By MATT LINDSEY

POTSDAM — Potsdam Central School Superintendent Joann Chambers updated the Board of Education Tuesday on the district’s four priority strategies it is focusing on.

Potsdam Central outlined its strategic plan for 2017-18 last spring, which intends to better meet social needs of students, emphasizes fair code of conduct treatment, aligns curriculum, and may adjust the school daytime schedule.

PCS staff have been studying the impact of what an earlier start time for older students might have on the district.

Chambers said sleep studies have shown that older children’s biological clock tends to have them feeling tired later in the evening. When they have to get up really early for school it leads to a lack of sleep and problems associated with that.

As part of an effort to provide fair, consistent and developmentally appropriate discipline Chambers has been auditing discipline reports each month.

This fall the school implemented The Positivity Project to help address the social and emotional development of all students.

“It’s going really well,” Chamber said, “but it really takes about three years for a new initiative to unfold.”

Teacher leaders have been using half days for professional development by teaching their colleagues new teaching techniques.

“Teachers have also been observing each other teaching a class,” Chambers said.

Later School Day

Busing students remains a major hurdle. A transportation study is being compiled for the school and will detail efficiency, cost-cutting measures and a comprehensive look at the impact of a later start for older students.

Chambers said a consultant was at the school this recently doing interviews and collecting data. She expected result from the study near the end of the month.

The study is expected to reveal if it is feasible for one bus run for all students; or, if it is possible to reverse the runs (elementary earlier and middle and high school later).

Transportation efficiency, board policies, safety and staffing were also covered in the study.

PCS looked at the logistics of sports, transportation and childcare.

The sports schedule seems “workable” based on information studied by Athletic Director Mark Wilson, Chambers said. The instances in which student athletes would need to leave early for games would not likely have a significant impact.

Chambers said the next step of the process depends on what the transportation study says.

If transportation issues can be addressed, Chambers said the school would need to look at childcare impacts. PCS offers a child care service in the elementary school and would consider a similar program at the middle school for parents who are not comfortable leaving their children home alone.

Inconsistent Discipline

“It is important to us,” Chambers said, the school treat students equally at all times, including when facing consequences for choices made.

A committee devised a plan to help the issue, laying out what punishments would be for each offense to ensure incidents were being handles the same for each person. The committee included school staff, high school students and parents.

Chambers said the number of complaints from parents about fair discipline has declined this year.

“I encourage parents to speak with principals — if they are not satisfied they can speak with me,” she said. “Often there might be missing information that parents are not aware of.”

Positivity Project

Chambers said students are recognized weekly by teachers and staff for exemplifying character traits that are the theme of the week.

As part of the project, PCS invited former student Mark Van Leuven to speak to students about being a successful soccer coach. He attributed his success in life to the character he built at the school.

“Meeting someone who went to the school makes it real to students,” he said.

Chambers said the project emphasizes that students should concentrate on their strengths while also recognizing that we all have areas we can improve on.

“Maybe someone isn’t the best academically or as an athlete, but they are the most generous or kind,” she said.

Collaborate Curriculum

The idea of observing other teachers is to see new teaching strategies to implement in their own classrooms.

“It has been positive and the feedback has been great,” she said.

Another part of this initiative was making sure there was no overlap or gaps in learning. Teachers have worked to make sure the same material isn’t being covered multiple times, and that students are learning everything they should be learning.

The aligning of the curriculum is part of the same goal to help prepare students for the next grade.