1 Board of Education Upper Saddle River, New Jersey Regular Session Monday, December 21, 2015, 8:00 p.m. Minutes This Regular Session of the Upper Saddle River Board of Education was held in the Cavallini School Media Center of the Upper Saddle River Schools beginning at 8:00 p.m. Mrs. Johnston opened the meeting and stated that the meeting was being held in compliance with PL 1975, Chapter 232 and appropriate notice had been provided to the designated newspapers, the Borough Clerk and all interested parties requesting such notification. Members present: Mrs. Johnston, Mr. Amano, Mrs. Fusaro, Mrs. Pittman, Mr. Prisco, Mrs. Smiechowski, Dr. Verducci Members absent: None Also present: Dr. Browne, Mrs. Imbasciani CONFIDENTIAL SESSION Mr. Prisco made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Pittman to convene into Executive Session at 7:30 p.m. Mrs. Johnston then read the following statement: WHEREAS, the members of the Upper Saddle River Board of Education deem necessary to discuss personnel and legal matters, and WHEREAS, the topics to be discussed are within the exemptions which are permitted to be discussed and acted upon in confidential session pursuant to PL 1975, Chapter 231, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting will be made public when the need for privacy no longer exists. Action may be taken. Mrs. Fusaro made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Smiechowski to adjourn Executive Session at 7:55 p.m. Mrs. Pittman made a motion, seconded by Mr. Prisco to convene into Regular Session at 8:00 p.m. OPENING STATEMENT: Mrs. Johnston Mrs. Johnston welcomed the public to the meeting. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT: Honor Catherine (Katy) Smiechowski Dr. Browne Dr. Browne addressed the Board and visitors in honor of Katy Smiechowski: “Tonight, I would like to take the opportunity to honor one of our Board members who will be leaving us this evening after over six years of dedicated service. Katy is our longest serving, active Board of Education member and has made many contributions to the continued success of our schools.” On behalf of the entire BOE, staff and students, Dr. Browne thanked Katy for her leadership and commitment to our students. She said, “It has been an honor to work with Katy over the last six (almost seven) years. I have enjoyed getting to know you as a Board member, parent, educator and citizen. Please know that our students are receiving a better educational experience thanks to your efforts. You will be missed.” 2 COMMENTS: In response to Dr. Browne’s statement, Mrs. Smiechowski said, “The honor was mine.” She thanked Dr. Browne and said that everything that was done was a team effort. Mrs. Johnston said that this is a huge loss for the Board. Mrs. Smiechowski has always been a moral compass for the Board of Education, with strong ethics and a genuine concern for all of the students in Upper Saddle River. BOARD SECRETARY’S REPORT: None Mrs. Imbasciani BOARD PRESIDENT’S REPORT: None Mrs. Johnston COMMITTEE REPORTS: Committee Chairpersons School Boards Liaison Dr. Verducci Dr. Verducci presented his NJSBA Liaison Report to the Board. Highlights included: Attended a dozen meeting so far Delegate Assembly, November 21: o Focus - Public schools should be held harmless against funding changes at the State Department Accountability Task Force: o 349 pages of financial regulations, 22 subchapters set to sunset this year o Task Force is reviewing regulations with a fine tooth comb. Final recommendations by June 2016 o Committee’s Charge: Analyze current regulations Consult with experts on school district financial operations Collect data from school districts Develop a plan to advocate for new/revised regulations Professional Development Opportunities: o New online governance training o New and updated webinars o Board member certification programs Resources & Programs: o New NJSBA website (January/February 2016) o Three new programs www.StandUp4PublicSchools.org www.SustainableJerseySchools.com www.njsba.org/resources/A-Plus-Programs-and-Practices COMMENT: Mrs. Johnston thanked Dr. Verducci for going to Trenton every two weeks and keeping his finger on the pulse of everything going on at the state level. PTO REPORT: None USREF Report: None Mrs. Layne/Mrs. Mazzola Mrs. Esposito PRESENTATIONS: 1. From the Book to the Big Screen: Literary Characters Become Movie Stars Mr. Kaplan/Ms. Meier/ Ms. Whitman Mrs. Whitman, Ms. Meier, and two of their students gave a presentation on how they have integrated technology into the 4th grade character study unit. The presentation began with a brief overview of the unit and then the teachers and students demonstrated the use of the iPads and iMovie app to make movie trailers 3 that told the story of the characters in the book. The presentation concluded with a video overview of the Bogert Character Awards ceremony for parents. COMMENTS: Mrs. Johnston thanked the students for joining us this evening. She told them they are amazing public speakers. She said it is fantastic to see what teachers are doing with iPads in the classrooms and wished that the PTO and USREF were here to see this presentation. Mrs. Pittman said she loves that they are able to merge their love of reading with technology. th Dr. Verducci said that he wants to go back to 4 Grade! 2. PARCC Results: Year One Ms. D’Ambola Ms. D’Ambola reported on the District’s performance on last year’s PARCC assessment. New Jersey adopted the PARCC to replace the NJ ASK for both English Language Arts and Mathematics in Grades 3 – 11. This assessment has five performance levels: 1 – not yet meeting grade level expectations 2 – partially meeting grade level expectations 3 – approaching grade level expectations 4 – meeting grade level expectations 5 – exceeding grade level expectations The data was presented by grade level for both English Language Arts and Mathematics. A high focus was placed on the percentage of students scoring at or above a level 4 Upper Saddle River consistently outperformed both the state and the PARCC states using this metric. Future data will provide a much more detailed assessment of our students’ performance. We look forward to using disaggregated data by subgroups, an item analysis and an individual student level analysis to identify areas of improvement and guide our professional development. COMMENTS: Mr. Prisco asked if anything stands out from the test results that the district needs to work on/improve. Mrs. Johnston said that the Curriculum Committee will spend much time analyzing the data and seeing what can be done to improve student performance in the future. RECOGNITION OF VISITORS: None PERSONNEL: Dr. Browne A motion was made by Mrs. Fusaro and seconded by Mr. Amano to approve Personnel Consent Agenda items A through G and was approved by all in attendance. A. Create/Abolish (not applicable) B. Job Descriptions 1. Approve the revised job description for Certified School Nurse. 2. Approve the revised job description for Registered Nurse. C. Resignations (not applicable) 4 D. E. Leaves 1. Approve paid disability and statutory leave for Sheila Barry, L.D.T.C., effective on or about May 2, 2016 through approximately November 11, 2016. 2. Approve paid disability and statutory leave for Jacqueline King, 1 Grade Teacher, effective on or about April 18, 2016 through June 30, 2016. 3. Approve paid and unpaid medical leave for Jeanna Martini, Lunch Aide, effective December 2, 2015 through approximately January 13, 2016. 4. Approve unpaid statutory leave for Ronald Hadley, Night Custodian, effective on or about December 21, 2015 through approximately February 19, 2016. st Appointments 1. Appoint the Affirmative Action Team for the 2015/16 school year as follows: Carmela Whalen James McCusker Michael Alberta Melissa DeBoer Marci Titunick * 2. Appoint Kathryn Ralston to the position of long-term per diem leave replacement Special Education Teacher, BA, Step 1, effective on or about February 15, 2016 through approximately June 15, 2016, subject to the satisfactory completion of the criminal history records check required by law and receipt of Students with Disabilities Teaching Certificate. 3. Appoint Stacy A. Schiff to the position of Special Education Preschool Teacher, BA, Step 2-3, effective on or about January 4, 2016, subject to the satisfactory completion of the criminal history records check required by law. 4. Approve Alicia Giammanco, 5 Grade Teacher, as a Principal Intern and School Administrator Intern for the 2015/16 school year. 5. Approve Helaine Kleinman, Cavallini Paraprofessional, to assist with a student during an after school activity on December 1, 2015. 6. Appoint Tracy M. Kirsch to the position of Campus Aide, effective on or about January 4, 2016, subject to the satisfactory completion of the criminal history records check required by law. 7. Appoint Victoria Balzano as a Basketball Coach for the 2015/16 school year. 8. Approve Mary Levine as a LEAP Co-Coordinator for the 2016 Winter Session, as per the graduated fee structure for LEAP based on student enrollment. 9. Approve Anne Marie Silverman as a LEAP Co-Coordinator for the 2016 Winter Session, as per the graduated fee structure for LEAP based on student enrollment. 10. Approve Dora Dillman as a LEAP teacher, Pottery Barn Jr. (Wednesday) and Pottery Barn, Jr. (Thursday) - two courses. th $1,100.00 5 11. Approve Josephine Griffith as a LEAP teacher, Baker’s Delight, (Wednesday). (This will be increased by $10/student if there are more than 20 students.) $600.00 12. Approve Josephine Griffith as a LEAP teacher, Baker’s Delight, (Thursday). (This will be increased by $10/student if there are more than 20 students.) $600.00 13. Approve Danielle Hoffman as a LEAP teacher, Baker’s Delight, (Wednesday). (This will be increased to $550 if there are 14 or more students.) $275.00 14. Approve Elaina Reinke as a LEAP teacher, Baker’s Delight, (Wednesday). (This position is needed only if there are more than 24 students.) $275.00 15. Approve Danielle Hoffman as a LEAP teacher, Baker’s Delight, (Thursday). (This will be increased to $550 if there are 14 or more students.) $275.00 16. Approve Elaina Reinke as a LEAP teacher, Baker’s Delight, (Thursday). (This position is needed only if there are more than 24 students. $275.00 17. Approve Anna Richter as a LEAP teacher, Pottery Barn. $550.00 18. Approve Anna Richter as a LEAP teacher, Finding Picasso. $550.00 19. Approve Susan Jarvis as a LEAP teacher, Acting Up!! $550.00 20. Approve Susan Jarvis as a LEAP teacher, Barred Instruments. $550.00 21. Approve Julie Spirko as a LEAP teacher, iMake iMovie. $550.00 22. Approve Christina Cucci as a LEAP teacher, Computer Coding (Wednesday). $550.00 23. Approve Julie Spirko as a LEAP teacher, Computer Coding (Thursday). $550.00 24. Approve Kelli Panuska as a LEAP teacher, Acrylic Painting Class. $550.00 25. Approve Susan Deniz as a LEAP teacher, Become a Jewelry Designer. $550.00 26. Approve Susan Deniz as a LEAP teacher, Frozen Art and Science. $550.00 27. Approve Laurie Guerra as a LEAP teacher, Tennis. $550.00 28. Approve Heather Walker as a LEAP teacher, Going Unplugged. $550.00 29. Approve Peter Petrow as a LEAP teacher, Health and Fitness. $550.00 30. Approve Fashion Camp NJ, as a LEAP vendor, Crafting Couture, per student rate: $120/student Vivian Burns 31. Approve Cyber Robotics, as a LEAP vendor, Intro to Robotics, per student rate: Rosanna Azrak $128/student 6 32. Approve Cyber Robotics, as a LEAP vendor, Science and Technology, per student rate: $128/student Rosanna Azrak Anria Chacko 33. Approve Joe Fischer Magic, LEAP vendor, Secrets of Magic, per student rate: $120/student Joe Fischer 34. Approve Outragehisss Pets, as a LEAP vendor, per student rate: $110/student Nicole Smith F. G. 35. Approve Robyn Ranges as LEAP Nurse. 36. Approve Heather Balji as a LEAP Teacher’s Assistant. $16.00/hour 37. Approve Susan Deniz as a LEAP Teacher’s Assistant. $16.00/hour 38. Approve Andrea Leshinsky as a LEAP Teacher’s Assistant. $16.00/hour 39. Approve Catherine Merritt as a LEAP Teacher’s Assistant. $16.00/hour 40. Approve Kyle Miskowski as a LEAP Teacher’s Assistant. $16.00/hour 41. Approve Jaclyn Vinciguerra as a LEAP Teacher’s Assistant. $16.00/hour 42. Approve Donna Bach as a Volunteer LEAP Teacher’s Assistant. Substitutes/Consultants 1. Approve Victoria Stephan as a substitute nurse/teacher/paraprofessional for the 2015/16 school year subject to the receipt of a New Jersey Substitute Nurse/Teacher Certificate. 2. Approve Matthew Bernaducci as a substitute teacher/paraprofessional for the 2015/16 school year, New Jersey Elementary School Teacher’s Certificate. 3. Approve Joshua Chiavaro as a substitute teacher/paraprofessional for the 2015/16 school year, New Jersey Substitute Teacher’s Certificate. 4. Approve Beth Kovar as a substitute teacher/paraprofessional for the 2015/16 school year, New Jersey Elementary School Teacher’s Certificate. 5. Approve George Maroules as a substitute teacher/paraprofessional for the 2015/16 school year, New Jersey Teacher of Social Studies Certificate. 6. Approve Marilyn Shrout as a substitute teacher/paraprofessional for the 2015/16 school year subject to the satisfactory completion of the criminal history records check required by law and receipt of New Jersey Substitute Teacher’s Certificate. 7. Approve Danielle Traynor as a substitute teacher/paraprofessional for the 2015/16 school year, New Jersey Substitute Teacher’s Certificate. Lateral Guide Move (not applicable) $700.00 7 FINANCE: Mrs. Imbasciani A motion was made by Mrs. Fusaro and seconded by Dr. Verducci to approve Finance Consent Agenda items A through K was approved by all in attendance. A. Approve the Minutes of Board Meetings: November 2 and November 16, 2015 B. Approve the Bills List for November 2015 as follows: 10 11 12 20 50 60 General Current Expense General Current Expense Capital Outlay Special Revenue Funds Milk Trust Fund Total $67,580.02 $1,881,902.99 $6,910.00 $33,932.36 $673.25 $28,088.48 $2,019,087.10 C. Approve the Transfers for November 2015. D. Approve the Board Secretary and Treasurer’s Reports dated June, July, August, September, October and November 2015 and to certify that after review of these reports and upon consultation with appropriate district officials, as to the best of our knowledge, no major account or fund has been over expended in violation of NJAC 6A:23-2.11 and that sufficient funds are available to meet the district’s financial obligation for the remainder of the year. E. Approve a Shared Services Agreement with the Quad-District Boards of Education for the services of the Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, with Northern Highlands Regional High School serving as LEA for the period commencing July 1, 2015 for a period of ten (10) years; and in accordance with the agreement, the cost of services for the 2015/16 school year shall be $77,081.86. F. Approve the Addendum to Quad Technology Department Shared Services Agreement Between the Upper Saddle River Board of Education, the Northern Highlands Regional High School Board of Education, the Ho-Ho-Kus Board of Education and the Allendale Board of Education. G. Approve the graduated fee structure for the LEAP after school enrichment program as follows: Student Enrollment 161 – 180 181 – 200 201 – 220 221 – 240 241 – 260 261 – 280 281 – 300 Co-Coordinator Salary $5,000.00 $5,350.00 $5,700.00 $6,050.00 $6,400.00 $6,750.00 $7,100.00 H. Approve the out-of-district placement of a student whose name is on file in the Board Office at Holmstead School, effective December 21, 2015. I. Approve the Application for Dual Use of Educational Space for Reynolds School room 95, for the 2015/16 school year. J. Approve Aspire Technology Partners to upgrade the hardware for the District's virtual infrastructure at a total cost of $50,754.19. (Pricing based on EMC (Storage Array Network) WSCA Contract #A89968 and Cisco (Servers) WSCA Contract #87720) 8 K. Approve the following Travel Expenses: Program Name TC Workshop: Intersection of Guided Reading & Book Clubs New York, NY NJECC Computer Conference Montclair, NJ Date January 12, 2016 January 26, 2016 Employee Marissa Hopson Stephanie Pirsos Registration Fee $400.00 $400.00 Travel Cost $109.30 $134.50 January 13, 2016 Revitalizing Your Library Space Fairfield, NJ 101 Best Strategies to Enhance Your World Language Classroom (Gr 4-12) Piscataway, NJ TC Workshop: Unpacking Two Upcoming Reading Units: Readers Have Big Jobs To Do & Meeting Characters and Learning Lessions New York, NY How Student Mental Health Issues Manifest in the Classroom Mahwah, NJ Executive Dysfunction: Strategies for at Home and at School Parsippany, NJ Teaching Beginning Language and Related Skills Utilizing Discrete Trial Training Oradell, NJ 2016 Statewide Preschool Nurses Meeting Neptune, NJ TC Workshop: Upper Grades Need the Secrets That Primary Grades Know New York, NY Creating the Canvas Workshop Morristown, NJ Teaching Students with Comprehension Problems to Read Like Detectives Garwood, NJ NJSBGA Annual Conference Atlantic City, NJ Evolving Educators: Tomorrow's Classrooms Today Conference Lawrence Township, NJ January 14, 2016 Daniel Cazes Michael Padilla Bruce Reicher Julie Spirko Elizabeth Ullrich $110.00 $0.00 $110.00 $110.00 $239.00 $22.14 $22.14 $0.00 $18.86 $17.05 January 27, 2016 Rachel Friedman $239.00 $29.79 January 27, 2016 Jacqueline King $50.00 $0.00 January 28, 2016 Melissa DiBartolo Sheryl Spencer Carmela Whalen Melissa DiBartolo $80.00 $80.00 $80.00 $199.99 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 February 2, 2016 Carolyn Lane Elaine Stern $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 February 3, 2016 Lisa LoPiccolo $0.00 $55.50 February 5 & 6, 2016 Jessica Bollenbach Heather Walker $400.00 $400.00 $173.50 $0.00 February 12, 2016 Daniel Cazes $0.00 $23.87 March 9, 2016 Sheila Barry Janice Clare $180.00 $205.00 $0.00 $0.00 March 14-16, 2016 Nijazi Leka $125.00 $406.49 May 21, 2016 Jonathan Harvey $35.00 $43.56 RECOGNITION OF VISITORS: None January 29, 2016 9 COMMENT: Mr. Prisco said that he attended the Robotics Competition and it was quite an event. He gave special thanks to Mr. Harvey and Mr. McCusker. ADJOURNMENT A motion to adjourn was made by Mrs. Smiechowski and seconded by Mr. Prisco at 9:02 p.m. Sincerely, Dana Imbasciani, Board Secretary Mrs. Johnston