School Board Minutes
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Present: Jane Nordin, Sheila Schwirtz, Katie Callaghan, Sue Arvidson, Bruce Becker, Margie
Bettenburg, Margaret Fallon, Aaron Macke, Amy Ball, Nick Smith, Tom Gergen, Meyrick Vaz, Pat
Randall
Absent: Paula Anderson
Opening Prayer: Nick Smith opened the meeting with a prayer.
Approval of Minutes and Agenda:
The February agenda and the January minutes were approved.
Fr. Creagan:
No report
Comments & Updates: Katie Callaghan
The welcome breakfast for new parishioners who joined the parish the previous quarter has been
postponed until April. Not sure of date yet.
School Board will be hosting hospitality masses the first weekend in March (7 th and 8th).
Not sure if we need to do anything Saturday night. Katie is checking into what is needed.
Principal Report: Jane
~ Registration has gone out to all families.
~ Kindergarten Information night was January 15. There was a strong turnout compared to the last
several years. Jane feels cautiously optimistic. There were 7 families that were new (no packet
prepared). Jane will ask the School Board members to contact those families coming up.
~ Preschool registration is open and nice numbers are coming in. The 4/5’s is almost at capacity.
~ There was a Catholic Spirit article about Sam Seitlinger. Sam is the son of a St. Joseph’s alum.
He has been in our 7th grade this school year. His last day was February 6.
~ Jane has been sitting on a District 197 committee regarding school-aged children’s health issues.
She is the only non-pubic school representative. The discussions are on programs for healthy living
and lots of talk lately about immunizations.
~ Open Houses for Catholic Schools Week went well. Annie and Jane hosted a “Lunch-n-Learn”
event for preschool families. Six preschool families attended, plus 3 current St. Joseph’s moms to
help and encourage.
~ Spirit Week ended with Carnival on February 6th. The Middle School party was a great success.
~ Fr. Creagan, Fr. Andrie and Jane took the top marathon pledgers to Chuck E Cheese on February
10th.
~ Winter conferences went well.
~ Fall Fest numbers were discussed. Fund-a-Need for Technology raised $110,750 including
matching gifts. Financial Assistance raised $28,600. Event expenses were $32,000. Fall Fest
income was $84,398, which is part of the school budget. A decision to move Season for Giving (Fall
Fest) offsite next year to Southview Country Club. The date is December 6. We are looking for
chairs.
~ Tim Altier presented a Lego Robotic Program to the Home and School Steering Committee. It will
be offered to 4th graders and will begin in March.
Jane asked the committee chairs to go over the Strategic Plan and note what has been done, what
needs to be done, etc.
Faculty Report: Bruce Becker
The Student Council is selling Chupa Chup suckers ($.50) this week to support Padre Mario’s efforts.
The school has contracted with a new sound person for the play. Everyone is excited. The play is
set for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 5-7th.
Josie VanDiver won the school Spelling Bee and has qualified for the Deanery 5 Spelling Bee to be
held on Saturday, March 7th. Josie also won the Geography Bee!
Karen Kilduff organized and sent 350 Christmas cards to the 34th Combat Brigade. They were hand
delivered. They were much appreciated and passed around a thank you letter from them.
Bruce Becker was just accepted into a University of St. Thomas Engineering program.
Charles Morgenroth sent an email that he is having surgery in early March. It is a big surgery and he
will be in the hospital for a period of time. He will then start his next round of chemo in April.
Committee Reports:
Strategic Long Range Planning & Marketing: Pat Randall
The Open Houses had a good mix of people come through – parishioners, alums and school families.
Focus groups were held the 1st 3 weekends in January with the main idea to focus on the good things
St. Joseph’s has going on. A letter regarding the work that the School Board has been doing went
home in registration packets.
Pat is going to do a table at St. Patrick’s Church in Inver Grove Heights after masses again. He
promises not to bring anything peanut related.
Finance: Sheila Schwirtz
Tuition was increased by $225 per student.
The March School Board meeting will be moved to accommodate St. Patrick’s day. Katie will check
with the Board for a good date.
Closing prayer: Sheila Schwirtz