Saint Theresa Parish Board of Education Minutes

Board of Education – St Theresa

• Prayer – 5:48 led by Steve
• Open Forum/Visitors’ comments – 5:49 - none
• Acceptance of November Agenda –  5:50
• move speakers up - Ellen
• Steve moved, Geri 2^nd - approved
• Approval of Minutes from October meeting – 5:51
• Fr moved, Geri 2^nd – approved as amended (written on sheet for Lisa)
• Mary Bishop – Parish Council - 5:53
• Move to become great parish not just good
• Developed survey
• Current status of parish
• What want to be in 10 years
• What steps to get to 10 year vision
• Asked Bd of Ed to complete survey
• List activities/events/functions of Bd of Ed
• How do activities/events/functions accomplish the core work now (move closer to the Lord)
• How activities/events/functions accomplish the core work 10 years from now
• Discuss actions needed to get to 10 years from now
• Can be done electronically
• Have done by March
• Each Bd of Ed member list activities/events/functions and whether accomplishes core work (homework for Bd of Ed members)
• Kerry Neibergall - Diocese of DSM School Board – 6:10
• Represent 16 schools
• Kerry from St. Pius X
• Purpose –
• Resource to Bishop
• Responsibilities added
• Establish policies
• Meet Canon law
• Meet state of Iowa law
• Meet Dept of ed
• Bishop approved
• Expand knowledge of Catholic schools
• Participate in selection of Superintendent of Catholic Schools
• 13 members
• 3 year term
• Added 7 committees and initiatives
• Kerry is our link to the Diocesan School Board
• Hold monthly meetings at Pastoral Center
• 3^rd Monday ??
• 4pm-6pm
• Putting out Strategic Plan
• Any info sent back to Dioc School Board?
• Ex :  parents not paying tuition
• Ex:   Scrip fraud
• Coordinating resources between schools??
• Common transportation??
• Ex:  struggling with enrollment, worried school closed, middle school too small
• Ex:  Discussion on new high school Cristo Rey
• Discussion on middle school??
• Ex:  finances are a big challenge
• Angela Wolfe – 6:32
• Food and Nutrition degree
• Finish degree in dietetics
• Goals
• Try more foods that are better nutritionally
• Try to be peanut free school
• Give kids what they want balanced with what parents want
• Added whole grain/whole wheat into foods
• Changed 2^nd entrée to come up after they have eaten
• Each unit gets to vote on one healthy meal for the month
• School garden – 3 or 4 years from now
• Budget for month of Oct – came in below negative $4116 --- timing issue
• Nov budget already at +$8267
• Notices sent every Thursday into Friday folder
• Will set trigger amount to $10
• Process for breakfast
• Prepare for 20 students
• sometimes only 8 come other days 25
• Pre-K in at 7:30-7:50  
• supervised by Pre-K people
• Older kids come in 7:50
• One person to cook, serve and manage is a challenge
• Making more homemade foods as time goes on
• Vendor
• Switched from SYSCO to Martin Bros
• AE Dairy
• Some items still from SYSCO such as oranges
• Students must take 3 out of 5 items offered
• Administrators’ Reports –
• Director of Faith Formation – 6:58
• Father Larry gave Kathy’s report
• stations of nativity done by 6^th and 5^th graders
• tested Omni Notifier system
• will participate in Cristo Rey survey
• Alternative Catholic school
• aimed at students who wouldn’t probably graduate from high school
• usually 1-2 years behind grade level
• each student works 1 day per week to earn money to go to the school
• Omaha has approx 300 students
• DSM area is kind of small, enough students?
• there are available structures to use
• feasibility study for one year
• open to all faiths – all taught Catholic theology
• Diocese have relationship with school – not connected to DSM Public
• cathechists attend SFA in-service Jan 6
• First Reconciliation 44 students
• Generations of Faith festivals Dec 6 and Dec 9
• Parish Manager – 7:10 – Bob sick
• Steve presented
• Parish council asked about Computer switches for rewiring
• Expenses on target but not income for Daycare
• Maria catching up families that are behind
• numbers holding
• more people paying monthly than weekly in arrears
• let Maria think about an incentive to get people to pay
• example – free registration fee for summer
• Ellen will have Maria follow up with Ed Downey about billing
• Process for billing once volunteers hours no longer there – sustainable???
• Bob didn’t close out billing portion of school year – causing problems with billing now
• problem with balances from previous year and this year – balances inaccurate
• Lock on south gym code fixed
• Kids’ band codes should not be working on door outside of school day
• Building and grounds do facility assessment
• window sills rusting out
• south overhang by new cement
• how will issues be addressed – prioritize
• Daycare door needs to be adjusted to latch – Cindy was able to just walk in, no adult present but children were there
• installer needs to be called – email to Bob
• School Administrator – 7:35
• 6^th Grade Bball Tournament
• St. Nuemann school Atlanta GA
• $2180.30 will be received in 2 payments for Pre-School
• School directory on Edline
• Received SmartBoard from Hy-Vee
• Hy-Vee will help us get a projector
• Server issues
• software and server $6000
• stop updates because shuts server down
• need grant money
• transportation
• buses inspected
• both buses failed on back bus tires $2500
• windshield wipers replaced on one bus
• exhaust work done on one bus
• look at number of kids on buses, age of buses, reimbursement
• bus involved in accident (not our fault) – no students on bus
• Committee for transportation feasibility
• Steve
• Tom
• Geri
• Father Larry
• Social Justice Week
• different artist in residence
• hop-hop artists religious, Christian, social justice songs
• Jan 18-22
• In-school retreat
• Committee Reports
• PTC – 7:48
• Pat Benoit vice president
• Health /Wellness - Cindy
• Each unit create 2 meals for lunch
• Find 2 students to help with bulletin board
• Low attendance for activities
• Athletic Board – Steve – 7:51
• Working on forms – code of conduct and physicals
• Working on coaches
• need process
• gym closet will have code entry
• Old Business

• Minutes from meeting would be appreciated
• Rachael will forward
• Sacred Heart uses Parish Soft for tuition only

• Table 400
• 410 – class size
• K-2 look at make-up of class in regards to hiring of aides
• Change number of students to 20 to hire aid
• Most schools have limit on class size
• 27 is size where class will be split
• sets learning environment for class
• 420 – expulsion
• Tom moved, Geri 2^nd , approved
• 430 – kids current on work, as stated in handbook - tabled
• 440 – PG movie
• teachers wanting to show PG movie must notify parent before movie is shown
• television – one word
• parent notify in writing to not watch
• must be appropriate and related to curriculum
• Geri accept as changed, 2^nd Father approved
• 450 –
• #12 youth “is” prohibited
• anything on our network is St. Theresa owned
• Father accept as suggested, Jeremy 2^nd approved
• 500
• spelling of administration
• put Student Handbook back in
• Father moved accept as suggested, Cindy 2^nd, approved
• 510 – student dress and appearance
• regulations specified to the dress code
• Father accept as suggested, Kelly 2^nd, approved

• Questions directed via email CC’d to all

• Other Business – 8:38
• Dave Chiodo
• Moving and will resign as board member
• Board will appoint new board member
• Rachael will send email
• Adjournment – 8:46
• Kelly 1^st – Tom 2^nd – adjourned!!