Schools

Moon Area School District Hosts Town Hall Meeting Tuesday

Six 45-minute sessions will deal with budget, the Whale Done! Program, helping children succeed, trends in teen drug/alcohol use, Internet safety and Common Core Curriculum.

Moon Area School District will host a public Town Hall Meeting beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, at Moon Area High School.

Moon Area administrators, staff and other professionals will offer their expertise on frequently asked-about topics. There will be six 45-minute sessions to choose from during three different time periods.

6-6:45 p.m.

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  • Session 1—The Moon Area School District 2013-14 Budget: Alan Bennett, director of school and fiscal services will present an overview on how the budget is formulated from start to finish, the timetable, expenditure analysis by function and object, how real estate tax millage is calculated after reassessment and a revenue analysis. Leave with an understanding of the budget, which is up for school board approval on June 24, impacts Moon Township residents.
  • Session 2—Positive Reinforcement: Whale Done! Program: Assistant Superintendent Cynthia Zurchin will discuss the Whale Done program, a method of behavior modification which aims to build trust, accentuate the positive and redirect energy when mistakes occur. Now author of a book, “The Whale Done School,” she will provide an overview about the strategy, explain how Moon has been using it to improve student and staff behavior, and advise parents and the community on how to use the program to help increase student achievement.

7-7:45 p.m.

  • Session 3—Strategies for Parents to Help Children Succeed in School: Caroline Johns, director of instruction/principal of Allard Elementary School, will outline several strategies that parents can use to help their child excel in school, beginning with how to prepare them before he/she starts kindergarten through the middle school years. Information will also be provided about how to support your child through various developmental stages.
  • Session 4—Current Trends in Teenage Drug and Alcohol Use: Joseph Martonik, MAPS/OLWEUS coordinator, will summarize the Moon Assistance Program for Students, designed to assist students who are experiencing difficulties that may interfere with their academic success by gathering information and making recommendations that are helpful to students and their families. Tara Phillips, outreach specialist coordinator of Gateway Rehabilitation, will discuss current trends in teenage drug and alcohol use, awareness, signs of use and assistance options.

8-8:45 p.m.

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  • Session 5—Internet Safety: Karen Paullet, assistant professor at Robert Morris University, will discuss cyberbullying, sexting, predators, the dangers associated with social networking and the laws surrounding these issues. In order to fully understand cyberbullying and the risks associated with social network sites, it is critical that adults understand the consequences that can occur from inappropriate communication taking place in the digital world. The laws and problems associated with the digital world will be discussed in detail. Adults must keep an open line of communication with children so that if a problem occurs they will be willing and prepared to talk about problems that take place in the cyberworld. Parents and educators must keep their kids informed about the inappropriate behaviors associated with the use of technology.
  • Session 6—Common Core Curriculum: Kimberly Prevost, assistant director of curriculum, will discuss the PA Common Core State Standards, which strive to increase academic rigor, and integrate reading and writing more thoroughly. The Common Core Curriculum will be implemented next fall in mathematics and English language arts as required by PDE. She will review what the Common Core Curriculum is and how the upcoming state changes will affect the district.


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