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CCSD selects board member; Nuciforo gives one-bell update
By Karrie Allen
CHATHAM — At a special meeting Tuesday, Sept. 8, the Chatham Central School District selected a new board member, while at a workshop meeting Tuesday, Sept. 15, Superintendent Cheryl Nuciforo updated the public on the first week of the one-bell system.
At the special meeting, the school board interviewed the two candidates for the board, Melony Spock and Ted Miner. School board President John Wapner asked both candidates a series of questions.
Such questions asked included: “Why do you want to be a member and will you be able to meet board commitments and take part in board activities?” “What is your knowledge base of the board and what committees on the board interest you?” “What are the most challenging policies the school board faces today?” and “How do you balance the two constituencies (the students and the greater community) within the district?”
Spock spoke about being involved with the district from being a parent with children at Mary E. Dardess to being MED PTA president the last three years (she has since resigned and the new president is Elizabeth Powers). She helped pick MED Principal Kristen Reno and was on the committee that helped select Nuciforo. She said the “next step” for her is the school board.
Miner has pursued the school board for a while and said he has a “sincere desire to help the youthful community.” He spoke about developing a plan to attract people with children to Chatham. He also said the district needs to teach students “how to find the knowledge” … to provide students with the tools to stay in Chatham or in some cases to move on, but come back if they want.
Spock said more of the people in the community need to have a say, that there needs to be “more of collaboration with the community.” The schools need to be “communicating more … making more people aware,” she said.
Miner said that the “taxpayer needs to see a bang for the buck.”
After an executive session, the school board approved Spock as the newest school board member. The board did thank both candidates for coming forward and applying. Spock was administered the Oath of Office at the Sept. 15 meeting.
During public comment at the Sept. 8 meeting, Paul Freeman, a lawyer out of Hudson, spoke. Speaking more as a mitigator, he told the board that with the new one-bell system, there should be “exception rules” for families who have “mandated court orders.”
Parent Crystal Wheeler asked the board about the financial burden now placed on families and child care workers, such as gas money spent to drop off and/or pick up their children; money directly out of their pocket that isn’t even going to the district. Parent Delena Schaefer said her child care worker is out five children (and pay) due to the change in bus routes.
School board member Mike Clark acknowledged the comments being made and said that the board wasn’t ignoring them. He said the school district just “can’t make a change right now” in regards to the one-bell system.
At the Sept. 15 meeting, Nuciforo updated the board on the one-bell system. She said the buses were full, but not overcrowded the first few days of school. The new traffic pattern in the parking lot was “very successful,” she said and dismissal looks “choreographed.”
She did mention that drop off times were off by about 10 minutes. When the district practiced the system last spring, it was during regents, so not all high school students were present. Also, they have to take into consideration students going to their lockers at the end of the day, so dismissal will be more toward 2:40 p.m.
“Each day it’s getting a little quicker,” said Nuciforo.
She added that the late buses began this Tuesday, which allowed for after-school activities to start earlier than usual. And the middle school access road, “Bordick Boulevard,” is operational and working well, except the district needs to work with the village about widening the gate.
Overall, though, the observations by staff, bus drivers and the district have been pretty positive. There has been better control of getting students to their destinations, better security, more efficiency, older students are rising to the occasion and teachers at MED have noticed a higher energy level with their students, which gives them “more good instructional time,” Nuciforo relayed to the board.
Nuciforo also said she is getting positive feedback about the bus mentors and that more training is being planned.
She said that route times are still being finalized and that special accommodations are still being looking at. She mentioned that Larry Dreher, director of Transportation Services, is working on special requests.
The district is working “rather aggressively” to accommodate special requests, said Nuciforo.
Right now, the district is counting actual students riding the bus and monitoring non-riders. There will be an updated question and answer form sent out and posted on the Web site, most likely by Monday, Nuciforo said. She added that the Task Force continues to meet, more signage will be posted and there will be further adjustments to bus times.
Also at the Sept. 15 meeting, Nuciforo updated the board on H1N1 preparedness. She said there’s a “balance between being prepared and being panicked.”
Nuciforo said hand sanitizers will be placed in all the schools and in classrooms that don’t have sinks. There will also be posters showing the proper way to wash hands, etc., with extra focus on the elementary students. She said the district is coordinating with the Columbia County Health Department and working under state and federal guidelines.
A letter will be going home to parents and will be on the Web site outlining procedures and preventative measures concerning H1N1.
Nuciforo briefly discussed with the board about meeting with the architect for the Capital Improvement Project. There will be a meeting with the architect Sept. 28, followed by a formal presentation, which she proposed for Oct. 6. She told the board that in order for the next step of the project to go to a vote in early December, the board needs to make a decision by the end of October. Board President John Wapner suggested opening the formal presentation up to the public. A date was not decided on at the Sept. 15 meeting.
For more information on the one-bell system or H1N1, visit the school Web site at www.chathamcentralschools.com.
The school board will hold their regular meeting 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22 in the high school library.
At the special meeting, the school board interviewed the two candidates for the board, Melony Spock and Ted Miner. School board President John Wapner asked both candidates a series of questions.
Such questions asked included: “Why do you want to be a member and will you be able to meet board commitments and take part in board activities?” “What is your knowledge base of the board and what committees on the board interest you?” “What are the most challenging policies the school board faces today?” and “How do you balance the two constituencies (the students and the greater community) within the district?”
Spock spoke about being involved with the district from being a parent with children at Mary E. Dardess to being MED PTA president the last three years (she has since resigned and the new president is Elizabeth Powers). She helped pick MED Principal Kristen Reno and was on the committee that helped select Nuciforo. She said the “next step” for her is the school board.
Miner has pursued the school board for a while and said he has a “sincere desire to help the youthful community.” He spoke about developing a plan to attract people with children to Chatham. He also said the district needs to teach students “how to find the knowledge” … to provide students with the tools to stay in Chatham or in some cases to move on, but come back if they want.
Spock said more of the people in the community need to have a say, that there needs to be “more of collaboration with the community.” The schools need to be “communicating more … making more people aware,” she said.
Miner said that the “taxpayer needs to see a bang for the buck.”
After an executive session, the school board approved Spock as the newest school board member. The board did thank both candidates for coming forward and applying. Spock was administered the Oath of Office at the Sept. 15 meeting.
During public comment at the Sept. 8 meeting, Paul Freeman, a lawyer out of Hudson, spoke. Speaking more as a mitigator, he told the board that with the new one-bell system, there should be “exception rules” for families who have “mandated court orders.”
Parent Crystal Wheeler asked the board about the financial burden now placed on families and child care workers, such as gas money spent to drop off and/or pick up their children; money directly out of their pocket that isn’t even going to the district. Parent Delena Schaefer said her child care worker is out five children (and pay) due to the change in bus routes.
School board member Mike Clark acknowledged the comments being made and said that the board wasn’t ignoring them. He said the school district just “can’t make a change right now” in regards to the one-bell system.
At the Sept. 15 meeting, Nuciforo updated the board on the one-bell system. She said the buses were full, but not overcrowded the first few days of school. The new traffic pattern in the parking lot was “very successful,” she said and dismissal looks “choreographed.”
She did mention that drop off times were off by about 10 minutes. When the district practiced the system last spring, it was during regents, so not all high school students were present. Also, they have to take into consideration students going to their lockers at the end of the day, so dismissal will be more toward 2:40 p.m.
“Each day it’s getting a little quicker,” said Nuciforo.
She added that the late buses began this Tuesday, which allowed for after-school activities to start earlier than usual. And the middle school access road, “Bordick Boulevard,” is operational and working well, except the district needs to work with the village about widening the gate.
Overall, though, the observations by staff, bus drivers and the district have been pretty positive. There has been better control of getting students to their destinations, better security, more efficiency, older students are rising to the occasion and teachers at MED have noticed a higher energy level with their students, which gives them “more good instructional time,” Nuciforo relayed to the board.
Nuciforo also said she is getting positive feedback about the bus mentors and that more training is being planned.
She said that route times are still being finalized and that special accommodations are still being looking at. She mentioned that Larry Dreher, director of Transportation Services, is working on special requests.
The district is working “rather aggressively” to accommodate special requests, said Nuciforo.
Right now, the district is counting actual students riding the bus and monitoring non-riders. There will be an updated question and answer form sent out and posted on the Web site, most likely by Monday, Nuciforo said. She added that the Task Force continues to meet, more signage will be posted and there will be further adjustments to bus times.
Also at the Sept. 15 meeting, Nuciforo updated the board on H1N1 preparedness. She said there’s a “balance between being prepared and being panicked.”
Nuciforo said hand sanitizers will be placed in all the schools and in classrooms that don’t have sinks. There will also be posters showing the proper way to wash hands, etc., with extra focus on the elementary students. She said the district is coordinating with the Columbia County Health Department and working under state and federal guidelines.
A letter will be going home to parents and will be on the Web site outlining procedures and preventative measures concerning H1N1.
Nuciforo briefly discussed with the board about meeting with the architect for the Capital Improvement Project. There will be a meeting with the architect Sept. 28, followed by a formal presentation, which she proposed for Oct. 6. She told the board that in order for the next step of the project to go to a vote in early December, the board needs to make a decision by the end of October. Board President John Wapner suggested opening the formal presentation up to the public. A date was not decided on at the Sept. 15 meeting.
For more information on the one-bell system or H1N1, visit the school Web site at www.chathamcentralschools.com.
The school board will hold their regular meeting 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22 in the high school library.
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