Administrative Report

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

 

 

School Happenings:

 

Congratulations to Craig Worden (Grade 6) for winning our local National GeoBee Competition last week.  Kiley Owen was first runner up.  Craig’s win entitles him to take a 100 question written exam from which 20 of the top scorers will compete to represent Vermont in the National GeoBee Competition this summer in Washington, D.C. 

 

Winter Activities is off to a great start despite the cold blast that blanketed the east last week.  Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the next five Wednesdays are storm free (and a bit warmer)!

 

I received word over the holiday break that Dummerston School will not benefit from one of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG). The response to their request for proposals was overwhelming and thus the competition among applicants was rigorous.  They accepted 364 applications requesting over $13 million in funding.  Even though the Clean Energy Development Fund Board was able to re-allocate an additional $1million for projects, they only had $5.8 million of funding for
the $13 million worth of requests.  Only 162 of the 364 applications were invited to submit comprehensive applications.

 

In December, the Dummerston School Endowment received our tax exempt status under 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code as a public charity.

Paul Smith has made arrangements with Caleb Clark to provide technology integration support to teachers at Dummerston and Putney for the rest of this school year. Caleb is available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and other times as arranged, depending on his schedule. We can expect about 8 hours per week for approximately 16 weeks (to the end of May).  I am meeting with Caleb on Friday so my hope is that he can begin as soon as next week. Caleb is an instructor and program director and in the Teaching with Technology Program at Marlboro Graduate School.  He is also the academic technologist for the Graduate School. His focus is the creation and management of humane Web media, specifically social networking, video, and photography for higher education.  You can read more from Caleb’s bio at http://gradschool.marlboro.edu/academics/mat/faculty.

I would like to report that the NutriKids software program is working extremely well and that students move through the line quite efficiently now.  Families are using the online paypal system which is helping our revenue stream considerably.  Thank you to the PTFO who donated a large portion of the initial costs for this program.  And while we are thanking the PTFO…today students used our new electric portable Salad Bar, which was purchased solely by funds from the PTFO along with a grant from C & S that PTFO solicited. 

 

On Monday, January 18 from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. the Dummerston School Asset Council will help the area community celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  The day includes 7 morning workshops, one run by the Dummerston Asset Council.  Council members include Aisha Schor, Ross Momaney, Shelby Goddard, Jim Evans, Zach Bokum, Nate Greene and Libby Annis (who, unfortunately, is downhill racing that day). 

 

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS (as found on website)
 Students Taking Charge: Young People Building Teams and Inclusion in Their School
What happens when you take a whole bunch of middle school students from different area schools and put them all together in a big room for three days — in the middle of summer!? Well, if they experience safe situations that foster empathy for others, if they are taught to actively listen and open up to others, and if they are supported in problem-solving, then they go out to make their world a better place. Middle school students from Dummerston will share their experience and the work they have done in their school since their summer leadership experience. Participants will learn:

Students will:

 

Drew Wood (Grade 8) at the District Music Festival at BFHS on November 20 & 21, 2009.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                Happy New Year!