|
Garrison School Education Committee Considers 2007-8 Projects
District receives first payment of three from St. Basil Academy
by Margaret Sternberg
 | | Garrison district's new business official, Susan E. Huetter (right) and Superintendent Gloria Colucci (Standing) go over papers with Board President Anita Prentice |
|
The September 26, 2007 meeting of the Garrison Board of Education found the Board spending a few minutes on a wide variety of topics, with no one topic taking center stage.
Trustee Marilyn Palefsky, Chair of the Education Committee, reported on its recent meeting during which various possibilities for committee focus were brought forward.
Palefsky noted that Spanish will be taught in the fourth and fifth grades starting this year. She also noted that Pete Salmonsohn, who ran the School Forest Program last year, may not be able to dedicate the amount of time needed to run the program this year. She said that the district has spoken with BOCES about hiring someone to run the program if Salmonsohn is unable to continue.
Some areas of interest the committee is set to explore include a school spelling bee and its possible sponsorship, the district joining the National Junior Honor Society, researching the International Baccalaureate Program for possible implementation in the district, and academic enrichment and acceleration programs, which Palefsky described as "a major topic that we also need to focus on this year," as well as supporting all of the other initiatives already in place.
In other business, Superintendent Gloria Colucci announced that the school had received from St. Basil Academy the first of three scheduled $50,000 payments to cover the cost of schooling St. Basil students during the 2003-4 school year. The second and third payments will be made in March and September 2008. Trustee Jim Cannon said that the payment of the tuition connoted acknowledgement by St. Basil that they were responsible for educational costs [of the St. Basil students for that school year.]
In an impressive tribute to the high regard and warmth in which she is held, about 25 staff members attended the evening's meeting in order to wish Diane Chaissan, the district's Business Administrator, farewell. That meeting represented the end of Chaissan's last day with the district and was also the occasion of the introduction of the district's new business official, Susan E. Huetter. Huetter will not begin officially working in Garrison until November 26, 2007 in order to give her current district sufficient time to hire her replacement. The district later authorized Management Advisory Group's proposal to provide accounting services at a rate of $750 per day one day per week until Huetter starts.
The board also formalized the positions of school liaisons to Haldane and O'Neill High Schools, appointing Trustees Diana Swinburne and Jim Cannon to the respective positions.
Representing her daughter, Chloé Wareham-Gordon, Nancy Wareham-Gordon said that Chloé had wanted the Board to consider the possibility of "increased cultural and religious sensitivity concerning the scheduling and calendaring of the Youth Center activities." Wareham-Gordon gave as an example a Youth Center dance held the prior Friday that coincided with the first night of Yom Kippur, resulting in some children not being able to attend the dance for religious reasons. Last year, Wareham-Gordon noted, a dance had also been held on one of the nights of Hanukah and, she suggested, going forward the Youth Center might want to be aware of Holy Thursday and Good Friday as being less than optimal scheduling dates. The Board was immediately responsive, as was Principal Stephanie Impellittiere, who said the matter was being addressed.
President Anita Prentice noted that a READ (Regional Educational Advocacy Districts) meeting had focused on the way schools were being funded in NYS, discussing some of the various proposals being put forward on a state level in order to alleviate some of the school tax burden placed on residents. The READ group is the first of its type in NYS and is comprised of several school districts in Northern Westchester and Putnam Counties.
School officers this year are Bryant Dain, President; Elizabeth Richter, Vice President; Gavin Brower, Secretary, and Judge Mastrantone is Treasurer. The next meeting of the Garrison Board of Education will be Wednesday, October 10, at 7:30pm.
Providing local news, information and opinions from
Philipstown and Putnam Valley, NY
Encompassing the Villages of Cold Spring and Nelsonville,
and the hamlet of Garrison, Putnam County, NY.
This site is a publication of The Putnam County News and Recorder, the source for news and information of the Philipstown
and Putnam Valley area. The PCN&R is 139
years old, published in hard copy every Wednesday, and circulated throughout Putnam
County, NY.
The PCN&R prints LEGAL NOTICES
for: Putnam County, The Town of Philipstown, The Town of Putnam Valley, Village of Cold Spring, Village of
Nelsonville, the Haldane Union Free School District and the Garrison Union Free School
District.
Deadline for printed press releases, advertisements and classifieds is Monday at noon for
Wednesday publication. This site is updated on an as-needed basis with a minimum update
weekly on Thursdays. For further information or to request a subscription to the paper, please
contact us with your name and mailing address at:
(845) 265-2468 PO Box 185, Cold Spring, NY 10516, or e-mail us at editor@pcnr.com
If you see an advertiser on line, tell them! | Click ads below
for larger version
System and Method for Display
Ads have a Patent Pending.
Click Here for More Information
|
)