Schools
School Calendar Approved Without Complaint
District also accepts grants, appoints new board member and high school assistant principal.
School calendars are typically hotly debated. But something unusual happened Monday night at the School District of the Chathams' Board of Education meeting.
This year, the Board of Education unanimously, swiftly, and good-naturedly passed the 2010-2011 school year calendar without one smidgen of protest from either board members or the general public.
The approved calendar has a five day break in February and a five day break in April the week leading up to Easter, which includes Good Friday.
Superintendent Jim O'Neill was delightfully surprised by the unanimous and quick decision.
"The first time in history," he joked.
In other news, the board approved the selection of George Alexis as Assistant Principal of Chatham High School and swore in Matthew Gilfillan to the Board of Education.
O'Neill also recognized Aiden Carney, a fourth grader at Lafayette Elementary School, for being one of four winners in the elementary school division of the New Jersey Playwrights festival for his play, "Express From Denver To Geartown." The superintendent awarded Carney with a certifcate of excellence.
"Very few get to that level," O'Neill said. "The bar is set very high."
O'Neil also reported to the board that he had sent two representatives to Trenton to hear state Education Commissioner Bret Schundler speak about the federal Race to the Top Initiative, which provides educational grants to states that meet certain standards. Schundler spokesman Alan Guenther controversially called the country's current public education system "wretched", despite New Jersey's top rankings in the National Assessment of Educational Progress in math and reading at the fourth and eighth grade levels.
O'Neill said the initiative would "not offer a great opportunity" for Chatham to access funds, as most of the money would go to failing or poverty-stricken schools.
The board approved staff contracts for the 2010-11 school year, a food service contract with Chartwells School Dining services (which is increasing its commitment to sustainability, according to board member Alan Routh) and repairs to bleachers at Chatham Middle School. It also approved donations from the Chatham High School Athletic Boosters, Chatham Recreation, Chatham Baseball Club, Chatham Athletic Foundation and a donation from Chatham Main Contractors to fix up the junior varsity field behind the high school.
Board member Lata Kenney also reported that the Education Foundation had awarded Chatham schools with $1,273 for a SMART document camera and cart. The foundation has awarded Chatham schools with this year.
