Waldwick June 20, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 9 Taking a critical step toward implementing all-day kindergarten, the Waldwick Board of Education last week awarded the bid that will prepare the district’s Crescent and Traphagen schools to launch an extended program in 2013. Stone Creek, Inc. of Lodi presented the lowest of the nine bids submitted, with an aggregate proposal of $1,569,690. District officials said the favorable bid will allow the district to pursue all of the alternate projects it had planned at both buildings. “He’s a very responsible contractor. We are happy to be working with him again,” said Borough Administrator John Griffin. Stone Creek was the contractor for the multipurpose room conversion into an art room and for construction on one of the pods. “I can’t believe with this bid we can do everything we wanted,” said board President Patricia Levine. GPC Inc., the highest bidder, bid $2,669,900. “We’re excited that this is coming to fruition,” Waldwick Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patricia Raupers said of the all-day kindergarten program. “We’ve been talking about it a long time.” The option that has gained the board’s support involves the addition of one new classroom at an existing pod at the Traphagen School’s California-style campus, which contains multiple building units. The pod being eyed for the addition currently houses two kindergarten classes. Additional space will be opened up at Crescent School, where a storage area and a classroom that is not currently up to code Renovation bids awarded; first move toward all-day K for kindergarteners would be converted for all-day kindergarten. One of the modifications required at the Crescent School location involves the addition of a bathroom. The project will include a new storage building on the Traphagen campus so existing storage space can be taken over and used for instruction, and the addition of canopies to cover pathways between the buildings at Traphagen. Plans also call for the renovation of space at Crescent School to provide office space. The current office space will be renovated as a bathroom, which is required in classes used for kindergarten students. An old kitchen area will be used for the new office space. The project will also include the renovation of a bathroom at Crescent that is in need of an upgrade. The timetable calls for the work to be completed in the summer of 2013 so the all-day kindergarten can begin in September of 2013. “In today’s day and age, we can’t meet all of the core curriculum and content standard requirements unless we have full-day kindergarten,” Dr. Raupers told Villadom TIMES last week. “You really can’t hit all those objectives well without all-day kindergarten.” She said the full-day program would allow the district to meet the required educational standards while also maintaining the social benefits kindergarten offers students. Dr. Raupers previously stated that over 70 percent of New Jersey’s school districts currently have all-day kindergarten, many have been working on implementing programs, and several others are moving in that direction. The board of education has hired the architectural firm of Di Cara/Rubino to work on architectural plans to provide ample space for the all-day kindergarten program. The district plans to use existing building funds, improvement funds, and capital improvement funds to cover the cost of this project. In other business, the board also voted to accept a proposal from Lukach Interiors in the amount of $15,400 for the refurbishment of the stage front at Crescent School. Waldwick High School Junior Joseph Scortino, right, came in third nationwide in math and science in the Academic Decathlon, and was presented with the winning medals during last week’s Waldwick Board of Education meeting. Pictured congratulating him, from left, are board President Patricia Levine, Decathlon Team Adviser Dayna Orlak, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patricia Raupers. The Waldwick team came in first in the NJ State Small School Division for the seventh year in a row. It also placed second in the regional competition and 12th nationwide in the online competition. Academic Decathlon champ