The Suffield Board of Education plans to share information about its work in the Suffield Observer to keep our community informed about the Board’s role in supporting school district initiatives, promoting academic success, setting policy and adopting a budget. Please visit the district’s website at https://www.suffield.org/ to learn more about our school district.
Board of Education Goals and District Advancement Plan
The Board reaffirmed its goals at the start of the school year, which provided direction to Superintendent Matthew Dunbar about Board priorities for the year. These goals center on building collaborative partnerships, advancing student outcomes, supporting professional development, developing rigorous curriculum and programming, and ensuring a safe school climate and culture. Over the past few months, the Board provided feedback on Superintendent Dunbar’s District Advancement Plan and the various advancement plans for each school. The plans all align with the Board’s established goals.
Use of Artificial Intelligence in Schools
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a topic many Boards of Education are exploring as they consider appropriate boundaries for students and staff. In Suffield, the Board held a workshop on the topic in November and is considering a new Board policy to promote the responsible use of such technology. The Board expects discussion on the topic to continue as technology evolves and new guidance emerges regarding best practices for education in this area.
Establishing District Policy
One of the Board of Education’s key roles is to establish policies for the school district. The Board’s Policy subcommittee meets monthly to consider changes to existing policies and to explore the implementation of new policies. Once the subcommittee finishes working on a policy, it advances to the full Board for consideration. All policies are introduced to the Board and then placed on a 30-day read to allow sufficient time for members of the public to provide input. All of the district’s policies are available to the public on the district’s website.
Student Board Representatives
The Board of Education is excited to continue its tradition of working with two student representatives this year. Keila Silva, Class of 2025, serves as the senior class representative and is a passionate environmental advocate. Olivia Mishtal, Class of 2026, serves as the junior class representative. During her selection interview, Olivia emphasized her interest in learning about effective policymaking. Both attend the Board’s business meetings to share updates from the district’s four schools and can offer student insights related to matters under consideration by the Board.
Board of Education Recognition
During its monthly recognition, the Board honored the seven finalists for Suffield’s Kid Governor. After being chosen from all fifth-grade students, each finalist presented their platform during an assembly at McAlister Intermediate School and students voted on a winner. Congratulations to Justin Zdroykowski for being chosen as Suffield’s Kid Governor for his platform about supporting children with speech disorders. Also, congratulations to the other finalists – Maeve Baker, Maddie Charette, James Gamache, Skylar Mol, Israel Nti and Michael Tartsinis – and to all McAlister fifth grade students for participating and learning about democracy and elections.