SCHOOL BOARD MEETING MINUTES
FEBRUARY 19, 2013
BOARD MEMBERS
Bill Schultheis, President David Brabb, Vice President Elizabeth Holmes, Secretary Nicolle Ollier(absent) David Ortman Mike Porter Walkiris Raineri Dan Rattary Mary Ticknor(absent)
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Fr. Mike Danek, Pastor Dr. Pam Simon, Principal
Call to Order and Opening Prayer 7:00PM
Routine Matters
Attendance / Approval of prior minutes / Acceptance of Agenda
Minutes approved without correction. Agenda accepted.
Pastor's Report
Father Danek has very little to report but wanted to pass on compliments for the running of the school.
Principal's Report
Open House was very successful. There are 4 enrollments stemming directly from the open house and another 4-6 who have taken forms and are promising. One family registered at the Open House and another has since then. Catholic Schools week in general worked well and included the pep rally, Pizza night, and the rest of the events. Our current number is 196. As soon as the 8th grade graduates, if we get a normal number of enrollments we should be up to about 210.
Father Danek mentioned that we should reconsider when we set and publish tuition rates. He has now found out that the other schools near us did not publish tuition rates at Catholic Schools Week. We should revisit this next year. Dr. Simon has talked to other principals in other schools wait longer to set tuition and only give a ball park based on the current or previous year at Catholic Schools week.
Mike Porter mentioned that there are degrees of transparency and if the other schools are not doing it, there is no harm in us not posting so early as well.
We would need to know when tuition was going to be set for CSW next year so we can have an answer to give prospective families when they ask when it might be available.
It is possible that putting off the setting of tuition would make it easier to make a more accurate budget based on closer to actual enrollment rather than projected enrollment.
David Ortman said he was extremely impressed with what we are doing with the school. He did not remember doing a tour when his daughter was here and he was very complimentary. Dr. Simon talked with several parishioners who came through and all paid similar compliments. Father Danek said all the parents who spoke at Mass were very good as well. Dan asked if we are doing another Open House type push a bit later in the year. Father Danek thinks that having the students in class is very effective and a key seller.
The Trimester ended last week and Report cards go home tomorrow. The second benchmark tests which look at how the teacher is teaching are being taken this week.
The test is categorized in different sections of the curriculum and shows if the students are mastering the curriculum as the year progresses. The Math is aligned with the common core so it gives very good information on how we are doing with the new curriculum. The first benchmark was in the Fall.
The Bishop Conlin will visit March 22. He will be here 3 times this year, so he is also coming in April as well. Some of the other Bishops will also visit this year.
8th grade- 40% are going to Catholic high school, Benet and Montiti. The rest are going to public high schools. Dr. Simon wants to encourage more students to sit for the Catholic High Schools’ tests. It gives the students more options and gives us more data from the test. There are high school scholarship and financial aid options for families who think they cannot afford Catholic High Schools.
Recurring Monthly Action Items
Planning
Update on status of current Project Enroll committees
-Catholic Schools Week Prospective families Follow-Up
Email those families that did not respond just to offer some help or answer questions.
75th Jubilee Alumni Event May 18th
Meeting on 6 pm Thursday at Bill’s house for gathering contacts, later they will decide what that event will be. We need to get people there. There will be a planning meeting in the next couple of weeks.
Father Danek said he has gotten many notes on the mail from parishioners who came to the Jubilee opening event many of whom received a nice cross at the event. The give away was very well received and we should consider doing it for the Alumni event.
Uniform Review Committee
We did discuss changing the uniform to align the branding last year. Also, could we be more lenient on the uniform supplier- can we buy the non-logo items from stores other than Denis? We would form a review committee to discuss the policy and gather information from parents. Try to get the committee together soon and make decisions in early spring, certainly before summer break. Please forward recommendations or nominations to be on the committee.
Dr. Simon does not want to see lots of different shades of blue or other variations. Even if the uniforms come from another source, it still needs to be uniform.
Budget
Public Relations
Illinois Legislative Liaison-March 2 9am at Timothy Christian- Dan Rattary is Liaison.
Policy Development
Family Life/Chastity Education
Every year 5-8th grade does a unit on family life. For the past several years, the school has used a Benziger curriculum but there are other texts and materials available. Bishop Conlin is the Chair of the Bishops committee for Protecting Gods Children. He also looks at this part of schools’ curriculums in reference to the document The truth and meaning of human sexuality: Guidelines for Education within the Family (1995 Potifical council for the family). He wants us as educators to help give the parents the tools to discuss this in the home and we should teach in the classroom the Churches’ teachings on the subject. There will be a mandatory meeting for 5th and 6th grade parents about what we will teach and will not teach and why. The focus will be teaching the subject in the home. According to the Bishop, the students whose parents have attended the meeting will be eligible to be part of the morality discussions in the classroom.
Eventually, the Theology of the Body would be taught starting in 3rd grade in age appropriate small lessons and continue as they mature. Teachers can work on the curriculum to start to teach Theology of the Body that early so we can have an integrated and organic curriculum in the next few years.
Middle School Parents meeting will be in March. The classroom discussions would be in late April.
Maybe we should continue with parent education as we incorporate Theology of the Body in earlier years.
Future Business
Set 2013-2014 School Board Meeting Schedules the 3rd Tuesday of the month a good time to have the meeting? Tuesday has to be the day of the week, 4th Tuesday might work. Vote next month.
Strategic plan- school board will be made aware of the planning. We need to be in alignment with the Diocese’s plan.
Adjournment and Closing Prayer 9:00PM (8:54)