Croydon, Newport school boards hold annual joint meeting

By BILL CHAISSON
[email protected]
NEWPORT — School boards of Croydon and Newport school districts met jointly on June 13, a practice that began three years ago under a new contract between the two. Frank Perotti, former superintendent of SAU 100 (Cornish), is now working at Croyon. He put in a request to the SAU 43 office to see the cumulative records for the 34 or 35 students that attend the Croydon Elementary School. SAU 43 Superintendent Cindy Gallagher told him she would find a way to make that happen through an application called PowerSchool.

Croydon School Board member Jody Underwood and Newport School Board chair Linda Wadensten made plans to meet along with their respective superintendents to discuss a date for contract negotiations. It was not mentioned which professionals were involved, but their contract ends June 20.

Gallagher then outlined for the Croydon board the newly revised administrative structure with SAU 43.

Phil Banios, who had been co-principal of Richards Elementary School, will now be the sole top administrator there. Sue Schroeter is moving from the elementary to the middle school and will be the principal for grades 6, 7, and 8. Shannon Martin, ceding those grades to Schroeter, will be principal for grades 9 through 12. She will have an assistant principal and the district is also looking for a new CTE manager.

Banios invited Croydon board members to visit Richards, where some of their fifth graders would complete elementary school, any time.

 

Student presentations

Student athletes Alyssa Byrne, who will be a senior, and Sue Miller, who will be a junior, told the Newport board about their plan to repaint the mascot murals in the school gymnasium. They have found a sponsorship at LaValley’s, who has agreed to provide the needed gray and orange paint. The students estimated it would take them about a week to finish the task and wanted to do it before the floors were refinished in the gym.

Board member Virginia Irwin expressed reservations about whether it was appropriate for students to be painting the school buildings. “I don’t have a lot of comfort,” she said, “with a room full of students and lots of cans of paint.”

Gallagher told Irwin that this was already past practice; the students were keeping the board informed, not asking for permission. Having students undertake such projects was encouraged by the NHIAA and some bathrooms had been repainted a couple years back. “They will be supervised,” she said. “It’s not just ‘let’s go paint.’ It’s a little more structured than the way it was presented.”

Miller, whose father is the athletic director, assured Irwin that he and several coaches would be present during the project.

Gallagher added that this was now considered part of being a student athlete, to make your school look better, and that parking spots had been decorated at other schools.

“I don’t know how many times we have asked for the ‘Life of an Athlete’ materials,” said Irwin, “and we have been given zip, so I don’t know anything about this program. It makes more sense with some background provided.”

Officers from the student council reported to the board about a trip to conference in Orlando, Florida, which they attended with adult chaperones in November 2018. Leadership Experience and Development (LEAD), a program of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, holds these conferences throughout the country at regular intervals.

Class president Mason Martell said that one of the things he learned at the conference was that schools with 900 kids in a class have the same problems that Newport does with 70 kids in a class. They also brought back several ideas for building community spirit in the schools, including decorating parts of the schools with murals, hand-painted ceiling tiles and parking spots and innovative ideas for parties.

 

School-to-

work programs

Cody Morrison, the new economic development director for the Town of Newport, gave the board a progress report on a school-to-work program that he is developing in cooperation with the CTE and workplace education pathways in the school system. Morrison is knitting together a program that would develop “solid workplace skills” in students through participation in existing programs in the district plus no-cost options that can be accessed from state and federal sources.

Morrison hopes that the program will be model for other small towns in the region. He invites any local employer to take part in any way they choose.

He said much of his time is devoted to doing the Department of Labor paperwork required to make Newport an official “school-to-work” site.

Irwin asked him if he has had difficulties regarding transportation; are students able to get to all parts of this emerging program. Morrison said that was not an issue as yet because internships outside the school would probably be introduced in 2020. He is still looking for business partnerships, but Hypertherm has already expressed interest. In order for students to get to the Upper Valley, he would like to set up a service that mirrors the New London rest stop where workers catch the Dartmouth Coach to the Hanover area.

 

Recognitions

Irwin gave a heartfelt speech to mark the retirement of long-time custodian Raymond Willis. “When I got my first job, my father told me two things,” she said. “First, they’re paying you $1.25 an hour, so give them an hour’s work. Second, get to know the custodians and the secretaries and they will see you through.”

She described the many ways in which Willis had looked after the school’s population, both the students and the staff. He cleaned up everyone’s messes, including some elaborate senior pranks, but he was also there to give advice and encouragement. He was given a parting gift of a black jacket inscribed “Coach Willis.”

The board also recognized the departure of Gallagher, noting her great compassion for children. Wadensten expressed the board’s hope that she would find a job that allowed her to continue to express that great compassion. She was given wine glasses as a parting gift, inscribed “Thank you for your service.”