Academic and extracurricular concerns topped the agenda at the WW-P School Board’s May 20 meeting as board members looked toward the 2014-’15 school year. Several areas of the West Windsor-Plainsboro school district curriculum are being reviewed and updated, according to Board of Education Vice President Richard Kaye.
One update approved at the meeting was the summer reading lists and assignments. “The board’s curriculum committee has worked hard on the summer homework assignment. We now have a clear purpose behind the assignments and reading lists that make sense based on reading level, ability, and interest. We want to encourage students to continue reading and learning throughout the summer — not turn them off to it. So now the written assignments that go along with the reading assignments will be capped at 5 percent of the first marking period grade and will not be due to the teachers until at least a week of instruction has been completed.”
The approved summer reading lists and assignments for all grades have been posted on the district website at www.west-windsor-plainsboro.k12.nj.us/h_o_m_e.
The curriculum committee is also reviewing the concept of “bring your own device” for high school students. “The curriculum committee has already begun discussions on this topic and will continue these discussions, with the goal being implementation of this program in the 2015-’16 school year. We would like to create a separate working group for this project, with one board member each from the curriculum, finance, and administration committees.”
“Among other things,” said Kaye, “we need to look at training for teachers and staff, costs, and what to do about students who do not have their own devices.”
Data is being gathered on the Chromebook pilot program, under which students in certain fifth grade classrooms at Millstone River and Village schools were given Chromebooks, to inform next year’s program. The plan is to expand the pilot to offer devices to all students entering sixth grade in the 2014-’15 school year (WWP News, June 7, 2013).
In addition, Kaye explained that the special education and world history curricula are in the process of being revised and updated.
The student school trip policy is also under discussion. “I support student trips wholeheartedly,” said Kaye. “I believe they serve a valuable educational purpose and offer students the opportunity to expand their knowledge through new experiences. I also believe it is very important for students to learn teamwork and how to work together as a group.”
“Having said that, as I have said before, when considering whether to support a particular school trip I consider both the expense, because such trips can become a costly proposition for a family, and the rationale behind the trips. And I am keeping both of these items in mind when I consider the proposed High School South swim team trip to Coral Springs, Florida, from December 26 to December 31, 2014, at a cost of approximately $700 per student.”
“I wholeheartedly support the swim team, and believe that it is a valuable part of our district program, and my voting ‘no’ on this trip should in no way indicate that I am opposed to the swim team or to student trips in general. And I understand the rationale behind their trip — the team wishes to train in an Olympic-size pool in order to maintain their competitiveness.”
“However, I do believe that the team could find a location with an Olympic-size pool that is closer than Florida and without airfare. And for that reason, and that reason alone, I am voting ‘no’ on this field trip. Again, I support trips 100 percent, and will continue to do so, but my vote is just a way for me to open a discussion on this issue,” Kaye said.
The swim team field trip was approved by a vote of 7 to 1. A second trip to Okemo, Vermont, for the South Red Cross Club members, was approved 8 to 0 as was a change in location for the South Concert Choir trip, from Latvia, Estonia, and Finland, to Germany and the Czech Republic.
The board also approved, for a fifth year, the custodial management contract with Aramark, for a total contract amount of approximately $4,999,000, which represents a 2 percent increase over last year’s contract amount. In addition the board approved the rates for numerous professional service personnel including engineering, bond attorneys, legal counsel, financial advisors, and health and safety compliance consultants. A complete list of professional service providers and rates can be found on the district website.
Lunch and milk rates for the 2014-’15 school year were also unanimously approved; there was no increase over the current rates.
In personnel news, Paul Hamnett, currently a computer business teacher, has been named assistant principal at High School South for the 2014-’15 school year. Hamnett will replace Donna Gibbs-Nini, who resigned. He will earn a salary of $108,982.
Erica Anas was appointed as guidance counselor at Town Center Elementary School, replacing Joyce Trotman, who resigned. Anas will be paid $52,675.
Finally, students and faculty from Community Middle School (CMS) gave a presentation on their character education program, “If Not Me, Then Who?” This program was developed in conjunction with the Travis Manion Foundation, which “honors the fallen [veterans] by challenging the living.” The CMS character education program has been in place for the past three years; this year it started at Grover Middle School as well.
The students have been involved in numerous community aid projects, including collecting food for American troops, raising money to build playgrounds destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, participating in FreeRice.com, which provides rice to countries in need, and running a spaghetti dinner and silent auction benefiting Hands Across the Water charities.
The next Board meeting will be Tuesday, June 10, at 7:30 p.m. at Grover Middle School.
