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Minutes Archive
March 19, 2007
CALL TO ORDER: The regular meeting of the Board of Education of the Parishville-Hopkinton Central School District was called to order at 7:35 P.M. by President W. Remington in the cafeteria on the above date.
ROLL CALL: Present: W. Remington, H. Simmons, S. Wilson, W. Witherell, J. Young, T. Zellweger, T. Burns. Absent: C. Jacot, F. Wilhelm, and S. Woodward. Others: S. Bush, C. Clark, P. Claus, L. Gush, C. Leahy, H. Mellon, L. Mitras, S. Potter, M. Russell, D. Saiff, R. Snow, R. Taylor, and L. Witherell.
QUORUM: Quorum of five established.
QUESTIONS FROM PUBLIC & PRESS: R. Snow announced that he was leaving the paper to accept another position, but added that he hoped to continue to be involved with the school as a resident of the district. Mr. Burns and the Board thanked Rob for highlighting special events, students, programs, and opportunities through his articles while assigned to our district.
S. Wilson also wished to thank the Board and Administration for recent donations to the Parishville Rescue Squad and Parishville Fire Department in memory of his brother.
STUDENT/TEACHER RECOGNITION: T. Burns spoke briefly about Joanne Jacot who passed away earlier this morning, highlighting her many years of service to the District as a former Board of Education Member (1975-1980), substitute teacher (1980-1987), and special education teacher since September of 1987.
MINUTES: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to approve the Minutes of the February 12, 2007, regular meeting and March 12, 2007, special budget meeting as typed and mailed to Board Members. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
TREASURER’S REPORTS: Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by J. Young to approve the Treasurer’s Reports showing an available balance on hand as of February 28, 2007, as follows: General Fund, $ 14,132.33; School Lunch Fund, $17,809.52; School Lunch Savings, $26,083.99; Federal Fund, $451.46; Trust & Agency Fund, $-0-; Payroll Fund, $-0-; Capital Fund, $15.18; Risk Retention, $-0-; Extra-Class Activities Fund, $47,381.14. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
CAPITAL FUND PROJECT/EXCEL AID BROCHURE: The Board reviewed a draft mailing for all district residents regarding the scope of the proposed capital project as well as dates for a public meeting and district vote. The Board authorized Mr. Burns to send the brochure to the BOCES Print Shop to copy for mailing during the week of March 26th.
BOCES PRESENTATION: Dr. Linda Gush, District Superintendent, Christine Leahy, Principal at Seaway Tech, and Helene Mellon, Director of Instruction and Staff Development for BOCES, were in attendance at the meeting along with students Stephanie Potter and Corey Clark to give an overview of the various services BOCES offers that our students participate in.
Dr. Gush thanked the Board for allowing them the opportunity to discuss some of the vast array of programs and services BOCES provides, not only enhancing educational opportunities for our students, but also providing districts with technical support, business office services, staff development, employer-employee relations services, and more.
C. Leahy announced that 8% of the students currently attending Seaway Tech are from our district. After viewing a power point presentation highlighting our students and the programs they are currently enrolled in, Ms. Leahy introduced Stephanie Potter who spoke to the Board about the culinary arts program at Seaway Tech. Corey Clark then described the Allied Health Program and the opportunities that he has had to explore different careers within the health field.
Helene Mellon described many of the instructional and staff development opportunities that BOCES offers the eighteen component school districts and expressed her appreciation for the invaluable assistance she has received from Pamela Claus as well as Darin Saiff in researching and developing the types of programs that will have the most impact on improving student success, both academically and behaviorally.
Mr. Burns and the Board thanked everyone for attending to the meeting and for their insightful presentations.
C. Clark, L. Gush, C. Leahy, H. Mellon, and S. Potter left the meeting at 8:16 P.M.
SCHEDULE APPROVAL: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to approve the following schedules for audit and payment: General Fund, $274,954.67; School Lunch Fund, $6,760.58; Federal Fund, $34.95; Trust & Agency Fund, $16,583.43. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
BUDGET TRANSFERS: Motion made by S. Wilson and seconded by J. Young to authorize the Business Manager to make the necessary budgetary transfers as attached for the Month of February, 2007. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
BUDGET REPORTS: Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by J. Young to accept the Budget Reports for the Month of February, 2007. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
MATERNITY LEAVE/N. CLARK-VALLANCE: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by H. Simmons to approve Nicole Clark-Vallance’s request for maternity under the Family/Medical Leave Act commencing May 25, 2007, and continuing through the remainder of this school year. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
GR. 3 REPLACEMENT TEACHER/S. ELLIOTT: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by J. Young and seconded by S. Wilson to appoint Sarah Elliott to fill in for N. Clark-Vallance during her maternity leave. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
COACHING APPOINTMENT/E. WHITE: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by S. Wilson and seconded by T. Zellweger to approve the appointment of Elizabeth White as the Girls’ Modified Softball Coach for the 2007 season. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
UNUSED WEATHER/EMERGENCY DAYS: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by W. Witherell to apply unused weather/emergency days to Wednesday, June 20th, and Thursday, June 21st, at the elementary to give teachers an opportunity to complete end-of-year reports and room housekeeping chores. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
TELLERS/ALTERNATES CAPITAL PROJECT VOTE: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by W. Witherell to appoint Margaret Zahler and Elizabeth Beha as tellers for the proposed Capital/Excel Aid Building Project vote to be held on April 18, 2007, at a stipend of $70. and to appoint Josephine Eakins and John Mittelstaedt as Alternate Tellers in the event M. Zahler and/or E. Beha are unable to serve on the date of the vote. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
ANNUAL MEETING TELLERS/ALTERNATES/MACHINE CUSTODIAN/BUDGET MEETING CHAIR: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by S. Wilson to appoint Margaret Zahler and Elizabeth Beha as tellers for the Annual Budget/Board Candidate vote to be held on May 15, 2007, at a stipend of $70. and to appoint Josephine Eakins and John Mittelstaedt as Alternate Tellers in the event M. Zahler and/or E. Beha are unable to serve on the date of the vote. Further, Motion duly made and seconded to appoint Edward Powell as voting machine custodian at a stipend of $75. and Ward Remington as Chairperson of the Public Meeting to be held on May 8, 2007. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
LEGAL NOTICE: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to approve the attached Legal Notice of Annual Meeting and Election and to publish said notice on March 27, April 10, April 24, and May 8, 2007, as required.
OVERNIGHT TRIP: The Board reviewed information regarding a proposed overnight trip for 30 high school gymnastics team members to the Central Square Gymnastic Center in Central Square, New York, for an opportunity to participate in a weekend workshop. The group would leave after school on Friday, March 30th, and would return Saturday evening, March 31st. Motion made by S. Wilson and seconded by H. Simmons to approve this educational overnight field trip as submitted. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
CSE RECOMMENDATIONS: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by S. Wilson to approve the recommendation of the CSE for the attached list of four students. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST: Mr. Burns gave a brief summary of the recent annual legislative breakfast.
PRINCIPALS’ UPDATES: P. Claus noted that Kindergarten screening began this morning and will continue through Wednesday with thirty-five new students scheduled for assessment. P. Claus stated she, Mary Taylor, and Kristen Wallace would be attending the CSE Chairs Conference in Lake Placid tomorrow where they will have an opportunity to hear speakers review Response to Intervention, transition services, and strategies to address our students’ needs in the area of literacy.
Students in grades 3-6 completed their New York State math assessments last week and teachers would be working with colleagues from Madrid-Waddington to grade their efforts. P. Claus announced that the preview of this year’s musical, “Beauty and the Beast” was scheduled for Thursday at 1:00 P.M., and tickets were still available for the Friday and Saturday performances. CSE annual reviews would begin next Monday and Mrs. Jacot’s contributions to our committee on behalf of her students will be missed.
On Wednesday, March 28th, the Teachers’ Learning Center will be sponsoring an evening of math games at a Family Fun Night for students in grades K-6 from 6:30-7:45 P.M. Cheri Eck, the evening’s presenter, has received rave reviews. P. Claus expressed thanks to Therese Baxter for her efforts in organizing the event and thanked the PTSA for providing babysitting services.
P Claus invited members of the Board to attend a series of one act plays on April 4 at 9:00 A.M. and 1:00 P.M. presented by students in grades 3, 4, and multi-age 3/4. On the March 16th Staff Development Day, elementary teachers were able to select from a wide range of mini-workshops specifically targeted for their grade levels hosted at Potsdam Central School and Norwood-Norfolk Central School.
P. Claus announced that teachers and the PTSA recognized the following Students of the Month for the the character trait, Ambition: Mattie Tremper (Mrs. Loconti’s kindergarten), Nick Burnett (Mrs. Knowles’ kindergarten), Emma Snell (Miss Corcoran’s first grade), Lucas Snell (Mrs. Mason’s second grade), Ardon Clothier (Mrs. Axtell’s grade 1/2), Sydnee Wray (Mrs. White’s grade 1/2), Wyatt Snell (Mrs. Clark-Vallance’s grade 3), Kayla Myers (Mrs. Pcolar’s grade four), Nicole White (Mrs. VanLeuven’s grade 3/4), Chase Simmons (Ms. Rivezzi’s grade 3/4), Shayna Wheeler, Ms. Rose’s grade 5), Carlin McGregor (Mr. Mandigo’s grade 6), Emily Sloan (Mrs. Charlebois’ grade 5/6), and Brianna Hayes, Miss Blevins’ grade 5/6).
S. Bush and M. Russell left the meeting at 8:41 P.M.
D. Saiff informed the Board that Glenn Clark took his Wilderness Studies students to Higley Flow for an ice fishing field trip on February 16th. On February 27 and 28, Mr. Clark took the group on an overnight snowshoe camping trip so they could apply their skills at orienteering.
D. Saiff offered his congratulations to all of the students participating in this year’s annual school musical. They have worked extremely hard and have passed all of their rubrics while preparing for their performance. D. Saiff also expressed his thanks to Mrs. Simon-Shult and Miss Blevins for all of their hard work and dedication.
D. Saiff noted that the New York State Math 7th and 8th grade exams went well and acknowledged the efforts of the Junior High team for their efforts. Grading will be done with colleagues from Colton-Pierrepont. Junior high and high school faculty were also able to participate in many outstanding workshops throughout the county that were designed for their particular subject areas and feedback he had received was extremely positive.
The recent Junior-Senior High School Open House was relatively well-attended and 25-week progress reports were mailed to those who were unable to make it in.
D. Saiff also acknowledged C. Leahy and students involved in the culinary arts program who provide breakfast for the high school principals’ meetings. D. Saiff attended an excellent workshop on athletics and concussions with members of the physical education staff on March 8 and announced that the spring sport practices are underway.
On a final note, D. Saiff congratulated the Hammond Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team on their Class D State Championship victory this past weekend.
BOCES ANNUAL MEETING: Reservations to attend the BOCES Annual Dinner Meeting scheduled for April 5, 2007, at the Seaway Career & Technical Center in Norwood have been made for W. Remington, T. Zellweger, and Mr. Burns.
INFORMATION: The Board received information concerning nominations for a position on the BOCES Board, an invitation to the 4th Annual Human Issues Symposium, Minutes from the quarterly Healthcare and Workmen’s Comp Meetings, as well as draft Minutes from the January and February Meetings of the BOCES Board. In addition, the Board received a list of upcoming events of interest.
EXECUTIVE SESSION: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to go into Executive Session at 8:47 P.M. to discuss personnel matters.
B. Taylor left meeting at 8:40 P.M., S. Wilson left at 8:58 P.M., and R. Snow left at 9:00 P.M.
ADJOURNMENT: Motion made by H. Simmons and seconded by T. Zellweger to come out of Executive Session and adjourn at 9:05 P.M. 5 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
School District Clerk
March 26, 2007
CALL TO ORDER: A budget meeting of the Board of Education of the Parishville-Hopkinton Central School District was called to order at 7:35 P.M. by President W. Remington in the Cafeteria on the above date.
ROLL CALL: Present: C. Jacot, W. Remington, H. Simmons, W. Witherell, S. Woodward, J. Young, T. Zellweger, T. Burns. Absent: F. Wilhelm, S. Wilson. Others: R. Snow.
QUORUM: Quorum of five established.
REPLACEMENT TEACHER: Motion made by J. Young to table this item for discussion in Executive Session.
PRELIMINARY BUDGET WORK: The Board continued to work on the preliminary budget for the 2007-2008 school year with discussions focusing on the revenue side of the preliminary budget; review of the BOCES budget as part of the overall budget; discussion concerning projected tax increases; use of fund balance monies; and the state budget figures.
BOCES FINAL COMMITMENT: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by H. Simmons to approve the BOCES Final Commitment Form for the 2007-2008 school year in the amount of $1,412,750. plus “as used” Cosers; said amount to be reflected in the proposed school district budget developed for the 2007-2008 school year. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
2007-2008 BUDGET: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to adopt the following Budget Resolution:
BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Education of the Parishville-Hopkinton Central School District, Towns of Parishville, Hopkinton, Stockholm, and Potsdam, County of St. Lawrence, be and are hereby authorized to expend $8,488,591 appropriations amount ($8,398,591 plus $90,000 for bus purchase) and to accumulate a planned balance for July 1, 2008, amounting to $50,000 and to levy the necessary tax therefor. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
It was also noted that a separate proposition would appear on the ballot concerning the purchase/financing of a 60-passenger bus for the 2007-2008 school year. A resolution is being prepared by the school attorney for review and adoption by the Board at their April meeting.
EXECUTIVE SESSION: Motion made by H. Simmons and seconded by T. Zellweger to go into Executive Session at 8:35 P.M. to discuss personnel matters. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
R. Snow left meeting at 8:37 P.M.
Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to come out of Executive Session at 8:50 P.M.
REPLACEMENT TEACHER/S. JACKSON: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by S. Woodward and seconded by H. Simmons to appoint Susan Jackson as a long-term replacement teacher in the high school resource room retroactive to today’s date and continuing through the remainder of this school year. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
ADJOURNMENT: Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by J. Young to adjourn at 8:55 P.M. P.M. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
School District Clerk
April 23, 2007
CALL TO ORDER: The regular meeting of the Board of Education of the Parishville-Hopkinton Central School District was called to order at 7:30 P.M. by Vice President T. Zellweger in the cafeteria on the above date.
ROLL CALL: Present: C. Jacot, W. Remington-7:43 P.M., H. Simmons, F. Wilhelm-7:33 P.M., S. Wilson, W. Witherell-7:31 P.M., S. Woodward, J. Young, T. Zellweger, T. Burns. Absent: None. Others: P. Claus, J. Corcoran, L. Mitras, D. Saiff and L. Witherell.
QUORUM: Quorum of five established.
STUDENT/TEACHER RECOGNITION: P. Claus announced that we had recently received word from the Lake Placid Institute for the Arts and Humanities that three of our 5/6 students have been named “winning poets” in the Great Adirondack Young People’s Poetry Contest for 2007: Jenna Converse, “The Suitcase,” Alyssa Guyette, “Inside the Moon,” and Megan Sullivan, “Inside Chocolate.” Their poems will be published in a book of 50 winners and will also be available on the Institute’s website. The students are invited to an awards ceremony at the Lake Placid Center of the Arts on Sunday, May 6th, where some of the winners will be asked to read their poems.
D. Saiff recognized Chelsea Snyder who was selected as Student of the Month in the Allied Health Program at Seaway Area Tech.
W. Witherell arrived at 7:31 P.M.
MINUTES: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by S. Wilson to approve the Minutes of the March 19, 2007, regular meeting, March 26, 2007, special budget meeting, April 4, 2007, public capital/excel project meeting, and April 18, 2007, capital/excel project vote as typed and mailed to Board Members. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
TREASURER’S REPORTS: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by S. Woodward to approve the Treasurer’s Reports showing an available balance on hand as of March 31, 2007, as follows: General Fund, $861,461.03; School Lunch Fund, $19,954.76; School Lunch Savings, $26,123.81; Federal Fund, $14,256.35; Trust & Agency Fund, $-0-; Payroll Fund, $-0-; Capital Fund, $-0-; Risk Retention, $2.60; Extra-Class Activities Fund, $52,577.62. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
CAPITAL PROJECT UPDATE: Mr. Burns informed the Board that he contacted Jeff Siddell of King & King Architects to discuss the positive vote and review the next step in the process of submitting the plan for SED approval. Jeff will schedule a trip up here in the near future to develop final plans for review and approval by the Board prior to submission to The State Education Department. Plan approval by the Office of Facilities and Planning is currently taking approximately 13 weeks.
F. Wilhelm arrived at 7:33 P.M.
EMERGENCY DAYS: Mr. Burns noted that, since the March Board Meeting, it has been necessary to use our two remaining weather/emergency days which the Board had voted to utilize on June 20 and 21 to allow elementary students to end their school year on June 19th and provide elementary teachers with two days without students in order to complete end-of-year work. Mr. Burns added that these days have proven to be extremely beneficial and asked that the Board consider approving two early release dates that could be utilized in lieu of the emergency give-back days originally approved by the Board.
Motion made by J. Young and seconded by F. Wilhelm to approve an early release for students K-6 at 11:00 A.M. on June 20th and at 9:00 A.M. on June 21st. 8 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
A notice will be sent home to inform parents of these changes.
SCHEDULE APPROVAL: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by H. Simmons to approve the following schedules for audit and payment: General Fund, $321,679.17; School Lunch Fund, $8,112.91; Federal Fund, $2,464.65; Trust & Agency Fund, $17,066.16. 8 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
BUDGET TRANSFERS: Motion made by W. Witherell and seconded by S. Wilson to authorize the Business Manager to make the necessary budgetary transfers as attached for the Month of March, 2007. 8 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
W. Remington arrived at 7:43 P.M.
BUDGET REPORTS: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by H. Simmons to accept the Budget Reports for the Month of March, 2007. 9 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
LETTER OF RESIGNATION/J. SMITH: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by J. Young and seconded by S. Wilson to accept Jennifer Smith’s letter of resignation from her position as a part-time health/physical education teacher effective May 4th and extended their best wishes as she begins a new position at the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center. It was noted that J. Smith will prepare plans through the end of the year and will work with her replacement to help insure a smooth transition for the students. 9 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
HEALTH/PE REPLACEMENT TEACHER/N. GARDNER: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by S. Woodward and seconded by S. Wilson to appoint Natalie Gardner as a temporary part-time Health/Physical Education Teacher for the remainder of the school year. 9 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried. Mr. Burns noted that this part-time position would be filled through the St. Lawrence-Lewis Boces as a shared position with Brasher Falls for the 2007-2008 school year.
SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER/M. MURRAY: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by C. Jacot and seconded by S. Woodward to appoint Michelle Murray as a Special Education Teacher for the Middle Level Resource Room effective September 4, 2007. 9 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried. (Certification: Initial Certificate for Students with Disabilities 1-6 and 5-9, Generalist. Beginning salary to be set at Step 2 of the current Teachers’ Contract. This appointment carries a three-year probationary period from September 5, 2007, and continuing through September 1, 2010).
MEDICAL LEAVE/J. REED: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by J. Young and seconded by H. Simmons to approve John Reed’s request for medical leave under the Family/Medical Leave Act commencing March 26, 2007, and continuing through May 25, 2007 (tentative return date). 9 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
SUMMER DRIVER EDUDATION/G. BOURDAGE: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by J. Young and seconded by S. Wilson to appoint Gerald Bourdage as Summer Driver Education Teacher for 2007. (Salary will be based on the 2006-2007 Non-Unit Salary Schedule of $6,312 based on seventeen years of service and a class of twenty students). 9 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
BOCES BOARD CANDIDATES: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by S. Wilson to cast one vote each for Roger Bennett, Janet Favro, and Andrea Webb in the annual election of members to the St. Lawrence-Lewis Counties Board of Cooperative Educational Services. 9 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
BOCES BUDGET VOTE: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by S. Woodward to approve the adoption of the 2007-2008 Administrative Budget for the St. Lawrence-Lewis Counties Board of Cooperative Educational Services in the amount of $2,972,549. 9 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
NYS REPORT CARD: Mr. Burns informed the Board that we did not receive the NYS Report Card data in today’s mail and it does not appear that it will be available until after the press conference that is scheduled for April 26th. Once the embargo has lifted, this data will be mailed to all school district residents for review prior to the annual school budget/board candidate vote as required. Hopefully we will be able to include the report card data in the budget newsletter which is being finalized at this time.
2008-09 SCHOOL CALENDAR: Motion made by C. Jacot and seconded by T. Zellweger to approve the 2008-09 school calendar as attached. 9 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
BUS BOND RESOLUTION: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to adopt the attached bus bond resolution prepared by Roger Linden authorizing the issuance of a Statutory Installment Bond for the purpose of financing the purchase of one (1) Bluebird/Vision 60-passenger school bus at a total cost not to exceed the sum of $90,000.00 pending voter approval on May 15, 2007. 9 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried. The bond must be obtained prior to the end of the fiscal year with the first payment coming due the following June.
CPSE/CSE RECOMMENDATIONS: Motion made by S. Wilson and seconded by T. Zellweger to approve the recommendations of the CPSE for three pre-school children as well as the recommendations of the CSE for the attached list of twenty-eight students. 9 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
Mr. Burns noted that Annual Reviews are well underway and expressed his thanks to P. Claus, D. Saiff, Mrs. Hafer, Ms. Scudder, and all classroom and special area staff who devote countless hours to planning and implementing programs to fit the individual needs of our CSE students.
PRINCIPALS’ UPDATES: P. Claus noted that this year’s musical was a tremendous success with almost sell-out houses on both nights. P. Claus congratulated Sara Simon-Shult, Pam Blevins, and the cast, crew and everyone else who worked so hard to make it a success.
Lots of families came and enjoyed our Math Family Fun Night on March 28th. P. Claus thanked the St. Lawrence Valley Teachers’ Learning Center for providing Cheri Eck, our presenter, and the PTSA for supporting the event by offering babysitting services. P. Claus also thanked Therese Baxter for her efforts to organize and host the event with an eye toward duplicating it with students and parents next year.
Annual reviews continue to keep everyone busy with six more full days of meetings. P. Claus thanked Mary Taylor, Kristen Wallace, Mary Kay Hafer, and Barb Remington, as well as all of our related service providers and teachers for developing and writing their IEPs and programs for next year.
Parent conferences were held this past week and we had an excellent turn-out. P. Claus thanked the Board for their continued support of these early release days which support our efforts with parent involvement.
Teachers and the PTSA recognized the following students of the month for Honesty and Trustworthiness: Brooke Hayes (Mrs. Loconti’s kindergarten), Ashton (Mrs. Knowles’ kindergarten), Ivy Donovan (Miss Corcoran’s first grade), Hannah Hannon (Mrs. Mason’s second grade), Allaina Zellweger (Mrs. White’s grade 1/2), Alyssa Sloan (Mrs. Axtell’s grade 1/2), Mike Cook (Mrs. Clark-Vallance’s grade 3), Calista Sochia (Mrs. Pcolar’s grade four), Anthony Pullano (Mrs. VanLeuven’s grade 3/4), Rebecca Mitchell (Ms. Rivezzi’s grade 3/4), William Schiavone (Ms. Rose’s grade 5), Kelsey Charleson (Mr. Mandigo’s grade 6), Reed Donovan, (Miss Blevins’ grade 5/6), and Nicole Ellis (Mrs. Charlebois’ grade 5/6).
P. Claus announced that this year’s spring book fair was a real success with sales totaling over $2,000. Proceeds from the sale go to books for our libraries and classrooms.
Our multi-age 3/4, grade 3, and grade 4 students did a super job with their plays. The costumes, sets, and dialogue were wonderful.
Bill Smith will be here for a day of story telling on Thursday. If you are interested, please stop by from 9:35-10:50 A.M., 12:15-1:30 P.M., or 1:40-2:10 P.M. to hear him speak.
Our 4th graders will be taking their science tests on May 7 and 8. Program evaluation tests give us a good opportunity to review and evaluate the content of our program.
D. Saiff also added his congratulations to Mrs. Simon-Shult and Miss Blevins and the cast and crew for their excellent production of “Beauty and the Beast” and thanked Miss Claus for handling ticket sales.
D. Saiff informed the Board that he had attended a Utica National Safety Meeting and presentation on Threat Assessment with Trooper Plumb and Lisa Mitras. D. Saiff also attended a break-out session to update him on various legal issues while Trooper Plumb attended a session on weapons abatement.
Mrs. White took her Regents Chemistry class to Clarkson University to visit four different labs relating to Bio sensors, Advanced Batteries, Cancer/Virus research, and Particles research. Art and Spanish students visited the Art Museum in Ottawa on April 20th. Mr. Whalen reported that the students were great and enjoyed the trip.
D. Saiff noted that Trooper Plumb will be attending a threat Assessment seminar regarding bomb threats at the Fire Hall tomorrow evening.
There are several upcoming events on the school calendar including the Wilderness Studies Bike Tour scheduled for April 26 and 27, the Seaway Area Tech Center National Honor Society Induction Ceremony scheduled for 7:00 P.M. on May 2nd at Norwood-Norfolk Central School, and the Elks annual recognition luncheon for our local high school valedictorians and salutatorians on May 3rd at 11:30 A.M. In addition, D. Saiff noted the Grade 8 Science Test will be administered on May 3 and 4. On May 10 and 11 Mr. Clark’s Wilderness Studies classes are scheduled to go on an overnight mountain climb; however, that may become a one day trip due to the Envirothon Competition scheduled for May 10th at Paul Smith’s. The annual Academic Awards Banquet will be held at 6:00 P.M. on May 17th, the Junior-Senior Prom will be held at the Town Hall on May 19th, and the seniors will be taking a day trip to Darien Lake on May 25th.
D. Saiff reported that the sports schedule has tightened up due to unseasonable weather conditions and teams are just beginning to practice outside. The modified baseball numbers are extremely high again this year so, for the second year, we have decided to split into two teams to allow more playing time for each student athlete.
INFORMATION: The Board received a copy of correspondence concerning Mike Walter’s nomination as 2008 New York State Teacher of the Year, as well as information regarding the Jefferson-Lewis BOCES’ Drug and Alcohol Program and a copy of the letter Mr. Burns sent to the Superintendent and Board of Hammond Central School on behalf of our Board and entire school community, congratulating them on their Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team’s Class D State Championship victory. In addition, the Board received a list of upcoming events of interest.
EXECUTIVE SESSION: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by S. Woodward to go into Executive Session at 8:16 P.M. to discuss evaluations of probationary and replacement teachers as well as the annual evaluation of the Superintendent.
J. Corcoran left meeting at 8:16 P.M.
ADJOURNMENT: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to come out of Executive Session and adjourn at 9:02 P.M. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
School District Clerk
May 21, 2007
CALL TO ORDER: The regular meeting of the Board of Education of the Parishville-Hopkinton Central School District was called to order at 7:37 P.M. by President W. Remington in the cafeteria on the above date.
ROLL CALL: Present: C. Jacot, W. Remington, H. Simmons, F. Wilhelm, S. Wilson, J. Young, T. Zellweger, T. Burns. Absent: W. Witherell, S. Woodward. Others: M. Bailey, P. Claus, E. Conger, L. Cox, A. Gilbert, L. Mitras, J. Richards, M. Russell, D. Saiff, R. Taylor, J. Witherell, and L. Witherell.
QUORUM: Quorum of five established.
STUDENT RECOGNITION: D. Saiff announced that Leanne Miller was selected as Seaway Area Tech Student of the Month in Metalworking and Randy Bump was selected as Seaway Area Tech’s Career & Technical Rotary Student of the Month for April.
D. Saiff noted that Mrs. Janet Learned had taken a group of five students, Andrew Gilbert, Jon Peryer, Nick Gilbert, Dan MaGuire, and Andreas McIntosh, to St. Lawrence University where they participated in the Pi Mu Epsilon International Mathematics Competition on April 23rd against a dozen area schools. Our team placed second overall, with three of our seniors placing in the top five from around the county in individual competition (Andrew Gilbert 2nd, Jon Peryer 3rd, and Dan MaGuire 5th).
D. Saiff also announced that one of Mr. Clark’s Wilderness Studies I Envirothon Teams received first place in county competition and first place in the Northern Adirondack Region competition held in Paul Smith’s on May 10th and will be going on to participate in the state competition at Cobleskill on May 23rd and 24th.
Lastly, D. Saiff informed the Board that our Senior Band came away with three first place trophies when they performed in the Music in the Parks competition in Boston during their trip on May 4-6, 2007. The trophy catgories included small school concert band, all concert bands, and Esprit De Corps. Mr. Cannamela said that the students were very well-behaved again this year and that the trip went extremely well.
MINUTES: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by H. Simmons to approve the Minutes of the March 26, 2007, special budget meeting (Revised), April 23, 2007, regular meeting, May 8, 2007, public budget meeting, and May 15, 2007, Budget/Bus Financing/Board Candidate Vote as typed and mailed to Board Members. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
TREASURER’S REPORTS: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by F. Wilhelm to approve the Treasurer’s Reports showing an available balance on hand as of April 30, 2007, as follows: General Fund, $9,156.43; School Lunch Fund, $18,500.85; School Lunch Savings, $26,123.81; Federal Fund, $14,258.55; Trust & Agency Fund, -0-; Payroll Fund, $-0-; Capital Fund, $-0-; Risk Retention, $-0-; Extra-Class Activities Fund, $47,577.72. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
CAPITAL PROJECT UPDATE: Mr. Burns informed the Board that he will be meeting with Jeff Siddell of King & King Architects and Glen LeComte of Argus Engineering on Wednesday May 23rd to begin work to finalize plans for review by the Board of Education prior to submission to the State Education Department’s Office of Facilities and Planning.
SCHEDULE APPROVAL: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to approve the following schedules for audit and payment: General Fund, $308,461.32; School Lunch Fund, $7,866.20; Federal Fund, $-0-; Trust & Agency Fund, $17,044.61. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
BUDGET TRANSFERS: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by H. Simmons to authorize the Business Manager to make the necessary budgetary transfers as attached for the Month of April, 2007. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
BUDGET REPORTS: Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by J. Young to accept the Budget Reports for the Month of April, 2007. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
MATERNITY LEAVE/S. SIMON-SHULT: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by J. Young and seconded by C. Jacot to approve Sara Simon-Shult’s request for Maternity Leave under the Family/Medical Leave Act commencing Thursday, September 6, 2007, and continuing through Friday, September 28, 2007. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
VOCAL MUSIC REPLACEMENT/M. CONGER: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by J. Young and seconded by F. Wilhelm to appoint Maria Conger to fill in for S. Simon-Shult during her maternity leave. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
ADDITIONAL SUMMER STAFF/R. TAYLOR/C. COOK/B. REMINGTON/R. BINAN/R. BLUM/M. CUTLER/J. FOSTER: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to hire Robert Taylor as Bus Driver of the Summer Special Education run to Ogdensburg and part-time cleaner for a total of 40 hours per week; Conrad Cook as Bus Driver of the Summer Special Education run to Potsdam; Barb Remington as a 30-hour cleaner; Ramona Binan as a 20-hour cleaner; and Robert Blum and Mark Cutler as 40-hour cleaners. Joseph Foster as Bus Driver of the Summer School run to Canton; (Note: bus driving will be paid at the current rate of $11.67 per hour since we are still operating under the previous Non-Teachers’ Contract. Cleaning will be paid at the rate of $7.33 per hour as was adjusted last summer). 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
Mr. Burns noted that we still need to appoint someone as a Bus Monitor on the Summer Special Education bus run to Ogdensburg and someone to work as a part-time cleaner in the Bus Garage cleaning the fleet.
2007-2008 COACHING/ADVISOR RECOMMENDATIONS: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by S. Wilson to approve the following for coaching/advisor appointments for the 2006-2007 school year: Tony Engstrom – Boys’ Varsity Soccer Coach, Girls’ Junior Varsity Basketball Coach, and Boys’ Varsity Baseball Coach; Michael Costanzo – Boys’ Junior Varsity Soccer Coach; Evan Harper, Jr. – Girls’ Varsity Soccer Coach and Girls’ Varsity Softball Coach; Elizabeth White – Girls’ Junior Varsity Soccer Coach, Girls’ Varsity Basketball Coach, and Girls’ Modified Softball Coach; Nicole Clark-Vallance – Girls’ Junior High Soccer Coach; Shawn Spriggs – Boys’ Junior High Soccer Coach and Boys’ Junior Varsity Basketball Coach; Bryan Harmer – Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach; John Waite – Boys’ Modified Basketball Coach; Jennifer Blevins – Girls’ Junior High Basketball Coach; Ann Krueger-Harmon Burrows – Gymnastics Coach; Jason Felix – Boys’ Modified Baseball Coach; Sara Simon-Shult – School Musical Director and School Musical Accompanist; Pamela Blevins – School Musical Stage Director; Laura Pierie and Irene Sinclair – Student Council Co-Advisors; Laura Pierie – David Parish National Honor Society Advisor and Roswell Hopkins Junior National Honor Society Advisor (unpaid); Ray Whalen and Irene Sinclair – Yearbook Co-Advisors; Mary Keenan and Kim Reed – 7th and 8th Grade Class Advisors (unpaid); Jason Felix and Scott Lalonde – 10th Grade Class Advisors; Miranda Brosell and Ray Whalen – 11th Grade Class Advisors; Mary Keenan and Denise Murray – 12th Grade Class Advisors. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
It was noted that we are still in the process of filling the 9th Grade Advisor positions.
LETTER OF RETIREMENT/J. STRADER: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to accept Joanne Strader’s letter of retirement from her position as bus driver effective June 23, 2007, and extended their thanks for Joanne’s many years of dedicated service to the District. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
BUS DRIVER/D. LARUE: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by J. Young and seconded by C. Jacot to appoint David LaRue as a regular bus driver effective September 6, 2007. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
LETTER OF RESIGNATION/B. SNYDER: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by J. Young and seconded by F. Wilhelm to accept Brenda Snyder’s letter of resignation from her position as a part-time teacher aide effective May 18th and extended their best wishes as she completes course requirements for her Special Education teaching degree. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
PART-TIME TEACHER AIDE/S. STONE: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to appoint Stephanie Stone as a part-time teacher aide retroactive to May 21, 2007, and continuing through the remainder of the school year. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
SUBSTITUTE BUS DRIVER/J. GUINEY: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by C. Jacot and seconded by H. Simmons to approve John Guiney as a substitute bus driver as soon as we receive confirmation of fingerprint clearance and he has completed other bus driver requirements for our school. Mr. Burns noted that J. Guiney has a current CDL with passenger endorsement. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
TENURE RECOMMENDATION/S. SIMON-SHULT/L. PIERIE/S. AXTELL: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by J. Young and seconded by H. Simmons to grant tenure to the following individuals in their respective certification areas effective September 1, 2007: Sara Simon-Shult in the area of K-12 Vocal Music, Laura Pierie in the area of English 7-12, Shannon Axtell in the area of Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and Grades 1-6. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
MATERNITY LEAVE/A. WILKES: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by C. Jacot and seconded by T. Zellweger to approve Amy Wilkes’ request for Maternity Leave under the Family/Medical Leave Act commencing November 19, 2007, and continuing through January 2, 2008. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
SICK DAY DONATIONS/R. BINAN: Mr. Burns informed the Board that he had received a request from the Non-Teachers’ Association to be allowed to form a sick bank for Ramona Binan as she has just be diagnosed with pneumonia and she has already exhausted all of her accumulated sick and personal days. Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to approve sick leave donations for Ramona Binan to assist her until she recovers from pneumonia and is able to return to work. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
NYS SCHOOL REPORT CARD: P. Claus, D. Saiff, and Mr. Burns discussed the contents of the New York State Report Card for the 2005-2006 school year with the Board, noting that overall our students continue to do well and teachers are working diligently to help students to be successful. P. Claus and D. Saiff reviewed much of the report card information with the Board and noted some of the examinations and entire content areas such as Math A and B that are undergoing significant changes by the New York State Board of Regents. The report included enrollment information, student demographics, attendance, number of graduates, and NYS and Regents exam results for our students and compared those results with other public schools throughout the state. Mr. Burns noted that the New York State Report Card was mailed to all district residents along with the Budget Newsletter so that the information could be reviewed prior to the May Board Candidate/Budget vote.
TOWN OF PARISHVILLE BUS REQUEST: Motion made by F. Wilhelm and seconded by C. Jacot to approve a request from the Town of Parishville for the use of two buses for the Summer Recreation Program based on the understanding that two of our regular, certified bus drivers will be hired by the town to operate the buses. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
CPSE/CSE RECOMMENDATIONS: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by H. Simmons to approve the recommendations of the CPSE for one pre-school child as well as the recommendations of the CSE for the attached list of thirty-one students. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
PRINCIPALS’ UPDATES: P. Claus announced our Spring 2007 Spelling Bee winners: Hannah Gray representing grades 1, 2, and multi-age 1/2; Rebecca Mitchell, representing grades 3,4, and multi-age 3/4; and Lindsey Martin, representing grades 5, 6, and multi-age 5/6. The Student Council awarded each winner a trophy which was in the form of a bee and the Shared Decision-Making Committee gave each of the three finalists from each grade an award in recognition of their effort.
Our 4th graders took their assessments in Science on Monday, May 7, and Tuesday, May 8. Our in-house scoring of the multiple choice, short answer performance segments placed all of our 4th graders at level 4 with the exception of one student who achieved level 3.
Canton Nursing students returned for a second wellness Health Fair covering topics associated with summer. P. Claus thanked them and Mrs. Goliber for organizing the fair.
The AMVETS sponsored “There’s No Magic in Drugs” on May 9 for our 5, 6, and multi-age 5/6 students. Karleen and Karvell presented their thoughtful message amongst a series of magic tricks. The response was very favorable and the AMVETS graciously reed to sponsor the program again next year.
The last Story Time event was well attended on May 15. P. Claus thanked Mrs. Mary Taylor who organized each month’s activities and to all the staff who were guest readers or sponsored refreshments. P. Claus also acknowledged First Book for supplying the wonderful variety of books for our students to select and add to their home libraries.
P. Claus also congratulated all of the students who competed in the Battle of the Books sponsored by the Hopkinton Library. Our winning team included Trey Russell, Nicole White, Michael Kearney, Anthony Pullano, and Ethan Cox. They will be competing in Watertown on June 9th.
Congratulations were also extended to the following Students of the Month for May who demonstrated the character trait Respectfulness: Clara Maine and Alex Hayes (kindergarten), Rebecca Colby (grade 1), Kyle Clark (grade 2), Jayda Sullivan and Garrett Hayes (multi-age 1/2), Katie Colbert (grade 3), Zachary Armstrong (grade 4), Kelsey Zenger and Victoria Collins (multi-age 3/4), Joey Jacot (grade 5), Colin Myers (grade 6), and Dana Harper and David Eames (multi-age 5/6).
P. Claus announced that the very successful Reading Buddies and Math Buddies Programs would conclude tomorrow. The Parishville Rescue Squad will be here on Wednesday to provide a mock demonstration with their ambulances for students in grades k-3.
P. Claus noted that we provided two great displays focusing on the efforts of our Math triads at Clarkson this week and congratulated the staff members who took the time to explain their work at Clarkson.
D. Saiff informed the Board that Monique Jenkinson was the winner of the 7th and 8th grade Spelling Bee.
Preliminary Scores for the 8th grade Science exam look good.
D. Saiff noted that he attended the Elks Student Recognition Luncheon with Ms. Scudder where local area Valedictorians, Salutatorians, and students demonstrating excellence in art, music, and sports were recognized.
D. Saiff announced that the CSE Annual Review Meetings have concluded and he acknowledged the efforts of Ms. Claus, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Hafer, and Mrs. Remington for all of their efforts on behalf of the students.
The Academic banquet was held on May 17th and approximately 250 people were in attendance. D. Saiff thanked Mrs. Hazelton and her staff for the excellent meal and thanked Mrs. Richardson for coordinating the event and organizing the awards portion of the evening.
The Prom was held on May 19th and the students were well behaved. D. Saiff acknowledged the efforts of senior class advisors Bryan Harmer and Shawn Spriggs and junior class advisors Mary Keenan and Denise Murray. D. Saiff also thanked the parents of juniors and seniors who organized the all night after prom party.
INFORMATION: The Board received the results of the BOCES Administrative Budget and Board Candidate Vote, quarterly Healthcare and Workers’ Compensation Committee Meeting Minutes from May 2, 2007, information concerning orientation for new School Board Members, an article regarding concerns raised over graduation rates in the region and an article in honor of Evan Harper’s 300th win in softball this year, written by former student, Meghan Lalonde. The Board also received a list of upcoming events of interest.
EXECUTIVE SESSION: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to go into Executive Session at 8:26 P.M. to discuss evaluations of tenured teachers, on-going health care discussions, and upcoming negotiations sessions.
M. Bailey, E. Conger, L. Cox, A. Gilbert, J. Richards, M. Russell, R. Taylor, and J. Witherell left meeting at 8:28 P.M.
Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by S. Wilson to come out of Executive Session at 9:24 P.M. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
FINAL PAY/J. JACOT: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to approve a final longevity retirement payout to the estate of Joanne Jacot in the amount of $2,500, making a total payout of $6,000 as specified under the current PHCS Teachers’ Contract. C. Jacot abstained, W. Remington in favor, H. Simmons in favor, F. Wilhelm in favor, S. Wilson in favor, J. Young in favor, T. Zellweger in favor. Carried.
ADJOURNMENT: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to adjourn at 9:25 P.M. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
School District Clerk
June 18, 2007
CALL TO ORDER: The regular meeting of the Board of Education of the Parishville-Hopkinton Central School District was called to order at 7:33 P.M. by President W. Remington in the cafeteria on the above date.
ROLL CALL: Present: C. Jacot, W. Remington, H. Simmons, F. Wilhelm, S. Wilson-7:38 P.M., W. Witherell, T. Zellweger, T. Burns. Absent: S. Woodward, J. Young. Others: P. Claus, L. Mitras, D. Saiff, R. Taylor, and L. Witherell.
QUORUM: Quorum of five established.
TEACHER RECOGNITION: T. Burns announced that Bryan Harmer received a graduate assistantship at St. Lawrence University which will allow him to pursue his administrative degree at no cost. Bryan will be working with Dr. Shuman and will need to be released during 5th period on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
T. Burns also announced that he had read an article in St. Lawrence Central School’s newsletter that Jason Felix was recently inducted into their Sports Hall of Fame for Football.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RECOGNITION: P. Claus informed the Board that the elementary school was recognized as one of the New York State Title I high performing/gap closing public and charter schools for English Language Arts and Math during the 2005-2006 school year.
MINUTES: Motion made by F. Wilhelm and seconded by H. Simmons to approve the Minutes of the May 21, 2007, regular meeting as typed and mailed to Board Members. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
TREASURER’S REPORTS: Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by W. Witherell to approve the Treasurer’s Reports showing an available balance on hand as of May 31, 2007, as follows: General Fund, $160,391.88; School Lunch Fund, $10,850.99; School Lunch Savings, $41,123.81; Federal Fund, $17,803.28; Trust & Agency Fund, $-0-; Payroll Fund, $-0-; Extra-Class Activities Fund, $44,243.24. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
CAPITAL PROJECT UPDATE: The Board reviewed correspondence from Jeff Siddell of King & King Architects which noted that another site visit would be necessary before they could finalize plans for submission to the Office of Facilities and Planning. Hopefully there will be more to report at the next meeting.
SCHEDULE APPROVAL: Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by C. Jacot to approve the following schedules for audit and payment: General Fund, $354,197.99; School Lunch Fund, $5,862.47; Federal Fund, $-0-; Trust & Agency Fund, $17,022.34. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
BUDGET TRANSFERS: Motion made by C. Jacot and seconded by F. Wilhelm to authorize the Business Manager to make the necessary budgetary transfers as attached for the Month of May, 2007. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
BUDGET REPORTS: Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by H. Simmons to accept the Budget Reports for the Month of May, 2007. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
S. Wilson arrived at 7:38 P.M.
COMPENSATED ABSENCES RESERVE: Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by F. Wilhelm to approve a transfer of $170,000 from General Fund CLASS to the Compensated Absences Reserve in CLASS. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
BUS FLEET STATUS REPORT: Mr. Burns reviewed the Bus Fleet Status Report with the Board and discussed the overall condition of the bus fleet. Motion made by F. Wilhelm and seconded by C. Jacot to include the purchase of two new 66-passenger buses for planning in development of the 2008-2009 preliminary budget with final purchase pending voter approval. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, carried
MATERNITY LEAVE/M. MURRAY: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by H. Simmons to approve Michelle Murray’s request for Maternity Leave under the Family/Medical Leave Act commencing Thursday, September 4, 2007, and continuing through Friday, September 21, or October 5, 2007, depending upon delivery date and recovery. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
MIDDLE LEVEL RESOURCE ROOM REPLACEMENT/S. STONE: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by W. Witherell to appoint Stephanie Stone to replace Michelle Murray during her maternity leave. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
SUMMER STAFFING/B. TAYLOR/B. SOCHIA: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by C. Jacot to hire Bernice Taylor as Bus Monitor for the Summer Special Education run to Ogdensburg and to appoint Bonnie Sochia as a part-time cleaner in the Bus Garage cleaning the fleet for approximately 16 hours per week. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
BOOKS AT THE BEACH/J. MASON/L. KNOWLES/I. SINCLAIR/M. TAYLOR/C. WITHERELL: P. Claus explained that the Books at the Beach Program was scheduled to run the same as last year. Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by H. Simmons to appoint Jennifer Mason and Lori Knowles as Coordinators of the Books at the Beach Program (J. Mason for 13 days and L. Knowles for 13 days, Monday – Friday, 9:00 A.M. until 1:00 P.M. daily) at $25.00 per hour; and Irene Sinclair and Mary Taylor as teachers (each working 13 days) at $20.00 per hour; and Cody Witherell to work full time for the length of the program as the student aide for the Books at the Beach Program at $7.15 per hour. C. Jacot in favor, W. Remington in favor, H. Simmons in favor, F. Wilhelm in favor, S. Wilson in favor, W. Witherell abstained, T. Zellweger in favor, Carried.
SUBSTITUTE BUS DRIVER/M. TREMPER: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by S. Wilson and seconded by T. Zellweger to approve Michael Tremper for training as a substitute bus driver. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
ELEMENTARY READING TEACHER REPLACEMENT/J. BERRY: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by C. Jacot and seconded by W. Witherell to appoint Julie Berry to replace Amy Wilkes during her maternity leave scheduled for November 29, 2007, through January 2, 2008. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
CUSTODIAL WORKER/B. BAILEY: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by F. Wilhelm and seconded by H. Simmons to approve Brian Bailey’s appointment to the new Custodial Worker position at a base salary of $21,015* effective July 1, 2007 (*actual salary to be set at $26,143 based on years of experience). 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
HEALTH INSURANCE BUYOUT: Based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by C. Jacot to approve an Addendum of Agreement for Health Insurance Coverage to allow members of the Teachers’ Association and Non-Teaching Association to opt for an external health insurance buyout during the 2007-2008 school year. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
TRANSPORTATION REQUEST/CAMP MANDAVILLE: Motion made by S. Wilson and seconded by C. Jacot to approve a request from Robert Emmett, Director of Camp Mandaville, to transport summer campers and staff to Stillwater Reservoir on Monday, July 30th, and pick them up on Friday, August 3rd. In addition, Mr. Emmett has again requested that we transport his campers to and from the Parishville Beach on July 11th, July 18th, and July 25th. Mr. Emmett has already provided proof of liability insurance and accepts responsibility for the costs associated with paying for one of our drivers as well as the fuel consumed. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
ACADEMIC INTERVENTION SERVICES PLAN: T. Burns reviewed the Academic Intervention Services Plan which outlines how we identify students who require Academic Intervention Services, the level of AIS needed, and the method used to determine when a student no longer needs services. Mr. Burns acknowledged the efforts of P. Claus who works with Rachelle Romoda to coordinate the availability of Title I services for those students identified as needing remedial help and to review and update this plan annually as required. Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by S. Wilson to approve the Academic Intervention Services Plan as presented. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
CSE RECOMMENDATIONS: Motion made by S. Wilson and seconded by F. Wilhelm to approve the recommendations of the CSE for the attached list of seventeen students. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
PRINCIPALS’ UPDATES: P. Claus announced that we had a great crowd for Kindergarten graduation this morning. P. Claus invited Members of the Board to attend 6th grade graduation tomorrow morning at 9:00 A.M., and thanked W. Witherell for assisting with the presentation of diplomas at the moving up ceremony and Judy Witherell for being the guest speaker.
P. Claus informed the Board that she had met with all elementary teachers to review grade placements for next year and noted that it was not always possible to honor every request due to class sizes, social behavior concerns, special education needs, and Title I needs; however, each student’s identified strengths and needs were reviewed carefully in order to make the best possible placements.
The efforts of our outgoing Safety Patrol were recognized this past Tuesday with new members being inducted at the same ceremony. Miss Pam Blevins has assumed a leadership role in the Safety Patrol and P. Claus recognized her continuing efforts to oversee this worthwhile program.
Preliminary NYS Math scores for 2006-2007 are in and, as printed by the Watertown Times, our students did a good job of meeting and exceeding state standards.
P. Claus noted that our fourth grade Battle of the Books team traveled with their families and Mrs. VanLeuven to Watertown last weekend to compete in the second round of competition. Unfortunately, they were eliminated; however, Mrs. VanLeuven indicated that they did very well with their responses. P. Claus congratulated Ethan Cox, Nicole White, Trey Russell, and Anthony Pullano for their efforts.
D. Saiff informed the Board that honor society induction ceremonies for the David Parish National Honor Society and John Hopkins Junior National Honor Society and were held on May 24 and 25 and thanked Mrs. Pierie for her work with both groups. The seniors had a very nice class trip to Darien Lake on May 25th and D. Saiff thanked Mr. Harmer and Mr. Spriggs for all of their work as advisors for the Class of 2007.
The annual gymnastics show was held on June 1 and 2 and D. Saiff thanked Mrs. Ann K-H Burrows and Miss Natalie Gardner for their work with all of the student athletes.
On June 3rd D. Saiff attended a St. Lawrence-Lewis Counties School Boards Association Dinner with Andrew Gilbert and his family and Elizabeth Conger and her family. The dinner is held annually to honor local area Valedictorians and Salutatorians for their academic excellence.
D. Saiff also noted that orientation for students entering 7th grade and 9th grade in the fall was held on June 4th. D. Saiff thanked Melissa Scudder, Mrs. Keenan, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Brosell, Mr. Eldridge, and Mr. Walter for attending and briefly outlining student expectations and responsibilities as they enter Junior High and High School.
The Spring Sports Banquet was held on the evening of June 5th with approximately 150 student athletes and their families in attendance. Mr. Clark’s annual Wilderness Studies Canoe Trip was June 4th through the 8th. The students always look forward to this trip and it is an excellent opportunity for them to apply the skills they have learned throughout the semester.
The High School Concert was held on June 6th and D. Saiff acknowledged both Sara Simon-Shult and Don Cannamela for their efforts. The choral and instrumental groups provided a great evening of entertainment for those in attendance.
Students in grades 6-12 attended assemblies on June 7 and 8 where many received recognition and awards for their academic excellence.
D. Saiff informed the Board that Patti Fisher from BOCES visited the school on June 11th to conduct a Junior High Technology Survey. County and District data will be available in the Fall for the Board’s review.
On June 13th the 8th graders had their end-of-year picnic at the Parishville Park. D. Saiff thanked the Junior High teachers for their efforts on behalf of the students throughout the year and for organizing this eagerly anticipated year-end event.
D. Saiff also acknowledged the efforts of teachers in grades 3-8 for Math scores, reported to be very good overall. Final exam week is moving along smoothly and initial grades look very promising.
High School Graduation is scheduled for 11:30 A.M. on Saturday, June 23rd.
Soccer practice begins on August 17th and game schedules have been completed. Currently 15 games are scheduled for Girls’ JV with 13 games scheduled for Boys’ JV.
INFORMATION: The Board received Minutes from a special meeting of the Healthcare Committee on May 24th as well as a letter from Commissioner Richard Mills congratulating the district for being recognized as one of New York State’s 1,083 Title I “high performing/gap closing” public and charter schools for English Language Arts and Math. The Board also received a letter from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association congratulating the 2007 Varsity Softball Team for earning the Association’s Scholar/Athlete Team Award for the Spring 2007 sports season. In addition, the Board received a list of upcoming events of interest.
EXECUTIVE SESSION: Motion made by H. Simmons and seconded by S. Wilson to go into Executive Session at 8:30 P.M. to discuss personnel matters.
R. Taylor left meeting at 8:30 P.M.
C. Jacot left meeting at 9:07 P.M.
Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by H. Simmons to come out of Executive Session at 9:09 P.M. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
NON-UNIT SALARIES: Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by H. Simmons to approve adjustments to the Non-Unit Salary sheet as presented. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
ADJOURNMENT: Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by H. Simmons to adjourn at 9:11 P.M. 6 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
School District Clerk
March 12, 2007
CALL TO ORDER: A budget meeting of the Board of Education of the Parishville-Hopkinton Central School District was called to order at 7:34 P.M. by President W. Remington in the Cafeteria on the above date.
ROLL CALL: Present: C. Jacot, W. Remington, H. Simmons, S. Wilson, W. Witherell, J. Young, T. Zellweger, T. Burns. Absent: F. Wilhelm, S. Woodward. Others: None.
QUORUM: Quorum of five established.
PRELIMINARY BUDGET WORK: Preliminary work on the budget for the 2007-2008 school year was reviewed with discussions focusing on areas of increased costs. The initial working budget projections for the 2007-08 school year were reviewed as well as some early State Aid projections based on the Governor’s Proposal.
ADJOURNMENT: Motion made by S. Wilson and seconded by H. Simmons to adjourn at 8:26 P.M. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
School District Clerk
February 12, 2007
CALL TO ORDER: The regular meeting of the Board of Education of the Parishville-Hopkinton Central School District was called to order at 7:35 P.M. by President W. Remington in the cafeteria on the above date.
ROLL CALL: Present: C. Jacot, W. Remington, H. Simmons, S. Wilson, W. Witherell, J. Young, T. Zellweger, T. Burns. Absent: F. Wilhelm, S. Woodward. Others: P. Claus, J. Corcoran, A. Gilbert, L. Mitras, D. Saiff, R. Snow, L. Witherell.
QUORUM: Quorum of five established.
STUDENT/TEACHER RECOGNITION: D. Saiff announced that the Valedictorian of this year’s graduating class is Andrew Gilbert and the Salutatorian for the Class of 2007 is Elizabeth Conger. The Board congratulated both students on their outstanding academic achievements. The Board asked Andrew his future education plans and he responded that he was planning to enroll in a 3-2 engineering program whereby he would attend St. Michaels for 3 years and then transfer to Clarkson to complete his degree.
MINUTES: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by H. Simmons to approve the regular Minutes of January 16, 2007, as typed and mailed to Board Members. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
TREASURER’S REPORTS: Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by J. Young to approve the Treasurer’s Reports showing an available balance on hand as of January 31, 2007, as follows: General Fund, $ 74,057.09; School Lunch Fund, $18,493.08; School Lunch Savings, $59,916.77; Federal Fund, $486.36; Trust & Agency Fund, $-0-; Payroll Fund, $10.16; Capital Fund, $15.18; Risk Retention, $-0-; Extra-Class Activities Fund, $51,838.75. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
CAPITAL FUND PROJECT/ EXCEL AID UPDATE: Mr. Burns and the Board ad hoc committee discussed their recommendations for cuts to the proposed project to keep it under $2,100,000, the maximum amount eligible to receive additional EXCEL aid. Mr. Burns noted that Jeff Siddell, our architect, has advised that the cuts remain on the scope of work to be completed labeled as alternates.
CAPITAL PROJECT SEQRA: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to approve the attached State Environmental Quality Review Negative Declaration and Short Environmental Assessment Forms (Type II Action). 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
CAPITAL RENOVATIONS PROJECT: The Board reviewed the Notice of Special Meeting and Resolution that our school attorney, Roger Linden, had prepared. Motion made by J. Young and seconded by W. Witherell to adopt the attached Resolution and approve the attached Notice of Special Meeting specifying April 18, 2007, as the date that the proposed Capital Renovations Project will be voted on by school district residents. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to approve the attached paper ballot for the purpose of voting on the proposed capital renovations project. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
Mr. Burns informed the Board that he would begin drafting a bulletin regarding the proposed capital renovations project to mail to district residents prior to the public meeting and vote.
SCHEDULE APPROVAL: Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by S. Wilson to approve the following schedules for audit and payment: General Fund, $301,553.38; School Lunch Fund, $5,059.59; Federal Fund, $7,604.67; Trust & Agency Fund, $16,882.52. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
BUDGET TRANSFERS: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by H. Simmons to authorize the Business Manager to make the necessary budgetary transfers as attached for the Month of January, 2007. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
BUDGET REPORTS: Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by C. Jacot to accept the Budget Reports for the Month of January, 2007. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
UPDATES ON EXAMS: Prior to reviewing the results of the January Regents and School exams, D. Saiff reminded the Board that the phase-in graduation standard of 65 on required Regents examinations began last year, with students entering 9th grade in 2005. Therefore, this year’s 9th grade class must attain a score of 65 or above on three of the five required Regents examinations in order to receive a Regents Diploma; next year’s 9th grade class will be required to attain a score of 65 or above on four of the five required Regents, and so on through 2008 when students will need to receive a 65 or above on all five required Regents, at which time the local diploma will no longer be an available option. (The five required Regents are the ELA 11, Global Studies, U.S. History & Government, Math A, and a Science.)
Nineteen students took the U.S. History & Government exam; seventeen passed and ten had scores at or above the 85% Mastery Level. Of the 31 students who took the Global Studies exam, 29 passed with 11 scoring at or above 85%. Twenty-three students took the English 11 Regents; 100% passed with 6 scoring at or above 85%. Thirty-three students took and passed the Math A exam with 23 receiving a score of 85% or above. In Chemistry, two students re-took the exam and both scored at proficiency. Thirty-one students took and passed the Living Environment exam with 14 achieving 85% or above. One student took the RCT in U.S. History and scored at proficiency. Three students took the RCT in Math and all three passed. Four students took and passed the English RCT with 2 at or above 80%.
D. Saiff also discussed the recent 7th and 8th grade ELA exams, noting that scores appear to have improved significantly this year.
HOCKEY MERGER: Mr. Burns informed the Board that we have five students who are interested in participating in a Hockey Merger with Brasher Falls Central School again next year. Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by S. Wilson to approve a hockey merger with Brasher Falls Central School for the 2007-2008 school year at no cost to the district. Mr. Burns will send a letter to the Brasher Falls Central School Board to request their consideration and approval of this merger. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
FOOTBALL MERGER: Mr. Burns informed the Board that we have one student who is interested in participating in a Football Merger with Brasher Falls Central School again next year. Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by H. Simmons to approve a football merger with Brasher Falls Central School for the 2007-2008 school year at no cost to the district. Mr. Burns will send a letter to the Brasher Falls Central School Board to request their consideration and approval of this merger as well. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
UNPAID VOLUNTEER COACH/N. GARDNER: Mr. Burns informed the Board that Natalie Gardner has expressed interest in serving as an unpaid volunteer coach to assist Ann Krueger-Harmon Burrows with the Gymnastics Team again this year. Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by H. Simmons to approve Natalie Gardner as an unpaid volunteer Assistant Coach for Gymnastics. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
TRANSPORTATION REQUEST/HOPKINTON CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH: Motion made by C. Jacot and seconded by W. Witherell to approve a request from Marjorie Meashaw on behalf of the Hopkinton Congregational Church to transport parishioners to the Olympic Center in Lake Placid to attend the Disney on Ice Show on Saturday, February 17th with the understanding that we have proof of liability insurance and the Hopkinton Congregational Church will accept responsibility for the costs associated with paying for one of our drivers as well as the fuel consumed. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
BUDGET UPDATE/GOVERNOR’S PROPOSAL: Mr. Burns and L. Mitras discussed preliminary budget information with the Board. According to the Governor’s proposal, it appears that we would receive an increase in State Aid next year of approximately 8.5% or $276,000. Last year we received a 2.75% increase in aid; however, if you take into consideration the years of drastic cuts to our state aid together with years of increased costs, we are still falling behind. Major increases in health insurance, BOCES programs, electricity, fuel oil, and diesel fuel alone more than deplete the additional proposed aid. L. Mitras also cautioned that Governor Spitzer’s proposal combines all of the different aids under one category called foundation aid; however, it doesn’t clearly specify the amount of money available within each category. It is, however, a better projection than we have received in several years.
PTSA DONATION: Motion made by T. Zellweger and seconded by S. Wilson to accept a donation in the amount of $50 from the PHCS Parent-Teacher-Student Association for the purpose of purchasing books for the elementary library and expressed their appreciation on behalf of the students. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
CSE RECOMMENDATIONS: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by S. Wilson to approve the recommendation of the CSE for the attached list of five students. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST: The Board received information regarding the annual Legislative Breakfast scheduled for March 10, 2007, at 8:00 A.M. at SUNY Canton. T. Zellweger, P. Claus, D. Saiff, and Mr. Burns plan to attend. It was noted that reservations for the Breakfast must be made by March 2nd.
PRINCIPALS’ UPDATES: P. Claus announced Students of the Month displaying the character trait of fairness: Aletha Crump (Mrs. Loconti’s kindergarten), Lakota Rosenbarker (Mrs. Knowles’ kindergarten), Hannah Pcolar (Miss Corcoran’s first grade), Zachary Bassett (Mrs. Mason’s second grade), Keeley Smith (Mrs. White’s multi-age 1/2 class), Michael Charleson (Mrs. Axtell’s multi-age 1/2 class), Miranda Collins (Mrs. Clark-Vallance’s third grade), Charlie Anderson (Mrs. Pcolar’s fourth grade), James Martin (Ms. Rivezzi’s multi-age 3/4 class), Trey Russell (Mrs. VanLeuven’s multiage 3/4 class), Brock Waite (Ms. Rose’s fifth grade), Richard Curry (Mr. Mandigo’s sixth grade), Jordyn Clothier (Ms. Blevins’ multi-age 5/6 class), Alec Sloan (Mrs. Charlebois’ multi-age 5/6 class).
Our Beginner Concert on January 17th was very well attended. Students in band and chorus did an exceptional job and parents and community members seemed to really enjoy the musical selections.
Our DARE program came to a close on February 2nd with 64 students graduating. Trooper Sue chose Kodi Perkins to receive the character award, a stuffed lion named Darren. Four student readers, James Wolf, Eric Hannon, Shauna Wheeler, and Jenna Converse, also received awards for their essays. Once again the Potsdam Elks Club provided t-shirts for each student and a shirt for Trooper Sue and the PTSA recognized her efforts with a PHCS shirt.
P. Claus announced that this year’s musical, Beauty and The Beast, will be held on March 23rd and 24th.
Dental sealants and check-ups were completed today and the ladies who have been part of this excellent program for over twenty years spoke about the graciousness of our staff as well as how cooperative they have always found our students to be.
The Shared Decision-Making Committee will be sponsoring a Spelling Bee this spring for students in grades 1-12.
Dr. Howlett’s staff will be here tomorrow to present a dental health program for children in Headstart through second grade.
The New York State Math tests for students in grades 3-5 will be administered during the week of March 5-9. The tests for students in grades 6-8 will be administered the week of March 12th. Our kindergarten screening program will begin on March 7th with our annual information night for parents at 7:00 P.M. in rooms 112/113, followed by an informal visit on the 14th, screening on the 19th through the 21st, and a formal visit on June 1st. Today was our 100th day of school.
D. Saiff informed the Board that with Winter Ball at been held on January 27th at the Town Hall and expressed appreciation to Mrs. Pierie and Miss Sinclair for organizing this annual Student Council event and also to the PTSA for donating door prizes this year.
Regents were administered January 23-26 and everything went well. Second semester is off to a smooth start and report cards were sent home on February 2nd.
D. Saiff noted that Ms. Reed, Mrs. Pierie, Ms. Stone, and Mrs. Wallace participated in regional grading of the English Language Arts 8th grade exam in Potsdam on February 8th.
D. Saiff also announced that Rob Snow had recently interviewed some of our seniors for an upcoming article. In this particular class, 16 out of 36 students have a cumulative average of 90 or above, 22 have a cumulative average of 85 or above. They are a strong group academically, but they are also very involved in sports and other extra-curricular activities.
D. Saiff acknowledged the members of our Safety Committee for their assistance in completing an internal safety audit. The New York State Math exams for students in grades 6-8 will be administered during the week of March 12-15. The Spring Open House for the Junior-Senior High School will be held on March 15th from 2:30 – 3:30 P.M. and from 6:30 – 8:00 P.M. in the cafeteria.
D. Saiff thanked Carter Eldridge for offering to refinish the top of our conference room table. Gymnastics practices are getting underway. The Gymnastics Show is slated for June 1st and 2nd. D. Saiff thanked Sue Hart and the cheerleaders for a job well done this season and announced that the Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team play at Harrisville tomorrow and the Boys’ Varsity Basketball Team play at Lisbon on Wednesday. D. Saiff acknowledged the dedication of all of our basketball coaches throughout the season: Jen Blevins, Girls’ Modified; Tony Engstrom, Girls’ JV; Liz White, Girls’ Varsity; John Waite and Assistant Dave Gallagher (Boys’ Modified); Shawn Spriggs, Boys’ JV; and Bryan Harmer, Boys’ Varsity.
BOCES ANNUAL MEETING: Mr. Burns noted that reservations to attend the BOCES Annual Dinner Meeting scheduled for April 5, 2007, at the Seaway Career & Technical Center in Norwood are due by March 9th. Anyone interested in attending should contact us on or before that date.
INFORMATION: The Board also received a copy of a letter written by a parent of the district thanking our teachers, support staff, and administration for their dedication to the students of this district by providing a safe, nurturing, and stimulating atmosphere for each child to grow and learn in. The Board also received a list of upcoming events of interest.
EXECUTIVE SESSION: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by C. Jacot to go into Executive Session at 8:35 P.M. to discuss personnel matters.
J. Corcoran and R. Snow left meeting at 8:40 P.M.
ADJOURNMENT: Motion made by J. Young and seconded by T. Zellweger to come out of Executive Session and adjourn at 8:51 P.M. 7 in favor, 0 opposed, Carried.
School District Clerk
January 16, 2007
CALL TO ORDER: The regular m