School Board Discusses Curriculum Innovations,

High School Trip To London

By Larissa Lytwyn

The Board of Education discussed this week two private donations to the district; a high school trip to London next spring; innovations to technology education curriculum, grades 4 through 9; standards and objectives for English Language Arts; textbook adoptions; and the Discovery Program.

Despite budgetary pressure, the Discovery Program escaped being cut last spring. Parents, administrators, and ultimately the school board agreed that the benefit the gifted and talented program yielded was too great for it to be discontinued. Formerly held during school hours, the program will now begin before and after school in the coming weeks.

“Middle Gate, Head O’ Meadow and Sandy Hook school programs will all begin before school,” said Assistant Superintendent of Schools Alice Jackson. While some parents were upset that the program was not scheduled during school hours, Ms Jackson maintained that the schedule fit “the majority” of students involved.

At the elementary level, a teacher in each building will teach the program. In Reed Intermediate School, fifth and sixth graders will be combined and taught by a team of two teachers once a week for an hour and a half after school. Newtown Middle School students will also attend Discovery Program for an hour and a half after school.

Hawley School teacher Kelly Gallagher, Head O’ Meadow instructor Pat Kurz, Middle Gate gym teacher Laura Cooper, and Sandy Hook School teacher Kathy Gramolini are currently formatting Discovery’s curriculum this year.

Former Discovery Program teachers Donna McGough and Kim Calero from Reed Intermediate, seventh grade teachers Ray Shupenis and Jeanine Scianna, and eighth grade teacher Gail Seymour will also be teaching this year.

Also, noted Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff, Newtown High School English teachers Tammy Hughes and Rebecca Williams are organizing a trip to London tentatively scheduled during February vacation.

“The students would pay for the expenses themselves,” said Dr Pitkoff.

The board also recognized a recent $100 donation to Newtown’s Autistic Program and a Hewlett Packard color printer, complete with two extra cartridges, to Head O’ Meadow School.

Ms Jackson discussed the progress of Content Area Curriculum Committees, composed of K–12 teacher representatives from each school, parents and students, designed to identify and solve problems related to instruction in the content area. The committee plans to institute the use of surveys, study national trends, and develop support materials as a curriculum guide, among other improvements, during the 2003–04 school year.

Newtown Middle School technology education instructor Don Ramsey, leader of the school’s Technology Education Advisory Group, presented detailed findings of student and parent attitudes toward technology education.

“It’s clear that the majority of parents think that technology education is important,” Ms Jackson noted.

Mr Ramsey encouraged implementing technology education at younger grade levels, beginning in Reed Intermediate’s fifth grade class. “They’re ready for it!” he declared.

This past summer, Mr Ramsey and his son spent countless hours refurbishing Newtown Middle School’s rundown technology classroom. Buildings and Maintenance Supervisor Dominic Posca granted supplies. The board passed around a photo album of before and after pictures and commended Mr Ramsey on his work.

 “This is wonderful to see,” said school board chairman Elaine McClure.