VBPS approves students’ trip to France in June

About ten Belleville High School students in grades 9-12 were scheduled to travel to France June 21-29 to hone their language skills, but the situation in Europe is changing some of the itinerary and delaying the beginning of the trip for a day.
At Monday’s meeting of the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education, the trip was approved unanimously as part of the consent agenda, and there was no discussion.
The cost to each student is $4,580, paid by students’ families and a fund raiser. They will take a plane to France and then travel by chartered bus within France, according to the application completed by teacher Katelyn Mulvey, who will chaperone the trip along with parent Melissa Steward.
Mulvey included an update from the company being used to add to her trip request in Monday’s board packet.
“WorldStrides called me this morning (Feb. 25) saying that our specific itinerary we chose (la vie francaise) is not running this year. I think they are planning to combine our group walking tours with another school. I have included the new itinerary in the packet…I’m sorry for the last-minute change! Students would get a refund of $70 and dates are pretty much the same (1 day later, June 22, 2022).
“Also, I asked about the conflict in Ukraine with Russia. WorldStrides has a policy on that now and I attached that document – Risk Management Advisory Memo.”
The page and a half advisory, outlines the military action in Ukraine as Russia invades, but at the end said while they are not supporting travel to Ukraine or Russia, they believe travel to other destinations in Europe and around the world can safely continue at this time. Travelers will receive updated safety and security best practices upon arrival and should heed all advice provided, it concluded.
In other business at Monday’s 36-minute meeting, the board:
• Approved entering into a furniture move management services contract with Rose Moving & Storage Co. in the amount of $47,717.50 pending final review of terms by district legal counsel. Rose will remove existing Owen Intermediate School furniture and store it on site in storage containers and then move it back into the building once construction upgrades are completed in the summer of 2022. Rose is located at 41775 Ecorse Rd., S-190, Van Buren Township;
• Approved a contract with Global Green Service group for the Owen Asbestos Abatement Project in the amount of $93,874.50 with a project contingency of $40,000 for a total project award of $133,874.50. Owen was constructed in the early 1960s before hazardous materials were regulated;
• Approved casting the school board’s vote for Melandie Hines of Wayne Westland Community Schools to represent Region 8 for the open three-year seat on the Michigan Association of School Board of Directors. Four candidates were presented for consideration;
• Heard Director of Instruction Jeff Moore give the mandatory, mid-year Extended COVID-19 Learning Goal report on progress made in meeting the educational goals that the district would expect in Mathematics and Reading for those in K-8. The report is required to be put on the transparency reporting link on the website. Moore said the report is almost identical to last February’s report, but reading is lower. Moore said there is growth and proficiency, and a student may grow a year and still not be proficient. He said at the end of the year you look how the student grew and then the proficiency, which is lower than a few years ago. School Supt. Kudlak said it is important to look at growth, “catching kids up”;
• Approved the employment of Stephanie McDonald on Feb. 14 as custodian in the Building and Grounds department; Haley Robertson as Rawsonville paraprofessional on Feb. 15; and Loni Dau as Rawsonville paraprofessional on Feb. 28;
• Approved the Feb. 23 termination of Haley Robertson, an Edgemont paraprofessional for less than a year, and the Feb. 18 resignation of Stephanie McDonald of Building and Grounds for less than a year;
• Heard Supt. Kudlak say volunteers are needed for the March 24-26 Robotics competition at Belleville High School, which is being coordinated by Mark Laginess. Natalia Payne, a BHS student council member who sat on the school board at Monday’s meeting, said the student council will be running a concession at the Robotics competition. She listed other events and said this year there will be guest passes for the prom; and
• Heard School Board president Amy Pearce say that Carmen at Crafted Beanery and Gift Shop on Main Street is organizing a prom dress giveaway on Saturday, March 19, and she is collecting prom dresses until then. Those wishing to get a free dress must register on Facebook or in writing at the shop.