LIVERMORE FALLS – Directors of SAD 36 will not meet Thursday as originally planned, but will hold a board retreat Oct. 1 beginning at 3:30 p.m. at LaFleur’s Restaurant.

The next regular meeting of the board will be on Oct. 9. A joint meeting is planned with the Jay School Committee on Oct. 14. The recognition banquet will be Oct. 15 and a date for the open house at the Cedar Street facility will be announced.

Superintendent Terry Despres has recognized the staff members who were instrumental in developing the new K-12 social studies curriculum.

On the committee were Amy Druzba, Sue St. Pierre and Ted Finn from the high school, John DiSotto, Robin Ouellette and Debbie Finley from the middle school and Debbie Timberlake, Sue Boothby and Sarah Hubbard from the elementary.

St. Pierre, who chaired the group, said they had worked hard over the past year and a covered a lot of ground.

“We feel comfortable with the adjustments that were made,” she said. “This was not a final document. It is a living document which needs to come back year after year. We realize there will be changes as it is reviewed.”

St. Pierre also noted there was nothing included for grade 10 as it is now being phased in and will be ready to go next fall.

As he praised staff for their work, Despres noted that the administration expects all other disciplines to follow the example of this group.

“We will continue to embrace the Maine Learning Results as our guide,” Despres said.

He also stressed that this is a curriculum guide.

“This doesn’t dictate how to deliver, the professionals have latitude, they are the experts of delivery,” he said. “A teacher’s creativity never falls into a written document.”

Despres added that the 14 days of release time (early release days) will be used to create what this document represents.

“The board backs this document because its the right thing to do for our kids,” said Chairman Denise Rodzen.

The superintendent also announced he had kicked off the certification process that he expects to be an 18-month process. He plans a kick off in October and a survey in December with hopes for a spring 2005 visit from the New England Association.

Despres said a K-12 process is different from one for 6-12.

“K-12 creates continuity, a single vehicle to measure who we are and why we’re doing what we do.”

One question that must be answered as the process begins is whether the middle school is included with the high school or with the elementary. He will need advice from the commissioner on that, he said.

Education Committee meetings will be led by three chairs-Karen Hardy at the elementary, Sally Rees-Speich at the middle school and Polly Gill at the high school. They will work with the administrators and Tom Rowe.

Abby Ellingwood has been hired on a one-year contract in grade 2 to replace Tonnie Condon.

The board will consider setting criteria for class field trips such as the eighth-grade experience that it supports in philosophy but for which it has not raised any money.

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