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The board met on Thursday, Jan. 21, to hear a presentation by CSArch vice president Thomas Ritzenthaler, who has been working on the plan since the recent passage of the 2015 Bond for Critical Systems, Clarkstown school officials said.
Ritzenthaler and his team have been laying out a schedule for the work to be done that includes critical deadlines and milestone dates.
Early planning, school officials said, will help the district make the most of the building aid dollars it is to receive from the state’s Smart Schools Bond Act.
At the meeting, Ritzenthaler reviewed the scope and cost of the project.
The board also heard a presentation on the WISE program made by Clarkstown High School North's principal, Harry Leonardatos, and teachers, parents and students.
WISE, a Poughquag-based nonprofit organization, helps high school seniors design courses of study or internships that are tailore to their individual passions.
Thie mentor-lead program helps students discover their own skills, strengths and talents, the board was told.
WISE also serves as a bridge between high school and college or work, proponents told educators.
According to proponents, projects can include, but are not limited to, internships, independent research, self-improvement, community service or cultural, artistic and performance-based activities.
Any staff member can be chosen as a mentor and a task force -- made up of students, teachers, administrators, parents and community members – actually runs the program.
For more information about the program, visit the WISE website by clicking here.
The board also heard a presentation from Boy Scout Michael Gavin on his Eagle Scout project.
Gavin’s proposal for building an outdoor classroom for the Felix Festa Middle School’s A-Wing was approved by the board.
Students from Bardonia Elementary School helped the board open the meeting by leading those gathered in the Pledge of Allegiance.
The students were: Alexander Kent, Gillian Ulrich, Jake Koshy, Elizabeth Ortiz, Isabella Cascia, and Madison Walker.
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