2012-01-07Beverly School Committee
Retreat
Project Adventure
719 Cabot Street
Saturday, January 7, 2012
The Beverly School Committee met for a retreat on Saturday, January 7, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. at
Project Adventure, 719 Cabot Street, in Beverly, MA.
Members Present: Matthew Kavanagh, Kris Silverstein, Paul Manzo, Maria Decker, Annemarie
Cesa, David Manzi, and Mayor Scanlon
Also Present: Superintendent Marie Galinski, Assistant Superintendent Maryellen Duffy,
Jean Sherburne, Director of Finance & Operations, and Donna Bergeron,
Administrative Assistant to the School Committee.
Call to Order: Maria Decker called the meeting to order at 10:00 am.
AGENDA
School Committee and administration participated in team building activities and discussions led
by Larry Childs, Project Adventure.
During a working lunch Ms. Decker discussed the school committee plans to schedule a "State
of the Schools Address" as they have in past years. A brief discussion followed with Mr. Manzo
suggesting that they look to schedule the address in the fall when the committee was not in the
midst of budget meetings.
Ms. Decker reported that Beverly has been invited, by the Massachusetts Association of School
Committees (MASC), to participate in the Governance Support Project. After a brief discussion
Ms. Decker stated that a vote would be required.
Annemarie Cesa made a motion that the Beverly School Committee avail themselves of the
Governance Project that is being offered by the Massachusetts Association of School
Committees. The motion was seconded by Kris Silverstein and approved by a vote of 7:0.
After the break everyone took part in various course challenges outdoors, wrapping up with
reflections of the days events.
The following are the "Norms" that were developed throughout the day.
Beverly School Committee — Team Performance Norms
BE PRESENT
• Sharpen Focus — Focus on task at hand while managing distractions
• Listen closely to others
• Make sure everyone is on the same page — have a common plan
• Be persistent
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1/7/2012
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CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT
• Be patient with each other
• Recognize and build on individual strengths
• Look for ways to support others
• Admit errors and let go of mistakes
• Have a sense of humor!
SET & WORK ON GOALS
• Prioritize - Figure out the most important task
• Contribute ideas and be willing to try something new
• Adapt to the unexpected
• Take time to reflect and learn from experiences
• `Pass the Chicken' — Do your job and move things along
Respectfully submitted,
Matthew Kavanagh, Secretary
Beverly Public School Committee