Forestville Central looks forward following floods
By APRIL DIODATO OBSERVER Staff WriterArticle Photos
FORESTVILLE - After several weeks' worth of repair work, Forestville Central School is finally getting back to normal after suffering extensive damage to the elementary gymnasium floor in the August flood.
"Our boilers are up and running, they're fully running; the gym floor is about 75 percent of the way in, they still have to sand it and put the lines in," Superintendent John O'Connor said. "We're going to do some mitigating interventions with the drainage - but things are getting better."
O'Connor is continuing to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and said the agency is confident the school will be reimbursed for the damage done. He is mailing in applications next week.
The Board of Education's Thursday meeting was focused on forward-thinking, with several new projects in the works.
Board and committee members applauded Middle and High School Principal Chuck Leichner's new initiative to get high school students interested in higher education, Club Ed-venture. An enthusiastic Leichner shared his idea for a new way to encourage sophomores, juniors and seniors to explore four-year colleges, the product of a discussion with the school's guidance counselors about the challenges facing today's students.
"I want at least half of the kids that graduate to go on to a four-year school," Leichner said. It isn't right for everyone, he added - two-year schools such as JCC, trade schools and the military may be a more suitable option for some. While many high schoolers will be undecided about their career paths, Leichner's plan is for a club that solely concentrates on the college experience and gets students excited about the opportunities that higher education will offer.
"What I think at that age they need to be concerned about is, 'I'm going to go - I'm going to do well enough in high school that I'll be able to make choices when I'm a junior and senior that will allow me to go wherever I want to go,'" Leichner said.
The program will take participants to visit several nearby college campuses in the fall and spring for overnight visits to help students make educated decisions about their futures. A day trip to St. Bonaventure, Alfred State and Alfred University is planned for the fall and Leichner said his collegiate counterparts have expressed enthusiasm about his project.
Elementary School Principal Dan Grande said Forestville's after school program began in October and is continuing to address the needs of students in reading and math. Forty-seven students are participating in the program, held Monday through Thursday.
Grande said the program this year is receiving fewer SUNY Fredonia students from the college's tutoring program due to Forestville's improving test scores. Participating schools' progress in New York state testing is tracked in order to determine the level of need for each school.
"I think that's a good indication that we're going in the right direction with the services that we have, both during the school day and after school," Grande said.
FEMA personnel will visit the elementary school's technology room Nov. 19 to educate fourth- and fifth-graders on disaster preparedness, focusing on floods and winter storms. Plans are under way for Channel 7 to bring a weather station to simulate different storms specific to Western New York. The program will continue throughout the day.
In other business:
Forestville Central School's absentee rate has fluctuated this week between 9 and 11 percent, which is normally between 3 and 4 percent. "It's been lower than it has in a lot of districts," O'Connor said. The school has some students experiencing flu-like symptoms, is reporting absentee rates and following recommendations made by the Chautauqua County Department of Health to prevent the spread of illness.
Make a Difference Day raised more money than in any years past, with a total of $6,411.56 between the elementary, middle and high schools, with funds still coming in from the penny harvest, bottle drive and read-a-thon.
While weather conditions did not allow the evacuation drill during district-wide safety drill conducted Oct. 2, a power outage Oct. 13 further tested the school's emergency drill and allowed officials to determine what areas of the plan needed improvement.
Jeanne Polisoto attended a presentation last week on school district consolidation by Dr. Catherine Foster from the University of Buffalo and shared the information with the board. Polisoto said approximately 15-plus districts in Chautauqua County are operating at a poverty level and only four or five in the county were considered "healthy" schools. O'Connor said a presentation related to this information is planned for the next school board meeting Dec. 3 at 7 p.m.
Comments on this article may be sent to adiodato@observertoday.com
|
Captain
|
|
|---|---|
|
11-06-09 12:45 PM
|
"Polisoto said approximately 15-plus districts in Chautauqua County are operating at a poverty level, and only four or five in the county were considered "healthy" schools." It's insane that most county school officials & Board of ED's won't recognize this fact. They keep giving more raises, expanding courses & sinking money into buildings that may have to eventually close. In fact, Forestville's BOE (and its voters) approved an $11 million + expansion project for FCS. Shall we assume that FCS is one of the 4 or 5 "healthy" schools within the county?
|