[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6578927,"mediaKeyId","3119461-5315c8d28678bb485beb44ff6d85fc75","parentId",3119461,"title","Coventry names Tim Chase incoming career and technical education director","audioSeconds",1018,"startMs",3678000,"endMs",4696000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3119461-5315c8d28678bb485beb44ff6d85fc75&start=3678&end=4696","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3119461-5315c8d28678bb485beb44ff6d85fc75/thumbnail_3678000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6578927/Coventry/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/Coventry-names-Tim-Chase-incoming-career-and-technical-education-director","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6578927-dcdc7d86b774e61d4e737059a595a813/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440136&Signature=LnyGWmjZo3qO4cbv1yUwtrdD9~NHhjr2VX47BySAZoZr7xIzh9mBrweM3PEwoVG0q6QZfIImJmWJbXkAF3~l7~MIQxPFVWfUyfwrP0N3lV9TWP0h1gOLcAdq0m~KUqgWBz0uPrCW2qzuO-l3RhQnDuoa3dH5h57GP0cY~ddcEkYUay1JCNrkbtNB6zrjv0DQCSY-gzqEKjm8snlff~0BiCQTv930fAA50LOJy2ceXywbfy4V~i~mB6fWFIcrG3eZFVbAaygGr5lnPy3tOuifTIJdNcQ~uz9jHDPPmMSg8Ha6FYCISSa0zDPTqa3QKG7muFacwe3MCrdkUtleDKHeFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Coventry RI Public Schools","date","2025-04-25T00:15:34.167Z","article","The Coventry School Committee heard an introduction of Tim Chase as the district’s incoming Career and Technical Education director, a move Superintendent Don Cowart described as an internal promotion intended to maintain momentum for the program.

Chase, a Coventry resident who has been an assistant principal at Coventry High School, told the committee he considers CTE “the most impactful thing” for his own children and praised the program’s teachers. “I am humbled, I am excited, and it's nice to also take over something that's been run so well,” Chase said, adding he intends to use communication and marketing to expand program enrollment.

Why it matters: Committee members said retaining students in Coventry for CTE programs and attracting out‑of‑district students are priorities for the district’s academic and workforce goals. Committee members raised the issue of why some students leave the district for CTE programs and urged stronger early outreach to keep students in district.

Superintendent Cowart said the CTE director position was posted internally, Chase applied, and after interviews the administration elevated him from assistant principal. Cowart asked current director Laurie (Laurie) to help with on‑the‑job transition while still employed.

Chase described his priorities as marketing and relationship building: “I’m going to build on...the things that already exist, but I’m strong at marketing and using social media...I’m fearlessly going to put us out there and put myself out there saying we’re the best and you want to come here.”

Current CTE staff and the high‑school principal praised Chase’s experience and commitment. No formal hiring vote was recorded during the meeting; Chase’s introduction and committee remarks were presented as an administrative appointment and transition plan.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","4/24/2025 School Committee Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Assistant principal Tim Chase was introduced as Coventry's new Career and Technical Education director; committee members and current CTE staff pledged support and emphasized marketing and retention of local students.","taxTitle","Coventry, School Districts, Rhode Island","taxId",57886,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6578931,"Hopkins Hill students push 'Epic Beef Stew' onto Coventry lunch menu after taste test",182,2691000,2873000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3119461-5315c8d28678bb485beb44ff6d85fc75&start=2691&end=2873","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3119461-5315c8d28678bb485beb44ff6d85fc75/thumbnail_2691000.jpg","/articles/6578931/Coventry/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/Hopkins-Hill-students-push-Epic-Beef-Stew-onto-Coventry-lunch-menu-after-taste-test","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6578931-8923b81d2576e3813efaeddb61971a77/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440136&Signature=LNLlplZ42c3gvQ~p1ls4xC6OtH~gXwvuo9PEPjQFJmAGRNBKNIbyCFBN0JGf3Bz-SSAh16ysH50inWb3vpCrAKf6L~CY-ar-NuRzleody9k8G8ci6EL7628AJ5X5uGy9hgn8Ahh1Gg3H64jXRnQORsqrxahULHBrswGKMG9C7wcltpjUz71MPZXIhOqcTN1TncSzozdClwKMSAlZUZWyAzoK-PM3hUJCyJvI54oO-3HJnWOD5PB3uaLkutDux5h1~OXU-dbX2Uj4CwztamvJTu16GhHxuOBfZFwytzrnOt20o8i9yUUVPDUUe4XRMuz8s2yJ2q8BZO1I0B92gMQ4tw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Fifth-grade students at Hopkins Hill Elementary presented results of a Students Take Charge curriculum to the Coventry School Committee and persuaded school food-service managers to add a student‑selected recipe to the district menu.

The students told the committee they evaluated fruits and vegetables offered in the cafeteria, tested recipes and then ran a school‑wide taste test. “We worked in small groups to evaluate fruits and vegetables served in the cafeteria, and we chose our favorite fruits and vegetables,” read a letter delivered by the students. After the taste test the student body voted 89‑yes to 33‑no to add what they called “Epic Beef Stew” to the cafeteria menu.

Why it matters: the Students Take Charge program aims to increase student engagement with school food, bring fresh local produce into school meals and raise participation in the lunch program, which district and Sodexo managers said could improve nutrition and participation rates.

Farm Fresh Rhode Island lead educator Mabel Schlenker described the classroom work and the taste‑test process and brought three Hopkins Hill students to the committee to present their findings and promotional posters made for the taste event. “We submitted tasty recipes featuring local seasonal produce. After a classroom taste test, we voted to share Epic Beef Stew with our whole school,” Schlenker said.

Alana Konka, general manager for Sodexo’s Coventry contract, said the stew was prepared by the district high‑school chef for the taste event using produce from Farm Fresh Rhode Island and Schartner Farms. Konka told the committee the vendor will add the recipe to the fall menu and noted a cost adaptation: “If you notice, there are little meatballs in there instead of, like, a stew beef. The stew beef was very expensive, so we got creative with the little meatballs, and it seems like the kids really liked those. And we were able to do a gluten free meatball.”

Committee members praised the collaboration. Superintendent Don Cowart described the initiative as a model of local partners, food service and students working together. Committee vice chair Anna Isabel Dos Reis Couto sampled the stew during the meeting and called it “perfect.”

District staff said they will share the Epic Beef Stew recipe with families and are developing a toolkit so other schools in the district can run the Students Take Charge curriculum next year. Sodexo said, if elementary response mirrors the Hopkins Hill result, the vendor will scale the dish into middle and high school menus as well.

Additional details: students reported favorite vegetables (corn, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, broccoli) and fruits (apples, strawberries, oranges, watermelon). The class identified taste as the chief barrier to eating fruits and vegetables and recommended seasoning, dips and “hiding” vegetables in recipes as solutions. The student recipe author was named Devin; the graduating fifth‑grade class led the promotion and sampling at Hopkins Hill.

The committee did not take a formal board vote on the menu change; Sodexo and school staff said they will add the stew administratively and test expansion at other schools in the fall.","Fifth-graders at Hopkins Hill led a Students Take Charge taste test and voted to add an Epic Beef Stew made with local produce to the school lunch menu; Sodexo and Farm Fresh Rhode Island plan a fall rollout after positive reception.","actionData","errors"]

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Coventry names Tim Chase incoming career and technical education director

Hopkins Hill students push 'Epic Beef Stew' onto Coventry lunch menu after taste test