Press release

March 31, 2009

Staff receive prestigious award

Mr. Bob McCain, principal of Nathan Hale Middle School, and Ms. Lisa Kaplan, teacher at Tracey Elementary School, were nominated to the SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) Honor Roll, a prestigious national award by SENG. The SENG Honor Roll provides national and local recognition to educators and schools that have demonstrated a commitment to serving the needs of a gifted child.

Since 1981, SENG has been dedicated to fostering environments in which gifted adults and children, in all their diversity, understand and accept themselves and are understood, valued, nurtured, and supported by their families, schools, workplaces and communities. The SENG Honor Roll provides a special opportunity to give credit to educators of all levels who demonstrate commitment to helping a gifted child or young adult. These special people are pivotal in the lives of gifted individuals. Educators nominated to The SENG Honor Roll receive a letter of honor, a listing on the national SENG website and a listing in the annual SENG Conference Program Book. They will be recognized by the Board of Education at its next meeting on April 7.

School District to Assemble School Calendar Committee

Norwalk Public Schools will seek the input of multiple stakeholders including parents, teachers, and administrators to craft the 2010-2011 school-calendar and beyond. Schools Superintendent, Sal Corda, will convene a committee to provide input into the calendar for the Board’s consideration.

“Is the calendar, as it is constructed, as effective as it can be in providing for maximum emphasis on instruction to meet the needs of Norwalk families and staff? How should our school calendar be constructed,” notes Dr. Corda.

In responding to the above question, the committee will examine the start of the school year – before or after Labor Day; end of the school year – proximity to the end of June; use of release time/early dismissals; scheduling and number of vacation periods: winter recess, February recess, and spring recess; other elements that the committee might determine to be useful.

The committee will be responsible for having a report ready for the Board of Education prior to the close of the school year so that if any recommendations are made that represent a significant departure from current practice in the construction of the school calendar, there will be sufficient time for the staff and families to prepare for it.

The committee will consist of a representative group of parents (4), teachers (4), administrators (4) who will be charged with exploring these issues and seeking input from a broad perspective. The District will provide access to an Internet based questionnaire for the community and staff that will enable wide spread participation and a tally of responses. The parent group should include representatives from varying family configurations, e.g., both working parents, and single parent families. Cultural and racial diversity in the committee, as always, is a desired goal, as is representation from all levels of the school system.

The committee will meet in the evening beginning at 6:30 pm and concluding no later than 9 pm.

Timeline:

April 6, letter of interest received by Superintendent

April 20, first meeting

May 18, second meeting

May 27, third meeting

May 29, if work concluded, report sent to Board

Interested parties are asked to send a letter describing him or herself no later than April 6, 2009 to Dr. Sal Corda, Superintendent of Schools, 125 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06852 or email corda@norwalkps.org.

Category: Announcements