HTC Early Childhood Centers
School Board Report – January 25, 2009
Melissa Pieper, Director

Faith Development-

1. The kindergarten will be attending Mass on Wednesday February 3^rd in West Point . 
2. We will be writing some thank you’s to community members, teachers, parents and priest who have helped our center and our children.  These will be done during Catholic Schools Week.

Instructional Leadership/Curriculum

1. Mrs. Knustrom and I took our last “Every Student Count” (math) class on January 12^th.  We both learned a lot from the class and Mrs. Knustrom has been able to implement some of the strategies that she learned in her classroom.  They were generous enough to provide $80 worth of math manipulatives to the teachers taking the class so Mrs. Knustrom has some new items coming that she will be able to use to teach the math concepts. 

Public Relations/Marketing & Development:

1. Just a reminder of the round-up dates.  Parent meetings will be held on Tuesday February 16^th in Fort Madison at 6:30pm and on Thursday February 18^th in West Point at 6:30pm.  The round-ups will take place the following week.  The round-up in Fort Madison will be on Tuesday February 23^rd from 9:00am until 1:00pm and on Thursday February 25^th in West Point from 9:00am until 1:00pm. 
2. We are running an ad in the Democrat and Bee Star.  The ad will also be available online and in the Bonnie Buyer. 

Building Updates-

1. We are selling sweatshirts to our ECC children and their families.  The sweatshirts will have the HTC logo and say Early Childhood Center underneath.  The cost is $11.00 for child sizes and $11.50 for adult. 
2. Cyndi Mason, our nurse consultant, was able to get 3 of our substitutes into her CPR and 1^st Aid classes in February.  This will be a tremendous help in the afternoons.
3. I received a letter from the Food Bank of Southern Iowa (they provide us with food for our daycare and school age care) that they may no longer be able to provide this service for us.  We wrote a letter on behalf of the Food Bank so hopefully the company providing them with food will reconsider. 
4. We have our days all planned and ready for Catholic Schools Week.  We have not yet decided on our student appreciation item for Friday, but our Kindergarten will be joining the West Point Kindergarten and what they do.

Fort Madison :

1. Cyndi Mason was here on December 23^rd to audit our immunization records.  There were only 2 children missing one shot and it should be taken care of by February. 
2. Our heat did turn off sometime between the evening of 12/28 and the morning of 12/29.  John was able to get it started and it warmed right up. 
3. We still need to get the mixer installed on the boiler. 
4. There will be an open house for preschool and pre-k on Wednesday February 24^th from 5-7pm. 

St. Paul :

1. Jerry Kruse is going to install a thermostat in the gym.  He is going to do this so that the heat will kick on before the preschool goes in there to play during the winter months.  When they go in their now to play they have to wear hats, gloves and coats. 
2. Cyndi Mason came to Fort Madison on January 15^th to audit our St. Paul immunization records.  The immunizations were all up to date.
3. There will be an open house on Sunday February 28^th from 2-4pm. 

HTC Board of Education Report, January 25, 2010

Doris S. Turner, Chief Administrative Officer

Faith Development – The students participated in a Haitian Relief project. Over $1300

             was collected and a check is being mailed to Catholic Relief Services,

            Davenport Diocese.  The contribution included $125 anonymous match, $150

            from the National Honor Society, and student council dress-down days from

            K-12 buildings.  Religion classes will be planning on-going relief projects.

2.      Sara Mohrfeld was trained as a facilitator for “Protecting God’s Children” and I received facilitator update training at the Diocesan principals Jan. meeting.

3.      Catholic Schools Week activities are Jan. 31 – Feb. 6.

4.      The “Right to Life” March is this Saturday at 10:30 a.m.  Religion classes are

preparing posters.  Please participate if you are able. (

5.      “Coaches vs. Cancer” is January 25 at HTC gym.

6.      We will update training for our certified staff for Protecting God’s Children

5 year renewal during this Spring semester.  This is a directive from the Diocese given at the 1/12 principals meeting.

Professional Development – There is a Iowa CORE curriculum meeting at the AEA on

             Tuesday afternoon, 1 – 4 p.m. to continue preparation for implementation in 2012

2.      I will be in Muscatine , 8 –6:30p.m. on Feb. 2 and 3 for the Bishop Hayes State

of Iowa school certification visit.

3.      K-12 faculty are continuing to be observed in teaching strategies.  The weather and illness has disrupted the schedule.

4.      Teachers continue training in the various initiatives through the AEA, grants, etc. 

5.      The budget includes funding for professional development to be offered to our

teachers “in house” for promethian board training. Mrs. McVeigh is arranging to have Great Prairie AEA certification credit available, similar to the “Love and Logic” provided in the 2008 – 2009 school year.

6.      The teachers have completed their first semester trial of the on-line grading system and parents will receive passwords in the mailing sent home with report cards.  Elementary teachers will be implementing the program second semester.

Instructional Leadership/Programs – The Iowa Skills Tests (ITBS/ITED) results have

            been received and are being analyzed to help guide school improvement goals/etc

            for this academic year.  Individual class trend data will be available as part of the

            “State of Schools ” session on February 11.   Individual students will receive their

           reports from teachers/counselors.  Mrs. McVeigh and I will meet to determine the

           type of graphs, content, etc.    We will also report out other items of interest to

           document school success such as ACT scores, etc.

            We have 5 students presenting at the high school science symposium this year.

Diocesan, State, and Federal Issues    We continue to monitor the state legislature and

           their budget decisions.  The tax credit programs are being examined as per our

           earlier discussions.

Other Items/FYI:  The budget committee has been working very diligently on the 2010

           2011 school year.  The committee may request an executive session.

Other Items/FYI: 2.  The Board will need to move to approve a general “reduction” in

           force notice to be placed in the next paycheck for certified and non certified HTC

           personnel.  Unless there is an unforeseen major shift in programs offered at HTC

           for the 2011 – 2012 academic year, this should be the last year such a general

           notice would be sent.

2.      The new diocesan “employees handbook” will be examined by the business

manager and chief administrator for adoption by HTC.  We will bring our recommendations to the board for discussion and approval in the upcoming months. 

3.      I am looking at various handbooks and professional journals, etc. for ways to

implement an enforceable cell phone/technology gadgets policy for HTC.  As you

know, cell phones and  gadgets are becoming more and more sophisticated and in multiple forms (ie the new “pen” which writes and “hears” all notes, etc. that occur in a meeting (classroom) and then can be immediately down-loaded to a computer, web, etc.  We want to be able to use aids to education but we also have to protect privacy, limit cheating, etc.

4.      As mentioned in the work session. . .  .uniform/dress code.

5.      Mrs. McVeigh has formed a technology committee to develop and implement an on-going vision for using technology to further the opportunities given to our students and our teachers for 21^st Century Skills.  Please refer to her report.

6.      The K – elementary staff are in the process of developing a list of key learnings that are expected in religion, math, and reading/language arts.  This will allow new and prospective parents to see what is expected.  It will also help current parents understand the sequence.  We will also develop a set of acitivities that we will encourage our parents to do with their children so that the activities during the school day are re-enforced at home. (i.e. – reading a

story aloud to the child and vice versa.  Reviewing basic multiplication facts.

Having computers in a “family shared” room.  . . . these suggested activities would be age and grade appropriate.  It is our goal to develop these types of expectations for all disciplines (social studies, science, etc) as well as suggestions for “wellness”.

7.      Sister Peggy has agreed to cancel the CCD classes for the Feb. 10 “Science Night and State of the Schools meeting.   Plans are on-going as to what and how we want to have the evening develop.