Just because school’s out doesn’t mean work is over for the board of education.
At the June 25 board of education meeting, the members of the board made a handful of appointments. Jessica L. Kelleher will teach ninth- and 10th-grade mathematics at the high school, and Amber L. Akroyd will be a speech correction and language specialist at Bells Elementary School effective as of Sept. 3. Stacia M. Roff will be the night-shift custodian at Bells Elementary School; Jacqueline Carolyn Thomas will be the night-shift custodian at Orchard Valley Middle School; Janince Giel will be a school community outreach and registration assistant; and Matthew Pesyna will be a social media, communications, board room technology, website and administrative support assistant effective July 1. Norman Joseph Bowers will be the night-shift custodian at the high school effective July 16.
The following clubs and activities at Chestnut Ridge Middle School were approved at the meeting as well: Future Business Leaders of America, art club, orchestra, R & R spirit club, yearbook club, band, humanities club, sixth-grade council, seventh-grade council, eighth-grade council, world language club, student council, life skills, FutureActs, drama club and chorus.
Bunker Hill Middle School’s clubs and activities were approved as well: BHMS greenhouse, world culture club, BHMS student council, BHMS red ribbon club, BHMS newspaper club, Future Business Leaders of America, Edcamp happy camper, BHMS drama and musicals, Bulldog pride, boys basketball, sixth-grade council, seventh-grade council, eighth-grade council, get moving club, BHMS band, BHMS orchestra, BHMS chorus, BHMS FutureActs, BHMS MD student activity and BHMS bulldog ambassadors of distinction.
The high school’s clubs and activities were approved, too. The list includes, but is not limited to: Air Force JROTC, DECA, SAVE – Students Against Violation of the Earth, dance club, interact, each grade’s class councils, chorus club, band club, Patriot student newspaper, women’s forum, the student store and yearbook to name a few.
In other news:
- The board accepted two donations from the WTEA in the amounts of $322.10 and $1,218 to fund the “Festival of Friends” and support senior service day, respectively. Other donations approved by the board were accepting used weight room equipment from Total Turf, which has an estimated value of $4,300; Hemlly Painting and Home Improvement donated time and materials to paint the junior and senior girls varsity team room, which is valued at $1,145; and the KIND Foundation of New York donated $800 to create an outdoor classroom space in the courtyard.
- Board President Julie Kozempel gave an update on a recent meeting she, along with Superintendent Joseph Bollendorf and board members Ray Dinovi and Danielle Halpin, attended in Trenton in regard to the nationwide mercury-in-the-rubberized-floors epidemic. Bollendorf gave a presentation to representatives from the Department of Education, the Department of Health along with elected officials like Assemblymen Paul Moriarty and Adam Taliaferro and Sen. Fred Madden. The presentation outlined what happened, how the district dealt with the issues, and measures they wish were in place when they made decisions regarding the mercury.
“There was someone there who was experiencing it in their district, they were looking at our website and saying how transparent we were about providing test results and every step of the process,” Kozempel said. “It made us feel good that even though, unfortunately, we were kind of at the beginning of this and dealing with it, now we’re kind of leaders and helping other people. Despite the horrible things we’ve been dealing with, maybe it’ll help some other people and other kids.”
- The next board of education work session is scheduled for July 15 at 7 p.m with a general meeting scheduled for July 23 at 7 p.m. Both meetings will take place at the Eileen Abbott Central Administration Building and are open to the public.
