Great Bay eLearning Charter School Minutes
September 1, 2005 – 4:00 PM
Great Bay eLearning Charter School
PRESENT: Lucy Cushman, Sara Baer-Sinnott, Peter Stackhouse, Andrew Weeks and Kent Chamberlin
ABSENT: Linda Henderson, Roy Morrisette, Ben Hillyard, Tom Wisbey and Cheryl McDonough
ADMINISTRATION: Arthur L. Hanson and Steve Kossakoski
OTHERS: Kristianne Johnston, Shawn Bodi, Jess Boyd, Judy Graham, George McKenney
1. CALL TO ORDER: Vice Chair Cushman called the meeting to order at 4:08 PM followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
1.1 Introductions: Everyone present introduced themselves.
2. NON-PUBLIC SESSION: None at this time.
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
3.1 June 2, 2005 – these were left out of the board packets emailed to everyone so the approval will be deferred to the next trustees meeting.
4. VISITORS: None at this time.
5. BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL
5.1 Financial Report – Nathan Lunney, Treasurer: Nathan is on vacation and Skip passed out the NH Department of Education annual financial reports that the Trustees need to review and sign. Steve explained that the school is still operating on the $200,000 grant we received last year. We are waiting for the state to send us the RFP for this year’s grant so we can apply for an additional $150,000. As soon as RFP is available, we will be applying for that additional money.
6. GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE: None at this time.
7. SUPERINTENDENT'S/ADMINISTRATION’S REPORT
7.1 Enrollment Report – Steve: School currently has 70 students and per the board’s approval, will allow up to a maximum of 80 students. Steve noted that the school is open to additional applications as the year goes on.
7.2 Professional Development for GBeCS Staff – Steve: The staff had a unique opportunity this summer to attend 20 days of professional development and were able to spend a good deal of that time meeting among themselves to work on curriculum planning. They received video conference training, training with Chris Moresch and a workshop on the Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teams. Steve has received a phone call from a consultant hired by NHDOE to do an accountability plan for the state on charter schools. The consultant would like to meet with a focus group of one to two trustees, administration and faculty to help develop this plan. Would like to schedule this meeting if any board members would be available for one of two tentative dates 9/14 or 9/21 to meet at 3:00 PM with the consultant for about an hour. Lucy can make 9/14 and Sally will check with Linda and Roy to see if either of them are available on either 9/14 or 9/21. Sara is available to meet on 9/21. Sally will get back in touch with the trustees to confirm the date and who will be meeting with the consultant.
7.3 Teaching Principal/Teaching Staff Report – Cheryl McDonough:
· Cheryl could not be present so Steve explained that Kristi will give the report. Skip asked if before Kristi’s report, the GBeCS staff could go around and give a little background on themselves and their perceptions of how school is going. Each staff members reviewed their background, what they are teaching and their perceptions on how school is going.
· Kristi then gave an opening of school report to the trustees and explained advisory groups and portfolios, etc. Handed out the 2005-06 weekly schedule for the students and explained: Session I and II are core subject classes; Flex Time is for art, music and technology; Activity period is where they are involved in a physical activity that would take the place of their gym class; Wellness is with Jennifer Kinsey; and START is Study, Techniques And Research Training – teaches how to study, take notes, do research projects and take tests; NWEA testing will be done as soon as possible in September; Rosetta Stone is an on-line Spanish tutorial and right now do not have a Spanish teacher, but hope to get one and then will have both the teacher and the on-line tutorial for students; and Study is study hall.
· Four main projects this year: Project ME – freshmen have the theme of “quality” and sophomores theme of “change”; Recycling Project; Human Advancement and Quality of Life project; and Evolution project . As the students get involved in each of these main projects, they will focus on their specific themes (quality or change) within each project.
· The freshman world history curriculum was discussed along with the staff’s thoughts on homework for the coming year – students have been told to expect to get homework this year, especially the sophomores. Steve noted that their curriculums align with the NH State frameworks.
· Steve reported that since close of school last year, school has had six sophomores transfer either back to EHS or to other schools initially received about 30 freshmen applications in June and few of those withdrew.
Superintendent commented that last year everyone was a little anxious about the resignation of the charter staff, but he expressed how enthused we are this year with the new staff, all their summer professional development opportunities and how comfortable the students are with the school, noting the numbers that came by over the summer to visit. Skip discussed the current charter and how it lends itself to 8th, 9th and 10th grades for 2006-2007. Would like to go back to NHDOE to amend charter to include 11th and 12th grades because if we do not do this, the school ends at grade ten. Asked for input from staff on how they felt about having a charter for 8th through 12th, but waiting on having an 8th grade right now and looking at first adding 11th grade and then 12th grade. Skip noted that Franklin Charter School was able to change their charter pretty quickly without problems. Motion by Sara Baer-Sinnott, seconded by Kent Chamberlin and unanimously voted with no further discuss to amend the current charter to include grades 8th through 12th and in 2006-07 adding the 11th grade and in 2007-08 adding the 12th grade and in 2008-09 adding the 8th grade. Skip will immediately get in touch with Commissioner about this change.
8. EMPLOYEES
8.1 Nomination of Professional Staff: None at this time.
8.2 Staffing for 2005-2006: Skip explained
that currently Mrs. McDonough is an 80% teaching principal and when she is away
from the school, it is important we have a lead teacher in school. He would
nominate Kristianne Johnston as lead teacher with stipend of $2000 for 05-06
school year. Motion by Sara Baer-Sinnott, seconded by Andrew Weeks and
unanimously voted with no further discussion to nominate Kristianne Johnston as
lead teacher for the 2005-06 school year with a stipend of $2,000. Question
arose about who will be the nurse for the school when the high school moves to
its new site. Skip reviewed the various entities that will stay in the
existing EHS site (SST, Alternative School, Charter School, etc.) and SST is already budgeting 40% for their
portion of a nurse as will the other schools that need nurse services. He sees
a great opportunity for the remaining tenants in EHS to share numerous staff
and services.
9. BOARD REPORTS/ POLICY
9.1 Review of Policies – this is a first reading with no action needed on the following policies: DI – Fiscal Accounting and Reporting; DJ – Purchasing; EDC – Authorized Use of School Owned Materials; GBEA – Staff Ethics and Employee Conflict of Interest; IGD – Curriculum Adoption; JLC – Student Health Services; JLCB – Immunization of Students; KH – Solicitations in Schools; KHB – Advertising in the Schools; and KI – Visitors in Schools.
10. CURRICULUM: Nothing at this time.
11. BUILDING AND GROUNDS: Now have two additional classrooms on third floor and Shawn noted he is the resident nomad on that floor.
12. PUPIL RELATED MATTERS: Nothing at this time.
13. OLD BUSINESS: Nothing at this time.
14. NEW BUSINESS:
14.1 Schedule Trustees Meetings: Skip explained that one of trustees has a conflict on 1st Thursday of every month, wondering if can go 2nd or 3rd Thursday. Another trustee would prefer if the meetings were a little later in the afternoon. Trustee consensus that there will be no October meeting; the November meeting will be November 17th at 4:30 PM and we will tentatively schedule a December meeting for the 8th at 4:30 PM and decide at the November meeting whether we need the December meeting or not. Will also schedule the rest of the year at the November meeting.
15. ADJOURNMENT: On a motion by Peter Stackhouse, seconded by Andrew Weeks and unanimously voted with no further discussion to adjourn at 5:14 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Sally S. Boyd, Secretary