Minutes
Quincy, Massachusetts - September 5, 2012
Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Regular Meeting
A regular meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday,
September 5, 2012 in the City Council Chambers at City Hall. Present were
Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Mayor Thomas Koch, Mrs. Lebo,
Mrs. Anne Mahoney, Mr. Dave McCarthy, and Ms. Barbara Isola, Vice Chair.
Vice-Chair
Presiding
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There was a moment of silence in memory of Mrs. Ann Starck, Mrs. Fran Reilly,
and Ms. Barbara DeWolfe all employees of the Quincy Public Schools for many
years and Lamar Thompson, a Quincy High School student who passed away over
the summer.
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The Superintendent called the roll and all School Committee members were
present. Also present were: Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary; Ms. Laura
Owens, Clerk; Mr. Caruso, Mr. Cunniff, Mr. Draicchio, Mr. Edwards, Mrs.
Fredrickson, Ms. Hallett, Mr. MacDonald, Mr. Mullaney, Mr. Mulvey, Mrs.
Papile, Mrs. Roberts, Ms. Roy, Mr. Keith Segalla, City Solicitor Timmins, Ms.
Todd; Ms. Allison Cox, President, Quincy Education Association; and Mrs.
Tracey Christello, Citywide Parents’ Council Representative.
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Regular Meeting Minutes Approved 6/13/2012
Mayor Koch made a motion, seconded by Mr. Bregoli, to approve the regular
session minutes for June 13, 2012, as amended to add Ms. Gichuhi’s title “President,
Quincy Parent Advisory Council to Special Education” on page 1; on page 5,
line 13, to add “Benefit” after “Community”; and on page 5, line 15, to add
“grounds” after “school.” On a voice vote, the ayes have it.
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Open Forum
As no one wished to be heard in Open Forum, the Committee went on with the
business at hand.
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Superintendent’s Report
The Superintendent opened his remarks welcoming the School Committee back
from their summer recess and noted the staff who worked so hard preparing for,
today’s opening of school, including the Custodial and Maintenance departments
and the school administrative and professional staffs. He mentioned last year’s
graduates, 80% of whom are attending 2- or 4-year colleges or universities, and
how proud we are of their accomplishments. The Superintendent spoke of how the
summer to fall transition can be difficult for students and families, who should
reach out to their principals or any member of the Superintendent’s Leadership
Team for assistance. He welcomed the class of 2025, the more than 700
Kindergarten students who will begin school on Monday, September 10.
Dr. DeCristofaro then spoke about the New Professional Staff Orientation that was
held on August 29 and 30, and featured members of the Principal and
Superintendent’s Leadership Teams presenting to the Quincy Public Schools’ 49
new teachers, guidance counselors, and specialists. The Teacher Mentoring Team
will be assisting and supporting the new staff over the course of their first year. He
discussed some of the Administrative changes that took place over the summer,
introducing the two new Curriculum Coordinators, Ms. Madeline Roy (PreKindergarten through Grade 5 and Title I) and Beth Hallett (Grades 6 through 12
and English Language Learners). Ms. Hallett is taking on a new role, building on
her experience at Quincy High School as an English Language Learners Teacher
and later System-Wide Team Administrator for ELL. Ms. Roy is new to the
Quincy Public Schools, but familiar with Quincy from her work with DSAC and
has a great presence with teachers and administrators. Ms. Roy was began her
career as a teacher, and has been a curriculum specialist and elementary principal;
she has over 25 years of educational experience. Both Curriculum Coordinators
will work closely with the Teaching and Learning and Policy Subcommittees.
Other administrative changes include the appointment of Robin Moreira as the
principal of the Atherton Hough Elementary School; Noreen O’Connell as the
Quincy Teen Mothers Program Coordinator, and new Assistant Principals Deirdre
Murphy at the Wollaston Elementary School, Heather Patch at the Clifford
Marshall Elementary School, and Scott Perfetuo at the Parker Elementary School.
At North Quincy High School, there have been a number of administrative
changes, including Department Heads: Katie Carey for Special Education;
Danielle Fernandez, (Acting) for Social Studies; Kenneth Panaro (Acting) for
Science. Principal Metzler resigned last week to take a position as Superintendent
in the Timberlaine Hampstead Regional School District in New Hampshire. Dr.
Metzler was part of the Quincy Public Schools for over 25 years as a teacher,
Assistant Principal and Principal at Sterling Middle School, and finally as
Principal of North Quincy High School for the last five years. Rob Shaw, the
former Assistant Principal of North Quincy High School will be returning to
assume the role of Acting Principal on September 19, 2012. In the interim, two
Acting Assistant Principals have been appointed, Mike Connor (Social Studies
Department Head) and Helena Skinner (Guidance Department Head). Mr. Shaw is
a North Quincy High School alum, and was a teacher and Department Head at the
school before becoming Assistant Principal. He will appear at an upcoming
School Committee meeting to present his vision for North Quincy High School.
Dr. DeCristofaro noted that North Quincy High School has a resilient culture and
climate and the talented staff will carry on with the business of education.
Preliminary enrollment numbers show the Quincy Public Schools population about
one hundred students above last year’s October 1 total; class sizes are being
reviewed to ensure compliance with the School Committee Guidelines. Upcoming
events include distribution of backpacks at the Lincoln Hancock Community
School, the Clifford Marshall Elementary School, and the Snug Harbor
Community School. Our business partners, have provided backpacks and
donations of school supplies for all of our elementary schools. Thanks were
extended to Bluefin Robotics who is once again sponsoring High School and
Middle School Robotics Teams. Dr. DeCristofaro noted an upcoming event on
September 21, when the National Parks Service Adams Historical Site will host a
premiere for their new film Enduring Legacy at Quincy High School. Invitations
will be mailed to all School Committee members and many members of the
Quincy Public Schools staff.
Other items in the Superintendent’s report included that Quincy Public Schools
Food Services and all five Middle Schools were recently recognized by the United
States Department of Agriculture for their Healthier US School Challenge. Dr.
DeCristofaro extended congratulations to Mrs. Morrissey and the Middle School
principals and staffs for their bronze award for creating healthier school
environments. Also, over 800 students participated in Quincy Public Schools’
Summer programs: Summer Scene, Summer Success, English Language Learners,
Creek to Harbor, High School Summer School, Special Education, and the STEM
program at the Sterling Middle School.
Dr. DeCristofaro then reviewed the transition of the Maintenance Department t to
Public Buildings and that Walter MacDonald will be joining the regular Plant
Maintenance Team meetings as needed. For the next School Committee Meeting,
Public Buildings will present a review of completed summer projects and ongoing
projects. Mayor Koch suggested inviting Kristin Powers for a similar Parks
Department presentation as well.
Dr. DeCristofaro also mentioned this summer’s Technology Initiatives funded
through Comcast and E-rate funds which led to new computers, software,
classroom technology, email upgrades, and infrastructure improvements at many
schools, particularly the middle schools and North Quincy High School. He also
noted that each School Committee member received a copy of the Quincy High
School Accreditation Report, which reflects the hard work and dedication of
Principal Frank Santoro, Assistant Principal Ellen Murray, the Department Heads,
and the school’s entire staff. He expressed his pride in all of the great things going
on at Quincy High School.
Dr. DeCristofaro concluded by thanking the School Committee for their work on
creating the FY2013 budget, with its emphasis on Academic Classroom Teachers,
additional staff for multiple programs, office aides, athletic trainers, classroom
aides, and attendance officers. The benefits of these additional positions were
reflected in a great opening day of school.
Mr. Bregoli asked for clarification on where the enrollment has risen; Dr.
DeCristofaro said the preliminary numbers are higher for elementary and high
school. Mayor Koch thanked Dr. DeCristofaro for his leadership and today’s
smooth opening of school.
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Old Business
The next item on the agenda was a Central Middle School Project Update.
Mrs. Mahoney introduced City Solicitor Timmins who spoke briefly about the
current status of the project and introduced the Owner’s Project Manager from
Tishman Construction, Eugene Caruso and Jay Edwards from HV Collins, the
General Contractor. Mr. Edwards is the Project Manager for HV Collins, a third
generation contractor specializing in public schools. The Central Middle School
site is divided into three buildings: for building A, the foundation is complete; for
building B, foundation is almost complete; for building C, preparation for
foundation is complete. In the next couple of weeks, structural steel will begin to
be erected. Solicitor Timmins noted that HV Collins is working on the master
project schedule; a complete presentation in conjunction with the Public Buildings
department will be on the agenda for a School Committee meeting in October.
Mr. McCarthy asked for some clarification on the construction meeting notes that
were shared with the School Committee, asking for definitions on terms such as
LEED and specifics of the retaining walls (there will be a screened barrier fence
along the property perimeter between the hotel and the school property). Mr.
McCarthy inquired about the ash material mentioned in the notes. Mr. Caruso
clarified it was tested and safely removed from the site.
Mrs. Mahoney noted that while major progress has been made on the new Central
Middle School, we are still in the early stages of the project. At the last Central
Building Committee meeting, Mrs. Mahoney requested that contractor and
subcontractor information be shared with the full School Committee as well.
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New Business
Mrs. Roberts began the her presentation on the District Improvement Plan by
reviewing the purpose of the Professional Development plan for the Quincy Public
Schools. School Improvement Plans and Program Improvement Plans are currently
being drafted with goals and action steps. Within the next few weeks, the
Professional Development plan will be created. Thursday, September 6 will be a
day of system-wide Professional Development; over 800 staff members will take
part in one of the Professional Development opportunities, ranging from training
staff on the new Journeys Reading and Go Math! programs at the elementary
levels, curriculum mapping for common core at the middle and high school levels,
health and wellness workshops for the nursing, health, and physical education
staff. All of these activities will be followed up through the year. Mrs. Roberts
also reviewed the Assessment Calendar which covers the entire school year.
Vice-Chair Isola then spoke about the Special School Committee Meeting that will
be held on September 24, 2012 at 5:00 pm in the Gillooly Room on the first floor
of the NAGE Building. The goal of the meeting is to develop Subcommittee goals
and action steps. Dr. DeCristofaro noted that the Special School Committee
Meeting held last January helped each Subcommittee chair focus on their shortterm goals. He briefly reviewed the Improvement Timeline and how the School
Committee will now be in the same pattern as Academic and Academic Support
programs in beginning to Plan in September. At that meeting, the calendar for
review of School Improvement Plans and Academic Program Improvement Plans
in the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee and Academic Support Program
Improvement Plans in the Policy and Health, Transportation, and Safety
Subcommittees will be discussed as well.
Appointment of School Nurse
On a motion by Mr. McCarthy, seconded by Mr. Bregoli, the Committee approved
the appointment of Loren Catrambone, R.N. as School Nurse at the Central Middle
School. On a roll call vote,_the motion passed 7-0.
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Additional Business
Mr. McCarthy asked whether there were any items in the Quincy High School
NEASC report that would need to be discussed in the Policy Subcommittee and
Dr. DeCristofaro clarified that the recommendations are items that Quincy High
School will work on implementing. Mr. McCarthy also requested information on
the upcoming North Quincy High School NEASC process and Dr. DeCristofaro
will follow up with information.
Mr. McCarthy complimented the landscaping work done at Quincy High School
and inquired about whether there were any parking issues given the construction at
the YMCA. Dr. DeCristofaro will follow up with Principal Santoro. Mr.
McCarthy also noted that the new window installation at the Montclair Elementary
School is underway and the windows look beautiful. The contractor will be
working after school hours to complete the project before the school’s 100th
anniversary celebration in October. The playground installation at Montclair is
almost complete as well. Mr. McCarthy complimented the work the Maintenance
department did to build classroom walls in the Grade 2 section of Lincoln Hancock
over the summer.
Mr. McCarthy concluded by noting that he had made a motion at the June 13, 2012
School Committee Meeting to include the Parks Department and Public Buildings
in the School Improvement and Program Improvement Plan reviews. Since the
motion was tabled at that meeting, he would like to discuss it at a future School
Committee meeting or in a Subcommittee meeting, whichever is appropriate.
Mr. Bregoli mentioned that at the North Quincy High School vs. Quincy High
School boys’ soccer game on Thursday, September 6, the Quincy High School
team will be honoring Lamar Thompson by wearing green in his memory.
Mayor Koch suggested bringing Park Department in for a complete update at the
September 19 School Committee meeting; it will give them an opportunity to
review the work completed over the summer. He also noted that the Montclair
window project will be the prototype for window replacement and should state
funding become available, windows will be replaced in as many as ten to twelve
school buildings over the next couple of years.
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Reports of Subcommittees
Policy Subcommittee
Mr. Bregoli updated the School Committee on the Community Service pilot for
Grades 10 and 11 students at both high schools. Over the summer, the two
Community Service Coordinators were selected: teachers Meg McMillen from
Quincy High School and Kerry Ginty from North Quincy High School and they
began to work together to gather information on Community Service opportunities.
The Community Service Coordinators will be working closely with the class advisors,
homeroom teachers, guidance staff, and Assistant Principals at each high school.
On Tuesday, the two Community Service Coordinators met with Superintendent
DeCristofaro, Quincy High School Principal Frank Santoro, and North Quincy
High School Acting Assistant Principal Mike Connor to review the work done to
date to launch the Community Service pilot and to plan their next steps. The
Community Service Coordinators will be speaking at the Grade 10 and 11 student
assemblies on Friday. They will also begin the process of communicating with
parents about the Community Service pilot and continue the sharing of Community
Service opportunities with students; these will encompass both in and out of school
opportunities. The Coordinators will be creating a survey in order to measure
student interest in continuing clubs and activities that were offered last year and
asking their colleagues for new ideas for clubs and activities to be offered within
the school. The Community Service Coordinators plan to update the progress of
the Community Service pilot to the School Committee in late fall.
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Adjournment
On a motion by Mrs. Mahoney, seconded by Mrs. Lebo, the School Committee
went into Executive Session at 8:00 p.m. for Collective Bargaining. On a roll call
vote, the ayes have it 7-0. The School Committee did not return to Open Session.