Rogers second-grader Owen Vybiral Stewart gives a presentation on good citizenship to the Board.
Rogers student demonstrates PBIS at home
At Rogers Elementary, positive behavior and good citizenship are part of every school day through Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). To teach families how PBIS could be used at home, Mark Church, Rogers guidance counselor and PBIS coordinator, sought help from someone with proven success using PBIS outside of the classroom.
Enter second-grader Owen Vybiral Stewart.
Owen, with the help of his mom, created a PowerPoint presentation about how he learns to make positive choices and be a good citizen as part of his family. He gave this presentation to a large crowd at a recent Rogers Family Learning Center event, and gave it again Monday night to the Board.
Owen told the Board about being a respectful, caring member of his family. He discussed learning how to manage money by saving his allowance and budgeting for things he wants (like a new toy helicopter). He also demonstrated how to be a good citizen, with examples including volunteering with the Animal Rescue League and shoveling a neighbor’s sidewalk without being asked.
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Miller launches Manner Up! video series
On Monday afternoons everyone at Miller Middle School can expect “Mama Cat” and “Bob Cat” to appear on their television screens. The duo star in Manner Up!, a new video series produced by and starring Miller staff and students with messages about good manners and respect.
Language arts teacher Mary Fitzgerald portrays “Mama Cat”, while “Bob Cat” is social studies teacher Bob Gilbertson. Media specialist Dave Stanfield is in charge of filming the videos, which along with Fitzgerald and Gilbertson will feature a variety of Miller students and staff.
The first video – “Dare Not to Swear” – premiered Monday, March 12. Following the 11-minute video, classrooms had discussions about behavior expectations and being held accountable for them.
“I am very excited about this initiative to improve our climate at Miller regarding respect and manners,” Principal Sharon McKimpson said. “Many talented hands are helping with Manner Up!.”
A new video will premiere every Monday afternoon for the rest of the school year.
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Meal prices increasing 10 cents
School breakfast and lunch prices will increase 10 cents in 2012-2013.
According to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, food service programs with an average lunch cost of less than $2.46 must increase costs a minimum of 5 cents and no more than 10 cents in any year. In 2011-2012 Marshalltown Community School District’s average lunch cost was $2.02.
For 2012-2013 K-4 breakfast will be $1.05 and lunch will be $2.05. For grades 5-12 breakfast will be $1.10 and lunch will be $2.20. Adult breakfast will be $1.45 and lunch will be $3.10.
Individual milk costs will remain 30 cents. There is no change in the cost for reduced-price meals as those are set by Federal guidelines.
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Health Careers Club to visit Mayo Clinic
The Marshalltown Area Health Careers Club will tour Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., on Friday, March 23.
The Board approved the out-of-state trip, which includes 28 students from Marshalltown High School and other area schools.
The club began last year and includes monthly activities for students. This trip is being sponsored and financed by Marshalltown Medical and Surgical Center, Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates, Marshalltown Area Health Careers Club fundraisers, and Gear Up.
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Support Services addition begins bid process
The Board approved an addition project at the Support Services Building.
The three-story addition will add a stairwell and elevators to the building, as long as parking, creating an entrance that will eventually serve as the main entrance for district offices.
A future project will be the renovation of upper floors to move the district central office and board room from the 317 Columbus Drive Location.
The addition will be built at the location of the 1927 Anson Middle School building, which is slated for demolition.
Total anticipated project costs are $1.5 million.
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NOTES FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD
By Kay Beach, Board President
The entire district is working very hard on improving student behaviors, and tonight’s Board meeting included two really neat examples of how PBIS is playing out in two of our schools. Rogers second- grader Owen Vybiral Stewart gave a power-point presentation which he had created. In it he explained how his weekly allowance is based on his behaviors, giving concrete examples of how positive behaviors increase his allowance and how poor choices made “when my brain is tired” result in decreases. This young man has internalized valuable information and then shared it; I was impressed! The second example came from Miller Middle School. Two teachers have teamed up to create weekly videos featuring “Mama Cat” and “Bob Cat” who use humor to illustrate different positive behaviors. The videos are clever and entertaining while strongly emphasizing their message. After each video is shown, classes have the opportunity to discuss the week’s featured behavior, and then it is strongly emphasized throughout the building during the week.
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NOTES FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
By Dr. Marvin Wade, Superintendent of Schools
This evening the Board of Education approved Policy 100 (District Philosophy, Mission, Beliefs, and Expectations). Strategy 5 that accompanies this policy states, “MCSD will improve student achievement through efficient stewardship of district resources.” One way this stewardship can be demonstrated is by systematically planning for current and future facility needs of the district.
Tonight’s meeting included discussion about plans to update the District Capital Improvement Project List. This document is different than the MCSD Facilities Plan frequently mentioned during board meetings.
The Facilities Plan, presented to the Board in March 2010, contains rationale and design information for 10 projects between 2010 and 2015, including Fisher Elementary, preschool classrooms, MHS second floor classrooms, and the MHS Roundhouse renovation.
The Capital Improvement Project List is much broader in scope. This document contains a comprehensive list of buildings and grounds improvements recommended for every District facility, compiled from numerous sources, including staff, community members, and external inspectors such as the Fire Marshall or Office of Civil Rights.
This list hasn’t been recently reviewed, so seven steps will be taken to update the document: 1) remove everything from the current list that’s no longer relevant (e.g. completed projects or outdated cost estimates); 2) seek widespread input from district staff and community users of MCSD facilities; 3) create one list that contains all recommended projects; 4) administrative staff identify priority projects; 5) present documents from steps 3 and 4 to the MCSD Design Advisory Committee for its review and possible revision; 6) present Design Advisory Committee recommendations to the Board; and, 7) present an updated Capital Improvement Project List to the Board every spring.
District administrators and the Board look forward to receiving suggestions for the Capital Improvement Project List during the coming months. This is an important step toward ensuring that taxpayer dollars continue to be invested in a manner consistent with the priorities of the district and the community it serves.
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PERSONNEL
Resignations
Pete Drury, MHS counselor and head 7th grade boys track coach, effective at the end of the 2011-2012 school year.
Laurie Muilenburg, Woodbury paraeducator, effective March 23, 2012.
Gail Snyder, MHS food service, effective March 16, 2012.
Retirement
Rich Collins, school bus driver, effective March 12, 2012.
Appointments
Susan O’Neill, Woodbury Title I teacher. Start date: 2012-2013 school year. Salary: MA Step 5.
Amy Troup, MHS paraeducator. Start date: March 20, 2012. Salary: $9.48/hour.
Micah Donelson, Miller food service. Start date: March 6, 2012. Salary: $9.58/hour.
Melinda Burton, Rogers food service. Start date: March 7, 2012. Salary: $9.84/hour.
Dana Craft, Anson food service. Start date: March 8, 2012. Salary: $9.84/hour.
David Case, Jr., MHS assistant girls track coach. Start date: Jan. 16, 2012. Salary: $3,190/year.
Change of Contract
Sharon Baughman, administrative assistant to the associate superintendent. Start date: July 1, 2012. Change from administrative assistant for technology.
Renae Devenney, 12-month secretary at Lenihan. Start date: July 1, 2012. Change from 10-month secretary at Lenihan.
Jasmine Hazen, Woodbury Title I teacher. Start date: 2012-2013 school year. Change from Title I teacher at MACS and Woodbury.
Shelly Seymour, MHS paraeducator. Start date: Feb. 28, 2012. Change from Level III Special Ed to Level I, from $9.63/hour to $8.63/hour.
Kerri Rubenbauer, Woodbury Literacy Intervention Tutor. Start date: Feb. 6, 2012. Change from 6 hours/day to 7 hours/day (extra hour at Fisher Elementary).
John Saunders, bus driver. Start date: Jan. 30, 2012. Salary :$637.80/month. Change from substitute to regular route.
James Johnson, bus driver. Start date: Feb. 7, 2012. Salary: $637.80/month. Change from substitute to regular route.
Jean Wilkens, MHS food service. Start date: Jan. 4, 2012. Salary: $11.73/hour. Change from Grade 3, Step 2 to Grade 4, Step 2.
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POLICY
100 District Philosophy, Mission, Beliefs, and Expectations, approved.
101.1 Long-Range Needs Assessments, will return as a Second Reading.
200 Statement of Guiding Principles, 201.2 Legal Status of the Board of Directors, 201.3 Responsibilities of the Board of Directors, 201.4 Elections, 201.5 Membership, and 201.6 Term of Office were marked as reviewed.
201.7 Organization of the Board, will return as a First Reading.
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The Board Report 