AGENDA

• Rachael Abell Updates

• • Superintendent search
    • Goal hire date = June 1st
    • MASC = search consultant they hired who will also manage the process
      • Screening committee meeting on March 5th choose semifinalists
      • 400+ responses to the survey
      • Semifinalists will tour the schools meet with students, meet with caregivers from April 14 through 16 (maybe 17 if needed)
      • Finalists announced before April break
      • Interviews with school committee open to the public
  • Anticipating 2-4 candidates
  • Budget – expecting challenges due to state and federal funding levels; SC creating a budget website where people can learn about the different funding sources. May 7th will be budget vote
  • Event at BHS
  • April is when the city puts out nomination papers to run for school committee
    • A number of planned vacancies
    • Two more at large seats
      • Ward 1, 2, 3
      • Ward 5, 6, 7
  • Librarian position – will be considered for next year.
    • November limited ability to plan and made us spend money “three times over” instead of hiring a librarian
  • Schedule change
    • BHS particularly needed adjustments 
  • Special election  will be held April 15 at individual schools by ward

• Megan Hart Update

• • February break & Saturday schools in session & attendance has been consistently 70%
  • Next 3 Saturday schools are half days → TBD what the turnout is!
  • A lot of illness this winter! Statistically significant sick season. 
  • Thank you to Sarah A for the hand sanitizer station for lunch room!!!
  • March Mathness kicked off: ST Math; grade level challenges & intergrade competitions plus fun prizes; GiGi visited last week & will return for the last day of MM
  • MCAS Dates ELA (April) & Math (May)
  • Book Fair = last week in April + Art Show + Parent Evening Event
  • Katie lined up awesome whole building enrichments!!!
    • Rob Surrette/Hero Art was a big hit
    • African storyteller coming up
    • One in March, May & June
  • Three grants headed to Bev Ed from Ayers 🙂

• Caretaker Info Night – date flexible in order to accommodate all speakers
  
• Book Fair – all set to go with caregiver night & art show
  
• Yard Sale – 1st Sat/Sun in April
• BevED
• • Board Voted to fund $400 per elementary school to do a science fair in whatever fashion they’d like. (Essentially would pay for the trifolds.)
    • Ms. Hart: Awarded a grant with Project Lead-the-Way is training several Ayers teachers + math coach and rolling out new units. Exciting part: piloting it & immersing students gives them a break from the traditional class schedule.
      • One unit = Unique animal characteristics
      • Another unit = Extreme weather

• Benches

• • • Three total
    • Middle one engraved, “Robert A King Memorial Playground”
    • Quotes range from $600-800 per bench w/o engraving
    • Get on the buildings & grounds list for installation
    • Rock to be adjusted for aesthetics

• Board Elections in March

• • • Meredith to share nominations online
    • Adding a business liaison position

• Politics & PTO

• • • Reminder: We cannot make candidate endorsements as members of the PTO

• Vacuum for library

• • • Kyle comes once a week to clean the library! Running into a vacuum access problem.
    • Mrs. Hart communicating to YMCA (whose rental agreement includes cleaning) as well as Antioch Church (who utilize space on Sundays)
    • Mrs. Hart to ask other schools for potential donation for PTO vacuum (as opposed to purchasing)

• Field Day

• • • Found $6 pinnies to reuse year after year as opposed to giving headbands & t-shirts away.

• Red Sox Day on May 4th – can run the bases with your kids this year!

Goals for this year? 

Open forum for questions/discussions