Education

Superintendent quells combined class size protest

 

JULIE LANE PHOTO Superintendent Leonard Skuggevik discussed combining classes at Monday night's Bord of Education meeting.
JULIE LANE PHOTO
Superintendent Leonard Skuggevik discussed combining classes at Monday night’s Bord of Education meeting.

Superintendent of School Leonard Skuggevik appears to have calmed the waters with parents who complained in October and November about combining preschool and kindergarten students in a single classroom.

At Monday night’s Board of Education meeting, Mr. Skuggevik said he had a “very positive” meeting with about 20 parents and agreed to continue to keep them in the loop as he assesses the single-room concept.

“We’ll be moving forward together,” the superintendent announced, explaining his plans to work with the parents to ensure all students are benefitting from the combined class.

Board Vice President Thomas Graffagnino, who was present for part of the meeting with the parents, described a similarly productive session.

When the combined class was discussed in October, Mr. Skuggevik said each student would be assessed individually. He expected preschool students from the combined class would be more advanced when they enter kindergarten next year because of the experience of being with the slightly older students this year.

The curriculum is different for each level, he said then, but the younger students would hear what the older students were being taught and naturally absorb some of that information.

Despite Mr. Skuggevik’s upbeat presentation of how the combined class would work, two parents of students in the class had expressed concerns at the November BOE meeting.

Robert Waife, while praising the teachers, said then that he questioned how effective the combined class would be. Kathleen Springer, also at the November meeting, complained there had been no previous communication with parents before the decision was reached.

Neither could be reached for comment by press time.

In other Board of Education action:
• The 11 members of the class of 2015 received approval for a senior trip to St. Augustine, Florida next spring. • Ms. Melichar announced that the revised Code of Conduct was nearing completion and would be available for review shortly.
• Board member Marilynn Pysher announced that Communities That Care will hold its final five-week “Guiding Good Choices” program for parents Thursdays in January, with the final session on the first Thursday in February. The program is designed to assist parents in guiding their children to avoid behaviors such as underage drinking and drug abuse.

CTC will be folding its tent this year, but is supporting the town’s agreement to hire school social worker Jennifer Olsen on a part-time basis. Ms. Olsen works part-time for the school district and the combined hours will amount to a full-time job while coordinating needs of both students and their families.