Interested in Volunteering for the ORCSD Advisory Budget Committee?

The ORCSD is currently seeking interested community members to fill openings on the Advisory Budget Committee. 

·      Two (2) – 1 year terms to May 2013

·      Two (2) -  3 year terms to May 2015

Residents interested in serving on this committee should submit letter of interest which includes your qualification and experience for this position to Maria Barth, ORCSD School Board Chair at mbarth@orcsd.org by May 9^th, 2012

Please refer to the District website www.orcsd.org/school board/subcommittee/advisory budget committee for additional information.

Board Chair will nominate individuals for appointment at the May 16^th School Board Meeting.

Charge:    (as adopted by School Board on August 17, 2011)

1.    May conduct in-depth analyses on spending best practices and local and national trends in specific budget areas.

2.    Will serve as a resource to the School Board and Administration on budget issues.

3.    May recommend methods to improve financial reporting.

4.    May recommend process to communicate budget to the community.

5.  Will provide periodic summations on budget areas as they are discussed and provide a written report at end of the budget process including any process and/or reporting recommendations for future years.

The New Hampshire: Technology helping local middle school teach, learn better

UNH's Student Newspaper, The New Hampshire, on Friday published an article about how ORMS uses technology in the classroom:

"Technology is changing the ways that many children are taught standard subjects in their educations. Oyster River Middle School is one of the schools in this area that is proud to focus much of its classroom learning on technology.

"Jessica Lachance, a math major at UNH and student-teacher at Oyster River Middle School, said she..."

To read more, visit: http://www.tnhonline.com/technology-helping-local-middle-school-teach-learn-better-1.2855196#.T5RzzO05S_h

(Special thanks to Renee Vannata for spotting this one!)

Currier Museum Offers Free Museum Admission for All during April School Vacation Week

Manchester, NH – Spend the morning, afternoon or make a day of it at the Currier Museum of Art during April School Vacation Week, April 23-27. The museum is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 am to 5 pm, and admission is FREE for all.

Admission to the Currier is always free for children age 17 and younger, but adults are admitted free during vacation week too, thanks to generous support from Citizens Bank Foundation.

“Citizens Bank Foundation is proud to partner with the Currier to offer free admission to the museum during April school vacation week,” said Joe Carelli, President of Citizens Bank New Hampshire. “I encourage families to take advantage of this unique opportunity to view world-class art exhibits and participate in the fun activities scheduled later this month.”

Day-By-Day April Vacation Week Family Activities

Monday Apr. 23
Storytime in the Gallery, 11:30 am and 1 pm
Listen to We’re Painting by Carol Snyder, look at Self-Portrait by James Aponovich, and create a work of art of your own. Recommended for ages 2-5 but all are welcome. At 1 pm listen to My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks by Hanoch Piven, look at Homage to Self-Portrait by James Aponovich, and create your own artwork. Recommended for ages 5-8 but all are welcome.

Wednesday Apr. 25
Family Studio, 11 am-1 pm
Create a work of art inspired by the Currier’s recent acquisition, Landscape with Letters by Karl Zerbe.

Thursday Apr. 26
Family Drawing in the Galleries, 11 am-1 pm
Like drawing? Get inspired by art on view in the galleries!

Friday Apr. 27
Family Tour: You Be the Scientist 11 am
Test out your scientific thinking skills while you support or dispute hypotheses about works of art in the galleries.

The Currier Museum of Art is located at 150 Ash Street in Manchester, NH and is wheelchair accessible. Free parking. Museum hours are: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 11am-5pm; Saturday, 10am-5pm. Closed Tuesday. More information: www.currier.org or call 603.669.6144 x108.

Citizens Bank Foundation is a subsidiary of the Citizens Charitable Foundation, which is a charitable contributions vehicle of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., RBS Citizens, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. The foundation’s support is focused on housing, community development and basic human needs.

Fosters: Code compliance could cost Oyster River $4m

Foster's today published the following article:

Code compliance could cost Oyster River $4m

By ANDREA BULFINCH
abulfinch@fosters.com

Thursday, April 5, 2012

DURHAM— An eight-year plan identifying 88 code issues within the four buildings of the school district was presented to School Board members Wednesday evening, suggesting an estimated $4,031,450 total will be needed to bring the buildings up to par.

To read more, visit the Fosters website at: http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120405/GJNEWS_01/704059630&template=GreatBayRegion

Fosters: New Oyster River panel already feeling the heat over nonpublic session

Fosters today published an article about the alleged violations of the Right-To-Know law at the March 21 School Board meeting, for which I was interviewed:

New Oyster River panel already feeling the heat over nonpublic session

By ANDREA BULFINCH
abulfinch@fosters.com

DURHAM— Debate over whether board members accurately cited a portion of the Right to Know Law to move into nonpublic session at their last meeting is placing newly elected School Board members in the hot seat just one meeting into their term.

Read more at: http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120404/GJNEWS_01/704049933/-1/FOSNEWS02&template=GreatBayRegion

Fosters Letter to the Editor re: RTK violation

Fosters today ran my letter to the editor:

OR School Board does it again

To the editor: On Wednesday, March 21, the Oyster River School Board went into nonpublic session to choose a Treasurer, thereby violating the state's Right-To-Know law, RSA 91-A: 3, II (b), which states: "Filling a vacancy of an elected or appointed public office is an 'appointment' and is not the 'hiring' of a public employee. Interviews and deliberation on filling a vacancy in an elected office therefore must occur in public session."

It would be an understatement to say that I am disappointed in our board, especially our newly-elected officials. For a bunch who campaigned on promises of openness and transparency, they appear to have stumbled badly right out of the gate. A return to the status quo is not what I voted for on March 13.

The "FORE four" (now a majority on the board, and holding both chair and vice chair) had an opportunity to show the district that they are committed regaining the public's trust by changing the way they do business. Instead, they frittered away that opportunity by engaging in the same sort of behavior they (rightly) criticized former boards for. The disconnect between their campaign rhetoric and post-election reality is troubling, to say the least.

It's not too late for the board to do the right thing: put this on the agenda for this Wednesday's meeting, and rerun the selection process in public, as the law requires. Anything less would represent a serious breach of the trust voters have placed in them.

Tom Bebbington
Durham

Todd's Trot--April 7, 10:00 a.m. at ORHS

The 9th Annual Todd's Trot 5K Race/Walk will be held Saturday, April 7th at 10:00 a.m. at Oyster River High School. Race day registration begins at 8:30 a.m.

Hosted by Friends of Oyster River Track, with proceeds to benefit the Peter Todd Heuchling Memorial Scholarship Fund.

For more information or to register online, visit: http://toddstrot.org