Wednesday, November 28, 2012
BOE vows district roofs will be fixed, whether Dec. 11 referendum passes or not.
The Westfield Board of Education has made it clear that, within the next several months, the district will take the necessary steps toward replacing a substantial portion of the roofs on all district buildings. Over the next 14 days, the residents of Westfield can make a final decision on how the district will pay for those repairs. After 10 months, a dozen public presentations and countless hours of planning and number-crunching, the oft-discussed roof repair issue will have a more definitive future after a Dec. 11 bond referendum is decided. Board members have stressed that the capital project has reached the level of district necessity, with the only remaining issue being how the town decides to fund the $13.5 million investment. “…
Friday, November 9, 2012
The next public Board of Education meeting to be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 302 Elm Street in Westfield.
I am happy to report that we have now successfully completed our first full day of school in November! Power is now fully restored to all Board of Ed buildings and we are advised that safety concerns have been sufficiently ameliorated. Accordingly, all schools, fields and facilities are now open and I will discontinue these daily updates unless for some reason conditions change. Please continue to visit the District website and look for emails from your school’s principal and teachers which may be relevant to your child. We fully understand that not everyone has their power back and that some of us are still without heat or a decent place to do homework. The Administration continues to work with our principals and teachers on …
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Mattessich, Ohlig, two newcomers will appear on ballot
Only four individuals submitted a nominating petition for the Westfield Board of Education’s general election this fall in time to meet Tuesday’s deadline, meaning the individuals will run uncontested for the four Board seats available during the November vote. Richard Mattessich, the current Board president, submitted a nomination petition in hopes of continuing to serve the Board, according to a press release distributed at Tuesday's meeting. Gretchan Ohlig, who was appointed unanimously in January to fill a vacancy left by former president Julia Walker, also submitted a petition to remain on the Board. Both current members will fill three-year seats that begin in 2013. Residents Lucy Biegler and J. Brendan Galligan also submitted …
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Parents question process that allowed book to become required reading for three freshman English classes.
'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' is the semi-autobiographical novel of author Sherman Alexie. The first-person narrative details the protagonist’s quest to take his future into his own hands, leaving his school on the Spokane Indian reservation to attend an all-white high school and combat the challenges that accompany his decision. The coming-of-age tale earned Alexie the 2007 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, but its content has also lead at least three school districts nationwide to ban or limit its presence in student curriculums. And now it is the most controversial book in Westfield. The book – certain passages of which include graphic sexual, discriminatory and violent language – is required …
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Roosevelt has two counselors compared to three for Edison.
The Board of Education’s fiscal crisis continues to impact the number of guidance counselors at Roosevelt Intermediate School. Parents and board members raised questions about having two counselors on duty at Roosevelt, while Edison will have three counselors staffing the guidance department next year. Both schools had three counselors a piece until the number was cut back to two following last year’s loss of $4.22 million in state aid. “Two counselors for a school over 700 is not acceptable,” parent Suzanne Toll said to the board Tuesday night. BOE Vice President Richard Mattessich also questioned the issue, saying that he wanted to see more counselors at Roosevelt for next year. Edison’s student population is larger than Roosevelt, …
40.65187
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Roosevelt Intermediate School
301 Clark St, Westfield, NJ
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Time For Change
9:05 pm on Sunday, December 9, 2012
Ed, in my opinion your message is right, your method is wrong. Voting no will accomplish nothing but cause the cuts that the board has told us they will make to fund the roof repairs. You obviously do not have kids in school any longer because you don't care what happens. The way to send the message that you would like to send is to go to a meeting and make your message heard. more ›