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Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Erardi, Southington School Superintendent, speaks of bright outlook with many new programs.

New Southington Municipal Center --Facility houses offices
of Board of  Education and town departments
Photo by Deborah Mikan
Dr. Joseph Erardi, Supt of Southington Schools
Photo by Deborah Mikan



















As published in the Southington Citizen September 21, 2012

Dr. Joe Erardi, outlined a plan for the “new school year (which) will include meaningful work that has the potential to change the landscape of teaching and learning within our Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 system.” In this second part of a two-part conversation with Erardi, his generally observed serious and reserved demeanor seemed to transcend to glowing enthusiasm as he spoke of the multi-faceted plans of the 2012-13 school year in Southington.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

STEPS Week: A 7-Day Challenge for Parents and Children

As published in the Southington Citizen September 14, 2012

What is STEPS? An acronym for Southington’s Town-wide Efforts to Promote Success; success in growing great kids, healthy kids who will succeed in their education and in good citizenship, as they mature in their individual life journeys as productive members of their community and society.

Kryszanski and Pierson families||
stand with their sons, both Jonathan,
as the town council recognizes and proclaims
their leadership in collecting toys for
children who might otherwise do without.
The roots of STEPS go back to an awakening in our community about six years ago of the continuing negative environmental influences on our children and a series of shocking teen suicides. At that time, a group of concerned Southington citizens recognized that we needed real solutions and effective positive action to steer our culture away from teenage use of alcohol, the abusive of harmful substances and risky behavior, including bullying, a major problem in the U.S.

With an annual grant from a federal agency working to prevent substance abuse and the support of the Board of Education, town government, law enforcement, public safety, the health care community, churches and faith congregations, the business community, parents and the enthusiastic support and some inspired young leaders, STEPS has matured in five years with remarkable results.

Early on, STEPS identified, as a standard, forty assets that have repeatedly shown as positive characteristics in young people who mature into healthy, productive and successful adult citizens. Tracy and family participate in STEPS

Tracy and family participate in STEPS
On Monday, September 17th, STEPS will launch its new year with a 7-Day Challenge to parent and children of Southington. The theme of STEPS Week is the development of Positive Family Communication, (Asset #2).

The challenge is simple, but the few moments a day for personal interaction between parents and children can be preciously rewarding as each family adds its own creativity.

The challenge is a prescription and an opportunity for the reinforcement of important core values society talks about everyday. What better time and place to start than now and in your own home.

The 7-Day Challenge . . .

Day 1 – Sep 17- Make Good Decisions Monday: Take the time to talk to your kids about their making positive, healthy life choices. Teach them resistance skills and how to resolve conflicts peacefully. Ask about a problem they may be having. Guide them in planning solutions. Your children deserve no less.
Day 2 Sep 18 – Twenty Questions Tuesday: Each family member writes 3 to 5 questions. Put them in a hat. While around the house, during the course of the day, pull out a question and talk about it. Questions can be simple as: What was your favorite hobby growing up? More into at www.southingtonSTEPS.org

Day 3 – Sep 19 - Walk the Trail Wednesday: Walk our beautiful Southington trail with your kids and maybe a few of their friends. Enjoy the outdoors, get them to appreciate our town while you get to know each other better.

Day 4 – Sep 20 – Three Text Thursday: Text your child 3 times today. If you don’t text, put notes where they’ll see them (in a lunch, on bathroom mirror, or a pillow), Say “have a good day, good luck on your test or game. Say “I love you”. This means a lot to kids; it builds greater trust, communications and love.

Day 5 – Sep 21 - Family Dinner Friday: Make a favorite family meal together or enjoy a meal at a local restaurant. Spend quality time to create a positive environment. Let it become a habit. Include fun family activities, board games, word games!

Day 6 - Sep 22 – Simple Share Saturday: A busy day for errands, laundry, baseball, visiting. But stay in touch with a simple share. Ask each one in the family what their “peak and pit” was, peak being your favorite point in the day and pit being the worst. Takes only a few minutes to share at the end of the day!

Day 7 – Sep 23 – Say Goodnight Sunday: Sunday also provides a special kind of family togetherness. No matter how old your child is, remind them each night that you love them. Before bedtime, check in and say goodnight to your son or daughter. Ask how about their homework and plans for the week

Day 6 - Sep 22 – Simple Share Saturday: A busy day for errands, laundry, baseball, visiting. But stay in touch with a simple share. Ask each one in the family what their “peak and pit” was, peak being your favorite point in the day and pit being the worst. Takes only a few minutes to share at the end of the day!

Giovanni Family in a STEPS moment.
Day 7 – Sep 23 – Say Goodnight Sunday: Sunday also provides a special kind of family togetherness. No matter how old your child is, remind them each night that you love them. Before bedtime, check in and say goodnight to your son or daughter. Ask how about their homework and plans for the week.

The principles of STEPS Week are, for many, familiar traditionally time-honored family priorities. Can a community help turn the minds and hearts of more of us to making it a habit, 52 weeks a year! STEPS believes we can and that we must.



Author's Note:

We are indeed fortunate in America, for having been blessed with the freedom of religion.in the guarantee in the First Amendment of the Constitution, And so, millions of Americans of faith worship and pray together at their own churches, synagogues, temples and mosques on their Sabbath. In addition to the freedom to practice our diverse faith traditions, those of religious commitment have a special opportunity on the weekend to pray as a family. I think of it as a gift that helps strengthen the love and appreciation for the fullest meaning of family.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Dr. Erardi, Southington Superintendent of Schools, Talks about progress in the last year and what's coming this year.

Dr. Joe Erardi in a conversation about Southington., CT
Public Schools

As published in the Southington Citizen
September 7, 2012

A conversation with Dr. Joe Erardi, Southington’s Superintendent of Schools, provided an insightful view of our local school system that was beyond expectations.   We learned about the combined efforts of the Superintendent, his administrative staff and the Board of Education and how it is taking shape, offering  innovative, focused instruction and correlated  programs which are continually developing and being put into action to prepare  today’s K through 12 student population for the challenges they’ll face in higher education and readiness to take their places in society as fine citizens and in productive work-that fulfills their hopes and dreams.

This incredible story is about the carefully crafted vision of those who are preparing our youngsters for the future.  Selected highlights of our extensive interview with Dr. Erardi follow:
ERF:  What have been the major achievements of the past school-year?

JE:  I can talk about the passage of the plan to renovate our two middle schools and about the  work that is happening at the high school, our readiness program, our ability to conduct a pilot all-day kindergarten program. All exciting achievements! But I am most pleased to point out the strong commitment of this community to partner with and support the school system. The people believe in the Board of Education and the Superintendents’ staff and that the work we’re doing will support the progress of the children.  The present tenor in this town of the elected officials with whom we’re meeting and the ongoing alliances that are not politically-based, but rather community based are powerful forces in achieving objectives. I’m fortunate to deal with Garry Brumback.  The townspeople are beginning to see the positive results of these collaborative efforts in raising the standards for our  school system. Augmenting this effect for actively working alliances is the near complete move to the renovated  new Southington Municipal Center (formerly North Center School). Garry (Brumback) and I I believe that “dollar efficiency” will also result as many work together at the new town center.

I’m thrilled with what’s happening with our high school and with the middle school upgrade and I’m thrilled with our readiness program and with our school report card,i..e, our CMT, (Connecticut Mastery Test), and CAPT, (CT Achievement and Performance Test), scores.  For five straight years our schools have had incredible gains at the high school and consistent gains at the elementary and middle schools so I’m fortunate right now to be the spokesperson for our schools which is in high gear for new student opportunities.
ERF: Were there disappointments or less than expected achievements this past year?
Erardi:  In my work, I often make a statement and write that with 7,000 opportunities every day for 7,000 children in our schools, we have made adifference for every child. My expectation is that nobody drops out of high school and that nobody is involved in expulsion for discipline. We’re not there yet and there’s still work to be done.  But while we reach an extraordinary number of students, there are still youngsters that struggle. We need to do a better job connecting with them. So, this is not a disappointment in any particular program but it does renew our goal of meeting every challenge. We are going to continue our work to graduate every student.

One high point for me came on election night when this community, in this economy, stood tall, approving a commitment of $85 million for our middle schools by a vote of nearly 3 to 1. This town courageously supported a plan for our next generation of leaders. 

The other highlight event for me was the appointment of Karen Smith as my Assistant Superintendent. Karen is a highly celebrated administrator in a long career of success. I am impressed every day with her work ethic, her need to have such a comfort level with what’s happening with instruction.  When day is done we’re not really about facility or maintenance. It’s about instruction. So with a really fine instruction team which starts with Karen and trickles down to our maintenance people and school leader, I’m grateful.
ERF:  So, instruction is at the core of the mission here.

Erardi:  Instruction IS the mission. Under Karen’s direction, in partnership with our leadership team, the work in instruction has been incredibly rewarding, especially in a couple of pockets, such as in the readiness piece of it and in the 8th to 9th grade transition. With the high school administration, the team has put together an absolutely demanding work ethic for students, stretching them to achieve rather than allowing complacency.  In my 35 years of experience in this profession, I have never experienced a year of such outstanding progress as this single past year here in Southington.

As to the goals of the critical instructional area, Dr. Erardi pointed out that a district advisory committee will report its findings to the Board of Education by January 1, 2013 as to the readiness of all students as productive citizens and workers.  By December 1, 2012, the administration will present to the Board of Education a completed feasibility study of potentially offering All-Day Kindergarten to all students. The study will comprehensively include: Space Analysis, Cost Analysis, Curriculum Impact, Transportation and Community Conversations.

Findings will be brought to the Board of Education by February 1, 2013 as to a Student Use of Technology Study which will address establishing Southington Board of Ed email addresses for students to help develop a paperless environment; the use of non-internet based devices, i.e., Kindles, Readers, etc. and the use of iPads, laptops, and cell phones (Internet based devices), all in the classroom.

A follow up installment coming soon will include more of exciting the plans for this school year and the longer term goal of Vision 2020, a work that, in eight years, will potentially bring students to a much more effective level of readiness for the world after graduation.