|
|
Most Recent Meeting:
Parent Advisory Council Meeting 1/21/06
Present: Walt Warner, David Haines, Alice Chartrand, Sylvia Lowry,
David Zellinger, Midge Vreeland, Paul Meyer, Wenda Hunter, Betsy
John, Erica Judd
Here are the topics we discussed:
1. Quality and Availability of Medical Services/Health Care at the
MSSM
- The contract the school has had in past years was expensive and
did not provide good coverage, so Mr. Warner terminated that; the
school still has priority status at the local health center.
- Since mid-November, the school nurse (Meg Robinson, RN) has lived
close to the school (on Trafton St., which is considered
“on campus”) and has been on call 24/7.
- She lives in a duplex, one half of which is the health center,
the other half is where she and Chef Tom and their children live.
- Our school counselor (Penny Sidiqui, MSW) is also on call 24/7,
and her services have already been put to good use at night by
depressed students.
- We went over specific concerns stemming from a few parents’
experiences, and Mr. Warner provided his perspective and his
plans including:
- need for voice mail for nurse in case on other line or cell not
working
- Round-the-clock coverage
- Greater accessibility of the school nurse
- Greater choices for medical services outside the school
- a pediatrician is reviewing policies and all daily meds.
- Daily meds are given by RI's under supervision of nurse
- Acute pain meds given by nurse who is on call for this
- Meg's hours at the dorm are 7-10 m-f
- the health center is the infirmary (it's not where they routinely
see the nurse, nor do they see a doctor there)
- A full health and wellness curriculum (including mental health)
for all students as part of their residential life experience
- mini-seminars for the students on appropriate health issues,
presented by nurse Meg
- Parents are encouraged to help their student contact the school
nurse directly (day or night) if they call home with with illness
or pain.
2. Residential Life
- Two new Residential Interns have been hired, and both are doing
very well: Lorrissa Powers (sp?) is new on the girls’ wing,
and Josh Duclose (sp?) is new on B-wing.
- Training sessions for RI’s which have or will include a
wide range of aspects of their jobs, from CPR to how to manage
being both classroom and dorm mentors
- RIR17;s have already completed CPR training.
- Workshops for RI’s with Mrs. Sidiqui for training re
identifying warning signals of depression, drug/alcohol use,
suicidal tendencies, etc.
- Mr. Warner is working with staff and students to come up with a
solution to what he sees as unhealthy lifestyle choices,
particularly sleep habits, of some MSSM students
- Publications have been ordered for the purpose of students’
research regarding what events are happening around the state and
beyond, so they can plan weekend activities
3. Academic Programs
- parents expressed a desire for MSSM to offer higher level foreign
language courses.
- Mr. Warner is working with the adjunct language teachers now with
a goal of introducing AP levels for the fall, hopefully.
- In addition, language teachers will be interviewed at an upcoming
job fair in Boston
- The art teacher is to offer 3 arts consistently, regardless of
cost for the respective course, definite for the fall semester
(noted photography, woodcarving, portfolio)
- We expressed a commitment to high quality of instruction.
- We were very pleased to hear that Mr. Corrigan is back on a part
time basis and has committed to being there in the fall as well.
- Mr. Warner is in conversation with some other outstanding
past-MSSM faculty about teaching again at the school; no refusals
yet!
4. Budget and Enrollment Concerns
- We expressed our wishes that admissions standards not be
compromised in favor of economic needs:
- (even though each student costs more than we pay, the State has
made it clear that they expect increased enrollment; admissions
figure does have economic impact)
- Mr. Warner has observed that such a compromise does not work
anyway since students who are not able to meet academic demands
are soon gone
- the school took a chance accepting some who might be at risk, of
whom some have actually done well,and visa versa, others
unexpectedly have had trouble.
- For this school year, had budgeted for 110 students and started
with 105 including 45 returning from the previous year.
- Goal for next year is 120 students.
- Interest, applications, attendance at open houses are all
increased significantly over last year.
- a parent suggested that extra recruitment efforts, including
faculty efforts, be made to attract especially outstanding
students.
5. Parent letters of appeal to Legislators
- Ready to go ahead with the form letter we had prepared.
- Linda McLaughlin will send them out to all parents.
- (Later, at the meeting of the board of trustees, we were
encouraged to wait for the outcome of the upcoming meeting with
John Martin and others in early February)
6. Communication with the School
- Systems are antiquated. Mr. Warner does not receive all of his
emails nor all of his voice mail messages.
- I requested that the main phone number include instructions on
reaching a live person after office hours. (Mr. Warner has asked
staff to do this.)
- One parent requested that the school nurse have a second phone
line to increase accessibility. Mr. Warner said he would look
into it.
- Also requested voice mail on her phone in case the second line or
her cell are not available when parents need to reach her.
- Mr. Warner will ask Meg to create a sheet for parents/students of
emergency contact #'s and procedures.
Important information for parents from the 1/21/06 board meeting:
- There will be a room and board increase next year to close some
of the gap between what it costs the school per student and what
we pay. We will still not be paying the full cost, but we will be
paying $100 more per month. There is assistance available for
families who need it! The state law provides for reimbursement of
the difference, and the school is asking for those funds, so stay
tuned for the results.
- The school will be starting a “pre-self study” in
preparation for possibly requesting accreditation by the NEASC.
Because the process of accreditation is long and involved, this
will provide some benefits of the process prior to the official
commencement of the time period allowed (about 18 months?).
- Finally, if you pay the school with a credit card, you will begin
to be charged the fees associated with that (3%?). If you are one
of the parents who is using their credit card because the
business manager didn’t have the ability to take payment by
ACH, do not despair. That is being investigated, and you will be
given opportunity to make alternative payment plans before being
charged any fees.
All the best,
Sylvia Lowry
|
|