Minutes
Quincy, Massachusetts – April 8, 2015
Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Regular Meeting
A regular meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday,
April 8, 2015 at the Coddington Building. Present were Mr. Paul Bregoli,
Mr. Noel DiBona, Ms. Barbara Isola, Mayor Thomas Koch, Mrs. Anne Mahoney,
Mr. David McCarthy, and Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Vice Chair.
Vice-Chair
Presiding
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The Superintendent called the roll and all were present. Also present were:
Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary; Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk; Mrs. Janet
Baglione, Mrs. Elizabeth Bates, Mr. Michael Draicchio, Ms. Colleen Dufresne,
Mrs. Mary Fredrickson, Ms. Beth Hallett, Deputy Superintendent Kevin
Mulvey, Mr. James Mullaney, Mrs. Maura Papile, Mr. Keith Segalla, Ms. Judy
Todd; Ms. Allison Cox, President, Quincy Education Association; and Student
Representative to School Committee Ms. Isabella Cobble (Quincy High
School).
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There was a moment of silence for Peg O’Donnell, Richard Herbert, and
Donna Sullivan.
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Regular Meeting Minutes Approved
3/18/15
Mr. McCarthy made a motion, seconded by Mr. Bregoli, to approve the Regular
Meeting minutes for March 18, 2015. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.
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Open Forum
Mr. Dennis Salfity expressed displeasure in the lack of information shared about
the 2014-2015 calendar revision and the adjustment voted on at the March 18
meeting and hopes that this is a lesson learned about communication.
Mrs. Suzanne Fareri Early addressed her personal concern about the Special
Education Department and transportation for out of district students.
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Superintendent's
Report
Dr. DeCristofaro opened the Superintendent’s Report by introducing the Inspire
Quincy video, featuring the School-Community Partnership Breakfast recognition
highlights, student athletes at the Boston Celtics, the Sterling Middle School STEM
Fair, and Once Upon a Mattress at Quincy High School.
North Quincy/Quincy High School and Quincy Track Club Coach Geoff Hennessy
introduced Montclair Keira and Kaylee Sleiman who competed in the Colgate
Women’s Games in a national field of elementary students. 11,000 girls and
women compete in a multi-day event; Keira finished sixth in the 55-Meter Hurdles
and Kylee finished fourth in the High Jump.
Congratulations to the Curriculum Management Team for last week’s Elementary
Report Card Parent Academy, many teachers volunteered to present. An
additional Parent Academy on this topic will be held on May 18.
Dr. DeCristofaro reviewed the Partnership Recognition Breakfast, 50 partners
attended, high school students sang and spoke and made us proud. The
Elementary Student Council Leadership Summit for Grade 5 students from all
schools is April 16. The Grades 5-8 Robotics Competition for the Adams Cup will
be held on May 16 and the Community Service Learning Breakfast will be May 26.
On June 6, there will be a revival of the Historic Walk, part of Beyond the Bell,
touring sites around the center of downtown Quincy.
The HYPER Robotics team was 21st out of 40 at the recent regional competition at
Northeastern University. The team received an award for Engineering and Mr.
Gendron was recognized for mentoring.
The Summer Reading Timeline is underway in the Curriculum department,
partnering with the Thomas Crane Library to develop innovative programming.
Updates on the Open Meeting Law and the Spring Concert schedule were shared
with School Committee. Dr. DeCristofaro congratulated Quincy High School
students Erin McMillen and Marcus Johnson, part of the 2015 All-State Chorus
sponsored by the Massachusetts Music Educators Associations.
Updating on the ongoing MSBA projects, the Accelerated Repair Program window
and door replacements at North Quincy, Wollaston, Merrymount, Lincoln
Hancock, and Parker are all to be completed in the summer of 2015; potential
projects at Beechwood Knoll (windows, doors, and roof) and Merrymount (roof)
will be visited by the MSBA on Tuesday, April 14. For Sterling Middle School, the
RFS for Design firms surfaced over thirty interested companies; proposals are due
on Friday, April 10. The Statement of Interest for Squantum will be submitted on
Friday, April 10 to the MSBA. In addition, HVAC projects will be completed at
Bernazzani and North Quincy High School this summer, along with roof work at
Broad Meadows and Squantum.
Home-School Connections for the Atherton Hough and Wollaston Elementary
Schools; and North Quincy High School were shared with the School Committee.
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New Business
Literacy Program
Presentation
Ms. Madeline Roy introduced three Literacy teachers for a program update,
veterans Janet Baglione (Wollaston), Liz Bates (Parker), and Colleen Dufresne
(Lincoln Hancock). The Literacy Team consists of 22 Literacy Interventionists, full
time staff at every elementary building for Grades K-3 students, currently over 500
students. Goals for this school year include decreasing the number of Tier 3
students by 5% and to increase the use of technology during Literacy Intervention.
Literacy Interventionists are using Lexia, a web-based phonics program for
individual instruction. They are also integrating apps on iPads; some are multisensory, all offer opportunities for individualizing student experience. Ms. Dufresne
introduced Orton Gillingham, direct, explicit teaching for the skills where the
student needs the assistance. One of the most important benefits is that it is a very
intensive exploration on how to teach reading, identifying challenges and deficits
and prescribing what students need best.
Literacy Interventionist use an array of options, curriculum and multi-sensory
experiences. Strong connection between Literacy and Special Education staff allows
to best meet the needs of students. Ultimately, the overall goal is to reduce the
number of referrals for Special Education.
Mrs. Bates reviewed the Integrated Learning Team process, Elementary students
are assessed using a variety of measures and student data is used to make
instructional decisions. Every student is reviewed for the need for Literacy
Supports in the classroom or Literacy Intervention. Integrated Learning Teams
meetings are held three times per year, at the beginning, in the middle, and at the
end of the year. Student progress is monitored and adjustments made to groupings
or programs. The Integrated Learning Team consists of grade-level teachers,
literacy, special education, English Language Learners, principal, assistant principal,
and student support staff. Student concerns are reviewed between ILT meetings at
collaborative meetings; Student Support team meetings are utilized as well.
Mr. Bregoli asked about Commonwealth Learning; this is a training facility for
online and in person Professional Development. Mr. Bregoli asked about meeting
with parents about Literacy services; Interventionists meet with parents at
scheduled parent teacher conferences twice a year and otherwise as requested or
needed.
Mr. McCarthy asked for clarification in Read Naturally between the cold read and
the hot read. The cold read is the first time they read through (after hearing the
story) and the hot read is after practicing and when the student feels comfortable.
Mr. McCarthy noted that Orton Gillingham has been successfully implemented for
several years and praised the collaboration between Literacy and Special Education.
Ms. Isola thanked the presenters and agreed with Mr. McCarthy that Literacy is a
program School Committee has on their radar; early intervention is so important.
Ms. Isola asked about at-home usage on Lexia. This is a new tool for Literacy, but
some students utilized it during the snow day cancellations. Ms. Isola noted that the
newer interventions seem more individualized, is this assisting in moving students
out of the need for support. Mrs. Baglione said that it is early, but Read Naturally
seems to assist with a number of students. Ms. Isola asked about time spent in
Literacy; most schools have 30 to 45 minutes per day. Some schools have
Intervention blocks during Reading instruction; students are not pulled out during
Math or whole group Reading.
Mrs. Mahoney spoke of the growth of the Literacy program in her time on School
Committee, praised the teacher enthusiasm. The Integrated Learning Teams assist
parents in showing incremental progress. Requested to know how many teachers
are trained in Orton Gillingham per school and noted that classroom teacher use
Orton Gillingham interventions. Mrs. Mahoney asked about surveying on student
access to online tools at home, some apps are free and others are low cost. How can
we share this information with parents, benefit families in the long run.
Dr. DeCristofaro thanked the presenters, expressed his appreciation of their work
and the complexity of scheduling these interventions with students. The Integrated
Learning Teams are tremendous resource and the Literacy staff are integral to
student success.
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Beyond the Bell
Presentation
Dr. DeCristofaro presented on the Beyond the Bell initiative, reviewing the toll of the
unprecedented snowfall and eleven days of school cancellation. While there were
decisions that will not be repeated, there was a lack of information that made the
process frustrating. Dr. DeCristofaro appreciates the confidence that School
Committee had to approve Beyond the Bell as an idea, without much detail and in
hindsight, use of the term “project-based” had unfortunate repercussions. The
intent of the program is to offer choices and options that fit our families’ schedules
and not to overburden students or parents with extra assignments of projects.
Dr. DeCristofaro reviewed the development timeline which began in earnest after
the March 18 School Committee meeting, including preliminary discussions with
Principals and Superintendent’s Leadership Team members and a meeting with the
Quincy Education Association building representatives. A common message was
shared with all professional staff in voluntary meetings; meetings were held with
Community partners to brainstorm ideas.
All Quincy Public Schools professional staff, led by the Principal and
Superintendent’s Leadership Team will plan, facilitate, lead, and participate in
activities, coordinate the work of Academic Classroom, Program, and Support Staff,
and integrate community partner opportunities. Beyond the Bell is comprised of
multiple options, including Extended Educational Programs, Classroom &
Community Connections, and Online Educational Resources. Extended Educational
Programs may be full year or seasonal, some are already underway. For classroom
connections, teachers are working in teams or individually to offer experiential
learning. Some of the programming is connected to Quincy’s history and culture;
local natural resources; and others are for at-home connections on topics of
interest.
Activities are scheduled to be before or after school, in the early evening, or on
Saturday to allow for families to choose the best options for their schedules. A
sample calendar for Montclair Elementary was shared; each school will develop
their own version. Communication and publicity will be shared through our local
newspapers and cable access television studio; the QPS website, social media,
school newsletters, Instant Alert, Aspen. Hundreds of teachers are participating,
hundreds of hours of programming will be offered. There will be minimal costs
associated with transportation revolving account and possibly Food Services.
Mr. McCarthy thanked Dr. DeCristofaro, no apologies needed, the combination of the
snow and DESE made for a stressful winter. With this range of options, students
and families will benefit much more than two days in late June. Kudos to the
administration, QEA, and community partners, everyone stepped up.
Mrs. Mahoney appreciates the effort put into this; noted that this is a lot of
information to digest and how will parents process all this. Dr. DeCristofaro said
that parents will look at the information only for their schools and the array of
options will be presented. Mrs. Mahoney asked about online resources, how will
that be part of this effort. Dr. DeCristofaro said that teachers may choose to use the
flipped classroom model or a student can follow their own interests through online
exploration.
Mrs. Mahoney asked for clarification, this seems like overcompensation for the two
days of school not scheduled. Dr. DeCristofaro said this is not focused on making up
a certain number of hours and time, it is presenting an opportunity for students and
families to experience the best that Quincy Public Schools has to offer. There are
refinements still to come and all efforts will be made to present the information as
clearly as possible. Mrs. Mahoney suggested less detail would have been helpful,
first opportunity to review the issue. Dr. DeCristofaro said that principal
newsletters, calendars, and parent meetings will make things clear.
Ms. Isola said this a phenomenal opportunity for students and parents; thanked the
teachers and administrators who volunteered their time. We are giving so many
opportunities; would love to see this be a pilot for an annual event with something
similar for future years. Ms. Isola said these are opportunities and no one is
required to do more than they can manage.
Mr. DiBona said that School Committee and the Superintendent were suffering from
a lack of information from DESE and responses to our requests; information was
shared with parents as soon as it was available. Maybe there are options that will
be tried out that can be incorporated for next year so we can have a plan in case of a
similar winter. As we go through the spring, we’ll learn how the QPS families
respond to the opportunities; nice opportunity for younger students to become
involved in the concept of community awareness and service. School Committee
must accommodate everyone and not all will be pleased.
Mr. Bregoli said this is a great compilation of opportunities that aren’t possible
during the season of high-stakes testing. Mr. Bregoli praised the teachers for
volunteering their time and talents. Mr. Bregoli asked if a student from one school
would be able to attend an event at another school; Dr. DeCristofaro said every
effort would be made to accommodate that.
Mayor Koch thanked Dr. DeCristofaro for the teachers and administrators who
consistently give to students and families beyond the bell. Grateful for the efforts
and encouraged families to participate as much as possible.
Mrs. Hubley thanked Dr. DeCristofaro for the range of options; the flexible
scheduling will make this easier for families.
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Physical Restraint
Policy Review
Mr. Bregoli made a motion to review the Physical Restraint Policy in Policy
Subcommittee. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes
have it.
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Facilities Dedication
Mr. Bregoli made a motion to add Facilities Dedication of the Atlantic Middle School
Fields to the Policy Subcommittee. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion and on a
voice vote, the ayes have it.
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2016-2017 School
Year Calendar
Mr. Bregoli made a motion to add the 2016-2017 School Year Calendar to the Policy
Subcommittee. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes
have it.
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Weather Cancellation
Schoolwork
Mr. Bregoli made a motion to add Weather Cancellation Schoolwork to the Policy
and Teaching & Learning Subcommittees. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion and
on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
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Gift: $10,000 and
Basketball Shot
Training Machine
Mr. McCarthy made a motion to accept the gift of $10,000 to the Quincy
School~Community Partnership and a Basketball Shot Training Machine valued at
$5,750.00 to Quincy High School from Mr. George G. Burke, Esquire. Ms. Isola
seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
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Overnight Travel
Mayor Koch made a motion to approve the overnight travel of Broad Meadows
Middle School to Camp Wing, Duxbury, Massachusetts from June 3 to June 5, 2015.
Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
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Out of State Travel
Mayor Koch made a motion to approve the out of state travel of Atherton Hough
Elementary School Grade 5 to Canobie Lake Park in Salem, New Hampshire on June
12, 2015. Ms. Isola seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Mr. McCarthy made a motion to approve the out of state travel of Bernazzani
Elementary School Grade 5 to Canobie Lake Park in Salem, New Hampshire on June
22, 2015. Mayor Koch seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Communications
Upcoming meetings were announced: School Committee on May 6, 2015; May 20,
2015; and June 10, 2015 and Subcommittee Meetings: Facilities & Security and
Quarterly Budget & Finance on Monday, April 13, 2015; and Teaching & Learning on
Monday, April 27, 2015.
Mr. Bregoli scheduled a Policy Subcommittee meeting for Wednesday, April 15 at
5:30 pm.
Mayor Koch announced that Granite Communications will be donating $10,000 to
the Quincy School~Community Partnership for Health and Wellness programs,
specifically for substance abuse awareness.
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Reports of
Subcommittees
Mrs. Hubley noted that full Subcommittee meeting minutes are posted online on the
School Committee page at www.quincypublicschools.com.
As there were no corrections, the minutes to the March 25, 2015 Special Education
and March 30, 2015 Teaching & Learning Subcommittee meetings were approved.
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Adjournment
Mayor Koch made a motion to adjourn for the evening at 9:15 p.m. The motion was
seconded by Mr. McCarthy and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.