Saturday, June 21, 2014

Reflection Given at the June 18th Board Meeting

First, I want to thank the administration and Theresa.  It is they who make the job of being a board member that much easier.  Without their expertise, competency and good nature, not only would the job of being a Board member be much more difficult, the district would be so negatively affected by it.

I don’t have a full presentation like Lyn, but I do want to take a minute or two to thank my fellow board members for all their support of and dedication to the district.  Being a school board member has its good moments, but it also has its drudgery.  The time commitment is enormous.  Whether it is going to board meetings, committee meetings, doing research, answering resident’s inquiries or simply stopping by the Ed Center, there is never a time when you can say I have nothing to do.  Each of us has our own reasons for why we do it, but I think it is safe to say that service to the community and dedication to the children of the district are primary reasons for all of us.  I think a lot of times the community loses sight of the fact that we are volunteers, working hard to do our best.  Of course, we are human, so we make the occasional mistake, but what I appreciate most as an insider is that all, every single one, of the decisions we make and the actions we take are done so with good intentions trying to help the district and the community.

As important, as this is my last scheduled meeting as President, I would like to thank my fellow board members for your support of me throughout the year.  If one appreciates being a board member can be a thankless job, being President magnifies that.  Without the support of all of my fellow Board members the job of President would be next to impossible.  As a group we work well together.  That is a testament to their civility, collegiality,  and temperament.  To a person, they are all good souls.  I consider them all my friends.  Thank you.

JSM

It's Been a while...

since I last posted.  Part of the job of being President of the Board is to speak for the Board.   Regardless of how many or how strong of a disclaimer I might make indicating that what I am about to say or do is me speaking or acting for me and not the Board, it falls on deaf ears.  So, I have tried to take the precaution of not doing a lot of public speaking unless it was on behalf of the Board or the District.

My term as President is over shortly.  That does not mean I will necessarily be posting more or at all, but it does give me the ability to do so should I chose.

JSM

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Snow Days

It appears as if tomorrow, February 13th will be our final "free" snowday.  If we are unable to open on Friday, the day must be made up.  That day will be May 23rd.  After that, we start heading to the April vacation (February 21 and 20 are off the table because they would have required us to have used 3 days over the 5 "free" ones and they will have been passed if we need them.

Here is a link to the district calendar on which it gives the algorithm for make-up days.  See the bottom of the calendar for the explanation.