Present:            Joe Luongo, Edwinna Carroll, Donna Wipper, LindaCondal,   Cathy Meseck, Connie Doheny, Lisa Hodulik, Mary Nicolette, Cheryl Cutrizzulo, Marrie Messeri, Ana Mastropietro, Nancy Smith, and Ellen Connors
Joe Luongo opened the meeting at 7:35 PM.

 District:
Article – Over Parenting - Mr. Luongo had shown us an article regarding “Over-Parenting”.  It is coming more and more common for parents to do their child’s homework and school projects so that their child will not have to deal with failure.  This kind of parenting creates a child who believes everyone else is to blame for his problems.  This is why many schools have character education in their school curriculum. 

District Narrative- Mr. Luongo reviewed the district narrative and corrections were made and will be resubmitted.

Flu Vaccination Program- This year there was an increase in the amount of employees participating in this program.  Mr. Luongo believes this program is well worth continuing and predicts an increase next year.

Movie List- High school parents are advised to check the list on the web site.  Movies rated R or PG that has nudity are not allowed unless the nude scenes are removed from the movie.  Some teachers argue that the movie loses contents’; however Mr. Luongo does not want the school subjecting students to any nudity.  If parents wish their child to see the movie they can do so at their home or in the theaters but not in our schools.  The Holocaust Museum was mentioned in that there is real life footage of nude people in the camps.  Parents felt that it emphasized how horrific the camps were.  Mr. Luongo will look into this and if the museum is showing it he will not allow our students to visit the museum.  He does agree that the museum is educational.

Depken Field – Newspaper Article - There was an administrator and one board member that were to solicit people to form a committee to study the conditions at Depken Field.  The board member and a council man starting talking about how East Rutherford’s Board of Education turned over their field to the town and the town leases the field back to the Board of Education.  This councilman reported back to the mayor’s council to see if this subject was brought up would they approve.

Mr. Luongo prefers not to relinquish the Board’s property to the town.  A parent informed Mr. Luongo that there is plenty of grant money out there that the town has not applied for and the Board of Education can apply for to make improvements to the field.  He was given the name of the contact person and Mr. Luongo will definitely get in touch with this gentleman.  At this time, all articles are just people talking and nothing definite.  The Board of Education did not sit formally with the Mayor and Council.  Another parent understood the benefit but was totally against the town selling off property and making an area where children play even more congested with traffic. 

Key Communicators -    Mr. Luongo informed us that there is a limit of three key communicators per school. If you want to keep the same ones or rotate that is entirely up to the PTA’s.  Mr. Luongo feels that keeping the same people would be more advantageous as they would know the background of a particular subject.

High School/Middle School:

Drop Off Zone -    A letter was sent home to all parents on November 23rd explaining the procedure.  Cars are still stopping at the corner of LaSalle and causing a traffic jam.  You must move your car down between the cones and drop off at the designated area.

Cycle Classes – assessments - Parent wanted to know how many assessments a cycle class should have.  Mr. Luongo informed us that 6 for a cycle class.  If there is no homework in a class the teacher has to give the student that 10% of their grade; the student does not get penalized.  Several parents from several different grade levels stated that teachers do not round up.  If a student has an 89.6 the student receives a B+ when in reality they should receive an A-. This lack of rounding up has kept students off of the honor roll.  Mr. Luongo stated that the student must put a grievance in against that teacher and the grievance must go through the proper channels.  When the grievance reaches Mr. Luongo he can take action.  Parents informed him that students would not do that for fear of repercussions from the teachers.

Wrestling for Middle School - This program started a few years ago and there were problems.  Now there is a separate recreation coach and separate middle school coach.  Anyone living in Heights in grades 6th through 8th can be on the team for Middle School.  Mr. Luongo met with Woodridge to discuss them joining this program for Middle School.  Middle School will wrestle during the week – one match per week.  There was discussion with Woodridge reguarding Heights joining their Middle School volleyball team.

A parent asked if we could co-op with Woodridge for academics.  We were told that we do offer many more AP courses than other schools in our category.  Also, Woodridge and our school day are almost identical; therefore busing students from one school to another for a class would eat into their instructional time.

Parents asked about starting a Lacrosse team.  We were informed that we do not have enough field space.

Evergreen Program – The children coming to our school are school phobic; they are not discipline problems.  We are giving them 2 classrooms and an office and they are paying us $50,000.00.  We will use that money to make improvements to our auditorium.  The students come with their own aides, teachers, guidance and administration.  If they can be mainstreamed down the line, Mr. Luongo and the Board of Education must agree.  We are receiving approximately 18 students at this time.  We are contracted until June 2005 and at that time we will make a decision regarding the next school year.

Elementary Schools:

Task Force Update - The task force has a major problem that they are investigating to see if it can be corrected.  Apparently, Lincoln School would house Pre – K through 2nd grade and the school needs 9 bathrooms.  It is being studied to see if nine bathrooms can be placed in the school or if county would give a waiver for the bathrooms.

United Nations Day – Mrs. Choi will do United Nations Day later in the school year; a date has not been selected at this time.

Book Committee – Policy 6163.1  - At the conclusion of last month’s meeting, a parent spoke with Mr. Luongo off the record regarding a fourth grade reading book that she felt was inappropriate for that age group.  This parent has met with Mrs. Simmons and as of this date the parent has not pursued this matter further.

Milk Program - We will be going forward with the milk program.  The survey resulted in 62 out of 130 preschool and kindergarten children wanting the milk.  We need to figure out away to keep the milk cold.

Governor’s School of Excellence Award -    Lincoln School will be honored at this month’s Board of Education meeting.

Euclid School Drop Off Zone - There was a parent that questioned kindergarten children entering the building during inclement weather.  Inclement weather all classes in both elementary schools enter via the gym.  Any child that is late enters through the front door. Mrs. Simmons felt that the drop off that is in place is sufficient.  The distances between the two entrances are the same.  The drop off procedure and entering procedure will not be changed.

Next meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 19, 2005 at 7:30 PM. 
Meeting adjourned at 8:53 PM.

Minutes submitted by Donna Wipper.