Published in the November 14, 2016 edition.

By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD — School Director of Facilities and Transportation Maria Serrao presented a proposed fiscal year 2018 capital expenditures request at last week’s School Committee meeting. She said that all schools were represented on the list, with the exception of the Walton. She explained that the Walton’s building needs are currently the subject of a feasibility study and the recommendations of that study will inform the Walton needs.

Serrao also said that some large-scale capital needs were carved out of the budget with respect to Wakefield Memorial High School, pending the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s current review of a Statement of Interest seeking state assistance in addressing the High School building deficiencies.

She also noted that some of the larger requests, such as resurfacing parking lots, had no dollar amounts attached, as those costs will be worked out with the DPW at the next stage of the capital budget process.

Serrao did highlight a number of items on the list, including upgrades to the HVAC systems at both the Dolbeare ($150,000) and Woodville ($25,000) Schools.

Several technology requests also appear on the list, including broad-range external cameras to be on the outside of the High School for $80,000.

There is also a district-wide project for wireless access point expansion for $50,000.

Food Services are also represented on the capital request list this year with four ovens at the High School and one warmer at the Dolbeare for $18,000.

Requests for safety fencing and netting at Walsh Field (High School) and composite benches for spectators at Walton Field (Galvin) appear on the list with a cost of $10,000.

Other items that appear on the capital request list are external painting at the High School and the Dolbeare ($40,000), interior painting at the Woodville and Walton ($80,000), bus replacement ($90,000) and an activity van ($40,000).

Re-keying of the external doors at the High School (including swipe card systems) is listed on the request at a cost of $75,000.

ADA compliant, accessible playground equipment at the Doyle Early Childhood Center, the Greenwood School and the Woodville are listed at $75,000 for each school.

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The School Committee also received an update on the partnership between the School Department and Lesley University. The school has been offering Thursday evening graduate-level classes at the Galvin Middle School but the classes were not generating the interest that they had hoped, School Business Administrator Michael Pfifferling said. Lesley has informed the School Department that they would like to revert back to a previous model where they offered Saturday classes once a month at the Galvin.

By going back to the previous arrangement, the School Department would take in $48,000 a year by charging Lesley $4,000 monthly for the rental of space at the Galvin to run up to five classes, Pfifferling explained. He said that the guaranteed amount will actually work out better for Wakefield, which has been getting a percentage based on Lesley’s enrollment in the Thursday classes.

Pfifferling said that Wakefield will soon be Lesley’s only satellite campus north of Boston, as the school is in the process of closing another campus.

Assistant Superintendent Douglas Lyons told the school Committee about another benefit that Wakefield has been deriving from the Lesley partnership.

“We have partnered with professors from Lesley University to develop Play Based Learning (PBL) centers in Pre-K and kindergarten classrooms,” Lyons said.

The play based learning centers are standards-based where students develop cognitive skills and pro-social behaviors that support the development of decision making, negotiation and self-regulation skills, Lyons explained.

“These skills are critical in developing the self-confidence required to engage in new learning experiences that students will access throughout the year,” Lyons said. “In 2015 – 2016, six pilot teachers met and created standards-based activities where students had an opportunity to choose a center and to participate in the activity within that center.”

Play Based Centers have included themes of math, design, blocks and building, family, science, bias and civil rights.

“In 2016-2017 we are expanding the pilot to provide professional development for all Pre- K and kindergarten teachers,” Lyons added. The teachers will meet as an entire group to share the lessons and centers that were created last year and to also start to plan new centers for ​this year. The Lesley University consultant will also provide professional development on site making visits to each elementary school several times to meet with grade level teams.

In 2017 the Wakefield School Department will also be partnering with Lesley to place students completing their graduate work in local elementary and special education classes to complete their academic requirements for graduation and licensure. This opportunity to have student teachers is also seen as a way to recruit talented teachers and specialists to come and work in Wakefield.

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In other business, the School Committee:

• Approved a trip for eighth-grade French students to Quebec City May 25-28, 2017. The trip will be led by language teacher Rosanne Bakos.

• Accepted a gift of $48.35 from Bhushan R. Kulkarni to the Greenwood School Technology Program. The Donation is part of the State Street Matching Gift Program.

• Accepted a gift of $949.70 from Warrior Strength and Conditioning for miscellaneous equipment for the WMHS Weight Room.