New Year, New Faces

The Marion School Committee was back in session September 3, with a couple of new key administrative staff members attending their first meeting.

Old Rochester Regional School District Superintendent Doug White introduced the new School Business Administrator, Patrick Spencer, and the new Director of Student Services, Mike Nelson, to the committee before getting down to business during the first school committee meeting this school year within the district.

Representatives for the Sippican Lands Trust and Copicut Woods in Fall River asked the committee to approve a donation of 40 to 50 Atlantic white-cedar trees to Sippican School for sixth graders to retrieve and plant on the north side of the school grounds.

The evergreen coniferous baby trees will become a part of the science and social science curricula, with students learning about plant structure and also how this specific tree ties into local history.

Sixth grade students will take a field trip to Copicut Woods to claim and transport the trees back to the school and plant them the next day after a presentation from the SLT.

“I think it sounds awesome,” said School Committee member Christine Marcolini. “I really do.”

The committee accepted the donation of trees with a unanimous vote.

Later in the meeting, Sippican School Principal Evelyn Rivet announced that the school would soon have its own Facebook page as a way to reach out to the community about news and special events taking place throughout the year.

Assisting with the task, Technology Integrationist Susan Wheeler said she would model the new Facebook page after ORR High School’s and make weekly updates for those who “Like” the page.

“It’s just another way to put ourselves out in the community,” said Wheeler.

Also during the meeting, the committee approved the design and placement of the new YMCA Sippican Learning Center signs for the front of the building and the circular drive out front near the entrance.

Food Service Director Caitlin Meagher gave a brief update on the status of school lunch accounts. As overdue balances remained after the school year came to a close, Meagher said she was able to recover some of the money left over from active lunch accounts from past years, and Rivet used some funds from the principal’s account to pay for some of the remaining debt. In total, the Sippican School closed the year with a negative balance of $382, a huge difference from where it was earlier in the year when it climbed into the thousands.

“We’re hoping to keep better control over that this year,” said Meagher.

In other matters, Facilities Director Eugene Jones requested funds totaling $2,600 to go toward the new “Telecenter U Page Module,” an emergency alert system used to aid in communication within the school, as well as with emergency responders and others, should an emergency occur.

Jones said the school could be ordered into lockdown “with the push of a button” from any computer within the school, not just from the main office.

The total cost is $7,100, with $4,500 coming from leftover funds in Jones’ budget. The vote to approve was unanimous.

Also during the meeting, Rivet handed committee members the updated school improvement plan, which now includes a timeline for the goals that the committee requested before the close of the last school year.

Later discussed, White told the committee that, with a little restructuring, the district could eliminate the need for a technology director to replace Ryan McGee who resigned from the position to take another one in another district.

“As we went through the process,” said White, “…we felt that we could do it in a different way without getting an additional administrator.”

Technology specialist consultants who were once assigned to specific districts will now float between all the Tri-Town school districts, and some staff members will take on additional technology hours as well.

“We needed more boots on the ground,” said White, adding later that having the consultants move through the districts under the new organizational structure will add accountability.

“And an ability to really see where we’re going,” said White.

The next meeting of the Marion School Committee is scheduled for October 1 at 6:30 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry

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