GES Board Meeting

August 25, 2004

Approved Minutes

In Attendance:  Alan Stone, Barbara Nagle, Nina Simonowicz, Amy Brown, Patty Nordahl

Others present: Terry Nagle, Susan Larson Kidd, Susan Miller, Kathryn Nelson Pedersen

Call to Order: 4:05 p.m.

Reading of the Mission:  Alan Stone

Celebration sentences: All

Approval of Agenda

Patty Nordahl moved to approve the agenda with the addition of putting public relations under committee reports on a permanent basis.  Suzy Schweig seconded. Ayes all.

Approval of Minutes

Nina Simonowicz moved to approve the minutes from August 11.  Patty seconded. Ayes all.

Treasurer’s report                                                                                                                    

Nina presented bills to pay and noted that she believes all bills from the previous year have been paid.   Nina moved to pay the bills and Patty seconded. Ayes all.

Evaluation Report & Discussion

Susan Larson Kidd, professor of education at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, presented a report on GES first year of operation.  She specifically noted that the results of the MAP testing of students at the beginning and end of the first year showed students in all grades performed at a consistent high-average academic level and progressed at that pace through the year.

Educator’s Report

Suzy, Kathryn and Amy said they are in the process of doing intake conferences with all families  – felt they were going very well.  Susan Miller will sit in on conferences for those students with IEPs. 

Kathryn said the teachers are planning to conduct a mini-classroom seminar for board members at every-other-board meeting to help board members better understand what’s happening in the classroom.

Patty talked about educational enrichment – math masters, future cities, destination imagination, etc. and asked teachers to make some determinations about which programs to offer and at what time.

Nina asked if the school would serve as the fiscal agent for a GES Lego League team thus allowing the team to seek matching funds.  Nina moved, Patty seconded. Ayes all

Old business

Teachers discussed the importance of curriculum mapping and would like to get proposals for outside professionals to help with the process.

Academic goals for 2004-05 year will be reviewed at the next board meeting.

Board members discussed the need to do MAP testing (to establish a baseline) for each new student.

New business

Suzy moved to hire Ilena Berg as the science specialist at GES, Nina seconded. Ayes all.

Suzy moved  to hire Greg Nichols as the physical education specialist, Amy seconded. Ayes all.

Alan Stone moved to add the two remaining teachers not currently on the board to the GES board (Kathryn Pedersen and Susan Miller). Patty seconded. Ayes all.

Committee Reports

Finance –

Nina reviewed the 2004-05 school year budget.

Adjourn

Barbara Nagle moved to adjourn. Alan Stone seconded.  Meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m.