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Fairfax Board of School Directors
Monday, May 11, 2009
Regular Meeting at 6:30pm ~ Community Library
Present: Peg Stewart, Elaine Carpenter, Robin Freeman, Barbara Murphy, Kim Lesny, Adam Benay, Ben Langelier, Bruce Chattman, Scott Lang, Thomas Walsh, Lisa Delorme, Chris Sumner
Public: Krystina Higgins, Jessica Shepard, Mark Hunziker, Jim Boomhover
1. Call to Order – Peg Stewart called the meeting to order at 6:30PM. Lisa Delorme requested an addition to the agenda under Board Business to discuss kindergarten.
2. Board Photograph - A Board photograph was taken.
3. Consent Agenda
Minutes of Regular Meeting: April 9th
Action: Elaine Carpenter motioned to approve the Consent Agenda and Kim Lesny seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
New Hires/Resignations
Action: Barbara Murphy motioned to approve the hiring Ashley Klein as a 1.0 FTE grade 7/8 social studies teacher. Elaine Carpenter seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
4. Public Comment – Mark Hunziker spoke representing Citizens for Fairfax Community. They organized to find a place that would serve as a community center for the citizens of Fairfax. The group is looking for a letter of support from the Board for this community center project to help in applying for grant money. The item will be put on the agenda for next month.
5. Reports
a. Superintendent – Bruce Chattman gave a legislative update with regards to financial items.
b. Principals
Elementary
This year we had $10,000 to spend to support enrichment activities for our K-12 system. This amount was down $5,000 from last year. The enrichment committee met last week to allocate the remainder of our funds. This committee is made up of teachers, parents, a community member and administration. This group is representative of our K-12 structure. Following are a list of activities that have been supported by enrichment funds during the 08-09 school year.
Elementary School
Drama Club
Computer Club
Science Equipment
Early Education Art Camp
Middle School
Dance Residency
Computer Club
Odyssey of the Mind
Speaker on Bullying
Trip to Lotus Lake Discovery Center
High School
Scholars Bowl
Lego Mindstorms
Jr. Iron Chef Competition
Teen Leadership Conference
May 26th will be a going away party for staff that will be retiring this year.
Lisa Delorme
Middle School
Another great school year will soon be ending for the summer recess. I am proud of our students and staff, as everyone has worked so diligently and accomplished so much. This will be my last letter of this year, so I would like to communicate some important news and dates.
The sixth grade team remains an active group of learners and citizens. The entire class participated in a grade K-6 Green-Up day throughout Fairfax. I want to thank Mr. Daniels for organizing this annual event and for the support of all the staff members and parent volunteers that made this a successful day.
Within the classroom, this group is also busy. In language arts, students will be writing a personal essay. In science, students will be learning about electricity and magnetism. In social studies, they will continue to learn about Vermont, Franklin County, and Fairfax. Finally, in math, students will study area and perimeter.
In grade seven, students recently completed a social studies and science interdisciplinary unit titled “The People and the Planet”. This unit addressed concepts of global interdependence and sustainability, ecology, the human impact on the environment, and global population growth. Next, in language arts students will be learning about literary terms and will be reading Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, by Jordan Sonnenblick. In social studies, students will be completing a current events research project. In math they will be collecting, displaying, and interrupting data. Finally, in science, students will complete a unit on cells and begin a unit dealing with genetics.
The eighth grade team is in the process of winding down their middle school experience. In science, students will finish the year with a unit addressing motion and force. In social studies, students will study the Civil War, while in math, students are studying statistics. Students in language arts are conducting demonstration speeches, writing procedure pieces, and reading West Side Story. Finally, eight student representatives have begun meeting with Mr. Buckingham and me to plan our year-end activities.
Congratulations to approximately forty middle school students who showcased their artwork during the Franklin County Art Show. The art show was held at the Collins-Perley Sports Complex in St. Albans on May 04-11. We are fortunate to have a tremendous number of talented emerging artists throughout our school.
Students are engaged in a variety of learning activities in Unified Arts classes. In Art classes, sixth graders are glazing pottery, seventh graders are making ceramic projects, and the eighth graders are creating water color paintings. In Computer Applications, students are learning the fundamental features of Microsoft Word and continuing to focus on the development of their typing speed and accuracy. In music, sixth graders are learning basic piano skills, seventh graders are studying the history of music, and eighth graders are completing an individual music project. Finally, in physical education, students are learning about lacrosse, golf, and orienteering.
Eighth grade parents and students, please remember the Middle School Culmination Celebration on Wednesday, June 10, from 6:30pm – 8:00 pm in the high school gym. The event will include a slide show and some reflections from teachers, students, and me about the Class of 2013. The event is casual, and it can become quite warm in the gym, so please dress accordingly. There will be dessert and beverages afterwards in the Multi-Purpose Room.
I also want to remind you of several upcoming events:
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Activity
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Date/Time
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Grade 7+8 Dance
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May 29, 2009 6:30 pm-9:30 pm (Grade 7 students depart dance at 9:00 pm)
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Grades 5-6 and Fletcher student Step-up day
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June 04, 2009
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Grade 6 Party/Dance
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June 05, 6:30 pm-8:00 pm (Multi-Purpose Room)
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Grade 7 Sports and Fitness Edge
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June 10, 2009
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Grade 8 Quarry Hill Club
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June 08, 2009
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Grade 8 Middle School Culmination Celebration
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June 10, 2009 6:30 pm-8:00 pm
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Last Day of School (1/2 Day) Grades 6+7
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June 11, 2009 (Students dismissed at 11:45)
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A reminder that any student who has received an in-or-out of school suspension or accumulated five or more visits to the Planning Room during the fourth quarter will be ineligible to attend the dances on May 29and June 5. In addition, we will continue to assess whether students that are struggling academically and behaviorally should attend the end of the year class trips. Please encourage your children to work hard and make positive choices until the end of the school year.
Thank you for the ongoing support you all have provided me during this year. I consider myself very fortunate to work in a school and community that values education. I am looking forward to the 2009-2010 school year and continuing the important work of educating your children. Please feel free to call or e-mail me at twalsh@bfafairfax.com if you have questions, concerns, or stop by, as I am in the office most of the summer. Have a productive, safe, and relaxing summer break.
Respectfully,
Thomas J. Walsh
High School
Thirty students and one adult were inducted into the National Honor Society on April 27
in an evening ceremony attended by parents and relatives of the inductees.
May 8, VTLSP in collaboration with Fairfax Fire and Rescue Squads conducted a mock crash outside the elementary wing. The purpose of the dramatization is to remind students as we go into prom season, of the dangers of drinking and driving as well our continual reminder for all students to be safe.
The National Honor Society is sponsoring a blood drive on May 14. In this decade, BFA Honor Society has raised the bar from 65 pints per year to over 250. Much of that credit should go to the hard work of the students involved and to Sara Villeneuve as their advisor for the last several years.
Senior Social Studies classes will be attending an all day conference on May 18 set up for our students in collaboration with our social studies department and the ACLU. The series of workshops will be held at the St. Albans Historical Society. We appreciate the generosity of the ACLU as this program is at no cost to the school.
NECAP exams for juniors will be held on May 19 and 20. Our junior class did us proud in the October assessments and we are counting on them to carry us once again in science. The science curriculum is under construction at the moment and is being realigned to the power standards that are assessed on the NECAP. This is a Franklin West K – 12 project.
The High School Student Council will be holding two meetings for high school students. They will be unveiling their new constitution at a meeting on May 11 and we will hear from candidates for the constitutional offices on May 29.
Looking ahead – Prom on the Spirit of Ethan Allen May 23, Class Day June 9 at 8:30 and exams June 10 and 11, Alumni Banquet June 12 and Graduation/Project Grad June 13.
Scott Lang, High School Principal
c. Financial – Chris Sumner took questions from the Board on May’s financial report.
d. School Board Members
Adam Benay reported on AP exams. He stated that the Student Council is having an assembly this week on the constitution of the Student Council. They would also like to address the iPod rules before the year is out.
Ben Langelier reported that he heard mixed feelings on the mock crash that happened last week.
Barbara Murphy reported she has been performing her duties as Board Clerk.
Robin Freeman reported that the committee will soon be looking at new SU space.
Elaine Carpenter reported on a meeting she attended last week with some teachers given by Dr. Ross Green, author of The Explosive Child.
Kim Lesny reported on the library committee meeting.
Peg Stewart reported on last week’s mock crash. She found the students to be very attentive.
6. Board Business
a. Review & Approve C-Power Contract– Jim Boomhover explained the specifics of the CPower contract to the Board. It is an agreement that BFA will agree to run the school off the generator and not draw power if a Northeast power grid emergency comes up and the grid is in need of more power. In exchange, Cpower will give BFA a payment each month based on the kilowatts available to be donated. The contract will run through 2011. The Board discussed the specifics of this contract.
Action: Barbara Murphy motioned to give the Board’s support to the Cpower program. Robin Freeman seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
b. 2009-2010 Teacher Evaluation Model –Tom Walsh gave the Board an overview of the process in coming up with the Teacher Evaluation Model and the changes that have been made to next year’s model.
Action: Elaine Carpenter motioned to approve the Bellows Free Academy Professional Staff Evaluation System for the year 2009-2010. Kim Lesny seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
c. Set School Board Retreat Date & Location –The Board set its annual summer retreat date for Wednesday, August 5th, at BFA from 9:00 to 3:00.
d. Kindergarten staffing – The incoming kindergarten class already has 67 registered students. This would give class sizes at a minimum of 23 students and therefore there is the need to reduce the kindergarten class size and hire another teacher. The administration is seeking approval for the hiring of a fourth .67 FTE kindergarten position. This would be a one year only position and would be funded through the use of stimulus funds. If the need for an additional teacher still exists next year, the position can still be funded with stimulus money. If the need extends after that, it would have to become part of the general budget. This additional kindergarten will require some classroom shifts to provide room for an extra classroom.
Action: Robin Freeman motioned to approve the hiring of an additional kindergarten teacher. Barbara Murphy seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
- Other - none
8. Policies
a. Volunteer & Work Study Policy – The policy was reviewed. The addition of the words “volunteer or” was added under Policy to read: The screening process utilized by the school district shall minimally include a name and birth date check with the Vermont Internet Sex Abuse Registry for any person being considered for service as a volunteer or work study student. A person who is on the Vermont Internet Sex Offender Registry shall not be eligible to be a volunteer or work study student.
Action: Barbara Murphy motioned to approve the Volunteer & Work Study Policy with the above changes. Robin Freeman seconded. Passed unanimously.
b. Security Camera Policy – The Board had a 1st reading of this policy.
Respectfully submitted,
Julie Filiberti
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