Agenda for the Sept. 3rd School Committee Meeting

Canton School Committee

Canton, MA

September 3, 2015

6:30 PM Executive Session

7:00 Open Session

Canton High School

Distance Learning Lab

The Canton Public Schools strives to develop students who are competent and creative thinkers, curious and confident learners, and compassionate citizens.

The back-up support documents for each agenda item are arranged in the order listed below.

A. Call to Order

B. Executive Session- For the purpose of discussing issues related to contractual matters and personal service contract issues.

C. Routine Matters

1. Approve Minutes dated August 20, 2015

2. Approve Executive Session Minutes dated August 20, 2015

3. Approve Bill Schedule dated 9/10/15

D. Public Comments/Questions

E. Superintendent’s Report: Ms. Henderson will provide an update on the week of August 31 opening of school activities, and on a variety of matters going on throughout the district.

F. Student Member Report: Derek Folan will update the School Committee on the Canton High School student representatives who will be reporting out for student related district activities this year.

G. Old Business - None

H. New Business

1. Program for International Student Assessment: Derek Folan, Principal, Canton High School will report on the PISA being administered this year at Canton High School as well as provide an update on ACT college entrance exam.

2. Special Education Program Overview: Debra Bromfield, Director for Students Services will report out on the Special Education Programming six year shift. She will also provide a brief overview of Circuitbreaker.

3. Bus Update: Barry Nectow, Business Manager, will provide an update following Day One of the new bus routes, additional bus routes and later start time impact.

4. Student/Family Handbook Appendix: A brief overview of the contents of the Handbook Appendix will be provided with approval request.

I. Business Manager Report: Barry Nectow will provide the Year End Report Summary. He will also propose a new, more aggressive time line for the school budget completion.

J. Sub-Committee Reports

1. TEC- Robert Golledge

2. CPC – Mike Loughran

3. BRC- John Bonanzio

4. Wellness- Kristin Mirliani

5. Finance – Reuki Schutt

6. Building Use – John Bonnanzio

K. Future Business – Next Meeting Thursday, September 17, 2015

L. Other Business

M. Adjournment

August 25, 2015

Dear Canton Public School Families:

It is with great excitement and anticipation that I am writing this “Opening Day and Welcome Back” letter for the 2015-16 school year.  We have had an incredibly busy and productive summer preparing for the arrival of the students. I am sure your children are curious and possibly a bit anxious about their return to school or the start of their school career.  Knowing our educators and support staff as I do, I am confident that each child will be received with warmth, caring and support.  

With the help of our administrators, custodial and maintenance faculty, technology staff, Central and Business Office staff and many educators, a significant amount was completed in preparation for our Thursday, September 3^rd opening of school. We have been busy hiring new faculty; adding educators to our district always adds a heightened level of energy.

So, welcome back to all, and “hello” to our parent/guardians of new students to our District.  We eagerly await your arrival!

The biggest change for our District this year is the school start time; therefore I wanted to devote a bit of this letter to that topic.  I have attached the new start time schedule at the end of this letter.  Bus times will be posted in the Canton Citizen on August 27^th.  Bus passes with explanatory letters are being mailed out this week.  If you signed up your child for a bus, and you have not received your letter/pass by Friday, August 28^th, please contact Leslie Tamarkin at tamarkinl@cantonma.org or 781-821-5060, ext. 1156.  No students will be allowed to board the bus without their bus pass, so please be certain that the bus pass is visible on your child’s (all grades) backpack. Beginning October 1^st, we will put additional riders on the bus as space is available.

I would like to ask your patience in the first two to three weeks of school as we continue to make the bus schedules as efficient as possible.  While we do try to plan for all possibilities, some issues may arise. I understand that there has been some concern about middle and high school students having to ride for lengthy periods of time, with some busses having the two levels combined.  We have made every effort to ensure that the rides will be as short as possible. We managed to have only four busses with combined high school and middle school students.  In efforts to ensure that students in grades K-5 will not sit in the busses while waiting to offload, we have hired additional morning staff at each of our elementary schools.  If you have any concerns that range beyond “getting the kinks worked out” during the first few days, please do not hesitate to contact Barry Nectow, our Business Manager, at 781-821-5060, ext. 1245.

Other updates I would like to highlight:

• We have hired several new administrators, some in interim positions and others in permanent positions.  Each of the principals will update you re: their new faculty and administrators.  With regard to district positions, I want to introduce Kim Clark-Connor, who is our new Nurse Leader. Also, Jayne Moore is acting as Interim Curriculum and Instruction Director for our district.
• Mike Wentland, Technology Director, and April Goran, Technology Integration Administrator, have worked extensively with our maintenance department to install new teacher computers in the classrooms and to roll out the interactive projectors to the elementary and middle schools.  Additionally, we are pleased to have hired a technology teacher for our elementary schools, another enhancement in our budget.
• The high school continues to develop their World Language program, offering American Sign Language in addition to Mandarin, which was added two years ago. Enhancements are also being added with courses in STEAM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Arts-Mathematics) at the high school level.
• We are pleased to say that there are NO new curriculum initiatives at the elementary level this year as we take continued steps to work with our team of teachers on the mathematics curriculum that was implemented over the last two years.
• Teams of teachers came in over the summer to work on writing units for the elementary levels, update science units across the district and add technology to their curriculum units.
• The Rodman Early Childhood Center will have their own lunch program this year thanks to Martha Lawless, our innovative Food Services Director.

I could continue to list many more programs that are being undertaken this year, as this is only our “short list”.  However, it is critical to know that as you scan the above list, the majority of this could not have been accomplished without the support given to the school department by the Canton community – thank you!

If you would like to continue to stay in touch with new projects and programs as they develop, please consider attending our School Committee meetings.  A schedule of those meetings is posted on our website at www.cantonma.org.  You can find the district calendar, the lunch menus and links to all the schools there.  Please also consider signing up for the Superintendent’s Blog or Twitter account.

We look forward to seeing all of our students in grades 1-12 on Thursday, September 3^rd.  Please note that there is school on Friday, the 4^th.  Following a day off on Labor Day, September 7^th, we will return, Tuesday, September 8^th.  That day will also be the first day of school for preschool and kindergarten students. 

In closing, as I enter the 2015/2016 year as your Interim Superintendent, I am excited and confident with the direction the Canton School District is moving to benefit all of our students.  We have a dedicated educational faculty, families, and community members who are highly motivated to make the Canton School District not good, but great.  It looks to be a terrific year!

Sincerely,

Jennifer A. Henderson, Interim Superintendent of Schools

August 20, 2015 School Committee Agenda

Canton School Committee

Canton, MA

August 20, 2015

6:30 PM Executive Session 7:00 Open Session

Canton High School   Distance Learning Lab

The Canton Public Schools strives to develop students who are competent and creative thinkers, curious and confident learners, and compassionate citizens.

The back-up support documents for each agenda item are arranged in the order listed below.

A.            Call to Order

B.            Executive Session- For the purpose of discussing issues related to contractual matters and personal service contract issues.

C.            Routine Matters

1.             Approve Minutes dated July 30, 2015

2.             Approve Executive Session Minutes dated July 30, 2015

3.             Approve Executive Session Minutes dated July 30, 2015 for public release

4.             Approve Minutes dated August 11, 2015

5.             Approve Executive Session Minutes dated August 11, 2015

6.             Approve Executive Session Minutes dated August 11, 2015 for public release

7.             Approve Bill Schedule dated 8/10/15

D.            Public Comments/Questions

E.            Superintendent’s Report – Ms. Henderson will provide an update on a variety of matters going on throughout the district including updates on enrollment, positions filled, start of school communications going out, etc.

F.            Old Business

1.             Building Rental Increase: This item was tabled at the July 30^th meeting and will be moved forward by Mr. Nectow.

G.            New Business

1.             School and District Student/Family Handbooks:  Principals will review and respond to any questions or comments re: changes in the 2015-16 school handbooks and an overview of the District Student/Family Appendix will be provided.

2.             Ice Rental Costs: Danny Erickson will provide an overview of the ice rental cost estimates for the 2015-16 school year.

3.             Building/Space Update: Information will be discussed regarding the proposal for the Galvin Middle School project related to space needs.

4.             Hansen Addition Update:  Information will be provided regarding bid outcome and forward movement on the Hansen addition.

5.             Business Manager’s Report – Mr. Nectow will provide an update on the buses. He will propose a schedule for an earlier rollout of budget preparations for consideration by the School Committee.

The Year End Top Line report will be presented at the September 3^rd School Committee Meeting.

H.            Sub-Committee Reports

1.             TEC- Robert Golledge

2.             CPC – Mike Loughran

3.             BRC- John Bonanzio

4.             Wellness- Kristin Mirliani

5.             Finance – Reuki Schutt

6.             Building Use – John Bonnanzio

I.              Future Business – Next Meeting Thursday, September 3, 2015

J.             Other Business

K.            Adjournment