program. That we have tried to address the civic and social expectations of our students and encourage them to be class, we have reviewed the code of conduct, replacing In-school with Saturday detention. As well a variety of other things, the commitment of parents and community groups and the donations and funding that have been made and we are certainly sitting in a room this evening which is a direct result of that kind of effort. The Robotics team was specifically noted.
That brings us to our Recommendations which is really at the heart of the matter, what will be the hard work for all of us in the coming months. In the area of Curriculum, one of the areas that was specifically sited because of the inadequate staffing levels, we don’t have the in-depth program of studies that we could have and should have. As well, our Staff, being limited is stretched thin in time and there is an in adequate amount of time, according to the NEASC presentation and I don’t think any of our Faculty will disagree, that there is not enough time to be able to devote to developing and reviewing and revising curriculum.
In one area that we need to do, there are some housekeeping things with our curriculum, I want to just back up for a second. If you remember the process; we wrote the curriculum, then developed the mission statement and then completed the self-study. Some of the curriculum items that were sited by NEASC take us back and say take a look at the curriculum, take a look at your mission statement and tie some of those items back into the curriculum. So we went in one order now we have to go in reverse order and what is really housekeeping in our guides. Making sure that there is a clear connection in our classroom work and our expectations for academic learning. As well, one department, ironically one of the last departments to complete the curriculum study and revision, in a time crunch had pushed things together to move onto the self-study and their department guides are not as thorough as they need to be and we are reviewing those and mediating that topic. The Visiting Committee saw the work that was being done in the K-8 revision curriculum work that was following our work at the High School and thought there was some nice entities in the K-8 curriculum guides that need to be incorporated into the High School guides.
I now will bring Matt Dzioba to the podium and he will begin talking about the building and grounds.
Mr. Dzioba: Immediately upon entering the grounds of Watertown High School the signs of neglect and wear are immediate evident. The driveways and parking areas are cracked with numerous potholes. Storm drains are in various states of breakdown, several potholes are quite large and in spite frequent repair, continue to grow, and indicating the structure of the paved area is broken down. In the lower left photo, patches do not solve the problem of sunken sections pavement, these obvious shortfalls do not foster school pride. The term tennis court is a misnomer at Watertown High School, the courts have not been usable for over 20 years, used as storage areas for district maintenance staff, and the courts actually have trees growing through the pavement. Although most of the unsafe fencing has been removed, the area is still considered a no-man’s land by students and faculty. Here are a few shots of the numerous windows at the High School; on closer inspection it shows single pane glass and worn frames with a tremendous amount of heat loss and drafts. Security in many rooms is provided by sticks, preventing the windows from opening. Some windows can’t stay closed with original hardware so classes have been rigged. With the exception of the main entry doors, which were replaced over a year ago, all exterior doors are in advanced states of wear, a number are rusting out from age in spite of frequent painting and most doors do not close, unless forced shut. The heating system at WHS is aged, on most days the school is heated with one boiler as the other is unreliably old. The hot water frequently shuts down requiring constant service and he efficiency of the system is less than optimal, to say the least. This is a picture of a thermostat in a classroom, heat within the classrooms vary widely, something that Mr. Mazzamaro mentioned in his committee report, it is not uncommon to have adjoining classrooms be overly hot while other classrooms remain uncomfortably cold. The pipe work is unreliable, some pipes repaired for age related leaks and many valves and seals are in need of replacement. Ventilation systems at the High School are inadequate, vents are dirty and undersized and long overdue for cleaning. The rooftop units are in disrepair with many motors broken, further restricting proper air circulation in the building.
Mr. Will Zeman: I am a Junior at Watertown High, pictured is our Library/Media Center which has been the victim of years of budget cuts. The room as a whole is worn out and the furniture is old and mismatched. Space limits the number of students that can visit the Library at any one time. The Library contains 13.4 books per student, which below most other schools circulations, 94% of our books are over 15 years old and since there has been limited funds for purchasing new print materials, the collection is undersized and not functional for effective research. The equipment has been worn from years of age and use and the video collection is aged and limited. We have put computers into the Library to try to alleviate some of these problems and replace broken ones; unfortunately, on-line subscriptions are unattainable due to a severely limiting budget. Pictured is some of the finest furniture at WHS, it was donated to us from Thomaston High as they had just completed a renovation. Since the furniture is only 20 years, it is superior to most of ours. In this picture, as most of the furniture, the school was dedicated on December 8, 1963 and 42 years later we are discussing a building that has had few, if any, improvements, note the date on the bottom of the chair, the construction fate of the school. This is typical furniture at Watertown High School and after 42 years, wear has resulted in broken and splintered seats.
Ms. Amelia Luciano: I am senior and a student/athlete and I would like to major in Science in college. The Science labs at WHS have not been upgraded since the construction, they were designed in 1963 and in 1973 and re out-modeled and worn out. Note the lack of storage and seating areas, age of equipment in the lab, there is little new technology to help students prepare for Science in the modern world. In the upper right photo you can see a plugged gas jet, limiting the use of that lab station, note the aged and worn test tube rack. The lab desk in the lower photo is propped up wit a 2 x4, the desk cabinet door hinges were long ago worn, thus the doors are gone. This is the picture of the Gym; the banners that line the wall represent a proud history of athletic success. Student/ Athletes work hard but are limited by the facilities, the bleachers which were also installed n 1963, are worn and splintering and takes at least two people to open them, several are so hard to open that custodians have pulled muscles doing so. The metal support structures show signs of fatigue. The partitions show divide the Gym for classes are bulky, when they come off of their worn tracks the floor gets scratched and gouged. The locker rooms are also in disrepair, in the boys’, the lockers are broken down; some don’t close because they are so bent out of shape. The effects of moisture and chlorine have taken their toll in the pool area; the door frame in the lower left photo is typical of many in the pool area rusting away. The lower center photo shows a portion has rotted away up to 4 inches from the floor. The showers are outdated and unserviceable.
Ms. Arielle Polites: I am a Junior at Watertown High; if you can look over the well-worn seats you can see the Watertown High School auditorium, that is, if you can see it through the dim lighting which is as bright as possible. The fact is that there in no lighting in our auditorium because it was condemned a few years ago, any performance in the theater requires rented lighting and sound system. In the past the Musical Department, which I am a part of, had to borrow a generator from the Taft School. If you look at the stage ceiling one can’t miss the rows of absent stage lighting and spotlights. The empty space in the above right picture, behind the cage is where the lighting system should be, all you can see is the condemned sign. Instead in this theater there is only evidence of the missing lights, as a member of the Theater Program and Chorus, it is disheartening to see those signs and know our talented groups are performing without the adequate technology or performance space that we should. Also, in the bottom right-hand picture shows the inadequate lighting system with wires hanging on the floor. In this last slide of the auditorium you can see the worn seating, when one is on stage or sitting in one of these damaged seats, it is easy to see the imitations of the auditorium. Also the acoustics of the auditorium has dead spots and reverse acoustics, that is; when you are standing on the back and speak; it is actually louder than when you are standing on the stage. The audience seating is long beyond serviceable use, many seats are broken, wile others have cushions missing, springs pushing through the covers as well and delaminating and splintered seatbacks. Also note the four colors of floor tiles in the photo on the right.
Mr. Hasbrouck: Earlier I referred to the fact that we need to provide a report to NEASC on July 1, 2006 and in it there are some very specific items that need to be addressed in the timeframe between now and then. One of them is that the Budget for the school needs to be addressed, incorporating programmatic needs, the increase in enrollment change that has continued and will continue to take place at Watertown High and the requisite staffing for that. The services, the equipment, the technology support for our computers and as well, the materials and supplies needed for effective student learning. Also addressing immediately, we need to provide a detailed plan and timeline, including funding, to address the long-term facility needs as were identified by our four students very clearly. We as well need to ensure that all areas of the building are clean on a regular basis and this was an item parenthetically, sited by NEASC, preceding the NEASC visit we had several custodians who were out of commission, one of whom unfortunately who had pulled muscles in his back, due to the bleachers. Another had an unrelated injury but nonetheless we were short staffed and as much as NEASC would like to see increased custodial staffing, I think our report might include effective custodial staffing so that if a custodian is out, we have someone to replace the individual. We also need to address safety concerns, including but not limited to those items listed on the screen. Our Gym bleachers, the boys’ locker room showers, the driveway potholes, the tennis courts, the floors that are in need of repair and as well, the widely fluctuating temperatures and air quality in the classrooms. The Library also needs to address immediately, the technology which we have been able to place in the Library is one step, the second step is the on-line resources to ore effectively use those computers. As well, upgrading of equipment and increasing both the print and non-print resources to ensure the success of our students. We also need to address immediately, a plan by which we can implement the expectations for student learning, the curriculum which is a topic which was addressed earlier, as a kind of Commendation/Recommendation. Beyond that, we are not done on July 1 because of the 2-year report, we need to also address the Professional Development plans that would provide opportunity for teachers to be able to better deliver our curriculum to all students with a wider range of instructional and assessment strategies. We are going to also need to be able to provide a plan and implement it to increase the time that teachers have to meet and collaborate; which w have begin this year, every staff member is paired or grouped with a number of other staff members with common time so that they can accomplish this task and that is an on-going process for us at Watertown High.
In addition in the 2-year timeframe we are going to need to clarify the roles of Department leaders, with regards to curriculum development and in supervision and evaluation instruction. We need a formal plan to address the drop-out rate which was identified at the last Board meeting by Dr. Erardi as an increasing, not a decreasing number. As well we need to ensure that our students and our parents have a meaningful role in the school-wide decision making process. As if that isn’t enough, we need to clarify how our school is going to reporting both, individual and school-wide progress and meeting our academic expectations. We need to also evaluate our new initiatives, our differentiated instruction, and our adviser/advisee programs, specifically identified in the report, in order to ensure that those programs continue to improve and that they can be sustained. As well, we need to more clearly how our school collects and evaluates data so that we can measure our school-wide success and meet those academic expectations.
Two weeks also in the Town Times, the editorial very clearly identified where we are this evening and commended the community for passing the referendum for the Fire House and the Swift Middle School project. It also cited that there is another clear centerpiece of the community that needs the attention, the reason we are doing this presentation to you this evening. It very succinctly summarizes the three critical areas that we need to address. The inadequate staffing; beefing that up in order to provide a richer curriculum. A lack of adequate computer technology and the resources to sustain and support that technology and as well, the deterioration of the building itself. It clearly identifies what the crux of the problem is and that is years of budget pullbacks, in such a way that we haven’t been able to fully fund that which is needed. Parts of the editorial go on that there are plenty of reasons for who to blame and we can point fingers all around, really the bottom line is doesn’t really matter, it’s not productive. What we really need to do is galvanize our forces and work to bring about that World class educational community that we site in our district plan. Thank you.
Dr. Erardi: Mr. Hasbrouck thank you, Administration has a very brief ending to what I felt was a very comprehensive report that was put together by the High School administration and our High School students. I’d like to share with the Board of Education a sampling of line items that had been prepared by Ms. Grover, our Business and Financial Director; it gives the Board of Education a snapshot of where 5 or 6 line items were, 5 years ago and where they are today. You can see that it is a picture that certainly endorses Mr. Hasbrouck’s final statement about budget constraints in many different areas at Watertown High School. I’d like to defer at this point to Mr. LoFrese to share with the Board of Education the 04/05 and 05/06 Budget in regards to Object code #450, which is our Construction Projects.
Mr. LoFrese: There is really nothing to report there were no Construction items those two years. Prior to that we had Budget years of approximately $100,000, $118,000 and in 03/04 we did $45,000. A lot of this work, keep in mind, was system-wide so it wasn’t specifically here at the High School and then in 04/05 and in this Budget year we have not had any Construction projects budgeted, they have been cut through the Budget process and multiple referendums.
Dr. Erardi: Could also please share with the Board of Education the place holder that you did have for 05/06 and that came to be no longer part of our Operational plan.
Mr. LoFrese: Yes, we had a long-range plan in place to do a thorough building evaluation of this building as well as Judson and that spanned actually two Budget years. It was in the 04/05 Budget and the 05/06 Budget and again through multiple referendums, that was cut in the Budget process. What that plan would have enabled us to do is a thorough study of the facilities and determine a magnitude or cost or repair. Some of the photos that were shown in the slide show demonstrate just how large of an issue we are facing. It’s not as simple as just replacing windows, when you start looking at the building on a large scale; you have to look at fire code egress issues and whether or not the building needs to be sprinklered. As far as increasing the lighting in the Auditorium, we have increased computer requirements that are already in place and the report calls for increasing the computers even farther, so there are questions on whether the electrical capacity of the building is sufficient. This study would have covered all of that and that is something that we are going to be pushing for again this year.
Dr. Erardi; The final piece of information prepared for the Board of Education and the community was through NEASC and the concern that with the letter that Mr. Hasbrouck received approximately November 20, in the Recommendations, the word immediately, was used in a number of different instances. I asked Dr. Pelosi to be in touch with NEASC for an interpretation of what that exactly means, yesterday, today or tomorrow and the immediacy of our reaction to this very detailed letter.
Dr. Pelosi: I spoke with the Deputy Director of NEASC and asked her to, as Dr. Erardi had asked me, to identify and be very specific about what the word immediately, meant because as Mr. Hasbrouck pointed out, we have to send a report on July 1, 2006. What she said to me was that anywhere in there where it said health and safety issues; for example, “Immediately address all concerns related to health and safety, including but not limited to, Gym bleachers, showers in the Boys’ lockers room, potholes in the driveway, trees in the tennis courts, floors in need of repairs and widely fluctuating temperature and air quality. Those issues must be addressed by July 1, 2006 and my question was that could be pretty costly, and she said yes it can be but there are some things that could be dome between now and then and other things that could be done by showing that you have contracted with an engineering firm, you have a very specific timeline, you have gone out to bid, those things must b done. So all health and safety issues related to the High School preceded by immediately, due by July 1, 2006, must be addressed in one manner or another. In the curricular areas I asked very pointedly why the concern about a warning, why are we on warning with curriculum since so much work had been done by the Staff over a 3-year period. She said the lack of resources leads to a lack of teachers, leads to a lack of courses and the student is not getting the program that he could have and deserves.
Dr. Erardi: Thank you, Dr. Pelosi. The last hand-out that Administration has prepared fore the Board of Education and the audience would be the suggested next steps in regard to Mr. Hasbrouck’s report. We would like to offer to the community three different site tours of Watertown High School to bring to life what you have just seen in the PowerPoint presentation. For the sake of our viewing audience, Wednesday, January 11, Wednesday, January 18, at 7:00 to meet at the main office of Watertown High and Saturday, January 28, at 10:00 a.m. to meet at the main office. I’d like to work with Mr., Griffin and the Budget Sub-Committee to appropriately identify for the Board of Education , when we go forward with our recommended Budget, a way that clearly shows line item increases and how that needs to be tied into the NEASC Watertown High School Accreditation Report. Along with that following Dr. Pelosi’s comments about the immediate issues, to come back to the Board of Education on or before January 9, our next meeting, with an action plan in regards to the findings to make the NEASC Recommendations. I also feel that we should go back to where Mr. LoFrese was 18 months ago with a request for a proposal to get an oversight not only for Watertown High School but for the consultation that we need before someone asks us, how much is this going to cost? We don’t have an answer for that nor does Administration feel that they should be quoted in any way at this particular time until we have experts looking throughout this building. I also feel that we should be meeting with the State’s facility unit at the State of CT to find out their reimbursement formula. Finally and Mr. Hasbrouck has already accomplished this, to reconstitute a group of very hard working staff and administration at Watertown High to begin to prepare for July 1, 2006. This concludes the Administration’s report on NEASC for Watertown High School. We are open for questions at this point.
Ms. Dzioba: Does anyone in the audience have any questions?
Dr. Erardi: This is a long first time through, I’d like to make a final comment, it’s a comment that I was privileged to make at Swift with their Faculty. Despite what you saw this evening, it’s amazing if you walk into this building, the Faculty is upbeat, you have a Faculty that is connected to Administration and you have students engaged in learning. Those are not the issues, as Dr.Pelosi stated, nearly most, if not every issue could be or would be reduced to financial constraints and that is the challenge to Administration and this Board of Education as this will stay at the forefront of all of us for a number years. Mr. Hasbrouck has prepared homework assignments for every Board member.
Mr. Hasbrouck: This is the complete text of the Visiting Committee Report, a summary of the Recommendations and Commendations from that report and as well a copy of the letter that came from the Commission.
Dr. Erardi: I do have one final comment; Mr. Mazzamaro who is our Facilities Chair, at our last meeting had stated that the next Facility meeting would be held at Watertown High School so the Sub-Committee of the Board and Administration will get a feel of what we are talking about. We’ll extend certainly an invitation through a news release to any community member who would like to join us for that Facilities meeting.
Mr. Mazzamaro: I do have a question, the presentation, would that be available to the public so they could see it somewhere?
Dr. Erardi: It would be available in two forms, one is that we have hard copies which we would make available and two, we could work on doing an advertisement with where that would be. I know that Mr. Hasbrouck is going to roll it out to the Faculty in the next day or two, on Wednesday. We can do that, it’s a great suggestion. A final thank you to our student presenters, you did an outstanding job.
4. Student Artwork on Display
The great artwork on display this evening was done by the following young artists:
Catherine Howieson, Grade 2, John Trumbull Primary School
Kacey Mastropietro, Grade 5, Judson School
Megan Edmondson, Grade 3, Polk School
Annalisa DiNicola, Grade 6, Heminway Park School
Kayla Orcutt, Grade 8, Swift Middle School
Megan Tucker, Grade 12, Watertown High School
J. Report from the Chairman
Ms. Dzioba: First of all, I’d thank Mr. Hasbrouck for the wonderful presentation and also thank Mr. Watson and Mrs. Kuegler for the years of hard work that went into this. It really is appreciated. I’d like to thank Arielle Polites, Will Zeman, Amelia Luciano and Matt Dzioba for their presentations and the time and effort they put into presenting to us tonight.
I want to assure all of the students of Watertown High School that they are receiving an excellent education from very qualified and dedicated Staff. Everything on this list can and will be fixed and it is the goal of this Board not only to make these repairs but to make Watertown High School one of the best schools in the State of CT. We will not lose accreditation; we will not allow it to happen.
Secondly, you may notice that there is a Board member, missing tonight. I have been told that there is a letter of resignation from Vic Vicenzi. His work schedule has changed and he is unable to complete his term on the Board. I just want to thank Vic for all of his years of service to the Board of Education, his dedication, his straight forward approach and good humor will be missed. I hope he will stay involved with the Board and stay on touch. We don’t have a copy of Vic’s resignation but I understand it is on file at the Town’s Clerk’s.
Dr. Erardi: That’s correct, Mr. Vicenzi filed in our office and it was brought to the Town Clerk this morning so they do have a record of that.
Ms. Dzioba: Is it possible to put his resignation on as an Action item to be accepted?
Ms. Colangelo: Mary would you like to make a Motion to add it to the Agenda?
Ms. Dzioba: Yes, please.
Motion presented by Ms. Colangelo, seconded by Mr. Mazzamaro to add an Agenda item as K-d for consideration of Approval of Resignation of Board member Victor Vicenzi.
Motion Passed Unanimously
(8-In Favor, 0 -Opposed, 0-Abstained
Ms. Dzioba: I’d like to say that, hopefully at the next meeting, we will hear who Vic’s replacement will be and we can welcome that person to the Board. All of Vic’s Sub-Committee appointments will be filled by his replacement, except for his place on the Superintendent’s Evaluation, which I am naming Gina Calabrese to.
Last but not least, I’d like to thank all of the wonderful volunteers who brought out all of those wonderful voters who came out and passed the Swift renovation, thank you very much. The last minor thing is that the Superintendent has made a draft for Board members, it is a communication protocol, I’d like them to review it and give your comments to either the Superintendent or myself.
K. Action Items – Adoption of Items to be Approved by Consent
a. Consideration of Approval of Job Descriptions – Second Reading
At its meeting on October 24, 2005, the Policy and Labor Committee reviewed the job descriptions for the positions of Director of Operations and the Media Consultant. These job descriptions were presented to the Board for the first reading at its meeting on November 28, 2005 and are presented this evening for the second reading and for full board approval.
(See Attachments A and B.)
It is recommended that the Board approve of the presented job descriptions for Director of Operations and the Media Consultant.
Motion presented by Ms. Caine, seconded by Mr. Lafferty that the Board approve of the presented job descriptions for Director of Operations and the Media Consultant.
Discussion:
Ms. Dzioba: Is it possible since the Media Consultant is a consultant, is it possible to change rather than it being a job description to being a Scope of Services? That won’t hold up the vote tonight, right?
Dr. Erardi: Yes.
Ms. Dzioba: So we can change it to the Scope of Services for the Media Consultant. With that change are there any other questions?
Motion Passed Unanimously
(8-In Favor, 0 -Opposed, 0-Abstained)
b. Consideration of Approval of Acceptance of Gifts
1. The Community Crusade for Children, Inc. “Kiducation”, wishes to donate $101.25 to the Watertown Public Schools. This money was generated from the donation containers at Rite Aid.
2. The Siemon Company wishes to donate $1,000.00 to the intramural program at Heminway Park School.
It is recommended that the Board accept these generous gifts and letters of thanks to be sent to the donors.
Motion presented by Mr. Lafferty, seconded by Mr. Mazzamaro that the Board accept the generous gifts from:
1. The Community Crusade for Children, Inc. “Kiducation”, who wishes to donate $101.25 to the Watertown Public Schools. This money was generated from the donation containers at Rite Aid.
2. The Siemon Company who wishes to donate $1,000.00 to the intramural program at Heminway Park School.
Motion Passed Unanimously
(8-In Favor, 0 -Opposed, 0-Abstained)
c. Consideration of Approval of Increase in School Lunch Prices
It is recommended that the Board approve of a twenty-five cents increase in school lunch prices effective January 2, 2006. The lunch prices in the elementary and primary grades will increase from $2.00 to $2.25. The middle and high school lunch prices will increase from $2.50 to $2.75. Lunch prices for teachers and all school personnel will also increase by twenty-five cents.
Motion presented by Ms. Calabrese, seconded by Ms. Caine, that the Board approve of a twenty-five cents increase in school lunch prices effective January 2, 2006. The lunch prices in the elementary and primary grades will increase from $2.00 to $2.25. The middle and high school lunch prices will increase from $2.50 to $2.75. Lunch prices for teachers and all school personnel will also increase by twenty-five cents.
Motion Passed Unanimously
(7-In Favor, 1 -Opposed, 0-Abstained)
In Favor: Ms. Dzioba, Ms. Caine, Mr. Griffin, Ms. Calabrese, Ms. Colangelo, Mr. Marks, Mr. Mazzamaro
Opposed: Mr. Lafferty
d. Consideration of Approval of Resignation
Motion presented by Ms. Colangelo, seconded by Ms. Calabrese that the Board accept the resignation of Board member Victor Vicenzi.
Motion Passed Unanimously
(8-In Favor, 0 -Opposed, 0-Abstained
L. Future Agenda Items and Board Members’ Comments
Mr. Lafferty: I first want to thank the students and everyone who presented tonight, what Mr. Hasbrouck and the students presented tonight was a great look at what we can’t see, as Board members. These are problems that have been in place in Watertown High School for many years and more things have snuck up on us. We don’t get to see them everyday and definitely when they came forward tonight and it was great so now we know in the future when we start planning our Budget. I think that when we consider the drop-out rate at the High School also, I feel that the lack of pride which is brought on by the facilities that we put the students in, I think that plays a major role in the drop-out rate that we have and I think that a lot of these problems go hand in hand, then if we make the solutions right away then it’ll also go hand in hand, with solving the problems too. Let’s just keep that in mind when the Budget season rolls around.
M.Public Participation
Mrs. Fran Palmer: 220 Middlebury Road, Watertown
I’d like to put on my Booster cap on and with the Coca-Cola sales, for example, Music Booster group gets water donated by Crystal Rock and we sell it for a profit and that money goes toward music items that we have purchased for the Music Department. Will that be allowed with this type of advertising program or will that have to a Coca-Cola product?
Dr. Erardi: It’s actually a more complicated answer that what you are going to expect. Part of the presentation that was offered to the Board of Education last month and just approved by the Board of Education, this evening with the Cafeteria plan. Crystal Rock has been a tremendous friend and a gift giver to this School District for a very long time. They presently do not service our students through our Cafeteria plan, so in that regard nothing has changed. However, it has been brought to my attention that as the Board of Education just endorsed and enhanced a vending machine plan that Crystal Rock most likely will be participating in that plan as a major component in all of our schools. The simple answer to your question is that any product that represents Watertown schools in any way has to be endorsed by Coca-Cola. So that particular gift giving from Crystal Rock would come to a close. I think that to be respectful of the opportunity to the Board of Education, $125,000 is a pretty good chunk of change and that is the type of endorsement that contractually we would sign onto, is that it would be a Coca-Cola/Dasani water that we would have all of our Booster clubs be involved in. So the gift giving from Crystal Rock in that regard, would be no. They would not be allowed to go forward with that. The second part of that is that Crystal Rock, I believe would be a major component in our plan going forward, as a vendor for our school system, which I am very pleased with.
Mrs. Palmer: Does Coca-Cola do only liquid refreshments or are they also doing snacks?
Dr. Erardi: No, the contract endorsement is with Coca-Cola for our vending machines. It’s called a third party vendor, Coca-Cola has no interest in running snack machines, the third party vendor in this particular case may be Crystal Rock, it may be somebody else but I know that that is a company we have spoken about. I am uncomfortable talking about Crystal Rock without having talked to them |