WAKEFIELD SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING October 28, 2014 Present: Chairman Callanan, Vice-Chairman Morgan, Ms. Danehy, Mr. Liakos, Mr. Kenney, Supt. Zrike, Business Admin. Pfifferling and Clerk Majeski. 1. Call to Order – Chairman Callanan called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. 2. Reading of the Mission Statement: It is the mission of the Wakefield Public

Schools to educate and inspire every student to live a life of engaged learning, personal responsibility and positive contribution through: 1) safe and healthy learning environments; 2) diverse learning opportunities; 3) high quality teachers and staff; 4) community involvement and partnerships; and 5) 21st Century tools and skills. 3. Comments: a. General Public Comment – None b. Student Advisory Council Members updated the committee on High School happenings: Girls and Boys Soccer teams have made it to the tournament, Friday night the high school football team with play Melrose, MICA/MESBA competitions brought wins to the high school, the marching band came in second in the MICA competition and 2nd in the MESBA competition. Homecoming Dance on Friday, Art Dept. will present Fright Night on Thursday night, Term I ends on Nov. 3, half day on Nov. 5. second term begins Noved girls soccer game and was impressed with the team; congratulations to all members of the sports teams; attended the MICA competition on Saturday night and was very impressed by the number of alumni that came back, and football players that were there. Congratulations to all members of the band. 4. Student Spotlight a. METCO Anniversary Celebration – METCO Director Joel Vilegas and students of the METCO program and Wakefield students met with the School Committee to talk about their education in Wakefield. Director Vilegas thanked the School Committee for inviting him to the meeting to talk about the program. This year is a milestone with the Wakefield program; celebrating 45 years between Boston and Wakefield. WHS student Brianne and member of the METCO Council spoke about the Council which was established to make sure the program continues to be prominent in Wakefield. The council meets once a month. They discuss activities they would like to implement in the school.

This year there will be planned events: bus tour which would include WHS and METCO students to go on the bus route; also an International Night with performances, fashion show, and cultural foods to bring families together. METCO student Christopher Soni spoke about his experiences in the program. Wakefield has provided him an opportunity to play sports, a good educational experience, and to live in a diverse environment. Oni, part of the METCO program, noted she has been provided the resources which would not be open to her in Boston. The program has given her a chance to explore and discover a love for ceramics, and the sciences. She has been given a chance of a lifetime. The program has made her proud of her heritage. Ms. Danehy spoke about the great opportunity for students to be involved in the council and for Wakefield to experience other cultures. Looking forward to the International Night. Mr. Liakos thanked the students for coming and sharing their stories with the committee. This year marked the 50th year of bussing, but the METCO program has been very successful and an opportunity for the students to experience diversity, as well as Wakefield to experience the same. The program is a wonderful program. Mr. Kenney spoke about his personal experience with the METCO program, and he has many good friends that came out of the program being in Wakefield. Mr. Callanan was thrilled to hear about the proposed Bus Tour which will show the tremendous efforts of students to get to Wakefield, and to become successful. Dr. Zrike noted the School Committee and Administration supports the program.. The program is something that we would like to grow, and was surprised by the lack of diversity in Wakefield. Last week METCO directors came to Wakefield and we shared some of the work we do in Wakefield. A thank you to Joel for facilitating it, and keeping Wakefield included in the program. It was a great exchange. There is an annual conference for faculty which is a great opportunity. b. Wakefield Wake Up Coalition Action Team – Cara Showers, Youth Coordinator for the Wakefield Wake Up Coalition introduced the students. Photo Voice Nikki, youth action team leader. Over the summer they created Photo Voice. The goal of the project is to provide a process to empower teens to voice their stories to the people that make decisions. It documents what the students saw over the summer. In Sept. we had a gallery to share the photos. Marissa spoke about the photos of things they love about Wakefield – lake, landscaping, available resources and Famers Market. The Italian Festival and Holiday Stroll are fun for all. We found that teen activities are not available. Drinking, partying and drugs are a problem, and are displayed in the photos. Having more places for teen to go may help with this problem. There should be healthy alternatives. There are places for younger teens to hang out, but not older teens. We have come up with fixes – teen center, skateboard park, basketball court, activities on the common, job fair, Friday night events. Mr. Callanan asked why the B&GC is not on their radar, and told that it is for younger kids. The Coalition has applied for mini grant awards by the various clubs. Also trying to get a bathroom buzz article posted in the bathrooms, which raises awareness about drugs. We will also post statistics from the survey last year. It is being worked thru the Crisis Team and also working with the VOKE coordinators. We are also looking for events after school, fun events that keep your mind on awareness of drugs.

Dr. Zrike asked the students to meet with he and the middle school principal to discuss middle school options for after school 5. Chairman’s Remarks, Reports, Recommendations a. Superintendent’s Evaluation – Chairman Callanan reported on the School Committee’s Evaluation of the Superintendent Ms. Danehy noted that Dr. Zrike has provided a clear strategic vision which is moving the district forward. What he has done in the last year has been remarkable. Mr. Liakos spoke about the energy Dr.Zrike’s brings to the job. He has worked very well with the School Committee, as well as the senior staff. Dr. Zrike’s decision to bring Dr. Smith on board as Asst. Superintendent has strengthened his role and ability to do his job at the highest level. Mr. Kenney commended Dr. Zrike on his communications. He has truly demonstrated to the community that he cares about what the community has to offer. You have been an excellent superintendent and communicator. Mr. Callanan noted that Dr. Zrike has handled his task with understanding. Dr. Zrike appreciated all of the comments, one on ones with the committee. There is a lot of room to grow. There are a lot of good educators in Wakefield. We are fortunate to have the teachers and administrator. They care about the town. Dr. Smith cares deeply for the Town of Wakefield. There is a lot of work to be done and areas to grow. Communicate is something that we have to continue to work on. We have to work harder for resources outside of Wakefield. There is a lot going on right now; technology, curriculum, and two new schools opening. We are facing challenges but we have to learn how to respond. The SC has allowed him to focus on what really matters. He welcomes comments from the community. 6. Superintendent’s Remarks, Reports, Recommendations a. Superintendent’s Comments/Communications – Dr. Zrike provided the committee with information on the following: 1. Town Meeting Articles – Article 7 Feasibility Study for WHS 2. Parent/Community Forums 3. Letter re. Ebola Virus 4. Two Grants Applied for this week: Kindergarten Transition Grant for 5 half-day programs, and School Safety & Security Grant. 5. BYOD Program at WHS. Students & teachers have communicated thru g-mail, more assignments on websites. Reduction in textbooks. Seen students using devices in classrooms. Of concern, the network has gotten slower. It is a network traffic issue. Hopefully helpful result in the next few weeks. At the Junior High there should be optimal performance. by January. 6. He noted that he will ask the committee to accept his goals at the next school committee meeting. b. WMHS Dropout Report – Guidance Director A. J. Beebe presented the Dropout Report and WHS Data. Mr. Beebe first acknowledge Joel Vilegas and thanked him for all the work he does. Dropout rate for the 2013-2014 school year - 0.5%. All students range from 17-19;

one is a fifth year senior; all students had serious attendance problems; two were attending their second high school; 3 have completed their MCAS exams; all students were contacted by administration at the start of the year to assess their current status, with assistance offered to them. Four of the five are registered for the GED program. He spoke about the extracurricular activities which are important to keep students in school. There is a diversity program, student council and many sports programs. Class of 2014 had 207 students (85%) of the class. Approximately 90% of the students continued their education at a four or two year college. Mr. Beebe reported on the AP exams, where 142 students took AP exams in 15 areas. Overall 80% of the grades were a 3 or better. He reviewed the 2014 AP Profile and presented a Five-Year AP School Score Summary. He also gave the committee the SAT I scores over the past 18 years. Mr. Liakos noted the most encouraging figure is the number of students taking the AP courses. He asked if there was a way to track students that need remedial courses while in college. Dr. Zrike noted the percentage of students scoring 1550 is 67% of students. Gr. 10 85% of students. It is an important number to look at. We have to determine what the score to make our students successful is. We should look at trends once they leave WHS. Mr. Beebe commented that we have to make sure we offer something for all students. The committee thanked Mr. Beebe for the very informative report. d. Budget Timeline Review – Mr. Pfifferling reviewed the 2015-2016 Budget Timeline. e. Acceptance of Gifts - Ms. Morgan moved, seconded by Mr. Liakos that the School Committee accepts with gratitude the following donations: 1. $2,000 from Valetude LLC of Wakefield for the Foreign Language Program at the Dolbeare School. Voted Unan. 2. $1,000 from IBM Corp. for the Foreign Language Program at the Dolbeare School. f. Approval of GMS Out-of-State Field Trip to Quebec City – Ms. Morgan moved, seconded by Mr.Liakos that the School Committee approves an out of state over night field trip for a group of GMS Gr. 8 French students to travel to Quebec City from May 20 thru May 23, 2015. Voted Unan. 7. Consent Agenda a. Approval of October 14, 2014 Minutes – Ms. Morgan moved, seconded by Mr. Liakos that the School Committee approves the October 14, 214 minutes as presented. In favor – Callanan, Danehy, Morgan, Liakos. Mr. Kenney abstained (was not in attendance.) 8. Subcommittee/Liaison Reports a. Policy 1. Re-Draft of Policy #104-R Non-Discrimination Policy – Ms. Morgan moved, seconded by Mr.Liakos that the School Committee takes off the table and approves Policy #104-R Non-Discrimination Policy (redrafted). Voted Unan. 2. Amended Policy 1011-R Student Fees – Ms. Morgan moved, seconded by Mr. Liakos that the School Committee takes off the table and approve Policy 1011-R Student Fees (amended). Voted Unan.

Mr.Liakos reported that the Policy Subcommittee met with representatives of the Booster Clubs. The meeting was fruitful and very well attended. Out of the meeting was that we will build a strong relationship by sharing information b. Budget – Will report at the next meeting. c. Labor Relations – Planning a meeting. d. Communications – Planning a meeting. 9. Future Dates & Agenda Items – Next meeting Wednesday, November 12th. 10. Adjournment – On a motion by Ms. Morgan, and seconded b y Mr. Liakos the committee adjourned the meeting at 8:47 p.m. Voted Unan.