WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington Apple has previously reported on news from last week’s School Committee Meeting, including plans to begin examining school start times and the just-announced 2019 Wildcat Summer Sports Clinics.
Below are FIVE more things that happened at the Wilmington School Committee Meeting on Wednesday, March 27, 2019:
#1) SCHOOL CHOICE VOTE: The School Committee took its annual vote NOT to participate in the state’s School Choice Program next year due to “a lack of available space to accommodate out-of-town students.” If the district had participated, the program would have allowed families living outside of Wilmington choose to send their children to Wilmington Public Schools.
“There continues to be some uncertainty as to the immediate and long term realities across our district related to enrollment,” Superintendent Dr. Glenn Brand wrote in a memo to the Committee. “This holds true due to emerging housing developments within town, the question as to what may happen in the future regarding the district’s ability to retain students in district at all levels, and the pending decision around the future school building configurations within the possibility of school construction and renovation.”
#2) KEY PERSONNEL UPDATE: Superintendent Brand discusses where the district currently is with three important job searches.
- MIDDLE SCHOOL: Alexander Phillips has been hired at the next Principal of the Wilmington Middle School, effective July 1. “Talks have already begun to support the transition,” Brand noted.
- WOBURN STREET SCHOOL: Laurie Fahey, Suzanne Sullivan, and Charlotte King are the finalists for the Woburn Street School Principal Search. Brand expects to choose make a decision and announcement this week (April 1-5).
- DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY: Brand has been pleased with the Director of Technology search, which has received approximately 30 applicants. “We’re pleased with what we see,” said Brand. The application deadline just passed and the search is moving forward to its next stage.
#3) DONATIONS ACCEPTED: The School Committee unanimously approved a donation of $3,000 from the Wilmington Educational Foundation in the form of Joanne Benton Educator Exploration Grants. Katia DeStefano received a grant to travel to Italy to study and explore for her Italian/Exploratory World Languages classes at the Middle School. Neal Roberts received a grant to Hawaii to study Hawaiian inspired and contemporary Polynesian art with an exploitation of visual art for his art classes at the Middle School.
The Wilmington School Committee also approved a donation of two GeneAMP PCR systems by the Boston Police Crime Lab, valued at $4,000, to the Wilmington High School Science Department. These instruments are designed for the amplification of DNA needed to analyze the results of testing, and will be used in the Biotechnology, Forensic and AP Biology laboratory classes to learn about amplification, analysis, mutations in DNA, and to diagnose genetic traits, DNA profiling, DNA testing and DNA fingerprinting.
#4) SEEM COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENT: The School Committee unanimously approved an amended agreement with the SEEM Collaborative. The modified agreement includes (1) the addition of North Andover as a member and (2) a change in DESE’s role on the Board from “appointed representative” to “liaison.”
#5) STUDENT PRESENTATION: The School Committee began its meeting with two presentations from North Intermediate students. 5th grade students discussed the photography unit they just completed. (Students now learn about digital photography in 5th grade!) Students also discussed the school’s recently formed, popular Lego Club, which meets during indoor recess.
Watch the meeting, courtesy of Wilmington Community Television, below:
—
—
Like Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Follow Wilmington Apple on Instagram. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip?
Wilmington Apple 