Tragedy spurs teens at Coginchaug
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Monday, March 1, 2010 - 3:53pm
Out of bad news, good things can come, as a group of students would show the Board of Education at their Feb. 24 meeting. The Coginchaug High School seniors, all friends of Michelle DiVicino, who died tragically last November in a car crash, gave a presentation on Teens in the Driver Seat, a program newly adopted at the high school. Health teacher Christen Bertz heard about the group out of Texas through Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council (MCSAAC) and shared it with students who leaped at the idea. On Feb. 1, what was to be DiVicino’s 18th birthday, the group was unfolded at Coginchaug, and the response from peers was very positive.
“We lost a very close friend, and we don’t want other teens to go through what we went through,” the group said. They showed the board a video on Teens in the Driver Seat, which focuses on the dangers of driving that teens often overlook, including texting, music, friends and other distractions, driving at night, driving while tired, not wearing a seatbelt, and of course, drinking and driving. The group at Coginchaug conducted a survey among their classmates focusing on these distractions and plan to administer it again at the end of the year when they hope the results will look different. They are also planning activities throughout the year for teen driving safety, and each Friday a fact is presented to students right before they leave for their cars for the day.
“Six thousand teens die each year because of driving related incidents,” said the group. “That’s like filling a 747 with teens and crashing it once a week for an entire year.”
Superintendent’s report
Superintendent’s report
In her report, Superintendent Susan Viccaro said there are contingency plans in place for soccer and football if construction of the athletic facility at the Coginchaug campus takes place in the fall, thwarting fall sports. Letters will be sent out to parents affected by these sports when the plan is finalized, and Viccaro noted that the sports will definitely take place, though “everything is still unfolding as we speak.”
In other construction news, the installation of a new playground at Brewster School, funded by B/KPTA fundraising and federal grant money, is looking more and more likely to happen, according to Viccaro. The final design is completed but some details are still being worked out. Installation would likely begin in June, at which time volunteers will be needed.
Viccaro’s final report had to do with the Capturing Kids’ Hearts, a program that builds positive, productive and trusting relationships between teachers and their students. Staff throughout the district have been trained, and the program has been successful thus far. Viccaro hopes to have the program’s founder visit the district in the future as more staff are involved and the program expands to other communities.
Field trip requests and committee reports
Field trip requests and committee reports
With a few concerns addressed, the board approved two field trip requests: the annual Camp Jewel trip for June 3-4, 2010 and trip to Oaxaca, Mexico for Feb. 12-26, 2011. The latter is described as “cultural immersion” as students will speak Spanish for the majority of their stay and will be attending morning classes in Mexico. Since they will be missing some days at Coginchaug, they will have a period each day to do homework and access to email, and students are responsible for getting any work before the trip begins. As in any case, Viccaro said in response to a question, if a student can’t pay for the trip, something will be worked out.
The board heard updates from the Policy and Long Range Planning and Magnet School committees. Norm Hicks noted that the magnet school approved a 4.54 percent increase in their budget, which includes reductions of $258,105, the bulk of which is the elimination of three teachers. The effect on District 13 is an increase in magnet school cost from $11,837 to $12,958. Hicks said the number went up because they are budgeting for fewer students (721 down from 734) and because of the budget increase.
The next board meeting will be 7:30 on March 3 at Strong School where presentation of the proposed District 13 budget will be the hot item. The board meets every Wednesday in March.
