The first Business on the agenda for the MMC Board Meeting was a FFA Chapter Presentation. Two of the students, Grage and Peters gave the power point presentation. I wish more people would have been there for this presentation. It was a well-organized presentation dealing with what FFA does. It not only promotes but strengthens agriculture f or now and into the future. I leaves those in this program with growth as well as leadership in their lifestyle. These are just a few of what FFA does. The conclusion of this presentation received applause (which doesn’t happen very often!)
A hearing date was set for Issuance of SAVE Bonds. The High School additional assistant coaches were approved. The High School football and High School Boys Basketball teams are expecting higher numbers of participation and were in need of assistant coaches.
The AEA Purchasing Agreement for 2022-2023 was approved. MMC is an eligible member that agrees to purchase an aggregate monthly total of 60% of its food and supplies (excluding USDA Foods, milk, bread, small wares and ware wash) from the vendor selected by AEA Purchasing (“Prime Vendor”). (This is where food can be purchased cheaper because of a much larger firm to buy from.) We have been in on this program since February of 2011 and evidently have been satisfied with it.)
The High School Gym Sound System was discussed but tabled as more bids were needed.
The Cleghorn Playground Equipment Donation was discussed with it going to the City of Cleghorn as the school has nothing to do with it.
School fees were discussed. Tickets to games (with other schools charging the same) will be $6. Junior High games will cost $1 now. Those taking tickets will receive $15.
The bid of $1,000 for the music building (outside) was from Jill Alesch.
Due to construction starting right after school is out this May, the playground equipment will be scrapped.
Letters of resignation included the resignation as High School Girls Basketball Assistant Coach from Derrick Marra. Travis Sprague, Principal resigned from PK-4th grade and High School (9-12) as Principal. He is leaving to go to Cedar Rapids Prairie High School. Other hires or reassigned teachers can be found in the Superintendent’s report.
Toby Young, Principal of MMCRU Middle School and Remsen Elementary reported the following: With 27 days of school left, I believe the school year has been very positive and many wonderful things have taken place. As we finish up the last month of school, we have a lot of activities (sports, concerts, field trips) that still have to take place. I want to thank Mrs. Means, all of the volunteers and our wonderful Middle School Play cast for a great performance this year. I hope you had the opportunity to attend. Love My School Day was held on Monday, April 11_our staff and students shared many great pictures and video with all of the wonderful things happening each day and why they love attending MMCRU. It’s a great day to be a Royal!
3rd through 8 grade tudents have now completed ISASP testing. We hope to have results back by the end of the school year or over the summer so we can go through the data and then plan our PD (Professional Development) and curriculum around areas that need improvement.
3rd through 8 grade students will be taking the Condition for Learning Survey the week of Monday, April 18. Surveys have also been sent out to families and staff as well.
We continue to plan for the 2022-2023 school year and are in the process of filling a few teaching/staff openings we have at the middle/elementary building. The last day of school is Wednesday, May 25 with a teacher work day on Thursday, May 26. It’s been a great year and I know we will make the last month very successful.
Upcoming Events are: April 27 Booster Meeting and April 28 there is a JR (Junior High) Track Meet at OABCIG.
Openings for 2022-2023 include a 7/8 Science Teacher, a 7/8 Reading Teacher, a Kindergarten teacher, a JH Girls Basketball Coach, and Substitute Teacher’s and Paraprofessional’s.
Principal Travis Sprague, for MMCRU Pk-4, 9-12 at Marcus reported that the past month at MMCRU Marcus Elementary and MMCRU High School has been action packed. We celebrated Gnimocemoh Week (spring version of Homecoming) with several engaging activities for our students and staff. In addition, we had a faulty-senior basketball game and a successful high school lock-in. Kayla Schroeder organized and ran our blood drive. Over the past month we had our War Eagle Academic Banquet, a fine arts mattress sale, a senior class trip, an amazing FFA banquet, and our NHS (National Honor Society) induction ceremony in which over a dozen new Royals were initiated into HHS. 27 students earned Principal Honor Roll status during 3rd quarter with (4.0). 72 students earned High Honor Roll status (3.5 or higher), and an additional 28 students earned Honor roll status (3.0 or higher). In total, 127 students made our honor roll (68.3% of the student body). At the elementary 1st grad presented their ocean animals to classmates and their parents, our preschool had donuts with their dads, and we had our pre-school night. Finally, all of MMCRU celebrated Love My School Day.
Two required state events have occurred (or will occur in short order). First is the Conditions of Learning survey for grades 3-4 and 9-12. This survey is a part of our school performance profile. The second is ISASP testing. We test for reading (grades 3-4, 9-11), language/writing (grades 3-3, 9-11), and science (10). These results are a part of our school performance profile.
In terms of Professional Development, our teachers have prepared for ISASP testing, discussed preparation for Love My School Day, planned for next school year (schedule, rosters, rooms, etc.), and our coaches have begun 3D Coaching. In addition, the staff have also worked on their 80/20 Individual Professional Development Plans (IPDP).
Current openings for 2022-2023 school year include: a Principal for PK-grade 4 and grades 9-12; an Elementary -Secondary Art teacher, High School English teacher, Paraprofessionals, Substitute Teachers and Substitute Paraprofessionals.
Superintendent Dan Barkel reported on the MMC Building Project. Things continue to progress on the MMC Building Project. We will be using the bus barn to store materials, and we will need to do asbestos removal in June in all of the high school classrooms with 9” tile. We have also been making progress with what to do with playgrounds for next year and beyond.
On the RU Building Projects, we met with EDA Engineering last week to look over our sewer/bathroom issues, and we also discussed potentials for renovating the auditorium.
Our Principal, Travis Sprague is leaving for Cedar Rapids Prairie High School. We have already begun advertising for his position. The application deadline was April 18, and I plan to have interviews on April 26. I will want the entire MMC board and the President and Vice-president of the RU board to be a part of the interview process.
We have had some success hiring teachers at both sites. Thus far at MMC we have hired two new elementary teachers, one new special ed teacher and we have reassigned two teachers (Shar Duncan and Kendra Knapp) to teaching science in the high school. We hired Melissa Young to replace Shar Duncan in PE. We are now looking for a school social studies teacher, (Alexa Neumann). Our current social studies teacher, Cory Spangler, will be moving from 5-6 Social Studies to teaching special ed next year in the Middle School. We are still interviewing for a Kindergarten teacher, a 5-6 Science teacher, a 7-8 Science teacher, and a 7-8 Reading teacher.
Because of expected high numbers of participation in both our football program, and our boys basketball program, we are asking the board to support adding an additional assistant coach for both sports.
The meeting then went into Closed Session for Superintendent Evaluation, an Exempt Session for Bargaining for Administrative Contracts and then Considering/discussing/ approving/rejecting MMC/RU Administrative Contracts.
The Regular MMC Board Meeting was Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. with MMC Board Members present: Prunty, Olson, Dreckman, Staab, and Leavitt. Absent: No One. R-U Board members present were: Tentinger, Penning, Loutsch, Krier, and Harpenau. Absent: No one.