December 4, 2014 at 6:45 PM - Bethel Board of Education Special Meeting

Rationale:  Gifts to School System
Districtwide - Professional Carpet Cleaning Machine & Supplies, valued at $1,400, by Vartan & Megan Khazadian, Bethel.

CABE Board of Distinction Level II received at CABE/CAPPS Convention.  BOE member recognition pins are being distributed to BOE members this evening.

School Administrator (December, 2014), highlighted Dr. Christine Carver's appointment to Superintendent of Schools in Bethel, CT in their PeopleWatch section.

Rationale: 

The Board of Education policy subcommittee has met twice to discuss the draft policy and regulations (1324).   Here is an outline of the steps taken by the subcommittee: 

 

1. The subcommittee reviewed sample policies from a variety of districts. 

2. The subcommittee selected a version which reflects the issues related to Bethel Public Schools.

3. The subcommittee asked the administration to take a revised version to the principals and the Athletic Director for their input. 

4. Ms. Yonsky and I met to review and revise for the policy subcommittees review. 

5. Ms. Yonsky and I met with the principals and Athletic Director to gather their input. 

6. The revised policy was then re-submitted to the policy for their input. 

7. The subcommittee asked the administration to share the draft with key stakeholder groups (PTO’s and Booster’s) for their comments.  This process has begun. 

 

The following is a synthesis of key issues that exist with fundraising activities that were considered as the Bethel Board of Education, policy subcommittee developed the attached draft fundraising policy: 

 

1. There currently is no approval process for fundraising activities.  This makes it difficult to regulate fundraising across the district and determine the purpose of the fundraising activities. 

2. Local businesses are constantly being solicited, not only in monetary support, but non-cash gifts (i.e., gift cards, donations for raffles, etc.). The businesses are not always clear which are district-sponsored fundraisers. 

3. There is not always clear communication of the purpose of the fundraising activities. 

4. There is a concern that there may be mandatory fundraising activities.

5. Fundraising activities not only benefit the schools directly but also support charitable organizations, scholarships and events (Prom Night, ROTC Ball, etc.).  

6. Parents have raised concerns that they are constantly being asked to participate in or give money to fundraising activities.

Rationale: 

Attached is a draft of policy number 5141.7 regarding student concussions for your review and discussion as a full board. P.A. 14-66: An Act Concerning Youth Athletics and Concussions requires that school districts develop policy requiring school districts to develop policy regarding youth concussions.

Specifically, the act requires that:

To be implemented by July 1, 2014: (1) qualified school employee must provide notice within 24 hours after removing the student and (2) make reasonable effort to provide the notice immediately after the student is removed when a student is removed from an athletic activity for a concussion or suspected concussion; (3) collect and report the nature and extent of the concussion; and (4) circumstances in which the student substantiated it.

To be implemented by July 2015: (1) SBE to develop an informed consent form on concussions for parents of student athletes (2) districts to provide the form to parents and obtain their consent authorizing the student to participate in the athletic activity; (3) implement a concussion education plan; (4) prohibit students from participating in athletic activities unless the student and his/her parents meet the requirements of the plan; and (5) annual training for coaches.

The policy subcommittee has met twice to review and make suggested revisions to the attached draft policy. It also has been reviewed with legal counsel.

It is important to note that, the administration has already implemented many of the requirements of the legislation, even those that are not expected to be implemented until the 2015-2016 school year. We have implemented the parental consent form developed by the CIAC. We have provided advanced training to all coaches. We have a notification process to parents. We also have a well established return to play guidelines. We are working to ensure all our coaches of extracurricular sports at Bethel Middle School are receiving both first aid and concussion training.

In addition to the attached policy for your review and discussion, we have also attached for your information the new parental consent form which is in use currently.

 

Rationale: 

Key Points of the Briefing: 

 

1. This semester long college course is designed to give students an advanced experience in the local and global economies. It is an early college experience (ECE) in which students experience the rigor, workload and interactivity in a college introductory course. 
2. Topics include economics perspectives, supply and demand, gains from trade, competition and monopoly, US economics, and international trade and finance. 
3. This course is an amalgamation of Economics and the newly designed International Business class set to be offered in 2015. This course will replace the International Business class after effective in the Fall of 2015.
4. After vetting several books, Economics Essentials is proposing a new textbook that is approved and used at UCONN:

McConnell, Campbell R. Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies. 20th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2015. Print. AP Edition.

 

McGraw Hill Connect Plus (complementary software)

Summary of the Briefing:

      

The Applied Studies department is working to provide pathways based on interests of students.  Economics Essentials will create a pathway for those who later want to deepen their understanding of Micro and Macro Economics.

 

 

Rationale: 

Key Points of the Briefing:   

1. This year long early college experience (ECE) course is designed to prepare students to use critical thinking and problem solving to accomplish goals as an individual as well as a member of a team. Concepts learned will form the core for students to build on when moving through an academic career in Digital Media. 

     2.  Digital media concepts and fundamentals in this course include learning outcomes such as: 

• Students will learn Photoshop to create images, resize pictures, and export at appropriate resolution settings

• Students will use Wordpress to develop a simple Web site

• Students will produce a storyboard to communicate how previously determined information will be communicated in a scene

• Students will create a sequence of moving images with sound and narration using Adobe Premier

• Students will apply creative-problem solving strategies to develop an idea for an online video

• Students will prepare a short presentation to pitch an idea for a video project

• Students will evaluate ideas and explain decisions made as part of a weekly progress report

• Students will judge the progress made by their peers and formulate suggestions to improve their work

• Students will reflect on their learning during the semester

 

3.   In support of the personalized learning model, this course will be delivered as part of a ‘Flipped Classroom’. A Flipped Classroom is a blended-learning model in which students engage in specific video tutorials, class lectures, and presentations prior to each lesson.  Scheduled classes are reserved for weekly assignments, projects, and face-to-face discussions facilitated by the instructor.

Summary of the Briefing:      

This course is an intensive experience in designing for the digital arts. Students engage in a wide range of real-world projects in order to better understand the media and methodologies that form their foundation. The curriculum, syllabus, and activities for this ECE course are provided by UCONN.