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The East Providence
eporter R
FEBRUARY 2011 VOLUME 7, NO. 2
FREE
Serving the Community and Businesses of East Providence
New Year. New You. Your 2011 Health & Fitness Guide page 49
Valentine's Day Feb 14th Turn to page 44 The All Girls Team from Bay View Academy won the LEGO First Competition held at Roger Williams University in January. The team will represent RI at the World Festival in St. Louis, Missouri on April 27-30. Their story continues on page 53…
School Recess Returns Feb. 1st - With a Twist
By Bob Rodericks said that this new request came from school The East Providence School Commitbuilding principals. This response brought tee reinforced its December unanimous vote an audible collective gasp from those in atto return elementary recess to its’ traditional tendance at the meeting. Most people in the non-structured status at their January 11th room were classroom teachers and many meeting. Although all members remained in immediately rose and asked for permission agreement to overturn the prior committee’s to speak. Under rules of the former school vote to end traditional recess, the discuscommittee, immediate discussion would sion in January remained controversial. In not be permitted but new school committee years past, children had an unstructured chairman, Charles Tsonos and the rest of recess supervised by aides while teachers this committee allows public comment on worked with at-risk students or otherwise specific issues without prior permission. worked on classroom preparation. School Silver Spring Elementary School Committee member Chrissy Rossi asked teacher Mary Texieira was first to speak and schools superintendent Mario Cirillo if the indicated that she was “insulted” by this new reversal was in place yet and if everything twist in the continuing recess controversy. was “the same as it was before this new Texeira said that she will submit a daily 15 policy began”. Cirillo said no, that teachers minute log if required and will make sure that would now be required to fill out a ‘coded’ her principal will get a documented record form to indicate what they are now doing of everything she does beyond her regular every day with the “15 minutes that they no work day. “Personally, it’s an insult to ask longer supervise recess”. Cirillo and Chief for that,” Teixeira said of the proposal. There Operating Officer, Lonnie Barham were is a lot that teachers do outside of the school emphatic with school committee members day that we aren’t paid for, as we work for that this new twist would be a requirement. our children”, Texeira continued. “I think When pressed further on the issue, Cirillo ...continued on page 4