November 14, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & III • Page 13 Godwin and Highland schools in Midland Park have cancelled parent-teacher conferences scheduled for this week and will hold full day sessions through Friday instead of dismissing students early. “This important adjustment will enable us to reinstate valuable instructional time for elementary students following the school closings due to the impact of Hurricane Sandy,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marie Cirasella. She said the conferences will be rescheduled with each child’s teacher on an as-needed basis. Several parents attended last week’s board of education meeting to express frustration about the delay in reopening the schools since all three buildings had been fully operational since Monday, Nov. 5. Dr. Cirasella’s decision not to reopen the schools had been influenced by new Midland Park Police Chief Michael Marra, who attended the meeting along with Mayor Patrick “Bud” O’Hagan. “My concern is for the children who walk to school; Schools adjust schedule to make up for lost days I can’t mandate parents drive them. The wires are still down in 10 areas of town. I don’t want anything to happen to any child on my watch,” Marra told the board. “I’m open to suggestions,” he added. “Public safety is paramount. We want everyone to be safe,” O’Hagan said. “We’re a close knit group; we can car pool,” said one parent in trying to convince school officials to reopen. Therese Connors of Meadow Court suggested parents be notified that they were responsible to drive their children to school, and to keep them home, and receive an excused absence, if that were not possible. “How long can they be left at home? Is this the new normal,” Connors asked. Karen Reilly of First Street said the students are safer in school for six or seven hours than wandering the streets with nothing to do. Another parent suggested a curfew to keep children from the street. “I can’t be their parent. How can I enforce a curfew?” Chief Marra responded. Carey Schaper of Maltbie Avenue asked if parents could help by staffing the area around the fallen wires to keep pedestrians away. Marra said only trained individuals such as crossing guards may serve in that capacity. Board member Robert Schiffer said if the board decided to open school without the police department agreeing that the roads were safe to do so, the board’s insurance would not cover any injury claims. Connors asked what had been learned from the experience and what would be done to be better prepared in the future, including perhaps getting people trained to help out. Though the schools were closed for eight days, Dr. Cirasella pointed out that only four days have to be made up, because two emergency days are already built into the schedule and schools were open Thursday and Friday, when ordinarily they would have been closed for the New (continued on page 15)