February 16, 2017 at 7:00 PM - Bethel Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale: 

The Connecticut Affiliate of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) is thrilled to recognize Mrs. Lori Dight of Bethel High School with the 2017 NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Educator Award - Honorable Mention.  This Award is conferred upon educators who have demonstrated a commitment to encouraging young women’s aspirations in computing. As a recipient of the award, she will receive two engraved commemorative trophies: one for herself and one for BHS.   She will be be honored in a ceremony in the spring.  

 

 

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Importance of this topic to the Board:  Social and emotional well-being is a key component in supporting students to achieve academic success and sets the stage for all future learning.

 Key Points of the Briefing: The social and emotional needs of the students in the Bethel Public Schools are supported through the PPS staff.  Each building is staffed with counselors, social workers and school psychologists.  Both proactive and reactive strategies, in the buildings and the district, will be discussed. The focus of the work is to identify individual student needs, provide appropriate supports and assess the effectiveness of the supports. This work aligns with the Bethel mission statement, core beliefs, strategic plan, and social and emotional standards. 

 Summary of the Briefing: The Board of Education will be presented with an overview of the support services provided by the PPS staff, which impact students’ social and emotional learning.  

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• Email regarding Common Core & SBAC - Jane Gangi

Rationale:  (Please note:  The Board welcomes Public Participation and asks that speakers please limit their comments to 2 minutes.  Speakers may offer objective comments of school operations and programs that concern them.  The Board will not permit any expression of personal complaints or defamatory comments about Board of Education personnel and students, nor against any person connected with the Bethel Public School System.)

Rationale:  CAPSS recently announced their new Executive Director. The CAPSS Board of Directors unanimously voted to appoint Frances (Fran) Rabinowitz as the next Executive Director of CAPSS, effective July 1, 2017. I am very excited. I have known Fran for years. She is a fighter, who will do what is right for children!  

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Presenter(s): Dr. Jessica Galbraith & Dr. Kristen Brooks

Key Points of the Briefing:

The current AP European History textbook was published in 2006 and does not meet the demands of the current AP European History course which underwent revisions by College Board in 2015.

1. After vetting several books, we are proposing a new textbook that
2. is aligned to the outcomes of College Board's AP European History course:

                   Western Civilization: Since 1300, Tenth Edition (2018)

3. This textbook has a rigorous, yet accessible reading level for our students which is engaging to them.
4. Reading comprehension is supported and maximized through the use of primary sources, secondary interpretations, maps and visuals, writing exercises, and test questions.
5. Assessments are included providing multiple opportunities for AP exam practice.
6. There is a digital copy of the entire textbook and access to online resources (a six year digital subscription)

We are requesting 20 copies of the textbook. The total cost for the textbooks would be $2,963.

$136.50 x 20 = $2,730.00 + 233.00 (S&H) = $2,963

Rationale:  This is due to P.A. 16-23 An Act Concerning the Palliative Use of Marijuana (medical marijuana).   The act specifically addresses student who have been prescribed medical marijuana.    It is a mandated policy.  

Rationale:  There is a series of recommendations based on changes to Every Student Succeeds Act (Federal law) of 2015.  The recommendations look specifically to remove barriers for enrollment and retention of homeless children and unaccompanied youth.  It addresses topics like placement, appeal procedures, transportation, and educational services (including preschool).  It outlines the duties of the local liaison.