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Southbridge
School Committee Meeting
LOCATION:
Robert G. MacKinnon Council Chambers, 41 Elm Street
DATE:
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
TIME:
7:00 PM
AGENDA
I. Pledge of Allegiance
II. Public Input
III. Meeting Called to Order
IV. Roll Call
V. Approval of Minutes
A.
Regular School Committee—August 12, 2014
VI. Chairperson’s Announcements
VII. Reports
A. None.
VIII. School Committee Reports – FY’15
A.
Curriculum Subcommittee-Mrs. Donovan
B.
Policy Subcommittee-Mrs. McLoughlin
C. Negotiations Subcommittee-Mrs. Quinney
D. Family
& Community Engagement Subcommittee-Mrs. Congdon
E. Sped
PAC Liaison-Mrs. Quinney
IX. Presentations
X. Report of the Finance Director
XI. Report of the Superintendent
A.
Staffing Update
B.
Student Clubs and Activities: 2014-2015 School Year
XII. School Committee Actions
A. Vote
to approve placement by the Hall of Fame Committee of a plaque honoring
Anthony
Santilli Sr. outside the locker room building at McMahon field.
B. Vote
to revoke policies ADDA-E-1, ADDA-E-2 and ADDA-E-3.
C. Vote
to appoint Southbridge Police Officer & School Resource Officer Robert
Campbell
as Attendance Supervisor for the Southbridge Public Schools pursuant to
MGL
Chapter 76 Section 19.
D. Vote
to appoint Southbridge Police Sergeant Jose Dingui as Attendance Supervisor
for
the Southbridge Public Schools pursuant to MGL Chapter 76 Section 19.
E. Vote
to appoint Southbridge Police Detective Robert Salisbury as Attendance
Supervisor
for the Southbridge Public Schools pursuant to MGL Chapter 76 Section
19.
F. Vote
to approve the 2014-2015 Southbridge Public Schools District Student and
Parent
Handbook.
G. Vote
to approve the individual school supplement to the District Student and Parent
Handbook
for Eastford Road School.
H. Vote
to approve the individual school supplement to the District Student and
Parent
Handbook for West Street School.
I. Vote
to approve the individual school supplement to the District Student and Parent
Handbook
for Charlton Street School.
J. Vote
to approve the individual school supplement to the District Student and Parent
Handbook
for Southbridge Middle/High School.
K. Vote
to appoint Dr. Cynthia Wilson-Grillo as the district School Physician for the
2014-2015
school year.
L. Vote
to approve the 2014-2015 Student Clubs and Activities as provided by the
Superintendent.
M. Vote
to approve the Superintendent’s Entry Plan for the 2014-2015 school year.
XIII. Unfinished Business
A.
Second Reading of amended policy File JII: Student Complaints and Grievances
B.
Second Reading of amended policy File JJH: Field Trips, Overnight Travel and
International
Travel
C. Second
Reading of amended policy File JJH-R: Student Travel Regulations
XIV. New Business
A. First
Reading of policy File JICI: Possession of Use of Weapons.
B. First
Reading of policy File FF-Commemoration of Facilities.
D. The
next regular School Committee meeting will be held on September 9, 2014, in
Council
Chambers.
E.
Member Forum
XV. Executive Session
A. Vote to go into executive session to:
1. Discuss strategy with respect to collective
bargaining for union and nonunion
personnel or litigation to the extent that an open
meeting may have a detrimental
effect on the bargaining or litigation position of
the governmental body pursuant to
Chapter 30A, Section 21(a), Part 3.
2. To consider the purchase, exchange, lease or
value of real property if the Chair
declares that an open meeting would have a
detrimental effect on the negotiating
position of the public body pursuant to Chapter 30A,
Section 21(a), Part 6. B. Roll Call
C. Vote to conclude executive session and return to
open session
D. Roll Call
XVI. Open Session
A.
Adjournment
At the last meeting our new Middle/High school principal reported that we should be expecting a welcome back letter and high school students would receive their schedules the week before school starts. Another lie! I'm feeling this year is going to be another disaster!
ReplyDeleteMy first question to my child will be, "How many substitute teachers did you have today?"
and "Do you have a guidance counselor?"
I have a child at SMHS and did receive a schedule and a welcome letter. We also received the all call stating that if you did not receive those items, that you should call the main office.
DeleteI am so tired of the negativity. Both of my high school children received a schedule and welcome letter last week. Were they perfect? No, however, they did receive them.
DeleteAs for staffing, from what I was told, they are only down an ELL teacher. Which would make sense as Mr. Schaffer gave his notice last Friday. Other than that position, SMHS is fully staffed.
How about we change our attitude toward the schools. Lets give our children the opportunity to look forward to school rather than hear how horrible we think the school year is going to be and how disappointed we are in the system. Children repeat what they have heard. Their attitudes towards school are a direct reflection of their parents/guardians attitudes. If we are positive, they will be positive. We need to support our teachers and give them every tool they need to help our children succeed. We need to encourage our children to give their best every day! Our schools need our support. I, for one, intend to give it to them.
I think that is a great idea to have we are all really trying to do our best for the children
DeleteSome observations regarding this evening’s “dog and pony” show, AKA an "open and honest" school committee meeting . . .
ReplyDeleteFirst, Dr. Page's request to have prior minutes reflect the actual events, actions and/or statements of meetings is certainly not for his personal desire. Minutes are historical record and are for the benefit of the entire community. Mrs. McLoughlin appeared to not think so.
Second, does a staff member or two retiring mid-year really raise so much havoc? As much as the constant revolving door with teachers that we have witnessed over the past two years; never mind the constant change in administrators? It was also quite offensive to witness the snide antics of Mrs. Quinney during this agenda item. She, along with Donovan, are the reason the district had a mass exodus of guidance personnel after their public attack on them at a meeting.
Next, why are student handbooks being approved the night before school opens? These books were voted upon in May when Dr. Hanley was superintendent; which is an appropriate time period. As we saw, Mrs. Quinney did not have a copy of the book prior to the vote. Extremely inappropriate! Quinney and the principal bantering back and forth - extremely inappropriate. How can Mrs. Donovan check the spelling?
No West Street School handbook. What a joke!
Now McLoughlin ponies up a BS excuse for the reason the books are not ready! Can anyone believe her? This school committee looks like GIANT buffoons? McLoughlin states in panic, "What are we going to do?" Big Mac, YOU are the LEADER! YOU are a DISGRACE! You are starting to make Pat Woodruff look like a star chairperson!
Time for a 13 minute recess to read the two missing books. They must have all taken the Dale Carnegie speed reading class (oops, dating myself). What type of "excellence" did we witness tonight?
Reconvened. Still debate about what time pre-school children can arrive? Debate. Doesn’t school start in less than 13 hours?????????? Parents, drop dem dare kiddos off anytime after dat der sun thing comes up! This school committee leadership is clueless, incompetent and arrogant – quality characteristics for success!
West Street School handbook . . . Oops, attendance rules aren’t consistent with district policies!
Charlton Street School handbook – Same baloney.
Middle High/School – attendance documentation and pagination issues.
Now there are spelling errors (Donovan, what’s up with that?)
This entire handbook debacle should have been tabled! “But we’re all working so hard!”
72% of the budget goes for salaries. 72% of 25 million dollars. Roughly 19 million dollars. And we can’t get four student handbooks correct the night before school starts!
As a parent I feel real confident in our district leadership team - sure I do! Remember how the guidance staff was ripped a new one for not being prepared? I hope the girls don't have glass houses!
I am one parent not happy with the first day of school at the middle high school. I'm trying to have a positive attitude but the administration makes it so difficult!
ReplyDeleteWhat could you possibly be dissatisfied with on the first day?
DeleteHow about 45 students in high school social studies class? Other almost empty.
DeleteThe question and confusion over retirement dates should be answered and someone should know the answer. What happens with the retirement system is that it is calculated according to your birthday. So you are allowed to retire on your birthday. Thus the mystery about why would someone return and leave after a month, after 3 months etc. They are forced to return until their birthday. So making a policy that you can't retire before the end of the school year is a problem. The school committee should be checking answers before they bring it to the public and make it look like teachers are evil people playing jokes on our poor children by coming back for a month. Really who wants to come back for a month. In other systems they allow the person to help out etc so there is a consistent teacher who starts the beginning of the year.
ReplyDelete