School Board Approves Head O’ Meadow HVAC Project

By Larissa Lytwyn

The Board of Education unanimously approved awarding a $3,385,000 contract to the Tomlinson Hawley Patterson construction company at its September 21 meeting. The company will complete an air-circulating HVAC project beginning this December, during holiday break, at Head O’ Meadow Elementary School.

Head O’ Meadow parent Joan Plouffe described Head O’ Meadow’s current climate as being “80 degrees in one classroom and 40 degrees in another.”

The project, originally estimated to cost $4,084,385, is expected to conclude by March.

Many parents had expressed concern over the construction occurring during the school day. But project designer Brian Wetzel assured board members and parents that many of the concerns, such as noise level and security, were already “standard” stipulations addressed in the existing contract.

An addendum to the contract requires background checks for each of the project’s workers.

During public participation, Head O’ Meadow parent Michelle Hankin said she was pleased with the project’s direction and thanked the board and project designer for addressing concerns on behalf of school parents.

Chairman Elaine McClure said that further communication between Head O’ Meadow families and HVAC administrators should continue, especially as the project commencement nears, through letters and other forms of correspondence.

She also encouraged Head O’ Meadow parents to continue to come out to support the passage of the HVAC contract through upcoming Selectman, Board of Finance and Legislative Council meetings.

Business Director Ron Bienkowski said that parents would have the opportunity to meet with Mr Wetzel and representatives from Tomlinson Hawley Patterson as the project start date neared.

In other business, the school board approved an innovative ninth grade English curriculum developed by the Newtown High School English department chairman Kathy Swift and faculty members Paul Geary, Jason Hiruo, Jeanetta Miller, John Percivalle, Nicole Rossi, and Katherine Schweizer.

The “mastery spiral” curriculum is based on research that adolescents often forget information after three or four months.

The new curriculum seeks to integrate old and new information through a “spiraling” approach.

The lessons also reflect on a variety of disciplines, particularly the social sciences, as related to English.

The teachers plan to present a similarly developed tenth grade curriculum to board members later in the fall.

Finally, the board approved the following fall sports coaches at Newtown High School: Matt Childs, Mike Dyer, Brian Quinn, Doug Russell, and Dave Foss. Approved volunteer coaches for fall sports at the high school included Mike Nolan, Tony Metz, Rachel Bolmer, Bob Salvador, and Joe Crimi.