Plainfield School District
Plainfield School Board Meeting
Monday, June 11, 2007
Plainfield Elementary School
MINUTES
The meeting was called to order at 6:35 pm. Present were Board members Reynolds, Bucklin, Ferguson, and Forman. Also present were Superintendent Collins, Principal Langsner, and a member of the public.
Public Comments
There being no public comment, the Board reordered the agenda as follows:
Announcements, Communications
The Board sent notes of appreciation for the year’s curriculum work to: Karen Heaton, Health; Christine Kuriger, Guidance; Mary Cantlin, Technology; and Laura Spratt, Science. The Board sent a note of congratulations to Julie Perkins as the recipient of the Walmart Teacher of the Year Award.
Business for Discussion and/or Action
A. Curriculum Presentations
Teacher Deb Foltyn, representing the Reading Curriculum Committee, reported that since reading is so important to our students (and the number of students and complexity of the curriculum is so great), it warrants a separation from the Language Arts Curriculum Committee. The Reading Curriculum Committee studied the Grade Level Equivalent (GLE) and the results of the New England CAP (NECAP) to obtain the measure of our students’ progress. With that information, they will revise the current reading curriculum. The committee plans to develop a common vocabulary that references the grade-to-grade assessment of reading competencies. The committee found that the 3-minute assessment was extremely reliable determining the progress of an individual student. The reliability of the tool to raise awareness of potential problem areas and the speed (5 minutes per student) of the administration of the assessment makes it a valuable tool for teachers of all grade levels to employ. Another assessment tool, DIBELS (Dynamic Indicator of Basic Elementary Literacy Skills), is used in early Kindergarten to “hallmark” reading improvement. Eighteen staff members will be trained in using DIBELS because it is helpful determining progress of younger aged students and older, challenged students. The committee determined that currently there is not a consistent, grade-to-grade teaching/assessing approach to the reading curriculum at our school. They will work to ameliorate this issue.
Representing the GLOBE program in the absence of Duncan McCutchan, Principal Langsner said that over 19,000 schools around the world are using this approach to teaching life and earth sciences. Students learned protocol procedures to measure and record environmental data on our local atmosphere (including weather), hydrology, soils and land cover. The program is well received by the students because of the hands-on experimentation model. There was a lot of field work to be done with this program that engaged the participating students. Next year the GLOBE program will expand to international participants to explore exchanges of information, photographs, and other communication across the planet.
Board member Forman stated that he is appreciative of all the hard work the teachers and administration have invested in the examination/revision of the curricula. However, he, like other Board members, is overwhelmed by the complexity of each resulting curriculum. What he does understand is how much effort and time Principal Langsner has invested in overseeing and orchestrating the huge task. Board member Forman asked Principal Langsner what she “takes away” from the year’s work. Her response is as follows:
Consent Agenda
B. Nominations
The Board unanimously accepted the following as soccer coaches: Allan Reetz (Boy’s 7/8); Mindy Taber (Girls’); Oliver Herfort (Boy’s 6); and Mary Cantlin (Game Supervisor). The Board also unanimously accepted Conrad L’Heureux as the part-time Physical Education teacher on a one-year contract. Bill Granter, current member of PES Support Staff, was accepted as summer custodial assistant to Bill Fleming.
Reports
B. Superintendent’s Reports
The summer Circus Camp sponsored by the PTA has received acceptable insurance coverage. Kimball Union Academy has graciously offered their campus for the camp this summer while our school’s fire sprinkler system (and related renovations) is in progress. Insurance for the camp had to be negotiated and with the signing of KUA’s Facilities Usage Agreement by Chair Reynolds, the camp will occur for the second summer.
Superintendent Collins asked that Chair Reynolds sign the Hodgkin’s Construction Sheet to expedite the excavation and installation of the underground water line for the school’s new fire sprinkler system.
In addition, if there are any change orders during the construction process this summer, the Board authorized the Superintendent to execute those change orders within the existing budget.
Superintendent Collins estimates that it will take two years to complete the painting of the wood walls in the school building. Every effort will be made this summer, using community volunteer painters, to have a final coat of paint applied to each wood wall that has the fire-retardant paint applied to it.
The Board voted unanimously to authorize Chair Reynolds to sign the required documents for the sale of the bond voted by the tax payers to pay for the necessary renovations to the school’s building.
C. Committee Reports
Athletic Committee
Board member Forman presented the revised Regulations to Accompany Policy (IGDJ-Interscholastic and Intramural Athletics). After some discussion and a few revisions, the policy was unanimously accepted for adoption depending on the inclusion of the revisions. Those revisions will be presented at the next Board meeting in August 2007.
Health Insurance
After some discussion, it was decided that the Superintendent and Board member Bucklin would monitor various aspects of possible insurance options, e.g., HSA, HRA, varying price points between suitable providers, in the future. It would not be necessary for the Health Insurance Committee to continue meeting next year on a regular basis.
Policy Committee
Our auditors have requested a policy be adopted pertaining to investments. The New Hampshire School Board Associaiton (NHSBA) does not feel that our district needs to adopt a policy that addresses the four points that our auditors have identified. Superintendent Collins will look into this request further.
Business for Discussion and/or Action
B. Policy Revisions, Second Reading
The Board voted unanimously to adopt policy JLCD and JLCD-R (Administering Medicines to Students.)
C. 2007-2008 Board Meeting Schedule
After a brief discussion, next year’s Board meeting schedule was unanimously approved with changes.
D. NRCS Conservation Grant
We have won the grant monies for which we applied several years ago to mitigate the erosion caused by Blood’s Brook to the edges of some of our athletic fields. Superintendent Collins will apply, with the help of Janet Hayes of the Sullivan County Agriculture Agency, for the necessary and appropriate wetland permit. The Board voted Chair Reynolds the authority to sign the NRCS documents pertaining to this project.
E. Board Retreat
The Board discussed plans for the retreat scheduled for August 22 beginning at 4 pm at Kimball Union’s Dad’s House on Bean Road. Items for possible discussion are: Alternative Compensation Methods for Professional Staff; Teacher/Staff Evaluations; Administrative Re-Organization; Long-range Curriculum Assessment and Consistency; and How to Implement a Stronger Focus on Academics.
F. Authorization to Accept Funds
The Board voted unanimously to give the Superintendent the authority to accept monies from any source, including state and federal funds for the 2007-2008 school year.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 9:17 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Myra Ferguson
Board Member