641-623-5497         www.careinitiatives.org

  

 

Community is more engaged with school 
May 19, 2010

The goal of the Parent Advisory Committee to get the community more involved with the Montezuma schools.

The committee has had some resounding successes this year.

"Doughnuts with Dad" was a morning program designed to get male parents, grandparents, etc., to come to the school, enjoy juice, coffee and doughnuts, then visit classrooms.

Marinda DeJong and Melanie Moretz, committee members who were talking to the school board on Wednesday evening, said they had planned for 50 visitors.

About 300 came.

Recently, 350 attended "Morning with Mom."

A spelling event had a goal of 10 to 20 participants. Some 102 kids participated.

During a "book parade," students read a book then families worked to construct a small float for a parade. Organizers were hoping for eight to 10 floats. Instead, 54 were produced.

"We are working to promote relationships and opportunities for our students and parents," DeJong said.

Moretz detailed more successful programs. It was noted that last fall's "walk-a-thon" had a goal of $4,500 - and raised more than $18,000. After she finished, board president Pete Ross said "it shows how the community will support the school."

Superintendent Dave Versteeg gave a positive report about the schools' Measures of Academic Progress (MAPS) testing.

He said the tests are designed to reveal how each students is progressing as an individual in reading, math, science and social studies.

"We want to detect trends, but because we only started testing in the fall of 2009 and tested again this spring, it's too early for that," Versteeg said.

"But we can tell you that 59.1 percent of our students have grown in reading, while 77 percent are considered proficient. And that 58.3 percent have grown in math, while 72.1 percent are proficient."

Versteeg said the tests, given via computer, are aligned with the Iowa Core Curriculum. "They give us an evaluation on how well our kids are learning," he said.

"Our goal always has to be 100 percent growth," the superintendent said.

'We can do a better job'

The board heard from a concerned parent regarding merchandise and cash reported missing from a student's locker.

The parent wanted to know why it wasn't reported to him, the student's mother, or law enforcement officials right away.

Versteeg said the parent made two valid points. "We could have done this in a more timely manner," he said. "And it doesn't hurt to call the police. We can do a better job."

In other business, elementary principal Darin Jones reported that the Parent Advisory Committee recently donated $11,100 to the new Playground Committee to help build a new playground to replace the one west of the bathrooms near the softball field.

Total estimated cost of this portion of the playground project is $40,000. Jones said a grant application for $15,000 has been made to the Iowa Association of School Boards and that funding has been requested from the Poweshiek County Board of Supervisors.

A fundraising campaign is to begin shortly.

In a related matter, the board formally approved that request to the IASB for the playground grant. It was noted that the district is not committing any funding to the updating of the playground at this time.

Jones reported that an application for preschool grant money was filed in a timely manner. "We hope to know the results later this month," he said. Jones also reported that 32 families registered students for preschool for the upcoming year.

Board members tabled action on whether to hire assistant coaches for boys and girls junior high basketball. Versteeg gathered data about which area schools do and do not have assistants, but didn't offer a recommendation. "The frustration," Versteeg said, "is not teaching fundamentals to all . .not serving all the students who want to participate."

Board members talked about private funding for the assistant coaching positions, which would amount to, Versteeg said, about $1,100 for a new teacher.

"I don't think cost is the factor," Ross said. "But what about academic programs that we might have to cut? Are there needs elsewhere that need to be addressed first?"

"I'm tired of the 'losing' mentality we seem to have developed, especially our girls," board member Vince Johnson said.

Board members said they think there are volunteers who would step forward, if the coaching positions were created.

"We don't have a recommendation," Ross said.

"There is no rush," Versteeg said, "but I think I have a sense of direction on this now."

A resignation, an appointment

The board accepted the resignation of L.E. Moore as elementary physical education instructor.

The board approved the hiring of Earlene Taylor as the district's at-risk coordinator. She is a Montezuma High School graduate and has a masters degree in counseling and counselor education from Indiana University.

Versteeg asked for board input about a possible city-sponsored sidewalk project in which the city would pay up to half the cost of upgrading sidewalks that had facing on city streets. That would include the sidewalk along Fourth Street, west of Badger-Gabriel Field.

Some concern about safety walking over rough sidewalks after football games was expressed. Board members indicated there could be some liability questions, so the matter of participation on the project, if offered, will be looked into.

Versteeg also said he will be awarding a "grant" to students who will work to upgrade one of the district's tennis court. He said it will involve re-doing the court lines and replacing the nets. "It will cost a couple of hundred dollars, but, we'll have a good tennis court in town again," the superintendent said.

The board approved paying invoices for $104,000 from Septagon Construction, which is coordinating work on the bus barn project, which is under way.

The board approved the secondary student handbook for 2010-11 which contains some adjustments in wording regarding electronic communication devices.

Also approved were school fees for 2010-11 which will be the same as in the past year.

The board made a adjustment in staff development days for next school year.

Versteeg alerted the board that replacing the family consumer sciences position may not be easy. "There have not been a lot of candidates so far. We also need help in science and social studies," he said.

Board members expressed concern about not teaching family consumer science courses. Versteeg said those courses will be taught, "whether we do it by sharing with another district, using part-time teachers, or look at other options."

The board adjourned into closed session for salary negotiation purposes. 

 

This page brought to you by Sherri Hershberger and the Clowns in Iowa Network! To learn more about being part of the Network, click HERE.