Spring-Ford

B OA R D N O T E S
Spring-Ford Area School District
199 BECHTEL ROAD, COLLEGEVILLE, PA 19426-2852 610-705-6000

April 2009
WWW.SPRING-FORD.NET

Spring-Ford High School Honors Wind Ensemble Recognized for Special Performance
Spring-Ford High Schools Honors Wind Ensemble was honored by the School Board April 27th for being one of the few groups in the state to be invited to perform at the annual Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) conference on April 24th. Every year several hundred groups send CDs in hopes of performing there, said Superintendent Dr. Marsha Hurda, who attended the conference. While I was watching I saw people with tears in their eyes. They were just in awe of the work the students and Mr. (John) Eckstine have done. Mr. Eckstine, who directs the ensemble, then led the group in a performance of Stars and Stripes Forever. He thanked Dr. Hurda and the School Board for their support of the music program. It was an honor and privilege to come not only to PMEA but to play for the Board of Directors, he said. I think the band students should applaud the School Board.

Student Who Makes a Difference Commended by School Board

Morgan has become an advocate not only for herself, but also for others faced with learning challenges, Ms. Fonte said. Because of her learning disabilities, Morgan struggled with various school subjects, but discovered it was easier for her to remember lessons and facts by using her artistic abilities to draw or sing about what she was learning. She soon began sharing her techniques with others and wrote a narrative called My Cheating Mind, which she began sharing with other students, teachers and principals so that they can understand that everyone learns differently. Morgan submitted her article to Advance, a national health care magazine, which resulted in an article about Morgan in the publication. The school district cable channel ran a feature program on her accomplishments, and Morgan has been invited to return to Upper Providence in May as a student advocate who will help other students make the transition to fifth grade. She (continued on back)

FROM

LEFT TO RIGHT ARE

SUPERINTENDENT DR. MARSHA HURDA, MORGAN WARCHOL AND TEACHER MICHELE FONTE.

Spring-Ford Intermediate School student Morgan Warchol was recognized by the Spring-Ford Area School Board April 27th for being nominated for the Council for Exceptional Childrens 2009 Yes I Can! Award. Morgan, a fifth-grader, was nominated by her fourthgrade learning support teacher, Michele D. Fonte.

Not able to get to the Board meeting in person? Tune into RCTV-Comcast Channel 851, where work sessions and meetings are broadcast monthly. For a channel schedule, visit www.spring-ford.net.

Student Who Makes a Difference Commended by School Board (continued)

has also spoken at parent nights to teach families about different strategies to help students learn and reach academic goals. Thank you for this award. I really appreciate it, Morgan said.

as well as textbooks for chemistry, math, history, psychology and German classes. In other programming and curriculum votes, the Board approved:

O A lease with ePlus Technology to replace desktop and laptop computers to be refreshed during summer of 2009. Payments will be approximately $206,029 quarterly. O $19,000 to fund the refresh of computers for the districts support technicians.

Architects Fees Discussed at Work Session

Proposed changes to the contract for an architect who is responsible for the high school additions/renovation project had several Spring-Ford Area School Board members asking questions at the April 20th work session. The proposed fee for E.I. Associates, the firm that is carrying out the high school project, had been approximately $1.6 million, a figure that was based on a percentage of the overall estimate project costs. When the project came in significantly below the original estimate, the architects fees dropped to $1.3 million. However, the administration has proposed maintaining the original fee because E.I. Associates has agreed to perform a number of duties that could prevent additional expenses down the road for example, the firm will provide an engineer to remain on site during the project and limit the expense of possible change orders. Board members Mark Dehnert and Michael Masciandaro objected to the idea of paying the architect more. At the following weeks meeting, E.I. Associates representative Gary Bannon was scheduled to appear to discuss the contract, but had to cancel due to an emergency. As a result, the Board tabled the motion to amend the E.I. Associates contract and agreed to revisit the issue again in May.

O The Cool School Program, which will be held from July 6-24 at Royersford Elementary School and is open to all elementary school students. All expenses will be covered by student tuition fees.

O The Summer Library Program, which will be held at Royersford Elementary School and is open to all elementary students. It will run from July 6-24 and the cost to run the program will not exceed $606.

Board Welcomes New Student Representative

Student Representative Samantha Wanner was thanked for bringing her enthusiasm to the Board table and was bid a fond farewell at the April 27th meeting. Samantha told Board members that serving in the position taught her about the needs and wants of a growing community and gave her the ability to connect with her fellow students on various issues. She also thanked the Board for its efforts on behalf of students. I would not have the vast opportunities I have as a student were it not for you, she said.

New Textbooks Purchased for Coming School Year

Next year, Spring-Ford Area High School students will benefit from the approval of more than $300,000 worth of new textbooks. Board members approved the new books at the April 27th meeting, with Superintendent Dr. Marsha Hurda commending Johnna Weller, Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction, and Dr. Kenneth Donahue, Assistant Superintendent, for finding the best prices on textbooks. The new books include literature anthologies for 11thand 12th-grade English classes, an early childhood textbook for Family and Consumer Sciences classes,

SPRING-FORD AREA SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT DONNA WILLIAMS AND SAMANTHA WANNER

MICHAEL JOHN

Samantha will be replaced by Michael John, who was welcomed at the April 27th meeting and will begin attending as the Student Representative in May.

The Spring-Ford Area School Board will hold its next work session on Monday, May 18th. The next regular Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 26th. Both meetings will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be held in the high school cafeteria.