Friday, December 10, 2004
Monrovia School Link ~ Number 101 ~ December 10, 2004
Thanks much to Sigrid Caldera for covering Wednesday's school board meeting. It sounds like the budget is going to be even tighter this coming year. Yikes! I notice a theme Clare spoke on during her campaign, about how Inglewood schools are doing very well despite being lower income. It may be the case that, statistically, children from poorer families don't do as well in school, but I think her point is that it doesn't have to be that way. Amen! Also, I got a letter from a parent saying her daughter at Clifton was in tutoring sessions led by Citrus College students and the Citrus students mostly sat around and gossiped. "Someone needs to supervise the college kids and monitor progress," she writes, "and not just by asking the students if everything is OK." Seems like a reasonable request.
~ brad@sacklunch.net
Board of Education meeting minutes for Wednesday December 8th, 2004.
By Sigrid Caldera
After some coffee and cake that was served in the lobby of the school district, I attended the organizational meeting to listen in on the nomination for new president of the board. Well, guess who moved up the ladder? Yup! Monina is now president, Bruce is vice president and Clare... is now the clerk - even though she abstained from voting for herself, as she also did for the other votes. Just FYI.
During the regular board meeting immediately following, Betty was presented a plaque and thank you by Monina for her contribution as past president. Taylor thanked her as well and also emphasized the contributions that all board members make as part of their job. They put in a lot of hours in meetings and paperwork. Reminds me that I haven't thanked a board member lately.
New Interim Principal at Canyon Early Learning Center, Jennifer Janezke, was introduced, as were new Interim Assistant Principal at MHS, Cheli Reynolds, and the new MHS Dean of Students, Darvin Jackson. I got a chance to speak to him personally. He seems like a really neat and personable guy. (And he's sooo young).
The next item on the agenda was worth going to the board meeting for, and I highly recommend everybody to watch a re-run on KGEM to see this performance by the Canyon Oaks High School Prep Team. They recently received 1st place at USC at the "World Affairs Challenge". According to their teacher they had to master a tough test, create a poster, and work on solving world problems UN style with other schools. The performance that got them 1st place was a skit about kids comparing their Monrovia, CA lives to those from Monrovia, Liberia/Africa. It was interestingly done and quite moving. Watch it with your kids.
Next, the Monrovia Arts Festival Association presented MUSD with a $20,000 check; money collected from their fundraisers.
The Village After School Program was awarded the Golden Bell Award.
At the public hearing the director of KGEM explained the reason behind the current problems of the meeting broadcasts. It has to do with the equipment from Adelphia, and until they'll upgrade the system he can't do anything to change it. He encouraged the board to call Adelphia offices to complain. (The city council owns a different digital system that's why they don't encounter the same problems).
Lots of information was given by Bruce and Clare in their member reports about recent conference they attended. I couldn't keep up with all they said. In a nutshell, Bruce mentioned a state-wide decline in school enrollment and the effects this brings to each school. (Watch out for this one to hit in the upcoming budget reports.) Clare reported on a comparison of general API scores versus participation in free lunch programs. She gave an example of a school in Inglewood that had a significantly high API even though it is in an ethnically and socio-economically challenged area. She collected some great facts and data on what made this particular school so successful. Knowing her, she will hopefully keep these points in mind as the board starts implementing its 5-year Vision and Goals plan. Brian reminded parents to learn about the planned implementation of the block schedule at MHS for next school year.
In the Business section, the board approved a $59,544 bid for asphalt work at the district office and Clifton, and $97,000 for irrigation and landscaping at Santa Fe and MHS!
Linda Dempsey's report was a reminder to the board that they need to decide on the budget soon. Declining enrollment is to be expected and we will have to deal with a $450,000 cut for next year. Louise and Linda will work on a report by the next meeting to suggest where those cuts could take place. Louise also reminded them that teachers haven't received any pay increases for the last two years. (We should all show up at the next board meeting to hear about the proposed cuts. The last thing we need is for the kids to have to suffer in any way for these cuts - neither should the teachers be affected in any way. I say, if we can spend $97,000 to beautify the schools on the outside we should have enough left over to not let them crumble inside. We have to get involved in these decisions.)
And last but not least the board adopted its 5-year vision and goals. Briefly they are:
- All Monrovia schools will be Distinguished Schools
- All Monrovia schools will meet their growth target
- High school graduates will leave school well prepared for college or advanced job training
Next meeting will be Wednesday January, 12th, 2005 at 7 pm. Be there for the budget discussion!
This newsletter is also on the Web at www.monroviaschoollink.com.
(0) comments
Thanks much to Sigrid Caldera for covering Wednesday's school board meeting. It sounds like the budget is going to be even tighter this coming year. Yikes! I notice a theme Clare spoke on during her campaign, about how Inglewood schools are doing very well despite being lower income. It may be the case that, statistically, children from poorer families don't do as well in school, but I think her point is that it doesn't have to be that way. Amen! Also, I got a letter from a parent saying her daughter at Clifton was in tutoring sessions led by Citrus College students and the Citrus students mostly sat around and gossiped. "Someone needs to supervise the college kids and monitor progress," she writes, "and not just by asking the students if everything is OK." Seems like a reasonable request.
~ brad@sacklunch.net
Board of Education meeting minutes for Wednesday December 8th, 2004.
By Sigrid Caldera
After some coffee and cake that was served in the lobby of the school district, I attended the organizational meeting to listen in on the nomination for new president of the board. Well, guess who moved up the ladder? Yup! Monina is now president, Bruce is vice president and Clare... is now the clerk - even though she abstained from voting for herself, as she also did for the other votes. Just FYI.
During the regular board meeting immediately following, Betty was presented a plaque and thank you by Monina for her contribution as past president. Taylor thanked her as well and also emphasized the contributions that all board members make as part of their job. They put in a lot of hours in meetings and paperwork. Reminds me that I haven't thanked a board member lately.
New Interim Principal at Canyon Early Learning Center, Jennifer Janezke, was introduced, as were new Interim Assistant Principal at MHS, Cheli Reynolds, and the new MHS Dean of Students, Darvin Jackson. I got a chance to speak to him personally. He seems like a really neat and personable guy. (And he's sooo young).
The next item on the agenda was worth going to the board meeting for, and I highly recommend everybody to watch a re-run on KGEM to see this performance by the Canyon Oaks High School Prep Team. They recently received 1st place at USC at the "World Affairs Challenge". According to their teacher they had to master a tough test, create a poster, and work on solving world problems UN style with other schools. The performance that got them 1st place was a skit about kids comparing their Monrovia, CA lives to those from Monrovia, Liberia/Africa. It was interestingly done and quite moving. Watch it with your kids.
Next, the Monrovia Arts Festival Association presented MUSD with a $20,000 check; money collected from their fundraisers.
The Village After School Program was awarded the Golden Bell Award.
At the public hearing the director of KGEM explained the reason behind the current problems of the meeting broadcasts. It has to do with the equipment from Adelphia, and until they'll upgrade the system he can't do anything to change it. He encouraged the board to call Adelphia offices to complain. (The city council owns a different digital system that's why they don't encounter the same problems).
Lots of information was given by Bruce and Clare in their member reports about recent conference they attended. I couldn't keep up with all they said. In a nutshell, Bruce mentioned a state-wide decline in school enrollment and the effects this brings to each school. (Watch out for this one to hit in the upcoming budget reports.) Clare reported on a comparison of general API scores versus participation in free lunch programs. She gave an example of a school in Inglewood that had a significantly high API even though it is in an ethnically and socio-economically challenged area. She collected some great facts and data on what made this particular school so successful. Knowing her, she will hopefully keep these points in mind as the board starts implementing its 5-year Vision and Goals plan. Brian reminded parents to learn about the planned implementation of the block schedule at MHS for next school year.
In the Business section, the board approved a $59,544 bid for asphalt work at the district office and Clifton, and $97,000 for irrigation and landscaping at Santa Fe and MHS!
Linda Dempsey's report was a reminder to the board that they need to decide on the budget soon. Declining enrollment is to be expected and we will have to deal with a $450,000 cut for next year. Louise and Linda will work on a report by the next meeting to suggest where those cuts could take place. Louise also reminded them that teachers haven't received any pay increases for the last two years. (We should all show up at the next board meeting to hear about the proposed cuts. The last thing we need is for the kids to have to suffer in any way for these cuts - neither should the teachers be affected in any way. I say, if we can spend $97,000 to beautify the schools on the outside we should have enough left over to not let them crumble inside. We have to get involved in these decisions.)
And last but not least the board adopted its 5-year vision and goals. Briefly they are:
- All Monrovia schools will be Distinguished Schools
- All Monrovia schools will meet their growth target
- High school graduates will leave school well prepared for college or advanced job training
Next meeting will be Wednesday January, 12th, 2005 at 7 pm. Be there for the budget discussion!
This newsletter is also on the Web at www.monroviaschoollink.com.
Monday, December 06, 2004
Monrovia School Link Preview ~ Number 100 ~ December 6, 2004
This Wednesday is the school board's annual organizatioinal meeting, which means the board usually has cookies and drinks and stuff for everybody. Oh yeah, they also select new officers. New president, new VP, etc. It's usually title rotation, which means the VP moves up to president. Since Monina Diaz is the current VP, that should mean she'll rotate into being president, barring heavy opposition.
~ brad@sacklunch.net
The meetings (there are two of them this time) are this Wednesday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The 7 p.m. meeting is where they (hopefully) serve goodies and select new officers, so make sure you get there early. Then the regular meeting will be at 7:30.
At the regular meeting the board will:
- Welcome interim Canyon Early Learning Center Principal Jennifer Janetzke, Monrovia High School Interim Assistant Principal Cheli McReynolds, and Monrovia High School Dean of Students Darvin Jackson.
- Honor the Canyon Oaks High School Prep Team for receiving first place in two out of three categories for their performance at the "World Affairs Challenge" held recently at USC.
- Recognize the District’s Village After-School Program for being a 2004 recipient of the prestigious California School Boards Association’s Golden Bell Award.
- Collect a bunch of loot. I guess it's again the time for giving. The Monrovia Arts Festival Association is giving the district $14,000 for arts programs (that's a lot of paint brushes!); Monrovia Reads is giving $10,000; Board Member Betty Sandford and her husband Jules are giving $2,000 to sponsor a teacher and four students going to Professionals & Student Alliance Day at the UN; Wells Fargo Foundation is giving $1,000; and I gotta mention that Carla McLindsay of Plews & Edelmann is giving 100 trend depth gauges and 100 tire pressure gauges.
And, speaking of the season, here are the holiday festivities:
- Bradoaks: Dec. 9, 7 p.m., Choral Holiday Program; Dec. 15, 7 p.m., Instrumental Holiday Program @ Clifton
- Mayflower: Dec. 16, 7 p.m., Kindergarten Holiday Program
- Monroe: Dec. 17, multiple assemblies, Holiday Sing-A-Long
- Plymouth: Dec. 2, assemblies, Instrumental Holiday Concert
- Wild Rose: Dec. 16, 9 a.m. & 1:15 p.m., Holiday Program
- Clifton: Dec. 15, 7 p.m., Band/Choral Winter Concert
- Santa Fe: Dec. 15, 7 p.m., Band/Choral Winter Concert
- MHS: Dec. 9, 7 p.m., Band Holiday Concert
This newsletter is also on the Web at www.monroviaschoollink.com.
(0) comments
This Wednesday is the school board's annual organizatioinal meeting, which means the board usually has cookies and drinks and stuff for everybody. Oh yeah, they also select new officers. New president, new VP, etc. It's usually title rotation, which means the VP moves up to president. Since Monina Diaz is the current VP, that should mean she'll rotate into being president, barring heavy opposition.
~ brad@sacklunch.net
The meetings (there are two of them this time) are this Wednesday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The 7 p.m. meeting is where they (hopefully) serve goodies and select new officers, so make sure you get there early. Then the regular meeting will be at 7:30.
At the regular meeting the board will:
- Welcome interim Canyon Early Learning Center Principal Jennifer Janetzke, Monrovia High School Interim Assistant Principal Cheli McReynolds, and Monrovia High School Dean of Students Darvin Jackson.
- Honor the Canyon Oaks High School Prep Team for receiving first place in two out of three categories for their performance at the "World Affairs Challenge" held recently at USC.
- Recognize the District’s Village After-School Program for being a 2004 recipient of the prestigious California School Boards Association’s Golden Bell Award.
- Collect a bunch of loot. I guess it's again the time for giving. The Monrovia Arts Festival Association is giving the district $14,000 for arts programs (that's a lot of paint brushes!); Monrovia Reads is giving $10,000; Board Member Betty Sandford and her husband Jules are giving $2,000 to sponsor a teacher and four students going to Professionals & Student Alliance Day at the UN; Wells Fargo Foundation is giving $1,000; and I gotta mention that Carla McLindsay of Plews & Edelmann is giving 100 trend depth gauges and 100 tire pressure gauges.
And, speaking of the season, here are the holiday festivities:
- Bradoaks: Dec. 9, 7 p.m., Choral Holiday Program; Dec. 15, 7 p.m., Instrumental Holiday Program @ Clifton
- Mayflower: Dec. 16, 7 p.m., Kindergarten Holiday Program
- Monroe: Dec. 17, multiple assemblies, Holiday Sing-A-Long
- Plymouth: Dec. 2, assemblies, Instrumental Holiday Concert
- Wild Rose: Dec. 16, 9 a.m. & 1:15 p.m., Holiday Program
- Clifton: Dec. 15, 7 p.m., Band/Choral Winter Concert
- Santa Fe: Dec. 15, 7 p.m., Band/Choral Winter Concert
- MHS: Dec. 9, 7 p.m., Band Holiday Concert
This newsletter is also on the Web at www.monroviaschoollink.com.
