From Newcomer: The story published by Channel 3 and their video of the sit-in at the Academy is HERE.
From John
Please consider posting your feelings at the Cafe about the goings on at the Academy especially regarding Mr. Martineau if you want to get the Academy’s attention. I can asure you that the Academy admins, teachers, and fired staff pay attention to the Cafe. We will maintain your confidentiality as we have with other Academy students in the past like “A Student”, “Pomfretite”, “Knowing Smile”, “Recent Graduate” and a few others.
All these students face punishment with several hours of detention.
To any who missed it, the sit-in made the news on WFSB/Channel 3. Here’s a link:
http://www.wfsb.com/story/20558114/students-at-woodstock-academy-protest-budget-layoffs
this story should go to Hartford Courant, NPR. the story is fascinating. captures all themes in captions so well that no one needs the content.
Much ado about nothing in my opinion. The Academy already has two Deans of Students. They hardly need an assistant. The K-8 has been asking for an Assistant Principal for years and is always denied. And besides, better this than lay off a teacher.
I’m sure, by the sounds of it, Mr. Martineau is a decent guy, obviously loved by the students. It is heart wrenching to me when anyone is laid off in these tough economic times. I wonder if perhaps Mr. Martineau could have kept his job, hadn’t the Academy over stretched their budget with the Football program. Now that is the real issue- and the one the students should be protesting against with vengeance.
Forget the football program, what about that (to-be heated) stone walkway in the front of the Bowen building? Or the repainting of the walls and doors in all the hallways? The latter was probably more necessary, but that walkway really should have waited until the end of the fiscal year IMO. At least Woodstock is wiser about things like that, ensuring that they can get through the year before undergoing large projects.
What they really need to do next as far as infrastructure goes is redo the roofs. Leaks everywhere (hallways, classrooms, library…) from what I hear.
LibDem, Again with the football program!, I’m not sure how you mean they overstrtched the budget with the football program, if you are referring to the beautiful MULTI-Purpose athletic field utilized by the Lacrosse, Field Hockey, Soccer, student group athletics and intramural programs and oh yes, the football team, then you should say the overstretching of the budget by the school on the Athletic Complex. Otherwise a reader might think you have a particular axe to grind with football players or fans and seek any and every opportunity to deride them and the game.
On the other hand I believe your assesment of the need for an ‘assistant dean’ may be spot on!