President Rich Dewhirst called the regular meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Other members present were Afton Schomburg, Rochelle Henagan, Jeremy Davis, Harold Lawrence, Dan Lucas, and Clay Vogler. Also present were Elementary Principal Steve Waigand, Superintendent Craig Walker, Board Secretary Debbie Young, Leigh Ann Lawrence, Hope Vette, Tabitha Waigand, and Tawni Ellis.
The agenda was adopted and the minutes of the tax rate hearing and regular meeting of August 11, 2016 were approved. Mr. Walker reviewed the financial information for the month ending August 2016. The August final check register, September check register to date, and the activity account checks were approved. Mr. Walker read a thank you note from the Linthicum Family. Our new first grade teacher, Tabitha Waigand was introduced to the board members during scheduled audience.
To see a full Principal’s report go to www.farmerphulishing.com
Mr. Walker thanked the 2016 After Prom Parents for their donation for the sign on the scoreboard at Blue Jay Stadium as well as the new clock for the gymnasium. He also thanked the Booster Club for their donation of funds to update the Men’s restroom at the stadium, and to purchase new uniforms for the high school volleyball team. The continued support of these organizations is greatly appreciated. Mr. Walker invited all board members to attend the Monsanto Grant presentation prior to the home volleyball match on September 29th. Mr. Walker discussed the progress on the district’s updated safety plan, and stated that the MAP scores will be ready to present at the October board meeting.
The board proceeded to address several items of new business. Action was taken to approve the 2016-2017 bus routes, to approve the Upward Bound transportation contract, to approve the final state & federal reports for Title 1 and Part B, and to approve board policy updates. The meeting was then adjourned.
Principal’s Report-
Mr. Waigand reported August attendance for the elementary was 98.5%. There are 185 students enrolled in Rock Port Elementary K-6. This is an increase of 19 students from this time last year. We have 21 students enrolled in Full Day Preschool and 10 in Half-Day Preschool. MAP Scores are in and have been distributed to classroom teachers. Our elementary students did exceptionally well; the staff really works hard to prepare our students to do their best…hats off to them for a job well done! A breakdown of scores will be presented in the October Board Report. Homework Club started for grades 3-6 and takes place on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday afternoons. The following teachers have been assigned as Homework Club Instructors: Jennifer Geib (3rd), Jill Gilson (4th), Lisa Weber and Stacy Hughes (5th), and Kari Amthor (6th). Special Education teacher, Mrs. Cox, has a group of her students, and Mrs. Mertens continues after school tutoring for some of her students as well. Students displaying the character trait of the month will be recognized as our Blue Jays of the Week. Every staff member in the elementary will be nominating a student each month. We will announce these students during our Monday Motivation time each week. This will start on September 6. September’s character trait is Respect. Elementary student council elections for grades 3-6 were held on September 2. The kids did a great job with their speeches, and I’m looking forward to working with them throughout the year! Students voted on electronic ballots this year. Deputy Rick Sons will once again start teaching a curriculum to our primary grades covering a wide variety of topics from general safety, dealing with strangers, good touch/bad touch, drugs, and gun safety. This is a 19-20 week program with each session lasting 15 to 20 minutes beginning September 13. The Backpack Buddies Program is off and running with 20 students being served beginning Friday, September 9th. Tech Updates: Promethean Boards have been installed in Mrs. Roup and Mrs. Lawrence’s classrooms. PLTW Parent Info Night was a success. Thirty-three parents and teachers with students ranging from PK to 6th grade were in attendance. Mrs. Walker gave a brief overview of the program and some key dates to remember for the school year. October 10 will be our first “Student Showcase” where student projects will be on display to share with parents and community members. Rock Port Elementary will hold a Title 1 Parent meeting on Thursday, September 8th at 5:30 pm in the Title 1 Reading Room. This meeting is for all parents with children that currently receive Title 1 Reading or Math services. We will discuss Title 1 requirements, the Missouri Learning Standards (our current curriculum), Accelerated Reader (grades 1-6), a new program added this year (STAR Math), understanding student test reports, and complaint procedures. Mid-term is Friday, September 23. Grades will go home that day. Staff professional development: I attended an Administrator Mentoring Program (AMP) meeting on August 30 in St. Joe. We are super excited about the Conference 275 Professional Development Day on September 19. Teachers have the opportunity to drive their own learning by signing up for breakout sessions in the morning. The afternoon will be a chance to network with other teachers in their grade level/activity area from around the conference. Mrs. Owen will be attending a Speech Implementer training on September 29. Mrs. Lawrence updated the board on the happenings in Grade 2 and Mrs. Ellis talked about the elementary guidance curriculum.
Mrs. Kemerling’s report was reviewed in her absence. Several upcoming dates and activities were noted. August attendance for the JH and HS was 98.39%. Classes, sports, and activities are off to a great start as we begin our 2016-2017 school year. The calendar is very full with many Blue Jay events at which we can support and celebrate our students. We are enjoying our new 7th graders in the JH (and missing our recent graduates!), and they seem to be transitioning well to the changes in their daily schedule and this “new” section of our campus. I know that having Mr. Parsons on the JH/HS staff this year is definitely helping them adjust. The JH/HS staff will focus their professional learning efforts this year on Student Engagement and Professional Collaboration. Collaboration Team Meetings have begun and will continue throughout the year in an effort to provide teachers with time to share experiences relating to curriculum, instruction, strategies, student data, and various other areas. The 275 Conference Professional Learning Day will be held on Monday, September 19, at NWMSU. This will be an all-day event. There will be approximately 400 teachers present on this day to attend breakout sessions of their choosing and an afternoon networking session specific to their content area, grade level, etc. Rock Port is proud to share that some of our very own teachers are leading breakout sessions and facilitating networking sessions. Thomas Herron is leading a breakout session on Google Classroom, as well as facilitating a networking session, and Stevie Eickhoff, Marty Farley, and Jennifer Geib are facilitating network sessions. The JH/HS Leadership Team will continue its efforts this year in attending PLC (Professional Learning Community) training through NWRPDC. Team members include Kerri Acton, Megan Bebb, Stevie Eickhoff, Shauna Farmer, Thomas Herron, Donnie Parsons, Amy Skillen, and Jonnie Kemerling. The Team will attend five meetings in St. Joe in addition to meetings held throughout the school year. Information from this training will be shared with the entire JH/HS staff as we continue to build our PLC. Classroom reports were received from Mrs. Bebb, Mrs. Palmer, and Mrs. Skillen. It was noted that the 2016 RPHS yearbook has been selected for the Walworth “Gallery