Granby Board of Education Honors Teacher of the Year, Discusses Summer Learning Program Successes

The Granby Board of Education hosted a meeting before a packed room at its central offices Wednesday night as the group discussed its goals for the coming year, summer enrichment programs and more.

Besides the sharing of informative session on programs, results and goals, the board officially recognized Jennifer Miller, a resource teacher at and the town’s summer school director, as Granby’s teacher of the year.

Cal Heminway, board of education chairman, spoke from the heart when he said Miller “does God’s work” as she was presented with a bouquet of flowers.

“Jennifer is an inspiration to the kids, families and staff,” said Granby Superintendent Alan Addley, referring to Miller’s superlative efforts in teaching and engaging children in the classroom.

Miller saw the town’s two summer education ventures grow this past season. Granby students entering grades one through eight were welcome at the programs. They reinforced and reviewed classroom skills, developing academic prowess while also fostering social growth, Miller said. The encompassing program integrated special education students in the summer school group’s activities.

“We went with a more inclusive model,” Miller said, noting the presence of a school psychologist who helped develop social concepts and understanding.

A diverse schedule, including art, technology, math, language arts and physical education, was offered to a total of 141 students each day. A day long schedule, made possible with the help of the , hosted 42 kids.

Miller said the program had “a very good involvement,” and almost all students with individualized educational programs (IEPs) recommending they attend summer sessions attended.

“[The summer school program will] increase student success during the school year,” Miller said.

Another successful summer program brought 22 (GMHS) sophomores, juniors and seniors on a whirlwind tour of eight different colleges in five days.

The College Experience Summer Seminar provided students contemplating higher learning introductions to many types of college campuses.

GMHS Principal Patricia Law praised the program’s organizer, GMHS guidance counselor Julie Bragg, for her efforts in exposing Granby students to the next level of learning.

“She really brought the program to fruition for us,” Law said.

Bragg said the program helps students learn more about prospective institutions and demystifies the college application program with a relaxed but organized curriculum that deals with the admissions process, journaling experiences at each college and learning the ins and outs of college applications.

A lengthy and sometimes-philosophical discussion about goals for both the board of education and the school system’s superintendent concluded the meeting.

The goals are still in draft form, and debate mostly took form as to how specific or broad the goals should be, as well as how goals held by the superintendent should influence those of the board of education and vice versa.

Preliminary goals for Superintendent Alan Addley included: A focus on student achievement; consideration of professional and personal leadership; maintaining and improving relationships between the community and board; educational leadership involving both institutional and curricular concerns; and attention to business matters.

Preliminary board goals were more involved and included eight distinct goals, among them providing resources and support for professional learning communities, updating strategic plans and developing district values and developing a budget incorporating district efficiencies that meets the essential needs of the district and/or major board/state initiatives in a difficult economy.

Find the full list of Granby Board of Education goals attached to this article as a picture.

Further discussion between meetings will result in final drafts of the goals being presented at a board of education meeting in the near future.

For more Granby Board of Education news, check The Granbys Patch on Friday for a breakdown of Connecticut Mastery Test review presented at Wednesday’s board meeting. Also, look for an article about the school system’s Global Learning Experience program next week.