OUR LADY OF VICTORY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING
7:00 P.M. Tuesday, May 2, 2017 @ Gathering Space Meeting Room
AGENDA OF REGULAR MEETING
- OPENING PRAYER
- ROLL CALL: Pat Archer, Evan Brankin, Heather Egger, Korby Jackson, Fr. Jake, Sara Langhehr, Luke Roth, Lisa Snider, Lisa Stachula, Chad Steimle, Jennifer Wemhoff, Peter Schuster
JFK Staff: Melanie Blocker, Kathy Knox, Melissa Zeimet
Parish Council Rep: John Scordato
Visitors: Tom Poston, Nicole Mancha,
- ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA
- READING AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF April 4, 2017
- COMMENTS FROM AUDIENCE and OPEN FORUM
- UNFINISHED BUSINESS
- NEW BUSINESS:
- ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS (Written reports pre-submitted)
- Principal of JFK (Chad)
Facilitator of Faith Community:
- May Crowning is May 7th. There will also be the five year incremental service awards presented at the 11:00 Mass.
- The graduation Mass is on June 2nd at 6:30 p.m. All board members are invited to attend and help congratulate our 8th graders.
Ethical Leadership:
- Scott County Catholic school counselors sponsored a parent education event featuring officers Hank Jacobsen and Erin Pape on April 11th. They spoke about cyber safety. Officer Jacobsen is a SPS parent, and Officer Pape is a JFK parent. I had related information in the Principal’s Post and sent a more detailed message to all 7th grade parents regarding cell phones and Snapchat use both on and off campus.
Visional Leadership:
- See other areas of this document concerning strategic planning for JFK and Scott County Catholic school education, professional development and its related elements, the SAMI process, the website, and HVAC planning.
- The strategic planning meetings concluded on April 10th. The one page summary is being sent as a separate document and ready for board approval.
- The other Scott County Catholic school boards are also in favor of strategic planning for Scott County Catholic school education. Four names/companies are being explored as options to lead the process.
Leadership of School Culture and Instruction:
- Professional Development:
- The PDT has begun to do the piloting work for the Self-Assessment of MTSS Implementation (SAMI) process for 2017. (We’ll also be piloting it for the DE in 2018.)
- There are five areas for self-assessment:
- Assessment & Data-Based Decision-Making
- Universal Instruction
- Intervention System
- Leadership
- Infrastructure
- The DE has been focused on K-6 literacy (with some PK assessment as well). Screening tools and the MTSS systems for 7-12 literacy, K-12 math, and K-12 social-emotional-behavior (SEB) are in the DE’s roll out plan. Funding cuts, however, may delay the roll out.
- In many areas of the SAMI survey, questions relate to all of literacy, math, and SEB. Being lower in one of these areas means the rating for the whole question is low. Below are some of our findings regarding our MTSS implementation:
- K-6 literacy is doing extremely well. We have excellent universal instruction, screening, interventions for at least Tier II, and progress monitoring systems and procedures. Tier III interventions are probably more toward IEPs for which we have two students being serviced by the DCSD.
- While we have good universal instruction in grades 7-8 literacy, we have no screening, intervention, or progress monitoring systems for 7th/8th literacy in the way we do for K-6 literacy.
- We have excellent universal instruction and screening systems for K-8 math. We do not have intervention or progress monitoring systems for math in the way we do for K-6 literacy.
- Universal instruction of SEB needs to be better standardized and documented. Only 4th graders actually use a screening tool. The intervention and progress monitoring systems need to be developed and implemented.
- The action planning phase of the SAMI process begins on May 1st. One of the areas in which I anticipate work will be with the SEB. Work in this area will tie well into some areas already under development, and SEB was the weakest link in the SAMI survey.
- Our Gospel Values/School Climate Committee has been working on standardizing a K-8 Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) system.
- We are working with the AEA to develop a behavioral and disciplinary data collection system that matches our needs. We may consider utilizing low priced tablets to help teachers with data entry.
- We are working with the AEA to consolidate data from various systems so that we can have short, yet comprehensive reports for students. It may also help us to identify and target services even better for students. Much of this data currently exists for students, but one must use up to six technology systems and/or look at hard copy reports in order to assemble it on any student. Because of the work involved, a comprehensive snapshot of each student is not readily available for staff, parents, or students. Some of the data points that may be included are the following:
- IEP/504/EL/F/RL status
- Grades
- Missing assignments/work
- Attendance and tardies
- Behavioral and disciplinary data
- IA Assessments
- Literacy screening scores and trends
- Math screening scores and trends
- SEB screening
Managerial Leadership:
- Updated preschool and ECLC enrollment figures are below.
4/5 year old PS / 2017 / 2016 / 2015 / 2014 / 2013 / 2012 / 2011 / 2010 / 2009
Round Up / 35 / 52 / 51 / 49 / 58 / N/a / 28 / N/a / 48
April BdMtg / 54 / 61 / 54 / 59 / 73
May BdMtg / 57 / 70
October Official enrollment count / 79 projected / 80 / 80 / 80 / 80 / 70 / 80 / 80 / 80
3 yr old PS / 2017 / 2016 / 2015 / 2014 / 2013 / 2012 / 2011 / 2010 / 2009
Round Up / 10 / 20 / 10 / 15 / 13 / 16 / 12 / N/a / 16
April BdMtg / 15* / 24* / 12 / 18
May BdMtg / 17
October Official enrollment count / 15* Projected / 18* / 20 / 18 / 14 / 17 / 16 / 14 / 22
* Due to changes made to 3 yr old PS, students in ECLC actually attend both T/Th and MWF classes. They are, therefore, counted twice in these comparisons. Subtracting for double-counted students, the May figure for 2017-18 is 13 unique registered students, up two from April.
ECLC / Daycare / 2017 / 2016 / 2015 / 2014 / 2013 / 2012 / 2011 / 2010 / 2009
Round Up / 16 / 23 / 17 / 20 / 15 / 14 / 7 / N/a / N/a
April BdMtg / 17 / 26 / 18 / 24
May BdMtg / 17
October Official enrollment count / 21 Projected / 24 / 24 / 22 / 20 / 21 / 17 / 18 / 19
- On 4/28/17, with two days yet to go for discounted K-8 registration fees, our projected K-8 enrollment was backed down to between 380 and 419. We have 345 contracts in hand. If I were to, hopefully, use a conservative enrollment projection today, I’d put us at 398. The current draft budget is based upon 409. At last year’s May board meeting, we were looking at a projection of between 417 and 429 with 413 contracts in hand. Due to the Gala being run out of our office, the yearbook deadline, and some timing issues that arise when contracts and lists are handled/generated from both the parish and school offices, we have not made the phone calls this year that we made last year prior to the end of the discounted registration fee deadline. (Last year was atypical in the volume of phone calls that we did make.)
- Scott Sweeney and I went to three schools in Muscatine to look at used furniture Jeff Miller said they will be giving away. We identified about a large U-Haul worth’s of furniture that Scott and Alan Holland will pick up in late May.
Public Relations Leadership:
- Facts and figures for this Gala and several past Galas are in a separate document. The wrap up meeting is May 2nd.
- “Calendaring” is about half done, and the website calendars should be accurate through early February.
- We are examining options for our fourth automated text/phone/email system in about three years. The first had too many problems and was dropped within a few months. We liked the second one, but it was bought by the third company. Because we have to send our data to the company each fall and deal with numerous errors, it is a very long and cumbersome process. We will, again, look to see if there is something that can do both school and parish.
Leadership in Diocesan/Parish Context:
1.The executive group of the finance committee for the diocesan strategic plan for education met last week:
- There are a couple of parishes and schools that haven’t completed all elements of the survey. Personal contact will be made by a diocesan staff member or the bishop.
- There are quite a few things that stand out as inconsistent from one year to another within a parish/school or between parishes/schools. How individuals interpreted the questions is also creating discrepancies. Data needs to be checked, and many explanatory notes might be needed before the information can be truly understood. A couple of examples are below:
- One parish has nearly $500,000-$1,000,000 in revenue over expenses but doesn’t seem to include its school subsidy as a parish expense at all.
- One parish has 523 students in faith formation programming one year, 524 the next, and 315 the third year.
- Even at OLV/JFK, there were some changes to accounting practices that show up then as anomalies in the data.
- One thing that we school people noticed right away when looking at several fairly large parishes with schools and a similarly sized parish without a school was the following: the parish income (not including school income) per parish household was several hundred dollars more in parishes with schools than in parishes without schools.
2.I attended the Diocesan Board of Education:
- A first reading of the proposed revisions to the Constitution and by-laws was approved. The diocesan faith formation programs are being split off from the diocesan Board of Education and will have their own board, Constitution, and by-laws.
- Don Boucher gave an update on the re-visioning faith formation for adolescents project. Several staff members, including at least Fr. Jake, Jennifer Wemhoff, Lisa Willows, Evan Brankin, and I, will be attending Thursday’s workshop to look at survey results, determine implications for the future, and begin identifying the needs for the future.
- The Catholic Identity Rubric for Catholic schools was approved.
3.I attended meetings of the Parish Council and Finance Council.
- Finance Council: See notes included in Financial Council under Committee Reports
- Parish Council:
- September 16th was selected as the date for the parish picnic.
- Parish Council elections were discussed.
Additional Documents/Files to be Sent:
Strategic Plan
HVAC Funding Committee Report
Gala Facts and Figures
Items for Board Action
- 2016-17 Calendar: Last day of school
Motion made by Lisa Snider to follow the DCSD end-of-year calendar in May. Motion seconded by Korby Jackson. Motion unanimously approved by the Board.
- 2017-18 Calendar: Veterans’ Day for Good Friday in-service swap
Motion made by Fr. Jake to use Veteran’s Day as an in-service day instead of Good Friday next academic year. Motion second by Pat Archer. Motion unanimously approved by the Board.
- Motion made by Fr. Jake to approve Easter Monday as a paid holiday for regular, full-time employees (contingent upon Finance Council approval). Motion seconded by Luke Roth. Motion unanimously approved by the Board.
- Supplemental pay/bonus formula for DRE, YM, and other parish staff
Motion made by Pat Archer toapprove $100 bonuses for the Director of Religious Ed and the Director of Youth Ministry for this academic year. Motion second by Lisa Snider. Motion unanimously approved by the Board.
Respectfully submitted by Chad C. Steimle
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- Faith Formation-Religious Education Director (Jennifer)
1)Providing faith formation, religious education and sacramental preparation for K-8 students and their parents. Preparing Generations of Faith events and communications for Family Faith Formation suitable for K-8.
a)RCIA for children update: Two students received all 3sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil. One student received First Holy Communion and Confirmation at the Confirmation Mass with Bishop Amos on Saturday April 22.
b)We will be having family meal nights for Faith Formation families beginning with our first night of class on September 6. This has been communicated to the families with announcements in the bulletin, a letter attached to the registration forms, and an announcement made after the last two faith formation classes.
2)Recruiting, enabling, and supervising catechists and other volunteer personnel for Faith Formation. K- 8
a)I have begun asking teachers if they are willing to be catechists again next year, most catechists and support helpers are returning. I will begin actively recruiting a few more catechists and support helpers for various grades as soon as our full needs are known.
3)Managing the Faith Formation office including supplies and necessary reports to Parish and Diocese.
a)Helped put together two Gala packages with the money donated from the various parish organizations. One basket raised $1500 for the Gala.
Catechetical Ministry –
- Updated budget for April
- Updated VIRTUS information and sent information out regarding Keeping the promise alive video that replaces the bulletins for Virtus.
- Completed the Stonebridge Audit for the Diocese
- Updated the Faith Formation Calendar
- Published Church Bulletins for April
- Sent out Jr High Youth Night information to Faith Formation and JFK parents.
- Updated information on the new website
- Attended MORE Meeting in Camanche
- Purchased (with funding) and assembled 2 baskets for Gala.
- Helped host Thank you dinner for Catechists
Confirmation Coordinator -
- Coordinated Confirmation Practice and Confirmation Mass
- Assisted Jennifer with 1st Communion Mass
- Updated Confirmation paperwork to be entered in students Sacramental Records
- Discussed Confirmation dates for next year for calendaring purposes
Respectfully submitted by Lisa Willows
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- Youth Ministry (Evan)
We offer youth nights for both high school and junior high school teens to help them develop discipleship skills like prayer, apologetics, spiritual warfare, and discernment. This past month we focused on the Problem of Evil, and the Kerygma, the basic message of the good news.
The Fuller Youth Institute growing younger assessment is proceeding, with several key ministries having gone through the process now. I will be looking to schedule more ministry meetings over the next few weeks to continue this momentum. I met with JFK parents/staff last week, and will meet with more next week, as well as with young adults in the parish.
Mission trip planning has begun! Michael Gayman of the Catholic Worker and I met earlier this month to talk about a potential project between OLV parish and the Catholic Worker House in Davenport. We identified several projects that might need to be accomplished. We are now looking at a weekend in July to proceed with our mission work, next step will be scheduling with the teens.
We are looking at more fundraising opportunities for the Spring and Summer in order to reduce everyone’s total costs for NCYC by as large an amount as possible. We have several families with multiple people attending, so the more we can accomplish for this the better off we will be. So far we are looking at a KwikStar carwash card sale, where each teen can try to sell as many cards as he or she chooses, and the Knights of Columbus have challenged the teens to sell tables to a trivia night, potentially offering a matching donation – more details on this to follow for PC approval as it would be a larger fundraiser. Otherwise, the teens have the opportunity to really take ownership of their fundraising with smaller projects that they can attempt on their own or with their friends.
- COMMITTEE REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS:
- Generations of Faith Committee (Todd, LisaStachula): no report
- Finance Committee (Chad, Joe, Pat, Lisa Snider, Luke): no report
- Nominating Committee (All board members): Elections will be held the weekend of May 20th and 21st.
- Policy Committee (Chad, Patrick, Peter)
- Strategic Planning Committee (Chad, Joe, LisaStachula, Korby, Sara): Report submitted by Chad Steimle
Motion made to Korby Jackson to approve the strategic plan. Motion second by Heather Egger. Motion unanimously approved by the Board.
- School Improvement Advisory Committee (Chad, Heather, Lisa Snider)
- Market/Public Relations Committee (Chad, Heather, Sara): no report
- Grant Writing Committee (Chad, Rena Harris, Todd, Peter): no report
- Parish Council (rotating per schedule) 4th Tuesday of each month 7:00 pm
August – PatFebruary – Peter
September – HeatherMarch –Korby
October – Lisa StachulaApril – Luke
November – Lisa SniderMay – Peter
January – ToddJune – Sara
September 16th selected for parish picnic. Information for elections need to be submitted by May 10th.
- Finance Council Rep. (Luke)
- Our offer for 4005 N. Division has been accepted and is awaiting clearance through the court.
- The chiller was installed.
- Insurance roof work will begin toward the end of May.
- The $219,000 ADA/SOW goal should be met with the profits from the rummage sale.
- Church door security work will be completed during May.
- Converting of the rectory dining room to office space is taking place.
- The changeover of the light bulbs in the church to LED bulbs should be completed by the end of June.
- Pledges to increase envelope giving indicate revenue should go up by about $77,000. Because we never collect all that is pledged, 75% of this figure will be used for the budget.
- A recommendation for supplemental pay/bonuses for DRE, YM, and other parish staff will be made at the May board of education meeting.
- The following wording change is being recommended for the Employee/Staff Handbook. It will also need Finance Council approval:
“The Parish grants time off with pay to all regular fulltime employees for the following holidays. unless the education program is in session.
Good FridayChristmas Eve Day
Easter MondayChristmas Day
Memorial DayNew Year’s Eve Day
Independence DayNew Year’s Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Day after Thanksgiving
Veterans’ Day – available to veterans as unpaid leave with prior notification to supervisor
If the DCSD school calendar has classes or in-service on Good Friday or Easter Monday, JFK’s school calendar will be changed to reflect those days being holidays. . If a holiday falls on a non work day for a non exempt employee, he or she will not receive paid time off.