Pelham - Windham News 2 - February 25, 2011


Should Windham Do Away with Eighth Grade Graduation?


by Barbara O’Brien The topic was brought up by a resident during


the Windham School District’s recent deliberative session, but school administrators were already discussing the possibility and ramifications of eliminating the traditional eighth grade graduation exercises. Long-time Windham resident Bob Coole brought up the subject under the “other business” portion of the annual meeting, proposing that the 2011-2012 school district operating budget be reduced by $7,040 to a new total of $40,955,256, with the ultimate purpose of eliminating the graduation ceremony from Windham Middle School. The reason for Coole’s proposal is that Windham now has its own high school and, in the spring of 2012, will be holding its very first 12th


grade graduation. The $7,040 reduction from the proposed


operating budget would effectively “zero out the eighth grade graduation,” Coole told those attending the deliberative session on February 11. “Now that we have a high school in Windham, the eighth grade is no longer the last grade,” he said. The anticipated cost of the high school graduation is $15,000, he added. Instead, Coole proposed what he termed a “Step-Up” ceremony for those students leaving Windham Middle School and moving on to the new Windham High School. He said the anticipated cost of such a ceremony would be about $1,200 and could be combined with the annual athletic and academic recognition programs.


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Windham resident Margaret Case, who has lived in town for many years and whose children came up through the school system, said she believes it “is socially wrong to eliminate” the eighth grade graduation. School Board member


Jeff Bostic said that he believes there is a better process for planning graduation ceremonies than through the operating budget. The proposal “is too sudden,” he said of Coole’s recommendation. Middle School Principal Dan Moulas said that Coole had already spoken with him about the concept and plans were underway to survey the options and find out how parents and students feel about the subject of graduation. Those residents who were in attendance at the meeting voted down Coole’s proposed amendment to cut the budget. School Board members did say, however, that they would take the suggestion under advisement and discuss it further at a future Board meeting.


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Windham Voters Send Educational Resolution to Concord


by Barbara O’Brien just a bank...


On the recommendation of local resident Attorney Anthony DiFruscia, those attending the recent Windham School District deliberative session unanimously agreed to send a resolution to State Representatives and Senators expressing concern over the possibility of reduced State aid to Windham schools. “The citizens of Windham are committed to continuing to provide better than adequate education for all of the children of this Town,” DiFruscia stated. “The present State aid formula must be preserved so that Windham will continue to receive State aid in the amount of a minimum of approximately $3,500 per student,” he added. Concerns have arisen in local school districts due to the budget deficit at the State level and the fear that aid to individual communities, especially those deemed “wealthier” than others, will be diminished during the ongoing State budget formulation.


According to figures presented during the School District deliberative session on February


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11, the cost of educating one Windham student is in the neighborhood of $15,000 per year. The resolution supported by Windham voters also states that local representatives in Concord should oppose any proposed changes in home education policies, as well as the abolition of State funding for kindergarten programs or the loss of State aid for activities such as the arts and athletics.


Although voter support was unanimous to send the resolution to all those representing Windham at the State level, it was emphasized that the resolution is non-binding and merely “a sense of the meeting” expression of opinion. “We need to take a strong position,” DiFruscia


told school administrators. The resolution is being sent to the following State Representatives: Gary Azarian, David Bates, Ronald Belanger, D.J. Bettencourt, Robert Elliott, Marilinda Garcia, Mary Griffin, Walter Kolodziej, Donna Mauro, Charles McMahon, Richard Okerman, John Sytek, and Kevin Waterhouse, as well as State Senator Jim Rausch.


Governor John Lynch, Max DelRio, David Hutchings, and Dean Kames (Founder, FIRST)


submitted by Lisa Haswell The Technology Lab at Windham High School has been busy well into nights and weekends for nearly six weeks as its rookie robotic team finalizes its entry into this year’s U.S. FIRST Robotics challenge, named Logo Motion. Considered the most complex contest to date, Logo Motion challenges teams to navigate their robots in a field and hang inflatable shapes on pegs several feet in the air for points. To add to the difficulty, robots must launch a “minibot” that will race up a pole to trigger a sensor. Team 3467, dubbed “Windham Windup,” has used Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems to design their robot loaded with extensive pneumatic, electrical, and mechanical features. Cameras, motors, and sensors assist in locating the pegs. The team was thrilled to be included in “Week Zero” activities at Nashua South High School, where they were able to fine-tune their robot in a competition-like environment, with a full-scale,


official Logo Motion field. Week Zero hosted over 20 FIRST Robotics teams as well as Governor John Lynch and FIRST Robotics Founder and Inventor Dean Kamen. Team 3467 was able to adjust issues with wireless communications and the minibot launching system in preparation for the regional competition at the Verizon Wireless Arena on March 3, 4, and 5 (www.baesystemsfirst. org/regional). According to Faculty Advisor Scott Kukshtel,


“I am very proud of how our team performed and behaved today. We had some very trying experiences that would have stressed even the strongest veteran teams, but we came through them intact.” For more information about the Windham High


School FIRST Robotics Team, contact Mr. Scott Kukshtel (skukshtel@windhamsd.org) or visit the Windham Windup Team 3467 Website: www. team3467.org.


Ambitious WHS Rookie Team Tests Robot


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February Special


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