Fairfax Board of School Directors
Monday, October 13, 2008
Regular Meeting at 6:30pm
Fairfax Community Library
Present: Chairperson Peg Stewart, Jeff Loller, Elaine Carpenter, Robin Freeman, Angela Baker, Adam Benay, Ben Langelier, Armando Vilaseca, Scott Lang, Thomas Walsh, Lisa Delorme, Chris Sumner
Public: Chris Santee, Jean Shea, Christel Michaud, Kim Kissinger, Lori Bentley, Bill Durkin, ML Riggs, Meg Baker, Cassie Labor, Heather Salter, Samantha King, Lauri Hinton, Amy Black, Julie Beers, Bridget Hackett, Travis Jones, Tony Medici, Kristi Benjamin, Chris Benjamin, Rachelle Howard, Lisa Sweet, Penny Aceto, Erica Green, Patricia Hendee, Wendy Cholewa, Chelsea Clark, Lauren Cady, Katie Haddock, Kristie French, Landon French, Hannah Cargill, Mary McQuillen, Katelynn Sloan, Ashley Hinton, Jennifer Plankey, Sierra Salter, Mayla Mashteare, Annalise DeZalia, Jennifer Wood, Nancy Mead
1. Call to Order -Peg Stewart called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM.
2. Consent Agenda
Minutes -Regular Meeting: September 8, 2008
Correspondence
Jeff Loller motioned to approve the Consent Agenda. Elaine Carpenter seconded. Passed unanimously.
3. Public Comment – none
4. Reports
a. Principals
Elementary
Our BFA kindergarten committee has been hard at work. This committee is comprised equally between school staff, including the three kindergarten teachers, and parents of children who will be attending kindergarten in the coming years. The committee began its’ work by recognizing that almost everyone has an opinion on whether our kindergarten program at BFA Fairfax should remain an extended day program, become a full-day program, or have elements of both. Our task was to make an informed recommendation after reviewing the research, looking at kindergarten standards and scheduling and discussing pros and cons of each option. This recommendation will be made with the needs of the children of Fairfax at the center. The recommendation of the committee will be taken into consideration as the budget process progresses. The committee has informed the community about our presentation on Monday night so we may have a large crowd.
Our full day program for students that need additional time to meet kindergarten standards is off and running. Parents of identified students have embraced the opportunity to give their children additional time to experience success in kindergarten. We currently have 13 students in the program.
NECAP testing is completed in grades three and four and will finish up this week in grade five.
Our K-5 hike at Catamount was a success. We were joined by over a hundred parents and grandparents on this beautiful fall day. We are hoping to keep hike day at the school next year if the trails develop as planned.
Lisa Delorme
Middle School
We held an “Open House” night on Thursday, September 25. The event was well attended and positive.
There was a wonderful piece in the Messenger on the Mandala project.
The Re-Pointing project should be completed next weekend (Oct. 12).
Most information pertaining to the middle school was in my recent letter.
Respectfully,
Thomas Walsh
-The building repointing has been sealed. There are only some small areas that need to be completed.
-There will be a “Clear the halls” drill on October 21st.The Safety Committee will then look at the feedback collected from the staff.
-Tom had a follow up meeting with the recreation department and the athletic department about scheduling field and building use. Scott Lang will be writing a piece for the Fairfax News on the subject. The departments are working to combine efforts to maximize the possibilities financially.
High School
Nearly half of BFA high school teachers participated in a week long summer institute that ended on September 17 with the presentation of their units designed in the Understanding by Design/Differentiated Instruction model. Most of those teachers participated in the advanced strand hosted at Colchester high School and four of our teachers were instructors in the beginner strand. Changes in classrooms are observable and students appear more engaged in their study.
Open house on September 25 was a success. We initiated the Alert Now system to remind parents about the evening. A number of them approached me to let me know that the phone message was what got them there. It also was a good test for the system before we need it for weather related or other needs. The cost for the Alert Now subscription is paid for through a FWSU grant.
The Graduation Task Force met September 25 and was charged with evaluating the traditions of graduation and determining a plan for the next two years. Members brainstormed ideas and all left with some kind of homework. The Task Force will meet again previous to the board meeting October 13. Our goal is to have a report to share at your November meeting.
BFA Juniors participated in three days of NECAP testing on October 6, 7 and 8.
We were able to conduct nearly all of our classes while the NECAPS were being administered in response to the new state law which requires the preponderance of students in all grades to be present for a school day to count. As a point of information, not all high schools complied with the law. Sophomores all took the PLAN which is part of our local assessment plan. The PLAN is a college readiness test similar to the PSAT.
Juniors, who choose, may take the PSAT on October 15.
Kathy Lavoie of the TIPS program in coordination with Jean Anne Branch spoke with high school seniors who are unsure of their direction after school. The TIPS program offers students the opportunity to perform a forty hour internship with a Franklin County employer. The internship is followed by a guaranteed paid summer position with that employer.
The BFA Band and Chorus will present a concert at 7pm on Tuesday, October 14.
I attended a VPA Officials Committee meeting in Montpelier on October 6. After the meeting, one of the committee members, who is also a football official complimented me on the outstanding sportsmanship displayed by our football team at a game in Mill River – a game he had refereed. I appreciate all of the efforts of coach Williams, the coaching staff and of course the student athletes of whom we should all be proud.
Finally, our November 4 In Service will largely be in the area of literacy. Scott Lang
-Additionally, commendations to class of 2010 on their effort on the recent NECAP exam.
-The high school held an awesome pep rally on Friday. The kids enjoyed it and really showed their school spirit.
b. Financial – Chris Sumner distributed a summary of where the school ended last year. The bottom line was a surplus of $152,259. She gave a financial summary on this year to date.
c. School Board Members
Ben Langelier reported on homecoming week and football.
Adam Benay reported on an upcoming band/chorus concert October 14th. He reported on the soccer season.
Angela Baker reported on the Cram the Complex food drive that will be happening this holiday season. She is spreading the word and would like the whole community to be involved.
Elaine Carpenter reported on a recent library meeting. The library is now part of the Listen Up Vermont consortium for audio listening to books. She reported on the VSBA meeting.
Jeff Loller reported on soccer. He reported on the SU meeting and the discussion on a centralized policy system. He noted that in a prior meeting, Armando was offered a contract and will need to inform the board of his decision by mid December.
Peg Stewart reported on the storage shed on School Street. The building can’t be torn down until it is decided what to do with the property due to the permitting process. She informed the Board that Jeff and Peg’s terms will expire this year.
5. Business
a. Kindergarten Committee – Lisa Delorme welcomed and introduced the members of the Kindergarten Committee. The committee met 3 times and came up with a recommendation on full day kindergarten. They explained the process that they went through to come to their decision. In their recommendation, they are proposing an extended day lead in for 6 weeks and a full day program after that. They explained the reasons for their recommendation. Six weeks was chosen because it works well with Responsive Classroom research as to how long it takes students to acclimate to school. The goal is to have a less hurried approach. Questions and comments were taken from the public on the recommendation. The Board will consider the recommendation, the comments that were made, and the monetary implications and will make a decision during the budgeting process.
b. PTSA Presentation – Christel Michaud, PTSA President, gave a presentation on the BFA-PTSA. She highlighted the many areas that the PTSA contributes to the school
c. High School Principal Search – Scott Lang will be leaving his position as high school principal at the end of this school year. The Board will be going through the hiring process to fill his position. A search committee will need to be formed.
d. The Board discussed parking issues. A parking lot monitor still has not been found.
e. FY10 Budget Calendar – The Board reviewed and discussed a timeline for forming the FY2010 budget.
6. Policies
a. SU Policies –It is the recommendation of the superintendent to have policies reviewed and approved at the SU level. There are only a handful of policies in Fairfax that differ from those of Fletcher and Georgia. Having the SU Board handle the policy review process will free up the local Boards from so much work on policy revision and save work and time at the Central Office. The local Boards will still have representation on the SU policy committee. It is felt the more that can be done on the SU level, the more efficient the local Boards can be. The SU Board felt that it is important to have feedback from the local Boards and they would like to have a decision next month.
The Board would like to see a list of the policies that would be the same for all schools and those that would be particular to Fairfax. Angela stated that she is not able to uphold her SU Board commitment. An additional SU Board member will be added next month.
b. Revoke Policies – Discussion ensued on the revocation of the following policies:
- Bloodborne Pathogens Policy (because it is replaced by AIDS/HIV Policy)
- Search & Seizure Policy (because it is replaced by Interrogation of Students Policy)
- Hazing Policy (because it is replaced by Harassment of Students Policy)
The Board decided to hold off on the revocation of the Bloodborne Pathogens Policy.
Action: Angela Baker moved to revoke the Search & Seizure Policy and the Hazing Policy. Jeff Loller seconded and the motion passed unanimously.
c. Review Policies – The Board had a first review of and discussed the following policies:
- Board Meetings Policy
- Board Agenda Preparation & Distribution Policy
- Emergency Closing Policy
- Unlicensed Powered Vehicles Policy
- Student Representative Policy
Action: Jeff Loller moved to revoke the Unlicensed Powered Vehicles Policy. Angela Baker seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
- Executive Session – The Board entered Executive Session at 9:21PM. The Board exited Executive Session at 9:35PM. No action taken.
- Other –
Action: Jeff Loller moved to grant leave requested by Mary Fitzgerald and Al Daniels, seconded by Angela Baker. Motion passed 4-0.
- The Board adjourned at 9:40PM
Respectfully submitted,
Julie Filiberti
