The Litchfield Public School District serves students from pre-kindergarten through high school.  This endeavor involves hundred of staff members as well as thousands of parents and other members of the community.  In an effort to provide accurate information to the entire community as well as timely responses to questions, the district has recently added this Question & Answer feature to the website. 

It is not usually possible or appropriate to respond to questions at Board of Education meetings, nor is that the venue for most questions to be answered.  Board of Education meetings are held in public. However, they are not public meetings. 

Issues which are brought to the attention of the school administration or Board of Education will be answered personally or on this website to provide accurate information, to avoid rumors and misinformation, and to disseminate responses to the entire community.  This will also provide an opportunity to research questions to ensure accurate responses are issued by the appropriate administrator, staff member, or Board of Education.  

Members of the community who have questions about the operation of the schools, student performance, programs, or individual student concerns should discuss this with the teacher, counselor, or appropriate school administrator.  Questions regarding Board responsibilities such as budget, policy, or overall district goals may be referred to either the Board or the superintendent. 

Anyone with a question may e-mail it by clicking on the button below, or by e-mailing Questions@litchfieldschools.org directly .  A response will be provided by the appropriate person as soon as possible. If the question relates to an issue which might be of general interest to the community, it may be included on this website.

Questions:

I hear the term “Global Connect” used at Board of Education meetings, but I am unfamiliar with the term.  What is it and how does it affect the school system?

What are the qualifications for Substitute Teacher Assistants with Litchfield Public Schools?  

What are the qualifications for Substitute Teachers with Litchfield Public Schools?

I heard the new LIS gymnasium vestibule is being used a classroom.  Is this true?  Also, why is there paper on the windows?

“Everyone wants to know why the buses are so late coming home in the afternoon (Center and LIS).....did you eliminate a bus route? Some kids are not getting home from Center school until 4:30 p.m. or so, where last year these kids were on the same route and got home at 4 p.m. at the very latest?? It's a pretty big change.....why do you think that this has occurred?”

I am still a little confused over last night's discussion regarding the .5 credit a student can apply for in "outside" athletic activities vs.  the 2 credits a student must earn in Fine Arts, Vocational Ed, Consumer ED, Tech and Business in order to complete graduation requirements.

Question:

I hear the term “Global Connect” used at Board of Education meetings, but I am unfamiliar with the term.  What is it and how does it affect the school system?

Answer:

Global Connect is our new automated voice notification system that will allow the schools to contact a large group of parents by phone quickly in case of an emergency.  It can also be used to remind families of upcoming events that may be of particular interest to them such as concerts, field trips, report cards and more.

The system is dependent on the accurate information the schools have for contact information.  If you change or add a phone number you wished to be used for school contact, please notify your child’s school, so that we can update the Global Connect  database.

Question:

What are the qualifications for Substitute Teacher Assistants with Litchfield Public Schools?  

Teacher assistants, as the title implies, work with the classroom teachers and special education teachers; they support the teachers in many different ways to help the learners.  It is preferable that applicants have some college experience, but it isn’t necessary to have a degree.  Furthermore, all public school employees must be fingerprinted prior to employment.  To apply to be a Substitute Teacher Assistant go to http://www.generalasp.com/litchfieldschools/onlineapp/jobpostings/view.asp?category=Substitute. 

For information about fingerprinting at Education Connection go to http://www.educationconnection.org/fingerprint.htm.

Question:

What are the qualifications for Substitute Teachers with Litchfield Public Schools?

Substitute Teachers must hold a bachelors degree.  Furthermore, all public school employees must be fingerprinted prior to employment.  To apply to be a Substitute Teacher go to http://www.generalasp.com/litchfieldschools/onlineapp/jobpostings/view.asp?category=Substitute. 

For information about fingerprinting at Education Connection go to http://www.educationconnection.org/fingerprint.htm.

Question:  

I heard the new LIS gymnasium vestibule is being used a classroom.  Is this true?  Also, why is there paper on the windows?

Answer: 

The LIS gymnasium vestibule is currently being used for a variety of purposes.  This will be the primary entrance for all afterschool and evening activities held in the gymnasium therefore eliminating the need for students and other guests to be in the classroom wings of the school.  The vestibule has two lavatories and is a relatively large open space.  

In addition to afterschool activities, the vestibule is being used for special activities during the school day.  One such activity is the LIS “Chef-In-Residence” program.  Students participate in this program for one activity period in six days.  The area is not being used as a classroom.  All academic and special subjects at LIS have designated classrooms. 

Question:  

“Everyone wants to know why the buses are so late coming home in the afternoon (Center and LIS).....did you eliminate a bus route? Some kids are not getting home from Center school until 4:30 p.m. or so, where last year these kids were on the same route and got home at 4 p.m. at the very latest?? It's a pretty big change.....why do you think that this has occurred?”

Answer.   Thank you for your question.  We did not eliminate a bus this year.  The last bus to be eliminated was for the 2005-06 school year.  Unfortunately, the Wamogo dismissal time was changed by 5 minutes which resulted in a delay at the high school.  This, in turn, delayed the Center and Intermediate bus runs a bit.  This past week we met with Region #6 representatives and worked out a solution for this problem.

 As communicated yesterday by the principals, we have also adjusted the start and dismissal times at both Center and Intermediate schools to incorporate the delayed high school routes.  This change will go into effect on Monday.  We have also refined the loading practices at the schools to ensure the children are ready to board the buses when they arrive.  

 We monitored the loading and departure times of the buses today. School buses left with their students between 3:25 and 3:33 p.m.  

 Last year it was agreed that the district would adjust the school day by a few minutes at the Intermediate School and at Center School for 2007-08.  Once the routes are stabilized and the loading practices are expedited, the system will be very efficient.

I hope this answers your questions.  

Question:

I am still a little confused over last night's discussion regarding the .5 credit a student can apply for in "outside" athletic activities vs.  the 2 credits a student must earn in Fine Arts, Vocational Ed, Consumer ED, Tech and Business in order to complete graduation requirements.

We are working on a procedure which will indicate that Independent study credits may not replace the state’s requirement for graduation.  IS credits may be applied toward the fulfillment of district graduation requirements or meet elective requirements.  Grading will be done by the school staff following an assessment of the IS experience.  Student will be expected to participate for a specified number of hours and to accomplish stated goals.

This is what I think can happen.....please let me know if this is correct or not.....

A student can apply to the principal at any time during their 4 high school years to have an interscholastic sport or athletic activity outside of school (ie: yoga class) count towards the .5 credit.  The principal then determines that the activity  will meet the educational requirements for credit and as long as the student participates etc. the credit will be counted. Will this interscholastic sport or outside activity be graded as pass/fail or the traditional A,B,C etc???? Will the student who opts for this be required to do something above and beyond particpating in the activity in order to get credit ie: a term paper or not? Or is this determined on a case by case basis? (yikes!!!)

A student may present a proposal for an Independent Study activity to earn up to .5 credit in any discipline - including Physical Education.  The specific requirements for that IS experience will be outlined in the proposal.  Participation will not be the only requirement for credit.  For example, a student who participates in an interscholastic athletic team will need to fulfill additional requirements to be eligible for .5 credit.  We are currently considering grading procedures.  The possibility of HP (high pass), P (pass), or F (fail) is being considered.  We are also considering how IS credits should be – or should not be – applied toward grade point average.  This would also eliminate any class rank issues.

Now this is where I really get confused.....Can a student who must earn 2 credits in Fine Arts, Voc Ed, Con Ed, Tech or Business during their 4 years also apply to the principal for all of  these credits to be earned outside of school ie; a pottery class for Fine Arts , a piano lesson etc just like they can for the PE credit ? Or will these outside classes be considered "Independent Study"? It seems from reading the curriculum booklet for LHS, that those classes considered "Independent Study" are held to a higher standard  in terms of educational requirements or at least  a student's ability to take them is more restricted....is it true that a student can only apply for 1 "independent study" class during their 4 years at LHS and only then in their Senior year? If this scenario is true, then it does not seem equitable. Are "Independent Study" classes graded pass/fail or A,B,C etc?

Refer to my comments above.  Consideration is being given to limiting IS experiences for juniors and seniors.  These experiences will be primarily for activities which are not part of our program of studies and which expand on these opportunities.

I would appreciate someone taking the time to answer my questions. I can't imagine how confused I'm going to be by the time my kids actually get to high school :).

The philosophy behind Independent Study is to provide students with more opportunities and to allow them to pursue their individual interests and talents. There is no expectation that this will reduce staffing nor will it provide an easy way out for student seeking to avoid graduation requirements.  As I stated previously, procedures are being developed to address this issue.  These procedures will ensure that all credits are reflective of a meaningful educational experience.