BOE Approves Calendar, Post-Secondary Planning Guide, More

The Fort Lee Board of Education got through its regular business meeting agenda in a mere 20 minutes Monday, with Fort Lee Superintendent of Schools Raymond Bandlow highlighting four documents the board ultimately approved.

The first was the annual calendar for the district that includes a listing of dates, policies, starting times, early dismissals and other such information for the coming school year.

“This is one of the documents that parents get at the beginning of the year and keep for the whole year because it’s valuable for them all year long,” Bandlow said. “And just so you don’t forget how far we’ve come, you might remember three years ago that this didn’t get out until October. So we’re ahead of the curve on that this year.”

Bandlow went on to note that the district was also “well ahead of the curve” on two other items he called “very important to parents and kids.”

The first, which Bandlow referred to as a “very useful document,” is a program of studies for high school students and their parents that gives detailed descriptions of courses, programs and services at the high school.

“[The program] organizes them by year; not just in separate departments,” Bandlow said. “But it also really gives a very thorough picture of what programs we have for kids at the high school, so that’s a very useful document.”

The district will also be distributing to parents and students a post-secondary planning guide, Bandlow said.

“Think of this as your college planning guide,” he said. “This is a guide that’s going to help students understand the whole process of early on planning, to the application [process], getting letters of recommendation, testing on PSAT, SAT and the whole process so it’s spelled out.”

He added that school counselors will work with kids on the guide beginning prior to the 11th grade and then “more intensely working with them” during their 11th and 12th grade years.

The fourth document Bandlow highlighted was a comprehensive school-counseling services curriculum for grades 6 through 12.

“[This] spells out the program that counselors are responsible for working with children about, beginning with career exploration, and then going into the college and secondary planning process,” Bandlow explained. “They will be discussed by counselors with groups of students throughout the classes.”

All of the documents will be available online, according to Bandlow, and can also be found in the agenda packet for the Monday, Aug. 15, regular business meeting. Prior agendas are available for download by clicking here.

Any “other business” Monday could just as well be characterized as “business as usual” as the board approved the following resolutions on its agenda with little fanfare:

Committee of the Whole

• 1CW - Approval Of School Directory, Calendar And District Handbook

Board

• 1B - Approval Of Fort Lee Patch As An Official Online News Media Outlet

Building and Grounds

• 1B&G (Backup to follow)– Office Changes To Small Group Instruction Space At Middle School

Curriculum and Instruction

• 1CUR – Approval Of District Professional Development Plan
• 2CUR – Approval Of Program Of Studies For The 2011-2012 School Year
• 3CUR – BCSS Suspension Alternative Program (Sap) Memorandum Of Agreement For 2011-2012
• 4CUR – Approval Of Post-Secondary Planning Guide
• 5CUR – Approval Of Comprehensive School Counseling Services Curriculum For Post-Secondary Planning
• 6CUR – Fort Lee High School Credit Recovery Program

Finance

• 1F - Acceptance Of Non-Public Transportation Aid For 2010-2011
• 2F - Approval Of Reimbursement Of Non-Public School Nursing Aid And Textbook Aid Costs For 2011-2012
• 3F - Acceptance Of NCLB And Submission Of Application 2011-2012
• 4F - Submission Of Amended 2010-2011 NCLB And Idea Grant
• 5F - Authorization To Order State Health Benefits Plan Experience Report
• 6F - Acceptance Of Donation
• 7F - Renewal Of Bowles Security For 2011-2012 (At The Same Rate As 2010-2011 School Year)
• 8F - NJSIAA Fees For The 2011-2012 School Year (No Increase)

Health, Welfare and Safety

• 1HWS - Payment Of Home And Bedside Instruction Services
• 2HWS - Out-Of-District Placements For 2011-2012 (For 65 Students)
• 3HWS - Bloodborne Pathogen Program Professional Agreement For The 2011-2012 School Year
• 4HWS - Online Training In-service Seminars (Otis) Through The Monmouth-Ocean Educational Services Commission (MOESC) (At A Cost Not To Exceed $12,000 – Last Year’s Cost Was $15,000)

Personnel

• 1P - Approval - Staff Trips And Conferences
• 2P - Organization Chart For 2011-2012 [Ray To Advise]
• 3P - Retirement Of Joann Tarabola As Middle School 12-Month Secretary
• 4P - Revised Medical Leave For Alla Brutter As Speech And Language Therapist
• 5P - Corrected Resolution For The Amended Maternity Leave For Erin Powers As Middle School Science Teacher
• 6P - Appointment Of Kenneth Quazza As Middle School Part-Time Two-Fifths Social Studies Teacher
• 7P - Appointment Of Allen Miller As High School Chemistry Teacher
• 8P - Appointment Of Kristy Mcgoldrick As High School Special Education Mathematics Teacher
• 9P - Appointment Of Kenneth Knyfd As Leave Replacement (For Science Teacher) At Lewis F. Cole Middle School
• 10P - Appointment Of Olga Sagalchik As Leave Replacement (For Math Teacher) At Fort Lee High School
• 11P - Appointment Of Suzanne Elkhecken As High School Spanish Teacher
• 12P - Appointment Of John Richter As Assistant Principal At Lewis F. Cole Middle School
• 13P - Appointment Of Dominique Kondreck As School Nurse At School No. 4
• 14P - Appointment Of Julia Anderson As 1:1 Aide At Lewis F. Cole Middle School
• 15P - Appointment Of Doris Hobeika As 1:1 Aide At School No. 1
• 16P - Appointment Of Magda Heller As 2:1 Aide At School No. 1
• 17P - Salary Adjustments For 2011-2012 School Year
• 18P - Approval Of Stipend For Design Program Of Studies
• 19P - Additional 2011 Summer Employment
• 20P - Addition To Home Instructors List For 2011-2012
• 21P - Karen Baron Sick Day Payout
• 22P - Marching Band Camp 2011-2012
• 23P - Revised Appointment Of Substitutes For 2011-2012 School Year
• 24P - Appointment Of Jodi Krakower-Shimizu As 2:1 Aide At School No. 1
• 25P - Resignation Of Robert Feldman As K-8 Instructional Supervisor

Policy

• 1POL - First Reading Of Policy/Regulation Updates

The next regular business meeting of the Fort Lee Board of Education is Monday, Aug. 29, at 8 p.m.