Met again this week with Garrison Board of Ed
Last week’s Board of Education meeting started with a tour of the Fort Montgomery Elementary School, led by principal Jacqueline Rodriguez. She started it in the cafeteria, where she showed the board members some of the entries in a contest that will name the cafeteria, and then made her way down halls filled with colorful bulletin boards.
One of them was a ‘Words of the Week’ initiative, where students suggest new words that Rodriquez said she’ll be asking teachers school-wide to use in their classrooms; another featured photos of school staff and faculty; a third was dedicated to the ‘Positivity Project’. There will be students recognized monthly for their positive traits, she said.
“Culture and environment is as important as academics,” Rodriquez said.
When the board went into their business session the first thing they did was hear from HFIS teacher Heather Evangelista, who asked permission to take 12 seventh and eighth grade students to Albany for the Model State Legislature Middle School Conference. That permission was later granted; it is the sixth time the HF-FMCSD students have participated. O’Neill Teacher George Kulich will also serve as a chaperone on the trip.
The board also approved an overnight trip for the Raider cheerleaders to participate in the NYS cheerleading competition on November 5.
Board President Anne Lawless took a minute to praise and thank Director of Facilities Chris Kirwan and his staff for work the previous weekend when the FMES furnace was not working.
“Without you we’d be in a world of hurt,” she said.
Assistant Superintendent Chris Carballo told the board that the school district will soon be able to provide free breakfasts and lunches for all students in a state program that does not have any income requirements. Details on when that will begin will be provided to district families as soon as they are known.
In other business from the meeting:
— The board approved a tax certiorari settlement with Key Bank that will require the school district to issue a $22,072.76 refund on that property for years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
— An agreement with the Orange County Department of Mental Health was okayed; it will allow for space in the HFIS for counselors to use when working with local families who are unable to get to mental health providers out of the community.
— In personnel matters, Kayla Nannariello, who has been working as a leave replacement teacher, was hired for a full-time job in the FMES. Stepping into that leave replacement position will be Elizabeth Kessler, who had been working as a teacher aide. Also, a full-time secretary, Michele O’Flaherty was hired for O’Neill High School’s main office and a part-time typist was also hired for O’Neill. The resignation of long-time district custodian Francisco Vasquez was accepted, and two part-time custodians, Daniel Tricomi and Samuel Soto were hired.
