April 2008--From the Office of Public Information, Mamaroneck Union Free School District/ 914-220-3070 
 BOARD BRIEFS
Topics included below:
High School Student Report
Tenure
Tax certioraris
Budget adopted
Staff and Student Honors
Superintendent Report
Study Session Reports
Future Meeting Dates

§         MHS Student Report: Jodi Miller and Charlotte Gardiner reported about activities at the high school. Over the past month students had fun at the Mr. MHS Contest, the last COAST dance of the year, the Junior Prom, PACE’s Musical Collage, Pi Day activities, which included a pie eating contest, and the Planning Council’s first event in their new alumni series, a performance of “CLAY” by Matt Sax, MHS class of ’02. The next alumni event is a performance by Bill Herz, world renowned magician and MHS class of ‘73 on April 29. Next week the student forum will focus on Saferides. The students reported that there is much support amongst students for turf fields. Upcoming events include MS Walk by Team Amici, Seussical the senior musical and PACE 3 show. The annual Walkathon in memory of Talia Cohen will benefit Hope for Heroes. It is on June 5 on the baseball field with MHS and alumni bands. May 9 is the annual Jam for Sudan, also on the baseball field with student performances.
 

§         Tenure granted: The board enthusiastically welcomed the following teachers and administrators to the Mamaroneck family: Director of Special Education Gail Boyle; MHS Assistant Principal Mario Washington; Mamaroneck High School teachers Caren Caplan, Kelly Carrillo, Maria Marum, Edmundo Nunes, Lilia Ramos-Dries and Heather Whalen; Hommocks teachers Jeffrey Bahr, Cathleen Ferguson, Janine Knox-De Nigris, Nicolas Larosa, Shea O’Donnell, Michael Sammartano and teaching assistant  Maira Siciliano; Central teachers Gloria Casiano and teaching assistant Haydee Colon; Mamaroneck Avenue teacher Ana Vidal-Montes and social worker Dina Reynoso; Murray Avenue teachers Anna Grippo, Lisa Kmetz, Christine Mozian, Christine Portanova and Rebekah Ward; Hommocks teachers Jeffrey Bahr, Cathleen Ferguson, Janine Knox-De Nigris, Nicholas Larosa, Shear O’Donnell, Michael Sammartano and teaching assistant Maria Siciliano.
Also honored for receiving tenure earlier this year: Central teacher Francesca Acocella-Lilien, Chatsworth teacher Francine Gerace, Murray Avenue teachers Annamaria Cerbone and Linda Finn.
 

§         Budget: The board adopted a proposed budget for the 2008-2009 school year of $116,923,297. This is a 5.89% increase over last year’s budget. The tax increase is approximately 5.75%. The full budget document is available on the district website, www.mamkschools.org

§         Tax Certioraris: The board approved these court-ordered tax certioraris: $23,805.27 and $17,484.60.

§         Staff Honors: Asst Supt Anthony Minotti addressed parents at Westchester Day School on “Response to Intervention”. Asst Supt Annie Ward and district staff members Ed Cofino and Andrew Hess presented at a “Tech Expo” on Technology Planning-A Systematic Approach” for school districts. Gordon Brune, 5th grade teacher, participated in a session on the using “blogging” to enhance literary understanding through focused discussions.

§         Student Honors: Senior Anna Carroll won first place in the Poster Division of the Medicine category at the Upstate Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in Albany.

§         Report from the Superintendent on a number of items: Dr. Fried attended a Westchester County Arts Roundtable about the state of the arts in Westchester schools which confirmed that while many Westchester schools offer rich programs, the programs and the quality of the arts in Mamaroneck clearly stands out.  Regarding the NYS budget, we are all still waiting to see how school aid will be impacted by the state budget. Regarding Universal PreK in the district next year, we are surprisingly undersubscribed. Interested families should contact the PreK office at Mamaroneck Avenue School at 220-3621. Regarding negotiations with the Teachers’ Association, Dr. Fried reported that negotiations continue and the district is optimistic that a fair and equitable agreement will be reached soon. Lastly, Dr. Fried thanked the staff at the Hommocks and High School for their support during the recent bomb scares as well as the parents and volunteers who volunteered to help monitor the school buildings. It was a wonderful example of the community coming together to solve a serious problem.

§         Study Session of March 19: Nancy Pierson reported on this meeting which was broken up into two parts. The first was a presentation required by law about the district’s SEQRA application to the State Education Department for the proposed capital projects and field improvements. The full preliminary SEQRA Report is posted on the district website.
The second part of the meeting focused once again at the proposed capital projects under consideration by the board. The board continued a discussion about the timing of a bond and whether it was appropriate or advisable to split the work being contemplated into two bonds.
At the next meeting it was determined that the SEQRA process will not allow a bond vote this spring. Therefore the board is considering a bond for the fall and asked the district administration to reexamine the projects again in order to reduce the total cost of the work.

§         Study Session of April 1: Rick Marsico reported on this meeting that focused mainly on planning the board members annual visits to the schools during April. These visits are the highlight of the board’s year and Rick read a passage from John Steinbeck’s The Pastures of Heaven about a school board visit to a one room school house. This year the Mamaroneck board visits are organized around the theme of “Best Practices Snapshots: Goals in Progress”. The board will be seeing examples of research-based best practices and progress on reaching district, school and department educational goals. At the elementary level, the visits are organized around the math curriculum upgrade, writing curriculum development and co-teaching. At the Hommocks, the visits will see how each department is implementing its educational goals with research–based technology. At the high school the board’s visits will visit each department to see how they are implementing that school’s goals. The board will report on their visits at the May 6th board study session. 

§         Future meetings: Tuesday, May 6, 7:30pm: Budget Hearing and Study Session—Board will report on their
                                                             visits to the schools, MHS Library Classroom
                                Tuesday, May 13, 6:30pm: Storm Water Management Information Meeting
                                                             7:30pm: Regular Board Meeting, MHS Tiered Classroom;
                                                             Administrators will report on the progress toward goals this year         
                                Wednesday, May 14, 7-10am and 4-9pm —VOTER REGISTRATION DAY at MHS

Text Box: TUESDAY, MAY 20:  Budget Vote & Election of Board Trustees Vote at your neighborhood elementary schools from 7am to 9pm          

 
  

                                      

The community was reminded that in order to vote one must be registered. A district wide voter registration day will be held on Wednesday, May 14, in Conference Room N101 in the high school from 7-10am and 4-9pm. Registration forms and applications for absentee ballots are also available in all schools, on the website or from the district clerk at 220-300