A Mount Vernon school improvement meeting and discussion open to school district parents and community members will be held Monday, Oct. 25, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the school district’s Performing Arts Center.
Hosted by the district’s School Improvement Advisory Committee (SIAC), the meeting is a chance to learn about the district’s school improvement efforts and to talk about important matters impacting the school district and the community, wrote superintendent Greg Batenhorst in an Oct. 4 letter to Mount Vernon parents and community members.
The meeting will begin with an overview of how the district’s school improvement goals relate to the district’s mission, vision and values, and to its student achievement data, and will include an update on the district’s work in curriculum, facilities improvements, district finances and student enrollment.
Attendees will then be able to participate in four approximately 20-minute-long discussion groups held in classrooms on the first floor of the high school. Each of the sessions will be held four times so that everyone will be able to attend a session on each of the topics.
These breakout sessions will be on the district’s current teaching and learning initiatives, how the district and community businesses and organizations can improve partnerships with one another, asking questions of the superintendent and the school board president and vice president, and discussing participants’ dreams for the district and future challenges facing the district and the community.
School Improvement Advisory Committee members are appointed each year by the superintendent. Once appointed, members may serve a three-year term, plus another term if asked.
The current members, appointed from the following categories, are:
Administrative Team includes superintendent Greg Batenhorst, high school principal Steve Brand, assistant high school principal and activities director Matt Thede, middle school principal Bob Haugse, elementary school principal Kate Stanton, and district teacher leadership instructional specialist Michelle Boyden
School Board members are Denise Brannaman and Nannette Gunn
Students are Joyce Daoud, Lawson Hasley, Tessa Baty and Aden Grudzinski
Staff members are Elementary School–Bridget O’Connor, Allison Schnoor and Jan Moore; Middle School–Rob Hanson, Heather Plathe and Whitney Turner; High School–Ned Kelly, Heather Allen and Brett Karkosh
Community members include Jake Krob, Cassidy Reinken and Amanda Moellering
This year, the advisory committee plans to hold two meetings of the appointed members and to also hold another community meeting in the spring to allow more people to take part in the committee’s work.
SIAC community meeting and discussion to be held Oct. 25
Ann Gruber-Miller
[email protected]
October 14, 2021