Church

School Commission Minutes – September 2011

School Commission Meeting Minutes
September 26, 2011

Attendance
John Gochenaur, Father Haemmerle, Jonathan Albrecht
David Bogle, Michelle Popp, Brian Leen,
Jenifer Davis, Erin Stolly,Tim Azbill
Teresa Sarmiento, Carrie McHenry, Sue Klosterman
Michael Carter

I. Opening Prayer
Father Haemmerle opened the meeting with a prayer at 6:15 in the Teacher’s Lounge.

II.Approval of Minutes
The August minutes were approved. Mike Carter motioned, Michelle Popp seconded.

III. Pastor’s Report
Father Haemmerle reported that it he is pleased with how things are running right now. From his playground observations, he noted not one child is standing around anymore. They are all doing something! There have been a few accidents causing broken arms. Mr. Bogle has discussed safety concerns using the zip-line to grades 5-8. The school will be looking into purchasing a camera to help monitor the playground.

The parish is doing well. This weekend will be the annual stewardship talk. Joe Jones will be speaking and we are encouraged to consider increasing our donations. We are falling somewhat behind and it needs to pick up. Direct deposits with personal banks has become a popular and convenient way of giving to the church.

IV. Principal’s Report
Mr. Bogle reported:

Faith Formation: Our second and eighth grade students are beginning their preparation for First Reconciliation and Holy communion, and confirmation. Parent meeting with both groups are currently occurring under the guidance of the Faith Formation Office.

IOWA Testing: The IOWA Testing of Basic Skills will be administered to students in grades 2-8 during the first two weeks of October. Continued analysis of these test scores will be performed through the support of Battelle for Kids.

Ohio Catholic Education Association Conference: The teachers will be attending the biannual conference in Columbus on October 3. This will be a nonschool day for students.

Alter High School Eight Grade Visitation: Eighth grade students are invited to spend the day at Alter High School on October 3. Students will gain insight into the life of a high school student. Alter High is the only Catholic High School that offers these opportunities while the elementary school is on break so students do not miss learning time.

Kettering Youth Leadership Academy: St. Charles students Matthew Schlegel, Andrew Waker, Roberto DiSalvo, and Daniel Morrison are continuing their involvement in the Kettering Youth Leadership Academy that began last school year. They will have three meetings this school year with a graduation on December 7.

Vision for Catholic Schools: For the past several months, an effort has been underway to establish a common vision for the future of Catholic school education in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. During the 2010-2011 school year, large amounts of data were collected on the current state of our Catholic schools. This data has been compiled in an initial Assessment Report that will be released to the public in early October. All are invited to attend a presentation in October regarding the vision. At each presentation, Dr. Jim Rigg, Superintendent of Catholic schools, will provide a summary of the key data regarding Catholic identity, academic excellence, demographics, finances, and other areas from this Assessment Report. The presentations will take place on the following dates:

Oct. 4: Chaminade-Julienne high School (6:00-7:30 PM)

All are welcome to attend. Please visit www.catholiccincinnati.org/education/lighting_the_way for more details.

Parent Teacher Conferences will be Wednesday, Nov. 9 in the evening, and Thursday, Nov. 10 during the day. There will be NO SCHOOL November 10-11.

Mr. Bogle is continuing to look for a vendor for our school computer contract. The choices have been narrowed down to two possibilities and he is very close to making the decision that will best meet our needs as well as be cost effective.

Mr. Bogle was pleased to accept a generous $7,200. 00 donation from the St. Charles golf outing. This money will go toward technology.

V. Old Business
Father spoke with Ed Gerding, President of Athletic Commission, regarding money earned from our annual Monte Carlo. A total of $35,000.00 was earned at last year’s 2011 event. The amount was split in half, one half went to the playground, the other half went to athletics and other school related items. There will be $5000.00 annually from the Monte Carlo to be put away in a playground maintenance account so that we will be prepared when our new playground needs maintained. Father explained that the School Commission’s job is to discuss school policy and the CSC is the group approached for fundraising issues and ideas.

Sue Klosterman mentioned that since the CSC is brand new, it might be perceived that giving the CSC a lump sum may not be a good idea based on past issues involving PTO. Mr. Bogle and Father added that any expenditures over $5000.00 not within a budget must go through parish council for approval. Expenditures under $5000.00 will go through Mr. Bogle. The checkbook is now in the parish office, and checks and balances are in place and handled in that office.

CSC meetings will hold four open meetings throughout the school year. People are welcome to attend. Individual grade level representatives should be in touch with families they represent to let them know of issues, concerns, and ideas that may be going on. If any decisions are necessary prior to a CSC open meeting, Mr. Bogle explained many channels of communication will take place beforehand so that people are aware.

VI. New Business
A discussion was held regarding the busy end-of-the-day pick-up. Mr. Bogle said many good ideas for improvement were mentioned at the last open CSC meeting. Mr. Bogle is considering possible changes and the affects they might have. Making any change to the pick-up procedures will affect many people and he needs to account for extra staff that would be needed as well as the traffic flow and layout of the parking lot. At this time, he has considered three options:

1). Staggering pick-up times. Mr. Bogle noted that the parking lot is the busiest at 2:45p.m., however, at 2:55p.m., there are many open spaces available.

2). Going back to the split that we had last May when Mrs. Moore assigned last names of A-M and N-P to dismiss at either Walsh Hall or the PAC. A concern for this procedure is not having enough staff to monitor both places at the same time. Teachers would have to be pulled from their already assigned place of duty to be at a new site.

3). Having a placard made with a family name to be placed on dashboard. Parents would stay in car, a staff member would radio to Walsh Hall that you are approaching, and the children would be ready and get into the car when you arrive at the entrance to Walsh Hall. A concern here is having all of the children per family available and ready when you arrive. There are two schools in the area that operate with this system and we will be evaluating their procedure to see if it would be something for St. Charles to do.

Mr. Bogle is concerned and aware of the pick-up issues. He is open to suggestions.

In addition, Mr. Bogle and the maintenance department are discussing where another speed bump can be placed to help deter people from speeding through the parking lot.

VII. Liaison Reports
a. Teacher’s Report- Teresa Sarmiento

Morning prayer is being read in Spanish in honor of Hispanic Awareness
Month 9/15-10/15

Kindergarten has studied the stories of Creation and Noah’s Ark. We are
also doing sing a longs to practice different skills.

1st Grade is off to an exciting start year! We are busy learning our
vowels and started The Phonics Dance to learn those irregular letter
sounds, such as: /sh/, /ch/ and /th/! Addition and subtraction are also
well underway! Boonshoft Museum will also be coming to see us this year
and we are getting ready for our first session, A Visit with the
Animals!!! We are excited for October because we will be talking about
the Rosary at school and during Religion. We also have a fun trip to the
pumpkin patch planned with our 8th grade brothers and sisters!

The second grade is learning about how Americans choose leaders and make
laws They are also learning about the rights and responsibilities of
citizens.

Third grade will soon begin a unit on map reading which will include
drawing lines of latitude and longitude and placing the continents on
pumpkins.

Mrs. Carlson’s 4th grade has a new class pet this year…Buckeye the
bearded dragon. We are using her in math by graphing her length
throughout the year, and in science since she is part of the desert
biome. We discuss how she has had to adapt to the new environment. The
students, and teacher, LOVE her!!
In math we finished up our graphing unit using all food…yummy!!! We
are working on place value now. In social studies we have finished up
map skills and have begun our study of the great state of Ohio. This is
such a fun unit!! In science we are spending the first quarter on
health. We have talked about the food pyramid, kept a food and exercise
log, will learn about vitamins and minerals in foods, and study the
digestive system. It is a busy and fun time in 4th grade!!

Mrs. Waker’s 5th grade religion class had seminarian Brian Phelps as a
guest speaker. The students got a chance to learn all about Mr.
Phelps’ life, and most importantly, the journey that he is taking to
become a priest. The students learned all about the seminary, and what
made Mr. Phelps decide to become a priest. They also had the chance to
ask Mr. Phelps questions, such as, what did your family think when you
told them you wanted to become a priest? Some of the most important
things that Mr. Phelps told the 5th graders was to always make time for
God in your busy day, even if it is just a quick “thank you” and to
always pray. Mr. Phelps also explained that we should not ask “What do
I want do with my life?” but, instead we should ask, “What does GOD want
me to do with my life?” Thank you Mr. Phelps!

The 5th graders also had a presentation by City of Kettering Police
Officer Villelli on computer/internet safety. The students learned all
about how to be careful online, and to never give out personal
information . They also watched a PowerPoint with real stories of teens
who have “met” people online. It was a wonderful learning experience
for the 5th graders.

Math: students are learning place value, addition, and subtraction.
Reading: reading stories on Natural Disasters.
Religion: Daily Bible reading with reflection questions. Students just
finished writing an essay on “Why God is proud of Me”. Students are
beginning to learn about the Sacraments.
Science: students are learning about Natural Disasters, having covered
hurricanes and tornadoes so far.
History: students are learning about the early peoples of Canada and
Latin America.
English: students are reviewing punctuation, capitalization, and how to
write a thank you note.

8th religion students spent some time sharing a piece of modern
Christian music that had a message that resonated with them. Each
student also found a scripture passage that made a connection with the
music.

7th Language Arts students studied floor plans as part of the novel The
House of Dies Drear. The house was a haven for escaping fugitives
during the years of slavery and had secret passages. Students are
drawing floor plans and including a secret room!

Junior high math classes are very busy this year. In sixth grade we
spent a day shopping for our favorite college sweatshirts and working on
decimal equations in the process. Go Flyers! Go Raiders! Our seventh
grade classes are moving forward and currently writing some metric music
to teach a very important concept of the metric system. Our Algebra and
Pre-Algebra classes are working on complex equations. Study group is
run Tuesday through Thursday in the junior high and our group has
between 4 and 12 students staying on a regular basis.

Mrs. Hill is registering our students for http://www.ixl.com/math/grades
in October. This is a wonderful resource for our students to explore
and enrich learning of math concepts in our graded course of study and
the state standards. This site is great for standardize test practice
also.

The St. Charles eighth graders are invited to visit Alter on October 3.
The St. Charles faculty will be attending OCEA that day so our students
do not miss any class time. This visitation day is a great opportunity
for our students to see the Alter programs. Many students indicate they
are currently registered and it can all be complete online. They are
very excited. Our Big Brother/Big Sister program is under way. We are
going to the All School Masses together and plans are made for the farm
trip, our Thanksgiving Feast and Breakfast with Santa.

Students in 6th, 7th and 8th will receive their Science Expo packets on
Tuesday, Sept 27. In 8th grade, we have been studying the behavior of
gases. In lab, we changed the temperature of a gas sample (trapped in a
balloon) and observed changes in volume. In 7th grade, we are learning
about how movement of material beneath the surface of the earth produce
changes on the surface. Students are connecting that information to some
of Earth’s magnificent mountain ranges such as the Himalayas and the
Andes Mountains. In 6th grade, students have completed their study of
viruses and bacteria and are ready to move on to protists and fungi.

The Music Man is casted. We had over 100 students audition this year,
the greatest number so far. Elementary Chorus has
Begun and they have begun working on their Christmas Musical for
December. The Show Choir is taking bookings for
performances. So far we have three this season. Lastly, Mrs. Henry and I
have started the St. Charles Fine Arts Society.
The society is dedicated to providing enrichment activities in the
nature of field trips, visits with special local artists and
opportunities for hands on experiences in the arts. The society meets
every other Tuesday starting in October.
Educational Resources
At St. Charles Borromeo the following websites are integrated and/or offer support to our students in their academic work. We invite you to visit them and explore.
Language Arts
http://www.eduplace.com/kids (Grade 2)
http://www.funbrain.com/kidscenter.html (Grade 2)
http://funschool.kaboose.com/arcade/index.html (Grade 2)
http://www.firstschoolyears.com/literacy/word/phonics/vowels/vowels.htm (Grade 2)
http://www.brainpopjr.com/ (Grade 2)
www.gameuarium.com/spelling.html ( Grade 3)
http://classroom.jc-schools.net/basic/la-spell.html ( Grade 3)
www.bookadventure.com ( Grade 3)
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/diagrams2/one_pager1.htm ( Grade 7)
http://www.poetryoutloud.org/ ( Grade 7)
http://www.powerofthepen.org/ ( Grade 7)
http://www.merriam-webster.com/ ( Grade 7)
ellie@thegrammarguru.com (academic grammar)
http://owl.english.purdue.edu (writing, grammar, style)
http://johnmcgarvey.com/apworld/student/thesiscreator.html (thesis writing help)
infor@dailywritingtips.com (academic grammar, abbreviations, syntax, fiction and non fiction writing, scholarly writing).
http://www.eduplace.com (Grade 5 English
http://www.eduplace.com (Grade 5 Reading)
Library
www.ReadKidddoRead.com
Music
www.jamstudio.com
www.musictheory.net
www.sphinxkids.org
Math
http://www.math-play.com/Elementary-Math-Games.html (Grade 2)
http://www.coolmath.com (Grade 2)
http://www.aplusmath.com (Grade 2)
http://www.factmonster.com/games.html (Grade 2)
www.aaamath.com ( Grade 3)
http://www.sadlier-oxford.com (Grade 5 Math)
www.classzone.com (Grade 7 math and Pre-Algebra)
www.phschool.com (Algebra class—Web codes are required and given in your textbook )
www.sadlier-oxford.com (Grade 6 math)
www.sadlier-oxford.com/math/mc_manipulative.cfm?sp=student&tp=grade&gradeID=6&isEN=1 ( Grade 6 virtual manipulative to see how the topics learned in class work)
Interactive Math Games/activities

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/math.htm

http://www.ct4me.net/math_resources.htm

http://themathworksheetsite.com/

http://www.mathplayground.com/mathtv.html

http://www.edhelper.com/division.htm?gclid=CKLy_r7XmZECFQHgPAodzlIqNw

http://www.todaysteacher.com/EasyAsPi.htm

http://www.factmonster.com/mathmoney.html

http://www.tlsbooks.com/fifthgradeworksheets.htm

http://www.funbrain.com/

http://www.ct4me.net/math_resources_3.htm

http://www.mathkangaroo.org/

http://www.puzzles.com/projects/LogicProblems.html

http://edhelper.com/logic_puzzles.htm

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html

NCTM Illuminations

http://illuminations.nctm.org/

AAA Math

http://www.aaamath.com

ArithmAttack

http://www.dep.anl.gov/aattack.htm

Cool Math

http://www.coolmath.com/

Create a Graph

http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx

Learning Planet

http://www.learningplanet.com/stu/kids0.asp

Internet 4 Classrooms (I4C)

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/math.htm

Create Flashcards or practice skills on-line:

http://www.aplusmath.com/Flashcards/index.html

Meteor Game for Multiplication practice:

http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/games/meteor/meteor.html

More games for skills practice:

http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/

Factor Tree practice:

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_202_g_3_t_1.html

Math games for practice:

http://www.mymathgames.com/

Decimal and Whole number Jeopardy:

http://www.quia.com/cb/8142.html

Rounding Decimals and Whole numbers:

http://www.quia.com/mc/66061.html

Advanced multiplication game:

http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/ulee/37938

Fraction games:

http://www.vectorkids.com/vkfractions.htm

Fraction Frenzy:

http://www.learningplanet.com/sam/ff/index.asp

Religion
http://www.biblegateway.com/ ( Grade 7)
www.sadlier.com (Grade 5 Religion)
http://www.catholiccincinnati.org (Grade 5 Religion)
Social Studies (History)
https://www.successnetplus.com/ (6th grade text book.(id and password required))
https://www.pearsonsuccessnet.com 7th and 8th grade text book ((id and password required))
http://www.scottforesman.com (Grade 5 History)

http://www.cnn.com/

http://www.history.com/

http://www.biography.com/

http://www.votesmart.org/index.htm

http://www.worldatlas.com/

Braches of Governement

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

http://www.senate.gov/

http://www.house.gov/

http://www.supremecourt.gov/

Spanish
http://www.vhlcentral.com/ (Grade 7)
http://conjuguemos.com/home/index.html (Grade 7)
http://www.classzone.com/books/en_espanol_1/ (Grade 8)
http://conjuguemos.com/home/index.html (Grade 8)
b. Marketing/PR-Michelle Popp

* School Directories will be completed next week. We are hoping parents utilize the St. Charles Gold Pages and support our families and their businesses.
*Maggie will be sending out a ‘Save the Date’ magnet to parishioners from St. Charles ,St. Francis, and other inquiries that she has for Open House in January. These ‘Save the Dates’ are new this year, and will be geared toward preschool aged children so we can begin getting interest in our preschool for next year. Maggie would like to send these dates out at the end of October.
* Regular Open House invites will be sent out January 1.
* For the regular Open House invites Maggie would like to use a mailing house and mail to Bellbrook, Centerville, and Kettering families with school aged children.
* Dave and Maggie will begin working on a new plan for this year’s Open House.

c. Charger Support Committee-Jenifer Davis
See New Business IV. and Principal’s Report VI.
d. Athletic Commission – Jon Albrecht/Michelle Popp
Soccer is going well, basketball sign-ups took place, and golf is finishing up the season. Division III golf team is in 1st place.
e. Parish Council – John Gochenaur
- Mr. David Schoeff presented the 2010-2011 Annual report at the 22 Aug
meeting. It will be submitted to the Archdiocese and St. Charles
Parishioners will receive a copy in October.

- Plans are underway for the parish’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. All
parishioners will receive a 15-month calendar of significant events in the
mailing with the annual report.

- Revised council by-laws were discussed at the 26 Sep meeting.

- Sr. Fran reported on the Parish twinning project. Three members from the
St. Augustine Mission will be visiting during the first weekend in November
to share information about life on the mission which is part of the
Winnebago Reservation.
f. Finance Committee- Sue Klosterman/Tim Azbill
No report
g. Technology – Chris Sharbaugh/Michelle Popp
See Principal’s Report, IV.
h. Scouting – John Gochenaur/Mike Carter/Michelle Popp
Notes from the Pack 813 Cub Scout program:
- The Pack held a successful Fall Bonfire kick-off program on August 27.
- We had a well attended Fall Family Campout at Sugarcreek Reserve on Sept. 17.
- We will hold our first formal pack meeting this Wednesday, Sept. 28
- Thanks to Mr. Bogle and crew, the flag pole in front of the school is now in working condition (and the tree was trimmed back during the summer). Pack 813 has hung an American flag on the pole. We also plan on adding an Ohio state flag as well. In November the Pack will officially dedicate a new school flag, as well as hold a flag retirement ceremony. Please pass the word along to turn in any US flags needing proper disposal to the Pack.

VII. Adjournment – Final Comments
Michelle Popp mentioned The Science Olympiad in grades 6,7,8 will be competing with 11 kids interested.
The meeting adjourned at 7:22 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 24, at 6:15 p.m. in the school library.
Submitted By: Carrie McHenry

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School Commission Minutes – September 2011

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