Jamestown Schools: A School-Community Partnership
"SCAN," issued by the Superintendent’s Office in conjunction with the School Committee, is designed to inform staff members and interested others of matters discussed and actions taken by the Jamestown School Committee at its most recent meeting. SCAN does not represent meeting minutes.
Agenda Addition: After receiving a written request from audience member Christiana Matley, the school committee added to the agenda a discussion of ridership on bus #2, a high school run. Several parents expressed concern that the bus was overcrowded. Dr. Fricklas, Director of Pupil Services, explained that the school department had been assured by First Student Transportation that ridership has been under the 71-person allowable capacity of the bus and that the seats are designed to accommodate three students. However, when Dr. Fricklas rode the bus, he found that the third student had to straddle the end of the seat. The bus company has reported that students from several stops on the bus #2 route could be comfortably accommodated on bus #3. The committee agreed with the administration’s recommendation that those students be shifted as soon as families can be notified on the change.
Letters received:
• From a Lawn Avenue resident, expressing concern about buses parked in front of the school with motors idling.
Consent Agenda: The committee approved the minutes of August 21, as amended; and payment of bills. The committee accepted with regret notice of the impending retirement of Maria Alfred on Dec. 26, 2008.
Food Service Update: The committee discussed a suggestion by Sodexho that healthy à la carte items be added to the menu. The committee reiterated its opposition to all snack sales.
Business Office Transition Plan: By unanimous vote, the school committee approved the transition plan discussed at the Sept. 4 workshop meeting.
Town-School Cost-saving Review: The superintendent reported that the town administrator has proposed October 9 as a date for the joint school committee-town council meeting. Because two members of the school committee will not be able to attend its October 2 workshop meeting, the committee decided to move the workshop to October 9th and will therefore ask the town administrator to propose a date later in the month for the joint session.
Home Schooling Requests: By unanimous vote, the school committee approved the home schooling requests.
Draft Revisions of Bullying Policy: The committee proposed editorial changes to the draft and will hold the first reading of the policy at the October 16 business meeting.
Policy Committee Recommendations for Policy Review/Creation: The committee discussed a list of policies that need to be reviewed or drafted and identified as top priorities the areas of sexual harassment; hiring; and substance abuse.
Information and Proposals:
Superintendent’s Report: Dr. Lukon reported on conversations with NK Interim Superintendent Phil Thornton about the possibility of tuitioning NK students to Jamestown Schools. Dr. Thornton has been tasked by the NK School Committee with reporting on alternatives for student placement should the committee decide to close a school. The Jamestown administration is evaluating available space and asked the school committee to discuss optimum class sizes at its October 9 workshop.
Principal’s Report: The principals reported on the faculty and staff orientation day; the preschool and kindergarten orientation sessions; open houses; and the September professional development day at which the faculty met with a presenter from the Successful Practices Network. The faculty will use monthly professional development time to revise units of study, using the Rigor, Relevance and Relationships framework as a guide. Consultant/educator Aldo Bianchi provided mathematics professional development to teachers of grades 3-8 this month and will return to work with grades K-2. Also this month, teachers will administer the Degree of Reading Power assessment in grades 3-8, using the results to guide reading instruction. Finally, the principals reported that emergency drill procedures have been reviewed with the faculty and that Lew Kitts will ensure that teachers have keys to classroom door locks to facilitate the lockdown drill.
Director of Student Service’s Report: Dr. Fricklas reported that during the summer the nine LEAs of South County developed jointly a Special Education Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual. He also shared that six new students with special needs registered in Jamestown and have been integrated into existing placements and programs. He provided the committee with a schedule of the upcoming RIDE School Support System (SSS) Review in Jamestown.
Committee Reports:
Melrose School Improvement Team: The group discussed self-selected reading; the behavior policy developed by Principal Melucci; and information provided by Michaela Onosko on foreign language instruction in elementary schools.
Lawn School Improvement Team: The group viewed and discussed the video of the keynote address at the 2008 Model Schools Conference.
SELAC: The group discussed the reorganization of the administrative offices; and ESY programs.
Facilities Committee: No meeting.
N.K. High School: At its August meeting, the NK School Committee discussed the high school athletic budget for the purchase of uniforms. Mr. Brennan reported that Interim Superintendent Thornton shared NECAP results and described a new analytic tool being used to target areas that need improvement.
SORICO: The interim director reported that SORICO has no financial reserves, largely because of a drop in program enrollment.
Legislative: No report.
Policy: Reported above.
Wellness: No meeting.
The next workshop meeting of the Jamestown School Committee will be on October 9; the next business meeting will be on October 16. All meetings are held at 7 p.m. in the Lawn library.