Science Center Classroom Planned for Cherry Brook’s Courtyard

The excitement is beginning to grow over Cherry Brook’s new outdoor classroom planned for the courtyard. This week, Principal Andy Robbin, Math and Science Curriculum Specialist Lisa Deltano, and PTO President Kim O’Brien were happy to accept a $4,200 check from Westinghouse’s Charitable Giving Program to be used for the purchase of a new 10’ x 10’ utility shed, a space-appropriate lawnmower and snow-thrower, and recycled benches for the area. Along with the PTO’s ongoing financial support (and time and energy!), and the expert contributions of Jarlath Connolly, owner of Lawn Tailors, the science center is well on its way to becoming a reality.

What’s in the Works?

For awhile now, the CBPS community has talked about turning the existing, rather overgrown courtyard into a vibrant learning center where teachers can take their classrooms of students to experience and appreciate nature and earth science with a curriculum that is tightly-aligned to carefully designed features. Picture this: groups of students with magnifiers, rakes or shovels, and their writing notebooks, charting what they find and making predictions. They could be digging for earthworms, recycling in the compost bin, or growing food. They could be planting seeds in the greenhouse, noting how a solar panel takes in sunlight and produces energy, or releasing the butterflies they grew from larvae. They could be noting which plants have their seeds on the outside (a sunflower) and which plants have their seeds on the inside (a pumpkin). Where do you find the seeds of a milkweed? The over-arching objective of this project -- we want our youngest students to wonder about the natural world, to participate in it, and to begin to understand their ecological footprint.

If you’re not familiar with this space, the CBPS courtyard is in the center of the building, lined with classrooms on three sides and a corridor with floor-to-ceiling windows on the other. It is very spacious, 120 feet by 92 feet, and has some interesting nooks. After studying the area, we have mapped out two paver-stone pathways with teaching stations at either side. Each station would feature a semi-circle of recycled plastic benches for seating 24 students.

At one end, we’re planning to install garden features; at the other end, renewable energy features. Both are aligned with our K – 3 curricula. A composting bin, for example, would support science objectives for soil testing, recycling, conservation, and earthworm study. Students will plant and keep a simple garden. Naturalized daffodils (1000 bulbs were already planted by the PTO last fall), will illustrate “the life-cycle of a plant.” Milkweed, daylilies, and asters will support lessons on indigenous plant-life and plant classification. They will also provide habitats for butterflies (raised in the metamorphosis unit), and for other insects, toads, and birds. Kindergarteners will plant pumpkins and sunflowers in the spring, then, as first graders, measure the height, weight, circumference, and volume in their first math unit, checking their predictions about whether the largest pumpkins and the largest sunflowers faces have the most seeds. Solar-powered vents on the greenhouse we’re hoping to install and many solar-powered lights will support units on renewable energy sources. If all goes well, the area could also see a water pump, powered by a photo-voltaic cell, for a fish pond habitat, as well as bird houses made by the Garden Club and even a bat house.

Our teachers and an active group of parents who currently lead nature walks will be trained to use the courtyard science stations. We also have the commitment of Liz Butner, K-8 Science Consultant for the Connecticut State Department of Education, who has agreed to provide on-site professional development to help teachers get the most out of the new outdoor classroom, including during the winter months.

While beautification isn’t the primary goal, the newly-redesigned area will be beautiful, and certainly will offer wonderful opportunities for art, reading, and writing classes as well. Cherry Brook’s Garden Club, advised by Ann Atwood, will find many active ways to enjoy the center, and a bird house building workshop planned for the Torrington Lowe’s will only be the beginning of their involvement. Rick Murawski, the Manager of Lowe’s, is the newest member of the planning team.

So, that’s what all the excitement is about! Watch for an Open House event this spring.

The Budget Process

How to Join the Budget Process

The district’s budget process began in the fall as the building administrators began evaluating their programs and inputting the dollar amounts needed to support their school’s unique needs. At the same time, the Superintendent and Board of Education began collecting information about the more inflexible portions of the budget – transportation, utilities, benefits, and contracts. Our goal in Canton is never to merely maintain the status quo, but to continuously build upon the most effective components of our success while finding cost-savings wherever we can.

Mark Your Calendar

Now it’s time for the community – you -- to join the budget process. The dates below will help you decide when and where to participate. Try to attend as many meetings as possible, but the key meetings are: Tuesday, February 9th, when Superintendent Kevin Case presents his budget to the Board of Education; Monday, February 22nd, when the Board of Education holds a public hearing; Wednesday, April 7th, when the Board of Finance holds its public hearing on all three of Canton’s budgets; and Thursday, April 15th, when the Board of Finance holds its Budget Workshop. At most of these meetings, the public may speak. However, at the April 15th Board of Finance workshop, the public may only observe. Even when you do not or cannot speak, your attendance at a meeting becomes an observable “presence” in the budget process.

The Board of Finance Public Budget Hearing is set for Wednesday, April 7th at 7:00 p.m. Many town residents will choose to speak at this meeting about both the Board of Education’s budget and the Board of Selectman’s budget. If you do choose to speak, try to be as specific in your remarks as possible. It is required that you begin by stating your full name and address. According to one member of the Board of Finance, general statements, such as “I support the school budget,” are not as well received as very specific statements about what you are supporting and why. Specific statements show you truly understand what is in the budget and its implications for education in Canton. You should try to state your points well within a three-minute time limit.

After this public hearing, the next important meeting is Thursday, April 15th, the Board of Finance’s Budget Workshop. Residents may only observe this discussion. However, your presence in the audience as the Board of Finance makes its decisions does speak for you. It’s actually a very interesting meeting to attend, and the Board of Finance’s decision to cut or accept the Education and Selectman budgets follows their discussion.

Remember: if you can’t attend a meeting, you may write a letter to the Board of Education and/or the Board of Finance and request that your letter be read aloud. You may also call your Board members or write or email messages with your opinions.

Calendar of Important Dates:

Tuesday, February 9th -- 7:00 p.m. – BOE meeting; Superintendent Kevin Case presents his budget at the Community Center

Monday, February 22nd – 10:00 a.m. – School budget presentation by Kevin Case at the Community Center

Monday, February 22nd – 2:00 p.m. -- School budget presentation by Kevin Case at Cherry Brook Primary School

Monday, February 22nd – 7:00 p.m. -- Public hearing with Board of Education at the Community Center

Tuesday, February 23rd – 7:30 a.m. -- School budget presentation by Kevin Case at Canton Intermediate School Coffeehouse meeting

Thursday, March 4th – 7:00 p.m. – Special Board of Education meeting to adopt budget at the Community Center

Wednesday, April 7th – 7:00 p.m. – Board of Finance Hearing on the Budget

Thursday, April 15th – 4:00 p.m. – Board of Finance Budget Workshop – public can’t speak; only observe

Monday, May 10th – Annual Town Budget Meeting

Student Fees for Parking and Athletics at the High School

One of the most controversial and painful decisions the school board has had to make is the implementation of parking and athletic participation fees at Canton High School. Across the state, these difficult economic times have seen one district after another resort to fees in order to maintain the quality of athletic programs; and in Canton, in order to expand rather than reduce our students’ athletic opportunities.

Athletic Fees

There is no argument that athletics are a vital part of the high school’s program. Sports provide over 55% of Canton’s students with the chance to develop their physical aptitude, as well as their personal and leadership skills. Competitive sports provide another realm of challenges, and the lessons that come with both winning and defeat build character. A myriad of benefits come from participating in athletics. No one argues that point!

Yet, the high school athletic program represents about $240,000 in the district budget, and that price tag rises every year. Canton pays $11,000 in dues and fees to the league, associations, and state for its 11 varsity and junior varsity men’s and women’s sports: soccer, field hockey, cross country, basketball, wrestling, indoor track, baseball, softball, tennis, golf, and track. Our officials and coaches are not overpaid; our transportation throughout the widespread NCCC League is not unreasonable; and our kids’ uniforms are neither new nor personalized.

Knowing all of this, the Board of Education adopted Policy #5139 and added athletic fees stating that all developmental, freshmen, JV, and Varsity athletes would be required to pay a fee for each season. For all sports, except football (which is self-funding), the fee is $100 per athlete per season with a $175 individual cap for the year and a $300 family cap. The participation fees do not guarantee playing time; and the policy provides additional regulations for fee collection, refunds, and so on.

As you can see, the fee schedule for athletics was carefully designed to be sensitive both to families with multiple athletes and to athletes who participate in multiple sports. In addition, students who receive free and reduced lunch are automatically waived from athletic fees; and a form for athletic fee relief is readily available on the CHS home page, under “Important News” in the right menu (“Pay to Participate Waiver/Reduction Fee Form”). Privacy is guaranteed.

The athletic fees for the 2009 – 2010 budget are intended to pay for the athletic trainer ($26,000) from whom all the teams receive a valuable service. Fees in excess will be used to offset transportation costs, another equally shared expense.

Parking Fees

Implemented in September 2006, the parking fees pre-date athletic fees by three years. Students who wish to drive to school pay $50 per semester or $100 per year. Upon completing an application and providing payment, a student receives a permit which must be visibly displayed in the same vehicle for which the permit is issued.

Despite the existence of a parking fee, parking at Canton High School remains a privilege. A parking permit can be suspended at any time for violating the parking lot rules, such as driving above 10 miles per hour or driving against the flow of traffic. On the rare occasions when a student needs to drive to school and does not have a parking permit, the student can park at Millennium Field and walk the sidewalks to school. Some students elect to do this routinely.

Parking fees bring about $6,000 a year into the district budget and are always used to enhance the middle and high school’s outdoor campus. An example is the lighted school sign at the end of the driveway, the newly-planted shrubs, the benches at the top of the field hockey field, several trash receptacles, and outdoor bleacher replacement. Recently, three picnic tables were purchased for student use. They are currently housed in the cafeteria, but will be moved outside in the spring.

The Board values input from the students and community about the use of the parking lot fees.

What happens to gate receipts?

Just in case you’re wondering, the money you pay for a family pass or a single ticket into a basketball game does help a little, too.  Gate receipts for winter sports bring in about $9,000 and are used to offset the $25,000 budget line for time keepers and officials. Football gate receipts from home games belong to the Canton Football Association, however, as that program is completely self-funded.

Code Red! Code Yellow!

As a child growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, I experienced the duck-and-cover style civil defense preparedness drills that followed the Soviet Union’s development of a nuclear weapon and the Cuban Missile Crisis. We were taught to fall to the ground and get under something if we saw a bright light. We practiced going to the school basement and lining up in rows along the basement walls; littlest kids closest to the wall, biggest kids on the outside. I lived within one mile of the school; so in one drill, when the town’s air raid siren sounded, I ran home as fast as I could,  My mother was supposed to time me and report my time to the principal.

Thank goodness times have changed! Hopefully, we have grown more cognizant of how emergencies actually happen; and, while we still must prepare for these emergencies, more sensitive to our children’s feelings when they experience that ‘preparedness.’

I’m not going to share with you the details of our Code Red and Code Yellow procedures, as publicizing those plans would be counter-productive to children’s and teacher's safety; but I do want to explain when, how, and why we practice.

First of all, this year new legislation required that we practice our emergency procedures (Code Red and Code Yellow) a minimum of three times a year. Previous legislation required 10 fire drills per school year. Now, we may add the three emergency drills to that schedule to total thirteen drills; or, we may substitute up to three emergency drills for the fire drills, keeping a schedule of ten total drills per year. Canton will be doing the latter. From 2009 – 2010 on, we will have seven fire drills and three emergency drills. The thinking is that for decades no student has died in a school fire because everyone knows exactly where to go and what to do; the same level of practice might prevent misfortune in other types of emergencies.

All school administrators and town officials have what is called an “Annex O Handbook.” It was written by committee and is revised every July. Its goal is to “establish protocols and guidelines for all agencies who would be responding to Canton School facilities so that any incidents would be handled as rapidly as possible thereby allowing an orderly return to the business of educating the children of Canton.” It contains protocols for everything from severe weather to bomb threats to finding a mysterious package to locating a missing child, and so on. Depending upon the situation, a Code Red or Code Yellow is called by the principal or other administrator. Code Red emergencies indicate a threat within the school; Code Yellow emergencies indicate a threat outside of the school. In both cases, the doors to the buildings are locked and no one can leave or enter.

To be prepared for these kinds of potential emergencies, we do hold drills as mentioned above. Just as with fire drills, which have become commonplace and routine, Code Red and Code Yellow drills do not constitute a real emergency. Students are always told “This is a drill” and reassured that there is no reason to worry. During drills, teachers remain calm and practice the procedures that have been outlined for them.

When one school has a Code Red drill; the other two school buildings will always have a Code Yellow drill. This is because the Canton Police and Adam Libros, the Director of Emergency Management, attend the Code Red drills so that they can provide feedback to the principal and teachers at a faculty meeting later that same afternoon. Canton’s emergency responders are too limited in number for us to effectively practice a Code Red drill at all three school buildings simultaneously; therefore, we stagger our Code Reds. The debriefing sessions we’ve held so far have been very helpful. While teachers always want to know exactly what they should do in a variety of ‘what if’ situations, they are reminded that real emergencies aren’t predictable and common sense prevails.

To date, we have had several real Code Yellows where a possible or perceived emergency was outside the school buildings.  In none of these instances were any children ever endangered.  An incident where a bear was spotted on the playground at Cherry Brook Primary School is just one example. We realize that it can be inconvenient for parents when the doors are locked and you can’t get in… or sometimes, can’t get out. But the strict procedures to lock the doors are in place for well-intended reasons.  
In a real Code Yellow, we will use AlertNow’s everyday calling and emailing feature to let you know what happened. This phone call will look like a call from Central Office, or from the school, on your caller-ID; it will begin 860-693-77xx.  In a real Code Red, however, we will use AlertNow’s emergency calling and emailing feature as soon as possible to let you know what is happening. Your caller-ID will display 411.

Remember, in a real Code Red, you should not come to the school that is experiencing the emergency situation. Past emergencies in other school systems have taught us that, especially when roads and driveways are narrow (as they are in Canton), citizen traffic to the location of the emergency can delay the access and mobility of the rescue personnel. Wait for the AlertNow message to tell you where to congregate and what to do.

My intention this week was to provide reassurance, not to create a sense of urgency or alarm. We have had one emergency drill to date and need to conduct two additional drills to be in compliance. We hopefully enter into all of our emergency preparedness with a sense of compassion for our children; we want them to feel safe in their classrooms. At the same time, we want you to feel comfortable that we know how to protect them, as we know you would, in an emergency.