BOARD
BRIEFS
Summary of the Grosse Pointe Board of Education Meeting,
April 19, 2004
VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION
Dr. Suzanne Klein, Superintendent of Schools, and the Board of Education
recognized the services of eight volunteers who have provided outstanding
service to the school system. Recipients of the 2004 Distinguish Volunteers
Awards were Maureen Bennett (Mason), Pat Burke (Kerby), Karen Fontanive (Monteith),
Karen Henning (Maire), Susan Hollobaugh (Mason Primary Learning Program), Wendy
Joy (Monteith), Jayne Vallee (South), and Bill Warner (Mason).
Human
resources report
The Board approved a leave of absence for one classroom assistant and noted the
resignations of two instructional staff members, five classroom assistants, and
one paraprofessional. It also noted the retirement, effective June 30 of this
year, of Vanda Skuras (secretary to South
High School assistant principal). NOTE:
The March issue of Board Briefs should have noted that the retirement of Mary
Ostrowski (Pierce) will be effective on June 30 of this year.
APPROVAL OF
FIELD TRIPS
The Board approved a day trip (scheduled for September 22, 2004) to the
Shakespeare Festival in Stratford (Ontario) for 42 Community School students and
5 chaperones; a day trip to Toronto, Canada, for the North Jazz Band so that
these 25 students can take part in the Music-in-the-Parks Festival on May 8,
2004; and a day trip on May 13, 2004, to Ontario, Canada, so that the South High
School honors earth science classes (approximately 93 students, 3 teachers, and
5 parent chaperones) can visit Rock Glen Provencal Park and Pinery Provencal
Park in order to visit a fossil museum, collect fossils, and analyze the geology
of the area.
NOTE: Because the U.S. State Department continues to extend its “Worldwide Caution” for Americans traveling outside the United States, the Board’s “Study Warming” (Policy IFCB) banning foreign trips to students is still in place. This means that the Board must approve, on a case-by-case basis, any exceptions to this policy so that students can participate in valuable learning experiences.
LANGUAGE
ARTS TITLES
The Board approved two additional titles for the Board-Approved Language Arts
Titles List. The new titles to be added to the K-8 list are Walk Two Moons
by Sharon Creech and Letters from Rifka by Karen Hesse.
POLICY
APPROVAL
The Board approved revisions of the
Student Code of Conduct (Policy JCD) that were made in order to improve the
clarity of its language. No substantive changes were made.
BIDS
The Board approved three bids. The South
High School parking lot improvement
project was awarded to Pro Line Asphalt Paving, the low bidder at $113,851. The
North fence project was awarded to Future Fence Company, the low bidder at
$41,717. The North High School HVAC (phase 2) project was awarded to R. W. Mead
& Sons, the second bidder at $146,900. (Supreme Heating & Supply was the low
bidder at $146,900.) Mead was chosen based on each company’s ability to
complete the project on time and the school system’s past experience with Mead
and with Supreme.
OTHER
BUSINESS
The Board received information about
current and scheduled bond projects, revenue enhancement proposals, and the
minutes of the Special Election Board of Canvassers meeting on March 16, 2004.
In addition, they were provided with information about the three candidates who
will be listed on the ballot for the Regular Election to be held on Monday, June
14, 2004, to fill two vacancies for a four-year term beginning July 1, 2004, and
ending June 30, 2008. The candidates are Angela Kennedy, Steve Matthews, and
Ahmed V. Ismail.
Summer school fees for 2004 were also presented. The fees will be $100 for elementary school classes, $135 for middle school classes, and $250 for high school classes.
Next Meetings
A conference meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Monday,
May 3, 2004, at 8 p.m. in the South High School Wicking Library.
A regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Monday, May 10, 2004, at 8 p.m. in the South High School Wicking Library.
Suzanne Klein Summary of the Board of Education Meeting