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Schools

Community Service, AP Courses Among Changes To JHS Curriculum

The Johnston School Committee votes 4-0 to approve changes proposed by Principal Gerald Foley.

Local high school students will have new options in their course of study, beginning with the 2011-12 school year. The school committee on March 8 approved a set of changes to the program of study proposed by Principal Gerald K. Foley.

Foley proposed modifications to the curriculum to include three new AP courses, including: AP English literature, AP biology and AP calculus.

Additionally, Foley presented a plan for an algebra seminar, which is geared toward ninth-grade students who may have had difficulty with mathematics in eighth-grade. This seminar will give them the chance to get up to speed with high school standards.

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“Algebra is one of the foundations of the NECAP, we want our students as prepared as possible,” Foley said to the committee Tuesday night.

Foley also introduced a community-service-for-credit program. This program would allow students, once in their high school career, to perform 30 hours of community service for one-half a credit.

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Students must also keep a service log, write a reflective essay and complete the credit-yielding community service within one academic year.

A few elective courses geared toward student interest were proposed, such as: A Quicken business class, hospitality management, industrial design and robotics.

The measure was approved, 4-0. Member Robert Lafazia (Dist. 1) was absent.

Also during the session, the school board voted to join as-yet undetermined neighboring school districts in a joint Request for Proposals seeking a new bus contract.

Steve Ferrell, a representative from the Amalgamated Transit Union spoke on behalf of the school district bus drivers against Durham School Services, the current vendor for Johnston.

“[We] are carrying a most sacred product – school children,” Ferrell said.

Ferrell insisted that the conditions are terrible and the bus yard is a "mud hole." These conditions cause time problems, which inconvenience everyone, Ferrell said.

Chairwoman Janice Mele said the bus yard is the district's responsibility, not Durham’s. Mele said due to the severity of the winter, the fleet yard was difficult to keep up.

Ferrell urged the committee to consider other bids, now that the contract with Durham is ending and to put provisions in any new agreement that allows school committee override regarding issues with the transport company.

The board approved to issue a joint RFP with multiple communities for a transport services provider to allow sharing of fixed costs among the districts.

Board members also again tabled plans for a new heating system at the high school over concerns about up-front costs. Joseph McLoughlin, senior sales executive for National Grid, spoke about converting the oil burner system in the high school to a high efficiency gas powered system.

“Natural gas is cheaper, more efficient and cleaner than No. 2 heating oil. It is a chance to green up the high school,” McLoughlin stated to the board.

The system would save an estimated $91,600 annually, but requires an initial capital investment of $90-$130K, not including the combustion control system.

National Grid is offering up to a $21,000 sales incentive to defray the cost of installation of the new gas burner system.

A 4-0 vote was sustained to table this item until the next meeting so that more precise initial costs can be obtained.

Also Tuesday night:

  • The high school's Academic Decathlon program has placed two competing teams in the Super Quiz to be held March 20 from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick.
  • Co-Athletic Director Gary Mazzie has announced the opening of a JHS athletic hall of fame that will feature past and present athletes and their achievements. Opening ceremony is on June 18 at 6:30 p.m.

The next regular school committee meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on April 12 in the middle school library.

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