School Committee Meeting Agenda: January 6, 2015
From the Office of the Executive Secretary to the School Committee
School Committee - Regular Meeting | January 6, 2015
A G E N D A
1. Public Comment (3 Minutes):
2. Student School Committee Report:
3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:
Roundtable Meeting – November 12, 2014
Regular Meeting – December 2, 2014
4. Reconsiderations: None
5. Unfinished Business/Calendar: None
6. Awaiting Reports:
Report by fall 2013 on AP program at CRLS (Nolan, Harding) (C13-133), 6/4/2013
7. Superintendent’s Agenda:
7a. Presentations:
–5 Year Financial Forecast……………
Claire Spinner, Chief Financial Officer
–School Improvement Plans…………
Bob Ettinger, HGSE Ed.L.D Resident
Carolyn Turk, Deputy Superintendent
Maryann MacDonald, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education
7b. Innovation Agenda:
7c. Consent Agenda:
#15-01 Recommendation: Day & Residential Program Services not Available
From the Cambridge School Department
#15-02 Recommendation: Contract Award: Marilyn Friend Inc.: Professional
Development
#15-03 Recommendation: Contract Award: Perkins School for the Blind:
Specialized Student Support Services
#15-04 Recommendation: Contract Award: Facility Management Corp.:
Facility Rental
#15-05 Recommendation: Contract Award: Home for Little Wanderers:
Special Education Services
#15-06 Recommendation: Approval of Gifts/Miscellaneous Receipts
#15-07 Recommendation: Grant Awards (3)
8. Non-Consent Agenda:
9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):
#15-08, Motion by Mayor Maher, that whereas in order to respond to concerns increasingly voiced by educators, parents and staff regarding mental health and social/emotional issues in our schools, we ask that the Superintendent and his cabinet ensure that these concerns be integrated into the budget guidelines for FY15/16.
#15-09, Report of the Meeting of the November 25, 2014 Curriculum Sub-Committee
#15-10, Report of the Meeting of the November 25, 2014 Community Relations Sub-Committee
#15-11, Report of the Meeting of the December 9, 2014 Budget Sub-Committee (Committee of the Whole)
10. Resolutions (letters of congratulations, letters of condolence):
#15-12, Motion by Mr. Fantini, that the School Committee send letters of congratulations to the following students in RSTA's Creative Design class taught by Michele Watson Maxwell, who recently competed in Cambridge's "Martin Luther King Day of Service" poster contest sponsored by the Many Helping Hands 365:
Poster Winners:
Esmeralda Asprilla, Junior, First Place
Ean McDonald Wojciechowski, Sophomore, Second Place
Stephanie Walsh, Senior, Third Place
Noah Zibello, Senior, Fourth Place
Honorable Mentions:
Jahad Aubourg, Sophomore, Honorable Mention
Olivia Bromander, Freshman, Honorable Mention
Alec Nicholson, Sophomore, Honorable Mention
Nathan Habtom, Freshman, Honorable Mention
#15-13, Motion by Mayor Maher, that the School Committee send letters of recognition to the 4th grade students and teaching staff in classrooms 206 & 207 at the Kennedy/Longfellow School for organizing a “Cider Stand” in support of UNICEF, the world’s leading advocate for children. These amazing students raised $224.00 for this global humanitarian effort and should be recognized for their passion and commitment to a worthy cause.
#15-14, Motion by Mayor Maher, that the School Committee send letters of recognition to Morse School students for reading 1,056 books and raising over $350.00 in a Thanksgiving read-a-thon. All funds raised from this school-wide literacy effort will purchase food for local food pantries which will help needy Cambridge families this holiday season.
#15-15, Motion by Mayor Maher, that the School Committee send a letter of commendation to Morse School staff member Maureen VanStry. Ms. VanStry is the force behind the annual Thanksgiving read-a-thon at the Morse School. Ms. VanStry wrote and illustrated a children’s book about Tom Turkey, which is instrumental in kicking off the read-a-thon and creates excitement around reading, as well as giving back to one’s community. Ms. VanStry has been leading this fundraising effort for twenty-four years. All funds raised from this school-wide literacy effort will purchase food for local food pantries which will help needy Cambridge families this holiday season.
#15-16, Motion by Mayor Maher, that the School Committee send a letter of recognition to Cambridgeport School Assistant Principal Audrey Sturgis for helping her 3rd and 4th grade students (known as “Audrey’s Amazing Eight”) organize a toy drive this Holiday season. The toys were donated to children at the Greater Boston Sickle Cell Disease Association’s 19th annual Christmas party held on December 13th, 2014. In total, 317 toys were collected by the following organizations and individuals: Cambridge Police and Fire Departments, various local and state elected officials, Cambridge Public School administrators and students from the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. We appreciate Ms. Sturgis’ efforts to teach these students that it is never too early to start volunteering and giving back to one’s community and that they are not too young to make a difference.
#15-17, Motion by Mayor Maher, that the School Committee send a letter of recognition and appreciation to Dr. Joan Abrams at CRLS for researching, developing and securing a $100,000 grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. The collaborative grant will be split with the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science (MAMS) at WPI. RSTA will be working with a biotech company, IOMICS Pathways Initiative.
The funding enables RSTA students to participate in a massive research project aimed at mapping genetic networks in yeast, which may be relevant in treating human disease. This represents real-world, project-based experience for students through biotechnology and biology electives. This grant will permit the RSTA Biotech program as well as the CRLS Science department to refine and expand their science labs, and also give students experience in learning available in very few schools.
11. Announcements:
12. Late Orders: