The Education Committee of the SW Common Council

Wednesday, 8/24/22

6- 7 pm at

For Zoom Link, Contact John Boutet at jboutet@frontiernet.net

Minutes Posted on: www.locationSW.org/group/sw-education-forum

Attendance:

Joe Baldino              School #29 Principal, 490-2245, joseph.baldino@rcsdk12.org

John Boutet             SWCC Education Committee Chair, 328-4271, jboutet@frontiernet.net

Mary Coffey              N. Winton Village Co-Chair; Many Neighbors Building Neighborhoods; 

                                        Public Safety;  marycoffey0@gmail.com

Eleanor Coleman   Rotary SW, CCFCS YouthBuild, 224-5119, eleanor.coleman@gmail.com

Andrea Lee               School #2 Principal, andrea.lee@rcsdk12.org

Lee Loomis           School #10 Volunteer Tutor, leeloomis46@gmail.com

Welcome & Introductions

LEAP Project - July Minutes Overview

UR Center for Community Engagement - Mary Beth Spinelli

• Operating a program on Saturdays at UR called "Learning and Exploring At Play" (LEAP) for K to 4th graders; catering to students who may not have access to enrichment programming.

• LEAP clases are 9:30am - 12:30; parents can drop children off; there is a bus if family is located by School #33 crosstown.

• Engage students in science, math, reading, social studies, art, etc. through games, activities, experiments, etc.

• Not teaching to NYS Curriculum; not a formal teaching program.

• Goal is to have children get excited about learning, build confidence and problem solving skills that you can use in an educational setting.

• Students linked 1:1 or 1:2 tutors who are undergraduates.

• Currently accepting more students; about 20 openings. Waiting list kept.

• Not a subject-specific tutoring program.

• Flyer available: LEAP Partner Child Recruitment flyer 2022.pdf

• Andrea noted that student ability assessments probably won’t be available until around October in regards to referring students to LEAP.

Opportunity for 2 HS students to learn to pilot glider at Finger Lakes Soaring Club, Get license, See www.FLSC.org - Cy Kastner

• Opportunity for 2 HS students to learn to pilot a glider at Finger Lakes Soaring Club, Get license, See www.FLSC.org - Cy Kastner

• Cy Kastner, John Boutet’s former neighbor on Melrose Street was scheduled to join us to describe this opportunity. Each year the Finger Lakes Soaring Club Cy belongs to offers the opportunity to two students to participate in hands-on glider pilot training. Many past trainees get their pilot's licence and some used this experience as a stepping stone to a career in the aviation industry!

Rotary SouthWest Hosts Roc River Ride event - 9/17, 10am @ Staybridge Suites

• Rochester Rotary SW hosting a Biking event on 9/17, 10am @ StayBridge Suites, 1000 Genesee Street

• Family-oriented 10-mile ride in SouthWest Rochester area; learn about the history and natural beauty of the Genesee Riverway Trail and Erie Canal from local artists and storytellers

• Bike check-ups via R-Community Bikes

• Bicycle Rodeo at start of ride

• Ice cream, novelties and snacks

19WCA strategic planning

• 19WCA is engaged in formal planning for the future direction of the Community Association and determining what priorities should be

• Want to be sure to meet the needs of the existing community paying attention to cultural make-up

• There is focused energy on getting youth involved as active participants

• President, Karen Emerson, is spearheading this effort. New President will be elected in September 2022.

Rochester Coalition for Public Education News (Minutes Index)

• Primarily made up of past superintendents, principals, teachers & parents

• Peter McWalters is active in this group; was a past RCSD Superintendent and very successful suburban superintendent.

RASE Forum -> Anti Racist training & Jalil w/ Citizen Action -> Mobilization for Public Education, prep 8/17, march in September

• Howard Eagle also very involved; Howard has a long history with the RCSD as a teacher and provides a good understanding of key public education issues.

• Mary noted that the high level of violence is of great concern and several neighborhood groups are uniting to address the issues that are related to the violence - generational poverty, inadequate education, etc. which leads to increased drug trafficking and is directly connected to the violence. State has an obligation to intervene and provide assistance. Nothing is changing for the better (poverty, crime, etc.).

School #29 - Garden & Interactive Play Space - Grand Opening 9/12, 4:30-6pm

• Kaboom grant is making available the resources to significantly expand the existing Little Free Library Garden (133 Kenwood Ave, corner of Kenwood & Kirkland), which now includes a wide variety of sensory items; garden will include 11 sections that celebrate feel, touch and smell. Sensory Boards will be erected via an ESL grant. 540WMain was the lead in applying for the Kaboom grant.

• All this started with Kailee, the niece of a School #29 staff person who passed away at age 9. She was able to be present for the dedication of the Little Free Library. Neighbors suggested expanding the library into a garden space which includes a bench and a sizeable garden that is maintained by Rotary SouthWest.

• Grand opening to celebrate the establishment of the new section will be held on 9/12, with a cook-out to celebrate what is good about our neighborhood.

Walk In Items

• Get Acquainted session at School #10, 353 Congress Ave, 9/1, 2-5; involves table-top displays of the programming they have; Lee will have a Tutoring display.