Volume 19, Number 43 Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
www.TownTimes.com
Friday, Februar y 1, 2013
Textbooks to tablets in CRHS history course Presenting to the BOE By Mark Dionne Special to the Town Times
Only a few years ago, students at Coginchaug Regional High School were not allowed to use devices like iPhones and tablets in class. Now, following a proposal by CRHS principal Andre Hauser and approval by the Board of Education, tablets will replace textbooks for students in one U.S. history course. According to Hauser, who
presented the proposal to the BOE at its Jan. 23 meeting at Memorial School, the idea originated with CRHS history teachers faced with replacing textbooks. The 55 students making up three sections in B-level U.S. history will be given tablets the same way students are currently given textbooks. The teachers will then direct their classes to online resources, which are often free. At the end of the year, students turn in their tablets to
be digitally wiped for the next class. In the event a tablet is lost or damaged, Hauser said, the families would need to cover the cost the same way they would for a lost or damaged textbooks. To fund the project, Hauser proposed using $9,895.50 allocated for replacement textbooks and adding other current year savings to reach the $12,540 cost. See Textbooks, page 19
Security construction for school portables priced at $111,000
Photo by Mark Dionne
Portable school units, like this one at Brewster School, have been the focus of safety concerns. The Board of Education has been looking into the construction of more secure barriers connecting the portables with the main buildings as an option. By Mark Dionne The Town Times
See Security, next page
Towns prepared for winter storms ahead By Monica Szakacs Special to Town Times Durham Road Foreman Kurt Bober said he predicts the severity of a winter by observing the willow bear caterpillars, which are brown with black stripes. The thicker the black stripe, the worse winter is going to be. “I’ll tell you what, all those weathermen with their computers are less accurate than
the willow bear caterpillars,” Bober said, adding that he observed a thick stripe in the front of the willow bears this year, which has been consistent with the early snow storms in December and January. He also said the caterpillars had a thick band at the end of their body, “which means we are going to get nailed at the end of the winter.”
See Storms, page 18
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In this issue ... Calendar ........................12 Healthy Living ................4 Obituaries .....................14 Schools.............................9 Seniors...........................20 Sports.............................16
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At the regular meeting of the Board of Education Jan. 23, Business Manager Ron Melnik discussed a proposal for additional security at the school portables for an estimated cost of $111,000. The proposal was up for consideration and not a vote. Portables, which are in use at five of the six district
schools, have been cited by administrators and Superintendent of Schools Sue Viccaro as the largest security concern in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Although the BOE did not discuss exactly what the results would look like, Melnik referred to steel siding. “Some of the schools would require fencing also,” he said. “Looking at each one,
it’s not always easy or most cost effective to just enclose them, so we’ll need some fencing in some of the places.” Melnik also noted that the project would require “multiple approvals” with regards to the building and fire and safety issues. Once approved, however, Melnik said the project could take as little as six to eight weeks to get all five schools done, depending on the weather. The “preliminary estimate” of $111,000 was not broken down by school at the meeting. “Some of the schools are easier to do,”
Photo by Mark Dionne
A group of students from Strong School gave a presentation to the Board of Education about an upcoming display centered around the history of the Freedom Riders. Students described the hardships and risks taken by the Freedom Riders and detailed the student effort in creating the event.