The Connecticut State Board of Education has embarked on a planning process designed to guide policy and practice improvements for the Department of Education on behalf of all of Connecticut’s children over the next five years. Focused on the goals of equity and excellence of education for all, a critical goal of the effort is to gather feedback from citizens to help inform decision making. As a stakeholder invested in the quality of Connecticut's public education system you are invited to participate in this survey and share your thinking on these vital topics.
English Language
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CTStrategicPlanning
Spanish Language
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CTStrategicPlanningEspanol
Tech Tip from the Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Technology
While there are many impressive software resources at our fingertips, today’s Tech Tip sheds light on a few of Google's many tools and apps that might be of use to your family as the school year progresses.
Google's search engine is the most popular in the world as it logs over three billion hits and queries a day. As Google's research capabilities grow in demand so do their tools which have proven to be beneficial in today's classroom. A few of Google's notable tools include:
Google Translate: this feature changes written text into 90 different languages. The tool not only assists in translating documents, but also serves as a resource for improving communication where there may be a language barrier.
Google Alert: a great tool for setting reminders or alerts. Such alerts can also be established for new content posted on the Internet about a specific area of interest.
Google Drive: a file management resource and storage platform that allows one to create files and store them on the cloud. File types include, documents (docs), spreadsheets (sheets), slides and forms. There are many benefits to utilizing this popular Google feature as one can then access files from any given location via mobile devices as well as computers. Google Drive also promotes individuals working collaboratively; Google offers a feature which allows files to be "shared" with another user so multiple people can be working on the same document at any given time.
From an educational standpoint, Google Drive assists in organization, collaboration, and accessibility. As classrooms embrace Google Drive, students and teachers may utilize the features to:
- Offer collaborative opportunities on papers or projects
- Promote peer editing
- Reduce the amount of paper utilization
- Allow teachers to monitor progress on assignments
- Share photos and video
Krista Karch, Ph.D.
[email protected]
BOE NEWS
Senior Class Trip
The BOE approved a number of out of state field trip requests including the senior class trip. However, several members expressed their concern about the excessive cost of the senior trip so close to the Florida band trip. They have agreed to look more closely at this issue in the near future.
Energy Audit
The BOE approved an agreement with Eversource for an Energy Savings Incentive Program at all four schools.
Policies
The BOE approved Board Policy 5131.914 (School Climate) and the revision of Board Policy 5131.911 (Bullying/Safe School Climate Plan).
Teacher Contract
The BOE unanimously approved the ratification of the Education Association of Portland Contract (2016-2019).
Breakfast Comes to Our Secondary School
We are pleased to announce that we have added the breakfast meal option at both PMS and PHS. Students in all Portland schools now have the opportunity to enjoy a nutritious breakfast that will help to ensure all of our students are fully prepared for academic success. Our School Breakfast Program is available to all students every weekday morning.
Children from households whose income is at or below the levels set by the federal government may be eligible for either free or reduced-price meals. To apply, please contact your child’s school.
Paid Breakfast - $1.50 for all grades
Reduced Breakfast all grades - $0.30
2015-2016 Student Representatives to the BOE
PHS senior, Ruth Kelley and junior, Jonathan Backus, serve as the 2015-2016 student representatives to the BOE. On Tuesday night, they reminded members about a pending civics class project and reviewed the results of recent sporting events. Ruth explained the efforts of her class to raise money for the senior class trip while Jonathan thanked the Board for their support of Project Lead the Way at PHS. (He enjoys his class.)