PRESENT: Tom Haley, Peter Warburton, Clint Hanson, Tom Serafin, Tammy Boucher, Michael Reardon, Deb Bulkey, Susanne Whitbeck, Mona Sandberg, Rick Mitchell, Sandy Valine (recording secretary), Lisa Laskey, Brian Gridley, Mary Rosenthall, Donna Ray, Jonathan Burnham,
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Clint Hanson called the meeting to order at
2. MINUTES OF
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
A motion to approve the minutes of the
ALL IN FAVOR
THE MOTION CARRIED
3. IMMEDIATE BUSINESS
A. CITIZENS’ COMMENTS None at this time
B. WELLNESS PROGRAMS
Health and Wellness has gone through the most changes over the years, PE classes, lunch program, role of nurses in children’s programs, obesity are all hot topics.
Ms. Rosenthall (Hill School Nurse) presented an overview of the growing problem of obesity. Since the 1970s the number of 2-5 year olds identified as overweight and/or obese has doubled. The number of children who are significantly overweight between the ages of 6-11 years old has tripled. Doctors are not basing the identification on the standard measured heights and weights, but using BMI (body mass index) instead.
One-third of the children in the
26% of
25% of this group of overweight students may already have one or two heart related or significant health concerns. The number of children who have sleep apnea, behavioral issues, bedwetting, and attentional difficulties is huge, as is the impact of psycho-social issues. Genetics is one part of the obesity problem, but changes in our lifestyles make this issue much more of a significant problem.
Children are not eating the recommended number of fruits and vegetables. There are dietary concerns about what is being served and/or are available to kids. Increased TV, video and computer time also has a tremendous impact. Children are not doing as many chores, and they are not physically as active as children were in earlier generations.
The availability of “junk food” and/or fast food/processed foods is too prevalent and many of these foods have a much higher caloric content.
Information about healthy choices, lifestyles as well as specific information will be sent home with to the parents. Ms. Rosenthall and the other school nurses are hoping that parents will appreciate the pro-active stance of the nurses in identifying children who may be having difficulty maintaining a healthy weight and/or lifestyle.
Planning on giving some additional information to parents to
help them obtain more information to help their families. The nurses are still working on the actual
details of the program information. They
are coordinating the sharing of information among all of the schools. There are additional concerns specific to the
ages of students at both
Mr. Serafin expressed a concern about dental health related difficulties. Are there children who are having dental health issues? Ms. Rosenthall stated that there are a few kids who are seen for dental work. Most kids are covered by insurance- Healthy Kids Gold is a plan that provides for dental health check ups. Dental health care appears to be working as there seem to be fewer kids with untreated dental issues. The nurses do make a few referrals. There are some dentists that do not see patients without specific dental plans. There is some money available through the school nurses that can be used in those cases.
Economic Challenges do impact some of the choices families make. However there are many really good choices available that do not cost a great deal of money. Education is the key.
Our schools do have a Healthy Snack month in November. Nutrition lessons, parent materials and classroom materials are provided. We really do try to work on the positive choices. Most of the redirection of what is a “healthy snack” is done within the classroom and it is dealt with at that level.
Mr. Gridley reported on the PE/Health Curriculum at TRS. He also spoke in relationship to the evolution of PE / Health Curriculum into a living document at PA. This was directly tied into the essential question: “How am I going to live my life?”
Nutrition labels and connections to physical activity are discussed. Kids have gravitated away from physical activity. Outdoor activities vs. computer/tv are also discussed.
At both levels (TRS and PA) the goal is to introduce the benefits of an active lifestyle.
Mr. Gridley applauded the board for adding an additional PE teacher at TRS. All kids will have 90 days of PE at TRS throughout the year beginning next year. Fitness Circuit Challenge between 5th and 6th grade has been conducted. The PE programs are also connected to the Health Curriculum. We have many options for families, students and staff to start becoming more active and more aware of the choices they are making.
Getting kids more active is a major goal. They are excited about where we’re going. Hopefully the kids / staff will be able to carry the traditions & exposure levels to become more automatic, which will help with so many other options for a healthier life.
The view of what healthy is, is often skewed by the kids. Photos are displayed and further discussions are held.
The inclusion of drugs/alcohol along with other significant issues that affect the overall health and wellness of students does happen both in and out of many classrooms. Speakers and presentations are scheduled, and interventions are available as needed.
There is definitely a connection and tie in to the curriculum topics.
Donna Roy, food service director, presented information about the changes in food service program. A lot of the changes that were discussed last year are already in place. More whole grains, fresh fruits / vegetables are available at each school on a daily basis.
The products being used are generally Low fat and low sugar. Many of the concession items have been replaced. Currently there are all baked products in the snack bar with water and juice, rather than sodas and higher fat content foods.
The commodity quality from the government does need to be addressed. Uniform standards are in the works. Nutrition Workshop is being planned for the state.
Kids are consuming a lot of fresh foods. The district is closer to being Trans-Fat free, but we are not there yet.
We are making the changes away from “fried” products. It is in process, but it will take time. Kids still need to and want to eat the foods.
There are staff members who do definitely model healthy choices. Different programs have been made available to families. The number of participants is somewhat lower than what the schools would like to see.
The good news is that it is much better than it was! Institutionally it is more expensive to serve healthy foods in a school setting.
Nurses have been talking about it a lot over the last few years. TRS/PA are still discussing options about how to share information with students and their parents. A Health report card will be sent out to Hill/Village students to all parents this year.
C. HONEYWELL PROJECT UPDATE
Mr. Burnham reported that Honeywell has begun their work. They are looking at the buildings. Insulation issues have been addressed. Time and temperature recording have been done for approximately 5 weeks.
One major item that was discovered involved the air flow at PA. The return ducts were covered at PA. The workers have also discovered many issues. The boilers have been tested for efficiency. They are looking at alternate heating sources and zoning controls. Building plans are now all on disk and a copy is going to be available for the district. Internet connections to all of the mechanical equipment will also be available.
Next steps were reviewed. This will start after the engineers have finished looking at all the buildings in the district. Mr. Burnham will also review the findings and verify common items. Then they will come to agreement on the issues and findings. Other possible improvements will be listed on the list. A practical project list will be developed after that.
There was a request for information related to the non energy improvements. The pricing for the plumbing work in the locker rooms is being pursued. Lockers are being priced. Cosmetic changes are also being reviewed.
Roofing repairs at the Hill are underway. Other roofing work will be going forward this summer. Surveying for the fields will need to be done prior to any work. Realistically it looks like that will be done during the summer of ‘08.
There was discussion about the financial components of the project and how the loan amounts are determined and/or pay back.
Hand Sanitizer stations are available in all the schools, as initially provided at the elementary schools by PALS.
D. CONSENT AGENDA
The consent agenda contained multiple requests for continued enrollment, a maternity leave, and plans for the senior class trip.
□ A request for continued enrollment
A motion to enter non-public session was made at
Mr. Mitchell YES
Mr. Serafin YES
Mr. Hanson YES
Present in the non public session were Mr. Hanson, Mr. Haley, Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Serafin, Ms. Boucher, Ms. Bulkley, Mr. Warburton and a parent,
At
Ms. Boucher YES
Mr. Mitchell YES
Mr. Serafin YES
Mr. Hanson YES
Mr. Hanson stated that no action had been taken in non-public session.
A motion to grant the request for continued
attendance/enrollment in Pembroke through end of school year would be based on
the condition of the student being enrolled in the Summer Reading Program in
Allenstown by the end of the school day on
TWO IN FAVOR
ONE IN OPPOSTION
ONE ABSTENTION
THE MOTION CARRIED
□ A motion to approve the request for continued enrollment for 8th grader at TRS
was made by Mr. Serafin and seconded by Mr. Mitchell.
ALL IN FAVOR
THE MOTION CARRIED
□ A motion to approve the request for continued enrollment for 7th grader at TRS
contingent on the tuition costs of a student at that level for the 2007-2008 school year was made by Mr. Serafin and seconded by Ms. Boucher.
ALL IN FAVOR THE MOTION CARRIED
□ A motion to approve the request for continued enrollment for a 2nd grader at Hill
for the remainder of the school year was made by Mr. Mitchell & seconded by Ms. Boucher. ALL IN FAVOR THE MOTION CARRIED
□ A motion to approve the request for continued enrollment for a 5th grader at TRS
and a 4th grader at Hill was made by Mr. Serafin and seconded by Ms. Boucher.
THREE IN FAVOR
ONE ABSTENTION
THE MOTION CARRIED
□ A motion to approve the request for continued enrollment for an 8th grader at TRS
was made by Mr. Mitchell and seconded by Ms. Boucher
ALL IN FAVOR
THE MOTION CARRIED
□ A motion to approve the request for continued enrollment for a 9th grader at PA
through the rest of the school year was made by Mr. Serafin & seconded by Ms. Boucher.
ALL IN FAVOR
THE MOTION CARRIED
□ A motion to approve the request for non-resident enrollment for 2007-08 was
made by Mr. Mitchell and seconded by Mr. Serafin.
ALL IN FAVOR
THE MOTION CARRIED
□ A motion to approve the request for maternity leave was made by Ms. Boucher and
seconded by Mr. Mitchell. ALL
IN FAVOR
THE MOTION CARRIED
□ A motion to approve the plans for the upcoming senior class trip was made Mr.
Serafin and seconded by Ms. Boucher.
ALL IN FAVOR
THE MOTION CARRIED
The board was updated regarding the status of the Bullying
Reports from the
4. OLD/UNFINISHED
BUSINESS
A. END OF YEAR EVENTS SCHEDULE
The schedule was presented. Let Mr. Reardon know if you are planning on attending.
5/24 TOP 10 Dinner
6/9 Eddie’s in
6/15 Convocation
The board was updated as to the status of the flood
days. The district did apply for a
waiver of the flood days. The response
from the Commissioner has been received.
A motion to accept the waiver from the Commissioner of Education regarding the flood days was made by Mr. Serafin and seconded by Ms. Boucher.
ALL IN FAVOR
THE MOTION CARRIED
B. POLICY REVIEW
□ Second Review Amended Field Trip Policy
There was discussion regarding the limitation of the number of school days that trips may carry-over ahead of and behind of a vacation. A request for a waiver of the policy can be made. There is a financial cost to the district when covering the expenses of a substitute. Action will be taken at the next meeting.
Quote of the Month:
Mr. Hanson stated, “If you think I’m nuts, let me know.”
Ms. Boucher replied, “On this particular issue or in general?”
□ Review/Affirmation of Visitors to the Schools Policy
There was discussion about the board re-affirming the policy regarding Visitors to the Schools. There was additional discussion related to this topic in regard to security and what is currently documented within the policy. Perhaps there needs to be an additional policy regarding participants in the classroom or school program
A motion to reaffirm the policy of Visitors to the Schools Policy was made by Mr. Serafin and seconded by Ms. Boucher.
ALL IN FAVOR
THE MOTION CARRIED
5. NEW
BUSINESS
A. NOMINATION/ELECTION OF STAFF
Mr. Haley placed the following nominees before the board for consideration:
□ Bridget Lee Village Sped new
□ Lisa Pellerin Hill Sped retirement replacement
□ Lori Foster TRS sped replacement
□ Karen Curren TRS math replacement
A motion to elect the above candidates was made by Mr. Serafin and seconded by Ms. Boucher.
ALL IN FAVOR
THE MOTION CARRIED
Mr. Haley place the following nominee before the board for consideration:
□ Leanne Keary TRS librarian reinstated position
Mr. Hanson informed the board that he would recuse himself from any action and discussion on this candidate. Mr. Hanson will abstain from voting.
As the most senior member of the board, Mr. Serafin became acting chair for this topic.
A motion to elect Leanne Keary was made by Mr. Serafin and seconded by Ms. Boucher.
THREE IN FAVOR
ONE ABSTENION
THE MOTION CARRIED
The board was updated as to the status of contracts. There are quite a few people who have retired and/or not signed their contracts. They anticipate that there may be more in the district. There was discussion regarding the internal transfer in the district.
There was discussion about a request to reassign a guidance counselor position to a social worker. The Even-Start Grant will allow additional work with families. This position will allow for more comprehensive, wrap-around services to address the at-risk population over the next few years. A tentative job description was presented for review. The social worker would work with the Student Resource Officer and At Risk coordinator. More information was requested. There was discussion regarding a presentation. Guidance counselor case load maximum is 300; the reassignment would keep load within the recommended limits. The guidance counselor case load will be approximately 260 per counselor. Conceptually this has been presented and discussed by the SAU board. There will be a further presentation at the next meeting.
B. PRINCIPAL SEARCH
Committee has been formed, and the process is underway. Interviews are scheduled and will be completed in the next few days. Committee recommendation will be the semi-finalists and candidates for site visits. School board will meet with semi-finalists and conduct another interview and make the final recommendation.
It is expected that the search process will be completed sooner rather than later, however the committee needs time to do site visits. Perhaps the semi-finalists can be scheduled for the 1st June meeting or select another time to bring in candidates.
The board decided to schedule interviews on June 5th (beginning
at
Another school board meeting may be scheduled if needed.
6. OTHER BUSINESS
CITIZENS’ COMMENTS None at this time
7. ADJOURNMENT
NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING May 22 Hill School
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made at
8. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS None at this time