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The Board of Education and
administrators hosted a reception, beginning at 6:30pm, for teachers
achieving tenure status at tonight’s Board meeting.
The regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union
Free School District Board of Education held Thursday, June 25, 2009 was
called to order at 7:00 by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Sandra
Clow, Carol Cooper, Denise Keyoskey, Robert VanBramer
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Debra
Cardnuto, Susan Wulczyn, Joseph Siracuse, Christopher Scanlan, Patrick
Parker, Andrew Wein, Heather MacDougall, Laura Clark
ABSENT: Thomas Lansing
Comments from the Administration
Mrs. Wulczyn thanked everyone for the lovely
gathering held today. She is honored to have served this community and
will miss everyone; best wishes to all.
Mrs. Feldkamp has had a wonderful 23 years and
appreciates all the well-wishes and kind words over the past two weeks;
it’s been overwhelming. She couldn’t have asked for a better job.
Mr. Siracuse said the elementary had a good ending
to a great year. The sixth grade students attended a Medieval Fair and
IMAX theater in New Jersey. The PTO hosted a sixth grade year-end dinner
and awards ceremony at Costanzo’s for students and parents. The
Kindergarten year-end ceremony was successful with a strong
parent/community turnout. Thanks to Mrs. Murphy and the Kindergarten
teachers for the wonderful slide show. Eighth grade exams went out to be
graded yesterday. Summer AIS and Pre/Post Kindergarten classes will
begin July 7th. Mr. Siracuse wished Mrs. Wulczyn well when
she leaves the district and thanked her for being a mentor.
Ms. Cardnuto spoke of three recent events that help
to define this district: Purple Day/Relay for Life raising over $7,000
for cancer research; the mock-DWI event bringing awareness to the
dangers of drinking and driving; and the Professional Development Day
that brought town history to life for faculty and staff when visiting
the Waterford Museum and Erie and Champlain canal locks. Ms. Cardnuto
highlighted recent faculty and student recognitions: The awarding of a
grant to Mr. Ferrara for picturing America; students recognized for
their work on Youth Court; 2009 scholars David Hines who nominated Mr.
Byron as his favorite teacher; Tyler McNeil’s published political
cartoon; Alicia Wenzel’s newspaper article; Times Union scholar/athletes
Scott Elliott and Courtney Susie; and Jeff Yattaw’s Forty Under 40
award.
Mr. Scanlan attended the Great Escape trip with 7th
& 8th grade students and thanked Mr. Wein for coordinating
the event, everything ran very smoothly. Plans are progressing for the
fall kick off of PBIS. Mr. Scanlan thanked both Mrs. Wulczyn and Mrs.
Feldkamp for the warm welcome extended to him when he arrived at the
beginning of this year and wished them well.
Mrs. Feldkamp thanked the administrators for their
support and told the Board this administrative team really cares about
the students and each brings with them a particular strength; Mrs.
Feldkamp also noted "Tim is the best!" She recognized the new teachers
for their active participation with students.
Mr. Lange welcomed the teachers who will be up for
tenure this evening. He wished Mrs. Feldkamp and Mrs. Wulczyn well in
their new ventures and thanked both for their dedication to the
district. Mr. Lange announced that the administrative offices will be
moving to other parts of the building, predominantly in the science
wing, while construction continues. Mr. Lange reminded the Board members
to indicate their intention to attend the NYSSBA convention in NYC. The
summer law conference will be held July 17th.
ACTION
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the minutes of the June 4,
2009 meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the Treasurer’s Report for May
2009
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the Budget Status Report.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the Appropriations Report.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the Student Fund Report.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
General Fund #78 for $6,456.00
General Fund #79 for $79 $216,984.31
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the tenure appointment of
Laura Clarke, Science teacher; effective September 1, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the tenure appointment of
Andrew Wein, Social Studies teacher; effective September 1, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the tenure appointment of
Patrick Parker, Math teacher; effective September 1, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the tenure appointment of
Melanie Graziano, Spanish teacher; effective September 1, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the tenure appointment of
Heather MacDougall, Special Education teacher; effective September 1,
2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the provisional appointment of
David Messier as custodian effective June 1, 2009; pending successful
completion of civil service requirements.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following teaching
positions for the Pre/Post Kindergarten summer program; salary per the
WTA contract.
Pre-K - Patty Day (6 weeks)
Post-K - Cindy Viola and Jeanne Caputo (3 weeks
each)
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following teaching
positions for the summer Pre/Post Kindergarten summer program; salary
per the WTA contract:
Social Worker - Karen Budrakey
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the Board approve the
following teacher aide positions for the summer Pre/Post Kindergarten
program; salary per the CSEA contract:
Pre-K; Mary Varcasio (3 weeks)
Pre-K; Jeanne Bartnick (3 weeks)
Post-K; Mary Opela (6 weeks)
Mrs. Ricci asked how many students were in the
program. Mr. Siracuse said their were 12 in each class. Mrs. Clow asked
about the kindergarten numbers for the fall. There are currently 68
registered.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following teaching
positions for the summer Academic Intervention Services program; salary
per the WTA contract:
AIS 1st grade: Patrice King (6 weeks)
AIS 2nd grade: Julie Bishop (6 weeks)
AIS 3rd grade: Hollie Russo (3 weeks)
AIS 3rd grade: Erin McBride (3 weeks)
CSE: Erin Reedy (3 weeks)
CSE: Susan Pantea (3 weeks)
CSE: Deb Ryan-Campbell (6 weeks)
There are 10 students in each class to be
transported on the district’s mini buses. Students were chosen on the
basis of standardized test scores and teacher recommendation. Student
teachers from SUNY will be working with the summer school students for a
greater student/teacher ratio. Mrs. Ricci asked about attendance. Mr.
Siracuse responded that sometimes a family drops out of the program
after one week. He said they are researching selection options for next
summer. The summer program runs Monday through Friday for 3 hours per
day.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following teacher aide
positions for the summer Academic Intervention Services program; salary
per the CSEA contract:
AIS 1st grade: Ann Marie Perrotte (6
weeks)
AIS 2nd grade: Lisa Hackel (6 weeks)
AIS 3rd grade: Christine Masse (6 weeks)
CSE; Kim Hilton (5 weeks)
CSE; Jill Durivage (6 weeks)
CSE; Meleigha Kugler (6 weeks)
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board awarded the general office supply bid
to Cascade School Supplies in the amount of $6,605.56.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the one year probationary
appointment of Ed Hines as bus driver effective July 1, 2009; salary per
the current CSEA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following summer bus
driver appointments; salary per the CSEA contract: Penny Nolan, Sue
Amegashie, Rose Fontaine and Ed Hines.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved construction change order
#PC-04 for Crisafulli Brothers in the amount of $662.00 for drain work
in room 313.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 5/28/09 and
6/10/09.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following changes in
school lunch prices for the 2009 - 2010 school year:
Elementary Breakfast: Remains the same at $1.00
Elementary Lunch: Increase from $1.10 to $1.25
High School Breakfast: Remains the same at $1.00
High School Lunch: Increase from $1.25 to $1.50
Milk: Increase from $ .40 to $ .45
Mrs. Clow asked if the menu would also change. Mr.
Lange stated that just the prices will change for now, but that they
will be working with Mrs. Prock and taking a closer look at the menu
items.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the 2009 - 2010 Budget Action
Calendar.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the schedule for Board of
Education meetings during the 2009 - 2010 school year with one change:
Move the re-organizational meeting from July 9th to Monday,
July 13th to provide more time for complete the search for
two administrative positions and to allow for some time to complete
business office financial obligations.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following year-end club
and activity reports for the 2008 - 2009 school year:
Book Club Susan Chura and Jeanne Caputo
Class of 2012 Lisa Hackel
Literature Club Jodie Gurka
Spirit Club Tracy Zordan
National Honor Society Carol Donnelly
Art Club Carol Donnelly
Math Club Nancy Houle, Patrick Parker
Class of 2009 Julie Lansing
HS SGA Julie Lansing, Lisa Hackel
K-6 Yearbook Annemarie Strife
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following request for club
advisors for the 2009 - 2010 school year:
Class of 2011 (co-advise) Heidi Donaldson, Julie
Lansing
JH SGA Nancy Smith
Class of 2010 Nancy Smith
Spirit Club Tracy Zordan
Class of 2012 Lisa Hackel
Bible Study Lisa Hackel
Math Club Nancy Houle, Patrick Parker
SADD Jean Devlin, Danielle Cassin
K-6 Yearbook Annemarie Strif
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the extension of summer
transportation contracts with Folmsbee Transportation at the May 31st
CPI of 0% to the following schools: CP Center Langan School @ $5,550 for
the summer program. (One student with a wheelchair and a CPR certified
aide.)
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following school year
contract extensions at the May 31st CPI of 0%:
Folmsbee
To and From School $465,828.07
BOCES 43,345.66
LaSalle/CCHS 44,463.79
Field Trips
Driving 37.38
Waiting 30.58
Minimum 30.57
Non-Public Schools Combination $ 42,203.04
(St. Pius; Bishop Maginn)
Combination Bid 2004 $38,368.72
(Altamont Elem., Sacred Heart)
Langan School $33,168.72
Albany Academy/St. Ambrose 43,763.20
Oakwood School 16,640.00
VanAntwerp Middle School 37,
Mohonasen High School 42,840.00
Broad St./SAEC 32,382.00
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0
The Board approved an increase to the approved 2008
- 2009 school budget to accept a legislative grant-in-aide of $25,000 in
support of general expenses.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted, with deepest regret, the
resignation for the purpose of retirement from Susan Wulczyn, Director
of Special Education Services; after 21 years of service to the
district; effective August 2, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following summer
curriculum proposals; salary per the WTA contract:
Faculty Member Curriculum Project Title
# of Hours
1.) Eric Nelson 7th & 8th Grade General
Music 40
2.) Jodi Ancin Personal Financial Literacy 20
3.) Nicole Spulnick, Heather Levitas Algebra II/Trigonometry 20
each
4.) Kathleen Kutny, Jodie Gurka, Jaimi Finley, Deb Ford,
Helene Clinton, Susan Brophy ELA Departmental Research Component
20 each
5.) Annemarie Strife, Erin McBride, Hollie Russo 6th
Grade Language Arts 20 each
6.) Hollie Russo 6th Social Studies & ELA 20
7.) Andrew Wein SS Workbook Companion 10
8.) Joan Walworth 5th Grade Math, Sci., & Tech. 20
9.) Jodie Gurka, Susan Brophy 7th & 8th
Grade Honors English 5 each
10.) Elizabeth Wyld 7th Grade Social Studies 20
11.) Paul Gervasio, Heather Macdougall 9th Grade
History (Co-Teaching) 30 each
12.) Jean Devlin 8th Grade CAST Program 20
13.) Patrick Parker, Nancy Houle 7th & 8th
Grade Literacy in Mathematics 20 each
14.) Andrew Wein, Jodie Gurka 7th Grade Social Studies
& ELA 10 each
15.) Paul Ferrara Document Based Questions in History 20
16.) Marcia Dawson Re-Aligning Curriculum with Mult. Intelligences
20
Total # of Proposals:
16 Total # of Hours: 540
The cost of summer curriculum is covered by the
general fund expenditures and grant money.
Report: New course proposal Spanish V; Mr. Lange, Ms.
Cardnuto
The course proposal came about because of student
requests. High school students who successfully complete the course
would be exempt from a first year college level foreign language
requirement or go directly to a 200 level course. We currently have
three full time foreign language teachers. The course would be more
conversational and culture based.
This course is in line with the recent push for
higher level courses for seniors. The course would not be for college
credit this year, but that would be a goal in the future. No additional
staff are needed, Mrs. Byron would teach the course. The district is
phasing out the French curriculum. Textbooks would cost each student
$17.
This proposal will be on the July agenda for action
by the Board.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
Construction Fund #23 for $43,260.98
School Lunch #23 for $5,011.00
Special Aid #23 for $29,720.83
General Fund #80 for $46,286.03
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Amanda
Knaggs as a substitute high school biology teacher, including one
semester of forensics, for the 2009 - 2010 school year; to cover the one
year maternity leave of absence for Mrs. Klimes; salary per #3 of the
policy on substitute teacher pay and the WTA contract
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following year-end club
and activity reports:
Class of 2011 Christopher Goss
SADD Jean Devlin
Scrabble Club Joyce Toub
Spanish Club Melanie Graziano, Mary Kelley
Adult Education Paula Caradori
Guitar Club Marcia Dawson
Mock Trial Tony Bianchini
JH SGA Nancy Smith
Class of 2010 Nancy Smith
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the following club advisors for
the 2009 - 2010 school year
Elementary Book Club Susan Chura, Jeanne Caputo
HS Student Government Paul Gervasio, Deb Ford
Literature Club Jodie Gurka
Scrabble Club Joyce Toub
HS Honor Society Carol Donnelly
Art Club Carol Donnelly
Spanish Club Melanie Graziano, Mary Kelley
Adult Education Paula Caradori
Mock Trial Tony Bianchini
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the spring 2009 sports report
as submitted by Mr. Stoliker.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following bid results for
August 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009: Ginsberg Foods 38% or approximately
$15,200
Quandt’s Foods 12% or approximately $4,800
SYSCO 32% or approximately $12,800
US Foodservice 18% or approximately $7,200
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following health service
contracts for students attending non-public schools in the following
parochial school districts:
North Greenbush; 5 students @ $204.81 for $1,024.05
Lansingburgh Central; 27 students @$437.24 for
$11,805.48
Albany City Schools; 4 students @ $655.35 for
$2,621.40
South Colonie Central; 1 student @ $600.34 for
$600.34
Troy City Schools; 2 students @ $649.15 for
$1,298.30
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Terry
Tremblay as substitute elementary teacher (fourth grade) to cover the 12
week maternity leave of absence for Mrs. Desso; salary per #2 of the
policy for substitute teacher pay.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Courtney
Rowe as substitute elementary teacher (first grade) to cover the one
year maternity leave of absence for Mrs. Johnson; salary per #3 of the
policy for substitute teacher pay.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following transportation
contracts for the 2009 - 2010 school year: Mountainview Academy; 1
student @ $130/day
Northeast Parent and Child; 1 student @ $129/day
Mountainview Academy is a alternative placement
setting provided through cross contracting with Rensselaer County.
Comments from the Board of Education, residents and
staff
Mr. Charron wished Mrs. Wulczyn and Mrs. Feldkamp
good luck in their new ventures and is sorry to see them go.
Mr. Scanlan invited interested Board members to
participate in interviews for a Family and Consumer Science teacher on
Tuesday, June 30th in the afternoon.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board went into executive session at 7:45 to
discuss a personnel issue. They returned to regular session at 8:55 and
adjourned.
Julie Caulkins
District Clerk
The regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union
Free School District Board of Education held Thursday, June 4, 2009 was
called to order at 7:00pm by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Sandra
Clow, Carol Cooper, Thomas Lansing
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Susan
Wulczyn, Christopher Scanlan, Heather MacDougall, Susan Borden, Janice
Polishook, Erin McBride, Susan Buffaline, Patrice King, Maxine Sherrill,
Darcy Pogue, Jessica Houbre, Brianna Rutland, Jeanne Nielsen, Alexandra
Lefebvre, Chelsea White, Micheala Ippolito, resident
ABSENT: Denise Keyoskey, Robert VanBramer
There were no comments from residents or staff
regarding items on this evening’s action agenda.
Comments from the Administration
Mr. Scanlan reported a group of WHHS girls attended
the Girls Summit on May 14th chaperoned by Mrs. Gurka and
Mrs. Houle. Topics addressed self esteem, leadership and nutrition
through high school and beyond.
Mr. Scanlan and Mrs. Wulczyn congratulated the
students and coaches of the boys baseball and girls softball teams on
their successful seasons and sectional competition.
Mr. Lange shared a Troy Record newspaper article
highlighting the Mock DWI program that was held at school last month.
Mr. Lange is very proud of the baseball and softball teams for their
sportsmanship and their exciting seasons.
The Annual NYS School Boards Association convention
will be held October 15 - 18 in New York City. Board members are
encouraged to register early. Mr. Lange will be among the presenters at
this year’s convention along with Mary Cahill from Lake George and Matt
Donnelly from Greenwich. They will be speaking and hosting a panel
discussion on the topic of Board relationships with first year
Superintendents.
The Class of 2009 will graduate on Saturday, June
27th at 10am in the auditorium and we expect a capacity
crowd. Board members were asked to let us know if they will be
attending, sitting on stage and/or handing out their child’s diploma.
Mrs. Wulczyn talked about an article written by a
former student, Alysha Wenzel, featured in New York Teacher entitled
Life of a Student with Dyslexia.
Presentation: Report on 2009 - 2010 Budget Vote and
Board Election, Mr. Lange
Mr. Lange shared ten years of historical budget
data with the Board noting that the budget has increased over that time,
however, the community continues to support the district. He
congratulated Mrs. Cooper and Mr. VanBramer on their successful
re-election to the Board.
The basic school budget for the 2009 - 2010 school
year was approved by a vote of 191 - 90. The proposition for the lease
of a school bus was approved by a vote of 188 - 82. School districts
experienced a record passage rate across the state this year.
Student Recognition: Michaela Ippolito and Alyssa
Sovie, Saratoga County Youth Court Training
Michaela Ippolito attended tonight’s meeting with
her grandfather and was recognized by Mr. Lange and the Board for her
participation in the Saratoga County Youth Court program.
Michaela explained the training process and purpose
of Youth Court. She met and worked with enforcement officers, judges and
the District Attorney. Members of the Youth Court observed the process
and participated in hearing arguments, sitting on the jury, sentencing
and working as the clerk. The Youth Court hears cases of youthful
offenders involved in under age drinking and other non-violent first
time offences. Michaela expressed an interest in going into this field
as an adult and recognized that many of the offenders could learn from
their mistakes and have a second chance.
Mr. Lange said that it so much fun to recognize
student accomplishments and thanked Michaela for representing our
district.
Presentation: Student Government Year-end Reports;
Elementary, Junior High and High School
Mrs. McBride, co-advisor for the Elementary Student
Government, introduced Alexandra Lefebvre, VP, and Chelsea White,
President. Alex and Chelsea reported on the how the group is organized,
elections, characteristics and qualification of members. The purpose of
their organization is to promote a better understanding between
students, faculty and administration; to provide a liaison between PTO
and students; and to promote school spirit as well as leadership skills.
The Elementary community involvement consists of
food donations, fund raising for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, helping
needy families, Clothe-A-Child and applying for a Wal-Mart Grant.
Mr. Scanlan introduced Jessica Houbre, President
and Brianna Rutland, VP, Junior High Student Government. Jessica and
Brianna reported on the activities they planned and held throughout the
year. They planned for the semi-formal dance and bowling. Requests were
made for PTO donations. Students participated in monthly meetings and
worked the annual senior citizens Thanksgiving dinner. Plans were made
for a trip to the Great Escape. Participation in student government
activities strengthen the urge to be a leader and allows students to
understand how much work is involved in coordinating these activities.
They are grateful for having the chance to participate. Mrs. Smith,
advisor to the JH SGA, is very proud of Jessica and Brianna; they are
hard workers and she appreciates all that they do.
Jeannie Nielsen, President, HS Student Government,
said the group had a productive year together with Mrs. Hackel and Mrs.
Lansing as their co-advisors. The students attended meetings and helped
to coordinated the activities for Fordian Fever Weekend including the
Pep Rally and homecoming. They raised funds and participated in the
semi-formal dance. Plans are being made for Moving-Up-Day activities.
Mr. Lange expressed his pleasure to be working in a
community where students are focused and are at the center of what is
happening in our school.
Presentation: Positive Behavioral Intervention
Supports (PBIS), Mrs. Pogue and Ms. MacDougall
Mrs. Pogue reviewed a set of school wide
expectations with a rewards and incentives component. The emphasis is on
positive behavior for students. Posters proclaim "Be...Respectful,
Be...Responsible, Be... a Learner, Be... Positive". PBIS members
attended a three day training session with Kay Bradley, WSWHE BOCES. K-6
teachers met with team members to review the program. A mini kick-off
was held incorporating demonstrations and role playing activities.
Reward activities have been planned. The program will be fully
incorporated in the fall. Elementary team members are: Joseph Siracuse,
Victoria Kelts, Alison Radliff, Darcy Pogue, Susanne Pantea, Karen
Budrakey, Laurie Tyrrell
Ms. MacDougall is part of the HS PBIS team along
with Ms. Clark, Mr. Scanlan, Mrs. Borden, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Wein, Mrs.
Devlin, Mrs. Cassin, Mrs. Shaker and Mrs. Jorgensen. Mrs. Clinton’s
English students prepared a DVD as part of their drama unit which was
shown to the student body the afternoon of the prom. All faculty and
staff are participating in the program. Teachers, monitors, cafeteria
workers and custodians are encouraged to hand out "caught in the act"
coupons for good behavior which can be redeemed at the snack bar.
Members of the team met with teachers in another school district to try
and come up with ways of incorporating the this program at an
age-appropriate level. They brought back many good ideas that they will
be working on over the summer.
Mr. Lange said there are visible signs all around
the building and we’ll be able to gauge the success of the program
through statistical data and the climate in the building. Mr. Scanlan
has been able to recognize positive changes already. Students are aware
of the program; it’s not a surprise to them; it’s being published
throughout the building. Everyone has a chance to be successful.
ACTION
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the minutes of the May 7, 2009
annual budget hearing and regular meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the Treasurer’s Report for April
2009
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the Budget Status Report.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the Appropriations Report.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the Student Fund Report.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
General Fund #69 for $634.64
General Fund #71 for $28,568.86
General Fund #72 for $27.25
General Fund #73 for $50,400.74
Special Aid #21 for $580.40
Construction Fund #21 for $22,256.83
School Lunch #21 for $7,784.23
General Fund #75 for $12,270.30
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the results of the May 19, 2009
Budget Vote and Board Election.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the amendments to the 2008 - 2009
school calendar as follows:
Tuesday, June 23, 2009: Half-day for K - 6 students
Wednesday, June 24, 2009: Half-day (last day) for K
- 6 students (last day for 10 month employees, normal day)
Thursday, June 25, 2009: No students, last full day
for teachers
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following summer custodial
appointments beginning June 30th through September 4th;
7am - 3pm: Daniel Piacente, Bonnie DeCelle, Kathy Akin, Karen Coffrin,
Heidi Donaldson.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following construction change
order:
#EC-06 for Brownell Electric Corp. in the amount of
$10,851 to relocate existing material to accommodate HVAC installation.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 4/2/09,
4/20/09, 4/27/09, 4/29/09, 5/6/09, 5/7/09, 5/8/09, 5/11/09, 5/20/09,
5/28/09. Mrs. Ricci asked about the term "parentally placed". Mrs.
Wulczyn explained that public schools are responsible for the special
education components at private schools within the district’s borders.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted, with regret, the resignation for
the purpose of retirement of Robert Terry Stoliker, Physical Education
Teacher and Athletic Director, after 38 years of service to the
district; effective July 1, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved a request from Mr. Byron to
investigate a trip to Florida for the High School Band during February
vacation 2010.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following elementary art
supply bid for a total of $2,813.29 (7 no bid items, 53 hold items):
Nasco, 89 items, $1,789.96
Sax, 26 items, $1,023.33
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following general art supply
bids for a total of $1,595.11 (1 no bid item):
Nasco, 6 items, $706.10
Sax, 63 items $889.01
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Kristy Lynn
Pratt as a substitute teacher for the 2009 - 2010 school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the following year-end club and
activity reports:
5 - 6 Newspaper Erin McBride, Hollie Russo
Safety Patrol Eric Nelsen, Barbara Haynes
Boardroom Club Julie Bishop
Art Club Debi McDermott
Math Fact Pack Club Barbara Langston
Chess Club Justin Miazga
Yearbook, Financial Jodi Ancin
Global Travel Club Hollie Russo, Justin Miazga
Master Minds Paul Ferrara
HS Newspaper Jodi Ancin
Arts in Ed K-6 & 7-12 Hollie Russo
Peace Club Kenneth Williams
Yearbook, Production Liz Wyld
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following club and activity
appointments for the 2009 - 2010 school year:
Global Travel Club Hollie Russo, Justin Miazga,
Paul Ferrara
Yearbook, Financial Jodi Ancin
Arts in Ed, K-6 & 7-12 Hollie Russo
Peace Club Kenneth Williams
Chess Club Justin Miazga
Yearbook, Production Liz Wyld
Boardroom Club Julie Bishop
Sign Language Club Patrice King
Safety Patrol Barbara Haynes, Alison Radliff
5-6 Newspaper Erin McBride, Hollie Russo
Math Fact Pack Club Barbara Langston
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
School Lunch Fund #22 for $4,586.38
Construction Fund #22 for $111,198.00
Special Aid #22 for $3,000.00
General Fund #76 for $453,685.97
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 5/13/09,
5/15/09, 5/18/09, 5/26/09.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the following year-end club and
activity reports:
Elementary Student Council Susan Buffaline, Erin
McBride, Mary Zink
Publishing Center Joan Gardner
Intermediate Computer Club Pam Bailey
Primary Computer Club Karen Mignery
Fitness Club Helene Clinton, Meghan Reynolds
Marching Band Mel Byron, Diana Byron
Books and Beyond Susan Brophy
Outdoor Adventure Club Susan Brophy, Kim Klimes
Best Buddies Barbara Smith, Helene Clinton
JH Honor Society Susan Brophy, Nancy Houle
English Club Helene Clinton, Deb Ford
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following club and activity
appointments for the 2009 - 2010 school year:
Elementary Student Council Susan Buffaline, Erin
McBride, Mary Zink
Publishing Center Joan Gardner
Fire Monitor Karen Mignery
Primary Computer Club Karen Mignery
JH Honor Society Susan Brophy, Nancy Houle
Outdoor Adventure Club Susan Brophy, Kim Klimes
Books and Beyond Susan Brophy,
Ski Club Justin Miazga, Jim Zimmons
English Club Helene Clinton, Deb Ford
Fitness Club Helene Clinton, Meghan Reynolds
Intermediate Computer Club Pam Bailey
Best Buddies Barbara Smith, Helene Clinton
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted, with regret, the resignation of
Pam Hannan, RN, as school nurse at St. Mary’s school effective June 30,
2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the one year probationary
appointment of Paul Laeyt as bus monitor effective May 22, 2009; salary
per the CSEA contract.
Comments from the Board of Education, residents, staff
Mr. Lange recognized the many years of service of
Terry Stoliker as he retires at the end of this school year. Mr.
Stoliker has been active in many organizations over the years and has
coached 1 of 2 WHHS State Championship teams. Mr. Stoliker is leaving
with mixed feelings but is looking forward to his retirement. On behalf
of the administrative team, Mr. Lange wishes him all the best.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board went into executive session at 7:55 to
discuss a personnel matter. they returned to regular session at 8:50 and
adjourned.
Julie Caulkins
District Clerk
The regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union
Free School District Board of Education held Thursday, May 7, 2009 was
called to order at 7:20pm by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Sandra Clow, Marcia
Ricci, Thomas Lansing, Denise Keyoskey, Carol Cooper
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Susan
Wulczyn, Carole Kruse, Mr. and Mrs. Cicchinelli, Kevin Cicchinelli,
Susan Brophy, Leith Autsolief, Joan Walworth, Ann Pulcher, Mr. and Mrs.
McNeill, Tyler McNeill, residents
ABSENT: Robert VanBramer
There were no comments from residents or staff
regarding items on this evening’s action agenda. There were no comments
from the administration.
Student Recognition. Mr. Lange and Mr. Charron
presented Kevin Cicchinelli with a certificate in honor of his
achievement in the BOCES Culinary Skills USA Contest. Kevin placed 2nd
in the regional competition held in Syracuse. He thanked his teacher,
Ms. Clancy, for her encouragement. Kevin will be attending Schenectady
County Community College in the fall.
Student Recognition: Mr. Lange and Mr. Charron
presented Tyler McNeill with a certificate in honor of his achievement
in the Daily Gazette Political Cartooning Contest. Tyler’s political
cartoon addressed large companies seeking federal buyouts during the
recession and will appear in the newspaper on May 15th.
Mr. Lange continues to be amazed at the teachers
and students of our school district who are good, decent people with a
lot of talent. Our students use their skills in positive ways and their
achievements are a reflection of their hard work. He wishes Kevin and
Tyler continued good luck and offers congratulations to all.
ACTION
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the minutes of the April 23, 2009
Board of Education meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
General Fund #66 for $328.27
General Fund #67 for $19,334.23
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted Mrs. Hurd’s proposal for a new
business education course - Computer Applications - as presented at the
April 23, 2009 Board of Education meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the permanent appointment of
Meleigha Kugler as in-school suspension aide pending the successful
completion of her probationary period effective May 27, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved Julie Desso’s request for a 12
week leave of absence beginning September 1, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Caitlin Monast
as a substitute teacher for the 2008 - 2009 school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the 2008 - 2009 Winter Athletic
Report as submitted by Mr. Stoliker.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 4/6/09 and
4/8/09
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
School Lunch #20 for $7,601.45
Special Aid #20 for $14,222.00
Construction Fund #20 for 429,695.38
General Fund #68 for $94,907.35
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of the following
substitute teachers for the 2008 - 2009 school year: Ashley Hamms, Megan
Connor.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 4/24/09 and
4/30/09
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board awarded the waste removal contract to
County Waste & Recycling Service in the amount of $1,240 per month, $80
extra pick-up, $140 per 30 yard roll-off plus $75 per ton disposal.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted, with regret, the resignation for
the purpose of retirement from Donna Hansen as Bus Driver, after 24
years of service to the district.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following construction change
order:
#AA-01 for Capital Environmental Services, Inc.
in the amount of $200 for additional asbestos removal in mechanical
room located off of the auditorium stage.
Comments from the Board of Education, residents and
staff
Mrs. Ricci attended the elementary spring concert
and said it was excellent and very well attended. Mr. Charron attended
the Saratoga County School Boards Association annual community service
awards dinner which was hosted by WSWHE BOCES. The culinary arts
students prepared an excellent meal.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board went into executive session at 7:32 to
discuss negotiations. They returned to regular session and adjourned at
8:30pm.
Julie Caulkins
District Clerk
The regular meeting of the
Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District Board of Education held
Thursday, April 23, 2009 was called to order at 7:00pm by Mr. Richard
Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Sandra
Clow, Thomas Lansing, Robert VanBramer, Denise Keyoskey
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Joseph
Siracuse, Susan Wulczyn, Christopher Scanlan, Paul Ferrara, Alison
Radliff, Nancy Hurd, Jodi Ancin, Hollie Russo, Kelly Denvir, Amna Butt,
Justin Miazga, Jeff Yattaw, Joseph Yattaw, Lori Yattaw, Mariah Butler,
Melissa Koblensky, residents
ABSENT: Mrs. Carol Cooper
There were no comments from the public regarding
items on this evening’s action agenda.
Comments from the Administration
Mr. Siracuse reported Kindergarten screening is
being conducted this week in the multi-purpose room. Congressman Reilly
will attend The Kids Are Runners Too (KART) program sponsored by Blue
Cross/Blue Shield to be held here at school on Friday, May 8th.
Initial results of recent standardized testing were delivered to the
school, but are not yet official. A preliminary review indicates that
the students did well.
Wednesday, May 6th is McDonald’s Night
and everyone is encouraged to come out and support our fund raising
efforts. Parents of qualifying students will be contacted to participate
in the summer AIS and pre/post Kindergarten programs. There is a space
issue this summer due to ongoing construction, limiting the number of
students up to the third grade level. Standardized testing will continue
in the next couple of weeks.
Mrs. Wulczyn reported on the district’s grant
funded Literacy Initiative. A person was brought in to work with High
School teachers on presenting a consistent message across all subjects.
Mrs. Wulczyn attended a presentation at Capital Region BOCES honoring a
student for his photography. This student is confined to a wheelchair,
and able to take pictures using a headset device. Parents have been
trained to become parent members of the Committee on Special Education.
Mrs. Wulczyn coordinated a program for parents of incoming
Kindergartners receiving special services.
Mr. Scanlan will take qualifying eighth grade
students on a class trip to Crossgates Mall to see Disney Earth. The
students are excited and it is great to see those who may have been
struggling make the cut. Incentive programs continue; students are
entered into a raffle when they complete their homework assignments
regularly.
The mini kick-off for PBIS was moved to May 8th
(prom night) to coincide with the mock DWI program for HS students. Mr.
Fairclough, Waterford Fire Chief, is working with administrators, Mrs.
Shaker, Health and Wellness coordinator, and Mrs. Devlin, SADD advisor,
on a powerful dramatization of the consequences of drinking and driving.
Next Friday, May 1st, is Relay For Life
(Purple Day!) The entire school will participate to promote cancer
awareness and to raise funds. Mrs. Shaker is instrumental in
coordinating the events for the entire day beginning at 9:15 with a
survivors lap around the track and continuing student laps (pairing
classes, e.g., 12th graders with Kindergartners, 11th
graders with 1st graders, etc.) Students will then spell out
the word HOPE. Jared Shaker and Barbara Jones will fly over school
property that morning taking aerial pictures to commemorate the day.
The HS Honor Society will sponsor a "beach party"
family fun night for elementary students.
Mr. Lange reported the results of the April 21,
2009 WSWHE BOCES Budget Vote and Election. Our Board of Education met
that day, as a member of the component school districts, to cast their
ballot. The WSWHE BOCES 2009 - 2010 budget was passed and the six
candidates were elected to fill the open seats accordingly.
Student Recognition: Mrs. Ancin’s Business Education
Class - Jeffrey Yattaw, Business Review’s 40 Under Forty
Mr. Lange acknowledged Jeff and his proud parents,
Joe and Lori, and spoke of his first impressions of Jeff as a talented
basketball player. Jeff is a hard working young gentleman who has
achieved academic success and has been recognized by the Capital
District Business Review as a student leader in their 40 Under Forty
program. Congratulations!
Mrs. Ancin recognized Jeff’s potential and
nominated him for the Business Review’s award. They will attend a
luncheon on May 7th.
Student Recognition: Mrs. Ancin’s Business Education
Class - Bryant & Stratton College Classroom Challenge Winner
Mrs. Ancin introduced Amna Butt, a business
education student, who worked with two other students on a Power Point
project focusing on the economy and the effects on the travel industry.
This team won a contest sponsored by Bryant and Stratton College that
was highlighted in USA Today. The students will tour the CBS 6 station,
with breakfast and prizes. Congratulations!
Presentation: New Business Program, Nancy Hurd
Mrs. Hurd proposed replacing the current Computer
Applications course with a new Computer Applications course for 3 HVCC
credit hours. The software would be upgraded to Office 2007, and the
textbook is included in this year budget. This course would prepare
students to use the computer software applications that are being
utilized by most colleges today. The district has the license and Mr.
Spretty would pilot the program in Lab 401 before introducing Office
2007 to the entire district. Mrs. Hurd provided the course outline. Mr.
VanBramer asked about the cost. Students would pay a discounted tuition
rate.
Second Reading: Equal Opportunity Employer, Policy
#6120
Mr. Lange reviewed and recommended minor changes
suggested by our attorney: updating the language and identifying the
Title IX officer.
Presentation: Recap of trip to Greece, Mrs. Russo, Mr.
Miazga
Mr. Justin Miazga introduced students Mariah Butler
and Melissa Koblensky stating that everyone had a good time on the trip
and all returned home safely.
Mariah and Melissa told the Board of their
experiences through a Power Point presentation filled with pictures
taken by Miss Butler. Twelve students and chaperones were met in Athens
by their tour guide.
The group toured Athens and the ruins and then went
on a four day cruise. They saw the Parthenon, Syntagma Square, Delphi,
Myknonos Island, Ancient Ephesus, Rhodes, Lindos, Santorini, and Cape
Sounio. They found it easy to get around because everyone there spoke
English. They ate Greek food (didn’t necessarily like it), went
shopping, met local people, learned a few Greek phrases, enjoyed the sea
and beautiful sunsets. The girls thanked the Board for allowing them to
go on "their trip of a lifetime."
ACTION
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the minutes of the April 2,
2009 Board of Education meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the Treasurer’s Report for
March 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the Budget Status Report.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the Appropriations Report.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the Student Fund Report.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrant:
General Fund #63 for $2,297.55
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Courtney
Rowe as substitute teacher for the 2008 - 2009 school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board adopted the 2009 - 2010 school lunch
budget.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 3/19/09,
3/25/09, 3/26/09, 3/30/09, 4/1/09.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved Policy #6120, Equal
Opportunity Employer. This brings to a close the 2006 Office of Civil
Rights compliance issue.
Discussion and review of non-resident student
tuition-free policy and non-resident student tuition policy.
The administrators have reviewed the policies and
while they have some concerns, do not have any recommendations for
changes at this time. Requests for incoming Kindergarten students from
outside of our original boundary lines will be kept on file as our
enrollment continues to climb. There are 59 residents enrolled for next
year’s Kindergarten class with 7 expected retentions. Mr. Siracuse does
not see any significant increase due to the full-day, full-year program.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the minutes of the April 21,
2009 Board of Education meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
School Lunch Fund #19 for $8,490.10
Special Aid #19 for $5,558.04
Construction Fund #19 for $321,828.77
General Fund #64 for $103,975.70
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted, with regret, the resignation
for the purpose of retirement from Timothy DuBois, Custodian, after 16
years of dedicated service to the district.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Elizabeth
Bacon as a substitute physical education teacher to cover a leave of
absence for the remainder of the 2008 - 2009 school year; salary per the
policy regarding substitute teacher pay.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Raman Brar,
Randolf MacLean and Claire Hancox as substitute teachers for the 2008 -
2009 school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved a final request by Mrs. Russo
and Mr. Miazga for a student trip to Europe in the spring of 2010.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 3/2/09.
Comments from the Board of Education, residents and
staff
Mr. Lange recognized Mr. DuBois, retiring
custodian, for his years of service to the district. Mr. DuBois made an
early and lasting impression and has gone above and beyond the call of
duty in his position. He has a good heart and genuinely loves the
students. Mr. Lange and the Board wish him well in his retirement.
Mr. VanBramer thanked Mr. Kearns, Mr. Wulff and Mr.
Follet for their work on the softball fields in preparation for the
recent tournament.
He also announced the following career milestones
as recorded for our girl’s varsity softball team this season:
Katie Cahrenger - 500 career strike outs
Jamie VanBramer - 100 career RBIs
Karen Diener - 100 career win as coach of the team
Our girl’s varsity softball team is ranked 19th
in New York State, it’s been a great season, so far!
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board went into executive session at 7:57 to
discuss a personnel matter. At 8:35 they returned to regular session and
adjourned.
Julie Caulkins
District Clerk
The regular meeting of the
Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District Board of Education held
Thursday, April 2, 2009 was called to order at 7:00pm by Mr. Richard
Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia
Ricci, Sandra Clow, Thomas Lansing, Robert VanBramer, Carol Cooper,
Denise Keyoskey
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp,
Christopher Scanlan, Bonny Gabriel, Eric Nelsen, Patty Day
There were no comments from the public regarding
items on this evening’s action agenda.
Comments from the Administration
Mr. Scanlan reported the fourth quarter will begin
Monday. Teachers and students are starting to feel the crunch and are
working hard to complete the school year successfully. Super Students
for the month of March were recognized and Mr. Scanlan was impressed by
the way teachers choose the students for their hard work and extra
effort. Students will enjoy an afternoon of movie fun as a result of
their positive behaviors.
Mrs. Austin hosted an orientation for incoming 9th
graders and their parents. She put together a Power Point presentation
explaining the many aspects of the high school curriculum. The kickoff
for the positive behavior incentive program will be Friday, April 24th
for the Junior-Senior High School and Monday, April 27th for
the Elementary. Teachers will begin with simple rules of behavior and
the program will carry over into next school year. Students in grades 7
and 8, who have been completing and handing in their homework will be
participating in a raffle for Stewarts gift certificates.
Mr. Lange reported on the potential effect of the
Federal Stimulus Funds on the 2009 - 2010 budget. Mr. Lange and Mrs.
Feldkamp are receiving daily updates on the amount of money the district
will receive and the specifics of what the funds can and cannot be used
for. Mr. Lange will be making a presentation at the next meeting.
First Reading: Revision of Board Policy #6120, Equal
Opportunity Employer
Mr. Lange explained that the revision of this
policy is due to an Office of Civil Rights (OCR) investigation. The OCR
recommended, not required, the district to add/modify specific language
to address response time lines. This language is similar to policies
found in other districts.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board accepted the minutes of the March 19,
2009 Board of Education meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved the following warrant:
General Fund #59 for $283,590.32
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved the proposed 2009 - 2010
district budget in the amount of $18,996,747 to be presented for voter
consideration on Tuesday, May 19, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board accepted, with deepest regret, the
resignation for the purpose of retirement of Theresa Feldkamp as
Business Manager, effective June 30, 2009 after 22 years of dedicated
service to the district.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved a request by Mrs. Kim Klimes,
for a one year leave of absence during the 2009 - 2010 school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved a second and final request
from Mrs. Lansing to take the Senior Class on a field trip to Boston in
April.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 3/11/09,
3/16/09, 3/18/09, 3/23/09.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board adopted the proposed 2009 - 2010
academic year calendar for the Waterford-Halfmoon UFSD.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved the following construction
change orders:
SC-04 HMA Contracting for $17,195 to reconstruct
asphalt concrete pavement from the bus drop-off loop and provide new
asphalt concrete pavement.
GC-03 LG White for $116,365 to add alternates 1-GC
and 2-CC
GC-27 Sam Greco Construction for a credit of $4,130
from a back charge for wiring of the security door hardware that was
part of the general construction contract and performed by Control
Network Communications.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Mark Bell
as voting machine inspector for the May 19, 2009 Budget Vote and Board
of Education Election; for a salary of $270.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of the
following people to work the polls at the May 19, 2009 Budget Vote and
Board of Education Election; salary at $8.15 per hour: Jeanne Lobravico,
Mary Jane Rooney, Effie Piacente, John Piacente, Rita Boudreau, Mary
Comitale
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Richard
Charron as Chairman of the May 19, 2009 meeting and to open and close
the polls.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved the following resolution:
RESOLVED; that Brian W. Devane, Esq. is appointed
as Hearing Officer in a certain matter involving disciplinary charges
involving an employee of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School
District. Mr. Devane is directed to conduct the hearing and return his
report and recommendations in accordance with Civil Service Law Section
75.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
School Lunch Fund #18 for $6,448.06
Construction Fund #18 for $34,303.00
Special Aid #18 for $1,320.00
General Fund #61 for $3,331.40
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board accepted, with regret, the resignation
of Mary Judith McCampbell as Family and Consumer Science teacher
effective June 30, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of the
following Committee on Special Education parent members: Michelle
Blaauboer, Michelle Brown, Vicki Charbonneau, Penny Carlton and Robin
Koblensky.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of the
following Committee on Pre-school Education parent members: Michelle
Blaauboer, Vicki Charbonneau and Penny Carlton.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved the enclosed job description
for Non-Classroom Aide: Elementary Office.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board designate April 21, 2009 at 7:30 am
as a special meeting of the Board for the purpose of voting on the WSWHE
BOCES Budget.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved a request from Jessica
Johnson, Elementary Teacher, Grade 1, for an extension of her maternity
leave through the 2009 - 2010 school year.
Comments from the Board of Education
Mr. Charron thanked Mrs. Feldkamp for her dedicated
service to the district through hard times and good times and for all
that she has done for the district. All of the other Board members
expressed their best wishes for her happy and healthy retirement.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board went into executive session at 7:20 to
discuss a personnel matter. They returned to regular session at 8:13 and
adjourned.
Julie Caulkins
District Clerk
The regular meeting of the
Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District Board of Education held
March 5, 2009 was called to order at 7:00pm by Mr. Richard Charron
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Thomas
Lansing, Carol Cooper, Sandra Clow, Robert VanBramer
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Joseph Siracuse, Karen
Diener, Darcy Pogue, Julie Bishop, Karen Mignery, Victoria Kelts, Mr.
and Mrs. Sorensen, Jackie Sorensen, Coach DuBois, Barbara Langston,
Kathleen Shaker, Chief John Fairclough, Melanie Spackmann, Todd Hayes,
Terry Stoliker, students, residents
ABSENT: Denise Keyoskey, Teri Feldkamp
There were no comments from residents concerning
items on this evening’s action agenda.
Comments from Administration
Mr. Siracuse reported math testing began this week
and teachers and students have been working hard this school year to
keep our scores high.
Special Presentation: Recognition of Miss Jaclynn
Sorensen, Student Achievement, Mr. Lange, Mr. Charron
The Board of Education recognized Jaclynn Sorensen
for her athletic ability on the basketball team, in particular, her
achievement of scoring 1,000 points. Miss Sorensen was presented with a
certificate by Mr. Charron. Mr. Lange reviewed her achievements and
wished her well in the future.
Special Presentation: Mrs. Karen Mignery, Waterford
Fire Department Fire Prevention Award, Mr. Lange, Mr. Charron
The Waterford Fire Department and Chief John
Fairclough, chose to honor Mrs. Karen Mignery this year for her
dedication and service to our community. Mrs. Mignery has advised the
Fire Prevention Monitor Club here at Waterford-Halfmoon for the last 21
years; educating our students in all aspects of fire safety in the home.
Mrs. Mignery accepted a plaque from Mr. Charron and Mr. Lange spoke
highly of her achievement.
ACTION
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the minutes of the February
26, 2009 Board of Education meeting.
The Board reviewed the draft policy on Harassment,
Hazing and/or bullying Policy (first reading).
The Board reviewed the draft policy on
Cyber-bullying and Cyber-threats Policy (first reading).
Both policies are in line with this year’s Board of
Education goals and were supplied by the New York State School Boards
Association. The policies on cyber-bullying and cyber-threats extend
beyond school grounds and addressed incidents which may begin on
computers or other equipment in the home or community and carry through
into school settings.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 2/24/09.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following substitute
teachers for the 2008 - 2009 school year: Adriane Matos, Kira Nielsen
Merrills, Colleen Donovan, Julie Lindenbaum, Marisa Rivituso, Mark
Caplan, Marybeth Calabrese and Michael Scarpace.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the service contract with
Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES for the purchase of
services for the Waterford-Halfmoon UFSD website at a cost of $6,735.
On motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 1 (Mrs. Ricci opposed) the Board approved a full
day, full year kindergarten schedule beginning with the 2009 - 2010
school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
General
Fund #54 for $15,574.80
School
Lunch #15 for $3,078.71
Construction Fund #16 for $138,648.90
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following construction
change order:
#PC-01 for Crisafulli Brothers Plumbing for $15,000
to add Alt. 1-P & 2-P
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved Mrs. Stracuzzi’s amended
request to take the Photography students to The International Center for
Photography in NYC on March 27, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the year-end report from Mrs.
Klimes and Mr. Miazga for 9 - 12 Ski Club.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted, with regret, the resignation
of David Baker as school bus assistant driver; effective March 13, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board nominated Mr. David Petruska for the
position of School Board Member of the
Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 2/11/09,
2/23/09 and 2/27/09.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board awarded the transportation contract to
Folmsbee Transportation at $85 per day to transport one student to
Northeast Parent and Child School in Schenectady.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved an initial request from Mrs.
Lansing to take the senior class to Boston in the spring of 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board went into executive session at 7:15 to
discuss a legal matter. They returned to regular session at 8:05 and
adjourned.
Julie
Caulkins
District Clerk
The Building and Grounds Committee
of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District Board of Education
met Thursday, February 26, 2009. The meeting was called to order at
6:05pm by Mr. Lange.
PRESENT: Richard
Charron, Marcia Ricci, Sandra Clow, Thomas Lansing
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Shows
Leary, Paul Sylvester
Update on Current Building Project: Installation of
heating and ventilating pipe and replacement of ceiling tiles.
Mr. Leary said the project is ahead of schedule and
he is trying to start some of the work originally slated to begin in the
spring. The wheelchair lifts in the main hallway have been removed. The
fire doors will be installed during the April break and the window film
will be removed. The terrazzo floors, where the lifts were removed, will
be repaired. Lights, power and sump pits have been installed in the
crawl space. The custodians were trained in the operation of those
pumps. The school received a letter from NYS Dept. of Environmental
Conservation confirming the remediation of the oil clean-up in the crawl
space.
The installation of the air conditioning units will
begin in April and is expected to be completed before school re-opens in
September. The asbestos removal and air quality projects in the
auditorium will be done during the April break.
A discussion followed on the pipes that were
recently installed in the hallways and that sit below ceiling height.
Mr. Leary and Mrs. Feldkamp explained the pipes will be wrapped in white
material to help them to blend in the with the ceilings. Mr. Leary does
not recommend moving the pipes up higher due to cost and labor. A
drywall soffit can be built around them.
The ceiling in the dining room has been redesigned
to accommodate the piping for the air conditioning. The center partition
will not be effected.
Mr. Lange reported fire fighters and police
responded to an alarm last night in the building set off by smoke from
the welders. Measures have been taken to reduce the chances of it
happening again.
Long Range Student Demographics Study
One of the Board goals is to keep an eye on the
conditions of the facility and enrollment patterns. We can cross
contract with Oneida Madison BOCES to conduct demographic studies at a
cost of around $10,000 which is BOCES aidable. Mr. Lange has spoken with
people from other districts who have gone through this process. A lot of
information would have to be provided to the person conducting the study
such as district and business office records, information from the
principals and special education department, and local and community
information. After several months, the district could expect fairly
accurate student demographic information needed to make decisions on
facilities and programs. A board discussion followed. Mr. Lange and
other members of the Board agreed to take another look at the
feasibility of a study at a later date.
Building and Facilities Update: Future Needs
A list of future repairs to the building and
grounds, in no particular order, were presented to the Board for
consideration and discussion to determine which, if any, would need to
be included in next year’s budget. Estimated costs provided by Martin
Weber, Architect.
The regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union
Free School District Board of Education held Thursday, February 26, 2009
was called to order at 7:00pm by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Sandra
Clow, Carol Cooper, Thomas Lansing
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Debra
Cardnuto, Christopher Scanlan, Susan Wulczyn, Mark Bryan, Patricia Day,
Deborah Ricci, Jean Devlin, students, parents, residents
ABSENT: Denise Keyoskey, Robert VanBramer
There were no comments from residents and staff
regarding items on this evening’s action agenda.
Special Presentation: Recognition of Student
Achievement, Mr. Lange, Mr. Charron
Mr. Lange, Mr. Charron and the Board of Education
officially recognized the achievements of three of our students with an
introduction, descriptions of their accomplishments and certificates.
Miss Erin Kelly was recognized for her success with
the Empire State Youth Chorale and for her success in the vocal music
programs here at WHHS and Saratoga County.
Miss Kyra Bechard was recognized for her success on
the stage in the New York State Theater Institute production of "The
Orphan Train".
Miss Taylor Noel was recognized as a recipient for
the Post Star 2009 Teen Excellence Award in the areas of person growth,
leadership, innovation and commitment to community.
Comments from the Administration
Mr. Scanlan reported results of the latest report
cards noting much improvement but with more work to be done at the 7th
and 8th grade levels.
Ms. Cardnuto noted several of our students won
third place in the Waterford Winterfest Chili Contest in the Advanced
Foods program: Nicole Aurelia, Alex Brazill, Joe Harder, Jeff Yattaw,
Miranda Birch and Anthony Kenton.
Also, several of our students participated in the
Colonial Council Music Festival in February: Stephanie Marie Class,
Jordan Forgett, Breanna Rutland, Rachael Vincent, Dana Julian, Katie
Thomas, Erin Kelly, David Lines, and Wyatt Gudgeon-Jones.
Mrs. Jodi Ancin received a letter from Attorney
General Andrew Cuomo thanking her for allowing Senior Consumer Fraud
Representative Maurice Padula to visit our school. Mr. Padula spoke to
the students about fraud, personal identification protection and lending
practices. Mrs. Ancin brings in several speakers each year to enhance
her business education courses.
Mrs. Shaker’s Health and Wellness Committee
sponsored a faculty basketball game against the Siena DJ’s. It was well
attended and raised money for the organization thanks to the efforts of
our young and veteran faculty and staff alike.
9th and 10th grade students
attended the annual BOCES VoTech tour.
Mrs. Wulczyn attended the Curriculum Council and
was very pleased with the outcome. Every teacher and administrator who
attended learned valuable information about the curriculum development
process.
Mr. Lange announced the Annual BOCES Meeting will
be held on April 1st with a reception from 5:30 - 7:30 and
the Budget Presentation at 7:00. Mr. David Petruska, an interested
community member, is seeking re-election to the WSHWE BOCES Board of
Education.
Presentation: Reconnecting Youth 2008 - 2009, Ms. Jean
Devlin, HS Social Worker
Mrs. Devlin has concerns about some of our students
who exhibit difficult behavior in the form of alcohol and substance
abuse, dropout rate, attendance issues, stress, depression, anger
management and suicide issues. Earlier this year, she recommend the
accredited Reconnecting Youth (RY) program to help students deal with
these problems. She has seen the tremendous benefits for students who
participate in other districts. It has been proven to work with at risk
students. The main goal is connecting students with the school
environment and to share problem solving skills in a caring environment.
The program is tied to a skills based program focusing on self-esteem,
decision making and recognizing good vs. negative communications. The
goal is to increase school achievement. Many students came into the
program with significant peer problems, anxiety, domestic violence
issues and lack of motivation.
Mrs. Devlin introduced two students who are active
in the program and who wanted to share with the Board their experiences.
Miss Tiffany Truesell and Miss Jessica Phillips
brought with them the materials they use in RY class and the ideas
generated using brainstorming activities to overcome obstacles. RY
posters set the ground rules: be respectful and keep discussions
confidential, do not be judgmental, be honest and understand
diversities. They have designed, with the help of administrators, a
confidentiality and security agreement. Their goals are to go to class,
be attentive, complete homework assignments (which Mrs. Devlin always
helps with), ask for help, be respectful and ignore gossip. The students
also shared a sample of the mood diaries they keep.
Miss Truesell and Miss Phillips feel that the RY
class is an awesome benefit and helps with the problems students face
each day. "It’s a place to be myself; I didn’t know who that was until
now. It’s the best experience of my life."
Ms. Cardnuto said our focus is to educate the total
child adding that Ms. Devlin is a phenomenal addition to our faculty.
She congratulated Tiffany and Jessica and said the confidence they
displayed during this presentation to the Board was a credit to them.
Mr. Lange thanked Tiffany and Jessica for their heartfelt comments and
for helping us to understand the program and the issues they deal with
each day. Mr. Lange thanked Mrs. Devlin and said the program is a great
success and that Waterford-Halfmoon students are "top notch".
Presentation: Research on New District Website, Mr.
Lange, Mr. Lansing, Mr. VanBramer, Mr. Spretty
The Board goal is to research and update a new
district website. A committee consisting of Mr. Lange, Mr. Spretty, Mr.
Lansing, Mr. VanBramer and Mrs. Caulkins met with Tara Sullivan, WSWHE
BOCES, to review the two programs they support, School Center and School
World. The cost would be 64% state aidable. There are 8 - 10 districts
using both models. The committee looked at several of those schools and
reviewed the costs. Mr. Spretty also looked into commercial software and
it was determined to require more support and man-hours on the part of
the district than either of the BOCES supported programs.
Mr. Spretty demonstrated a mock-up of what our site
might look like and also showed the Board members other district sites
who contract with BOCES using the same software. Committee members
agreed on the benefits of the School World program stating that it is
user friendly, easy to navigate, aesthetically appealing and can support
multiple teacher pages. We are not limited to a specific template and
will work with BOCES on a professional design. While it is initially
slightly more costly, it will even out over time.
Mr. Lange stated that with administrative
oversight, we will establish a climate for increasing use by the
teachers and office staff. Mrs. Clow had concerns about the current
website name and asked about purchasing a secondary name. Mrs. Clow and
Mr. Lansing encouraged the district to promote the website once it is
re-designed. Mr. Lange will bring a recommendation to the Board at the
next meeting to enter into a contract agreement with BOCES for the
purchase of School World software.
Presentation: Discussion of Program Change, Full-Day
Kindergarten
A few weeks ago, Mr. Lange and Mr. Siracuse
presented information on national research they collected on the
benefits of a full-day Kindergarten program. Mr. Lange is now looking
for direction on how to proceed for the 2009 - 2010 school year.
Mrs. Ricci expressed her opposition to a full-day,
full-year program in favor of the current half-day/full-day program.
Discussion followed on the eight Kindergarten students who currently
attend full-day for the entire year. Mrs. Wulczyn said those are a mix
of special education students, not included in the Kindergarten regular
classroom population.
Mrs. Day, Kindergarten teacher, said she is in
favor of keeping the program as it is now: half-day for the first
semester and full-day for the second semester. While she never read the
studies presented by Mr. Lange and Mr. Siracuse, she thought they did
not compare programs similar to ours. Mrs. Day thought the parents who
supported a full-day, full-year program wanted it because of babysitting
issues. She knows parents who like our program the way it is. Mrs. Day
thought the Board was considering full-day, full-year for financial
reasons.
Mrs. Clow brought up the benefits of additional
class time, more time for specials (art, music, gym), and overall
continuity citing the research.
Mr. Lange said that Mrs. Day’s statement cannot be
refuted. Mr. Lange and Mr. Siracuse stated in their presentation that
the research did not use programs similar to ours in the comparison
studies; only half-day, full year vs. full-day, full-year. But, it
boiled down to time in the classroom from September to June and
increased academic gains. The Board and administrator’s considerations
are not based on finances but on academics. Mr. Lange had to include the
state aid figures in his presentation to show the complete package; it
wasn’t the focus or the driving force. Other district superintendent’s
ask how we can afford to consider a full-day program. They don’t
understand our current program and the fact that a full-day, full-year
program would not increase costs.
A discussion followed on academic achievement and
how long the gains from a full-day program last. If the full-day,
full-year program was adopted, a classroom teacher aide/assistant would
be placed in each Kindergarten for additional support.
NYS was encouraging districts to go to full-day
Kindergarten programs. Mr. Lange asked the Board and the teachers to
consider the issue in reverse: school districts are moving to full-day
programs and experiencing success. The model we have now is known to
other districts but they are choosing not to pick it up as a model or an
option.
Mr. Lange said this was a good discussion and will
put the full-day, full-year Kindergarten program up for a vote at the
next Board meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the minutes of the February 5,
2009 Board of Education meeting
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the Treasurer’s Report, January
2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the Budget Status and
Appropriations Reports.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the Student Fund Report.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the permanent appointment of Helen
Delamater as Food Service Worker upon successful completion of her one
year probationary appointment effective March 6, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the one year probationary
appointment of Jacqueline Prock as Food Service Worker for 3.5 hours per
day; effective February 27, 2009; salary per the CSEA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of the following
substitute teachers for the 2008 - 2009 school year: Ashley Calabrese
and Jacques du Moulin.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following health service
contracts for students attending St. Mary’s School from other districts:
Brunswick School District $356.24
Cohoes
City School District $6,412.32
Hoosic
Valley School District $3,562.40
Lansingburgh School District $11,755.92
Mechanicville School District $3,562.40
North
Colonie School District $712.48
Shenendehowa School District $29,211.68
Stillwater School District $712.48
Voorheesville School District $356.24
TOTAL
$56,642.16
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 1/22/09,
2/3/09, 2/5/09, 2/13/09.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
School
Lunch #14 for $7,901.54
Special
Aid #16 for $797.07
Construction Fund #15 for $41,953.45
General
Fund #52 for $214,892.71
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Nancy Houle as
girls’ modified softball coach for the spring 2009 season; salary per
the WTA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the appointments of Terry Carmel
and Eric Zordan as volunteer assistant coaches for the boys’ varsity
baseball team for the spring 2009 season.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved a request from Mrs. Brophy and
Mrs. Houle to take the Junior High Honor Society students to the Clark
Art Museum in Williamstown, MA on March 18, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following construction change
orders:
#EC-05 for Brownell Electric in the amount of $784
for electrical work in rooms 310A, 312A and 316A.
#GC-07 for LG White & Sons in the amount of $4,094
for ceiling work in rooms 310A, 312A and 316A
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board adjourned at 8:29pm.
Julie Caulkins
District Clerk
The regular meeting of the
Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District Board of Education held
Thursday, February 5, 2009 was called to order at 7:00pm by Mr. Richard
Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia
Ricci, Sandra Clow, Carol Cooper, Denise Keyoskey, Thomas Lansing
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Susan
Wulczyn, Karen Budrakey, Karen Diener, Mark Bryan, Paul Brown, Joseph
Spretty
ABSENT: Robert VanBramer
There were no comments from the public regarding
items on this evening’s action agenda.
Comments from Administration
The 2009 NYSSBA State Issues Conference will be
held March 1 - 3 at the Empire State Plaza in Albany and will connect
the Board members with legislative leaders in the State. Mr. Lange has
more information for those wishing to attend.
Mr. Lange will be attending a meeting on Thursday,
February 26th with Senator McDonald and other Saratoga County
Superintendents at Mechanicville High School. Local Boards of Education
are invited to attend this important information session on the NYS
Budget. Interested Board members are requested to respond by February
16th to the Superintendent’s Office.
Mr. Lange has begun discussions with
Superintendents from Greenwich Central and Lake George Central School
Districts on a developing a proposal to be presented at the 2009 NYSSBA
Conference in New York City on the topic of Board of Education and
Superintendent Relations During a Superintendent’s First Year. Mr. Lange
will be contacting Board members to include them in the discussions.
Fall 2008 Athletic Report, Mrs. Reynolds
Mrs. Reynolds presented a report that was
previously shared with Board members. She elaborated on specific awards
and recognitions by a number of our junior high and senior high students
(attached). Mrs. Reynolds thanked the Board for their confidence and
allowing her to work as the Athletic Director in Mr. Stoliker’s absence.
Mr. Lange was able to see many of the teams play
over the course of the fall season and was impressed by their
sportsmanship and competitive nature. It was a great season for all of
the teams.
Mrs. Reynolds and Mr. Lange have been in regular
contact with the NYS Public HS Athletic Association. A number of
Superintendents throughout the State are seeking ways to reduce costs in
the light of the fiscal downturn. A suggestion was made to reduce the
number of competitions. Mr. Lange is not in favor of that proposal and
is working with other Superintendents to protect the interests of our
students. He understands the concerns but is looking out for the benefit
of our students. He will be asked to cast his vote in coming weeks.
Mr. Lange shared comments on Mrs. Reynolds’ work
while acting as Athletic Director. Mrs. Reynolds did an outstanding job,
is a good communicator and has been consistent with scheduling league
and non league games. Two things stand out: Mr. Lange never had to worry
about the sports schedule because the games were always well organized;
and, Mrs. Reynolds regularly sought and took advice. Mr. Lange thanked
Mrs. Reynolds for her outstanding achievement.
Report: Second Reading of the Draft Policy on
Availability of Alternative Format Instructional Materials for Students
with Disabilities, #5422.
The first reading of this policy was reviewed by the
Board in January. There were no questions.
2008 - 2009 BOE Goals Update
Mr. Lange reviewed each of the Goals set by the
Board during the summer:
1. Facilities Planning.
Evaluate long range needs related to school
facilities. Student enrollment projections, community use of
facilities, potential impact of local residents and business trends,
and condition of existing facilities will be included in this
evaluation process.
Mr. Lange, Mr. Leary and Mr. Sylvester have
developed a document on the condition of the building that was shared
with the Board in the fall of 2008. The BOE facilities planning
committee will meet to recommend specific studies and long range goals.
2. Policies and Programs
The process has begun through Erie I BOCES.
Approval stages are complete and a comprehensive packet of information
has been sent to Erie I. Once an initial draft has been produced, it
will go through a number of revisions blending our own policies into the
document.
Initiate a process for curriculum and
instructional coordination K-12 that will: identify curricular areas
for alignment with state standards; analyze and use data to identify
instructional strategies that promote differentiation.
A K-12 curriculum cabinet has been formed and a
number of members are to attend a CASDA Conference on curriculum
coordination. The committee will meet regularly to address concerns.
Review and enhance the delivery of guidance and
counseling services. Among the areas of focus are college and career
planning, and consistency among services provided through the
guidance department between grades 7 - 12.
Mr. Lange met with Ms. Cardnuto and the Guidance
Department to provide direction on the services our districts offers.
Ms. DiFabio is on leave and will return at the beginning of the 2009 -
2010 school year at which time discussion on our long range goals will
continue.
Promote and support an atmosphere free from all
forms of harassment and bullying. Develop character education
programs that are designed to educate students and staff about the
impact of harassment and bullying, including cyber-bullying. Develop
programs that promote tolerance, acceptance and respect.
The Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS) is
taking root. A group of teachers and administrators are coaching staff
on positive reinforcement as a K-12 initiative. Most recently, an event
was held for those students who were performing at expected levels. In
the fall, Investigator Shultz’s presentations to the PTO and students
about Internet harassment and bullying were very well received. The K-6
program "Caught in the Act" is running successfully. Mr. Lange is in
contact with the NYSSBA and others searching for draft policies on
cyber-bulling to be presented to the Board of approval and added to our
Code of Conduct.
3. Public Relations and Communication
A group was formed and met earlier this school year
with Tara Sullivan, WSWHE BOCES, to look at options for a new district
website. Ms. Sullivan put together a proposal which included options and
costs. The group is scheduled to meet again on February 6th
to review those options. The group will be making a recommendation to
the Board soon for a more comprehensive website.
Continue to promote school spirit and pride
along with school-community involvement. Create opportunities that
will engage students, staff and community members, with the school
as a location for events that promote tradition, excellence, and a
sense of community.
Enhanced events were planned for Fordian Fever
Weekend but the weather did not cooperate; we will try again in the
fall. The official opening of the new playground was successful in
brining together students, community members, volunteers, State, Town
and Village government officials, and financial donors. Mr. Lange will
be recognizing student achievement at scheduled Board meetings
throughout the year inviting the students themselves to attend the
meetings and present their accomplishments. Mr. Lange would like to add
a student recognition page to the website. Mr. Lange would like to
continue to offer our facility to local organizations and is looking at
ways to enhance that concept by opening other areas of the building for
different activities in addition to the many organizations already using
the gymnasiums.
Mr. Lange has been in contact with Mr. Brad Utter,
Director of the Waterford Cultural and Historical Museum, to discuss
ideas in celebration of the Quadricentennial of Henry Hudson’s
Expedition. Discussions include bringing our students to the Albany
waterfront to participate in activities during the Flotilla highlighting
the sailing of the Half Moon, a replica of Henry Hudson’s ship. Our
students will also be participating in a Spelling Bee and Video
competition. Our administrative team continues to look into other events
in which our students could participate. Mr. Lange is researching that
particular voyage of the Half Moon beginning in March 1609 from England.
ACTION
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the minutes of the January 22,
2009 Board of Education meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
General Fund #47 for $200.00
General Fund #48 for $326,857.62
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the Fall 2008 athletic report.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board adopted Policy #5422 - Availability of
Alternative Format Instructional Materials for Students with
Disabilities.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 -0 the Board approved a request from Mrs. Meghan Reynolds
for an eight week maternity leave of absence beginning on or about May
3, 2009 through the end of the school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the one year probationary
appointment of Carol Burniche as a non-classroom teacher aide in the
elementary office for 3 hours per day; 10 months a year; effective
February 6, 2009; salary per the current CSEA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Carol Burniche
as temporary teacher aide for 3/4 hours per day; effective February 6,
2009; salary per the current CSEA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Maxine Sherrill
and Nicole Spulnick as teachers for the SAT Preparation course beginning
March 17 through May 1; two nights per week, one hour per night
(skipping the week of spring break): salary per the current WTA
contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board authorized participation in the Cooperative
Purchasing Program coordinated by
Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex Counties BOCES for the 2009
-2010 school year for the following commodities: ice cream, milk, bread
and bread products, meat, canned/frozen foods, copy paper, envelopes, O
& M paper products, cafeteria paper products.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 1/16/09,
1/21/09, 1/22/09, & 1/23/09.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
School Lunch #13 for $7,478.46
General Fund #49 for $14,308.60
Construction Fund #14 for $192,849
Special Aid #15 for $21,293.47
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the provisional appointment of
Paul Brown as Computer Network Technical Assistant pending successful
completion of Saratoga County Civil Service requirements; effective
February 23, 2009; salary per the current CSEA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved an increase of one hour per week
for Angela Wilding, temporary teacher aide, to support a visually
impaired student.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved construction change order #GC-06
from LG White and Son in the amount of $400 to remove ceiling and
provide acoustical tile in room 320.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved construction change order EC-04
from Brownell Electric in the amount of $7,969 for removal and
installation of electrical items in rooms 310A, 321A and 316A and
removal of existing handicapped lifts and electrical work to bring the
entrance back to pre-lift installation.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved a 10 day unpaid leave of absence
for Susan Forchilli, Food Service Worker.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved a second request from Mrs.
Stracuzzi to take approximately 20 Photography students , with 2-3
chaperones, to the International Center for Photography in NYC on
February 13, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved a 10 day unpaid lave of absence
for Patricia Merola, Food Service Worker.
There were no comments from the Board of Education,
residents or staff.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board went into executive session at 7:36pm to
discuss negotiations. They returned to regular session at 8:12pm and
adjourned.
Julie Caulkins
District Clerk
The regular meeting of the
Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District Board of Education held
Thursday, January 22, 2009 was called to order at 7:00pm by Mr. Richard
Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia
Ricci, Sandra Clow, Carol Cooper, Thomas Lansing
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Joseph
Siracuse , Debra Cardnuto, Christopher Scanlan, Susan Wulczyn, Hollie
Russo, Nancy Hurd, Patrice King, Danielle Cassin, Barbara O’Neill,
Jennifer Schalk (student teacher), parents and residents
ABSENT: Denise Keyoskey, Robert VanBramer
There were no comments from the public regarding
items on this evening’s action agenda.
Comments from the Administration
Mr. Siracuse announced the names of student
teachers placed here this semester to work with and learn from some of
the best area teachers. The PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and
Support) program is in progress. Students participated in
English-Language Arts testing this week; the tests will be sent to
Educational Vistas for grading.
Ms. Cardnuto and Mr. Scanlan are working on
classroom observations; ELA testing was held this week and Regent’s
exams will be held next week. Administrators are updating academic
policies and handbooks. Two members of the WHHS community attended the
Presidential Inauguration in Washington D.C. on Tuesday: Erin Wade,
student, and Ken Williams, teacher, separately attended the festivities
with their families.
Ms. Devlin and the students in Peace Club
participated in a workshop at Siena College focusing on tolerance and
leadership. As a result, the district is eligible for grant-funded
training to facilitate non-violent behaviors here at WHHS. Mr. Williams
is the advisor to the Peace Club.
Mr. Scanlan and our district-wide PBIS team are
completing training and are looking forward to a soft kick-off this
spring in anticipation of a full kick-off in September. The first PBIS
activity, a daytime dance for 8th grade students, will be
held next Friday.
Mrs. Wulczyn and the special education department
is gearing up for annual reviews; teachers and psychologists are working
to ease the transition of students aging into different programs. The
professional staff has taken a year off from training and are beginning
to use what they have learned over the last couple of years in the
classroom.
Mr. Lange and Mrs. Feldkamp are working to develop
the 2009-2010 budget. That process begins each December with requests
from building and department staff. Parents, residents and staff are
invited to attend public sessions as the district looks towards a
difficult budget year with possible cut backs. Mrs. Clow is the BOE
representative to the newly formed curriculum cabinet. The 15 current
members are generating a lot of excitement. Mr. Lange is looking to add
five more people and as the process evolves he will present more
information.
Presentation: Full-day Kindergarten 2009-2010, Mr.
Lange and Mr. Siracuse
Currently the district hosts a transitional
Kindergarten program with students attending a half-day session during
the first semester and a full-day session during the second semester.
The administration is weighing options for a full-year, full-day program
beginning September 2009. The most creditable and non-biased research
was presented. Mr. Lange searched for specific support of half-day
Kindergarten programs and could not find any legitimate, research-based
support. Nothing was found on detrimental effects of full-day programs.
Below is an outline of a fully researched, data driven, PowerPoint
presentation followed by a discussion with community members.
What do we need to consider?
- Impact on students
- Parent/Guardian Perspectives
- Staff Perspective
- Research findings
- Financial Impact
Research (General)
- Most research concludes that full-day K benefits
more students than half-day K
- Research comparing transitional K programs to
full-day K could not be found
- Research on long term benefits is inconclusive
"Full vs. Half: More Pays, Study Finds," National
follow-up study of U.S. Department of Education Early Childhood
Longitudinal Study Lee, V.E., Burkam, D. T., Ready, D.D., Honigman, J. &
Meisels, S.J. (2006) Full-Day versus Half-Day Kindergarten: In Which
Program Do Children Learn More? American Journal of Education
- 8,000 US students studies as they progressed
through elementary school
- Results in increased exposure to phonics, reading
- Students in full-day K make greater academic
gains than students in half-day K
- All students benefit, regardless of ethnicity and
family income
Making the Most of Kindergarten: Present Trends and
Future Issues in the Provision of Full-day Programs" A NIEER Policy
Report (March 2005)
- State trends show increase in full-day K
enrollment
- Teachers spend more time on ELA, math and science
compared to colleagues in half-day K
- Students spend more time on self-directed
activities
- Highest impact is on self-directed activities
- Highest impact is on disadvantaged students
Enhancing Urban Children’s Early Success in School:
the Power of Full-Day Kindergarten", Andrea Del Gaudio Weiss, Ph.D. and
Robert M. Offenberg, Ed.D., School District of Philadelphia
- The Philadelphia School District followed the
academic progress of more than 17,000 children who started school in the
mid-1990's
- When full-day and half-day attendees were
compared, the full day students were 26% more likely to be promoted
through third grade
- Of students who reached third grade on time,
full-day kindergarten attendees had significantly higher achievement
scores in reading, math, and science, higher report cards make, and
better attendance
The Long Term Educational Effects of Half-Day vs.
Full-Day Kindergarten", by Dominic F. Gullo, published in Early
Childhood Development and Care, 2000
- University of Wisconsin research: children who
were in a full-day kindergarten program scored significantly higher on
both math and reading on a standardized achievement test than students
in half-day
- Fewer children from the full-day cohort who had
been retained in grade
- There were no differences in the number of
special education referrals between the two groups
- Children who attended full-day kindergarten were
absent less during the school year than the half-day kindergarten group
Wolgemuth, J.R., Cobb, R.B. & Winokur, M.A. (2006)
Comparing Longitudianl Academic Achievement of Full-Day and Half-Day
Kindergarten Students, Journal of Educational Research
- Students who attended full-day kindergarten
performed significantly better in reading and math achievement at the
end of kindergarten and continued to show better performance into first
grade
- Teachers attributed the enhanced performance to
the increased time that full-day K students spent reviewing and
practicing material
- To retain benefits into the upper elementary
grades, teachers would need to provide differentiated instruction in the
first through third grades.
School Readiness, Full-Day Kindergarten, and
Student Achievement; Rand Education, 2006
- White and Asian students entered K with overall
higher scores in reading and math; black and Hispanic students
demonstrated overall lower scores
- Achievement gaps between the subgroups increased
over time
- Academic readiness upon entering K correlated
highly with achievement in 5th grade
- There was little difference in the reading
achievement of students attending full-day K vs. half-day K over time;
however math achievement was negatively correlated with full-day K
attendance
- Students from full-day K showed more frequency in
lower levels of readiness skills that were non-academic (disposition,
self-control, interpersonal skills) through 5th grade
- Children whose parents were more involved with
schools and who came from higher-income families, demonstrated better
approaches toward learning, more self-control, and better social skills
at fifth grade. They also were less likely to exhibit problem behaviors.
- Engagement in extracurricular activities was also
positively predictive of dispositions toward learning.
Elicker, 2000; Elilcker & Mathur, 1997
- Students participating in full-day K consistently
progress further academically during the kindergarten year, as assessed
by achievement tests, than students in either half-day or alternate-day
programs
- Tentative evidence that full-day kindergarten has
stronger, longer-lasting academic benefits for children from low-income
families or others with fewer education resources prior to kindergarten
- No current, strong evidence that the academic
achievement gains of full-day kindergarten persist beyond first grade
for all students
- There is no evidence for detrimental effects of
full-day kindergarten. The full-day curriculum, if developmentally
appropriate for five and six year olds, does not seem to overly stress
or pressure kindergarten children.
Cryan et al. (1992), Housden and Kam (1992), and
the Evansville-Vanderbergh School Corporation (1998)
- Full-day kindergarten students, as opposed to
half-day kindergarten students, are more likely to show adequate school
progress through their elementary school careers
- Full day K students exhibit more independent
learning, classroom involvement, productivity in work with peers, and
reflectiveness in their work than their half-day kindergarten peers
- Full-day K students are more likely to approach
the teacher, and they express less withdrawal, anger, shyness, and
blaming behavior than half-day K students
University of Pittsburgh and Loyola University,
Chicago; July/August 2008
- 13,766 students were studied
- Full-day kindergarten promotes academic
achievement, and those children in full-day kindergarten have slightly
better reading and math skills than children in part-day kindergarten
- Full-day kindergartners’ gains in reading and
math did not last far beyond their kindergarten year
- The advantage of full-day verses part-day
programs was no longer evident by the spring of third grade
Impact on Parents
- Lowered childcare costs possible
- The opportunity for lower-income families to
enroll children in a higher quality early education program that might
otherwise be affordable in the private market
- Less difficulty scheduling childcare and
transportation, especially when more than one child is enrolled in the
same school
- Increased opportunities to get involved in their
children’s classroom, as well as to communicate with the teacher
Impact on Instruction
- Reduced ratio of transition time to learning time
(Miller, 2002)
- More time to spend with students individually and
in small groups (Porch, 2002)
- More time to get to know and communicate with
parents (Vecchiotti, 2001)
- More time to assess students and individualize
instruction to their needs and interests (Nelson, 2000, Vecchiotti,
2001)
Teacher Perceptions; Elicker and Mathur 1997
- Participating in full-day eased the transition to
first grade, helping children adapt to the demands of six-hour school
day.
- Having more time available in the school day
offered more flexibility and more time to do activities during free
choice times.
- Having more time made kindergarten less stressful
and frustrating for children, because they had time to develop interests
and activities more fully.
- Participating in the full-day schedule allowed
more appropriate challenges for children at all developmental levels.
For children with developmental delays or those "at-risk" for school
problems, there was more time for completion of projects and more time
for needed socialization with peers and teachers. For more advanced
students, there was time to complete increasingly
- Switching to full-day kindergarten gave teachers
more time for curriculum planning, incorporating a greater number of
thematic units in the school year, and offering more in-depth coverage
of each unit.
Financial Impact
- Addition of Teacher’s Aides? (3 x $11,000
$33,000)
- Approximate NY State aid $227,000 + to transition
to full-day K (one-time payment, first year)
- Increase in annual school aide for daily
attendance rate $57,000 (annually)
Mr. Lange and Mr. Siracuse thanked all the parents
for coming to the meeting tonight stating the Board will contemplate all
the information from the presentation as well as the concerns of the
parents. Current administrators have been discussing the possibility of
going to a full-day, full-year kindergarten since the summer months. It
was an issue the previous Superintendent was moving toward a couple of
years ago. A question and answer period followed.
Mrs. Ricci asked why no research comes out of New
York State. Mrs. Ricci is opposed to full-day kindergarten stating she
doesn’t trust NY State to come through with any funding. She also does
not want to make any changes.
Mrs. Clow thanked Mr. Lange and Mr. Siracuse for a
very well researched presentation noting the many positive effects of a
full-day program. She asked for parent and community input.
Mr. Lansing asked if any research was done looking
at student’s environment prior to Kindergarten, e.g. home, daycare,
pre-K. Mr. Siracuse did not find any. Mr. Lange said predominately, the
starting point used a cohort of either a full-day or half-day program;
pre-K and kindergarten were looped together.
Mrs. Logan, parent, asked why attendance changed
with the full-day program. Mr. Siracuse explained that parents were more
likely to pull a student from a 3 hour program to meet other obligations
than from a full day program when they could meet their obligations
while the student was in school.
Mrs. O’Neill, OT, said she keeps records on
incoming kindergartners as to whether or not they attended pre-schools,
academic daycare or babysitters. Mrs. Clow asked that she send that
information to Mr. Lange.
Melissa Gilbert, parent, supports a full-day
because of the demands and expectations rooted in NCLB and State
Standards, and the need for extra services. She noted less transition
time for younger students.
Dana Dupray, parent, sees advantages for students
and for school districts, e.g., transportation and less need for
daycare.
Another mother asked how this all came about. Mr.
Siracuse and Mr. Lange said the idea began with a previous
administration and discussion continued this summer during an
administrative mini-retreat focusing on academic demands and meeting the
requirements of RTI, No Child Left Behind and the Language-Arts portion
of the kindergarten curriculum.
Mr. Lange noted that a full-day, full-year program
would benefit students from less advantaged homes. It is necessary for
the district to assess where our community is socially and economically.
The data shows that over the last 10 - 12 years the district has
experienced an increased number of students qualifying for free and
reduced price meals. Those numbers are a driving force in student aid
and often a factor in student achievement.
Some parents were concerned because the research
did not take into account programs similar to our half-day, full-day
model. According to NYS, our district is considered a half-day program.
The research still shows the benefits of a full-day program.
Mary Ann Martel, parent, supports a full-day,
full-year program. Teacher salaries would remain the same. Mr. Lange and
Mr. Siracuse could not speak for the kindergarten teachers on whether or
not they supported the change. One teacher wanted to be at the meeting
tonight but was unable to. Mr. Siracuse has spoken with the teachers and
received valuable information.
Mrs. Clow stated the district always strives for
the best education of our students. This program has been discussed for
some time. Mr. Siracuse reported that although our students do well on
state testing, there are some that qualify for remedial reading. Mr.
Siracuse would like to provide them with an advantage and will continue
to advocate for our students.
One parent liked the half-day program citing
special attention especially for the younger students. Mrs. Cassin,
teacher and parent, was concerned with the student-teacher ratio. Mr.
Lange stated that contractual issues drive class size and that
administrators always pay attention to the optimal number of students
per class. Additional teacher aides/assistants may be needed in a
full-day, full-year program.
Mr. Hogan was against a full-day, full-year program
because he thought the university studies used in the presentation were
not backed by solid data. He thought the program was running just fine
as it is. Mr. Lange assured him that although data is not present on the
screen or in the handouts, it is indeed available. The percentages, pie
charts and statistical analysis are embedded in the studies.
Ms. Cardnuto stated the federal government is
advocating full-day programs but have since pulled-back on any mandates
due to the economy.
Mr. Lange said that he would ultimately be judged
by how well our students do academically. NCLB dictates that all
students must meet proficiency levels by 2014. He would not want to
explain why our students have not met proficiency levels. He looks at
every possibility to help our students achieve at every level. This
discussion is extremely important and we need to line this up with
educational research and provide as much information as possible.
Mrs. Carson asked if the district could do a
comparable study locally. That may not be practical; the work cited was
done by professional researchers over a period of time.
Mrs. King, teacher and parent, supports a full-day,
full-year program. As a remedial math teacher she sees kindergartners
who have been retained and knows there are others who could benefit from
the remedial program but can’t fit the class in their schedule during
the first half of the year. Teachers agree early intervention was the
key from all aspects.
Another mother said that she would support a
program that improves academics but was concerned with the social aspect
of young children.
Mrs. Martel asked if there was a way to add other
social events like "meet the teacher day" for kindergartners.
Mr. Lange talked about the social aspect and
adapting to a full day program stating the evidence was inconclusive.
Some students cry to go home and some students cry because they want to
stay at school. Parents know their children the best.
Mrs. Field asked about extra teacher aides in the
class. She knows from past experience that some children get pulled out
the class for intervention programs and miss a lot of classroom
instruction. She thinks a full-day, full-year program would address that
issue.
Mrs. Wulczyn heard that parents were concerned
about the social aspect of a full-day program and all of the pressures
of academics. A full-day, full-year program would make more time for
learning soft-skills (independent study) and allow more time for
traditional kindergarten activities. She knows that there are a lot of
working parents and that those children are used to being out of the
house.
Mr. Lange thanked everyone for their input and said
there is a lot of information for the Board to digest. There will be
further discussion.
Report: Availability of Alternative Format
Instructional Materials for Students with Disabilities, First Reading
This draft policy ensures that the district has
plans for securing alternative instructional materials for students with
disabilities. Mr. Lange will bring this back for approval on February 5,
2009.
ACTION
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the minutes of the January 8, 2009
meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the Treasurer’s Report for
December 2008.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the Appropriations and Budget
Status Reports.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the Student Fund Report.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
General Fund #43 for $34,274.65
General Fund #44 for $800.00
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the the resignation of Kathleen
Prock as Cook effective January 9, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the one year probationary
appointment of Kathleen Prock as Cook-Manager; effective January 12,
2009; salary per December 23, 2008 CSEA Memorandum of Agreement.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the resignation of Bonnie DeCelle
as Food Service Worker effective January 23, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the one year probationary
appointment of Bonnie DeCelle as Cook effective January 26, 2009; salary
at an increase of $1.50 per hour above her current rate.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved an increase in Susan Forchilli’s
time as a Food Service Worker from 3.5 to 6.5 hours per day.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the one year probationary
appointment of Heather Phelan as Food Service Worker for 3.5 hours per
day; salary per the CSEA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved an 8 day unpaid leave of absence
for Helen Delamater; Food Service Worker.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved a final request from Mrs. Dawson
to take the music students on a trip to NYC on March 18, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following Academic
Intervention Service appointments to teach grades 3-6 Math and Science
for a total of 20 hours each: Kathleen Vincent, Julie Desso, Karen
Mignery, Julie Bishop, Erin McBride, Hollie Russo, Darcy Pogue, Joan
Walworth
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved a request from Kathleen Vincent for
a maternity leave of absence beginning on or around April 20, 2009
through the end of the 2008-2009 school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the Spanish Culture Class as
proposed by Ms. Mary Kelley, for September 2009.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 1/6/09, 1/8/09
and 1/14/09.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following construction change
orders:
#GC-04 for LG White in the amount of $895.00 to
rework ceiling in room 224.
#GC-05 for LG White in the amount of $44,809 to
remove existing handicapped lifts.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
School Lunch #12 for $7,882.01
Construction Fund #13 for $29,628.38
Special Aid #14 for $642.08
General Fund #46 for $50,540.15
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board awarded the following contract for
reconstruction to the main building (air conditioning):
HVAC
WJV Mechanical, Inc.
296 Morris Road
Schenectady, NY 12303
Base Bid: $688,000
Alternate 1-H: $76,000
Alternate 2-H: $32,900
Total Contract Amount: $796,900
ELECTRICAL
Northern Instrumentation, Inc.
109 Wall Street
Schuylerville, NY 12871
Base Bid E-1: $68,300
Alternate 1-E: $2,410
Total Contract Amount: $70,710
ASBESTOS ABATEMENT
Capital Environmental Services, Inc.
24 Power Dam Way - Suite 101
P. O. Box 1750
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Base Bid AA-1: $12,700
Total Contract Amount: $12,700
TOTAL OF ALL CONTRACTS: $880,310
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board awarded the transportation contract to
Mountainview Academy in Johnsonville to Folmsbee Transportation for $130
per day.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved Mrs. Russo’s final request to take
the sixth grade class to Medieval Times and the IMAX at the Liberty
Science Center in New Jersey on Friday, June 19, 2009. Parents and
students will pay for the trip supplemented by fund raising; the PTO
covers the cost of the bus.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 4 - 0 - 1 (Mr. Lansing abstained) the Board approved the
permanent appointment of Julie Lansing, Account Clerk, pending
successful completion of her one year probationary period on February
11, 2009.
Board approved the permanent appointment of David
Baker, Assistant Bus Driver, pending successful completion of his one
year probationary period on February 28, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the provisional appointments of
the following custodians pending successful completion of Saratoga
County Civil Service requirements: Michael Dunn, Stephen Bechard and
Beata Hanula
There were no comments from the Board of Education,
residents and staff
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board went into executive session at 8:45 to
discuss a personnel matter. They returned to regular session at 9:25 and
adjourned.
Julie Caulkins
District Clerk
The regular
meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District Board of
Education held Thursday, January 8, 2009 was called to order at 7:05pm
by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard
Charron, Marcia Ricci, Sandra Clow, Carol Cooper, Robert VanBramer,
Thomas Lansing
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Joseph
Siracuse, Debra Cardnuto, Bonnie Myers, Jeanne Murphy, Eric Nelsen
ABSENT: Denise Keyoskey
There were no comments from the public regarding
items on this evenings action agenda.
Comments from the Administration
Mr. Siracuse recognized Mrs. Mary Zink’s efforts to
raise $13,040 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and for coordinating the
program to provide local families with holiday gifts.
The Tech Valley High School, sponsored by Capital
Region BOCES, is soliciting student participation. It has been in
operation for two years at the Rensselaer County Technology Park and Mr.
Lange has some experience with the program. There is a recruiting
program in February and Mr. Lange will provide the Board members with
more information.
Report: Class Proposal - Spanish Cultures, Ms.
Cardnuto
Ms. Mary Kelley, Foreign Language teacher, has
proposed a new course for students not in the Regents track. The course
would focus on conversational Spanish and culture. Ms. Kelley prepared a
detailed proposal covering a broad curriculum including hands-on
projects. The course would be offered to students in grade 9 as an
elective and would fit into the existing schedule at no additional
expense. Ms. Kelley has taken pieces from similar programs at other
schools to make her own course. Mr. Lange suggested a written summer
curriculum plan. Sensing Board acceptance, Mr. Lange proposed adding the
Spanish Culture course to the next Board of Education agenda for
approval.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the minutes of the December 4,
2008 meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the Treasurer’s Report for
November 2008
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the Appropriation and Budget
Status Reports
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the Student Fund Report
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
School Lunch Fund #10 for $7,741.90
Construction Fund #11 for $4,036.27
General Fund #37 for $59,870.14
Mrs. Ricci questioned at $2,030.50 per month charge
for a student attending The Albany Common Charter School. Mrs. Feldkamp
verified the expense. Mr. Lange explained that charter schools are not
like parochial schools that are governed by specific laws. It is the
home district’s responsibility to pay the tuition for a child attending
a charter school. Mr. Lange also stated that the parents need to
thoroughly research any school to determine the benefit to the child.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the Sign Language year-end
report as submitted by Mrs. King.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Jill
Taschetti as substitute Remedial Math teacher to cover Mrs. King’s 12
week leave of absence beginning January 19, 2009; salary per #2 of the
policy on substitute pay.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Christine
Rizzo as substitute Special Education teacher to cover Mrs. Buffaline’s
leave of absence beginning mid-January through the end of the school
year; salary per #2 of the policy on substitute teacher pay.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the a change in the 2008 -
2009 school calendar: Friday, January 30, 2009 will be a Regent’s Rating
Day; no school for students in grades 9 - 12.
This schedule actually reduces the time students
are out of school by a half day compared to last year’s schedule.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the an initial request from
Mrs. Stracuzzi to take the Photography students to The International
Center for Photography in NYC in February 2009.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 12/2/08,
12/4/08, 12/8/08, 12/10/08
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the Financial Literacy Course
as proposed by Mrs. Ancin for September 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following resolution:
BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Education of
the Waterford-Halfmoon UFSD hereby creates the position of
"Cook-Manager" and recognizes such position as part of the
Waterford-Halfmoon CSEA bargaining unit. The Board hereby approves
the memorandum of agreement between the District and the CSEA dated
December 23, 2008 in regard to this position and authorizes payment
as provided therein.
Mr. Lansing was assured that the CSEA union was
involved as well as Saratoga County Civil Service in the decision to
change the job title and job description. Duties have changed over the
years and this job description is a better fit. The title of Cafeteria
Manager will be left in the contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the enclosed job description
for Cook-Manager.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
School Lunch #11 for $3,313.69
Construction Fund #12 for $139,809.71
Special Aid #13 for $400.00
General Fund #41 for $550,093.62
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board adopted the following resolution
related to the 403(b) Retirement Plan:
The Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School
District acting through an officer and pursuant to authorization of
its governing board, hereby adopts the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free
School District 403(b) Retirement Plan, subject to its terms and,
the term of any other agreements as deemed appropriate, attached
hereto and made a part hereof, and the Adoption Agreement and the
selections made therein.
Mrs. Feldkamp stated the Board had approved a
previous plan and that this is the final document.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the a request from Carrie
Philo, HS Hall Monitor, for a two week unpaid leave of absence.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Terry
Stoliker as Varsity Boy’s Tennis coach for the 2008-09 season; salary
per the WTA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Patrick
Parker as JV Girl’s Softball coach for the 2008-09 season; salary per
the WTA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following unpaid
appointments as Assistant Varsity Girl’s Softball coaches: Tim Cahrenger,
Rob VanBramer and Dan McGreevy.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointments of Meghan
Mahoney and Jordan Ryan as substitute teachers for the 2008 - 2009
school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the resignation of Sharon
Hazard as food service helper effective January 8, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the one year probationary
appointment of Elizabeth Daigneault as Senior Typist in the Guidance
Office effective January 9, 2009; pending successful completion of
Saratoga County Civil Service requirements; salary per the CSEA
contract.
Mrs. Cardnuto explained that the Saratoga County
Civil Service list was exhausted and internal candidates were then
considered. The civil service test will be given in March 2010. Mrs.
Daigneault will have to take and pass that exam. Mrs. Daigneault
currently is employed as a non-classroom teacher aide.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 12/19/08.
There were no comments from the Board of Education,
residents or staff.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board went into executive session at 7:35pm
to discuss a personnel matter. They returned to regular session at 7:53
and adjourned.
Julie Caulkins, District Clerk
The special meeting of the
Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District Board of Education
Building and Grounds Committee meeting was called to order Thursday,
December 4, 2008 at 6:10pm by Mr. Lange.
PRESENT: Marcia Ricci, Richard Charron, Denise Keyoskey, Sandra Clow,
Thomas Lansing, Carol Cooper.
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Debra
Cardnuto, Paul Sylvester
The building and grounds committee (Mrs. Clow, Mrs.
Keyoskey and Mr. Lansing) met with Board members and administrators to
begin planning the 2009 - 2010 budget.
Mr. Sylvester, Supt. of Building and Grounds,
presented a list of items to be considered which include: building
maintenance items, a handicap ramp, a vehicle, furniture, flooring and
blacktop. Mr. Lange and Mrs. Feldkamp also asked the Board to review
requests for outside athletic field equipment and renovations, audio
visual equipment and a bus replacement. Explanations were provided and
the administration supported many of the requests citing safety issues
in some instances. Discussion focused on priority and whether or not to
purchase items this year or to postpone some requests until next year.
After a brief discussion on the cost to renovate
the distance learning room, Mrs. Clow questioned the viability of the
distance learning program. Three elective courses are scheduled for
distance learning this year; one during the first semester, two next
semester. Three students are enrolled in the Marine Biology course this
semester. The cost to operate the distance learning technology is
$61,000 per year. She asked if the concept has run its course and if the
money could be better spent to reach more students.
Mr. Lange is currently negotiating with the Town of
Waterford to purchase fuel for our mini-bus fleet at a significantly
reduced cost.
The regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union
Free School District Board of Education was called to order Thursday,
December 4, 2008 at 7pm by Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Marcia Ricci, Richard Charron, Denise
Keyoskey, Sandra Clow, Thomas Lansing, Carol Cooper, Robert VanBramer
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Debra
Cardnuto, Christopher Scanlan, Joseph Siracuse, Susan Wulczyn, Jodi
Ancin, Julie Desso
There were no comments from the public regarding
items on this evening’s action agenda.
Comments from the Administration
Mr. Siracuse extended his appreciation to Mrs.
Dehler, PTO fund raising coordinator, for her efforts on behalf of the
PTO. Also, many thanks to Mrs. Zink who is busy coordinating the
Make-A-Wish program. Classroom teachers are preparing the students for
English Language Arts testing.
Mr. Scanlan, together with Ms. Cardnuto and the 7th
and 8th grade teachers are addressing the number of failures
in the first quarter. The teachers did a great job of coming up with
ideas. Students who are failing are now required to stay after school
with the course teacher and follow up is conducted by administrators. On
the other side, those who are doing their homework and doing well in
class will receive rewards, e.g.: successful 8th graders will
attend a daytime dance.
Mr. Lansing asked if there were an unusual number
of failures and if anyone was aware of the cause. Mrs. Cardnuto felt the
issues were weak independent study skills and not completing homework
assignments.
Ms. Cardnuto reported on field trips students have
recently attended: Of Mice and Men at NYSTI and a tour of the AIDS quilt
by the health classes. Younger students toured the BOCES VoTech program.
The semi-formal dance went well thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Lansing
and Mrs. Hackel and their team of volunteers. The multi-purpose room was
decorated beautifully and the food was great.
Mrs. Wulczyn is continuing work on data analysis.
She is also planning for the transition of a large group of special
needs students into high school next year.
Mr. Lange will be participating in the HS holiday
concert on Wednesday, December 17th; the elementary concert
will be held on Wednesday, December 10th.
Presentation: Proposed New Business Education Class -
Personal Financial Literacy, Mrs. Ancin
Mrs. Ancin currently teaches five business
education courses and incorporates some personal financial literacy
topics into her daily lessons. She has attended many conferences on the
topic and has spoken with colleagues from other districts who teach the
course; some as an elective and some as a required course. Mrs. Ancin is
proposing a half-year personal financial literacy course (elective) here
at Waterford-Halfmoon for juniors and seniors. Ms. DiFabio, Guidance
Counselor, agreed that it would fit into the schedule and would
complement the half-year health education course. Mrs. Ancin presented
course material to the Board members for their review. Mrs. Ancin hosts
guest speakers as reinforcement for what is learned in the classroom.
The course materials could be obtained free of charge.
Mrs. Ancin teaches five courses and could fit this
half-year course into her schedule on a rotating basis. Ms. Cardnuto
supports this proposal noting the quest for higher standards.
Board members seemed supportive and Mr. Lange will
bring this proposal to a future Board meeting for approval.
Presentation: Development of Curriculum Committee, Mr.
Lange
Mr. Lange attended faculty meetings this week and
proposed the development of a curriculum committee. This idea is an
extension of the Board of Education’s goal setting. The following is an
outline of the presentation:
Guiding Curriculum
Working together; Growing ideas
Rationale
Curriculum and how it is delivered is dynamic
New mandates arrive on a regular basis,
affecting all school personnel
Student academic needs are numerous and diverse
School programs are numerous and diverse
The education of our students is a team effort
Each of us as professionals have ideas burning
inside, waiting to be released
The efforts of a team, whose members bring
diverse and pertinent information, bring more consistency and
provide a stronger result than efforts of individuals
The Role - In a collaborative manner:
Receive, review, and evaluate recommendations
for curriculum change (examples: new course offering; shift of a
topic from one grade level to another); make recommendations to the
Superintendent
Review, and evaluate for the purpose of
appropriate implementation, mandated program changes; make
recommendations to the Superintendent
Review and evaluate Summer Curriculum Writing
proposals; make recommendations to the Superintendent
Recommend a coordinated approach to text book
acquisition
Assist the Professional Development Committee
in citing targets for professional growth
Maintain vigilance and plan for long-range
program needs based on student demographics, assessment data, etc.
Membership
Co-chairs: One administrator, one WTA member
General Membership:
One teacher from each of the four core subject
areas
One teacher from among: art, music
One teacher from among: technology, business
One teacher from among: health, physical
education
One teacher from foreign language
One teacher from 7 - 12 special education; one
from K-6 special education
One teacher from each K-6 grade level
One reading or speech teacher
Building administrators and Director of Special
Education Services
Board of Education
Meeting Schedule
Discretion of committee; once per month?
September through June
Late afternoon (3:15?)
60 - 90 minutes per meeting unless agreed to by
committee
Organizational meeting: January 14th
Mr. Lange would like to keep a broad range of
members functioning at high levels with strong leadership. The
Superintendent would not be an active member of the group. The
Superintendent would make the recommendations to the Board. This
committee would begin late winter or early spring.
Mrs. Ricci asked if Board membership was necessary
because Board members were already stretched thin. She was also
concerned about having too many teachers representing one area or grade
level. Mr. Lange has addressed that issue and assured the Board he is
seeking diversity. The committee will provide the WTA with a voice and
the district will benefit from intelligent minds working together. Mr.
Lange had a positive experience with this model in the East Greenbush
district.
With Board support, Mr. Lange will move forward
with the committee.
Presentation: Advanced Micro Devices Impact on Local
School Districts, Mr. Lange
The Tech Valley Consortium is lead by Dr. John
Stoothoff, District Superintendent WSWHE BOCES, and has grown over the
years. Mr. Lange is now an active member representing the component
school districts with our regional BOCES. The following is an outline of
Mr. Lange’s presentation:
The Tech Valley Consortium
Connecting Education and the 21st Century
Business Environment
Tech Valley Consortium: Why?
Introduction of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD),
and its new venture - Foundry - into Saratoga County
The need for a collaborative effort among high
schools and colleges to prepare a tech valley workforce
Tech Valley Consortium: Who?
WSWHE BOCES Component Districts
Capital Region BOCES
Area Community Colleges - ACC, SCCC, HVCC
NYS Energy Research & Development Authority
New York State Education Department
Workforce Consortium for Emerging Technologies,
Inc.
Adirondack Regional, Saratoga County and
Southern Saratoga County Chambers of Commerce
Tech Valley Consortium: What?
Districts are working together to...
Align curriculum with business and industry
needs
Build career pathways
Eliminate the disconnect between educational
institutions and business
Strive for excellence to attract and keep
families of tech valley employees
Regional Needs :
33% fo jobs: HS diploma
33% of jobs: 2 year degree
(Junior college
programs are designed specific to technology needs in the marketplace)
34% of jobs: 4 year degree or higher
Source: Center for Governmental Research (CGR) in Study 2:
Strategies to Develop at 21 Century Workforce. Dec. 2007
Many tech jobs will require some post-secondary
education; higher percentage overall than other regional jobs
Retiring baby boomers and smaller cohorts
entering job market will equal a questionable labor force
Achievement gaps, high school drop-out rates,
the need for remediation when entering college, college drop-out
rates, and poor performance on international comparisons of
educational performance all raise questions about the quality of the
talent pipeline.
The foundation or core skills in the talent
pipeline do not match those required for successful performance in
the 21st century workplace
Low literacy levels among incumbent workers and
immigrants are causes of concern in adult workers
There is a concern that the quantity of
individuals with the technical skills needed to fill specific
occupations will not meet the anticipated demand
There is a need for more math and science
courses among our region’s districts
The core skills employers rank as "very
important" are the same ones they find lacking in high school
graduates.
What can regional school do?
New forms of instruction, training, and
programming befitting the needs of companies that are part of or
serve Tech Valley
Collaboration among K-12, community colleges,
4-year colleges, and businesses, to endure students gain the
knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to progress to the next
level
Proven ways to engage students with
disabilities, speakers of other languages, members of ethnic
communities, and the economically disadvantaged in order to close
the achievement gap that currently exists
To teach students the skills they need to
secure positions in Tech Valley
The capacity to train new and re-train existing
teachers so they can impart the knowledge and skills students will
need for success
Recommendations:
Craft a Regional Vision
Develop Career Pathways
Develop Design Specifications
Promote Professional Development
Promote Partnerships
Conduct Awareness Campaign
Mr. Lange attended a presentation by a national
economist who steered AMD in this direction because of the many college
institutions nearby including SUNY Albany Nano Tech, good high school
graduate candidates and the area’s standard of living. This geographical
area will grow to be one of three in the country, along with Silicon
Valley and the Dallas/Fort Worth area, to serve as a hub for business
and technology.
Dr. Stoothoff and the consortium will continue to
to evaluate the immediate and long range impact on education and to meet
the challenges ahead.
ACTION
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved the minutes of the November 20,
2008 meeting.
The Board review minutes of CSE minutes dated
10/31/08, 11/14/08, 11/17/08 and 11/24/08.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
Special Aid #11 for $3,565.00
Construction Fund #10 for $46,439.38
School Lunch #9 for $5,302.40
General Fund #36 for $134,953.78
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 12/1/08.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved a medical leave of absence for Dan
Boyd, HS PE Teacher, for approximately six weeks; beginning December 12,
2008.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board accepted, with regret, the resignation of
Peter Nilsson as Computer Network Technician Assistant effective
December 31, 2008.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved the substitute appointment of Man
Ho, HS PE Teacher, to cover the leave of absence for Mr. Boyd; salary
based on #2 of the Policy Regarding Substitute Teacher Pay.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board approved the appointments of the following
substitute teachers: Timothy Boyd and Erica Mosher.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board accepted Mrs. Mignery’s year-end Fire
Prevention report for the 2008 - 2009 school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 7 - 0 the Board adjourned at 8:10pm.
Julie Caulkins
District Clerk
The regular meeting of the
Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District Board of Education held
Thursday, November 20, 2008 was called to order at 7:00pm by Mr. Richard
Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Sandra
Clow, Marcia Ricci, Thomas Lansing, Denise Keyoskey
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Susan
Wulczyn, Christopher Scanlan, Joseph Siracuse, Bob Jesmain, Susan
Brophy, Jodie Gurka, Nancy Hurd
ABSENT: Carol Cooper, Robert VanBramer
Comments from the Administration
Mr. Scanlan reported on Positive Behavior
Intervention Strategies (PBIS). Staff training began Tuesday with
another session planned for January. Teachers will form teams and meet
with administrators regularly to develop the program. Mrs. Shaker, Ms.
MacDougall and Mrs. Radliff are designated coaches. Parents and other
staff will also participate.
There are many components to the program that
recognize positive behavior while developing ways to reach the 8% of
students who chronically misbehave. This program works in conjunction
with the RIT academic program currently in progress.
Once the program is up and running there will be a
presentation to the Board.
Mrs. Wulczyn is working to verify and coordinate
data in the Special Education department.
Mr. Siracuse will send 5th grade Social
Studies tests to Educational Vistas for scoring tomorrow. Teachers in
grades 3 - 8 will evaluate the benefits of commercial scoring at the end
of the year to determine the value of the service.
Parent-teacher conferences began today for grades 1
- 6. The 3rd grade students will go to the Eddy Nursing Home
to sing carols. The 4th graders will be going to Proctor’s
Theater to perform.
Mr. Lange is continuing to meet the with the Safety
Committee to develop an emergency response plan. Team members include
Mr. Lansing, Mr. VanBramer, emergency response personnel, teachers,
administrators and parents. Discussions focus on fire, bomb threats,
weapons and local manufacturing malfunctions.
Last week, the district sponsored two very
important sessions on Internet Safety. An evening session was held for
parents; and students in grades 7 - 12 attended an assembly last Friday
morning. The theme was to educate everyone on the dangers found on the
Internet: predators, scams and criminal activity. The students
appreciated the information.
Today was the annual senior citizens appreciation
concert and dinner. Approximately 65 people attended the event. Band and
chorus students did an excellent job led by Mr. Byron and Ms. Dawson.
Mrs. Fountain and the kitchen staff put on a wonderful turkey dinner.
Mr. Siracuse helped student government members serve the dinners.
The district received initial approval from the
State Education Department for the most recent construction project to
finish the heating/ventilating and ceiling replacement project which
also includes air conditioning for the auditorium. The bid process will
now move forward.
The chairlifts are being removed and the hallway
will return to it’s original state. A few pieces of the lift equipment
will be sold. The walls will be removed and the project should be
complete by Christmas break.
Status of NYS Budget Reductions, Mr. Lange and Mrs.
Feldkamp
The Governor has proposed significant reductions
statewide at multiple levels including reductions in state aid to school
districts in light of the financial crisis. A special session was called
this week to discuss proposed cuts. School districts were notified in
the last two weeks of specific reduction amounts if the proposals were
to pass at 100%. These projected reductions pose a huge loss for many
schools.
The Waterford-Halfmoon UFSD proposed reduction
amount is $280,000 which is a significant amount for the programs we
offer. These numbers are based on wealth ratios and tax bases. The
district could see another $280,000 reduction in state aid next year
also, totaling $560,000 over two years.
The impact will be significant; programs will be
reviewed to see what is working and which generate state aid. We need to
take a hard look now at other aid and the impact of mandated programs.
While the proposed mid-year cuts may not turn out to be as large as
first proposed, there will be significant reductions next school year.
The district would like to maintain everything we do now, but
alternatives are being discussed.
Releasing reserve funds would be a "band-aid"
approach; the cuts will still be there even if there are no changes in
programs. The administrators are starting early to plan for next year’s
budget. On December 4th, the Board of Education’s Building
and Grounds Committee will meet at 6pm prior to the regular BOE meeting
to begin building the foundation of next year’s budget. Traditionally,
the Building and Grounds Committee reviews big ticket requests focusing
on health and safety.
Every district has mandated programs, some funded
others unfunded. District run programs that are not mandated are a small
piece of the pie. The district will work to find appropriate and doable
reductions within that small slice of the pie. Hopefully between the
legislators in Albany and smart minds working together, we’ll get
through it.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the minutes of the November 6,
2008 Board of Education meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the Treasurer’s Report for October
2008.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the Student Fund Report.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the Budget Status and
Appropriations Reports.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the following warrant: General
Fund #31 for $29,929.64.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved a 15 minutes per day increase for
Lisa Hackel as teacher assistant; effective October 20, 2008.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 10/30/08,
11/3/08, 11/11/08 and 11/12/08.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
School
Lunch #8 for $9,194.42
Construction Fund #9 for $223,111.45
Special
Aid #10 for $4,689.70
General
Fund #33 for $83,587.27
General
Fund #35 for $228,682.00
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the final request for a Varsity
Baseball tournament in New Jersey. Coach Jesmain presented to the Board
the final details of the trip. The dates are March 26-28, 2009; they
will be staying at the Fairfield Inn in Mount Royal, NJ. They will
travel with the team from Fonda, NY. The cost will be covered by fund
raising. There will be an alumni basketball tournament in January and an
indoor soccer tournament in February. Also, a 50/50 raffle will be held
during the girl’s basketball games. The team also offered their services
to the PTO for any projects they might need help with.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted, with deepest regret, Mrs. Gayle
Fountain’s resignation for the purpose of retirement as Cafeteria
Manager after 27.5 years of service in the Waterford-Halfmoon UFSD;
effective January 3, 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Frank Smith as
substitute Guidance Counselor, to cover Ms. DiFabio’s leave of absence,
from February 2, 2009 - June 30, 2009; salary per #2 of the policy on
substitute teacher pay.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated November 12,
2008.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved change order #SC-06 for HMA
Contracting in the amount of $1,365 for work to prevent erosion on new
softball field.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board awarded a contract to WSWHE BOCES to
provide shuttle service for students attending school in Saratoga
Springs in the amount of $1,245 for the 2008 -2009 school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the school tax report for the 2008
- 2009 school year.
Comments from the Board of Education, residents and
staff
Mr. Lange, on behalf of the WHS staff, thanked Mrs.
Fountain for her years of dedicated service to the district. The staff
speaks so highly of her and she will be sorely missed. When speaking
with Mrs. Fountain, Mr. Lange said she is happy to be retiring but sad
to be leaving the people she works with. Mrs. Feldkamp also expressed
her sentiments.
Mrs. Feldkamp wanted the Board to know that
building aid is excluded from proposed state aid cuts.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board went into executive session at 7:26 to
discuss a personnel matter. At 8:28 they returned to regular session and
adjourned.
Julie
Caulkins
District Clerk
The regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union
Free School District Board of Education held Thursday, November 6, 2008
was called to order at 7:00pm by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Sandra Clow,
Thomas Lansing, Carol Cooper
ABSENT: Robert VanBramer, Denise Keyoskey
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Debra
Cardnuto, Hollie Russo, Patrice King, Jeanne Caputo, Pam Bailey
There were no comments from the public regarding
items on this evening’s action agenda.
Comments from the Administration
Mr. Lange announced the Internet safety
presentation "Keeping Kids Safe" to be held on November 12th
at 6:30pm for parents. NYS Police Investigator Jeff Scholz will conduct
a series of awareness sessions on cyber-bullying, illegal activities and
on-line predators. This event is sponsored by the PTO and babysitting
will be provided by students in Mrs. Shaker’s Health and Wellness group.
On Friday, November 14th, Investigator Scholz will present a
similar program for students in grades 7 - 12.
The Adirondack Area School Board Association and
the Saratoga County School Board Association will hold a joint meeting
next month.
Mr. Lange commended our varsity fall sports teams.
He is very proud of the volleyball and girls and boys soccer teams. They
represented our district very well in sectional play this season both
athletically and in their sportsmanship. Congratulations to all on an
excellent season.
Happy birthday wishes were extended to Ms. Cardnuto
and Mrs. Lansing!
Proposal to amend the Student Attendance Policy to add
the "Strengthening Families" program through the Saratoga County
District Attorney’s Office.
Mr. Lange presented a draft proposal to the Board
that was developed after he and Ms. Cardnuto, Ms. DiFabio and Mrs.
Caradori attended a meeting with the Saratoga County District Attorney.
If adopted by the Board, our district would join other local schools who
are using this program with a high success rate.
This portion of the attendance policy is not
targeted at chronically tardy students whose parents are working with
district officials to remedy the situation. The District Attorney’s
Office will be contacted when parents are non-responsive and after a
series of intervening steps. One local school district has used this
policy for eight years with almost no referrals because parents and
students do not want to get involved with a law enforcement agency.
Parents could be charged with a criminal office such as endangering the
welfare of a child. Once a family is referred, they are required to
attend meetings and there is a family counseling component.
ACTION
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the minutes of the October 23,
2008 meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
General Fund #27 for $116,449.13
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the amendment to the Student
Attendance Policy to add "Strengthening Families" program through the
Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board authorized the cross contract with Erie 1
BOCES to update the Board Policy Manual at a cost of $8,200; eligible
for state aid reimbursement. In response to Mrs. Ricci’s question, Mr.
Lange reported the last time the policy book was updated was in 1996 by
the same organization.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board adopted the following bond resolution by
individual roll call (Mrs. Ricci, yes; Mrs. Clow, yes; Mrs. Cooper, yes;
Mr. Lansing, yes and Mr. Charron, yes):
Bond resolution dated November 6, 2008 of the Board
of Education of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District
authorizing not to exceed $3,300,000 aggregate principal amount of
serial general obligation bonds to finance the renovation and
reconstruction of district buildings at an estimated aggregate maximum
cost of $4,667,000, levy of tax in annual installments in payment
thereof, the expenditure of such sum for such purpose, and determining
other matters in connection therewith.
WHEREAS, the qualified voters of the
Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District (the "District"), at an
annual meeting of such voters duly held on the 15th day of
May, 2007 duly approved a proposition authorizing the issuance of serial
general obligation bonds in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed
$1,367,000, to finance the renovation and reconstruction of District
buildings, including site work, and the acquisition of original
furnishings, equipment, machinery, apparatus or appurtenances required
for the purposes for which such buildings will be used and costs
incidental to same, the expenditure of such sum for such purposes, and
the levy of the necessary tax therefor, to be levied upon the taxable
property of the District and collected in annual installments as
provided by Section 416 of the Education Law; and
WHEREAS, the qualified voters of the District, at a
special meeting of such voters duly held on the 19th day of
August, 2008, duly approved a proposition authorizing the issuance of
additional serial general obligation bonds in a principal amount not to
exceed $3,300,000, to finance the renovation and reconstruction of
District buildings, including site work, and the acquisition of original
furnishings, equipment, machinery, apparatus or appurtenances required
for the purposes for which such buildings will be used and costs
incidental to same, the expenditure of such sum for such purposes, and
the levy of the necessary tax therefor, to be levied upon the taxable
property of the District and collected in annual installments as
provided by Section 416 of the Education Law;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THIS BOARD OF
EDUCATION AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The
District shall renovate and reconstruct various District buildings,
including site work, and acquire original furnishings, equipment,
machinery or apparatus required for the purpose for which such renovated
and reconstructed buildings are to be used, at an aggregate maximum cost
of $4,667,000, as more particularly described in Section 3 hereof, and
as generally outlined to and considered by the voters of the District at
meetings held on May 15, 2007 and August 19, 2008.
Section 2. The
District is hereby authorized to issue additional serial general
obligation bonds (the "bonds") in the aggregate principal amount of not
to exceed $3,300,000 pursuant to the Local Finance Law of New York, in
order to finance the class of objects or purposes described herein.
Section 3. The class
of objects or purposes to be financed pursuant to this Resolution (the
"Purpose") is the renovation and reconstruction of various District
buildings, including site work thereat, and the acquisition of original
furnishings, equipment, machinery or apparatus required for the purpose
for which such renovated and reconstructed buildings are to be used.
Section 4. It is
hereby determined and declared that (a) the maximum cost of the Purpose,
as estimated by the Board of Education, is $4,667,000 (b) $1,367,000 has
heretofore been authorized to be applied to the payment of the cost of
the Purpose, and (c) the District plans to finance the cost of the
Purpose from funds received from the State of New York as building aid
and EXCEL grants, funds raised by the issuance of the Bonds and bond
anticipation notes hereinafter referred to and funds raised by the
issuance of the bonds and bond anticipation notes obligations authorized
pursuant to the bond resolution duly adopted by the Board of Education
on May 8, 2008.
Section 5. It is
hereby determined that the Purpose is one of the class of objects or
purposes described in Subdivision 98 of Paragraph a of Section 11.00 of
the Local Finance Law, and that the period of probable usefulness of the
Purpose is thirty (30) years.
Section 6. Subject to
the provisions of the Local Finance Law, the power to authorize the
issuance of and to sell bond anticipation notes in anticipation of the
sale of the Bonds, including renewals of such notes, is hereby delegated
to the President of the Board of Education, the chief fiscal officer.
Such notes shall be of such terms, form and contents, and shall be sold
in such manner, as may be prescribed by said President of the Board of
Education, consistent with the provisions of the Local Finance Law.
Section 7. The power
to further authorize the issuance of the Bonds and bond anticipation
notes and to prescribe the terms, forms and contents of the Bonds and
bond anticipation notes, including the consolidation with other issues
and the use of substantially level or declining debt service, subject to
the provisions of this Resolution and the Local Finance Law, and to sell
and deliver the bonds and bond anticipation notes, is hereby delegated
to the President of the Board of Education . The President of the Board
of Education is hereby authorized to sign and the District Clerk is
hereby authorized to attest any Bonds and bond anticipation notes issued
pursuant to this Resolution, and the District Clerk is hereby authorized
to affix to such Bonds and bond anticipation notes the corporate seal of
the District.
Section 8. The faith
and credit of the District are hereby irrevocably pledged for the
payment of the principal of and interest on such Bonds and bond
anticipation notes as the same respectively become due and payable. An
annual appropriation shall be made in each year sufficient to pay the
principal of and interest on such obligations becoming due and payable
in such year. After taking into account all New York State EXCEL grants
and building aid received by the District, there shall be levied
annually on all taxable real property of the District, a tax sufficient
to pay the principal of and interest on such obligations as the same
become due and payable.
Section 9. This
Resolution shall constitute the declaration of the District’s "official
intent" to reimburse expenditures authorized by Section 1 with proceeds
of the bonds and notes, as required by United Sates Treasury Regulation
Section 1.150-2.
Section 10. This
Resolution shall be published in full by the District Clerk together
with a notice in substantially the form prescribed by Section 81.00 of
said Local Finance Law, and such publication shall be in each official
newspaper of the District. The validity of the Bonds or of any bond
anticipation notes issued in anticipation of the sale of the Bonds may
be contested only if such obligations are authorized for an object or
purpose for which the District is not authorized to expend money, or the
provisions of law which should be complied with at the date of
publication of this Resolution are not substantially complied with, and
an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced
within twenty (20) days after the date of such publication; or if said
obligations are authorized in violation of the provisions of the
Constitution.
Section 11. This
Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board adopted the following resolution:
BE IT RESOLVED BY THIS BOARD OF EDUCATION AS
FOLLOWS:
(1) The firm of Bernard P. Donegan, Inc., is hereby
designated financial consultant to the Waterford-Halfmoon UFSD.
(2) Said firm shall be compensated for its services
to be rendered in connection with the $3,300,000 and $1,567,000 Capital
Projects and other financial matters in accordance with its proposal
letter dated September 23, 2008.
(3) The President of the Board of Education is
hereby authorized to execute and deliver said proposal letter.
(4) This resolution shall take effect immediately.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the permanent appointment of
Sherry Hulse as hall monitor after successfully completing her one year
probationary appointment; effective October 1, 2008.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved an unpaid leave of absence for
Jessica DiFabio, Guidance Counselor, beginning on February 2, 2009
through June 28, 2009. In response to Mrs. Ricci’s question, a
substitute has been found for Ms. DiFabio’s leave of absence and will be
on the next agenda for approval.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following appointments to
provide 10 weeks of Academic Intervention Services for English Language
Arts; salary per the WTA contract:
3rd grade: Susan Chura, Karen Mignery
and Julie Bishop
4th grade: Julie Desso and Maxine
Sherrill
5th grade: Darcy Pogue and Melissa
Messier
6th grade: Erin McBride and Hollie Russo
In response to Mrs. Ricci’s question, AIS will be
provided after school.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved a maternity leave of absence for
Susan Buffaline, Special Education teacher, beginning mid-January 2009
through the end of the school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Mark Marino as
substitute Physical Education teacher to cover the 12 week medical leave
of absence for Mr. Stoliker; salary on Step 2 of the Policy on
Substitute Pay. In response to Mrs. Ricci’s question, Mr. Marino has
worked as a substitute teacher here at Waterford for a couple of years.
He previously covered leaves of absences for two other teachers.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Meghan Reynolds
as Interim Director of Athletics to cover the 12 week medical leave of
absence for Mr. Stoliker; effective October 14, 2008; salary per WTA
contract. In response to Mrs. Ricci’s question, Mrs. Reynolds will teach
all of her regular classes minus one to accommodate the AD duties.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved a request from Mrs. Jessica
Johnson, Elementary Teacher, to extend her maternity leave of absence
through the end of the school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Bill Kelts as
modified boys basketball coach for the 2008 - 2009 season; salary per
the WTA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Mary Kelley as
girls modified basketball coach for the 2008 - 2009 season; salary per
the WTA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Paul Iachetta
as the girls JV basketball coach for the 2008 - 2009 season; salary per
the WTA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved Mrs. Russo’s request to
investigate a one day year-end trip for the sixth grade students;
possibly to Boston, NYC or the Medieval Times in NJ.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 10/21/08.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
School Lunch #7 for $8,408.75
Construction Fund #8 for $3,532.50
Special Aid #9 for $475.29
General Fund #28 for $106,279.28
Tax Refunds #29 for $793.14
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved construction change order #EC-03
for Brownell Electric in the amount of $1,227 to conceal lines in room
201 and relocate clock and speaker in locker room. Mrs. Feldkamp
reported the contractors are preparing for the next project now while
the ceilings are open and accessible.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 10/28/08,
10/29/08 and 10/31/08
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Melanie
Spackmann to provide 10 weeks of Academic Intervention Services for
English Language Arts at the sixth grade level; salary per the WTA
contract. In response to Mr. Lansing’s question, the ratio of students
per teacher for AIS is about 6:1.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the temporary appointment of
Angela Wilding as teacher aide for 2.5 hours per day; effective 11/3/08;
salary per the current CSEA contract. Ms. Wilding will be working in an
elementary special education room.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved a final trip request from Eric
Nelsen to take the fifth and sixth grade chorus students to NYC. A
discussion followed on a price increase to the students if the bus is
not full.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board adopted the following change to the 2008 -
2009 school calendar: move the half-day of staff development from May
22, 2009 to May 8, 2009. In response to a question from Mrs. Ricci, Mr.
Lange explained the reason for the date change is to coordinate the
half-day schedule with the Junior/Senior Prom. Mr. Lange will solidify
the prom date before finalizing the 2009 - 2010 calendar.
Comments from the Board of Education, residents and
staff
There were no comments.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board adjourned at 7:30pm.
Julie Caulkins
District Clerk
The regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon
Union Free School District Board of Education held Thursday, October 23,
2008 was called to order at 7:00pm by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Sandra
Clow, Denise Keyoskey, Carol Cooper, Robert VanBramer
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Joseph
Siracuse, Debra Cardnuto, Christopher Scanlan, Susan Wulczyn, Paul
Sylvester, Shows Leary, Justin Miazga, Susan Chura, Melanie Spackmann
ABSENT: Thomas Lansing
There were no comments from the public regarding
items on this evening’s action agenda.
Comments from the Administration
Mr. Siracuse: The ribbon cutting ceremony opening
the new playground went very well. Elementary students from each grade
level contributed pictures, hand prints, a cell phone and other items to
a time capsule to be buried near the playground site. The time capsule
will be opened when this year’s sixth graders are seniors in high
school.
Interviews for a physical education teacher to fill
Mr. Stoliker’s 12 week leave of absence were held this week. Fifth
graders are getting ready to take the social studies exam.
Ms. Cardnuto: A newspaper article highlighting a
field trip to Sage College was shared with the Board members. The
students had a wonderful time attending lectures focusing on girls in
science and math programs. They toured the campus and met up with former
students.
All is moving smoothly at the Jr. Sr. High level.
Sports sectionals begin next week. There is a Jr. High dance tonight
that Mr. Scanlan and Ms. Cardnuto will be attending.
Mr. Scanlan: Tonight’s Halloween dance runs from
7:30 - 9:30. Teachers will be planning for the Positive Behavior
Intervention Strategies (PBIS) program recommended by Mr. Siracuse. This
program is aimed at creating a better school climate through positive
actions. Different approaches are used at different grade levels.
Eventually, everyone in the school community will be involved in
promoting positive behavior. Mr. Siracuse is hoping to get Walmart
involved to help supply rewards.
Mrs. Wulczyn: The PTO and the Health and Wellness
Committee will sponsor an assembly on Internet Safety issues. There will
be an assembly for parents of students in grades 7 - 12 on November 12th.
Students in grades 4 - 6 will be involved in other ways.
On Friday, October 24th, teachers, aides
and assistants will attend a three school workshop in Mechanicville with
personnel from Stillwater schools. There are 15 - 20 options for
teachers to attend in the morning and a Best Practices workshop will be
held in the afternoon.
Mr. Lange: Ms. Cardnuto, Mrs. Caradori and Mr.
Lange visited with Saratoga County District Attorney Jim Murphy and his
staff today to hear how an increasing number of schools in Saratoga
County are participating in a joint effort to curb truancy.
The program is free and targets the hard core
truancy issues of students who habitually do not come to school and
their parents who will not cooperate. There are notification steps the
districts will implement. Parents will be notified that after a number
of truancies, the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office will become
involved. Most districts have experienced success using the deterrent
because families do not want to become involved with that office.
If the Board is so inclined, the district’s
attendance policy will be amended to include the referral to the DA’s
office.
NERIC is sponsoring the Annual Regional Technology
Awareness Day on December 12th. Interested board members
would be included if the district participates.
On Mrs. Clow’s suggestion, Mr. Lange is researching
activities to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the sailing
of the Halfmoon. In the spring or early fall of 2009, students and staff
would be involved in activities pertinent to our school district.
Board of Education Special Recognition, Mr. Lange
The week of October 20 - 24, 2008 has been
designated NYS School Board Recognition Week. Mr. Lange has very quickly
come to realize our Board of Education is a hard working, forward
thinking group dedicated to the students and staff. Mr. Lange has
enjoyed working with the Board and looks forward to many productive
years ahead.
Mr. Lange formally recognized our seven Board
members, Mr. Charron, Mrs. Ricci, Mrs. Clow, Mrs. Keyoskey, Mrs. Cooper,
Mr. VanBramer and Mr. Lansing for their often thankless efforts and
their year-round dedication. Mr. Lange read a proclamation from Governor
Patterson.
Annual Facilities Report Card Review, Mr. Lange, Mr.
Sylvester, Mr. Leary
Mr. Lange reviewed the annual facilities report
card document noting that district personnel completed the form using
information from our fire inspection report and visual inspection report
which were developed in conjunction with a State Education Department
representative.
All categories indicate good or satisfactory
conditions. Mr. Sylvester will look into radon testing. Needham Risk
Management will conduct an air quality test because of reports of
respiratory concerns when the ceiling was removed in the upper hallways.
Our staff is using products designed to protect the environment. Mr.
Lange thanked Mr. Sylvester and Mr. Leary for their help in preparing
the document. The report is sound and will serve as a starting point for
the facilities committee. The report is filed in the Superintendent’s
Office is available for review.
ACTION
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the minutes of the October 2,
2008 meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the Treasurer’s Report for
September 2008
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the Revenue and Appropriations
Status Reports
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the Student Fund Report
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
School Lunch #6 for $12,759.71
Construction Fund #7 for $37,188.36
Special Aid #8 for $8,374.39
General Fund #23 for $459,220.44
General Fund #25 for $57,861.23
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the 2008 Facilities Report
Card as submitted by Mr. Lange.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Mr. Paul
Gervasio as the boy’s JV basketball coach for the 2008 - 2009 season.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved construction change order
#EC-02 for Brownell Electric in the amount of $5,642 for power and
emergency lighting.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 9/29/08,
10/1/08, 10/7/08 and 10/8/08.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the creation of the following
designation for the Guidance Office Secretary position in the
Waterford-Halfmoon UFSD to the Saratoga County Civil Service:
Classification of Senior Typist.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Sherry
Jaquish-White as temporary teacher aide for the 2008 - 2009 school year;
5.5 hours per day; effective October 27, 2008; salary per the current
CSEA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the one year probationary
appointment of Rhonda Mabee, cafeteria monitor; 2.5 hours per day;
effective October 27, 2008; salary per the current CSEA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved a request from Mrs. Annemarie
Strife for an extension of her maternity leave of absence through the
end of June 2009.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved a request from Mrs. Patrice
King for a 12 week maternity leave of absence beginning on or about
January 19, 2009.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 9/30/08,
10/9/08, 10/15/08, 10/18/08.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board authorized a salvage sale to be held
November 4, 2008 in the garage from 8:00am to 3:00pm.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the sale of used computer, AV
and school equipment.
Comments from the Board of Education, residents and
staff
Mr. Charron attended the NYS School Boards
Association Convention with Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. Keyoskey. There were
many good sessions with useful information.
Mrs. Feldkamp thanked Mr. Siracuse and Mr. Lange
for putting together such a nice dedication ceremony for the new
playground.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board went into executive session at 7:47pm
to discuss a personnel issue.
They returned to regular session at 8:15pm and
adjourned.
Julie Caulkins
District Clerk
The meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free
School District Board of Education Audit Committee held Thursday,
October 2, 2008 was called to order at 6:45 by Mr. Timothy Lange.
PRESENT: Marcia Ricci, Richard Charron, Thomas
Lansing, Carol Cooper, Denise Keyoskey
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Brian
Basila, from Wilson, Stark and Basila, CPA, PC.
Mr. Basila reviewed all of the components of the
2007 - 2008 district audit with the Board of Education offering an
unqualified clean opinion in all areas. Ratings range from unqualified
(no issues), qualified (material misstatement or something that did not
present within the GASB formula), disclaimer (more serious issues) and
adverse (poor rating) opinions. The audit includes a wide range of
financial statements, income and balance sheets, government funds and
capital expenditures. Capital funds and bonding were discussed.
Mr. Basila addressed the need for cash in banks to
be collaterized especially in light of the current financial crisis.
Mrs. Feldkamp receives daily collateral notices.
There were two areas noted in the management letter
of minor concern: a late filing date and two unsigned forms. Overall,
there were no compliance matters noted; no material deficiencies found.
Mr. Basila thanked the staff for their cooperation during the audit
process conducted this summer.
Mr. Lansing asked if recommendations suggested in
last year’s audit were still an issue. Mr. Basila said those issues were
not noted in the current findings. Mrs. Feldkamp reported that not only
are the financial records in the business office audited, but special
education, cafeteria and superintendent office records are also audited
each year. Mrs. Feldkamp gave credit to the staff for a successful
audit.
The regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union
Free School District Board of Education held Thursday, October 2, 2008
was called to order at 7:00pm by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Marcia Ricci, Richard Charron, Thomas
Lansing, Carol Cooper, Denise Keyoskey
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Mr.
Scanlan, Mr. Stoliker, Mr. Jesmain, Mr. Carmel, Mrs. Reedy, Mr. Nelsen
There were no comments from the public regarding
items on this evening’s action agenda.
Comments from the Administration
Mr. Scanlan reported on the success of Fordian
Fever Weekend despite the bad weather. The high school dance and pep
rally were a lot of fun.
Mr. Lange reported on the district’s recognition in
the capital region version of the Business Review which annually ranks
about 84 schools over an 11 county area. The publication calculates
scores based on student performance, graduation rates, post secondary
plans and district needs based on free meal benefits.
In 2006 - 2007 the Waterford-Halfmoon District made
a significant leap; a source of pride for everyone who contributes to
student success. One word of caution: this information is only one
publication’s view of area school districts. But it does reflect well on
our district and student body. We should be proud of the significant
gains in one year.
This information was communicated to faculty, staff
and families via the district website and the weekly newsletter.
Report on Fordian Fever Weekend
Mr. Lange reported that activities were scaled down
due to the weather. The new playground dedication ceremonies were
postponed and the bonfire and fireworks were cancelled. We are trying to
reschedule the playground dedication ceremonies for the week of October
13th. All of the athletic events on both Friday and Saturday
were well attended including the alumni soccer game on Saturday. Mr.
Lange proudly wore his Waterford-Halfmoon attire as he participated in
the weekend events.
ACTION
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the minutes of the September
18, 2008 meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following warrant:
General Fund #20 for $90,984.39
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the 2007 - 2008 audit report
as submitted by Wilson, Stark and Basila, CPA, PC.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved Mr. Stoliker’s initial request
to plan a pre-season overnight trip for the varsity baseball team.
Mr. Stoliker and the baseball coaches are looking
to travel with two other area schools to play pre-season scrimmages in
southern New Jersey or northern Maryland in March 2009. The students
would miss one day of school. These games are sanctioned by the State
Athletic Council. The athletes would benefit from a jump start on the
practice season. Mr. Jesmain is planning an alumni basketball fund
raiser on January 9th along with a coin drive and other
activities prior to the trip. These fund raising activities will be
cleared by Student Government.
The three coaches will act as chaperones along with
most of the player’s parents. Mr. Stoliker inquired about students being
transported by their parents if the cost of the chartered bus is too
expensive. There are insurance issues to be investigated.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved Mr. Nelsen’s initial request
to plan a day trip to NYC in April for the advanced 5 & 6 chorus to see
SHREK The Musical.
Mr. Nelsen is also planning fund raising activities
with the help of Mrs. Carolyn Bell a parent of one of the students.
Tickets for SHREK are selling out fast so Mr. Nelsen is looking into
other productions.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved Ms. Dawson’s initial request
to plan a day trip to NYC in March to see Phantom of the Opera for the
senior high chorus and Music in Our Lives students.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the resignation of Sandra
Gorham as Guidance Office typist effective at the close of the school
day on October 23, 2008. Mr. Lange is working with Saratoga County Civil
Service to fill the position.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of David
Mosher as varsity and modified wrestling coach for the 2008 - 2009
winter season; salary per the WTA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Laura Clark
and Kim Hilton as co-advisors to the grades 6 - 9 ski club; salary per
the WTA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved a 45 minute per day increase,
M-Th., for Susan Bordan, Teacher Assistant, to work detention for grades
7-9.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved a request from Mr. Stoliker,
PE Teacher, for a 12 week medical leave of absence beginning October 31,
2008.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 9/18/08.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following construction
change order: #AC-01 for Netrix, Inc. in the amount of $9,727 for
asbestos removal.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board awarded a transportation contract to
Folmsbee Transportation in the amount of $4,125 to transport one student
to St. Augustine’s School.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
School
Lunch Fund #5 for $27,540.30
Construction Fund #6 for $181,334.02
Special
Aid #7 for $9,312.59
General
Fund #22 for $40,397.47
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following adjustments in
daily hours for temporary teacher aides/assistants/monitors:
Dee
Clarke from 6 to 5.5 hours per day
Julie
Lacijan from 6 to 6.25 hours per day
Donna
VanBramer from 5.5 to 5.75 hours per day
Rachel
Collet from 5.5 to 6 hours per day
Kris
Gilman from 6 to 6.5 hours per day
Meliegha Kugler from 6.25 to 6.5 per day
There were no comments from the Board of Education,
residents or staff.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board went into executive session at 7:25pm
to discuss a personnel matter. They returned to regular session at 7:56
and adjourned.
Julie
Caulkins
District Clerk
The regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union
Free School District Board of Education held Thursday, September 18,
2008 was called to order at 6:57 by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Thomas
Lansing, Robert VanBramer, Carol Cooper, Denise Keyoskey
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Susan
Wulczyn, Christopher Scanlan, Justin Miazga
ABSENT: Sandra Clow
There were no comments from the public regarding
items on this evening’s action agenda.
Comments from the Administration
Mrs. Wulczyn said the opening weeks of school have
been running smoothly, including the first fire drill. All special
education students have an appropriate placement and no one is receiving
home tutoring.
Mr. Scanlan reported on the college caravan held
today. Mrs. DiFabio had 12 colleges come to our school to meet with
seniors in the multi purpose room during first period. There was a great
turnout for grades 7 - 12 Open House. Mr. Scanlan was impressed with the
number of parents in attendance. For the most part, seventh graders are
finding their way around the Jr. Sr. High School corridors and getting
to their classes on time. The students are excited about Fordian Fever
Week beginning September 22.
Mr. Lange met new people at the Open House on
Tuesday and was able to talk to many moms and dads.
Fordian Fever weekend will be jam-packed with very
exciting activities beginning on Friday with a pep rally at 1:15 and a
ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the new playground at 1:45.
There are a number of people connected with the playground build that
have been invited to attend the ceremony. A representative from
Assemblyman Canastrari’s Office, Mr. John Lawler, Waterford Town
Supervisor and hopefully, representatives from Momentive Performance
Materials will be in attendance. We are also hoping for media coverage.
Athletic contests will be held Friday afternoon and
refreshments will be available. Following the afternoon games, things
really get heated! A bonfire is scheduled for 7:00pm followed by
fireworks at 8:00pm. The PTO generously donated money for the fireworks
display. The Student Government Association will sponsor a Dance
immediately following the fireworks.
Mr. Lange met with Mr. Fountain, parent volunteer
and employee of Alonzo’s Fireworks, to discuss details. The district has
insurance coverage and fire officials have been on site to inspect the
areas. The neighbors will be notified of the upcoming events. Mr. Lange
has contacted Town officials to secure permits and is working with
emergency personnel, including police and fire departments, to ensure a
safe evening.
Fordian Fever weekend will continue on Saturday
with more athletic events held at the school. In case of inclement
weather, the bonfire and/or fireworks would be moved to Saturday
evening.
Mr. Lange has asked the Policy and Program
Committee to meet to discuss updating the Board Policy Manual.
Mr. Lange met with Tara Sullivan, BOCES Public
Information Office, and school personnel to discuss options for a new
district website. Mr. Lange asked the BOE Public Relations Committee
(Mr. VanBramer and Mr. Lansing) to meet with the group and Ms. Sullivan
to discuss software and design options and to review quotes.
Mr. Lange needs some assistance and is calling for
representatives to form a Safety Committee. Our district safety plan,
addressing emergency issues, needs to be updated. This committee needs
to be appointed by the Board. Mr. Lange has reached out to association
leaders and parents. The first meeting is scheduled for October 9th
at 7:00 in the Library. Mr. Lansing has expressed an interest in being a
Board representative on the committee. Mr. Lange has asked Mr. Tanchak,
Public Safety Commissioner, to participate and will contact rescue and
emergency personnel to make sure there is broad based representation.
The task should be completed in the fall or early winter.
ACTION
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the minutes of the September
4, 2008 meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the Treasurer’s Report for
August 2008.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the Student Fund.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the Budget Status Report.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the Appropriation Status
Report.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrant:
General Fund #17 for $48,436.02
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board amended a leave of absence request for
Patricia Merola. Mrs. Merola is requesting a 10 day unpaid leave of
absence.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the one year probationary
appointment of Sharon Hazard as food service worker for 3.5 hours per
day; effective September 11, 2008; salary per the CSEA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the school lunch budget for
the 2008 - 2009 school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Tricia
Gwinn as substitute school nurse for the 2008 - 2009 school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following construction
change orders:
PC-01 for Crisafulli Brothers Plumbing and
Heating in the amount of $15,000 to add alternates 1-P and 2P from
original bid.
GC-01 for L. G. White & Sons for a change in
the scope of the ceiling project at no additional cost.
GC-02 for L. G. White & Sons in the amount of
$1,275 to install insulation on existing roof drain.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Julie
Lansing as co-advisor to the High School Student Government for the 2008
- 2009 school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants
School Lunch #4 for $20,696.37
Construction Fund #5 for $151,268.23
Special Aid #6 for $19,815.31
General Fund #18 for $75,758.77
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the construction change order
#EC-01 for Brownell Electric Corp. in the amount of $58,000 to add
Alternates 1-E and 2-E
There were no comments from the Board, residents or
staff.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board went into executive session at 7:14 to
discuss a personnel issue. They returned to regular session at 8:06 and
adjourned.
Julie Caulkins
District Clerk
The
regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District
Board of Education held Thursday, September 4, 2008 was called to order
at 7:00pm by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Carol Cooper, Thomas Lansing, Sandra Clow
ALSO
PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Joseph Siracuse, Susan Wulczyn,
Karen Diener, Karen Mignery, Julie Bishop, Shows Leary.
ABSENT:
Marcia Ricci, Robert VanBramer, Denise Keyoskey
There
were no comments from the public regarding items on this evening’s
action agenda.
Comments
from the Administration
Mr.
Siracuse said the new playground is nearing completion and in use by the
public. Students will not be allowed to use the playground until the
work is completed. Mr. Siracuse thanked everyone who participated in
constructing the playground including parents, members of the Air
National Guard and especially the employees of Momentive Performance
Materials.
Mr.
Siracuse reported a successful opening day with a few scheduling
adjustments to be addressed.
Mrs.
Wulczyn reported on a fantastic opening day featuring Mr. Lange’s and
Dr. Jackson’s important message that every child is an individual and
has value. The staff appreciated the opening day events.
Mr.
Lange announced Fordian Fever Weekend on September 26th and
27th. The administrators along with the sports booster club
will be hosting a series of events beginning with a formal playground
dedication ceremony on Friday afternoon. Students, faculty and staff
from grades K - 6, local government dignitaries and business
representatives will be invited to attend. Homecoming athletic events, a
dance and a bon fire are being planned.
The Jr.
Sr. HS Open House will be held on Tuesday, September 16th and
the Elementary Open House will be held on Thursday, September 18th.
Construction Update, Shows Leary
All
work on the heating system and ceilings originally scheduled for
completion this summer was finished two weeks ahead of schedule.
Ceilings have been left open in some areas to accommodate new pipes. Mr.
Leary reinforced the fact that dirt and debris has been removed from
area above the ceiling tiles leading to a better environment in the
building.
Mr.
Leary and the plumbers continue to work on the problem of water filling
the trenches where the pipes are being replaced. This project is behind
schedule and the contractors are working at night.
All
other crews have left and are waiting for the heating contractor who is
expected to be on site in early October.
Mr.
Leary has been working in the space above the auditorium ceiling taking
photos and measurements to present to the architects in preparation for
air conditioning units. The work of taking a preliminary survey to gain
information is known as reconnoitering in the construction trade. Since,
the space above the ceiling is less than five feet high, it is necessary
to wear protective gear and safety harnesses. The space is also very
hot.
Auditorium air conditioning plans will be sent to SED for approval
either as an addendum to the current project (less turnaround time) or
as a stand alone project (more time for approval.) Mrs. Clow asked if
the auditorium ceiling will have to come down to accommodate the duct
work. Mr. Leary reported that there was not enough duct work and that
the district will have to decide whether or not to replace or add more.
The insulation in the duct work is deteriorating and it is very hard to
work in that environment. The idea right now is to leave the existing
ceiling and duct work. Another possibility is to locate the system on
the roof.
Report
on Opening of School, September 2 & 3, 2008, Mr. Lange
On
Tuesday, September 2nd the faculty and staff returned to
school and
attended various meetings warmly welcomed by administrators and
association members. Dr. Chuck Jackson, an experienced educator and
psychologist, delivered a poignant speech resulting in laughter and some
tears. His speech centered on reaching students and taking care of
ourselves. Some staff were concerned with the amount of activities
scheduled for the day and thought will be given to holding two
conference days in September 2009.
On
Wednesday, September 3rd students returned to school. Mr.
Lange attended the Jr. Sr. HS assembly and was welcomed by the students.
Younger children came to school with parents and grandparents. Mr.
Siracuse was greeted with many hugs from students on their way into
school. Emergency bus drills were practiced throughout the day. Mr.
Lange was reminded why we all chose education as a career.
ACTION
On
motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. Lansing and by a vote of 4 - 0 the
Board accepted the minutes of the August 21, 2008 Board of Education
meeting.
On
motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. Lansing and by a vote of 4 - 0 the
Board approved the following warrants:
General
Fund #13 for $171,108.30
General
Fund #15 for $722.79
On
motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. Lansing and by a vote of 4 - 0 the
Board approved the following special education transportation contracts
for the 2008 - 2009 school year:
Folmsbee Transportation:
-
Mohonasen High School wheelchair bus with aide $42,840.
- Broad
Street and Southern Adirondack Educational Center; 2 students $32,382.
($75 will be deducted if SAEC is deleted; no deduction for Board Street
School.)
On
motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. Lansing and by a vote of 4 - 0 the
Board extended the construction management contract with Shows Leary for
the period September 29, 2008 through October 2, 2009 at the weekly rate
of $2,400.
On
motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. Lansing and by a vote of 4 - 0 the
Board approved the appointment of Sam Leamy as boy’s modified soccer
coach for the 2008 fall season.
On
motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. Lansing and by a vote of 4 - 0 the
Board approved the appointments of Patricia Fritz and Michael Pendergast
as substitute teachers for the 2008 - 2009 school year.
On
motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. Lansing and by a vote of 4 - 0 the
Board approved the following adjustments for part time teachers:
Linda
Joly, Reading Teacher at St. Mary’s School; .27 FTE
Jeffrey
Countois, Physical Education Teacher; .7 FTE
On
motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. Lansing and by a vote of 4 - 0 the
Board ratified the Memorandum of Agreement between the
Waterford-Halfmoon UFSD and the Waterford Teachers’ Association dated
August 25, 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. Lansing and by a vote of 4 - 0 the
Board approved the following warrants:
School
Lunch #3 for $7,831.16
Construction Fund #4 for $37,980.98
Special
Aid #5 for $25,711.64
General
Fund #14 for $23,370.40
On
motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. Lansing and by a vote of 4 - 0 the
Board approved a request from Patricia Merola, Food Service Worker, for
a five day unpaid leave of absence in September.
On
motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. Lansing and by a vote of 4 - 0 the
Board approved a request from Karen Budrakey for a five day unpaid leave
of absence in September.
On
motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. Lansing and by a vote of 4 - 0 the
Board accepted the resignation of Edith Cook as lunch monitor effective
September 2, 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. Lansing and by a vote of 4 - 0
the
Board approved the appointment of Jenna Caulkins and Laura Hilton as
co-coaches for the 2008 modified volleyball team; salary per the WTA
contract.
On
motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. Lansing and by a vote of 4 - 0
the
Board approved the appointment of the following substitute teachers for
the 2008 - 2009 school year: Theresa Karadas and Helene Herskowitz.
Comments from the Board of Education, residents and staff
Mrs.
Clow watched the Town of Waterford board meeting on public access TV the
other night when our softball and baseball teams were recognized for the
accomplishments last season. Mrs. Diener also thought it as wonderful to
be recognized by town leaders.
Mr.
Lange has distributed copies of the Board of Education goals for the
upcoming school year.
Ms.
Diener thanked the Board, especially Mrs. Ricci and Mr. VanBramer, Mrs.
Feldkamp, Dr. LaGoy and Mr. Lange for the time and effort they put into
the WTA contract negotiations.
On
motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. Lansing and by a vote of 4 - 0 the
Board adjourned at 7:30pm.
Julie
Caulkins
District Clerk
The
regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District
Board of Education held Thursday, August 21, 2008 was called to order at
7:00pm by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Sandra Clow, Denise Keyoskey,
Carol Cooper, Thomas Lansing
ALSO
PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Debra Cardnuto, Christopher
Scanlan, Karen Diener
ABSENT:
Robert VanBramer
Comments
from Administrators
Ms.
Cardnuto and Mr. Scanlan are working on restructuring grade levels to
accommodate a schedule for grades 7 - 12. Mr. Scanlan will focus on
grades 7 - 9 and Ms. Cardnuto will focus on grades 10 - 12. Everyone is
looking forward to a united 7 - 12 faculty.
Orientation for incoming seventh grade students will be held Wednesday
evening, August 27th.
Mr.
Lange publicly commended the administrative team who have been working
very hard to bring about student success and to achieve a positive
climate in the building.
Regents
Exam Report, June 2007, Mr. Lange and Ms. Cardnuto
Results
had been embargoed by the State Education Department until recently. A
summary taken directly from the SED website is attached.
Scores
compare favorably with the two prior years on file with SED. Our
district has made positive strides in math. All districts are striving
to bring general education as well as special education students up to
levels 3 & 4 (mastery level.) Percentages within cohort groups in small
school districts are affected by test results from a small number of
students. In a district our size we will start averaging CSE test scores
over time.
Mrs.
Keyoskey asked about this year’s Chemistry exam. Ms. Cardnuto agreed
that the Chemistry and Physics exams were very hard for the past two
years. Prior to grading the exam, two of our teachers debated a question
agreeing that the test seemed unfair because the answers were left open
to interpretation.
NYS School
Report Card, Mr. Lange (see attached)
SED
directs districts to chart progress via cohorts, or the year students
entered 9th grade. Our district compares favorably with
similar districts. All students are expected to achieve Annual Yearly
Progress (AYP). Our district has been labled a school in good standing
and has also been listed as a high performance school. The district will
continue to strive to meet expectations in the future. The NYS School
Report Card also addresses Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) and lists
cohort percentages in core subjects.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board approved the minutes of the August 7, 2008 meeting.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board approved the following warrants:
Special
Aid #4 for $100
General
Fund 9 for $77,557.75
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board approved the appointments of the following substitute teachers for
the 2008 - 2009 school year: Jessica Robinson and Robert Emmette.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board approved the appointment of Mr. Charron as the Waterford-Halfmoon
Union Free School District voting delegate at the 2008 Annual Business
Meeting of the New York State School Boards Association.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board accepted the 2008 Tax Warrant.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board adopted the following Board goals for the 2008-09 school year:
Facilities Planning
Evaluate long range needs related to school facilities. Student
enrollment projections, community use of facilities, potential impacts
of local residence and business trends, and condition of existing
facilities will be included in this evaluation process.
Policy
and Programs
Review
and update the Board of Education Policy Manual.
Initiate a process for curriculum and instructional coordination K-12
that will:
Review
and enhance the delivery of guidance and counseling services. Among the
areas of focus are college and career planning, and consistency among
services provided through the guidance department between grades 7-12.
Promote
and support an atmosphere free from all forms of harassment and
bullying. Develop character education programs that are designed to
educate students and staff about the impact of harassment and bullying,
including cyberbullying. Develop programs that promote tolerance,
acceptance and respect.
Public Relations and Communication
Research and develop an updated website for the Waterford-Halfmoon Union
Free School District.
Continue to promote school spirit and pride along with school-community
involvement. Create opportunities that will engage students, staff and
community members, with the school as a location for events that promote
tradition, excellence, and a sense of community.
Keep a
sense of humor.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board approved the following warrants:
Construction Fund #3 for $232,896.68
Special
Aid #3 for $3,688.33
General
Fund #10 for $8,447.49
Treasurer’s Report, July 2008
Appropriations Status Report, July 2008
Student
Fund, July 2008
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board accepted the results of the August 19, 2008 $3,300,000 Special
Bond Referendum for additional funds to complete the HVAC infrastructure
upgrade and auditorium air conditioning.
Total
number of votes: 151
Yes
votes: 97
No
votes: 54
Mrs.
Ricci thanked the 151 people who came out to execise their right to
vote.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board awarded the following HVAC contract per the recommendation of
Dodge Chamberlin Luzine and Weber, Architects:
Contractor: T. McElligott, Inc.
Base
bid: $1,545,200
Alternate #1: $ 267,000 HVAC area E*
Alternate #2:
$ 252,000 HVAC area G*
Total
$2,064,200
*
Industrial Arts and administrative wings
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board approved the appointment of the following temporary teacher aides
for the 2008 - 2009 school year:
Delene
Clow 6.25 hours
Nancy
Nelson 6.00 hours
Anne
Marie Perrotte 6.00 hours
Barbara
Cicchinelli 6.00 hours
Julie
Lacijen 6.00 hours
Mary
Varcasio 5.50 hours
Donna
VanBramer 5.50 hours
Rachel
Collet 5.50 hours
Kristin
Gilman 6.00 hours
Chris
Masse 5.50 hours
Kim
Hilton 5.50 hours
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board approved a request from Karen Budrakey, Social Worker, for a two
day unpaid leave of absence in October.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board approved a request from
Terry
Stoliker, PE Teacher, for a four day unpaid leave of absence in October.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board
approved the appointment of Patricia Dudes as substitute teacher for the
2008 - 2009 school year.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board approved the appointment of Brendan Hughes as JV boy’s soccer
coach for the fall 2008 season; salary per the WTA contract.
The
Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 6/20/08, 6/26/08, 7/23/08, 7/31/08,
8/14/08.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board established a June 30, 2008 tax reserve in the amount of $650,000
to cover pending certiorari actions. Said reserves will be funded from
available fund balance.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board awarded a bus lease to Don Brown Bus Sales in the total
capitalized amount of $42,908 payable in annual installments of $8,401.
Comments
from the Board of Education, residents and staff
Mr.
Charron thanked the community for supporting the bond referendum. Mr.
Charron also commented on the new playground saying that it looked
great.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board went into executive session at 7:35 pm to discuss a personnel
issue. They returned to regular session at 8:37 and adjourned.
Julie
Caulkins
District Clerk
The regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union
Free School District Board of Education held Thursday, August 7, 2008
was called to order at 7:00pm by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Denise Keyoskey, Robert
VanBramer, Carol Cooper, Thomas Lansing
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Debra
Cardnuto, Karen Diener, Shows Leary, Jessica DiFabio, Ben and Maryann
Kelts, Paul Gervasio, Danielle Sansone (Record Newspaper)
ABSENT: Sandra Clow, Marcia Ricci
There were no comments from the public regarding
items on this evening’s action agenda.
There were no comments from the principals.
Building Project Update:
Mr. Lange reported that he and Mrs. Feldkamp and
Mr. Leary have continued to meet with contractors during the current
construction project to replace heating and unit ventilators, ceiling
tiles and deteriorated sewer and storm pipes. The project is moving
along on schedule and school is set to open on September 2nd.
Mr. Leary led the group on a tour highlighting
completed work for asbestos removal, code compliance for electrical
wiring and classroom ceiling tile replacement. The Board also went into
the boiler room to see a sample of a deteriorated sewer pipe and the
crawl space where the contractors are working. Mr. Lange thanked Mr.
Leary for the close up look at the progress prior to the opening of
school in less that a month.
Graduation Report, Ms. Jessica DiFabio
See attached report.
Last year the Board asked the guidance department
for information pertaining to financial college scholarships received by
our graduates and also the number of students who transferred to four
year colleges after attending two year colleges. Ms. DiFabio could only
report that five graduates received a total of $32,000 in annual
scholarships and cited the lack of response to surveys. Some students
going directly into the work force after graduation had attended BOCES
Internship programs.
Regents Examination Report, Mr. Lange, Ms. Cardnuto
The State Education Department has embargoed the
results of the NYS Regents exams. When the information becomes public,
Mr. Lange will contact the Board members. In reviewing past years
results, Mr. Lange noted a problem with the transmission of accurate
data and noted that our district will likely see some mistakes. SED said
there was nothing that could be done about the inaccurate information
but Mr. Lange will provide everyone with as clear a picture as possible.
He is also closely monitoring the graduation and the drop-out rates.
Public Hearing on the August 19, 2008 Bond Referendum
- Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Ceilings.
See attached report.
Mr. Kelts asked if the 79.1% state aid is
guaranteed in light of the Governor’s "state cap" proposal. Mrs.
Feldkamp reported the state aid portion of capital construction projects
is set at the time of approval. State aid has been steadily rising and
this is the highest rate in years. Mr. Lange and Mrs. Feldkamp agreed
that this is the time to take advantage of the state aid and are
confident that this project will be excluded from any "cap" proposals in
the future.
ACTION
On
motion by Mr. VanBramer, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey and by a vote of 5 -
0 the minutes of the July 10, 2008 re-organization and regular meeting
were accepted.
On
motion by Mr. VanBramer, seconded by Mrs. Keyoskey and by a vote of 5 -
0 the following warrants were approved:
General
Fund #4 for $27,016.42
General
Fund #6 for $717.23
General
Fund #7 for $225,416.49
On motion by Mr. VanBramer, seconded by Mrs.
Keyoskey and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board adopted the OMNI Group, Inc.
Model 403(b) Retirement Plan adoption agreement.
On motion by Mr. VanBramer, seconded by Mrs.
Keyoskey and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved a three year
probationary appointment for Mark Bryan as Secondary Math Teacher
effective September 1, 2008 through August 31, 2011. Salary according to
the WTA contract on Step 1 MS (24 credits) . Mr. Bryan is qualified for
a NYS Internship Certificate in Mathematics 7-12. Probationary
appointment is conditional upon NYSED approval of the Internship
Certificate and the subsequent issuance of an Initial Certificate in
Mathematics 7-12.
On motion by Mr. VanBramer, seconded by Mrs.
Keyoskey and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved a three year
probationary appointment for Paul Gervasio as Secondary Social Studies
Teacher effective September 1, 2008 through August 31, 2011. Salary
according to the WTA contract on Step 1 BS. Mr. Gervasio holds NYS
initial certification in the area of Social Studies 7-12.
On motion by Mr. VanBramer, seconded by Mrs.
Keyoskey and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved a three year
probationary appointment for Janis Polishook as Speech Language
Pathologist effective September 1, 2008 through August 31, 2011. Salary
according to the WTA contract on Step 5 MS+20. Ms. Polishook is a
licensed NYS Speech and Language Pathologist and holds NYS permanent
certification in the area of Speech and Hearing Handicapped.
On motion by Mr. VanBramer, seconded by Mrs.
Keyoskey and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of
Allyn Vig as a substitute teacher for the 2008 - 2009 school year.
On motion by Mr. VanBramer, seconded by Mrs.
Keyoskey and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board amended Item 11A of the
re-organization meeting of July 10, 2008 to read as follows:
"Establishment of mileage reimbursement rate at the current IRS
reimbursement rate, adjusted as necessary to reflect periodic IRS
adjustments."
On motion by Mr. VanBramer, seconded by Mrs.
Keyoskey and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board adjusted the schedule for
Board of Education Meeting Dates in the following manner: reschedule the
meeting of October 16, 2008 for October 23, 2008.
On motion by Mr. VanBramer, seconded by Mrs.
Keyoskey and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the adoption of a
half-credit high school course entitled "Reconnecting Youth in Saratoga
County."
On motion by Mr. VanBramer, seconded by Mrs.
Keyoskey and by a vote of 5 - 0 the following warrants:
Special
Aid #2 for $10,889.14
School
Lunch #2 for $41.05
Construction Fund #2 for $322,467.66
General
Fund #8 for $4,249.66
On motion by Mr. VanBramer, seconded by Mrs.
Keyoskey and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following
revision to the 2008-09 school calendar, adjusting the marking period
dates for grades K-6 as follows: End of 1st Marking Period to
11/7/08; End of 2nd Marking Period to 3/6/09; End of 3rd
Marking Period to 6/18/09.
On motion by Mr. VanBramer, seconded by Mrs.
Keyoskey and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following
resolution pertaining to the August 19, 2008 Bond Referendum: Due to a
conflict in the published information related to the voting hours for
the August 19, 2008 Bond Referendum, whereby voting hours published in
the required legal notice conflicted with voting hours published in an
announcement delivered to district residents, the hours of voting for
the August 19, 2008 Bond Referendum shall be extended by one hour, from
12:00pm until 9:00pm.
On motion by Mr. VanBramer, seconded by Mrs.
Keyoskey and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following
substitute teachers for the 2008-09 school year: Alison Schermerhorn,
Jesse Bisceglia, Marcia Roberts, Daniel Donovan, Steven Gamache, Matthew
Balint and Jennifer Vine.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 7/24/08.
Comments from the Board of Education, residents and
staff
Mrs. Feldkamp extended an invitation to all Board
members, employees, parents and residents to join the PTO for the
construction of the new playground Wednesday, August 13th
through Saturday, August 16th. Volunteers with their own
tools and proper attire are need. Food and drinks will be served.
Mr. Kelts asked about the Reconnecting Youth
Program. It’s a program aimed at reducing the drop out rate and targets
disengaged students.
Mr. Lange brought the pre-convention NYSSBA school
law seminar to the attention of those Board members attending the NYSSBA
Convention in October. Board members were also provided with the NYSSBA
Forecast newsletter.
This Saturday, August 9th is the annual
Board of Education retreat and goal setting meeting to be held from
8:00am to 4:00pm at the Century House in Latham. A full agenda has been
developed.
Mrs. Feldkamp reported that she and Ms. Barbara
Jones representing the PTO, and Mr. Joseph Siracuse, K-6 Principal, met
with Supervisor Jack Lawler on Tuesday night who presented the school
with a $10,000 check from the Town of Waterford IDA for the construction
of the playground. That donation together with the $10,000 received from
Assemblyman Canistrari and the $17,000 raised by the PTO will complete
the project.
On motion by Mr. VanBramer, seconded by Mrs.
Keyoskey and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board went into executive session at
7:47pm to discuss a personnel matter. They returned to regular session
at 8:10pm and adjourned.
Julie Caulkins
District Clerk
The re-organizational meeting of the
Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District Board of Education held
Thursday, July 10, 2008 was called to order at 7:02pm by Mr. Richard
Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia
Ricci, Sandra Clow, Denise Keyoskey, Thomas Lansing, Carol Cooper
ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Teri Feldkamp, Susan
Wulczyn, Debra Cardnuto, Christopher Scanlan
ABSENT: Robert VanBramer
Mr. Lange formally took the Oath of Office as
Superintendent of Schools and Chairman of the Re-organizational meeting.
Mr. Charron, Mrs. Ricci, Mrs. Clow, Mrs. Keyoskey,
Mrs. Cooper and Mr. Lansing formally took the Oath of Office as Board of
Education members.
Mr. Lange called for nominations for the position
of President of the Board.
Mrs. Ricci nominated Mr. Charron for the position
of President of the Board of Education.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 Mr. Charron was elected President of the Board of
Education.
Mrs. Clow nominated Mrs. Ricci for the position of
Vice President of the Board of Education.
On motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mr. Charron and
by a vote of 6 - 0 Mrs. Ricci was elected Vice President of the Board of
Education
Mr. Lange offered his congratulations to Mrs. Ricci
and Mr. Charron and Oaths of Office were administered.
The meeting was turned over to Mr. Charron.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following items:
Appointment and administration of oaths of office
to:
A. District Treasurer: Nancy Spretty
B. Clerk of the Board: Julie Caulkins
C. Tax Collector: Gwen Piacente
D. Confidential Employees: Gwen Piacente, Account
Clerk and Julie Caulkins, Clerk of the Board/Secretary to the
Superintendent, Joseph Spretty, Computer Network Manager
Other appointments:
A. School Attorney: Girvin & Ferlazzo, P.C.;
External Auditor: Wilson, Stark & Basila PC
B. Treasurer for Extra-Classroom Activity Account:
Nancy Spretty
C. Attendance Clerk: Paula Caradori
D. Supervisors of the Extra-Classroom Activity
Account: Faculty Auditor: Julie Caulkins; Chief Faculty Counselor: High
School Principal
E. Claims Auditor: Paula Caradori
F. Internal Auditor: Michael A. Kelly
Designations:
A. Official Bank Depository of all funds: First
Niagara Bank
B. Regular monthly meeting dates: per attached
schedule
C. Official Newspaper: Gazette Newspaper
Authorizations for the 2008 - 2009 school year:
A. Chief School Officer to certify payrolls for the
school year.
B. Board to authorize all employee payrolls as they
become due pursuant to CSEA, WTA and WAA contract for the school year.
C. Designate Business Manager as School Purchasing
Agent.
D. (1) Authorization to establish a petty cash fund
of $100 and the Business Manager to administer same.
(2) Authorization to establish a Tax Collector
petty cash fund for the months of September and October of $100 and the
Business Manager to administer same.
(3) Authorization to establish a petty cash fund of
$50 for the Library and the Business Manager to administer same.
(4) Authorization to establish a petty cash fund of
$100 for the cafeteria and the Business Manager to administer same.
E. Designation of authorized signature on checks
RESOLVED that the Board of Education approve,
pursuant to Education Law, Article 35, Section 1720.2, authorization of
one signature, the Treasurer’s, in drawing down funds.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in the absence or
inability of the Treasurer to perform this duty, the President of the
Board of Education is authorized to sign in the Treasurer’s place.
F. The Chief School Officer is authorized to
represent the Board of Education of Waterford-Halfmoon UFSD for all
State and Federal programs for the school year.
G. The Chief School Officer is authorized to
approve the budget transfers not to exceed $1,000 per item.
H. The authorization to transfer funds, by the
District Treasurer or the Business Manager, verbally or electronically
with First Niagara Bank and Chase Bank.
I. Authorization of the Business Manager or Clerk
of the Board to be present at all bid openings.
J. Authorization of destruction of records yearly
as prescribed by law as determined by the Records Retention Officer.
K. Authorization of the Director of Special
Education to be the Title IX Officer.
Bonding of Personnel
A. District Treasurer
B. District Tax Collector
C. Treasurer of Extra-Classroom Activity Account
D. Cafeteria Manager
Other Items
A. Establishment of mileage reimbursement rate at
the current IRS reimbursement rate, adjusted annually.
B. Establishment of tuition rates for students
attending BOCES Occupational Education programs at the current BOCES
rate for the 2008-09 school year.
C. Tutoring rates for the 2008-09 school year per
the WTA contract.
D. Approval to continue the revised policy
regarding substitute teacher pay dated 9/1/01, enclosed.
E. Establishment of Board Committees by President:
Finance/Insurance Policy/Program Development
Rules & Curriculum/Employment
Building & Grounds Public Relations
F. Establishment of liaisons to the following
committees for Board representation:
Senior Citizens Legislative
Youth Council Town Board
Village Board Saratoga County School Boards
G. Authorize the Board members to attend
conferences, seminars and meetings for the 2008-09 school year.
End of Re-organizational Meeting
July 10, 2008 Regular Meeting
There were no comments from the public regarding
items on this evening’s action agenda.
Comments from Administration
Mrs. Wulczyn extended her compliments to Ms.
Cardnuto and Mr. Charron for a wonderful graduation ceremony held on
June 28th. Mrs. Wulczyn felt proud to know that students she
had worked with as Kindergartners had successfully completed their
education.
Ms. Cardnuto welcomed Mr. Scanlan, Assistant
Jr./Sr. HS Principal, who has been working on scheduling and updating
policies. Mr. Scanlan thanked the Board for welcoming him and is looking
forward to meeting the students in September.
Ms. Cardnuto also welcomed Mr. Lange to the
district as Superintendent of Schools.
The Regents report was tabled and will be presented
at the August 7th Board meeting.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board accepted the minutes of the June 26, 2008
meeting
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
Special Aid #26 for $207.74
General Fund #86 for 86,015.84
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the continuation of a contract
with Wilson, Stark and Basila, CPA in the amount of $9,895 to provide
auditing services for the fiscal year ending June 2008
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved a contract with the law firm of
Girvin and Ferlazzo, PC at a retainer fee of $20,000; $140/hour non
litigation issues; $160/hour litigation issues.
Review of CSE minutes dated 5/21/08 and 5/28/08
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following revised job
descriptions: Psychologist, Social Worker (Jr./Sr. High School); Social
Worker (Elementary). Duties were aligned to accommodate the K-6
Elementary and 7-12 HS schedule.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointments of the following
coaches for the 2008 - 2009 school year; salary per the WTA contract:
Varsity Boys Soccer Fred Engelmann
Varsity Girls Soccer Dan Boyd
Modified Girls Soccer Meghan Reynolds
Varsity Volleyball Jeff Diviney
JV Volleyball Curtis Strife
Golf Patrick Parker
Girls Tennis Robert Stoliker
Varsity Wrestling David Mosher
Varsity Girls Basketball Jack DuBois
JV Girls Basketball Meghan Reynolds
Boys Varsity Basketball Jonathon Desso
Varsity Cheerleading Melanie Grazianno
Bowling Jack Daigneault
Indoor Track Jeff Countois
Varsity Baseball Robert Jesmain
Modified Baseball Bill Kelts
Boys Tennis Robert Stoliker
Varsity Softball Karen Diener
JV Softball Laura Clark
Modified Softball Patrick Parker
Boys Track Jeff Countois
Girls Track Jeff Countois
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Mark Bell as
voting machine inspector for the August 19, 2008 vote at a salary of
$270.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of the following
to the Board of Registry for the August 19, 2008 at a salary of $8.15
per hour: Jeanne Lobravico, Mary Jane Rooney, Effie Piacente, John
Piacente.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the food bids for August 1, 2008
through December 31, 2008 as follows (approximate values):
Ginsberg Foods $12,600
Quandt Foods $6,840
Sysco $11,520
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
Construction Fund #1 for $47,960.00
Special Aid #1 for $6,622.00
General Fund #2 $98,640.88
Treasurer’s Report for June 2008
Student Fund Report
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Melissa Messier
as teacher aide for the six week summer program at a salary of $10.36
per hour.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Kim Hilton as
teacher aide for the six week summer program at a salary of $11.19 per
hour.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the junior high school art supply
bids for a total of $1,886.87 as follows:
Blick 6 items $298.50
Nasco 23 items $687.57
Pyramid 4 items $175.80
Sax 14 items $567.93
Triarco 10 items $157.07
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 5/8/08,
6/18/08 and 7/1/08.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following high school codes
and policies for the 2008 - 2009 school year:
Code of Responsibilities and Rights Date change;
and additions on pages 8 and 11
Code of Conduct Date change only
Attendance Policy No changes
Academic Eligibility Policy No changes
Athletics No changes
Ms. Cardnuto explained the changes in the Code of
Responsibilities and Rights citing updated language and added
consequences.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the
Board approved the proposal for 7th and
8th grade honors English and Social Studies courses.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved an agreement with Devereux
Foundation to provide special education services to one student for the
2008 - 2009 school year; tuition as set by the State Education
Department.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the initial BOCES AS-7 contract
for 2008 - 2009 services in the amount of $1,965,915.64.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the health services contract with
North Colonie Central School District for four students attending
non-public schools in the North Colonie School District in the amount of
$1,757.44.
Comments from Board of Education members, residents
and staff
Mrs. Ricci enjoyed the wonderful graduation
ceremony. Mrs. Clow asked why the problems with the sound system in the
auditorium haven’t been worked out yet but added that renovations to the
auditorium looked great.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and
by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board went into executive session at 7:30pm to
discuss a personnel issue. They returned to regular session at 9:00pm
and adjourned.
Julie Caulkins
District Clerk
The
regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District
Board of Education held Thursday, June 26, 2008 was called to order at
7:02pm by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Carol Cooper, Denise Keyoskey,
Sandra Clow
ALSO
PRESENT: James LaGoy, Teri Feldkamp, Susan Wulczyn, Debra Cardnuto,
Joseph Siracuse, Vince DeLucia, Shows Leary, Martin Weber, Betsy
Daigneault, Barbara Smith, Kathy Shaker, Kim Klimes, Patrice King, Susan
Chura
ABSENT:
Robert VanBramer, Alyssa Pelech
Comments
from the Administration
Mr.
DeLucia, Interim MS Principal
Modified Sports Banquet was held in May, Jr./Sr. High School Chorus
Concert was held in June.
On the
evening of June 5th, the Middle School Academic Honors
Ceremony was held which included 24 Board of Education awards presented
by Mrs. Clow and Dr. LaGoy.
Jodi
Gurka, 7th grade English teacher and John Campbell, 8th
grade Social Studies teacher were awarded "Teacher of the Year" by the
JH
Student
Government Association as voted on by all of the middle school students.
A fifth
grade student and a seventh grade student were selected to attend the
Exxon Mobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp at RPI.
Thank
you to Mrs. Nancy Houle who did much of the leg work of gathering
student names from the 5-8 teachers. Mr. DeLucia contacted the Dean at
RPI.
Fifteen
girls attended the Capital Region Skidmore College Girls Summit
sponsored by Girls Incorporated of the Greater Capital Region in May.
Our students attended a full day of activities that addressed a variety
of important life experiences ranging from healthy eating and Internet
safety to goal setting, peer pressure, and budgeting and communications.
Thanks again to Mrs. Houle and Mrs. Gurka who coordinated the effort.
Next
week Mrs. Shaker, Health and Wellness Coordinator, will attend the NYS
Health Education Curriculum and Assessment which is a core training for
the NYS Health Education Guidance Document.
Mr.
DeLucia, who is leaving after completing his interim principal
assignment, said good bye and thanked the Board, Administrators, Faculty
and Staff for their support and good work throughout the year.
Ms.
Debra Cardnuto, HS Principal
Thanks
to Mrs. Shaker for her leadership in bringing together 120 people from
our school community to participate in Relay for Life held at Hudson
Valley Community College on June 13th. Our group raised
$7,000 for cancer research. Mrs. Shaker was recognized for her efforts
and was chosen to be a torch bearer in the ceremony.
The
High School Awards Ceremony was held in June; Mr. Quinn was named
Teacher of the Year and Mrs. Donaldson was named Staff Member of the
Year.
Regents
week went well. The faculty and staff are eagerly awaiting the arrival
of Mr. Christopher Scanlan, Assistant Jr./Sr. HS Principal on July 7th.
Ms.
Cardnuto attended the BOCES Graduation ceremony which was well attended
by our students who received many awards.
Mrs.
Susan Wulczyn, Director of Special Education Services
Mrs.
Wulczyn attended the BOCES Graduation for students receiving their GED’s.
The CSE is working on the State Performance Indicators and looking at
post secondary goals for students. The department did well on the self
review thanks to Mr. Bianchini and Ms. MacDougall with the help of the
Regional Transition Coordinator.
In the
summer, the CSE will be working on AIMS web training to monitor progress
for response to intervention. The CSE has had great success with
co-teaching and consultant teachers in the classrooms this year.
Mr.
Joseph Siracuse, Elementary Principal
Mr.
Siracuse thanked all of the elementary teachers for their efforts this
school year. The Awards ceremony was held with over 100 students
receiving perfect attendance awards.
Another
playground fund raiser will be held next week. Volunteers will be
working to remove the old playground beginning this Saturday.
Testing
results for Math and Social Studies will be mailed home next week. Mr.
Siracuse and the elementary teachers are working on next year’s schedule
and are getting ready to bring AIS back into the summer program.
Mr.
Siracuse thanked Mr. DeLucia and Dr. LaGoy for their Interim
Administrative work this year.
Proposed
construction referendum, Martin Weber, DCLW Associates
Mr.
Weber was here to answer any questions the Board might have pertaining
to the upcoming referendum seeking voter approval to cover the cost of
the plumbing and heating work that came in over bid in May.
The
lowest bidding contractor is holding the price pending voter approval
for the remainder of the work. Contingent plans have been made in case
the Board decides to limit the scope of the work or if the referendum
does not pass.
The
Board discussed adding air conditioning in the auditorium to the
referendum. A conservative estimate could reach $1 million dollars if it
is determined, through an engineering study, that the ceiling would have
to be removed to allow for duct work to be installed. However, there are
other options including "clouds" or individual panels which could be
adjusted to accommodate specific needs.
The air
conditioning could be included in the proposition for additional money
to cover the cost of plumbing and heating or it could be a separate
proposition. The district knows exactly the costs of the heating
project.
Mrs.
Feldkamp provided the Board with a time line for the August 19, 2008
vote and a summary of costs:
Base
Bid (Heating vents) $2,289,780
Alternates 891,095
Total
Bids $3,180,875
Previously approved funding -$1,367,000
Funds
needed for bid $1,813,875
Incidentals
Architect fee (est.) + $ 319,000
Clerk
of the Works + $ 120,000
Air
monitoring/
Structural Inspection + $ 47,125
Additional funds needed $2,300,000
Auditorium air conditioning +$1,000,000
The
legal notice should be approved at tonight’s meeting in order to keep to
the time line.
Mrs.
Clow asked about the probability of taking the ceiling down in the
auditorium. Mr. Weber stated that our current duct work cannot handle
air conditioning. There is a crawlspace above the ceiling that may be
able to accommodate new duct work, but the space is relatively small and
it will not be easy. Mr. Weber talked about the ability to transfer
cooling to another room, possibly the cafeteria, when the air
conditioning is not in use in the auditorium. He could not give a
definitive answer until the engineering study is completed. DCLW has
done similar work in other schools.
Mrs.
Feldkamp was concerned about the distance between the auditorium and the
cafeteria and the loss of cooling along a long stretch of duct work. Mr.
Weber agreed that there would be some loss and spoke of proper design.
There
is a possibility of the air conditioning work coming in under $1 million
if the ceiling does not have to be removed. Current plans for heating in
the cafeteria could be modified to allow for air conditioning at a
modest cost.
Air
conditioning is state aidable if approved by the voters. EXCEL money,
however, cannot be used for items not specifically related to students.
Under the current project, electric cooling is planned for the
administrative wing.
Report on
the pre-construction meeting held June 12, 2008, Shows Leary, Project
Manager
Mr.
Leary met with contractors and related personnel to determine the scope
of the project to be completed this summer and to begin the first phase
to replace the unit ventilators (heating) and ceilings. He has talked
with all of the classroom teachers involved and is ready to begin on
Monday, June 30th.
Offices
will be relocated due to asbestos removal in the summer.
Mr.
Leary showed the Board specific plans for the various parts of the
project including 24 exit and ceiling lights required by SED. This phase
will end in September and the crews will work evenings when students
return to school.
Mr.
Leary inspected faulty piping in the crawl spaces under the building and
documented their condition prior to contractors replacing the material.
He has
inspected the crawl space above the auditorium ceiling many times over
the last few years and noted that while there is 6' - 8' of space, the
joists make is difficult to maneuver and prevent anyone from walking
upright. Another danger is someone could fall through the plaster
ceiling.
Mr.
Siracuse asked about moving office furniture during the asbestos
removal. Small pockets of asbestos will be removed and Mr. Leary is
working with Paul Sylvester and the contractors to move most furniture
away from the areas that will be tented for removal. An independent air
quality company will monitor during the removal and test after the work
is completed.
ACTION
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the minutes of the June 5, 2008 meeting.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the Treasurer’s Report for May 2008
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the Budget Status and Appropriations Reports.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the Student Fund Report
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the following warrants:
General
Fund #79 for $3,152.27
General
Fund #80 for $361,489.53
General
Fund #82 for $5,394.98
Report on
the Sports Banquets held in May and June, Mrs. Betsy Daigneault
The
Modified Sports Banquet was held May 28, 2008 in the school dining room.
There were 159 attendees with 48 athletes. Cookies and drinks were
provided by the Sports Booster Association.
The
Varsity Banquet was held June 8, 2008 at the Century House. There were
204 people including 77 athletes (6 athletes did not attend) along with
coaches, Board members and administrators. Total cost of the event was
$4,862.00; Sports Booster covered $1,622; the cost to the district was
$3,240.
Ms.
Cardnuto has coordinated efforts of the Building Leadership Team which
includes Mrs. Klimes, Mrs. Shaker, Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Donnelly, on the
following three subjects:
Proposal
to modify the high school parking policy
Development of a HS parking policy to hold students responsible for
arriving late for school. Mrs. Klimes reviewed their proposals including
a $5 fee, issuing permits, consequences for tardiness and rewards for
compliance. Parking lot monitors will be needed.
The
team provided a comparison chart highlighting our proposed policy along
with Ballston Spa’s and Maple Hill’s current parking policies.
Reconnecting Youth In Saratoga County Program
Mrs.
Jean Devlin, who has worked for our district in past years through the
Saratoga County Prevention Council and who will begin as a full time
District Social Worker in the fall, will coordinate a half credit course
designed for students in danger of dropping out of school. It’s done a
volunteer basis and is successful in other districts.
Proposal
for a grades 7 & 8 honors program
A one
year trial program to fill the gap between the elementary TAG program
and HS Honor’s courses. It will fit into the current schedule with no
added expense or teaching time. Small class size will allow for success.
Mrs.
Clow was concerned about future availability for families and students
looking forward to the program.
Dr.
LaGoy said each of these items will be on the July 10th
agenda for approval.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board accepted, with deepest regret, the resignation for the purpose of
retirement of Denise Buss, Speech and Language Pathologist, after 19
years of service to the district; effective at the end of the 2007 -
2008 school year.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board accepted the financial risk assessment as submitted by Michael A.
Kelly, Internal Auditor.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board accepted the Internal Audit Report dated June 2008 as submitted by
Michael A. Kelly, Internal Auditor.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board tabled a decision to the appointment of Melissa Messier as an aide
for the summer AIS program.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the appointments of the following teachers for summer
curriculum work; funded through Title 1, IDEA 611 and district funds.
Laura
Clark 20 hours Reading Project for Science
Marcia
Dawson 20 hours Sibelius Music Writing program
Nancy
Houle 20 hours Crossover Math Topics required by NYS
Patrick
Parker 20 hours Crossover Math Topics required by NYS
Heather
Levitas 20 hours HVCC College Calculus w/PreCalculus
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the following club and activity advisor appointments for
the 2008 - 2009 school year; salary per the WTA and/or CSEA contracts:
Jean
Devlin Students Against Destructive Decisions
Helene
Clinton Best Buddies
Debi
McDermott Elementary Art Club
Susan
Brophy Beyond Books Club
Nancy
Houle and Susan Brophy JH Honor Society
Jodi
Ancin HS Newspaper
Hollie
Russo Elementary and HS Art in Education
Annemarie Strife Elementary Yearbook
Mel and
Diana Byron Marching Band
Christopher Goss Class of 2011
Patrice
King Sign Language
Lisa
Hackel HS Student Government
Lisa
Hackel Bible Study (unpaid 08-09)
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the following year end club and activity reports for the
2007 - 2008 school year:
Art
Club Carol Donnelly
HS
Honor Society Carol Donnelly and Melanie Graziano
Student
Government Assoc. Lisa Hackel and Julie Lansing
Math
Club Nancy Houle and Patrick Parker
Elementary Art Debi McDermott
SADD
Jean Devlin
Sign
Language Patrice King
Elementary Yearbook Annemarie Strife
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board awarded the following Junior High Technology Supplies:
Iasco 2
items $ 40.00
Kelvin
14 items 536.95
Midwest
10 items 152.49
Paxton/Patterson 12 items 389.03
Pitsco
8 items 700.96
Satco 15 items
266.44
TOTAL $
2,085.87
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board awarded the following transportation contracts to Folmsbee
Transportation for summer 2008:
Summer
School AIS; 2 buses @ $190 per day/per bus: $11,400 est.
Summer
CP Center; 1 bus @ $185 per day $ 5,550 est.
The
Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 5/5/08, 5/15/08, 5/16/08, 5/27/08,
6/10/08.
The
Board of Education retreat will be held on August 9, 2008
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved change order #SC-05 for HMA Contracting in the amount of
$6,500 for drainage under the new road.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board declared the following textbooks as surplus: 96 student copies and
2 teacher editions of Passport to Mathematics, ISBN 0-395-87985-X.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the following warrants:
Construction #23 for $61,522.00
Special
Aid #25 for $2,928.00
General
Fund #84 for $53,673.70
School
Lunch Fund #22 for $6,234.03
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board
approved the appointment of Jodie Gurka as Literature Club advisor and
Joan Walworth as Model Rocketry Club advisor for the 2008-09 school
year; salary per the WTA contract.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the year-end club report from Joan Walworth for Model
Rocketry Club.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved a one day unpaid personal day for Nancy Houle in November
2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the appointment of Kelly Denvir as a 3 hour per week
social worker for the summer program; salary per the WTA contract.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the appointment of Amy Piroli and Sharon Sliwinski as
substitute teachers for the 2008 -09 school year.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the general art supply bid for a total of $1,538.77 as
follows
Nasco
10 items $61.1
Pyramid
5 items $568.32
Sax 46
items $802.69
Triarco
13 items $106.61
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board
approved the elementary art supply bid for a total of $3,236.34 as
follows:
Nasco
67 items $1,763.15
Pyramid
7 items $136.67
Sax 87
items $1,086.96
Triarco
18 items $249.56
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the high school technology supply bid for a total of
$3,997.11 as follows:
Midwest
59 items $3,083.13
Paxton/Patterson 11 items $485.70Pitsco 1 item $314.
Satco 1
item $113.38
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board
approved the high school art supply bid for a total of $1,750.99 as
follows:
Nasco
25 items $685.14
Pyramid
1 item $190.00
Sax 23
items $466.92
Triarco
23 items $408.93
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board
approved a health service contract in the amount of $2,406.36 for 3
students attending Albany Academy and 1 student attending Bishop Magin.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board
extended summer transportation contracts with Folmsbee Transportation at
the May 31st CPI of 4% to the following schools:
Maywood/Westmere $7,384.00
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the following school year contract extensions at the May
31 CPI of 4%:
FOLMSBEE
To and
From School $465,828.07
BOCES
43,345.66
LaSalle/CCHS 44,463.79
Field
Trips
Driving
$ 37.38
Waiting
30.58
Minimum
103.5
Non-Public Schools Combination $42,203.04
( St.
Pius; St. Brigid’s; Bishop Magin)
Combination Bid 2004 $38,368.36
(Altamont Elem, Sacred Heart, )
Langan
School $33,168.72
Vanderhyden $12,461.54
Albany
Free School $20,696.00
Albany
Academy/St Ambrose $43,763.20
St.
Rose Provincial House $22,276.80
Oakwood
School $16,640.00
Van
Antwerp Middle School $37,336.00
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board tabled a decision on the legal notice for the August 19, 2008
construction vote pending further discussion.
The
Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 5/30/08 and 6/17/08.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the June 25, 2008 request from Mrs. Karen Grimes, School
Psychologist, to reduce her summer work schedule from 22 days to 17
days.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved five days of work during the summer for Kelly Denvir,
School Psychologist, to accommodate the requirements of the Committee on
Special Education.
Comments
from the Board of Education, residents and staff
Mr.
Charron expressed his appreciation to Mr. DeLucia for his interim
principal work this school year. He also thanked his friend, Dr. LaGoy
for stepping in when the district needed him, again; his work is much
appreciated.
Dr.
LaGoy said it was his pleasure.
Mrs.
Wulczyn explained to the Board how the CSE minutes will now be
transmitted electronically to the Board for their review prior to board
meetings.
Mr.
Charron thanked Mrs. Pelech for serving on the Board of Education this
school year and presented her with a plaque which will be delivered to
her home.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board went into executive session at 8:27 to discuss negotiations. They
returned to regular session at 9:10pm.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved an amended legal notice for the August 19, 2008 public
vote said legal notice being attached to the minutes.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board adjourned at 9:12pm.
Julie
Caulkins
District Clerk
The
regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District
Board of Education held Thursday, June 5, 2008 was called to order at
7:00pm by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Denise Keyoskey, R. VanBramer,
C. Cooper
ALSO
PRESENT: James LaGoy, Teri Feldkamp, Susan Wulczyn, Martin Weber
(architect), Karen Diener, Danielle Cassin, Susan Buffaline, Nancy
Smith, Jaimi Finley, Christopher Scanlan, Timothy Lange, Melanie
Graziano, Mary Kelley, parents, students: Leslie and Megan Lemiesz, Aree
Garrison, Robbey Coffee, Antonio Caban, Amanda Amyot, Morgan McClellan
ABSENT:
Alyssa Pelech and Sandra Clow
There
were no comments from the administration
Presentation: Student Government Year-End Reports
Antonio
Caban reported for the HS SGA which participated in Fordian Fever,
Sadies semi-formal dance, various fund raising activities and Moving Up
Day.
Morgan
McClellan reported for the JH SGA which participated in the annual
Thanksgiving Luncheon for the Senior Citizens, raised funds for needy
families through fund raising at the Christmas dance, worked on the
Sadies semi-formal, raised funds for fire victims, donated $1,000 to the
Health and Wellness group for the purchase of an elliptical machine. The
students learned a lot from their volunteer work.
Connor
Meehan, Vice President, reported for the 5-6 SGA. Members of 5-6 SGA
campaigned for office, participated in a pep rally and elected officers.
Their purpose was to promote better understanding between students,
faculty and administration. Connor reported on the many activities the
group participated in.
Megan
Lemiesz, President, also reported on 5-6 SGA activities including
donations to local food banks, adopting a soldier, fund raising for fire
victims and raising funds for the new playground.
All
year-end reports are on file.
School
district’s response to the fire on Broad Street last week, Mrs. Wulczyn
Last
week, eleven families were displaced due to a fire which destroyed two
buildings on Broad Street. The district crisis team met to determine a
plan of action by the school community. They focused on the immediate
needs of the family and collected clothing and $1,500 in one day from
faculty and staff. Calls to local businesses and organizations prompted
large donations. The crisis team worked with local community officials
to coordinate services.
Most
families have made temporary living arrangements but one of our students
is not back in school yet. The account at Key Bank will be in existence
for 30 days at which time the money will be divided equally to each
family member.
Mrs.
Wulczyn is proud of the efforts of everyone in the school community for
their support. "It’s what Waterford is all about."
Dr.
LaGoy thanked Mrs. Wulczyn, Mrs. Budrakey and all those on the crisis
team who worked so hard.
ACTION
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved the minutes of the May 22, 2008 Board of Education
meeting.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved the following warrant: General Fund #76 for
$19,876.59
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved summer curriculum work for teachers according to the
attached schedule funded through Title I, IDEA 611 and district funds.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved the 2008 - 2009 BOE Meeting Dates Calendar and the
Budget Action Calendar.
Consider
the letter from Chris Marchand about the proposed building project on
Mercer Street. A twelve unit apartment complex will be built at the end
of Mercer Street. Because of the projected rents, it is not expected to
draw many families with small children and the district should not be
significantly impacted by the development. Dr. LaGoy will respond to Mr.
Marchand as requested.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved the three year probationary appointment of
Christopher Scanlan as Assistant Junior-Senior High School Principal,
effective July 7, 2008; annual salary $70,000; benefits per the WAA
contract.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved the following year-end club and activity reports:
Chess
Club J. Miazga
Book
Club S. Chura & J. Caputo
Books
and Beyond Club S. Brophy
JH
Honor Society N. Houle & S. Brophy
Intermediate Computer P. Bailey
5-6
Newspaper E. McBride, H. Russo
Literature Club J. Gurka
Math
Fact Pack Club B. Langston
Primary
Computer K. Mignery
Boardroom Club J. Bishop
Elementary Drama K. Coffrin, E. Nelsen, P. Nelsen
Safety
Patrol E. Nelsen, B. Haynes
Best
Buddies B. Smith, H. Clinton, K. Budrakey
High
School Newspaper J. Ancin
Yearbook, Financial J. Ancin
Masterminds P. Ferrara
Class
of 2011 L. Hackel
English
Club H. Clinton, D. Ford
Scrabble Club J. Toub
Class
of 2008 D. Mosher, K. Klimes
Peace
Studies K. Williams
Elementary SGA M. Zink, D. Cassin, S. BuffalineJH SGA N. Smith (at
meeting)
HS SGA
J. Lansing, L. Hackel (at meeting)
Class
of 2009 J. Lansing
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved the following appointments for 2008 - 2009 club
advisors:
Karen
Mignery Fire Monitor
Karen
Mignery Primary Computer
Justin
Miazga Chess Club
Susan
Chura & Jeanne Caputo Book Club
Barbara
Haynes & Eric Nelsen Safety Patrol
Eric
Nelsen, Karen Coffrin
and Deb
Ricci Elementary Drama
Julie
Bishop Boardroom Club
Barbara
Langston Math Fact Pack Club
Susan
Buffaline, Danielle Cassin
and
Mary Zink Elementary SGA
Joyce
Toub Scrabble Club
Deb
Ford, Helene Clinton English Club
Julie
Lansing Class of 2009
Kim
Klimes & Justin Miazga 9-12 Ski Club
Kim
Klimes & Susan Brophy Outdoor Adventure
Barbara
Smith Best Buddies
Carol
Donnelly Art Club
Ken
Williams Peace Studies
Paul
Ferrara Masterminds
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved the following warrants:
Construction Fund #22 for $48,339.00
School
Lunch #21 for $7,565.27
Special
Aid #24 for $13,811.01
General
Fund #77 for $14,222.03
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved the Treasurer’s Report for April 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved the Student Fund Report
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved the Budget and Appropriation Status Reports
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board accepted, with deepest regret, the resignation for the purpose
of retirement, of Richard Quinn as HS Math teacher after 24 years of
service to the district, effective July 1, 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board accepted, with regret, the resignation of Arthur Brumley as HS
Social Studies teacher effective August 31, 2008.
Dr.
LaGoy said that both Mr. Quinn and Mr. Brumley will be missed. Mr.
Brumley will be working in the Gloversville District and we have
received 29 applications for the math position.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved payment for Mrs. Kathleen Shaker for attending the
required NYS Health Education Curriculum and Assessment training
sessions on 6/30/08, 7/1/08 and 7/2/08. Reimbursement to be charged
against the Health and Wellness Budget.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the
Board approved a three year probationary appointment for Jean Devlin as
Social Worker effective September 1, 2008; salary to be determined by
step 5 of the Agreement with the WTA.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved the following teacher appointments for the Pre/Post
Kindergarten summer programs; salary per past practice:
Patricia Day Six weeks
Cynthia
Viola, Jeanne Caputo Three weeks each
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved the following teacher appointments for the Academic
Intervention Services summer program; salary per the WTA contract (grant
funded):
Susan
Chura, Erin Reedy, Patrice King, Julie Bishop; Six weeks each
Hollie
Russo, Todd Hayes; Three weeks each
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved the following teacher aides and nursing appointments
for the Pre/Post Kindergarten and AIS (grant funded) summer programs;
salary per past practice:
Jo-Anne
Gavin Nurse Six weeks (both programs)
Mary
Opela Aide Three weeks (pre/post K)
Jeanne
Bartnick Aide Three weeks (pre/post K)
Mary
Varcasio Aide Three weeks (AIS)
Ann
Marie Perrotte Aide Three weeks (AIS)
Jill
Durivage Aide Six weeks (AIS)
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the
Board approved the appointment of Community Care Physicians, Inc. as the
school physician for the 2008 - 2009 school year in the amount of $9,600
for approximately 60 hours. Additional hours will be billed at $175 per
hour.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the
Board approved 20 hours of summer curriculum work for Dan Boyd in the
area of Physical Education.
The
Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 5/14/08.On motion by Mrs. Ricci,
seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the
following year-end club and activity reports:
Outdoor
Adventure Club Susan Brophy and Kim Klimes
Mock
Trial Tony Bianchini
Marching Band Mel and Diana Byron
Spirit
Club Tracy Zordan
Publishing Club Joan Gardner
Class
of 2010 Nancy Smith
JH SGA
Nancy Smith
Adult
Education Paula Caradori
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the
Board approved the following club advisor appointments for the 2008 -
2009 school year:
Carol
Donnelly HS Honor Society
Elizabeth Wyld Yearbook, Production
Nancy
Smith JH SGA
Nancy
Smith Class of 2010
Marcia
Dawson Guitar Club
Justin
Miazga, Hollie Russo Global Travel Club
Melanie
Graziano, Mary Kelley Spanish Club (10 hours)
Megan
Reynolds, Helene Clinton Fitness Club
Joan
Gardner Publishing Center
Tony
Bianchini Mock Trial
Tracy
Zordan Spirit Club
Lisa
Hackel Class of 2012
Paula
Caradori Adult Education
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board awarded the general supplies bid to Cascade School supplies in
the amount of $8,091.52 (other bidders were School Speciality at
$8,229.79 and Staples at $8,849.86).
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved the appointme
nt of
the following summer drivers; salary per the CSEA contract: Penny Nolan,
Sue Amegashie, Rose Fountaine, Ed Hines and David Baker.
Comments
from the Board of Education, residents and staff
Mr.
Charron thanked Mrs. Wulczyn and the efforts of the crisis team for
their efforts.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board went into executive session at 7:25pm to discuss personnel and
contractual matters. At 7:56 the Board returned to regular session.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board awarded the following construction contracts per the
recommendation of DCLW in the amount of $927,310.
General
Construction
L.G.
White, Inc. Base Bid GC-1 $397,285
Alternate 3-GC 93,230
Total $
490,515
Plumbing
Crisafulli Bros. Plumbing & Heating Contractors, Inc. Base Bid P-1 $
96,000
Electrical
Brownell Electric Corp. Base Bid E-1 $128,495
Alternate 1 EC 14,400
Total
$142,995
Asbestos
Abatement
Netrix,
Inc. Base Bid AA-1 $122,800
Alternate 1-AA 36,000
Alternate 2-AA 39,000
Total
$197,800
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board awarded the asbestos project/air monitoring for project
004-019 to Needham Risk Management Resource Group, LLC. per approved
proposal pricing.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved a special vote in August 2008 to approve additional
funds for the completion of project 004-019.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board adjourned at 8:15pm
Julie
Caulkins
District Clerk
The regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union
Free School District Board of Education held Thursday, May 22, 2008 was
called to order at 7:00pm by Mr. Richard Charron
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Sandra Clow,
Carol Cooper, Robert VanBramer
ALSO PRESENT: James H. LaGoy, Teri Feldkamp, Debra
Cardnuto, Joseph Siracuse, Timothy Lange, Nicole Spulnick, Todd Hayes,
Barbara Jones, Annemarie Strife, Hollie Russo, Justin Miazga
ABSENT: Denise Keyoseky, Alyssa Pelech
There were no comments from the public regarding
items on this evening’s action agenda.
Comments from the Administration
Mr. Siracuse reported that Terra Nova testing has
been completed and that students will soon be taking the social studies
tests.
Plans for the new playground are well under way.
Mr. Siracuse, reporting for Mr. DeLucia, announced
that the K-6 yearbook is printed and thanked Mrs. Strife who worked very
hard on the production of this year’s publication. The fifth and sixth
graders displayed their research projects on States and Countries.
Ms. Cardnuto and the 7 - 12 faculty met for their
first faculty meeting. Proposals were made for honors classes and gifted
and talented classes at the 7th and 8th grade
level. The building leadership team wants to better facilitate student
parking.
Ms. Cardnuto thanked everyone for their
participation in the many activities held here at school the night of
the vote; especially, Mrs. Kathy Shaker for coordinating 35 people from
medical offices, hospitals and local organizations to promote health and
wellness. The art, state and country fairs, ice cream social and jazz
band concert and barbeque also served to bring parents up to school.
The mentor grant was submitted and will hopefully
be accepted so that the district will not need to use district money.
Dr. LaGoy asked the Board to re-consider moving the
date of the second June Board meeting from the 26th to the 19th
due to the fact we now have an internal auditor and would only need
authorization from the Board to pay the monthly bills. In the past few
years, the district was not ready to make year-end appointments until
the end of the month. All year-end appointments this year should be made
prior to the end of June. The Board decided to keep the June 26th
meeting as originally scheduled.
Dr. LaGoy reported that our district was recognized
as a high performing gap closing school again this year.
There are four Assistant Principal candidates
coming in for second round interviews on Monday, May 27th.
ACTION
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the minutes of the May 8, 2008
Board of Education meeting
General Fund #72 for $41,074.58
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved Calculus & Pre-Calculus I & II
courses as a college accredited course earning students 8 college
credits from HVCC.
Mrs. Nicole Spulnick reviewed the plans for the two
Calculus courses stating the cost of books was already in the budget and
students would pay a total of $280 to HVCC. Ms. Heather Levitas,
approved by HVCC, would receive a stipend from the college for teaching
the courses. Students who fail the course will not receive credit.
Students who fail the exam but still pass the course will receive credit
as determined by HVCC officials. There are approximately 20 students
interested.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the May 8, 2008 "Proposal to
Reorganize Support Services K-12" as presented by Mrs. Susan Wulczyn,
Director of Special Education Services, and to create the position of
District Social Worker, effective September 1, 2008.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved a 2007 - 2008 school calendar
change as follows:
1.) June 24th and 25th -
half-day for students in grades K-6, dismissal time for grades 5 & 6 at
11:00, dismissal time for grades K-4 at 11:30am.
2.) No school for students on Thursday, June 26th.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved change order #CC-04 for
Control Network Communications, Inc. in the amount of $9,300 for
security hardware, internet connection, data nodes, projector cables and
a credit for work in area J.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved a request from Mrs. Cynthia
Viola to extend her maternity leave through the end of this school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved a request from Mrs. Jodi Ancin
for a 2-3 day unpaid leave before and after the December/January recess.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the final request from Mrs.
Hollie Russo for a student trip to Greece in the spring of 2009.
Mrs. Russo said 9th grade students would
be eligible for this trip. The trip would be from the Thursday before
spring break to the following Saturday. Students would miss a half day
of school. A minimum of six people need to sign up. Mrs. Russo would
like to have the group ready to place a deposit prior to June 21st
to guarantee the rate.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the one year probationary
period of Meleigha Kugler as In-school Suspension Monitor effective May
28, 2008; salary per the CSEA contract.
The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 5/2/08 and
5/7/08.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants:
School Lunch #20 for $11,238.02
Construction Fund #21 for $17,103.82
Special Aid #23 for $4,867.19
General Fund #74 for $61,692.80
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board accepted the results of the May 20,
2008 District Budget Vote and BOE Election for the 2008 - 2009 school
year:
Total Number of Voters: 324
$18,166,886 2008-09 Budget: Approved: 209 - 102
$8,955/year lease of bus: Approved: 199 - 74
Three Board members elected to three-year terms
effective July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2011: Richard Charron (256), Marcia
Ricci (254), Thomas Lansing (245)
One write-in candidate: Mary Ellen Esposito
Playground update, Mrs. Feldkamp
See attached. Mr. Siracuse thanked Mrs. Jones and
all the PTO parents and families who worked so hard to raise the money
and take this challenge on.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Stacy
Giroux Hall and Sharon Gully as substitute teacher aides for the 2008 -
2009 school year.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the following summer cleaners
from June 30 - August 29:
Susan Forchilli $8.15/hour
Kathleen Akin $8.45/hour
Terri Lanigan $8.60/hour
Bonnie DeCelle $9.10/hour
Daniel Piacente $9.60/hour
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board awarded the waste removal contract to
County Waste and Recycling Service in the amount of $1,153.00 per month,
$40 extra pick-up, $125 per 30 yard roll-off plus $70 per ton disposal.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved the appointment of Nancy
Lefebvre as substitute teacher for the first semester of the 2008 - 2009
school year to cover Mrs. Strife’s leave of absence; salary per #2 of
the policy on substitute teacher pay.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board approved the appointment of Melissa
Messier as substitute teacher for the first semester of the 2008 - 2009
school year to cover Mrs. Johnson’s leave of absence; salary per #2 of
the policy on substitute teacher pay.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board awarded the bid for the purchase of a
dishwasher to Whitbeck Food Service Supplies & Equipment, Inc. in the
amount of $23,825.00.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Michael
Kelly as Independent Auditor for the
2007 - 2008 school year at $400 per diem plus
expenses.
Comments from the Board of Education
Mrs. Ricci thanked Mrs. Shaker for a great job on
the Health Fair. Mrs. Clow thanked everyone for their support on the
night of the vote. Mr. Charron thanked the community for supporting the
budget.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer
and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board went into executive session at 7:36pm
to discuss negotiations. They returned to regular session at 8:25pm and
adjourned.
Julie Caulkins
District Clerk
The
Annual Budget Hearing of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School
District held Thursday, May 8, 2008 was called to order at 7:00pm by Mr.
Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Sandra Clow, Denise Keyoskey,
Carol Cooper, Robert VanBramer, Alyssa Pelech
ALSO
PRESENT: James H. LaGoy, Teri Feldkamp, Susan Wulczyn, Joseph Siracuse,
Arthur Brumley, Kim Klimes, Melanie Graziano, Leith Autsolief, Maxine
Sherrill
The
District Clerk provided copies of the legal notice announcing the dates
and times of the budget hearing and annual district vote/election; the
announcement for public voting on the budget, one proposition and three
open seats on the Board of Education. The notice also includes
information on voter registration and absentee ballots.
Voting
inspectors: Jeanne Lobravico, Mary Jane Rooney, Effie Piacente, John
Piacente, Rita Boudreau, Mary
Comitale.
Voting
Machine Inspector: Mark Bell
Dr.
LaGoy reviewed the qualification of voters, voter times and procedures.
Three area newspapers have requested information on the proposed budget
and on the three BOE candidates.
Mr.
Charron introduced the following Board of Education candidates who are
running for the three open seats on the Board: Incumbent Marica Ricci,
Incumbent Richard Charron and past Board member Thomas Lansing.
Mrs.
Feldkamp presented the $18,166,886 2008 - 2009 budget representing a
3.1% increase over the prior year with a projected 2.35% tax increase.
The cost of the bus lease will generate 77% - 78% state aid.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board voted to adjourn the meeting until Tuesday, May 20, 2008 for
the purpose of electing three members to the Board of Education, vote on
the annual school district budget and one proposition for the 2008 -
2009 school year. Voting to commence at 12:00 noon in the high school
auditorium lobby.
Julie
Caulkins
District Clerk
The
regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District
Board of Education held Thursday, May 8, 2008 was called to order at
7:00pm by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Sandra Clow, Denise Keyoskey,
Carol Cooper, Robert VanBramer, Alyssa Pelech
ALSO
PRESENT: James H. LaGoy, Teri Feldkamp, Susan Wulczyn, Joseph Siracuse,
Arthur Brumley, Kim Klimes, Melanie Graziano, Leith Autsolief, Maxine
Sherrill
Comments
from the Administration
Mrs.
Wulczyn announced that everyone enjoyed "Purple Day" coordinated by Mrs.
Shaker and the Health & Wellness committee to recognize cancer
survivors, raise funds for cancer research and promote hope. Students,
faculty and staff participated in outdoor activities which reminded Mrs.
Wulczyn of the 175th anniversary of the Town of Waterford
when the entire school community participated in field day activities.
Mr.
Siracuse is working with administrators and teachers from WHS,
Mechanicville and Stillwater to organize a joint professional
development day for next year focusing on tech valley issues, 21st
century learning, grade level meetings and a new phenomenon of
cyber-bullying.
ACTION
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board approved the minutes of the April 24, 2008 meeting.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board approved the following warrants:
General
Fund #66 for $212.11
General
Fund #68 for $418,766.25
The
Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 4/7/08, 4/21/08, 4/23/08, 4/24/08,
4/28/08.
Buildings and Grounds New Construction Status Report, Mrs. Feldkamp
The
district is entering into a two year project to replace piping, install
unit ventilators in classrooms and replace ceiling tiles. The district
has received State Ed approval and the building permit. Bids will be
opened on June 3rd and awarded on June 5th. Mrs.
Feldkamp and Mr. Shows Leary, project manager, have reviewed the plans
and have designed the bid specifications.
This
summer the pipes in the crawl spaces will be replaced in the 2nd
and 3rd grade classroom wing and the 5th and 6th
grade classroom wing. Asbestos on pipe fittings will also be removed.
Ceiling tile replacement and electrical work will follow in the 2nd
and 3rd grade wing. An alternate to the bid specifications
include ceiling tile replacement in the 5th and 6th
grade wing only if possible.
Next
year, the same work will continue in the main wing including the
library, cafeteria, CSE office, HS gym area, and the first and second
floors of the high school wing. Another alternate will include the
administrative wing and the industrial arts wing.
After
all the piping is replaced, then the unit ventilators will be installed
and hooked to the new pipes.
Status
on the Search for an Assistant Junior/Senior HS Principal
Ten
candidates have been called for first round interviews with the
administrators on May 13th. Three finalists will be selected
to meet with a committee of administrators, teachers and board members.
Administrators spent a lot of time reviewing over 70 applications for
the position. References have been coming in from Superintendent’s and
others on behalf of some of the candidates.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board accepted the Winter Sports Report as submitted by Mr.
Stoliker.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board approved the enclosed resolution authorizing bonding of the
$1,367,000 EXCEL project to replace ceiling tiles and unit ventilators
as approved by the voters in May 2007.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board approved the one year probationary appointment of Beata Hanula
as custodian effective May 5, 2008; salary per the CSEA contract.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board approved the following warrants:
School
Lunch #19 for $14,434.02
Construction Fund #20 for $14,355.00
Special
Aid #22 for $9,135.73
General
Fund #69 for $14,979.25
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board approved a request from Patricia Merola for 5 day unpaid leave
of absence.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board approved Hollie Russo’s year-end report for Arts-in-Education.
The
Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 3/31/08, 5/1/08.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board went into executive session at 7:25 to discuss personnel
issues. They returned to regular session at 8:25 and adjourned.
Julie
Caulkins
District Clerk
The
regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District
Board of Education held Thursday, April 24, 2008 was called to order at
7:00pm by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Sandra Clow, Denise Keyoskey,
Carol Cooper
ALSO
PRESENT: James LaGoy, Teri Feldkamp, Debra Cardnuto, Susan Wulczyn,
Joseph Siracuse, Vincent DeLucia, Timothy Lange, Hollie Russo, Justin
Miazga, Brian Clow, Jeanne Nielsen, Darcy Pogue
ABSENT:
Robert VanBramer, Alyssa Pelech
There
were no comments from residents or staff regarding items on this
evening’s action agenda.
Comments
from the Administration
-
Mr.
Siracuse reported teachers and administrators are making plans with
other local districts for next years professional development day.
-
So
far, 64 students are registered to attend Kindergarten in the fall
with a total of 4 more on a waiting list from outside of our
original boundary lines.
-
Faculty are working with the administration on scheduling to bring
grades 5 & 6 back into the elementary school.
-
Students are taking standardized tests.
-
Plans are being made for the summer Pre/Post Kindergarten and AIS
summer programs for students up to sixth grade focusing on reducing
the number of retentions. The far wing of the elementary will be
used for summer classes.
-
Ms.
Cardnuto congratulated the seven students recognized for their
artwork by the Hyde Museum.
-
The
high school faculty and administration are working on the 7 - 12
re-structuring.
-
Mrs. Wulczyn and the special education department are continuing
with annual reviews. They are also working to bring student
Individualized Education Plans into compliance with NYS performance
indicators, meeting educational benefits and focusing on post
graduation success.
-
Mr.
DeLucia congratulated Mrs. Ricci and 9 of her students were invited
to participate in the NYS Music Association’s Solo Festival this
month.
-
The
6th grade classes just completed their second week of the
10 week prevention program called "Too Good for Drugs".
-
On
May 2nd students in grades 5 - 8 will enjoy a Hawaiian
themed informal dance.
-
The
5-8 ELA Math tests looked good, showing positive growth particularly
in raising the bottom and middle scores. Some of this can be
attributed to the AIS support by the 5-8 teachers after school and
with the addition of Ms. Ann Pulcher to assist with 7 & 8 grade AIS
students.
ACTION
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board accepted the minutes of the April 3, 2008 meeting.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board accepted the Treasurer’s Report for March 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board accepted the Appropriations and Budget Status Reports.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board accepted the Student Fund Report.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the following warrants:
Special
Aid #20 for $110.00
General
Fund #63 for $98.222.25
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the following resolution:
BE IT
RESOLVED that the Board of Education hereby appoints and employs Timothy
P. Lange as Superintendent of Schools for the period July 1, 2008 to
June 30, 2011 and approves the Employment Agreement dated April 24,
2008, setting forth the terms and conditions of such appointment and
employment and authorizes the President of the Board to execute same.
Report on
school sponsored trip to Italy, Hollie Russo and Justin Miazga
Mrs.
Russo, Mr. Miazga, Brian Clow and Jeanne Nielsen reported on their trip
to Italy during the April break. The group of 10 adults and 21 students
toured Rome and surrounding historic and cultural sites. Photos showed
the group visiting the Colosseum, Vatican City, St. Peter’s Basilica,
the beach on the Mediterranean Sea, Pompeii, Catacombs, Gladiator
School, Rome by night, Piazza di Spagna - and even McDonald’s.
Brian
Clow thanked Mrs. Russo, Mr. Miazga, the chaperones and the Board for
allowing them to go. He never thought that a group from a small school
would have the opportunity for an exciting overseas trip and talked of
life changing experiences.
Mrs.
Russo and Mr. Miazga said the students were very well behaved and
everyone enjoyed the trip. They then asked the Board to approve the
investigation of another student trip next year to Greece during spring
break.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Cooper and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the request from Mrs. Russo and Mr. Miazga to investigate
a student trip to Greece in the spring of 2009.
Status
report on the search for an Assistant Junior-Senior High School
Principal, Dr. LaGoy
Approximately 70 applications were reviewed by the administrators and 8
- 12 candidates will be brought in for preliminary interviews before
narrowing the field to three candidates. At that time, Board members and
teachers will be invited to sit on the selection committee. Dr. LaGoy
has received a few unsolicited phone references from area
Superintendents on behalf of a few candidates.
Buildings
and Grounds Committee report, Mrs. Clow
On
April 8th, Mrs. Clow, Dr. LaGoy and Mrs. Feldkamp met with
Mr. Weber, Architect, to discuss the upcoming unit ventilator and
ceiling replacement projects. Due to the cost of copper, alternatives
were presented. Asbestos removal is necessary. The District has not yet
received SED approval and the project will be bid as a 2 phase project.
Mr.
Weber suggested the district consider hiring HMA pavers to repair the
bus port area where the blacktop is separating from the base coat at a
cost of $17,000 funded from the current building project.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board authorized the district to enter into a contract with HMA Pavers
to repair the blacktop in the bus port area in the amount of $17,000.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved an increase in the 2008-09 annual salary for Mrs. Theresa
Feldkamp, Business Manager, by one thousand dollars ($1,000)
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the BOCES Final Service Request for 2008 - 2009 in the
amount of $2,137,612.70.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved change order #CC-03 for Control Network Communications,
Inc. for a credit in the amount of $799 (unused contract allowance.)
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board accepted the resignation of Brandon Dominy, Custodian, effective
April 18, 2008.
The
Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 3/25/08, 3/27/08, 3/28/08.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved health service contracts for students attending St.
Mary’s School from other districts in the total amount of $60,353.02
(2007-08)
Ballston Spa School District $ 331.61
Cohoes
City School District $ 8,290.25
Hoosic
Valley School District $ 3,647.71
Lansingburgh School District $14,259.23
Mechanicville School District $ 2,321.27
North
Colonie School District $ 331.61
Shenendehowa School District $29,181.68
Stillwater School District $ 331.61
Troy
City School District $ 663.22
Watervliet School District $ 994.83
Total
$60,353.02
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board
appointed Richard Charron as Chairman of the May 20, 2008 meeting and to
open and close the polls.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board accepted the minutes of the April 22, 2008 Board of Education
meeting.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the following warrants:
School
Lunch #18 for $4,057.54
Special
Aid #21 for $429.20
Construction Fund #19 for $72,393.47
General
Fund #64 for $65,969.92
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the following construction change orders:
#PC-06
for DiGesare Mechanical for a credit in the amount of $1,150
#PC-08
for DiGesare Mechanical in the amount of $586 to remove piping and
install valves
The
Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 4/1/08, 4/2/08, 4/4/08, 4/9/08,
4/11/08.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the following resolution:
RESOLVED; that the Board of Education sincerely extends deep
appreciation to Dr. John Stoothoff for conducting and coordinating a
highly successful Superintendent Search Process and for providing
opportunities for many Waterford-Halfmoon stakeholders to have input
into the superintendent selection process.
Review of
Tuition Free Policy, Dr. LaGoy
There
are currently the same number of out-of-district students attending
under the tuition free policy as last year. Parents have until June 16th
to make requests for next school year.
Of the
9 Kindergarten students currently attending under this policy, three
will not be returning next year. Four are on a waiting list for next
year’s Kindergarten class and are not likely to attend due to the high
number of in-district students enrolled. Out-of-district parents are
being told that the numbers are high as they call to inquire about
registration. There are more out-of-district students at the 7-12 grade
level then at the K-6 level.
Only
one high school student will not be allowed to return in September
mainly due to violation of the attendance policy.
Mrs.
Clow asked about the numbers at Kindergarten level and the possibility
of adding a fourth section. Mr. Siracuse and Mrs. Feldkamp had discussed
this recently and because of the high number of students at the fourth
grade level necessitating a fourth section and because of space issues,
there will probably not be a forth section of Kindergarten unless the
number of in-district registrations exceed the goal and range as
indicated in the WTA contract.
It is
unusual to have this many registered at this time of year, but the
elementary office has been pro-active in encouraging families to
register early. If the district is forced to add a fourth section of
Kindergarten, then naturally the out-of-district students will be
allowed to register and attend.
Mrs.
Ricci questioned the enrollment figures of in-district students noting a
drop from the beginning of the year. Dr. LaGoy explained that the
district is legally bound to keep all students officially enrolled
pending an official records request from another school district when a
family moves, as happens, especially over the summer months. Mrs. Ricci
also noted a smaller difference between September and October.
Comments
from the Board of Education
Mr.
Charron congratulated Mr. Lange on his appointment as Superintendent of
Schools and is looking forward to working with him.
Mr.
Lange thanked the Board and is also looking forward to becoming a part
of the Waterford community.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board adjourned at 7:38pm.
Julie
Caulkins
District Clerk
The special meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon
Union Free School District Board of Education held Tuesday, April 22,
2008 was called to order at 7:30 am by Mr. Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Robert
VanBramer, Sandra Clow
ALSO PRESENT: James LaGoy
ABSENT: Alyssa Pelech, Denise Keyoskey, Carol
Cooper
On motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mrs. Ricci and
by a vote of 4 - 0 the Board elected Dr. LaGoy as Clerk pro-tem.
On motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mrs. Ricci and
by a vote of 4 - 0 the Board authorized the Board of Cooperative
Educational Services of Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex
Counties to expend $5,200,835 for the 2008 - 2009 administrative budget.
On motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mrs. Ricci and
by a vote of 4 - 0 the Board approved the following resolution:
Resolved, to vote in the affirmative for the following candidates for
members of the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES Board of
Education: Frank Grimaldi, Jeffrey Harrison, Lori Millis, Jeffrey Piro,
and Stephen Smoller.
On motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mrs. Ricci and
by a vote of 4 - 0 the Board adjourned at 7:35am.
James H. LaGoy, Ed. D.
Clerk Pro-tem
The
regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District
Board of Education held Thursday, April 3, 2008 was called to order at
7:05pm by Mr. Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Robert VanBramer, Sandra Clow,
Denise Keyoskey, Carol Cooper
ALSO
PRESENT: James LaGoy, Teri Feldkamp, Joseph Siracuse, Debra Cardnuto,
Susan Wulczyn, faculty, staff, residents
ABSENT:
Alyssa Pelech
There
were no comments from residents or staff regarding items on this
evening’s action agenda.
Comments
from Administration
The
fourth and eighth grade students will be going on field trips to support
their science curriculum. Elementary students will participate in a
cancer awareness fund raiser. The GHI Corporate Challenge is May 15,
2008.
CSE
personnel are conducting annual reviews and Mrs. Wulczyn attended a DATA
Workshop conference.
Volunteers came into the classrooms for Skills USA.
Mrs.
Ford’s English students participated in an all day "field trip" learning
about the Holocaust. Students in
Mrs.
Clinton’s English class and Mr. Brumley’s social studies class read
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as a collaborative project. Mrs.
Hurd opened the school store in room 401. Congratulations to Mr. Mel
Byron, HS Band teacher who was honored as Educator of the Week. The
story aired this week on Channel 13 News.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the minutes of the March 19, 2008 meeting.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the following warrants:
General
Fund #59 for $169,830.81
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the proposed 2008 - 2009 budget in the amount of
$18,166,886 to be presented for voter consideration on Tuesday, May 20,
2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the March 25, 2008 Memorandum of Agreement By and
Between the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District and the
Waterford Administrators’ Association for the period July 1, 2008 - June
30, 2009.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the abolishment of the present K-4, 5-8 and 9-12
grade level organization, effective June 30, 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the reorganization of the K - 12 grade levels as a
K-6 Elementary School and a 7-12 Junior-Senior High School, effective
July 1, 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the abolishment of the position of Middle School
Principal, effective June 30, 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the abolishment of the position of K-4 Elementary
School Principal, effective June 30, 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the creation of the position of K-6 Elementary School
Principal, effective July 1, 2008 and that Joseph Siracuse be appointed
Elementary School Principal (K-6.)
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the abolishment of the position of 9-12 High School
Principal, effective June 30, 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the creation of the position of 7-12 Junior-Senior
High School Principal, effective July 1, 2008 and that Debra Cardnuto be
appointed Junior-Senior High School Principal (7-12.)
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the
Board
approved the creation of the position of Assistant 7-12 Junior-Senior
High School Principal, effective July 1, 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the revised job descriptions for the positions of
Elementary Principal, Junior-Senior High School Principal and Assistant
Junior-Senior High School Principal dated April 3, 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the tenure appointment of Julie Desso Initial -
Childhood Education, Grades 1-6 effective July 1, 2008
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the tenure appointment of Victoria Kelts Initial -
Students with Disabilities, Grades 1-6 with Concentration in Childhood
Education effective July 1, 2008
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the tenure appointment of Erin Reedy Permanent -
Special Education effective July 1, 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the tenure appointment of Nancy Hurd, Initial -
Business and Marketing effective July 1, 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the tenure appointment of Jodie Gurka, Permanent -
English 7 - 12 effective July 1, 2008
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved a request from Jessica Johnson, Elementary Teacher,
for a one-half year leave of absence beginning September 1, 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the discontinuation of the Girl’s JV Softball team
for the 2008 - 2009 due to low enrollment.
The
Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 3/10/08 and 3/17/08.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the following warrants:
Construction Fund #18 for $7,882.93
Special
Aid #19 for $3,163.09
School
Lunch #16 for $6,628.12
General
Fund #61 for $9,443.22
The
Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 3/5/08, 3/11/08, 3/19/08, 3/20/08 and
3/26/08.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the appointment of Mark Bell as voting machine
inspector for the May 20, 2008 BOE Budget Vote and Board Election; for a
salary of $270.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the appointment of the following people to work the
polls at the May 20, 2008 BOE Budget Vote and Board Election; salary at
$8.15 per hour. The hourly rate was raised to $1.00 over minimum wage.
Mary
Jane Rooney Jeanne Lobravico
Effie
Piacente John Piacente
Rita
Boudreau Mary Comitale
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the
Board
approved the appointment of Stephanie Forino as substitute teacher for
the 2007 - 08 school year.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved a Health Services Contract in the amount of $1,173.82
for 2 students attending non-public schools located in the Enlarged City
School District of Troy.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board approved the following construction change orders:
#GC-01
from LG White & Sons for a $3,000 credit for unused construction
allowance
#SC-03
from HMA Contracting in the amount of $38,252 to regrade and pave
existing fire road along industrial arts wing and to provide drainage
for new wing.
Comments
from the Board of Education, residents and staff
Dr.
LaGoy, Mrs. Ricci and Mr. Charron attended the WSWHE BOCES Annual
Meeting this week.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0
the Board went into executive session at 7:22 to discuss a personnel
matter. The Board returned to regular session at 9:20 and adjourned.
Theresa
Feldkamp
Clerk
Pro-tem
The
regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District
Board of Education held Wednesday, March 19, 2008 was called to order at
7:05pm by Mr. Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Robert VanBramer, Sandra Clow
ALSO
PRESENT: James LaGoy, Debra Cardnuto, Susan Wulczyn, Vincent DeLucia,
Barbara O’Neill, Barbara Smith
ABSENT:
Carol Cooper, Alyssa Pelech, Denise Keyoskey, Theresa Feldkamp
Comments
from the Administration
Mr.
DeLucia reported that on Wednesday, March 19, 2008, Mrs. Walworth’s 5th
grade social studies classes participated in "Map Day". Students
discovered how the world changed and how our country grew from 13
colonies.
On
Thursday, March 20, 2008 the students will follow the information from
the map activity to "Colonial Day". The social studies classes will
further extend their understanding of the growth of our country and the
life that was led in the westward movement.
Fifth
and sixth grade students attended a Siena College basketball game last
week and displayed a lot of enthusiasm and audience participation as
recognized in a Siena College announcer’s blog. Kudos to Ms. Kelts who
arranged the free event.
Super
students for the month were recognized with a luncheon this week.
Mrs.
Wulczyn and the Committee on Special Education are holding annual
reviews to plan student programs for next school year as well as
transition plans for post graduate students.
Mrs.
Wulczyn thanked the Board for their support, over the years, especially
for the students on home tutoring.
Ms.
Cardnuto was very impressed with Mrs. Ford’s annual Holocaust program
for 10th grade students: All Day in A Night. The students
spent the day immersed in activities learning about genocide. Guest
readers, including teachers and administrators, read Night, by
Eli Wesel aloud to the students over the course of the day. The room was
darkened and during breaks in the reading, students presented their
projects which were placed on display in the school’s Holocaust museum.
The somber subject was treated with reverence and respect.
Ms.
Dawson, Chairperson of All County Chorus, reported that on March 7 & 8
six vocal students represented Waterford in the All-County Festival held
at Ballston Spa. The 7-9 Chorus members were Colleen Farrar and Tiffany
Truesell. High School members included Victoria Decker, Erin Kelly,
Emily Bourassa and Tanya Caban. The students were challenged by music of
a difficulty they don’t experience in our choir and yet handled it with
ease.
This
year, 31 students are signed up to participate in SAT prep courses
beginning this week.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the Board accepted the minutes of the March 6, 2008 meeting.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the Board accepted the Treasurer’s Report for February 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the Board accepted the Revenue and Appropriations Status Reports.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the Board accepted the Student Fund Report.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the board approved the following warrants:
School
Lunch #14 for $4,343.66
School
Lunch #15 for $1,089.93
Construction Fund #17 for $179,987.93
Special
Aid #18 for $766.00
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the board approved the 2008 - 2009 school calendar.
Preliminary budget presentation for 2008 - 2009, Dr. LaGoy
As the
Finance Committee worked on the preparation of the budget, there were a
number of additions to the preliminary budget and a number of cuts. This
was done as the Committee attempted to prioritize budgetary
requirements. Without itemizing the additions and the cuts, the net
increase is $19,149 over the preliminary budget. The appropriations
increase is $548,286. The estimated tax rate increase is 2.35%
Last
year, at this time, the actual tax rate was lower than what was
estimated. The increase in appropriations is due primarily to mandated
salary increase, debt service increases, and employee benefits
increases.
There
was great cooperation from the administrators and teachers in making the
necessary adjustments. The district is in reasonably good shape and
information relating to the preliminary budget is available for review
in the Office of the Superintendent. The 2008 - 2009 budget will be
adopted at the April 3, 2008 Board of Education meeting.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the board approved the Notice of the Annual Meeting, including
Proposition #1, seeking authorization to lease one (1) school bus at the
annual lease payment of $8,955 for a five (5) year period.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the board approved attendance at Fiduciary training on June 14, 2008 for
every Board member who is elected on or after 7/1/05.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the board established Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 7:30am to vote on the
WSWHE BOCES administrative budget.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the board approved the second request from the seventh and eighth grade
teachers to take students to the Bronx Zoo in June.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the board approved the appointment of Courtney Ahern as substitute
teacher for the remainder of the 2007 - 2008 school year.
The
Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 2/28/08.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the board approved the following warrants:
General
Fund #57 for $32,678.35
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the board approved change order #PC-07 for DiGesare Mechanical, Inc. in
the amount of $1,742.00 for plumbing work in two science classrooms.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4
- 0 the
board approved an hourly increase for Diane Reaulo, food service worker,
from 3.5 to 6.5 hours per day.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the board accepted the following year end reports:
5-8 Ski
Club Julie Lansing
9 - 12
Ski Club Kim Klimes, Justin Miazga
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the board approved the appointments of Maxine Sherrill and Nicole
Spulnick to teach six week SAT prep courses; two one-hour sessions per
week for each teacher; beginning March 18, 2008; salary per past
practice.
The
Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 2/26/08.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the board denied a request from Mr. Cramer regarding continued
attendance for one child at Waterford-Halfmoon as an out of the district
student.
Comments
from the Board of Education, residents and staff
Mrs.
Ricci said if anyone missed the elementary drama production of Once Upon
A Mattress, then they missed a super job by the students. Mrs. Clow
agreed and praised the efforts of Mr. Nelsen and those who worked on the
set design, the actors and the whole package. It was an extremely
enjoyable production. Mr. DeLucia reported that Karen Coffrin, TA in the
library and her brother Erick Wulff, custodian, worked long hours
including many nights and weekends building the set.
Mr.
Charron reported that Waterford-Halfmoon hosted the WSWHE BOCES Board of
Education meeting here in at our school on March 12th. He
read a letter from Dr. John Stoothoff, District Superintendent, thanking
our staff for a fine dinner and for hosting their meeting.
Mrs.
Clow was impressed with the BOCES River’s Edge presentation on Hudson
River dredging and the implications for our local area. Ms. Cardnuto
stated that BOCES is building curriculum and planning to teach students
on site about the project which will be the largest dredging project in
the world. There are currently two pilot programs bringing students to
the dredging site. Once the project actually begins the site will be
closed to the school districts.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 4 - 0
the Board went into executive session at 7:35 to discuss a personnel
issue. At 8:45 the Board returned to regular session and adjourned.
Julie
Caulkins
District Clerk
The
regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District
Board of Education held Thursday, March 6, 2008 was called to order at
7:00pm by R Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Carol Cooper, Alyssa Pelech,
Sandra Clow
ALSO
PRESENT: James LaGoy, Teri Feldkamp, Joseph Siracuse, Heather Levitas,
Julie Jorgensen, Kathy Kutny
ABSENT:
Robert VanBramer, Denise Keyoskey
Comments from Administration
Math
testing for students in grades 3-8 began this week and will continue
into next week.
Teachers will assess the needs of struggling students as part of the
Response To Intervention program as a step before students are referred
to the Committee on Special Education.
Third
and fourth grade teachers met to analyze last year’s testing results.
Educational Vistas will do the same for tests taken this school year.
Friday
is Dr. Seuss Day in the elementary; Mr. Siracuse will be reading to
students in their classrooms.
Another
reading program is being implemented with a goal of a 100,000 minutes of
reading time for the month of March.
Students will be recognized for positive behavior as a part of the Super
Stars Program.
ACTION
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board accepted the minutes of the February 28, 2008 meeting.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the second request from the Honor Society for a trip to
Salem, MA on April 1st.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board accepted the resignation of Rachel Collet as food service worker
effective February 7, 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the appointment of Rachel Collet as temporary teacher
aide for the remainder of the 2007 - 2008 school year; salary per the
CSEA contract.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the following warrants:
General
Fund #55 for $269,258.15
School
Lunch #13 for $7,022.51
Construction Fund #16 for $57,421.89
Special
Aid #17 for $420.37
General
Fund #56 for $43.79
The
Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 3/1/08 and 3/3/08.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the one year probationary appointment of Helen DeLaMater
as food service worker; for 3.5 hours per day; effective March 7, 2008;
salary per the CSEA contract.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board accepted, with regret, the resignation for the purpose of
retirement, of Katherine Haskin as food service worker effective March
21, 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved a request from Mrs. Cynthia Viola, Elementary Reading
Teacher, for a two month extension of her maternity leave from March 11,
2008 through May 31, 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board accepted the quote in the amount of $38,252 to extend our contract
with HMA to provide drainage, widen the turn and pave the road surface
behind the industrial arts wing.
Dr.
LaGoy thanked Mr. Goss, Technology Teacher, for taking the time to
operate rented heavy equipment and move a large amount of dirt, in bad
weather, to temporarily alleviate the drainage problem behind the
industrial arts wing.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board authorized a credit card account with Hannaford Supermarkets.
The
district currently has two accounts with Hannaford but Board
authorization is needed to satisfy Hannaford Corporation’s revised
credit system for the purchase of food for the Family and Consumer
Science and school lunch departments.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board
approved moving the March 20, 2008 Board of Education meeting to
Wednesday, March 19, 2008. Discussion on the availability of Board
members preceded the decision to change the date.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the appointment of Brendan Hughes as a substitute teacher
in the elementary for the 2007 - 2008 school year.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mrs. Clow and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board went into executive session at 7:15 to discuss a personnel matter.
On
motion by Mrs. Clow, seconded by Mrs. Ricci and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board returned to regular session at 8:15 and adjourned.
Julie
Caulkins
District Clerk
The
regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District
Board of Education held Thursday, February 28, 2008 was called to order
at 7:00pm by Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Robert VanBramer, Carol Cooper,
Denise Keyoskey, Sandra Clow, A
Alyssa
Pelech
ALSO
PRESENT: James LaGoy, Teri Feldkamp, Susan Wulczyn, Joseph Siracuse,
Vincent DeLucia, Debra Cardnuto, Art Brumley
There
were no comments from the public regarding items on this evenings action
agenda.
Comments
from the Administration
Mr.
DeLucia reported students in Ms. Ryan-Campbell’s class have been writing
to Officer Brian Green, a Blackhawk pilot stationed overseas. Officer
Green visited Ms. Ryan-Campbell’s class recently while home on leave. He
is the son-in-law of Mrs. Day, Kindergarten teacher.
The 7th
and 8th grade semi-formal dance will be held Friday, February
29th. Math assessments for grades 5 - 8 will be administered
next week.
Ms.
Cardnuto congratulated Mrs. Ancin and Mrs. Hurd. The business department
was recognized for their achievements in a local business educators
newsletter.
ACTION
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board accepted the minutes of the February 7, 2008 meeting.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board accepted the Treasurer’s Report for January 2008.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board accepted Budget Status and Appropriations Reports.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board accepted the Student Fund Report.
The
Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 1/30/08 and 2/6/08.
Administrative report regarding grade level organization for students in
grades 5 - 8.
Mr.
Siracuse presented the current configuration: one building with three
schools - Grades K - 4, Grades 5-8 and Grades 9-12.
Physical obstacles particular to the Middle School include classrooms
that are not in proximity to each other and a Middle School office far
away from the classrooms.
Scheduling for students in grades 5-6 is problematic because they are
bused with the students in grades 9 - 12 but the schedules of the art,
music and PE teaches are on the K-4 schedule. Scheduling for core
subject areas also present problems. Some teachers do not have a full
planning period and some students miss out on full art classes. A K - 6
schedule would alleviate some of these problems.
Social
problems at the Middle School level are not addressed to the fullest.
Our administrators found that other districts have a larger support
staff (social workers, guidance and counselors) for this age group. As
time changes, every community feels the effects of a society in need of
more services due to drug and alcohol abuse and other family issues.
Our
current Middle School configuration struggles with logistical issues
such as a K-6 Father/Daughter Dance, a 7th and 8th
grade semi-formal dance, and a grades 3-6 drama department. The Middle
School does not have an identity.
Mrs.
Wulczyn presented results of five meetings held throughout the school
year with faculty and staff. Teachers felt that there has never been a
true Middle School with some
teachers feeling isolated at the end of the elementary wing. There has
never been a centralized office near the classrooms.
K - 6
cross-over teachers have scheduling issues. Remedial teachers do not
have enough planning time. There are contractual issues as the contract
is set up to address a K-6 and 9 - 12 configuration.
However, there is a strong feeling that the Middle School philosophy is
developmentally appropriate. The needs of the students of this age group
are different. Surprisingly, faculty and staff supported the idea of
having more administrators available to the faculty, staff and students
when the needs arise. It was felt that administrators are busy with the
business of testing, developing curriculum and other duties.
Teachers felt that 5th graders belong with the elementary. There needs
to be someone for discipline at the 5 - 8 level along with counseling
and social work staff. Curriculum aligning to meet K - 12 needs should
be continued. Transition milestones are important. Other details such as
lockers and 6th grade graduation should be carefully
examined.
Ms.
Cardnuto reported that the administrators met as a team and across the
board shared commonalities with the faculty and staff.
If
there was a way to develop a 6-7-8 configuration in an adequate physical
space with enough staffing to ensure successful scheduling and meet
contractual issues while supporting essential ongoing professional
development - that would be the best scenario. But that would cost a
huge amount of money and is not practical.
A
practical solution would be a K - 6 and 7 - 12 configuration; it could
be very successful. The 7th and 8th grades should
be their own entity because of their many needs, especially counselors.
There
is a need for another administrator to address discipline and handle all
the follow up and to provide guidance and be involved with the students.
Principals need to be available when the faculty and students need them.
It is
essential to have all administrators working together. Developing a K -
12 social curriculum for socially appropriate behaviors is important.
There
is a need for a K - 12 focus to sustain achievement. Our administrators
talked about a BOCES administrator with the possibility of shared
services to work with curriculum, testing, student management systems,
CIO and federal and competitive grants.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board approved the following warrants:
Construction Fund #15 for $9,149.75
Special
Aid #16 for $1,082.72
General
Fund #53 for $172,679.86
School
Lunch #12 for $9,689.29
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board approved the appointment of Lindsay Chura as substitute
teacher for the 2007 - 2008 school year.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board approved change order #EC-21 for Schenectady Hardware in the
amount of $2,975 to install 2 light boxes, connect power to old UV and
provide new computer power drop.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board accepted the 2008 Annual Fire Report as submitted by Joseph
Vanderwerken.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board approved the student Code of Conduct for the trip to Italy.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board approved the one year probationary appointment of David Baker
as Assistant Bus Driver; effective February 29, 2008; salary per the
current CSEA contract.
Status
of second floor ceiling project, Mrs. Feldkamp
The
project should be completed by the end of next week. The classrooms are
brighter and the ceilings look good. We’ve been very happy with this
contractor and hope they are awarded the ceiling contract for the next
project beginning this summer.
Comments from the Board of Education, residents and staff
Mr.
VanBramer traveled to Disney World in Florida with the band last week.
The children were very well behaved and performed very well in their
concert.
Ms.
Cardnuto reported that Mr. Byron was nominated as teacher of the week by
Heather and Shannon Ippolito. A local TV personality came to interview
Mr. Byron and the students.
Congratulations to Ms. Kutny, Library Media Specialist, featured in the
BOCES publication Bringing 21st Century Skills to the
Classroom. Our library is far ahead of many other districts in utilizing
programs and technology.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 7 - 0
the Board went into executive session at 7:34 to discuss negotiations.
They returned to regular session at 9:32 and adjourned.
Julie
Caulkins
District Clerk
The
regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District
Board of Education held Thursday, February 7, 2008 was called to order
at 7:01pm by Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Robert VanBramer, Carol Cooper,
Sandra Clow
ALSO
PRESENT: James LaGoy, Susan Wulczyn, Paul Sylvester, Patrice King, Eric
Nelsen, Hollie Russo
ABSENT:
Denise Keyoskey, Alyssa Pelech
There
were no comments from the public regarding items on this evening’s
action agenda.
Mrs.
Wulczyn reported on an exciting training workshop on developing
Individualized Education Plans for special education students.
Mr.
Sylvester reported on the progress of the second floor ceiling project.
Paint, electric and installation of grid-work and panels is progressing
well and he expects the company to complete the project ahead of
schedule.
The
next project will include ceiling replacement for the remainder of the
building along with the installation of new unit ventilators in the
classrooms.
Contractors have been working to complete "punch list" items remaining
from construction of the new wing.
On motion by Mrs.
Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board
accepted the minutes of the January 17, 2008 meeting.
On motion by Mrs.
Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board
approved the following warrant:
General Fund #9 for
$120,529.89
The Board reviewed CSE
minutes dated 1/16/08, 1/10/08, 1/11/08.
On motion by Mrs.
Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board
approved the WSWHE BOCES Cooperative Purchasing Program for the 2008 -
2009 school year including the following items: ice cream, milk, bread
and bread products, pizza, copy paper/envelopes, O & M paper products,
cafeteria paper products.
On motion by Mrs.
Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board
approved the appointments of the following Academic Intervention Service
math teachers for sixteen sessions; salary per past practice: Susan
Pantea, Melanie Salisbury, Nancy Houle, Patrice King, Karen Mignery and
Julie Bishop.
On motion by Mrs.
Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board
approved a request from Mrs. Annemarie Strife for a leave of absence for
the first semester of the 2008 - 2009 school year.
On motion by Mrs.
Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board
approved the appointment of Frank Smith as temporary Guidance Counselor
from March 10, 2008 through graduation; salary per the policy on
substitute teacher pay.
On motion by Mrs.
Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board
approved a final request from the sixth grade teachers for a field trip
to Boston, MA on June 20, 2008.
On motion by Mrs.
Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board
accepted the resignation of Heidi Donaldson as In-school Suspension
Monitor effective February 8, 2008.
On motion by Mrs.
Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board
approved the appointment of Heidi Donaldson as Computer Lab Teacher
Aide; for 6.5 hours per day; effective February 11, 2008; salary per the
CSEA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr.
VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board
approved the following warrants:
Construction Fund #14 for $38,470.34
General
Fund #15 for $203,897.69
Special
Aid #15 for $18,054.44
School
Lunch #11 for $10,849.14
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr.
VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board
accepted the resignation of Julie Lansing from her position of temporary
teacher aide; effective February 8, 2008.
On motion by Mrs.
Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the Board
approved the one year
probationary appointment of Julie Lansing as Account Clerk; pending
successful completion of Saratoga County Civil Service requirements;
effective February 11, 2008; salary per the current CSEA contract.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr.
VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board
approved the tenure appointment of
Paul Ferrara, Social Studies teacher, effective January 31, 2008.
On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr.
VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board approved the
appointment of Melissa Messier as substitute teacher to cover Erin
McBride’s leave of absence at the sixth grade level from mid-May through
the end of June 2008.
On motion by Mrs.
Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board
approved the appointments of the
following volunteer unpaid coaching assistants: Jack Murphy, girl’s
basketball, Justin Terry, boy’s wrestling, Kevin Perrott, boy’s
basketball, Tim Cahrenger and Rob VanBramer, girl’s softball and Terry
Carmel, Eric Zordan and Fred Engleman, boy’s baseball.
On motion by Mrs.
Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0 the
Board
approved the one year probationary
appointment of Stephen Bechard as night custodian; pending successful
completion of Saratoga County Civil Service requirements; effective
February 6, 2008; salary per
the
current CSEA contract.
The
Board reviewed CSE/CPSE minutes dated 1/25/08 and 1/29/08.
Comments
from the Board of Education
Mrs.
Ricci attend the Colonial Council Music Festival hosted by our district
on Saturday, February 2nd. Our students, together with
students from area school districts performed very well. Mr. VanBramer
and Mrs. Clow also heard good things about the event.
On
motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 5 - 0
the Board adjourned at 7:14pm.
Julie
Caulkins
District Clerk
The
Board of Education Building and Grounds Committee met on Thursday,
January 17, 2008 at 6:00 with Dr.
LaGoy, Mrs. Feldkamp and Mr. Sylvester to discuss proposals for the 2008
- 2009 budget.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Robert VanBramer, Sandra Clow,
Denise Keyoskey, Alyssa Pelech, Carol Cooper
ALSO
PRESENT: James LaGoy, Teri Feldkamp, Paul Sylvester, Joseph Siracuse
(6:30)
The
necessity of maintenance items, equipment, room refurbishing,
interscholastic sports storage, technology items, and kitchen equipment
were discussed in detail. Re-grading the road outside of the industrial
arts wing and bus replacement were also items for discussion.
Mrs.
Feldkamp and Mr. Sylvester shared a list of specific items with
corresponding costs and some were given higher priority. Mrs. Clow
supported finishing the multi-purpose room and a discussion followed on
similarities and differences with the distance learning room.
Mrs.
Feldkamp will determine which items will qualify for building aid and
contact the architect and the State Education Department. At the request
of Mrs. Clow, Mrs. Feldkamp will work with the administrators to develop
a systematic plan to bring Smartboards into the classrooms.
Ceiling
replacement: Bids for the ceiling project were awarded and work will
begin this Monday on the second floor of the high school. The
anticipated completion date is March 30, 2008.
New
Playground: Mrs. Feldkamp and Mr. Siracuse will meet with a company to
determine layouts and costs.
The PTO
has agreed to fund a portion of the project and will continue their
fund-raising efforts.
The
regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District
Board of Education held Thursday, January 17, 2008 was called to order
at 7:04pm by Mr. Richard Charron.
PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Robert VanBramer, Sandra Clow,
Denise
Keyoskey, Alyssa Pelech, Carol Cooper
ALSO
PRESENT: James LaGoy, Teri Feldkamp, Paul Sylvester, Debra Cardnuto,
Joseph Siracuse, Vince DeLucia, Susan Wulczyn, Liz Wyld, Nicole
Spulnick, Diane Bridgman, Meghan Reynolds, Judy McCampbell, Kathy
Shaker, Jessica Johnson, Kelly Premo.
There
were no comments from residents or staff regarding items on this
evening’s action agenda.
Comments
from the Administration
Mr.
Siracuse coordinated standardized testing for the students this week.
The results will be available in 10 - 14 days.
Mr.
DeLucia reported on individual class projects at each of the four grade
levels in the middle school.
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