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Dear Barre Town Middle and Elementary School Parents:

On behalf of the Barre Town School Board of Directors, I would like to wish you and your children a warm “welcome back” to school.

As you enter the building this year, you will see that our maintenance staff has worked very hard over the summer to get the school ready for your return. They take a great deal of pride in providing a high quality environment for the students, teachers, and staff and the Board is very appreciative of their efforts.

There were a number of notable renovations to the building over the summer but the spectacular granite countertop is the crowning jewel of the front office makeover. What a tribute to the generations of Barre natives whose strong work ethic has given “Barre grey” a worldwide reputation for excellence. The Board extends its grateful appreciation to Granite Industries of Vermont and to Barre Town parent, Jeff Martell, for this wonderful donation to our school and community.

The School Board embarked on a bit of renovation this summer as well with the restructuring of our committees. In addition to our bi-monthly Board meetings, members serve on various committees to research and discuss a wide variety of issues with school administrators, teachers, and Barre Town citizens. We chose to restructure our committees for a number of reasons:

• Committees have significant input on the decisions made by the Board.

• New challenges require proactive and innovative thought.

• The committees will be more inclusive of school-related functions (the Technology Committee was dissolved and split between the Curriculum and Facility committees; the Class Size Committee was established as promised last year).

• The committees provide a point of contact for discussion of school functions and programs.

• Restructuring improves the efficiency of our decision-making process because the Board is more informed.

• Re-examination is healthy for any organizational structure.

Information about each of our committees is included in this newsletter.

In the coming months, the Board will be discussing and taking action on a number of issues – class size, student enrollment, educational programs, transportation, employee salary and benefits, and school funding will top the list. Your ideas, comments, suggestions, concerns, or questions are welcome and encouraged. Effective communication is the key to finding reasonable solutions to future challenges. We are confident that the improved role of the committees will better serve the school and community.

There are so many wonderful changes at the school this year: improvements to the building, a new mobile computer lab, and full-day Kindergarten. A number of veteran teachers retired last year so there are many new teachers; we have hired new support staff as well.

Your Board of Directors looks forward to the renewed energy that accompanies the beginning of a new school year. We wish you and your children success with all that Barre Town Middle and Elementary School has to offer.

Sincerely,  David T. Harrington, Board Chair

Policy and Communication Committee	Facility and Transportation Committee	Curriculum and Teacher-Support Committee	Class-Size and Student-Enrichment Committee	Finance-and-Budget Committee
Kerri Lamb 479-6953	Jeff Gagne 476-3955	Brenda Buzzell 479-2101	William Kirkland 476-6756	David Harrington 476-5238

School Board Committee Details
2005-2006

Each of these committees meets at the time designated in the second-floor conference room. Committee meeting minutes, once approved, will be posted by the committee chair on the school’s website.

FINANCE AND BUDGET     Chair: David Harrington

• Annual budget development

• Review monthly financial statements

• Financial audit review

• Identify community issues/trends and their impact on financial planning.

• Employee salary and benefit issues (on non-negotiated matters).

• Financial review and impact of recommendations from the other Board committees.

Meetings are at 8:00 a.m. on the second Thursday of each month.

CURRICULUM AND TEACHER-SUPPORT     Chair: Brenda Buzzell

• Review/development of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

• Integration of technology in curriculum

• Professional development issues for teachers and staff

• Educational materials; books, supplies, software, etc.

• Program review

• Meeting the needs of challenged and gifted learners.

• Policy and financial implications

• Best practices aligned with the VT Frameworks of Standards and Learning Opportunities.

Meetings are at 8:00-9:30 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month.

CLASS SIZE AND STUDENT ENRICHMENT     Chair: Bill Kirkland

• Class size review and recommendations

• Teacher aides and Paraeducators

• Volunteer support

• PTO and fundraising events

• Student leadership

• Athletics

• Social outlets

Meetings of this committees will be announced (see our Parent Newsletter and our website). The first meeting will be held on Thursday, September 15 at 8:00 a.m.

FACILITY AND TRANSPORTATION     Chair: Jeff Gagne

• Building and grounds

• Infrastructure

• Equipment (including computer hardware)

• Furnishings

• Physical security

• Capital improvements

• Busing and maintenance issues (including staffing concerns)

Meetings are at 4:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month.

POLICY AND COMMUNICATION     Chair: Kerri Lamb

• Review and develop policy

• Board recordkeeping

• Board communication via school newsletter and/or electronic means

• Public relations

Meetings are held at 6:00 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month.
 

 

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