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While several Chautauqua County school districts await their chance to hold H1N1 vaccination clinics of their own the Dunkirk City School district is preparing for theirs and is urging parents to make it a success. Middle and high school students went home with permission last Friday and elementary students did on Monday. Superintendent Gary Cerne is hopeful that with the 1,300 or so vaccines provided by the Chautauqua County Health Department that two thirds of the districts student population could be vaccinated. But that can not occur unless the district receives returned permission slips. “We really need to get the word out that this is available to our parents. Our goal is to get two thirds of our kids vaccinated,” Cerne said. “We’re very fortunate to be at the top of the list as far as making this available to our students and anyone up to 24 years of age actually who may work for the district or who is a student can be vaccinated as well.” Students will have the chance up until the time shots are given to return permission slips. On Monday, Nov. 16 vaccines will be administered at the high school, on Tuesday at the middle school, Wednesday at Schools 4 and 5, and Thursday at Schools 3 and 7. On Friday the district is working on arrangements for Catholic schools, NCCS and Central Christian Academy. “We’re only offering one shot or the nasal. The other shot for the younger children that require it there will be a clinic here in the city,” Cerne said. “It will be a normal school day, kind of like picture day. They’ll be called down to receive the vaccination by people from the health department.” Over the summer the district installed hand sanitizers, sent information home to the parents, talked to children about good hygiene, and have encouraged parents that if their child was sick to keep them home. Cerne said the districts absentee rates due to illness seemed to peak about two weeks ago. “Attendance is better. We peaked a few weeks ago when it seemed like most of our children came down with flu-like symptoms,” he said. “Since then things have improved greatly and we’re hoping after next weeks vaccinations we’ll be in good shape.” For anyone in need of a permission slip they can be found on-line at www.dunkirkcsd.org , at any school office or by calling the superintendent’s office at 366-3000 ext. 8. “I believe School 3 already had about 70 children return permission slips which is pretty good. The elementary seems to be running a little higher than the high school,” said Cerne, who will report to the county health department today the total number of permission slips received to date. In other news: ¯ The board toured the middle school prior to Thursday’s preview meeting to witness the changes made as a result of the districts first EXCEL aid project. Work continues to this day but most of the main projects have been completed. Back in the board room the board approved a few change orders pertaining to the middle school project specifically. “The middle school flooring change order is the result of us doing some different work where there was asbestos that would impact construction so that was an obvious one we had to hit head on. The large change order for replacement of concrete on the Eagle Street sidewalk,” Building and Grounds Superintendent, Tim Abbey explained. “The scope of the project had the new concrete only going to the new main entrance, so basically we’d be budding up this really nice finished concrete to the preexisting concrete that was in rough shape. This was a customer generated request of ours, we had planned contingency money to do exactly these sort of things.” Change orders also included pool wall excavation work at the high school. According to Cerne, the first EXCEL aid project which included middle school work, the new high school roof and swimming pool, continues to remain well under the contingent money. “Change orders when you’re working with old buildings is a natural thing so we allocated a substantial amount and we are no where near as far as digging into it,” he said. “We’re in good shape as far as the change orders go.” According to Abbey, each change order is dissected several times beginning with the clerk of the works, then by the architect, then it is scrutinized at the job meetings and then ultimately it goes to the business manager. All change orders are tracked by the state. ¯ A welcome reception will be held for all first- and second-year employees on Nov. 30 at 3:30 p.m. inside the administration room. ¯ The board paid respect to Joseph Parlato who recently passed away. Parlato served 26 years in the district as a teacher, counselor, administrator and superintendent. ¯ Spring 2010 coaches were approved. For Boys varsity baseball, Frank Jagoda, JV assistant Mario Muscarella, and modified, Michael Burnett; Girls varsity baseball, Michael Green, JV assistant Kate Heinrich, and modified, Valerie LaMattina; Boys track, Kurt Warmbrodt; Boys and Girls golf, Robert McDonlad; Boys varisty swimming, Phil Cook; and Girls varsity basketball, William Osinski. Comments on this article may be sent to mrukavina@observertoday.com

 

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