WESTMANLAND, Maine — The Westmanland school committee met Jan. 17, 2015 at the home of chairman Pat Anderson to discuss the Union 122 2015-16 school budget as well as future training sessions for Union staff.
According to superintendent Karla Michaud, the weekend meeting was efficient, the agenda was completed without any concerns and the panel approved the draft budget without many changes. Next year’s school budget will go before Westmanland voters during the March 19 town meeting at 7 p.m. for approval.
The superintendent’s report discussed safety training that took place Jan. 22 for all custodial staff, bus drivers and food service workers, provided by Maine School Management risk and safety manager Ed Antz. Antz focused on topics such as custodial top 10 violations, muscle injuries, slips, trips and falls, and high-risk activities.
Following the training, Michaud reported plans exist to form a safety committee for Union 122; with at least six members from both schools — New Sweden and Woodland.
An early release day for in-service training is set for Jan. 29. Both New Sweden and Woodland schools will be releasing early, at noon, for an Empower program in Woodland. The training uses software designed specifically to measure learning progressions which help educators map students’ learning in a proficiency based system. All teachers will be working on this program together and make sure their students are “loaded” into the program.
Teachers will learn how to score students with new, more efficient learning targets. Students will be placed in groups and teachers will determine a student’s learning level. The new “Learning Management System” comes from ThreeShapes out of California. This workshop will continue on March 6 with a full in-service training for the staff.
The Empower program will be the main focus of a principals’ training day to be held at the University of Maine at Presque Isle Feb 25 and March 25 for administrators. Michaud says the training will engage all staff on the new curriculum coming to the Union.
On Thursday, March 5, the New Sweden school will host a school budget 101 meeting. Superintendent Michaud and the school board invite interested New Sweden residents to come learn how the school budget process works. Board members will be available to answer questions.
The next joint meeting of the Union 122 school board will be held Thursday, Feb. 5, at the home of Pat Anderson in Westmanland. Woodland’s school committee meets Feb. 9, and while New Sweden’s board meets Feb. 12. All meetings begin at 6:30 pm.
