SHA School Board Minutes
School Board Minutes – January 11, 2010 Meeting
Meeting called to order at 5:05 p.m.
Opening Prayer – Denny Starnes
Attendance
Pam Myler – Present
Tony Voisin – Present
Betty Wagner – Present
Mike Zeien – Present
Mark Stansberry – Present
Kay Hauck – Present
Mary Ann Kornexl – Present
Approval of Minutes
Minutes from the December 2009 reviewed and approved with one correction made.
Comments from Public Guests
Laura Hammerlee and Julie Rookard – Scrip Coordinators
Julie spoke about the marketing techniques they used to promote the online ordering of SCRIP. There were about 8 new families since the promotion period. About 90 families are using SCRIP per quarter. There are not as many standing orders now as there has been in the past. Laura would like to see increased use overall. The group talked about ways to reach people outside of the Academy (parishoners) who have an interest in supporting catholic education. Credit card use is down to one person (no more monthly fees!). Pam asked that Laura and Julie come back to a future meeting in 6 months or so for another update.
Delores Myler (thank you)
Staff Reports
Jon Studley– Athletic Director
Had a great fall season by all teams. Districts were held here for volleyball, all went smooth. Winter season is very busy. Both varsity basketball teams are competing well. Youth basketball program is up and running. 5th and 6th grade girls have started. We will host a couple times which will cover league fees. Scheduling for spring and next fall is underway. Most of next years scheduling will be completed by June 1. Jon will become full time beginning Monday, January 18. Due to full schedules, we’ve had to hold some practices at Morey Courts. They are charging $25 per hour.
Jon will begin supervising after-school study hall beginning on January 20.
Committee Reports
· SHAgala – Committee met last week, things are coming along well. They can always use extra help with set-up and clean-up. Set-up will begin Wednesday the 10th after school.
· Finance – Did not meet, no report.
Old Business
· Staff cell phone policy – update
Denny has talked with staff. Most feel like it is acceptable, but the wording may need to be tweaked to eliminate “gray areas”. Denny would like more time to work with staff in terms of enforcing current policies (cell phone and other) and gathering input. This will be worked on with the intent to have a process in place for fall 2010. We will address it again at the April meeting so any updates can be included in the handbook revisions next year.
· Board By-Law update work – the group went through the Constitution. Pam has gone through and indicated some suggested changes. She recommended we look through the document as a group and do some preliminary discussion, then revisit again at future meetings. The board was asked to individually evaluate the document and bring suggestions back to the next meeting.
· Angie Reid – Homecoming
Angie will send attachment for next month.
New Business
· State of the Academy letter – Pam shared a draft and it was discussed by the board. She will share the draft with Father Loren, edit, and share with the board via email.
Other:
Betty will be sharing the SHA curriculum with other university directors of admissions to get a global perspective on where we stand in terms of what universities are looking for in students’ academic background.
Meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kay Hauck
Sacred Heart Academy
School Board Minutes—December 14, 2009 Meeting
Meeting called to order at 5:03
Opening Prayer—Father Loren
Attendance
Kay Hauk—excused
Mary Ann Kornexl--present
Pam Myler—present
Mark Stansberry--present
Tony Voisin—present
Betty Wagner—present
Mike Zein--present
Approval of the Minutes
Minutes from the November 9, 2009 meeting were approved.
Comments from Public Guests
Pam Myler suggested that we invite Brett Hyble and Jon Studley
to a future meeting.
Angie Reid, one of our Student Council advisors attended the meeting to
discuss her impressions regarding Homecoming:
Both advisors (Angie and Beth Bennett) were happy with the changes made to the voting process this year. One vote for the court was done in student’s English classroom setting. This gave validity to the process and eliminated the need for a second vote.
The parade line up went extremely well and she recommends this be repeated again next year.
Expenses were reduced this year by no longer buying blankets and flowers for the Homecoming Court members.
The pep assembly was extremely well run and organized. Rave reviews were received. Many indicated this was the best assembly in recent years.
Other suggestions that the advisors would like the Board to review include:
Not allowing the girl’s on SHA’s Homecoming Court to have their hair done for the pep assembly.
Should the king and queen be crowned at the game or at the pep assembly?
Currently we allow individuals who have already been on court once to be nominated for king and queen, should we change this policy?
Denny suggested that the Board begin to address one of the above topics at
each meeting. Betty indicated that she would compile a list of questions we would like to have answered by other schools, and complete telephone survey prior to the February School Board meeting. Learning about other schools and their Homecoming policies may help us formulate our own.
Staff Reports
None this month
Committee Reports
SHAgala-- Tony mentioned that the Board may wish to offer help to find extra donations, as there don’t seem to be many “high ticket” items for bid at this point in time. Pam will continue to send SHAgala minutes to the Board.
Finance Report—Pam and Mike met with Maureen, and the Novemeber finance statement looks good. Account Rceivables needs to write of approximately $8,000 of unpaid tuition from previous years.
Old Business
Latch Key—Following their six month inspection Lee Ann was pleased to report Latch Key is fully reinstated. The new director is performing exceptionally well. Most days Monday through Thursday there are between 35 and 38 students attending. Wednesday is a big day with nearly 50 in attendance. A typical Friday has approximately 42-46 participants.
Script—There is an upcoming Script meeting in February. Script can now be ordered on-line, and it is a very user friendly system. Julie Rookard is the individual to contact for more information.
Cell phone policy, the following suggestions were made:
1st offense—the phone is delivered to the office, the student is given a detention, and Mr. Starnes calls the parent to pick up the phone.
2nd offense—The phone is sent to the office, the student is charged $20.00 that will go to (a school improvement project to be decided by Mr. Starnes).
The student also receives a detention, and Mr. Starnes calls home. The parent may pick up the phone after the money is paid.
3rd offense—The phone is sent to the office, the student is charged a $50.00
fine and the student must attend Saturday school. The phone is kept until the
fine is paid and must be picked up by a parent.
Option B
1st offense—Phone sent to the office, Mr. Starnes immediately calls the parent, and a Saturday school is given. Parent must pick up the telephone.
2nd offense—Phone is sent to the office, Mr. Starnes calls the parent and
The student receives a suspension. The parent must pick up the phone.
3rd offense—The phone is sent to the office, Mr. Starnes calls the parent and
the student cannot bring the phone to school for two weeks.
The Board decided that students could bring cell phones to school, but they must be left in their locker, or put on a teacher’s desk in a container. Mr. Starnes would discuss this further with the teaching staff sometime next semester and report back.
New Business
Bylaws
Mr. Starnes indicated that the Board should begin the process of updating our bylaws. This should occur every three years, and we are at the point this process must occur. Mr. Starnes suggested that we spend ten to fifteen minutes reviewing a section of the by laws. Everyone felt this was a good idea.
State of the Academy letter
At the January meeting we will review a draft of a “State of the Academy”
letter. This letter will be sent home with Sacred Heart’s next report card.
Meeting adjourned at 5:56 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Betty J. Wagner
Sacred Heart Academy
School Board Minutes – November 9, 2009 Meeting
Meeting called to order at 5:04 p.m.
Opening Prayer – Father Loren
Attendance
Pam Myler – Present
Tony Voisin – Present
Betty Wagner – Present
Mike Zeien – Present
Mark Stansberry – Present
Kay Hauck – Present
Mary Ann Kornexl – Present
Approval of Minutes
Minutes from the October 2009 meeting were approved.
Comments from Public Guests
None this month
Staff Reports
None this month
Committee Reports
· SHAgala – Bishop will be attending.
· Finance – Committee met with Maureen on Friday. Pledged voluntary tuition is at $20,100, budgeted amount was $25,000. $16,600 has been collected. Student lunch sales are doing well. It is a little early to know exactly how expenses are coming in, will know more in the next few months.
Old Business
· Staff Cell Phone Policy, Revisited – Betty made some additional phone calls to public schools and distributed information regarding their policies. Before the next meeting, Denny asked board members to review the collective information we have and have a discussion at the next meeting as to what we’d like to see for an electronic device policy.
· H1N1, Numbers at MPHS - There were 900 shots distributed at MPHS. Upcoming clinics will be held at Commission on Aging, ShepherdSchools, and BealCitySchools. Attendance at SHA is back to normal. We had 2 to 3 bad days but have since seen reduced numbers of absences.
New Business
· Scrip Update – Mary Ann – Great Lakes Scrip has done a lot of the leg work on what we are trying do to, information online, marketing materials, etc. Julie Rookard and her husband have come forward and volunteered to handle promotion and marketing of the Scrip program. Laura will stay on in handling and filing orders.
· Old School Bus Sold – Was sold in a couple of days for $1,000.
· Public School Possible Budget cuts (Shared Instruction and areas of concerns for SHA) – Mt.Pleasant and BealCity are looking at significant cuts and the outlook is grim. Things like our shared Physical Education, Art, and Spanish instructors could be cut. This could mean loss of prep time for our elementary teachers.
· Homecoming 2010 Date/Changes – Homecoming will be October 8, 2010. Assembly and parade will be that day, same line parade line up as this year. Game will be Saturday the 9th at noon with the dance that evening.
· Secondary P/T Conferences Feedback from Board – Denny asked for feedback from those on the board that attended parent teacher conferences this year. Tony commented that there were multiple lines forming for certain teachers on the stage in the afternoon due to a lack of understanding of the process. They reorganized the setup for the evening to avoid confusion. The new arrangement worked well. Others commented that they thought it went very well.
· Fire Safety Inspection (See Copy) – There were a few minor violations noted. Also, Andy requested a replacement of the doors in the south hallway from the main lobby area. This is a $6,000 expense. Obviously this can’t happen overnight, but a plan needs to be put into place to cover this. It was discussed that this could be part of our development director’s plan to produce a “wish list” of projects for which to solicit funds from alumni and supporters.
· Teacher Step Letter Review (See Copy) – Last spring, the budget was set for 450 students which would not allow for a teacher raises or step increases. Actual numbers are around 13 students more. Denny would like to put something in writing regarding what salary increase, if any, will be given. This would clarify the process and factors for determining salary increases (how expenses come in, unplanned expenses, SHAgala revenue, tuition collected, etc.) so the teachers would know ahead of time what to expect.
Other: Mary Ann noted that the Veteran’s Library will be closed in January and February for renovations. This will mean that those students who currently utilize the library after school will not be able to go there during that time frame. It was suggested that the school offer some sort of supervised study hall to accommodate the older students. Denny will look into this further and report back at the next meeting (how many students does this involve, how would we handle the money part if a fee is charged, etc.).
Meeting adjourned at 6:07 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kay Hauck
Sacred Heart Academy
School Board Minutes – October 12, 2009 Meeting
Meeting called to order at 5:00 p.m.
Opening Prayer – Father Loren
Attendance
Pam Myler – Present
Tony Voisin – Present
Betty Wagner – Present
Mike Zeien – Absent
Mark Stansberry – Present
Kay Hauck – Present
Mary Ann Kornexl – Present
Approval of Minutes
Minutes from the September 2009 meeting were approved.
Comments from Public Guests
None this month
Staff Reports
None this month
Committee Reports
· SHAgala – Nothing really new to report. Signs from last year need to be taken down. Bishop will be attending SHAgala this year.
· Finance – Committee met last week. Not much activity since school started. Budget has been adjusted to reflect current staffing. $13,000 in voluntary tuition pledged at registration in May.
Old Business
· Scrip discussion, revisited. We need to get more people involved, using the program. Ideas were shared on how to make the program more convenient. Denny will get a list of the top users of the SCRIP program so they can be approached to get feedback. Mark will make phone calls to those folks.
· Staff cell phone concerns and board’s thoughts on current policy. Betty shared policies she collected from other schools. Denny would like to study the situation and possibly develop a new policy for next year. Use this year to collect information and educate people.
New Business
· 5th and 6th grade camp update: LeAnn got bucked off a horse. There was a feeling that the Spring Hill experience was slightly disorganized this year. There were a few timeslots left unfilled in the days. LeAnn will be looking at some other options for camps. No final decisions have been made, but it never hurts to see what else is available.
· Homecoming 2009 comments: Good feedback reported from the board! No date set for 2010.
· Software Issues: Everything should be up and running. Still learning about new student management system. Initial tech support from the company was not very good, but that has improved.
· Insurance safety inspection update: Inspector made a visit and will do another. They asked for our floor plans - they will digitize and add dimensions, equipment shut off labels, etc. They had some suggestions for improvements. They will come back with a long-term plan for other improvements.
Meeting adjourned at 6:07 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kay Hauck
Sacred HeartAcademy
School Board Minutes—September 14, 2009
Meeting called to order at 5:02
Opening prayer—Father Loren
Attendance
Pam Myler—Present
Tony Voisin—Present
Marilee Kujat—Present
Mike Zeien—Present
Mary Ann Kornexl—Present
Kay Hauk—Absent
Betty Wagner—Present
Approval of Minutes
Minutes from the August 10, 2009 meeting were approved
Staff Reports
John Studley, Athletic Director reported that we are having a very exciting SHA Cross Country season, and that the athletes are proudly representing SacredHeartAcademy.
He indicated that the varsity football team had another victory last weekend. The Junior Varsity team is having a much more challenging season as they are playing freshman teams from some larger schools, as many class D schools are unable to field both J.V., and varsity teams. Mr. Kreske is doing an outstanding job with our girl’s volleyball team, as they are currently 30 and 3. SHA is the host of the district volleyball tournaments to be held on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday the first week in November.
John asked for two school board members to volunteer to be on the search committee for our new men’s basketball coach. Mike Zeien and Betty Wagner volunteered. Interviews will be next Thursday and Friday evenings.
Mr. Studley indicated that he has two interns from CentralMichiganUniversity who will assist in attending SHA athletic events should there be two events on the same evening.
He will begin working on softball and baseball scheduling next week.
Director of Admissions Report
Mary Kay Reetz gave an update on enrollment. SacredHeartAcademy enrollment in 2009 is 462. Mary Kaye passed out handouts which highlighted enrollments in previous years. All agreed Mary Kaye did an outstanding job recruiting 43 new students in what is a very challenging economy.
Ms. Reetz detailed information regarding the success of the commercial advertisements promoting the Academy. She intends to update and produce another commercial. She has a goal to reproduce SHA’s brochures this year as well.
Activity Report
Student Council Executive Board members, President Bridgett Bennett, and Vice President Andrea Guytingco presented the schedule of Homecoming activities to the board. The activities for the week are as follows:
Monday—Powder Puff Football Game 7:00 p.m.
(Bennigans has promised to give the Academy a percentage of their profits from SHA students, parents, and alums eat at Bennigans any time that day.
Tuesday—Dress-up day, the Homecoming theme is “Night in Camelot” and students are encouraged to dress in medieval costumes.
Wednesday—Ice Cream Social, ice cream and toppings will be available throughout lunch on the stage of the old gym.
Thursday—In keeping with the theme of Homecoming, the movie “Princess Bride” will be show at the Broadway theatre.
Friday— High School students will attend mass with an Elementary School student, and
accompany them to breakfast following the service.
There is also a pep assembly Friday afternoon followed by the parade at 4:00 p.m. There
is a wedding on Friday, so we will not be able to use the parking lot for parade staging.
Mr. Starnes has worked out an alternative plan, that he believes may work even better.
Committee Reports
Shagala—The first steering committee meeting took place on Wednesday, September 17th.
Finance—Mike Zeien reported that the budget was based on an enrollment of 450 students. We enrolled an additional 12 students, but the revenue has already been spent on health insurance options for new staff members.
New Business
Staff Update—Mr. Starnes indicated that they are very pleased with the new arrangement they have with BealCity and their Spanish teacher.
Mr. Starnes also asked the board to review their current cell phone policy. Cell phone use has become a disruption of the learning process. The high school teachers have asked for
a clear and firm policy regarding cell phone usage and rules. A brief discussion ensued
regarding possible cheating related to cell phones, teaching our students responsible use of cell phones, and what a new policy could include. Betty Wagner volunteered to contact other Catholic High Schools for their respective policies. We may learn a great deal from other practices. This will be carefully reviewed and considered at the next board meeting.
Mr. Starnes showed a copy of a journal that all students will be given in grades seven through twelve. The journals are for students to record feedback on their reading, and another initiative to encourage writing.
Mr. Starnes shared a letter from the Health Department concerning Whooping Cough that
went home to all our parents, since there has been a case in the high school. Parents appreciate this notice, see handouts.
Mr. Starnes reported there are 6 families taking advantage of the bus from Alma. This continues to be a good situation, and we are currently breaking even on this transportation which costs $120.00 a month pre family.
Father Loren announced that the new National Honor Society members would be inducted at this Wednesday’s all school mass.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:20 p. m.
Our next meeting will be at 5:00 p.m. on October 12, 2009
Respectfully submitted,
Betty J. Wagner
Sacred HeartAcademy
School Board Minutes—August 10, 2009
Meeting called to order at 5:05 p.m.
Opening prayer—Father Loren
President Myler introduced Father David to the Board and thanked him for his participation.
Attendance
Pam Myler—Present
Tony Voisin—Present
Marilee Kujat—Present
Mike Zeien—Present
Mark Stansberry—Absent
Mary Ann Kornexl—Present
Kay Hauk—Absent
Betty Wagner—Present
Approval of Minutes
Minutes from the June 8, 2009 meeting were approved.
Staff Reports—No report
Committee Reports—No report
Old Business—none
New Business
Latch Key fee schedule (see handout)-- the newly proposed fee schedule was introduced. There was brief discussion regarding the fee and whether it could be raised even higher. The Board agreed that in these difficult economic times the recommended schedule be adopted. A motion was made to approve the new fee schedule. The motion was approved.
A registration fee for Latch Key of $75.00 per family was introduced. A motion was made to accept the fee, and the motion carried.
An announcement was made that SacredHeartAcademy enrollment is currently 449.
Staffing Announcements: Jon Studley has been hired as the new Athletic Director. Erin Binger is the new Latch Key Director, Katie Fields is the new 1st grade teacher, and Amy Gaudard is the new 5th grade teacher.
The posting for the Boy’s Basketball coach will take place in early September.
President Myler suggested we change the School Board meeting time from 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. this school year. Everyone was supportive of this change and in full agreement.
Principal Dennis Starnes asked for advice concerning a student who would like to fulfill SacredHeartAcademy’s 11th grade religion requirement by taking the course through AlmaCollege, as his father is a professor of religion there. William Stratton has a conflict
in his schedule as he is also a duel enrollment student and earning college credit. Father
Loren suggested that William could do an independent seminar or self study course. He would use Father Don’s course syllabus, and meet periodically with Father Don. Father Loren will discuss this possibility with Father Don in the near future.
The next meeting is on September 14th at 5:00 p.m. in the high school library.
Meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Betty J. Wagner
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