Opening Prayer by Mr. Swanson

By Renee Keegan: A reading of the non-member participation section of the by-laws was waived. The minutes for the March 2008 meeting were accepted.

• Principal's review (by Mr. Swanson):
  • The seventh grade graduation party planning committee has been meeting regularly. The 8th grade graduation theme is "We're on our way." The plan for the yearbook cover is to have a picture if Ms. Andries' car and superimpose High School bumper stickers on it.
  • 7th and 8th grade Washington trip: The trip will be from June 2nd - 5th. There will be approximately 45 students attending with seven chaperones: Father Bill, Ms. Andries and her sister, Mr. Keegan, Mr. Stocks, Mr. McGlaughlin, Marco Desidero.
  • May Activities:
    • There is a school liturgy on May 1st.
    • Second Grade First Communion on May 3rd.
    • Catholic TV station trip for 3-5th graders on May 7th. Mothers Club will pay for one bus and an anonymous donor will be paying for second bus. The station asked that children not wear school uniforms on the trip.
    • Creativity night is on May 8th.
    • Progress Reports will go out on May 12th.
    • The Science Fair will be held on May 13th.
    • The Chastity Program for parents will be held on May 14th at 6:30.
    • Trivia Night will be held on May 17th.
    • The next board meeting will be held on May 19th (Closed Meeting).
    • There will be another Open House on May 22nd.
    • Field Day is on May 23rd.
    • Chastity workshop for seventh graders will be held on May 28th and 29th.
    • Graduation pictures will be taken on May 28th.
  • High School acceptance letters are posted on the two boards in the lunch room. The financial awards total approximately $110,000 (multiple awards for several students).
  • I am interviewing for the three open teaching positions of Kindergarten, Second Grade, and Science. We are receiving applications even though no advertisement has been placed.
  • The SPS open house information will be placed in the school notes section of the Parish Bulletin.
  • I have advertised in the Stoneham newspaper and other areas for student enrollment openings in the primary grades of pre-k - 2nd grade (not for older children).
  • Questions: What is Chastity Program? A program mandated by the Archdiocese for all Catholic Schools regarding sex education. See letter sent by Mr. Swanson to parents for a full explanation.
   
• PTO Report (by Michelle Ross-Nuzzo for Lisa Centrella):
  • Candy Bingo night was a success. 80 children attended.
  • The newslwtter will go out this week.
  • May 8 - Creativity Night
  • A book fundraiser will take place at Barnes & Noble in June. Reading lists will be distributed before that event so that we can buy required summer reading books there.
  
   
• Mother's Club Report (by Michelle Ross-Nuzzo):
  • The auction was a success and raised $24,050.39 in total. A great time was had by all. Thanks to all for all their support, especially the volunteers, service credit program workers and members.
  • Sports World of Saugus has yet to give the money owed to the School on the items sold by them at the silent auction.
  • Pancake Breakfast was profitable. Thanks to the volunteers, especially Suzanne Bromander who calculated the food volume.
  • There is a girl's night out at the Ixtapa Mexican Restaurant in Woburn on May 6th.
  • May17th - Trivia night is planned. Thanks to Peg Moynihan for being helpful in putting the night together. No need to make teams up before that night. If you want to, you need a table of 10 for a team. Each table brings their own food. There will be a cash bar.
  • Field Day will be held May 23rd with a rain date of May 30.
  • Mr. Swanson thanked Michelle Nuzzo and all the Officers as well as all who worked the event. Everyone had a wonderful time. No one has said a negative comment.
  • Kiara Keohan is working on the financial sheet and those will be going out.
  • Box tops collections are still ongoing; we received a check from Target; SCRIP program is also ongoing.
  
   
• 1000 Club Report (by Sue Hetu):
  • Five school families won prizes at the last drawing.
  • 89 openings. Some seniors have died so there are more open numbers now.
  • Please consider giving a number as a Graduation, Mother's or Father's Day gift.
  
   
• Presentation by Bob Sansone re: Friendship Program Proposal:
  • This Friendship Program is being modeled after a program run in New York City called Border Crossings which was founded in 2001 by Sachi Feris. At Border Crossings students from one neighborhood school visit with another neighborhood school to get to know each other and learn about their commonalities and differences. See Bordercrossers.org.
  • I want to create a similar program here with the 6th graders in our School and St. Patrick School in Roxbury. A grant has been given by Northeastern in the amount of $1500 to fund this program. Sachi Feris is willing to come here to train both our 6th grade teacher and the one from the Roxbury School. She is available by phone for Board members to ask questions. (Mr. Swanson suggested we hold off on that). The children would meet at Northeastern over the course of 4  day field trips to Northeastern. The safety of the area has been checked out. Arrangements will be made for buses for the students.
  • Another similar program in Massachusetts which St. Patrick School in Roxbury has been involved with is "Peace Games."
  • Mr. Swanson would like to have a copy of the proposed curriculum for the 6th graders participating in this program as well a resume of Sachi Feris. Once the information has been compiled, the program will be presented to Mrs. Andersen to get her input.
  • Mr. Swanson is concerned about taking so much time for field trips away from the classroom. The Catholic Schools Office is pushing for the school to have 180 days of school. They do not want to count professional days towards that number, so it will be hard to push for 4 field trips instead of academic instruction time. We are now at 179 days of school instead of 180 because of the lightening strike.