The Board of Education approved the 2016-17 school calendar at its meeting on Tuesday, January 19, along with hearing presentations on full-day kindergarten and a proposed pilot video game design course at Newtown High School.

The school calendar was first presented to the board at its December 15 meeting, when Director of Education Connection Dani Thibodeau spoke about the regional calendar. Dr Erardi told the board then that the regional calendar must be followed for the 2016-17 school year.

Dr Thibodeau told the board while the regional calendar has mandates for local district calendars, there is also flexibility. The regional calendar statewide effort, Dr Thibodeau said, was a result of looking for efficiencies to save money.

“The areas identified as potential areas for cost savings for schools were transportation, professional development, and special education,” said Dr Thibodeau in December, adding that the state’s Commission on Municipal Opportunities and Regional Efficiencies (MORE) determined calendar uniformity would address the areas.

A task force was created in 2013 to create guidelines for uniform calendars, according to Dr Thibodeau, and work continued from there to form the current regional calendar.

“The regional calendar was created as a consensus among our districts,” said Dr Thibodeau.

Dr Thibodeau then shared some of the details of the calendar with the school board, and since that meeting the school board and district have been reviewing it.

The 2016-17 school calendar approved by the board January 19 has all teachers reporting to school on August 24, students starting August 29, and the projected last day of school, without emergency closings, is June 8.

The full 2016-17 calendar is posted on the district’s website, newtown.k12.ct.us.

Full-Day Kindergarten

With the district’s full-day kindergarten program in its third year, Middle Gate Principal Chris Geissler and district kindergarten, first grade, and second grade teachers shared a presentation at the meeting Tuesday.

Head O’ Meadow Elementary School kindergarten teacher Lisa Dievert, Middle Gate first grade teachers Shannon Pierce and Chandra Salvatore, Hawley Elementary School second grade teacher Amy Hiruo, and Mr Geissler, shared examples of how the full-day kindergarten program has changed from the district’s former half-day program.

Mr Geissler said the change has led to educational benefits and positive impacts on social and emotional learning.

The educators shared examples of longer and more detailed writing samples, and reported on how the longer day for kindergarteners has effected the students as they age into first and second grade. In the later grades students show stronger abilities in math, reading, writing, and social abilities, according to the educators.

NHS Pilot Video Game Course

Newtown High School Principal Lorrie Rodrigue, NHS Business Education and Applied Technology Department Chair Eric Holst-Grubbe, and NHS teacher Brendan Burgess also presented a plan for a pilot video game course at the high school to the board at the meeting.

Dr Rodrigue said she is excited “about bringing forward a new video game design course, which, we think, integrates really well with our effort to integrate more [science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)] opportunities for all of our high school students.”

A high interest level in the course is anticipated, according to Dr Rodrigue, who also shared aspects of the course she thinks will offer learning opportunities for students.

Mr Holst-Grubbe said he believes the course will embody “a rigorous curriculum, a collaborative environment, and a productive and innovative platform for students” before sharing how the course would fit within his department.

A second level of the course, according to Mr Holst-Grubbe and Mr Burgess, could integrate the school’s entrepreneurial programs.

Mr Burgess, who would teach the course if approved by the board starting in the fall, said the class will offer students the chance to learn problem solving, collaboration, and communication skills along with the building of video games.

The presentation was the board’s first look at the pilot program, it is expected to review and vote on the course at a future meeting.

Financial Report

Business Director Ron Bienkowski also presented the monthly financial report for the board at the meeting, explaining the freeze voted on by the board in November is still in effect and will not be released.

Mr Bienkowski said this month’s report marks the fiscal year’s “midway point.” Until the actual reimbursement rate is known for the state’s Excess Cost Grant, Mr Bienkowski said, the district is continuing the projection about the grant from December.

“All the main object accounts are still in positive balance, with the exception of the other purchased services, which represents primarily the out of district tuition, which has been a problem area for this year,” said Mr Bienkowski. “Taking that into account, the overall end position of the fiscal year has increased by about $26,000. So we are carrying a shortage on the financial report.”

Board members asked questions about specific portions of the report and about recommended transfers before unanimously accepting it.

The Board of Education is scheduled to pick up reviewing the superintendent’s proposed 2016-17 budget at its February 2 meeting, when a public hearing is slated. The board is set to adopt its budget at a February 4 meeting, and from there the budget will be presented to the Board of Finance and Legislative Council for review before it is brought to referendum in April.