Fr. Gary Regula, Pastor

Shelley Conner, Principal

Scott Brandt, Faculty Rep
Linda Korwald, Parish Council Representative

June 1, 2009

New Advisory Board Officers were elected as follows:

President – Lynn Beck; Vice President – Lynn Grennan; Secretary – Joyce Petrowski

The Board received reports from the Principal, Pastor and Faculty Representative; Development, Finance, Technology and Facilities committees; plus updates from the Mom’s and Dad’s Clubs and PTO, at its June 1st meeting.  The highlights follow.

Principal’s Report.  Principal Conner reports:  Spirituality included closing the year with a Mass.  Administration will be reviewing eighth grade year-end events (i.e. graduation, retreat, dinner, awards, etc.).  Liturgy committee is reviewing and planning for next school year and will focus on what we are actually trying to teach the children (somehow including CDA).  Honor Roll will be mailed and sent to Parishes for the bulletins.  Lack of award ceremony will be addressed in a future of the Bite.  Survey went out to all 4-8 grade parents and students, and the results are being processed.  Kim Silver has accepted a teaching position in the Pre-K classroom.  Staff is reviewing mission, philosophy, LASER and Student Handbook.  We ended the year with 573 students.

Pastor’s Report s and St. Benedict’s Parish Council Report. Fr. Gary reports:  Summer mass schedule is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:15am at St. John Bosco chapel.  During the summer months, the parish office hours on Fridays will be as follows: June:  9am to noon;     July – closed;     August 9am to noon

The Parish Council is working on the strategic plan with all sub-committees.  Currently looking at additional sub-committees to improve strategic plan.  Jay Iole and Michele Edison are leaving the Parish Council as Mike Kulikowski and Mick McLaughlin are new Parish Council members.

Faculty Report.  Scott Brandt reports:  Teachers loved all the events during Teacher Appreciation week including duty coverage, pancake breakfast, gifts, flowers, etc. 

Kindergarten is wrapping up year with “Around the World” imaginary trip.  Miss Krakora’s class had chapter book study on Charlotte’s Web, scripture skits and poems.  4^th grade held a Living Museum and students completed their novel study.  8^th grade students taught 7^th/8^th grade students about their trip to Washington D.C.  PE is preparing for “Summer Fun” by teaching badminton, Ultimate Frisbee and Frisbee Golf.  Additional items were added to the wish list.  Mrs. Reichardt and Mrs. Neumann would like to thank the St. Benedict’s Knights of Columbus for purchasing a classroom set of dictionaries and thesauruses.

Facilities.  The committee is continuing to work with DL Withers on the new building addition.  They are on schedule for opening in August.  Bids for parking lot and roofing systems (Piper Grant) went out.  Site Plan amendment was approved on April 13, 2009 and building permit approved by City of Phoenix on May 13^th for the Ball Field project.  Summer maintenance projects include classroom painting and investigating motion sensors for bathroom lighting.  Push button faucets will be installed in PE and MPR bathrooms.  Looking at suppliers to replace courtyard furniture.  Warranty work for MPR roof is being pursued.  

Finance.  The committee welcomed Greg Herriman as a new member.  Bruce Lincoln was elected as the new Finance Committee Chair and Patrick Ramirez was elected for the role of Finance Committee Secretary.  Based on the online survey, it was determined that there is not enough interest in a part-time Pre-K class for the upcoming school year.  Kitchell Corporation has committed to giving St. John Bosco $20,000 by using their corporate tax credit.  There are other corporations looking into this as well.

Development. The committee is actively pursuing grants and planning for next years annual campaign and CTODP.  Miss Krakora received a $500 Staples gift card from the Got2B Safe Contest.  We have applied for a few library grants, reading intervention grant, classroom sound reinforcement system grant and a Target Arts grant.

Technology.  The committee is updating the server and testing battery backup/UPS.  Cox upgraded our service to 3.0Mb.  Committee is getting Vista software and also installing Photo Story 3 software.  UPS testing and server installation and cutover to be done during summer break.

Dad’s Club. The Dad’s Club is wrapping up the Bosco event.  This event netted $71,000 to be used for the current building project.  The 2^nd Annual Poker Tournament raised $500 which opened the Tom Dillon Scholarship Fund.  The 5^th Annual Family Camping trip at Mt. Lemmon Whitetail Campground is June 13th-15^th.  Club elections were held in May for ’09-’10 officers as follows:

President – Mark Schmisseur; President-Elect – TBD; Immediate Past President – Eduardo Gamez; Treasurer – Peter Grossgold; EC#5 – Fred DeCaro.

Mom’s Club.  The Mom’s Club held their 2009-10- elections with the following results:

President – Renee Feil (re-elected); Newsletter – Angelina Brown; Winter Wonderland Chair – Stormi Cornelius; Social Chair – Caryn Flores; Treasurer – Laura DeCaro.  There is still an opening for Sunshine Committee Chair.  The members voted to donate $300 to MAP and $300 to the PE Department for supplies.

PTO.  The PTO had their final meeting in May and participated in Teacher Appreciation Week, held Family Movie night and end of year pool party at Kiwanis Park in Chandler.  Working with EZ School Supplies again this year.  Mentor families have been assigned for the upcoming school year.  Most popular date for Harvest Fest is October 17, 2009.  New ’09-’10 board members are:

President – Lynn Grennan; Vice President – Kymberli Mendenhall; Secretary – Nan Marchello; Treasurer – Stacey Lynkins; Harvest Fest Chair – Kristin Hamilton; Harvest Fest Co-Chair – Heather Garrison; Family Dinner Night Coordinator – Marita Loughran/Alicia Figueroa; New Family Welcome Coordinator – Tonya Kelly; Special Topics Coordinator – Tracy Ryan; Volunteer Coordinator – Monica Van Bruwaene/Connie Allison; Hospitality Coordinator – Darlene Nimsger; Special Events Coordinator (New position) – Chris Grossgold.

Community  Issues- None reported at this time.

The August meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 24th at 5:30 pm. Please contact President Lynn Beck 10 days before the meeting to request an item be placed on the agenda.

SJB Advisory Board Members:  Lynn Beck; President, Lynn Grennan; Vice President, Joyce Petrowski; Secretary, Bill Mager, Mike Rafford, Greg Hayes, Collin Bottrill, Chris Bowen, Eduardo Gamez and Kathy Boyle.  Ex-officio Members: Father Gary Regula, Principal Shelley Conner, Faculty Representative Scott Brandt, and St. Benedict’s Parish Council Members Linda Korwald and Amy Fletcher.

 

April 27, 2009

The Board received reports from the Principal, Pastor and Faculty Representative; Development, Finance, Technology and Facilities committees; plus updates from the Dad’s Clubs and PTO, at its April 27th meeting.  The highlights follow.

Principal’s Report.  Principal Conner reported on the end of the year liturgy celebrations planned including First Communion reception, May crowning and graduation.  The administration is reviewing the strategic plan to make sure goals and objectives are being met based on benchmarks identified by the committees. The ball field lighting project is on target with submittal to the City of Phoenix of the plans for the construction permit. Principal Conner discussed the marketing efforts being done for Pre-K and Kindergarten and the possibility of adding a second Pre-K class. Parents are being surveyed now.  Decision will be made by early June.  Enrollment is expected to be 556 to start the school year.

Pastor’s Report s and St. Benedict’s Parish Council Report. The Bishop officiated over the First Communion/Confirmation celebration at the church. The Parish met its CDA goal.  The Parish gave parishioners recyclable water bottles in honor of Earth Day.  The parish website is under construction to save on printing and paper, making the website the source for announcements and news.  The Anointing Mass is May 9^th  at 11:00 am.  The Parish Mission is May 21-23, featuring Kevin Saunders and focusing on the Acts of the Apostles.  The Sanctity of Life Committee is sponsoring a baby shower for Elizabeth’s House.  The Parish Council and Finance Committees  are meeting in early May to work on the parish’s strategic  plan.  The Seder meal, hosted by Life Teen, was a success.  Elections are being held for two new members to serve on the Parish Council.  An open house is scheduled for April 29^th for new families.

Facilities.  The new Pre-K building construction is on target.  Bids for the ball field lighting project are expected to go out in early May.  It is the desire of the committee to have the project underway at the same time as the parking lot project.  The Piper Grant projects (parking lot and roofing systems) will start this summer.  The Eagle Scout projects are completed.  Thanks to Kurt Broer for replacing and welding the batting cage stanchion pipe.  Discussions are continuing on the carpool shade structure by the PTO.  A grant has been submitted for a shade structure for the swing set area.

Financial.  Carin Wolph is a new member of the Committee.  The March financials were reviewed. Our budget is on track, considering the anticipated ebb and flow of construction payments throughout the building project. The committee is expected to give the Advisory Board a recommendation on the ball field lighting project in June once the bids process concludes and the Bosco results are finalized.  The school, along with St. Benedict’s Parish, is in the process of moving the banking account to Arizona Business Bank  to save $$ on fees.

Development. The committee is discussing the development of a document to give to everyone at the beginning of the school year that would identify stewardship, development and fundraising projects which are offered at the school.   It would help families plan accordingly with their own family budgets.  

Dad’s Club. The Dad’s Club is working on its second annual poker tournament on May 9^th.  The Mom’s and Dad’s Club camping trip is scheduled for June 13-15. The Bosco event was deemed a success despite the economy. 

PTO.  The PTO-sponsored New Family Orientation was held in April.  The teachers will be scooping gelato at Dolce Luna this week.  Plans are underway for Teacher Appreciation Week in early May.  The Family Movie Night is May 8^th.  The pool party is May 21^st at the Chandler Aquatic Center.  The PTO is in need of a Hospitality Chair for next year and will be advertising in the Bite.  The PTO will be sponsoring the back-to-school promotion with Easy School Supplies again.  Discussion is underway for a Mother-Son event.

Faculty Report.  A slew of field trips in various grades are underway as the school year winds down. Various grades are working on biography projects.  The 6^th grade is creating a website based on the Roman Empire.  The 5^th grade science brochures on the solar system will be posted on the website.  Cinco de Mayo celebration is in the planning stages for K-4, featuring food, music and folklorico dancing for 4^th graders.  The Music Department’s spring recital program dates have been announced.

Technology.  More committee members are needed.  The committee is scheduling meetings in May to provide input on the strategic plan with regards to technology issues.  A standard maintenance schedule is being drafted.

Community  Issues.  Any changes in the awards and honors recognition have been tabled for now.  Questions for the student and parent surveys are due to President Klee by May 6^th.   The Board would like to thank the individuals who have submitted applications to serve on the Board.  We are blessed to have so many wonderful parents who wish to share their time and talent.  An announcement on the selected individuals will be forthcoming.  The Board will also conduct officer elections in May.

The June meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 1st at 5:30 pm. Please contact President Chris Klee 10 days before the meeting to request an item be placed on the agenda.

SJB Advisory Board Members:  Chris Klee, President; Lynn Beck, Vice President; Kathy Boyle, Secretary; Eamonn Ahearne, Joyce Petrowski, Bruce Lincoln, Bill Mager,  Mike Rafford, Greg Hayes and Lynn Grennan.  Ex-officio Members: Father Gary Regula, Principal Shelley Conner, Faculty Representative Scott Brandt, and St. Benedict’s Parish Council Members Linda Korwald and Amy Fletcher.

March 23, 2009

The Board received reports from the Principal, Pastor and Faculty Representative; Development, Finance, and Facilities committees; plus updates from the Mom’s and Dad’s Clubs, at its Mar. 23rd meeting.  The highlights follow.

Principal Conner reported on the 8th grade high school placements.  She encouraged members to attend the on March 27th at the school.  Principal Conner explained the Diocese’s request to have all schools participate in the CDA campaign this year. A report is expected to be published in September in the . Since the school already has a plan on stewardship (a particular charity/effort each month) and the effort made by our students and families, the Board directed Mrs. Conner to contact the CDA chairs and report on what our school has done already for the year.

Life Teen is hosting a seder meal on Palm Sunday.  Registration is required.  Reconciliation is this Wednesday at St. Benedict’s at 7:00 pm.  Fr. Gary reported on other parishes’ reconciliation dates. The Parish Council is continuing to work on its strategic plan.  The parish staff served food at St. Vincent De Paul recently.  Fr. Gary hopes to continue the practice of closing the office for a day with staff volunteering their time at a local charity.  The parish is in need of liturgical ministers and a lector coordinator.  Holy Week schedule was announced. Bishop Olmstead is presiding over the Confirmation/First Communion service on April 18th.  A health care ministry is being formed. The parish luau is this Saturday.

 

The committee is continuing its efforts to identify and submit for grants, recruit more members to help with stewardship and endowments, plan for the Annual Giving and CTODP campaigns for next school year; and researching a 10 year anniversary celebration for 2010-2011, employer matching programs and hardship fund.  The committee is developing a database of nonprofit organizations that students could access in order to complete service hours.  The next committee meeting is April 9th.

The Diocese has selected DL Withers Construction for the new kindergarten building. The City of Phoenix is reviewing the second submittal of plans – waiting on permit so we can move dirt.  The Board authorized the Facilities Committee to spend up to $1500 for permits with the City of Phoenix for the ball field lighting project.  The Piper grant projects (parking lot, roofing systems, etc.) would begin this summer.  The Eagle Scout projects by Matthew Rainey and Ryan Murphy are ongoing with significant progress made so far.

 

The committee has reviewed the finances to date along with the budget.  No problems were reported to the Advisory Board.  The committee is recruiting for more members.

The Dad’s Club is working on its second annual poker tournament on May 9th.  The Mom’s and Dad’s Club camping trip is scheduled for June 13-15. The Bosco planning is underway.

 

The PTO sponsored a summer activities fair during the March 4th K-4 Science Fair.  Katrina Zero is the speaker on March 24th.   The New Family Orientation is April 7th.  Family dinner night is April 30th at Chuck-E-Cheese.  May 1st is the family movie night.  The board was advised of the rising costs associated with the year-end school pool party and offered suggestions to the PTO to explore.

The Math Counts team won a trophy in their competition.  Spring sports continue.  The 7th graders and Mrs. Lynch are going to Arriba’s Mexican Restaurant this week for a Spanish lesson in ordering food. The Spanish Spelling Bee is this Thursday, March 26th.  The 5th graders are traveling to JABiztown on April 2nd to learn the art of running a city and local businesses using economic principles.  The 6th graders are planning a field trip to an aquarium at the end of April.  The school is receiving a donated ATV to use in dragging the infield for baseball.   For safety reasons, staff will be required to wear a helmet while riding the ATV.

Mr. Regalado is continuing his efforts to clean smart board projectors and install new light bulbs.  The committee is discussing upgrading the software and server.

The board spent time reviewing the final version of the board Constitution.  President Klee is working on the year-end school survey.

The April meeting is scheduled for Monday, Apr. 27th at 5:30 pm. Please contact President Chris Klee 10 days before the meeting to request an item be placed on the agenda.

 

 

SJB Advisory Board Members:  Chris Klee, President; Lynn Beck, Vice President; Kathy Boyle, Secretary; Eamonn Ahearne, Joyce Petrowski, Bruce Lincoln, Bill Mager,  Mike Rafford, Greg Hayes and Lynn Grennan.  Ex-officio Members: Father Gary Regula, Principal Shelley Conner, Faculty Representative Scott Brandt, and St. Benedict’s Parish Council Members Linda Korwald and Amy Fletcher.

February 2009

The Board received reports from the Principal, Pastor and Faculty Representative; Development, Finance, and Facilities committees; plus updates from the Mom’s and Dad’s Clubs, at its Feb. 23rd meeting.  The highlights follow.

The board welcomes Greg Hayes as a new member of the board.  Greg has graciously offered to serve on the Technology Committee and lend his IT experience to the school.

Principal’s Report.  Principal Conner reported the administration is tracking 8^th grade high school placements.  Board members were encouraged to attend the Diocesan School board meeting at SJB on Feb. 24^th.  Coordination of an end-of-the-year survey is underway as part of the strategic plan.  Principal Conner reported the inventory has been completed by the teachers and Mr. Regalado on the use of technology in the curriculum for grades 6-7-8, based on last month’s board discussion with community input.  More information is to come to the board on identifying any gaps along with professional development for teachers. The board was provided a list of professional development programs in the area of technology that teachers have attended in the past two years. The board reviewed current enrollment figures and the latest figures on re-enrollment for next school year.

Pastor’s Report. Lenten season was fast approaching.  Fr. Gary reported on electrical work being done at the parish and the continued efforts by the Parish Council on a strategic plan.  He also reported on the recent layoffs at the Diocesan office.

Development.    The committee was continuing its efforts to identify and submit for grants, recruit more members to help with stewardship and endowments, plan for the Annual Giving and CTODP campaigns for next school year; and researching a 10 year anniversary celebration for 2010-2011, employer matching programs and hardship fund.

Facilities.   The Pre-K building project was on track for solicitation of bids, selection of contractor, and granting of building permits with the expectation to “move” dirt in April. The ball field lighting project was ongoing with resubmission of information to the City of Phoenix and a second bid from Qualite for financial purposes only.  The Piper grant projects (parking lot, roofing systems, etc.) would begin this summer.  The Eagle Scout projects by Matthew Rainey and Ryan Murphy were ongoing. A thank you will be sent to the Chicago White Sox organization for their assistance in getting the baseball field ready for play.

 

Financial.  The advisory board approved the Finance Committee’s recommendation to increase tuition for FY 09-10 by 2% for all students, Catholic and non-Catholic.  The tuition amount will be $4490 for Catholic and $6220 for non-Catholic students.  A separate e-mail notice would be sent to all families from Principal Conner.  The committee was in need of more members (contact Lynn Beck, if interested).

Mom’s and Dad’s Club. The next Mom’s Club event was the Bunco Social/Night of Chocolate on Tuesday, Feb. 24^th in the MPR.  The Dad’s Club was working on its second annual poker tournament on May 9^th.  The Bosco planning was underway.

PTO.  The PTO was sponsoring a summer activities fair during the March 4^th K-4 Science Fair, a speaker on March 24^th, family movie night on May 1^st and school pool party in late May (location to be determined). 

Faculty Report.  The 4^th grade is to continue the tradition of the overnight zoo trip in March.  Science Fair for K-4 is scheduled for March 4^th.  Power point presentations in class by 5^th graders are underway for Social Studies.  The 8^th graders are working on the SCAMP project (Story about a Cultural Artifact from a Mathematical Perspective) this month and then class presentations. The Spanish spelling bee is scheduled for March 26^th.  The 7^th graders are going to Arriba’s restaurant on March 25^th to use their Spanish speaking skills to order food.

Community Issues.  The board spent time amending the bylaws and reviewing the final version of the board Constitution.

The March meeting is scheduled for Monday, Mar. 23rd at 5:30 pm. Please contact President Chris Klee 10 days before the meeting to request an item be placed on the agenda.

January 26, 2009

The Board received reports from the Principal, Pastor and Faculty Representative, Development, Finance, and Facilities committees, plus updates from the Mom’s and Dad’s Clubs, at its January 26th meeting.  The highlights follow.

Principal’s Report. The recent student alumni meeting revealed areas that SJB was doing well and where improvements were needed.  Overall, the students felt prepared for high school with students commenting, “You told us, but we didn’t believe you.”  The administration has been directed to take the feedback from the alumni and to incorporate the suggestions for future years.  We do plan on having the alumni return each year for a focus group type event.  Enrollment stands at 568.

Pastor’s Report. Plans were underway for the Lenten season and work was continuing on the parish’s strategic plan by the Parish Council.

Development. The Annual Giving campaign goal was met (goal - $54,000; received - $55,200).  CTODP funds totaled $275,800. Discussion occurred on the status of the magazine drive and was there a better way to raise funds.  The Advisory Board provided comments and directed the Development Committee to further explore the issue.  Updates were provided on pending grants.  The committee needed more volunteers.

Facilities.  The Diocese had given approval on the ball field and Pre-K construction projects.  The drawings for the Pre-K building were at the City of Phoenix for review. Once the drawings were finalized, bids to contractors could be initiated.  We hoped to “move dirt” around late March. The ball field lighting project was proceeding with a desire to have it started by late February. The Piper grant projects (parking lot and roofing systems) would begin in the summer.  A big thank you is extended to AZ Treeworks (Marchello Family) for completing all tree pruning on campus.

Financial.  The Board discussed a preliminary budget for FY 09-10 including tuition for the next year.  More information to come.

Mom’s and Dad’s Club. Preliminary results were given on the Winter Wonderland event by the Mom’s Club.  The Dad’s Club sponsored Trivia Night was a huge success.  Plans were underway for the Feb. 20th 2nd annual Father-Daughter Dance and for the Bosco, April 25th.

PTO.  Nan Marchello was now President for the remaining school year, Stacey Lykins was serving as Treasurer (2 yr. commitment) and a volunteer was needed to serve as Vice President.

Faculty Report.  The schedule for National Catholic Schools Week was highlighted including the first annual Activities Day hosted by the Student Council.  The sports program was in need of a 5th grade baseball coach.  The Student Council was reviewing the proposed awards rubric for input.  For future Open Houses, the teachers preferred to be in their classrooms to highlight curriculum and use of Smart Boards.

Community Issues:  Parent input was presented regarding the adequacy of our math challenges to advanced upper grade students as well as concerns over the use and teaching of technology in the classroom.  Discussion ensued regarding the positive impact of our Accelerated Math Program, ITBS scores and use of an individual approach with teachers to create and promote academic advancement and challenges. It was agreed that students should be encouraged by teachers to use the Accelerated Math and to encourage alternate use of study time toward that end.  Principal Conner will re-evaluate the goals and objectives of the current Technology Committee in light of the Board discussion and present a course of action for improvement at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting.          

The February meeting is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 23rd at 5:30 pm. Please contact President Chris Klee 10 days before the meeting to request an item be placed on the agenda.

SJB Advisory Board Members:  Chris Klee, President; Lynn Beck, Vice President; Kathy Boyle, Secretary; Eamonn Ahearne, Joyce Petrowski, Bruce Lincoln, Bill Mager,  Mike Rafford, and Lynn Grennan.  Ex-officio Members: Father Gary Regula, Principal Shelley Conner, Faculty Representative Scott Brandt and St. Benedict’s Parish Council Members Linda Korwald and Amy Fletcher.

No December Meeting

November 24, 2008

The Board received reports from the Principal, Pastor and Faculty Representative; Development, Finance, and Facilities committees; plus updates from the Moms' and Dads' Clubs at its Nov. 24th meeting.  The highlights follow.
Principal’s Report. The school was still waiting to hear from the construction firm on figures for the building addition before decisions could be made to proceed.  The Accelerated Reading program was now online. The administration intended to communicate to parents on how the program would now operate and how important it was for parental oversight of age appropriate reading.  Ms. Kim Silver had agreed to serve as a permanent sub for the school.  Principal Conner reported on the accreditation visits that she and others at SJB were completing and the type of information gathered to assist us when our accreditation time came.  Enrollment was at 569.

Pastor’s Report. St. Benedict’s parish had received a draft of the internal review performed by the Diocese.  Only minor things needed correction. Fr. Gary provided a timeline to complete the review and corrections.  Biblical scholar Kevin Saunders was conducting an Advent Mission on Dec. 5th -6th – all were welcome –bring a Bible.  Fr. Gary provided a schedule of Reconciliation services at various parishes in the area for the upcoming Advent/Christmas season.  The Parish Council was continuing to work on strategic planning.

Development. Speakers were set for the various parishes to discuss CTODP, now a focus of the Development Committee. The Committee was continuing its efforts to identify Foundations that support Catholic schools.

Facilities.  The school must start by May on the ball field improvements based on the permit timeline by the City of Phoenix.
Financial.  There were no surprises on the financial reports. Discussion occurred on the allocation of available funds for the ball field improvements and kindergarten wing.

Moms' and Dads' Club. Moms' Club is feverishly planning the Dec. 6th Winter Wonderland event at the school.  Dads' Club is sponsoring Turkey Bowl (flag football) on Friday, Nov. 28th.
Faculty Report.  Several classroom projects and events were highlighted including the 7th and 8th grades’ assembly on cyberbullying, the Winter Showcase and Christmas programs by the Music department, and the class wish lists were now on the website (start on the home page).  The faculty was also asking for a computer lab teacher to assist with computer instruction.  The Board reviewed a draft rubric on student awards for future implementation.
Community Issues.  The Board discussed the recording of volunteer hours for chairpersons of major SJB events or committees, to provide incentives to volunteer, asked members to contact Dorothy Abril if they noticed out-of-date items on the SJB website, recommended to the PTO to establish a policy for student alumni to volunteer for the Harvest Fest and receive free admission, and assist the administration with a policy and procedure handbook.
The Board made further changes to the first half of the bylaws and approved the revised Constitution.

The next meeting would be set via e-mail and would only discuss the building project and updates on strategic planning.  The January  meeting is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 26th at 5:30 pm. Please contact President Chris Klee 10 days before the meeting to request an item be placed on the agenda.
SJB Advisory Board Members:  Chris Klee, President; Lynn Beck, Vice President; Kathy Boyle, Secretary; Eamonn Ahearne, Joyce Petrowski, Bruce Lincoln, Bill Mager,  Mike Rafford, and Lynn Grennan.  Ex-officio Members: Father Gary Regula, Principal Shelley Conner, Faculty Representative Scott Brandt and St. Benedict’s Parish Council Members Linda Korwald and Amy FletcherOctober 27, 2008 

 

The Board received reports from the Principal, Pastor and Faculty Representative; Development, Finance, Technology, Facilities and Communications Committees; plus updates from the Moms’ and Dads’ Clubs, PTO, and on the strategic plan at its Oct. 27th meeting.  The highlights follow.

Principal’s Report. The school enrollment stood at 570 with the budget based on 580. The board reviewed the timeline for the building addition.

Pastor’s Report. St. Benedict’s was in the midst of a financial/internal review that the diocese performs for every parish.  The parish fall festival was scheduled for Nov. 14-16, 2008.

Facilities. Stu Rayburn was thanked for his efforts in site plan development.  The committee was waiting for feedback from the City of Phoenix on the ball field project.  The board was apprised of the two Eagle Scout projects – garden relocation and south baseball field improvements.  The Kindergarten canopy had been repaired.  Tree pruning was ongoing.

Financial.  Scrip revenue was down for the year; possible reasons attributable to timing when the reports were generated and the economy.  The Committee was looking at growing endowment fund options and other fund options.

PTO. Everyone congratulated the Harvest Fest Planning Committee for a job well done including Ringmaster Eamonn Ahearne.  Financial figures weren’t available for the board meeting but 665 children attended the event (the attendance seemed larger this year than last year).  The PTO was searching for a volunteer to serve as Treasurer for the remainder of the school year.

Development.  Speakers were set for the various parishes to discuss CTODP.  The Annual Giving campaign had reached 1/3 of the goal; announcements in the Bite and teacher newsletters.  The committee needed more volunteers.

Mom’s and Dad’s Club. The Moms’ Club had held elections.  The next social meeting was November 11th at The Cork Wine Bar –The Promenade at Fulton Ranch at 6:30 pm. The next Dads’ Club event was Poker Night on November 14th.

Faculty Report.  Several classroom projects and events were highlighted including the United Nations potluck lunch, saint reports, Nov. 4th voting, cultural fair, community service, and grossest food contest.

Community Issues.  Plans were underway to survey recent graduates and parents at an upcoming social event around the first part of January, to find out how well the students were prepared for high school and to receive input for improving SJB.

The discussion/action on the revisions to the Board’s Constitution and bylaws were tabled till the next meeting.

The next meeting was set for Monday, November 24th at 5:30 pm.  Please contact President Chris Klee 10 days before the meeting to request an item be placed on the agenda.

SJB Advisory Board Members:  Chris Klee, President; Lynn Beck, Vice President; Kathy Boyle, Secretary; Eamonn Ahearne, Joyce Petrowski, Bruce Lincoln, Bill Mager,  Mike Rafford, and Lynn Grennan.  Ex-officio Members: Father Gary Regula, Principal Shelley Conner, Faculty Representative Scott Brandt and St. Benedict’s Parish Council Member Linda Korwald or Amy Fletcher.

 

September 22, 2008

The Board received reports from the Principal and Faculty Representative; Development, Finance, Technology, Facilities and Communications Committees; plus updates from the Mom’s and Dad’s Clubs, PTO, and on the strategic plan at its Sept. 22nd meeting.  The highlights follow.

Principal’s Report. The Board spent time discussing the awards ceremony and the amount of awards given to students each semester because Principal Conner had received mostly negative feedback from the community.  A special task force was formed consisting of Chris Klee, Lynn Beck, Scott Brandt and Principal Conner to review the award process.  The Board received an update on the engineering plans and drawings for the proposed campus expansion (4200 square feet of classroom space near the Kindergarten wing) as a contract had been signed with ADM.  Before a decision to build could be made, the Board needed to know costs.  Positive feedback received on the Partners' Dinner held last week.

Diocesan School Board Leadership Meeting. The Board received valuable information from those who attended the meeting on board recruitment, board self-evaluation, and posting of committee reports for the community to see on the website using a common report template.

Facilities. One site plan was being developed for the City of Phoenix that included ball fields, lighting, and parking lot.  The administration was waiting on estimates to replace the Kindergarten Canopy that was recently damaged by a monsoon storm.  No major loss of trees from this summer’s storms but pruning continued by an outside firm.

PTO. Harvest Fest planning was going smoothly.  The Oct. 25th school-wide event would start one hour early this year, 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  Eliminated the chili cook-off, petting zoo and DJ but added pumpkin walk and selling T-shirts of the winning artwork.  The Air Band and Costume Contests would return along with the Dunk Tank (get those throwing arms ready).   Classrooms were expected to decorate doors for the event but not for competition.

Faculty Report.  Besides classroom activities, Mr. Brandt informed the board of the various class wish lists.  The administration would post links to the various wish lists on the website.

Community Issues.  Discussion occurred on the mentor program for new families, continuing education on how to keep families informed, and bulletin boards outside each classroom.

The next meeting is set for Monday, October 27th at 5:30 pm.  Please contact President Chris Klee 10 days before the meeting to request an item be placed on the agenda.

***

August 25, 2008

Chairing this year’s SJB Advisory Board is Chris Klee.  She opened the meeting by offering five areas that she wanted the board to accomplish this year:

 

The Board received reports from the Principal and Faculty Representative; Development, Finance, Technology, Facilities and Communications Committees; plus updates from the Moms’ and Dads’ Clubs and on the strategic plan. 

It is the desire of the Board to begin communicating in more detail to the SJB community this fall on the ball field lighting and parking lot renovations, and Pre-K building and campus expansion.  On the procedure side, the Board will be posting the meeting agenda and minutes on the website a week prior to the meeting for the community to see.  Lastly, the Board has directed the Communications Committee to develop a Community Bulletin Board on the website.  The call for more volunteers to serve on committees will be posted in a future Bite.

SJB Advisory Board Members:  Chris Klee, President; Lynn Beck, Vice President; Kathy Boyle, Secretary; Eamonn Ahearne, Joyce Petrowski, Bruce Lincoln, Bill Mager,  Mike Rafford, and Lynn Grennan.  Ex-officio Members: Father Gary Regula, Principal Shelley Conner, Faculty Representative, Scott Brandt and St. Benedict’s Parish Council Member Linda Korwald.

What does it mean to be a board member?

PERSONAL
• A willingness to give the time to serve conscientiously
• A willingness to attend board functions regularly
• The highest level of honesty, integrity, loyalty and prudence
• Ability to act without bias
• An inquiring mind open to both sides of an issue
• A willingness to disclose any existing or potential conflicts of interest
• Commitment to prayer and attend mass on a weekly basis
• Commitment to Catholic education
• Enthusiastic
• Innovative
• A Positive attitude
PROFESSIONAL
• A commitment to the importance of service to the school community
• A willingness to balance a prudent concern for fiscal stability with a spirit of creative risktaking
• A willingness to learn while serving as a board member
• Ability to look at the “common good”
• Ability to work with others
• Commitment to provide services to all students
• Commitment to observation and evaluation
• A willingness to mentor others
• A willingness to give of your time and talents and follow through on commitments
• Ability to further knowledge about Catholic education
BOARD
• A commitment to understand and support the mission of the Advisory Board
• A commitment to support the teachings of the Catholic church
• Supportive of the Administrator
• Be alert to alternative solutions by keeping an open mind
• Effort to be prepared for board meetings
• A willingness to serve within the directives outlined by the Advisory Board constitution and
by-laws
• An appreciation for maintenance of confidentiality
• A willingness to support the board decisions even if not fully agreeing
TIME COMMITMENT
• 2 hour board meeting once a month (currently the 4th Monday)
• 1 hour committee meetings twice a month (in person or by email)
• Some evenings/weekends
• Completing assigned tasks
• Preparation time for reviewing meeting materials
• Time for training with other school advisory boards and with the Dioeses.
• May be asked to participate in ad-hoc or special committee tasks
• 2 or 3 year terms

Still interested? We need you!

Application

Applications are also available in the front office.

St John Bosco Catholic School
16035 S. 48th St., Phoenix, AZ 85048
480-219-4848

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