Minutes
Quincy, Massachusetts – April 10, 2019
Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Regular Meeting
A regular meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday,
April 10, 2019 at the Coddington Building at 6:30 p.m. Superintendent
DeCristofaro called the roll and present were School Committee Chair Mayor
Thomas Koch, Mr. Anthony Andronico, Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mr. James DeAmicis,
Mr. Douglas Gutro, Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, and Mrs. Emily Lebo, Vice Chair.
Vice-Chair Presiding
Also present were: Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary; Ms. Laura Owens,
Clerk; Ms. Molly Belovarac, Mr. Michael Draicchio, Dr. Beth Hallett, Ms. Julie
Krieger, Ms. Leah Markarian, Ms. Robin Moreira, Mr. James Mullaney, Deputy
Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Mr. Kenneth Panaro, Ms. Maura Papile, Ms.
Erin Perkins, Ms. Madeline Roy, Mr. Keith Segalla, Mr. Robert Shaw, Mr.
Edward Smith, Mr. Lawrence Taglieri; Quincy Education Association
President Allison Cox; and Citywide Parent Council Co-President Courtney
Perdios.
§
There was a moment of silence for men and women serving in the military at
home and overseas.
§
Regular Meeting Minutes Approved 3.20.2019
Mr. DeAmicis made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Hubley to approve the
Regular Meeting minutes for March 20, 2019 as presented. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Professional Development Minutes Approved 4.3.2019
Mr. DeAmicis made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Hubley to approve the Professional Development
minutes for April 3, 2019 as presented. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.
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Open Forum
Ms. Jennifer Chen, Co-Chair of the Citywide Parent Council Equality, Diversity,
and Inclusion Subcommittee. Ms. Chen suggested that in addition to surveying
parents on school culture issues, students should be included as well. Ms. Chen
cited the VOCAL survey, which is an optional component of MCAS for Grades 5,
8, and 10.
§
Superintendent's
Report
Dr. DeCristofaro opened the Superintendent’s Report with recognition of the
Science Fair winners from both North Quincy High School and Quincy High
School. Science Department Chairs Julie Krieger from QHS and Kenneth Panaro
from NQHS introduced the students: Helga Becka, 1st place QHS; Rebecca Morris,
2nd place, QHS; Marsha Germain and Supriti Karki, 3rd place tie QHS; John Liu, 1st
place NQHS; Liem Nguyen, 2nd place NQHS; Andrea Ngo, 3rd place NQHS.
After a brief recess, Superintendent DeCristofaro resumed his report with the
Inspire Quincy video featuring the Motor Skills Event for Special Education
students, the Kindergarten Gallery Walk at Clifford Marshall, the Credit for Life
Fair, the Health & Wellness Symposium, the School~Community Partnership
Breakfast, the Chronic Absenteeism Symposium, the QHS Cultural Fair, NQHS &
QHS Spring Concerts.
Additional Student Recognitions: Scholastic Art & Writing Awards to NQHS
students John Shi, Honorable Mention for Painting and Iris Xie, an Honorable
Mention, Silver Key, and Gold Key for Drawing & Illustration, an Honorable
Mention for Art Portfolio, and a Gold Key for Design. QHS Senior Kyle Tobin was
recognized as an All-Star by the Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors
Association, receiving a scholarship and plumber’s starter tool kit. Noreen
Plabutuong, 2015 Quincy High School graduate and alum of Clifford Marshall
Elementary and Point Webster Middle School and currently a student at Emerson,
was recently named a Fulbright Scholar.
Upcoming Arts Events: Mamma Mia at North Quincy High School, May 3-5;
Quincy High School Fashion Show on May 9 at 7:00 pm; and the Middle School
Choral Festival on May 16 at Central Middle School at 7:00 pm.
Recent Quincy School~Community Partnership Events included the 18th annual
Recognition Breakfast, attended by sixty-five local business and community
partners; the Credit for Life Fair, 200 seniors from both high schools, over forty
partners participated. Upcoming Quincy Public Schools events include the
Community Service Learning Breakfast on May 30 and the Student Athlete
Leadership Summit on June 7. Nobel Laureate Dr. Richard Roberts will be at
Quincy High School on April 26 to meet with Physics students from both high
schools and the 2nd SADD Summit will be held on May 9 with students from
Quincy, North Quincy, and Braintree High Schools participating. Family events
include Healthy Choices Night on April 24 at Veterans Stadium, Girl Rising on
May 29 and the QPAC Sensory Night on May 17, both at Quincy High School.
Congratulations to Dr. Hallett, a 16 year QPS veteran moving to Nantucket to
become Deputy Superintendent of Schools for the 2019-2020 school year before
becoming Superintendent for the 2020-21 School year.
The South~West Middle School transition planning continues with the Design
team meetings on Thursday, April 11 and Wednesday, April 24. Dr. DeCristofaro
meet with the entire staff about orientation, training, and move logistics on April
25.
The Department of Conservation & Recreation will be planting the 20,000th tree
under the Greening the Gateway Cities program at North Quincy High School on
Tuesday, April 23 at 1:30 pm. Governor Baker is expected to attend this event.
The HYPER Robotics team qualified for the New England District Championship at
the recent district event at the University of New Hampshire, placing 2nd out of
40 teams. The New England District Championship will be held at Worcester
Polytechnical Institute on April 11-13.
The Health & Wellness Symposium was held on April 3, Wellness Teams from all
schools met to review progress towards goals with a focus on social media
education. The DESE Promising Practices Review preliminary visit was April 4,
QPS presented an overview of the District Improvement Plan process. Follow up
visits will be scheduled for May 16 & 20 to meet staff and administrators.
A Dual Enrollment Workshop was held on April 9, 26 staff members met with
Quincy College administrative staff to plan the 35 courses available to QPS juniors
and seniors for next school year. Quincy College’s Summer Bridge program is an
opportunity for students to take college courses at a discounted rate.
Chronic Absenteeism & Lowest Performing Student accountability factors are
being looked at by all schools, collaborating on building a model that can be
customized at the school level to address interventions during school hours and
outside school hours that can move those in a favorable direction.
The Thomas Crane Public Library hosted a program on Tuesday, April 9 for
middle school students, very well attended with over 100 students participating
along with the middle school librarians.
§
Old Business
School Committee
Policy 9.11.6
Graduation Exercises
(Discussion)
Mr. Bregoli reviewed the School Committee Policy 9.11.6 Graduation Exercises
revisions proposed. As there was no further discussion, this will be posted on the
QPS website for public comment and eligible for vote at the May 1, 2019 meeting.
§
New Business
Department of Natural
Resources Update
Commissioner of Natural Resources David Murphy presented an overview of the
new department which combines Park, Forestry, Cemetery, Recreation &
Conservation under one umbrella. The department interacts with Quincy Public
Schools in terms of relationship with scholastic athletic programs, maintenance of
school grounds, and capital improvements on school grounds. Mr. Murphy met
with the Athletic Directors and the Spring sports coaches to listen to needs for the
fields. Starting out, Bishop, Pond Street, and Welcome Young will have batting
cages installed. Improvements were made at Mitchell McCoy to the mound and
dugouts and benches were added to the tennis courts at QHS. Bullpens will be
installed at Colletta, Bishop, and Mitchell McCoy. Practice nets will be installed at
Furnace Brook; Russell Park tennis courts have been refurbished; Bishop Field
tennis courts are next this spring; Broad Meadows tennis courts & basketball
court will be done over this summer. Veterans Stadium investments courtesy of
the Boston Cannons include all new locker rooms, a renovated press box, new
scoreboard and video board, renovated the trainer’s room, and replacing seats
throughout the stadium.
Maintenance of school properties will include working with Principals to identify
each building’s needs; scheduling will accommodate MCAS testing. Installation of
new playgrounds will continue through Summer 2019, collaboration with each
school administration and PTO groups to customize the design for the community.
Mr. Bregoli thanked Mr. Murphy for his responsiveness in the short time he has
been in the job, looking forward to the many innovations he will bring to the
position.
Mrs. Hubley requested that the presentation be shared electronically with School
Committee.
Mr. Gutro complimented Mayor Koch for hiring Mr. Murphy and suggested
meeting with the school PTOs in addition to the Principals. Mr. Gutro asked about
the existing Capital Improvement Plan budget, what projects are funded there or
from other sources. Mr. Murphy said it is a mix of private donations, Community
Development Block Grant funding, and Capital Improvement Plan funds.
Mayor Koch noted that all of the funds are exclusive of school funds. Mayor Koch
noted that Cleaner Greener is the Saturday, May 4.
Mrs. Lebo welcomed Mr. Murphy and requested that the School Improvement
Plan items related to this department be shared with him.
§
New Business
Anti-Bullying &
Anti-Bias
Senior Director of Student Support Services Maura Papile and Student Support
Services staff members Leah Markarian and Molly Belovarac presented on the
QPS Approach to Anti-Bullying Prevention and Intervention. The state legislation
was passed in 2010, but QPS already had programming underway that involved
students and parents. Each year, the Student Support teams work together to
evaluate programming and make updates that reflect current issues. In 2013, the
regulations were expanded to include staff to student bullying as a category and
assessment of bullying risk as part of the IEP development process. Key
requirements of the law include training staff on their responsibilities, publicity of
the prohibition against bullying in all forms, and parent and student notification
of the district plan.
Mrs. Papile reviewed that bullying is not the same as conflict, but is a repeated
pattern of behavior and an imbalance of power. School staff are trained to watch
for bullying, intervene, and handle reports from children. Staff are trained to
become actively involved, it has been shown that intervention and bystanders
taking an active role in responding to bullying incidents, bullying behaviors
decrease. Staff are expected to change the culture by separating the students,
direct interaction with the student to explain the behavior will not be tolerated,
and the formal report to the principal or designee. The principal or designee
coordinates the investigation of alleged incident, parental notification,
disciplinary action needed, and follow up for safety plan and to check in with both
the target and the aggressor. These steps are documented along with offering
parents educational tools and support on a continuing basis.
At the same time, the Student Support staff at all levels are working on socialemotional wellness. At the elementary schools, Positive Behavior Interventions
and Strategies (PBIS) is a school-wide initiative, promoting leadership roles and
positive school climate through reward systems that vary from school to school.
For Grades K-3, the Second Step and Superflex curriculums reinforce social skills
through activities, skills for learning, empathy and compassion, emotional
management, problem solving, safety skills. For Grades 4-5 Second Step Steps to
Respect explore more complex topics including respecting others, recognizing,
refusing, and reporting bullying, and conflict resolution. Students learn best
through experience and activities, discussions, and role-play are all ways to
support the lessons. As students mature, the decision-making and leadership
opportunities are explored, such as Community Service Clubs or Student Councils,
that allow students to see their own strengths and leadership qualities.
At the middle school level, classroom lessons expand to include the Massachusetts
Aggression Reduction Center (MARC from Bridgewater State University)
curriculum, in addition to Second Steps. Student leadership opportunities for peer
modeling are focused on positive school climate, small group social skills and
teaching pro-social behaviors such as kindness and compassion. Internet safety,
relational aggression, dispel stereotypes, model appropriate behavior, and
unwittingly participating in bullying online. Schoolwide events include Black Out
Bullying, World Kindness Day, Chains of Kindness, Mix It Up Lunches, Rachel’s
Challenge. Student support staff collaborate with classroom teachers on
opportunities to reinforce the impact of bullying and exclusion, kindness and
empathy, digital citizenship, friendship skills, showing respect, and respecting and
embracing differences. PBIS is a multi-year effort, the goals are to equip students
and staff with the tools needed to thrive in a diverse world; to communicate more
effectively across differences; to create a non-judgemental atmosphere which
allows for challenges and accountability without accusation and blame; to analyze
complex issues regarding race, class, gender, and other differences at the
personal, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural levels; and to create strategies
for inclusion that allow for engagement of all students, so they can perform to
their full potential.
Mrs. Papile concluded the presentation by noting that our students
developmentally need all these supports, and it is constantly evolving as the
challenges students face evolve.
Mayor Koch left the meeting at 8:30 pm.
Mr. Andronico asked about how long has QPS been addressing cyberbullying.
Mrs. Papile said that for at least 10 years, from the earliest platforms, such as
MySpace and chat rooms. Mr. Andronico asked if cyber issues should be
addressed earlier than Grade 4. Ms. Papile and Ms. Belovorac said that cyber
awareness are concepts being discussed as early as Kindergarten. Ms. Papile
suggested that a Parent Academy on this topic might be timely.
Mr. Gutro asked about the overlap with Digital Literacy staff at the elementary
and middle schools. Ms. Papile said that the Student Support staff work with
academic teachers to ensure a consistent message. These are school-wide efforts,
looking for opportunity for further collaboration and making the connection.
Mrs. Hubley agreed that this is important topic for Parent Academy.
Mr. Bregoli thanked the presenters, QPS has made such strides in the area of
social emotional learning and addressing the needs of the whole child.
Mr. Gutro asked about tracking and reporting bullying, differentiation between inperson and cyber bullying. Ms. Papile said the regulations require filing reports
annually; QPS reported incidents as follows for the last school year: 6 for
elementary, 12 for middle school, 17 for high schools. Ms. Papile said frequently
what is reported as bullying is actually conflict, but the substantiated reports
almost always have a cyber component most always at middle and high school.
All situations warrant interventions, these run the gamut from parent meetings to
detentions and suspensions. Most incidents take place in grades 6-9.
Mrs. Lebo requested a curriculum map/pacing guide for these topics and to see
the MARC curriculum. Mrs. Lebo noted that the Plan is intended to be updated
every two years and a parent survey is required every four years. Ms. Papile said
that there are surveys available through PBIS that address domains about safety
and school culture as well as the VOCAL survey associated with MCAS.
Mrs. Lebo referred School Committee Policy 10.18 QPS Anti-Bullying Policy to
Subcommittee, needs some work as the regulations were updated in 2013, but the
Policy has not been updated.
Dr. DeCristofaro said that each situation is unique, our administrators and staff
must evaluate each situation and intervene in a way that is meaningful to the
parties involved. This is something we take seriously as a school system, the
Policy is the foundation and the review will strengthen the supports that makes a
difference to students and their families.
§
New Business
Homework Initiative
Update
Mrs. Lebo updated School Committee on the continuing collaboration with the
Quincy Education Association, the Citywide Parent Council, and the Quincy Parent
Advisory Council to Special Education on developing surveys for students,
parents, and teachers. Draft surveys were shared with School Committee
members and these will be shared with the community in May. Mrs. Lebo would
like to have a working meeting to review the data once it is available.
§
Additional Business
Mr. Andronico requested to refer the QPS Website into Policy Subcommittee, this
will appear on the May 1 School Committee meeting as an agenda item.
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Communications
Upcoming meetings include School Committee Meetings on May 1, 2019; May 15,
2019 (at Central Middle School); and June 12, 2019. Upcoming Subcommittee
meetings include April 30, 2019 (Quarterly Budget & Finance at 6:00 pm;
Teaching & Learning at 6:15 pm); FY2020 Budget meetings on May 8, 2019 and
May 22, 2019 both at 6:00 pm; Special Education at 6:00 pm on May 22, 2019. On
May 29, 2019, the FY2020 Budget Public Hearing will be followed by Athletics &
Wellness at 6:15 pm
§
Mrs. Lebo read the following letter into the record:
Dear Principal Taglieri,
I visited Quincy this past weekend to see my grandchildren and their
parents. Saturday, March 23rd, we enjoyed our customary breakfast at
Newcomb Farms family restaurant. A group of 10 or so young ladies
sat across the aisle from us. We were so impressed by their demeanor
that I contemplated paying for their meal. Frequently and
anonymously, we enjoy doing so for law enforcement, fire and rescue,
and members of the military.
It was apparent to me that these high-school age girls shared a strong
bond. Imagine our delight and awe when our waitress informed us
that the group had paid for our meal. We were humbled. I thanked
them and asked whether they were an athletic team of some sort. It
turns out that these thoughtful folks were the better part of the Quincy
High School softball team. There are teams and there are teams that
do more than play a sport together.
Random acts of kindness are rare in this world, and you have some very
special students. I applaud the 2019 Quincy High School softball team
and would like to come to cheer them to victory, but we live in Virginia.
So far as I am concerned, they are winners regardless of the season
results. Any college or university will be lucky to have them as
students.
We paid if forward buying breakfast for another table. My 5-year old
granddaughter witnessed and understood the events. Who knows
where she might apply kindness and generosity over the course of her
lifetime?
With deep gratitude,
Hunt Burke
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Burke & Herbert Bank
Alexandria, Virgina
§
Dr. DeCristofaro congratulated Mr. Bregoli on his induction into the NQHS Soccer
Hall of Fame.
§
Reports of
Subcommittees
All School Committee and Subcommittee meeting minutes are posted online at
www.quincypublicschools.com/schoolcomm/2018-2019.
Mrs. Lebo and Mr. Andronico reviewed the Joint Teaching & Learning and Special
Education Subcommittee meeting held on March 27, featuring presentations on
Co-Teaching, Mathematics Coaching/Co-Teaching, the new History & Social
Sciences standards, Special Education Rights & Responsibilities, and an update
from QPAC.
Mr. Bregoli reviewed the Policy Subcommittee meeting held on March 27, 2019
which reviewed School Committee Policy 9.11.6 Graduation Exercises and
approved proposed language on the decoration of graduation caps.
Mrs. Lebo noted a typo in the March 27, 2019 Policy Minutes and these were
approved as amended. The minutes of the March 27, 2019 Joint Teaching &
Learning and Special Education Subcommittee meeting were approved as
presented.
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Executive Session
There was no Executive Session.
§
Adjournment
Mr. Bregoli made a motion to adjourn for the evening at 9:10 p.m.