Minutes
Quincy, Massachusetts - November 13, 2013
Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Regular Meeting
A regular meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday,
December 11, 2013 in the Central Middle School Auditorium. Present were
Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Mrs. Emily Lebo, Mayor Thomas Koch,
Mrs. Anne Mahoney, Mr. David McCarthy, and Ms. Barbara Isola, 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; Mr. Nicholas
Ahearn, Ms. Christine Barrett, Mr. Richard DeCristofaro, Jr., Mr. Peter Dionne,
Mr. Michael Draicchio, Mr. Michael Ellis, Mr. John Fagerlund, Mrs. Jennifer
Fay-Beers, Dr. John Franceschini, Mrs. Mary Fredrickson, Mr. Daniel Gilbert,
Ms. Beth Hallett, Mr. James Hennessy, Mr. Michael Joyce, Mr. Patrick Lane, Ms.
Margaret MacNeil, Ms. Maureen MacNeil, Ms. Courtney Mitchell, Mrs. Robin
Moreira, Mr. James Mullaney, Deputy Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Mrs.
Maura Papile, Mrs. Ann Pegg, Mrs. Erin Perkins, Ms. Madeline Roy, Mr. Keith
Segalla, Mr. Robert Shaw, Mr. Edward Smith, Mr. Lawrence Taglieri, Ms. Judy
Todd, Mrs. Ruth Witmer; Ms. Hayley Forbes, North Quincy High School
Representative to the School Committee; Ms. Lindsay Schrier, Quincy High
School Representative to the School Committee; Former School Committee
Member Jo-Ann Bragg; Retired Assistant Superintendent Colleen Roberts;
and Ms. Allison Cox, President, Quincy Education Association.
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There was a moment of silence in honor of service members overseas.
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Regular Meeting Minutes Approved
11/13/2013
Mrs. Hubley made a motion, seconded by Mr. Bregoli to approve the Regular
Meeting minutes for November 13, 2013. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.
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Open Forum
Quincy High School English Department Chair Michael Ellis spoke in support of
dedicating the green space next to Quincy High School in memory of former
English department chair Bruce McDonald. Mr. McDonald was an inspiring
teacher and mentor and left a powerful legacy of influence across all spheres
of the city.
Ms. Isola asked the School Committee’s permission to briefly suspend Open Forum to
allow the Central Middle School Chorus to perform.
When Open Forum resumed, Sean Mulready, a retired Quincy High School English
teacher who worked with Bruce McDonald for his entire 35 year career spoke in
support of the green space dedication. Mr. McDonald was more than an inspiring
teacher and administer, he created a challenging curriculum, loved the students, and
forged many lifelong connections. This dedication is for the community, reminds all
of us of the importance an educator can make in many lives.
Bill Zamzow spoke against the proposed North Quincy High School grounds
expansion citing a lack of educational enhancement and that the proposal does not
fully address the facilities differences between the two high schools.
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Superintendent's
Report
Central Middle School Principal Jennifer Fay-Beers welcomed School Committee
to the new Central Middle School Auditorium. The transition to the new building
was seamless, thanks to community support. This is the first event hosted in the
school auditorium, Central is looking forward to hosting many upcoming events.
Dr. DeCristofaro introduced Mario "Mike" Casali former physical education
teacher and coach; the Central Middle School gymnasium is being dedicated to
honor his many contributions to the school and Quincy. Dr. DeCristofaro
welcomed the members of the Casali family and introduced a video interview.
School Committee member Paul Bregoli addressed Mr. Casali and shared some
highlights of his career. A Boston University graduate, Mr. Casali began his
career at Central Junior High School in 1954 as a teacher and coach. One of
many great teachers of the era, Mr. Casali was a leader who commanded respect,
gave everyone the opportunity to play, and motivated students to perform.
Mr. Casali thanked Mayor Koch, Dr. DeCristofaro, School Committee members,
and his colleagues and the parents and students at Central Junior High School.
He thanked all of the people who came to support him and his wonderful
family. Mr. Casali hoped that his coaching made students feel like all-stars.
Mayor Koch noted that there will be a reception planned for a future date where
former students and colleagues will be invited to celebrate Mr. Casali.
School Committee took a brief recess at 6:45 pm to unveil Mr. Casali’s plaque
installed outside the gymnasium.
The School Committee Meeting was called back to order at 7:00 pm.
Dr. DeCristofaro resumed the Superintendent's Report by introducing the Inspiring
Quincy video featuring Vegetable Day at Snug Harbor, Celebrate the Arts at
Squantum, Central Middle School Half-Court Shot Competition, Adaptive Physical
Education at the Della Chiesa Early Childhood Center, Junior Achievement at Lincoln
Hancock, the Lego Robotics competition, and 'Tis the Season… Symphony and Song.
Quincy High School Science Department Chair Edward Smith, facilitator for HYPER
Robotics (now in its 19th year in Quincy Public Schools), introduced Quincy Public
School~Community Business Partner Bluefin Robotics, who were recognized for
their ongoing support of the robotics teams at the middle and high school
levels. Bluefin supports the teams by providing equipment, financial, and mentoring
support.
Curriculum Coordinator Erin Perkins introduced the students who won the
Christmas Festival Holiday Poster Contest; the contest drew over 300 entries from
all elementary schools: 1st place: Shubham Kumar and Hafsa Nasir; 2nd
place: Sneha Chakraborty and Rebecca Morris; 3rd place: Nivedita Ghosh Roy and
Ellen Chen.
Senior Curriculum Coordinator Madeline Roy introduced the American Education
Week poster and essay contest winners, who were accompanied by their teachers
and principals:
Kindergarten-Grade 1: Wollaston, Ms. Therrien’s Grade 1 class; Snug Harbor, Ms.
Smith & Ms. Carr’s Grade 1 classes; Snug Harbor, Ms. Sullivan, Ms. Hickey, and Ms.
Kelly’s Kindergarten classes
Grades 2-3: Anthony Nguyen, Grade 3, Atherton Hough; Sarah Alberione, Grade 3
Wollaston; Julia O'Dwyer, Grade 3 Bernazzani
Grades 4-5: Mariejo Ajavon, Grade 5, Snug Harbor; Daniel Artinian, Grade 5,
Atherton Hough; Nicole Buckley, Grade 5 Merrymount
Grades 6-8: Jonathan Santos, Grade 8 Atlantic; Jonathan Liang, Grade 8 Atlantic;
Destiny Pham, Grade 6 Broad Meadows
Grades 9-10: Carmen Huang, Grade 10, Quincy High; Juliet Samson, Grade 10 Quincy
High; Amanda Ngo, Grade 9, North Quincy.
School~Community Partnership Coordinator John Fagerlund introduced the Quincy
Medical Poster Contest Winners: Jamie Zou from North Quincy High School and
Stacey Gallagher from Quincy High School. Sandra McGonagle, Director of
Marketing presented scholarships to the students.
Mrs. Perkins introduced the Project 351 Ambassadors for Quincy: Sydney
Shuttleworth, Broad Meadows Middle School; Meleah Chase, Sterling Middle School;
Myrna Mathieu, Point Webster Middle School. These eighth grade students who
were chosen because they are students who participate in community service and
display the values of kindness, compassion, humility, and generosity of spirit. They
will represent Quincy in the upcoming state-wide day of community service.
Athletic Directors Patrick Lane (Quincy High School) and Michael Joyce (North
Quincy High School) presented Fall Athletics recognitions:
Middle School Cross-Country City Champions: John Riley (Central) Boys Individual
State Champion for Grade 7; Liana Cunningham (Broad Meadows)
Girls Volleyball: Quincy High School Captains Taylor Parry, Gabby Zorkers,
Courtney Ryan, Rachel Papile and All-Scholastic Emma Kelly; North Quincy High
School Captains Cindy Hazelton, Carolyn Schwartz, and Maya Umoren.
North Quincy High School Girls Soccer: Courtney Campo
Football: North Quincy High School Captains and All-Scholastic Don Sharp, Vinny
Tran, Matt Donovan, Eddie Giunto, Antoine Allen; Quincy High School Captains and
All-Scholastics Matthew Hines, Matthew Kozlowski, and Alex Alexandre.
North Quincy High School Boys Basketball Coach Kevin Barrett was named the
2012-13 Division 1 South Coach of the Year.
North Quincy High School Cross-Country: All-Star Michael Mullaney and the Patriot
League Fisher Division winning Girls Cross-Country Team: Grace Anderson,
Marguerite Belcher, Julia Brady, Julia Bryson, Emily Bryson, Samin Charepoo, Keira
Clifford, Samantha Feeney, Amelia Ho, Sinead Kelly, Emily Zheng.
Dr. DeCristofaro thanked the students, families, and principals present for their
outstanding efforts. Recent Quincy Public Schools events included the Parent
Academy on December 3, a collaborative effort of the Quincy Parent Advisory
Council to Special Education, the Citywide Parent Council, the Curriculum Office,
and Principals. This evening was focused on the Grades K-2 levels of the Journeys
Reading program. Upcoming Parent Academy: January 7, Journeys Grades K-5;
March 18, Assessments; January 28, Middle and High School Aspen Student Portal.
'Tis the Season, Symphony and Song was held on December 5 at Quincy High School,
School~Community Business partners sponsored elementary students from all
eleven schools. North Quincy High School recently hosted Exchange Students from
Italy, thanks to the host students and families. North Quincy High School students
are traveling to Italy in April.
Quincy High School’s Protective Services program recently was granted Chapter 74
status by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Holiday concerts for all schools began this week and continue through next week;
an updated schedule was shared with School Committee. The North Quincy Photo
Fundraiser to Benefit Children's Hospital will be held on Thursday, December 12.
The Superintendent concluded his report by noting that newsletters from Atherton
Hough, Bernazzani, Montclair, Squantum, and Wollaston were shared with the
School Committee.
Ms. Isola requested information on Docent Art programs at elementary schools
Mrs. Mahoney complimented the recent Parent Academy and asked about creating
tutorials for posting on the Quincy Public Schools website to guide parents in using
the technology connected to the elementary school curriculums.
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Old Business
Facilities Dedications
The motions to name the Custodians’ Office at Quincy High School for Thomas
Orseno and the green space on the site of the former Quincy High School were
advanced from the Policy Subcommittee, will sit on the table for this meeting, and
will appear on the agenda for the January 8 meeting as items to be voted on.
Mrs. Lebo said there has been much support for honoring Bruce McDonald and
suggested a teacher's garden or patio; she offered to work with the Mayor's Office
on finalizing the landscaping plan and fundraising for plaque.
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New Business
Gift: Nautilus
Equipment
Mr. McCarthy made a motion to accept the gift of Nautilus Equipment from the
South Shore YMCA for North Quincy High School. Mrs. Hubley seconded the motion
and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
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Gift: Dictionaries
Mr. McCarthy made a motion to accept the gift of 700 Dictionaries for all Grade 3
students from the Quincy Lodge of Elks. Mrs. Lebo seconded the motion and on a
voice vote, the ayes have it.
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Overnight
Travel
Mr. McCarthy made a motion to approve the Out of State Travel of Central Middle
School, Grade 7 to Camp Wing, Duxbury, Massachusetts June 10 through June 13,
2014. Mayor Koch seconded the motion. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.
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Reports of
Subcommittees
Teaching and
Learning
Subcommitttee
Mrs. Lebo reviewed several recent Teaching and Learning Subcommittees, noting
that the full meeting minutes are posted on the Quincy Public Schools website.
On November 14 and 19, 2013, the Elementary School Principals presented their
School Improvement Plans and on November 20, 2013, the Middle School
Principals presented theirs. All elementary and middle school curriculum goals
are aligned with district goals; the specific needs of individual school populations
will be addressed through customized action steps. The third goal for each school
focused on Wellness and/or school culture.
Mayor Koch made a motion to approve the minutes of the November 14, 2013
Teaching and Learning Subcommittee and the Parker, Bernazzani, Atherton
Hough, Clifford Marshall, Lincoln Hancock, and Beechwood Knoll Elementary
School Improvement Plans. Mrs. Hubley seconded the motion and on a voice vote,
the ayes have it.
Mayor Koch made a motion to approve the minutes of the November 19, 2013
Teaching and Learning Subcommittee and the Snug Harbor, Montclair, Squantum,
Wollaston, and Merrymount Elementary School Improvement Plans. Mrs. Hubley
seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
School Committee requested a future presentation on how the Average Percent
Correct Goal will be assessed. Mrs. Lebo noted that a summary chart of
demographic information for all schools was requested after the November 14,
2013 meeting and this would be helpful to have in future years.
Mr. Breoli made a motion to approve the minutes of the November 20, 2013
Teaching and Learning Subcommittee and the Atlantic, Broad Meadows, Central,
Point Webster, and Sterling Middle School Improvement Plans. Mrs. Hubley
seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Mrs. Mahoney thanked Mrs. Lebo for her leadership on the Teaching and Learning
Subcommittee. Mrs. Mahoney asked that when classroom populations are
reported, specific information on larger classes be provided. She also would like
to have school levels identified on the demographics chart and this was provided.
Mrs. Lebo clarified that school levels are an accumulation of a multiple years of
data. It is very difficult for a school to change levels and cautioned about
evaluating schools based on this level. The state expects 20% of schools to be at
Levels 1 and 3 and 60% of schools to be at Level 2.
Mrs. Lebo then summarized the December 2, 2013 Teaching and Learning
Subcommittee meeting, where the Curriculum Team presented the PreKindergarten and Title I Program Improvement Plans and updated the three-year
Curriculum Plan.
The 2013-2014 Goals for Title I are: (1) During the 2013-2014 school year, the Title
I team will oversee the implementation of initiatives created and developed to
promote the district-wide goal of increasing the average percent correct by 2% in
both ELA and Math. (2) During its 2013-2014 meetings, the Title I team will
continue identifying and organizing documents required, creating a documents
binder for the 2014-2015 Coordinated Program Review. For Pre-Kindergarten, the
goals for 2013-2014 are: (1) During the 2013-2014 school year, the Pre-
Kindergarten Team will analyze and assess their use of whole group and small
group instruction and their use of data to target and inform instruction, creating
a benchmark assessment to monitor, support, and develop foundational skills.
(2) The Pre-Kindergarten Team will continue to work together to increase and
sustain family engagement by increasing opportunities for parents to participate in
activities within the Pre-Kindergarten program. The team will work together to
align their approach to parent information distribution and activities to be
consistent across the district.
Updates were presented for the Quincy Public Schools Curriculum Plan, first
presented in 2012. This year is focused on implementation: the Curriculum and
Assessment Teams were merged to reflect the overlap of issues and concerns and a
subgroup of SLT focused on curriculum issues was established. Other Key
initiatives for the Curriculum & Assessment Team include full implementation of
Core Curriculum Frameworks. Vertical Teams are continuing to build and revise
pacing and alignment guides and are reviewing DESE model units as potential crosscurricular units. The Career & Technical Education program staff is transitioning to
their new standards. DDM Teams are exploring the assessment options connected
with new Reading and Math programs across all grade levels.
Mrs. Hubley made a motion to approve the December 2, 2013 Teaching and
Learning Subcommittee Meeting Minutes, the Pre-Kindergarten and Title I
Program Improvement Plans, and the updates to the Curriculum Plan. Mr. Bregoli
seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Mrs. Lebo said that the Common Core State Standards, the new Educator
Evaluation, PARCC, and District-Determined Measures is an enormous intersection
of initiatives. Quincy Public Schools has done a fabulous job of communicating and
working with teachers to secure their cooperation and collaboration.
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Health,
Transportation, and
Safety Subcommittee
Mrs. Hubley reviewed the November 18, 2013 Health, Transportation, and Safety
Subcommittee meeting, where the Food Services, Health Services, Student Support
Services, and Transportation Program Improvement Plans were presented.
Director Joanne Morrissey presented the Food Services Program Improvement Plan.
For 2013-2014 school year, Food Services goals are: (1) Complete the
implementation of computerized point of sale system for all QPS schools by
installing hardware/software at all elementary schools by June 30, 2014. In a
related goal, (2) By December 30, 2013, select and implement a system whereby
parents/guardians can access an online payment system for student meal charges
using credit/debit cards or electronic check. System will allow parent/guardian to
review student purchase history, check meal account balances, set low-balance
reminders, and configure automatic or recurring payments for meal purchases. (3)
Collaborate with school principals and cafeteria managers to conduct performance
evaluations of all Food Service Employees Association members by June 30,
2014. Mrs. Lebo asked about the Food Service drivers; they are members of the
Custodians Union and will be evaluated using a different tool. (4) As a member of
the system-level wellness team, work with school Wellness teams to: (a) expand
awareness of the QPS Wellness Policy and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation
guidelines for competitive foods in schools, (b) promote compliance with current
policy, (c) provide resources and assistance to school wellness teams to implement
school wellness team goals.
Senior Director of Student Support Services Maura Papile presented the Student
Support Services Program Improvement Plan. Goals for 2013-2014: (1) The
Student Support Services Team will continue to analyze high risk data that identifies
students at risk system-wide by June 2014. (2) The Student Support Services team
will provide guidance and support for the following initiatives: social skills training,
PBIS, professional development to all Student Support staff regarding
social/emotional barriers to learning by June 2014. This support will extend to
assessing and analyzing the effectiveness through student data. Guidance teams at
all levels and the Psychologists Team will participate in professional development
that is focused on social skills training for students; implement educator evaluation
system; and assist in the creation of District-Determined Measures.
Health Services Coordinator Jane Kisielius presented the Health Services Program
Improvement Plan. The Health Service Teams goals for 2013-2014 are: (1) To
identify and implement in collaboration with individual school Wellness Teams 1-2
new wellness initiatives based on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation framework
and school inventory for the 2013-2014 school year. The other team goal is to
implement the caseload educator evaluation for this school year; nursing staff have
been actively involved in training and goal development. The Health, Nutrition, and
Wellness Advisory Council will be focusing on parent engagement through
expanding awareness of the QPS Wellness Policy and the Alliance for a Healthier
Generation guidelines for competitive foods in and promote compliance with
current policy in schools and to provide guidance and support to individual school
Wellness Teams.
Director of Transportation Michael Draicchio presented the Transportation
Program Improvement Plan. Transportation collaborates with Principals and
Quincy Police Department on routes, bus stops, and safety issues. Transportation’s
goals are continued from previous years and are focused on Professional
Development and operational effectiveness for monitoring student
transportation. Transportation works collaboratively with Principals and Health
Services staff to share medical issues and concerns. Regular contact with the
Registry of Motor Vehicles assists in keeping up to date with scheduled inspections
and providing safe and well-maintained vehicles. Mr. Draicchio collaborates with
the Quincy Police Department on traffic supervisor placement in appropriate
locations. Safety measures are in place at the bus yard and we continue to work
proactively to ensure continued safety for the staff and vehicles.
Mrs. Lebo made a motion to approve the November 18, 2013 Health,
Transportation, and Safety Subcomittee Meeting minutes and the Food Services,
Student Support Services, Health Services, and Transportation Program
Improvement Plans. On the motion, Mr. McCarthy asked for the minutes to be
amended to include information about the PIN numbers and efficiency. Mr.
McCarthy seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
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Policy Subcommittee
Mr. Bregoli reviewed the November 25, 2013 Policy Subcommittee Meeting.
Quincy High School Principal Larry Taglieri and Community Service Coordinators
Meg McMillen and Kerry Ginty presented the current statistics for students in
process and completing the Community Service requirement. Communication to
students and families continues with class assemblies, Instant Alert messages,
emails through Naviance; completion status is reported on interim and term
reports. The High School Principals and Community Service Coordinators will
present a full report at the School Committee Meeting on February 4, 2014.
The next item on the agenda was the Information Technology Program
Improvement Plan. The mission is to provide effective and efficient communication
to key stakeholders: parents, community members, and Quincy Public Schools staff.
Communication resources include email, the QPS website, Channel 22, Social Media
platforms (Facebook and Twitter), Instant Alert, Aspen, Inspiring Quincy, and
School Tube. The IT Team has made progress on the fundamentals of Aspen
training across all levels, including the student portal now available for middle and
high school students and families. Mr. Segalla also presented a progress report on
technology purchased by QPS; at School Committee's request, PTO purchases will be
added. Mr. Segalla reported that there is a secured wireless network in every
building school building, as well as guest networks.
Mr. McCarthy asked whether we need to plan for additional staffing in next year's
budget to support the many technology assets purchased in recent years. Mr.
Segalla acknowledged that managing the workload is a challenge this year and
additional positions will be requested for the FY2015 budget. DESE recommends
200 computers per technician, QPS has 3,000 computers and 4 technicians. Mrs.
Lebo mentioned that a complete equipment survey is needed to look at the equity
issue across all schools.
The last item on the agenda was a review of requested Facilities Dedication
currently in the Policy Subcommittee: naming the Quincy High School Custodians’
Office in honor of Thomas Orseno and naming the green space that will be created
on the former Quincy High School site in honor of Bruce McDonald. The Policy
Subcommittee agreed to move these items to the full School Committee for voting.
Mrs. Hubley made a motion to approve the minutes from the November 25, 2013
Policy Subcommittee Meeting and the Information Technology Program
Improvement Plan. Mrs. Lebo seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes
have it.
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Dr. DeCristofaro thanked Ms. Isola for her leadership as Vice-Chair over the last
two years.
On behalf of the School Committee and Superintendent's Leadership Team, Dr.
DeCristofaro presented Mrs. Lebo with a gift and flowers. Mrs. Lebo thanked
everyone and spoke of how she enjoyed working with the Quincy Public Schools
staff while serving on the School Committee.
Mr. Bregoli admired Mrs. Lebo's professionalism and organization, learned much
from her. Mrs. Mahoney complimented the professional experience, guidance, and
expertise Mrs. Lebo brought to the School Committee. Mr. McCarthy appreciates
Mrs. Lebo's professionalism, she is a friend to the students of Quincy Public
Schools. Mayor Koch expressed his gratitude to Mrs. Lebo. Her committment,
talent, and drive raised the confidence of the whole group. On behalf of the city
and administration, he appreciated her guidance and support. To Mrs. Hubley,
Mrs. Lebo personifies the phrase "wealth of knowledge", and she will miss her.
Ms. Isola remembered Mrs. Lebo who she first met as a Quincy Public Schools
administrator and got to know more during their first election campaign four
years ago. Ms. Isola is proud to work with Mrs. Lebo and it was a privelege to
serve as a School Committee member with her.
Adjournment
Mr. Bregoli made a motion to adjourn at 9:10 p.m. The motion was seconded by
Mr. McCarthy and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.