Superintendent's Newsletter
February 2017
Stronger Everyday
Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed a peaceful holiday season and are headed into 2017 in good health and with the promise of good things to come.
At this time of year we are working to finalize the budget. As a reminder, each year we build a budget to align our fiscal and human resources with our identified goals.
Our district goals include:
Student Achievement: Improve student learning as indicated in District Performance Targets.
Well-Being: Support and improve a culture of physical, social and emotional safety for all students.
Engagement: Increase student engagement in learning.
Our budget theme for next year, “Stronger Everyday,” means that we have put into place the people, programs and practices that will strengthen what we do and our outcomes. The budget will be presented at the Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, February 8th at 7:00 p.m. in the CRHS Library. There are no easy budget seasons and they are all challenging in different ways as we move forward trying to link fiscal resources to our improvement goals. This year our budget came in at -2.14% lower than last year due to significant savings from most of our bargaining units changing to the HDHP/HSA insurance plan, closing Korn School, and the elimination of certain debt payments. That unusual trifecta is not a phenomenon that will be repeating itself anytime soon and certainly not in next year’s budget.
Our priorities as we move forward include the expansion of Pre-K programming, the gradual development of a career center at CRHS, support enhancement in mathematics at the elementary level, increased support for IT, adhering to Board recommended class sizes, necessary instructional materials, and high level professional development. In order to put these changes forward we have had to make cuts in several areas.
The Utilization Study Committee continues its work on responding to declining enrollment and building needs by examining possible grade reconfigurations and renovations in order to have two elementary schools and one middle school. Again, the work is in progress and far more complex than might be imagined. The Utilization Committee has not made a formal recommendation to the Board yet. When that happens the full Board will deliberate and vote. After a vote there are several steps that must be taken before architectural plans are drawn up, bonding is approved and shovels hit the ground. This means that simultaneously we must be looking at at educational programming across the district to be sure that we are providing the best possible educational experience for our students. Additionally, plans are being explored for the completion of the field house on the Wally Camp Athletic Complex.
Finally, discussions are on-going between the town of Durham and the District regarding their interest in acquiring the Korn School building, which again is far more complex than simply “turning over the keys”. If and when an agreement is reached the town of Durham will likely have a referendum for this purpose. As a regional district, when a school is closed it is not turned back to the town where it is located as happens in other municipalities.
CRHS guidance counselors talk to next year's 9th graders at Strong
Using PebbleGo for mammal research at Brewster
Some of Miss Garofalo's 1/2 students take a quick break during Science to pose for a picture at Lyman
Before and After School Programming
Parents will be receiving an email with survey information from their child’s school. Please take the 5 minutes necessary to complete this simple survey so that we are able to accurately assess parents’ interest in our program. Our intention is to provide before school care from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and after school care from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Costs associated with the programming would include a one-time registration fee of $50 and monthly enrollment fees of $190 for before school care and $145 and $280 for after school care. (Enrollment fees will be prorated in the months of December and April due to vacation.) For more information please see the survey from your child’s school.
Unified Sports
On Wednesday, February 1st CRHS hosted a Shoreline Unified Sports Bowling event at Callahan’s Bowl-A-Rama in Newington. The following high schools attended this very successful event: East Hampton, Westbrook, Valley Regional, Old Saybrook, Portland, and Cromwell.
Wilda Castro
Wally Camp
Wally Camp was a long time teacher, coach and athletic director in RSD 13. Wally did what all of us who work in education hope to do and that is to make sure that our presence enhanced the lives of children and that somehow the people and the place are better for our influence. Wally did just that. On January 17th, students from CRHS and Strong Middle School honored Wally’s life and positive impact on our district by lining Pickett Lane as his funeral procession drove by the Wally Camp Athletic Complex.
Coginchaug Unified Sports
Unified Sports bowling event in Newington
Funeral procession down Pickett Lane for Wally Camp
Kathryn Y.Veronesi, Ed.D.
Email: kveronesi@rsd13.org
Website: www.rsd13ct.org
Phone: (860) 349-7200