Board of Education Meeting Notes

Brookfield High School's winter athletes and coaches filled the room at Wednesday's Board of Education (BOE) meeting.  Overall, the athletic department had a highly successful winter season, with a historic number of teams reaching the state championship level.

• The Brookfield Dance Team won first place again this year at the state championships. BOE Member Harry Shaker noted that the dance team "did a phenomenal job" performing at the basketball championships held at Mohegan Sun last month.
• Winners of the Earth Day Recycling Poster Contest held by the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority (HRRA) were recognized by the BOE.  Winners and runners-up from Kindergarten through grade 11 displayed their winning pieces. Brookfield had three first place winners in the contest.
• Budget update: The BOE presented three scenarios to the Board of Finance on March 30. The accepted budget included funding for restoring teaching positions that were cut last year.  "We're moving forward in a positive direction," said Superintendent Bivona. "The Board of Finance was very responsive to the needs of the district."
• Whisconier Middle School Principal Deane Renda spoke about Rachel's Challenge, a program held this week for students and community members. The assembly shared the life of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine shootings.  He said the program was "very emotional" for many students and "pretty amazing." The students prepared for the assembly with a pre-lesson and have the opportunity to participate in the Chain Links Club, designed to bring positive long-term change to the school's social climate.
• The district's Math Department presented an in-depth look at how students are achieving throughout the grades, where improvement is needed and plans for achieving current goals.
• The BHS Math Department has arranged to offer a SAT math class as an elective in the fall, but more students need to sign up for it to run. The school has a Kaplan certified teacher willing to teach the course, which would greatly benefit sophomores and juniors preparing for the test. The district's SAT scores have been trending down slightly over the past few years.   
• The BHS Graduation date has been set for Saturday June 19, 2010, at 8 p.m. at the O'Neil Center.
• The BHS Band field trip was approved. The group will be traveling to Allentown, PA, in May for a music festival where students will perform and be evaluated.