Supt's Scoop
Dr. Manno's BCSD Brief, Edition #10, 2016-17 School Year
A message from our Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools
There is much productive work occurring in the Bedford Central School District. This week our Space and Enrollment Committee will continue its work to provide input and insight on topics related to available space, enrollment and demographic trends across the District, and alternatives to effectively and efficiently maximize space utilization. The group has identified important criteria and objectives to guide its work and will begin the process of identifying alternatives based on data this week.
Also this week the Budget Advisory Committee will meet to continue its work to provide input and insight to the Board of Education related to budget and finance, the budget development process, analysis of district revenues and expenditures, and multi-year budgetary planning. The Committee reviewed important data regarding District finances during its first meeting, and this week will continue to identify and clarify issues and concerns for consideration.
The District Strategic Planning Committee made great progress in its first meeting. The group identified a set of Core Educational Values to guide the District forward and to inform the committee's continued work.
This week Dr. Manno participated in the State of the Schools Forum coordinated by the League of Women Voters of Eastern Westchester County at the Katonah Village Library. The following is a link to the presentation Dr. Manno provided.
To keep informed, check out our District Facebook Page, Twitter Feed, and our school and parent association web pages/newsletters. Also, subscribe to our events calendar and new athletics calendar. At this time all Board subcommittees are active and engaged in important district business. You may find Board meeting materials and subcommittee minutes in Board Docs.
Sincerely,
Colette Dow, President
Brian Sheerin, Vice President
Andrew Bracco
Michelle Brooks
Pam Harney
Edward Reder
Beth Staropoli
Dr. Christopher Manno, Superintendent of Schools
School Calendar Change
There is a CHANGE in this year’s calendar that we wish to bring to your immediate attention.
The Board of Education, at their October 26, 2016 meeting, revised the 2016-2017 school calendar to include three early release (1/2 days) for providing Professional Development for all staff. Students will be on a ½ day schedule
These three dates:
Friday, January 13th
Friday, February 17th
Friday, April 7th
Each of these dates precede a long holiday weekend or school vacation break.
Forum to Provide Input on the FLHS Grading System
The high school leadership team has been conducting an ongoing study of “Weighted Grading” for calculating final grades on transcripts for the past few years. Such a system would reward students for taking more rigorous courses. Our hope would be to encourage more students to experience the challenge of honors and AP courses while mitigating the potential impact more rigorous classes may have on their GPA (Grade Point Average) and transcripts to college.
Before taking official action, the Administration and the Board of Education would like to share our work and provide an opportunity for student and parent input. Parents and students are invited to a forum on weighting honors and AP grades when calculating GPA’s on Monday evening, November 7th, from 7:00-8:00 PM, in the FLHS Theater. After a brief presentation, there will be time for questions and comments.
You are invited to view this link to the presentation on this matter. Also linked here are the minutes to the Board of Education Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Subcommittee meeting resulting in this recommendation.
On April 8, 2015, students from the FLHS Policy Class provided a presentation on this topic.
Any questions regarding the presentation or topic, in general, should be directed to Dr. Joel Adelberg, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, jadelberg2958@bcsdny.org.
Happy Birthday FLMS!
A Culture of Lifelong Learning, by Dr. Chris Manno
2016-17 BCSD Goals
2. Budget development.
3. Comprehensive communications plan.
4. Resolve negotiations.
5. Curriculum Review and program initiatives.
6. Improve BCSD Policies.
7. Create a special education action plan.
8. New Board of Education meeting cycle.
9. Fill leadership positions.
10. Space and Enrollment Community Advisory Committee work.
Emergency Closing/Delayed Opening Procedures
In the event of inclement weather or other circumstances that would cause the closing of schools, a delayed opening, or an early school closing, communication with staff and families occurs in multiple and redundant ways.
Families and staff members will get notified via phone, email, and text using our School Messenger system. Please make sure your school has up-to-date contact information .
The District also posts delay, early dismissal, or closing information on the District Website, BCSDTV, and uses WHUD, News 12, NBC-TV, CBS-TV, FOX 5, and ABC-TV to broadcast school closings, late arrivals, and early dismissals.
On days when inclement weather is predicted, the decision to close school could be made the evening prior. If not, the decision-making process begins at 3:30 a.m. and includes research on weather conditions, assessment of site conditions for our schools, consultation with the highway departments of our towns, and a conference call with regional superintendents of schools. A decision will be made by approximately 5 a.m. and the communication process will be initiated.
Some important information:
- A "Delay" means a 2-hour delay for students and staff. Students report to their bus stops or arrive at school 2 hours after normal time.
- When a "Delay" is called, please continue to be alert for communications, as a "Delay" can become a "School Closing."
- For "Early Dismissals," the earliest bus runs for the high school/middle school would begin at 10:20 a.m. Elementary students would be dismissed at 11:30 a.m.
- If schools are closed, facilities are not available for use for after-school or evening activities by internal or external organizations; therefore, all after-school activities are canceled, with the exception of after-care occurring in schools.
- For "Early Dismissals," staff members are dismissed after students have left the campus.
- If schools are closed or there is an early dismissal on a Friday, please check the District website for the status of weekend activities.