At the last regular School Committee (SC) meeting, Superintendent Heather Perry announced that the Maine Department of Education had posted the MEA test results on its website. Chris Record, assistant superintendent, will provide more details on Gorham results and how they compare to the previous two years’ worth of data at the next SC meeting.
Record commended Patti Joyce, GMS social studies teacher, and Adam Parvanta, GHS technology integrator, for the videos they made this summer for professional development.
Citing an example of student interest in the environment, Stewart McCallister read a letter from a 5th grader who asked the SC to support his concern about plastic straws that endanger seals and add to trash in the ocean. Kate Livingston encouraged people to check social media sites for each school to learn more about student activities and interests.
The Policy Committee is reviewing the Transportation Policy. Darryl Wright, SC Chair, asked parents and the public to email school principals with their concerns, issues and suggestions for solutions.
Bill Benson reported on vocational education programs. PATHS is looking for an instructor for its cyber security program and people interested in the position should contact the superintendent’s office.
The GHS Building Committee is planning for a facility that will accommodate 1100 students. The committee hopes to have preliminary plans and cost estimates by February. These will be presented to the SC, Town Council, and the public for input in the spring. The Athletic Capital Campaign Steering Committee is preparing a “soft launch” with a case statement and “ways to give.”
The Proficiency-Based Steering Committee is reviewing the 6-12 health standards and seeking feedback from students.
Kim Fadrigon, K-8 instructional coach, presented a review of the K-12 Reading Curriculum that has performance indicators for each grade. She emphasized that one goal of the K-5 core curriculum is to provide enough support for students at risk before they enter middle school.
The K-5 curriculum focuses on “being a writer” and learning to read beginning in Kindergarten. In grades 3-5 students learn how to be a reader, make meaning, and respond as a reader. This is a high quality curriculum, Fadrigon said, “that fosters a love for reading and writing.”
One teacher in each building who has piloted the program works with other teachers to implement it. Janet Kuech, an ed tech, said this new curriculum is very useful in working with special needs students.
The School Committee voted (7-0) to delete the policy on home use of laptops because its provisions are covered in other policies, and to approve changes to the School Website Policy. The SC also voted unanimously on the annual election of the superintendent as required by state statute.