Education

Academic Hall of Fame to grace school lobby

JULIE LANE PHOTO Director of Physical Education and District Operations Todd Gulluscio outlined for the Board of Education the process necessary for seventh and eighth grade students to move up to junior varsity athletic teams if they meet rigid standards.
JULIE LANE PHOTO
Director of Physical Education and District Operations Todd Gulluscio outlined for the Board of Education the process necessary for seventh and eighth grade students to move up to junior varsity athletic teams if they meet rigid standards.

An Academic Hall of Fame will take shape this spring to complement Shelter Island School’s Athletic Hall of Fame that was launched two years ago.Brian Becker, president of the Shelter Island Faculty Association, told the Board of Education April 22 that the union would bear most costs for creating the Academic Hall of Fame that would start with the 2015 valedictorian and salutatorian.

Eventually, the Hall of Fame could include top students in each of the major houses — Humanities and Science, Math and Technology, Mr. Becker said.

Plans call for adding students each year, but also beginning to work back year by year to eventually include students deserving of recognition who graduated in 2014 and earlier.

A committee that will include faculty, at least one board member and others will be discussing the design, labeling and lighting of the area to be located in the school lobby.

MOVING UP TO JV

The board heard from Director of Athletics and District Operations Todd Gulluscio about regulations to enable seventh and eighth graders to qualify to play on junior varsity sports teams.

The state policy that the local board endorsed requires:

• Fitness tests for sports other than golf or bowling

• A physical examination to clear the student for participation

• An evaluation of the student’s skill in a particular sport

• A meeting with a parent or guardian regarding the possible enrollment in a junior varsity sport usually open only to students when they enter the ninth grade

• Administrative approval that includes academic achievement

A student who otherwise qualifies will be given a three-day tryout during which the student may opt not to push ahead in playing at the junior varsity level. Once that three-day period ends and the student is accepted on a junior varsity team, he or she may not opt out and go back to a junior high team, Mr. Gulluscio said.

SAFETY FIRST

The board also had the first reading of a policy requiring that any player, whether in practice or competition, who is injured must be evaluated by a medical professional and may not be allowed to practice or compete until cleared by that doctor to participate.

To minimize physical risks in interscholastic athletic programs, participants must have a medical exam.

The school must hire certified and/or licensed officials to coach all varsity, junior varsity and modified games; and assure equipment is safe and operating within approved guidelines.

The policy could be amended between now and its expected adoption next month if the board receives any input with suggested changes.

TRANSPORTATION REFUSAL

At the recommendation of its legal firm, Ingerman and Smith, the board rejected a request from an unidentified parent to place a proposition on the May 19 ballot that could have allowed the district to transport students beyond the 15-mile limit allowed by law.

The parent failed to provide information on the specific mileage and costs for such transportation.

By law, to expand the area beyond the 15-mile limit would have required voter approval, but would have also opened the door to transporting other students to schools beyond the limit.

Transportation off Shelter Island is already very costly to the district because of the combination of buses and ferries.

MAINTAINING QUALITY

Board members passed a resolution requiring that all parts and materials used in repairing or installing a temperature control system, components, server software updates and revisions must be uniform and of high quality so that no work done between now and the time the pending building projects start, nothing is purchased from any contractor who fails to meet rigid standards.

The provision will also apply to any subcontractors who are hired by performance contractor Johnson Controls when its work begins to projects aimed at improving the energy efficiency in the building.

In other actions, the Board of Education:

• Hired Michele Yirce as an elementary school teacher at a salary of $60,601.

• Appointed Michael Cox as an athletic event chaperone and a detention monitor.

• Accepted donations from the Shelter Island Educational Foundation of $3,000 to finance the New York City Broadway field trip on May 27 and $285 to be used toward the cost of a college visit field trip that took place April 17.

• Agreed to consider a suggestion from member Elizabeth Melichar that a grandparents program be implemented to bring in those who could mentor students, read to younger students and create a bond with them.

Volunteer would feel useful and students would love it, Ms. Melichar said.

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