Kristie Houghton, the mother of a kindergartener at Great Salt Bay Community School and a member of the school’s parent-teacher organization (PTO) is leading an effort to upgrade the school’s playground.
“I think everybody agrees – the playground needs attention,” Houghton said in a Feb. 9 presentation before the Great Salt Bay School Committee.
“In my mind, there are some safety issues,” Houghton said. In addition to addressing safety concerns, “a playground project would contribute to school pride and community,” she said.
Houghton praised the quality of education at Great Salt Bay (GSB) but said the state of the playground can create a negative first impression for parents, including her.
“What can we improve with low-cost/no-cost measures?” Houghton said, referring to her plan to organize workdays with volunteer labor.
The goal, Houghton said, is to “pull off something that is a real community space” within five years.
Houghton encouraged cooperation among parents, municipalities and organizations, specifically mentioning the Damariscotta Planning and Advisory Committee (DPAC) and the Central Lincoln County YMCA as potential allies.
Houghton, responding to an inquiry from the committee about the budget for a new playground, said she wasn’t “ready to talk numbers” and discouraged the consideration of a pre-fabricated, mass-produced playground.
“We need to stay away from pulling out the catalog and saying, ‘I want that playground,'” Houghton said. Instead, she suggested, the school should involve a local architect in the design process.
Houghton wrapped up her presentation with a quote from J.R.R. Tolkien of Lord of the Rings fame. “‘It is the job that is never started that takes the longest to finish,'” she said.
“I am overwhelmed by your enthusiasm,” committee member Bill Thomas told Houghton. “Things like this happen when you have enthusiasm and commitment.”
The committee did not take any official action but gave their informal assent to Houghton to form a committee and plan a workday.
Students in third through eighth grade take the test. Of those students, 78 percent (reading) and 74 percent (math) scored as “proficient” or “proficient with distinction.”
The eighth grade class scored an “impressive” 90 percent, Boston said.
“Even if we hit 80 percent,” Boston said, the school’s goal would remain the same – to continue improving.
Boston himself aspires to a loftier goal – scoring higher than tiny South Bristol School (SBS). Boston made a bold prediction in a recent conversation with SBS principal Scott White. “We’re going to take you at some point,” Boston said. “We are the [district] flagship and we want to lead.”
If the pool, which Thomas described as Olympic-size in length but only four lanes wide, becomes a reality, it may prove to be an asset for GSB, too.
“If GSB were interested in swimming lessons for the kids, that type of arrangement could be worked out,” Thomas said.
“The big push on [the capital campaign] is going to come this summer,” Thomas said.
“We do have some applications. We don’t have a lot,” Brinkler said. “We have some that look promising, others not so much.”
A superintendent search committee has been formed and will meet after the March 4 deadline, Brinkler said.
The successful applicant will replace retiring Supt. Robert Bouchard, the 2011 Superintendent of the Year.
GSB awards the Golden Apple each month to a staff member whose performance rises “above and beyond” their duties, Boston said.
AOS 93 teachers have been using Atlas for 18 months, Marchi said. The program allows teachers to share materials online and will eventually be available to parents.
