APRIL 11-17, 2013 Your Local News
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Best Friends Have Hairy Legs, Pages 19 & 20
The Home News
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Keystone Exams, 2013-14 Budget big issues for board
By BILL HALBFOERSTER The Home News
CRPD put in a speed monitor on W. Main St. this week. Most motorists kept under the 35 MPH limit, but one was going 40 MPH just after this photo was taken.
Recreation, EAC reports Highlight Moore meeting
By BILL HALBFOERSTER The Home News
Activities of the recreation department and the Environmental Advisory Council were among the highlights of Moore Township’s Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, April 2. Sterling Laubach reported to the board that the summer program at the Moore Township Recreation Area will be the second and third weeks of July, led by Julie Poniktera. The supervisors allocated up to $900 for the children’s program. Trees in the recreation area that were felled in Hurricane Sandy will be cut up and removed by a local tree surgeon. He will also take care of trees that were knocked down at Appalachian Park. A new sign will be purchased for the recreation center from the Sign Shop at a cost of $300. It will replace one that was stolen. Laubach announced that spring soccer would be starting this week, on Sunday, April 7. There will be a 20% fee increase, however. He noted that th recreation
commission had discussed a soccer clinic, tentatively for Oct. 12 and 13, charging $200 for the laid out field. However, final action was delayed because of a lack of quorum at that meeting. Laubach’s final announcement was that the baseball and softball season will open on April 20. EAC Items Maureen Romano reported for the Environmental Advisory Council. She said the EAC is reaching out to the various boards and committees within the township, along with other interesting people who work with the township, requesting articles fore the township newsletter. So far, everyone has been very cooperative, she said. Articles were requested by April 5, but the deadline for submission is April 12. Electronic recycling will take place on June 8. The supervisors approved an allocation of up to $500 to advertise the event in The Home News, a Nazareth paper, and the newsletter. The KlecknersContinued on page 18
Monday night’s meeting of the Northampton Area School Board began with a presentation by Chris Bamber of Public Financial Management on the $20 million bond sale for the middle school. He said they are happy with the bid results and noted the debt service schedule. Bond counsel Kevin Reed said the school district has good financial standing. The next two presentations took much longer. First, it was about the controversial Keystone Exams that have this and other Pennsylvania school districts very concerned on how they will affect the teaching process. Second big issue of the night was a detailed explanation of what is involved in coming to terms with the 2013-14 budget. Mrs. Lydia Hanner and Schools Supt. Joseph Kovalchik discussed the Keystone Exams for the board as well as the public in attendance. Of major concern is the amount of time that has to
be taken out of classes by students and staff. The state assessments will cover grades K-12. Mainly, they will dwell on writing, math and reading, with subjects like algebra, biology and English literature. PSSA tests on science will be for grades 4 and 6; writing for grades 5 and 6, and math and reading for grades 3 to 6. Current 8th grade students must pass the Keystone Exams in order to graduate in 2017. They will receive remediation until they do and are given only three chances or they’re out. Remediation could mean having teachers devote a great deal of time and expense to the district so that the students make the grade that is required by the state. There will be progress monitoring throughout the year, Mrs. Hanner said. She noted that the Pa. Common Core Standards are very rigorous, so the students can work eventually in a global environment. They are required to have a higher level of knowledge. She said students are constantly being prepared with classroom
instruction in reading, writing, math, science and other subjects. Remediation is given for reading and math skills for those who need it. Out of the 180-day school year for all students at every level, approximately six hours a day are used for preparation, benchmarks, remediation and testing. Students have to be remediated in order to raise their scores to the satisfaction of the Pa. Dept. of Education. “Every opportunity is given to the students to make them successful,” she said School Director Jane Erdo commented, as the explanation wore on about the exams, “We as a society have lost the art of teaching”[because of the new concepts.] The most Continued on page 8
Middle school Groundbreaking Monday, Apr. 22
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new grade 6, 7 and 8 middle school and secondary campus project of the Northampton Area School District will be held on Monday, April 22 at 4:30 p.m. In making that announcement Monday night at the school board meeting, Supt. Joseph S. Kovalchik also listed a timetable for work that will precede actual construction of the middle school.
He said excavation will start the week of April 22 and the old Northampton Branch buildings of the vocationaltechnical school will be demolished in the second week of May. The public is invited to attend the April 22 groundbreaking, Kovalchik said there will also be two or three opportunities for the public to attend events once the new A lack of rain in recent weeks has forced Moore Township to school is built and occupied. put a ban on open fires.
INDEX:
72nd Year, Issue No. 15
Bath.................................. 9
Comm. Bank/R.E. ...... 12 & 14
Nazareth . ....................... 10
Classifieds .............. 16 & 17
Northampton .................. 11
Puzzle Page...................... 18
ADVER
TISE 610 -923-0382
HERE Various dates available
USPS 248-700
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