Middletown Public Schools

Middletown, Rhode Island

 

August 16, 2007

 

5:00 p.m. – Executive Session

6:00 p.m. – Regular Meeting

7:00 p.m. – School Committee Workshop

 

MICHAEL S. PINTO CONFERENCE ROOM

 

Members Present:                    Michael F. Crowley, Jr., Chairman

                                                Liana F. Fenton, Vice-Chair

                                                 Edward K. Draper

 

Member Absent:                      Theresa M. Spengler

                                                William Coogan

                                               

Also Present:                           Rosemarie K. Kraeger, Superintendent of Schools

                                                Edward Collins, Director of Facilities

           

 

MOTION:  1) Liana Fenton, 2) Edward Draper.  To go into Executive Session 42-46-5 (a) 1, 2,5,8,9 at 5:10 p.m.  Unanimous vote.

 

            The regular meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Chairman Michael Crowley.  Administrative staff members present were Steven Ruscito and Linda Savastano.  The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

 

            Mr. Crowley announced that no votes were taken during Executive Session.

 

MOTION:  1) Liana Fenton, 2) Edward Draper.  To seal the minutes of the Executive Session.  Unanimous vote.

 

 

SPOTLIGHT ON TEACHING AND LEARNING

 

No Spotlight on Teaching and Learning for August 16, 2007

 

 

PROCLAMATIONS/AWARDS

 

No Proclamations/Awards for August 16, 2007

 

 

(Minutes of August 16, 2007 School Committee Meeting, Page Two)

 

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

 

No Student Activities for August 16, 2007

 

 

INFORMATION

 

            Mrs. Kraeger noted items of information in the School Committee Package:

 

·               Audit at RIDE for all grants done and in compliance

·               New career tech director in Newport

·               Mr. Kempen, Town Administrator, sent a letter of reappointment for Shawn Brown as Director of Governmental Health Group of RI and Cathy McLeish as an alternate

·               Handouts from RIPEC group-forecasting

 

 

CORRESPONDENCE

 

No Correspondence for August 16, 2007

 

 

CONSENT AGENDA

 

1000.    Approval of Minutes of July 12, 2007 School Committee Meeting

1010.    Approval of Minutes of July 17, 2007 Special School Committee Meeting

1100.    Approval of Invoice Register, dated July 13, 2007, in the amount of $755,138.92

1110.    Approval of Invoice Register, dated July 19, 2007, in the amount of $300,196.80

1120.    Approval of Invoice Register, dated July 24, 2007, in the amount of $123,395.67

1200.    Approval of Special Grants Register, dated July 31, 2007, in the amount of $16,982.53

 

 

SUPERINTENDENT’S RECOMMENDATION ON PERSONNEL

 

APPOINTMENTS

 

Leslie Gilman                                                  Lead Teacher, Aquidneck School

Mary Colaneri                                                 Lead Teacher, Forest Avenue School

Deborah Kern                                                  Dean of Students, Middletown High School

Eric Godin                                                       Athletic Director

Donna Murphy                                                Grade Six Leader, Gaudet Middle School

Debra O’Bryan                                                            Grade Five Leader, Gaudet Middle School

Denise McCarthy                                             Grade Seven Leader, Gaudet Middle School

Mary Nassaney                                               Grade Eight Leader, Gaudet Middle School

Colleen Larson                                                            Director of Performance-Based Graduation

Roxie DeBlois                                                  Dean of Academic Affairs

Laura Yentsch                                                  Director of Humanities

(Minutes of August 16, 2007 School Committee Meeting, Page Three)

 

John McDevitt                                                 Director of Science and Math

Christopher Savastano                                                Director of Fine and Applied Arts

Richard Ford                                                   Custodian II – Second Shift

Benjamin Scungio                                            School Attorney

 

 

JOB SHARE FOR 2007-2008 SCHOOL YEAR

 

Michelle L. Fonseca/Maureen Cicchitelli        Aquidneck School Principal

 

 

MATERNITY LEAVE - ARTICLE XIV, C, OPTION #1 (NEA/Middletown)

 

Keri Brandariz                         Grade Six Math Teacher, Gaudet Middle School

                                                Anticipated from September 10, 2007 to January 2, 2008

 

Deanne Reilly                          Grade Four Elementary Teacher, Forest Avenue School

                                                Anticipated from September 4, 2007 to November 19, 2007

 

Christine Clancey                    Grade Six Math Teacher, Gaudet Middle School

                                                From September 5, 2007 to January 7, 2008

 

 

RESIGNATIONS

 

Cheryl Wenzel                         Grade Seven Science Teacher, Gaudet Middle School

 

Richard Updegrove                 School Attorney

 

Kristin Guyette                                    COZ Coordinator

 

 

(Minutes of August 16, 2007 School Committee Meeting, Page Four)

 

2007 FALL COACHING APPOINTMENTS

 

Luis Oliveira                            Boys Varsity Soccer

Christian Leblanc                    Boys JV Soccer

Catherine Silveira                    Girls Varsity Volleyball

Gail Abromitis                         Girls JV Volleyball

Marianne Curtis                      Girls Tennis

John McDevitt                         Coed Cross Country

Angela Santa                           Assistant Coed Cross Country

Andrew Leys                          Varsity Football

Steven Ponte                            Assistant Varsity Football

Ryan McCormack                    JV Football

Brian Dahlheimer                    Assistant JV Football

Andrew Bulk                           Freshman Football

Alex Fernandez                       Assistant Freshman Football

Gail Abromitis                         Trainer/Strength and Conditioning

Andrew Leys                          Trainer/Strength and Conditioning

Sharon Thibeault                     Cheerleading

Kristen Seyster                                    6/7/8 Grade Coed Cross Country

 

 

MOTION:  1) Edward Draper, 2) Liana Fenton.  To approve the Consent Agenda.  Unanimous vote.

 

 

ACTION ITEMS

 

TRASH/RECYCLING

MOTION:  1) Liana Fenton, 2) Edward Draper.  That the School Committee join with the Town and approve the bid submitted by Waste Management for trash service.  Unanimous vote.

 

 

JOB DESCRIPTIONS – 2nd Reading

MOTION:  1) Edward Draper, 2) Liana Fenton.  That the School Committee approve the job descriptions for Director of Humanities, Director of Science and Math, Director of Fine and Applied Arts, Director of Performance Based Graduation, and Dean of Academic Affairs.  (2nd Reading)  Unanimous vote.

 

 

JOB DESCRIPTIONS – 1st Reading

MOTION:  1) Liana Fenton, 2) Edward Draper.  That the School Committee approve the job descriptions for Child Opportunity Zone (COZ) Family Center Coordinator.  (1st Reading)  Unanimous vote.

 

Forest Avenue COZ Family Center could be relocating to John F. Kennedy School.

 

 

(Minutes of August 16, 2007 School Committee Meeting, Page Five)

 

TOWN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

MOTION:  1) Edward Draper, 2) Liana Fenton.  That the School Committee table the school committee appointment.  Unanimous vote.

 

 

OLD BUSINESS

 

No “Old Business” for August 16, 2007

 

 

NEW BUSINESS

 

No “New Business” for August 16, 2007

 

 

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORTS

 

·         ENROLLMENT/OPENING 07-08 SCHOOL YEAR --

 

·         Enrollment update was provided

·         Job transfer day is next week, August 22nd, for teachers who were displaced

 

 

·         CURRICULUM –

 

·         We are finalizing K-8 GLE brochures to distribute to parents and teachers

·         We are expanding TIEnet to include PLP/curriculum/NECAP results, release tasks, and CIM tasks

·         The ELA committee met to develop units aligned with GLE

·         Gaudet report card meeting will be in September with Michael Mancieri, Vincent Giuliano, Maureen Cicchitelli, and Gloria Howard

 

 

·         FINANCIAL –

 

·         We are working on budget numbers and will have a final budget for approval in October

 

 

·         FACILITIES –

 

·         Mr. Collins reported 95% of the projects are on time, 1-2 projects are delayed.

o    Oliphant parking lot has an under pavement clay.  There is a new watershed ordinance.  Ed Collins met with town officials and is waiting for direction –all is covered by town CIP money.

o    School department is turning over to all green products (i.e. floor finish, floor stripper, etc.) ~ when school starts all products will be green.

 

(Minutes of August 16, 2007 School Committee Meeting, Page Six)

 

o    Sidewalk paving projects are underway.  Every parking lot needs to be repaired.

 

 

MOTION:  1) Liana Fenton, 2) Edward Draper.  That the School Committee receive the Superintendent’s Reports.  Unanimous vote.

 

 

REPORTS OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES

 

Mr. Draper –

 

·         The Safety Advisory Committee recently met to implement “Stopping Bullying in All the Schools” program.  The meeting went very well, and Mr. Giuliano agreed to formulate procedures to work with staff to develop programming and establish a policy.

 

Mr. Crowley and Lee Fenton attended the Island School Committee and Town Council meeting.  RIPEC is collecting data from three communities.

 

 

MOTION:  1) Edward Draper, 2) Liana Fenton.  That the School Committee recess from the regular school committee meeting at 6:40 p.m.  Unanimous vote.

 

 

            The School Committee workshop was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Chairman Michael Crowley.  Administrative staff members present were Steven Ruscito and Linda Savastano.  Members from the Facilities Advisory Committee were present.

 

 

SCHOOL COMMITTEE WORKSHOP

 

·         The Educational Visioning & Facility Master Plan Report was reviewed by Frank Locker, Jay Litman, and Jason Boone from Fielding Nair.

 

Forty to fifty people were fully engaged at every meeting and attended at least nine meetings throughout the year.

 

Next step is to present the report to the Town Council and the full Facility Advisory Committee.

 

Discussion centered around how the report should be presented to the town council.

 

Mr. Draper suggested we organize the report in a NOW, SOON, LATER format.

 

(Minutes of August 16, 2007 School Committee Meeting, Page Seven)

 

The NOW (1-3 YEARS) includes:

 

·         SURPLUS LINDEN

·         PILOT PROJECTS

o    Gaudet Library

o    Gaudet Music

o    Reuse old Music

o    Forest

o    HS Humanities

o    Others

·         TEACHER TRAINING

o    Teaching Lab (Oliphant Lower Level)

·         DUE DILIGENCE ON DRIVE-IN SITE

o    Soils

o    Wetlands

o    Community

·         GAUDET ENRICHMENT ADDITION

o    Auditorium

o    Health/Fitness

·         FALL STRATEGY SESSION – FIGURE OUT OTHER PILOT PROJECTS

o    Planetarium/Science/Math Academy

o    Robotic Competitions?

o    Establish Cut Off Costs for Pilot Projects

·         PLANNING/DESIGN FOR GAUDET ENRICHMENT ADDITION & NEW HIGH SCHOOL ON DRIVE-IN

·         COUNCIL MEETING +/-

·         CORE COMMITTEE REUNION

o    September 10th at 6:30 p.m.

o    Get input on Sooner/Later

·         GATE OFF DRIVE-IN SITE

·         ENRICHMENT/COMMUNITY ADDITION TO GAUDET MIDDLE SCHOOL

·         RECREATION FIELDS @ DRIVE-IN/GAUDET SITE

 

The SOON (4-7 Years) includes:

 

·         DESIGN & BUILD NEW HIGH SCHOOL

·         SURPLUS OLIPHANT

 

The LATER (8-15 Years) includes:

 

·         RENOVATE EXISTING MIDDLE SCHOOL

·         RENOVATE EXISTING HIGH SCHOOL TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

·         SURPLUS 3 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

 

(Minutes of August 16, 2007 School Committee Meeting, Page Eight)

 

Some CONCERNS were also expressed:

 

·         GAUDET Drive-In SITE

·         TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

·         IMPACT OF PILOT PROJECTS

·         PLAN THE NEXT YEAR LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE

·         CAREER TECH SCHOOL & ACADEMIES

·         COMMUNITY MEETINGS

 

TOOLS FOR COUNCIL MEETING should include:

 

·         FINAL REPORT COPIES

·         TIMING/SEQUENCE FOR NOW/SOON/LATER

·         ILLUSTRATIONS/CHARTS PLOTTED

·         FEE CONCEPTS FOR NEXT STEPS

·         COST PROJECTIONS FOR NOW, SOON, LATER

 

 

MOTION:  1) Liana Fenton, 2) Edward Draper.  To adjourn from School Committee Workshop at 8:33 p.m.  Unanimous vote.

 

 

ADJOURN FROM MEETING

 

MOTION:  1) Liana Fenton, 2) Edward Draper.  To adjourn from School Committee Meeting at 8:34 p.m.  Unanimous vote.

 

                                                                        Respectfully Submitted,

 

 

 

                                                                        Rosemarie K. Kraeger, Clerk