DrumBeat: Drummond LSC and PTO News & Views

Drummond’s School Improvement Plan (SIPAAA) for 2008-10, and the school budget for 2008-09, will be the focus of next week’s LSC meeting. These two important plans will direct Drummond’s priorities and activities for the next couple of years, and will impact EVERY student’s educational experience. Please take a moment to review the documents posted on the first floor (and soon to be posted online), and bring your comments to the April 15 LSC meeting. Parents, teachers and administrators have been working hard on these plans for months and are eager to engage in a community-wide discussion of where Drummond is headed. Join the conversation!

Tuesday, April 15 at 5pm, Room 007. Snacks and childcare provided – $3 per child.

The Budget Committee of the LSC will be meeting this Thursday, April 10 at 8:15am at school (room to be announced). The Committee will review and discuss the proposed budget for next year, in advance of the SIPAAA and budget discussion at the regular LSC meeting next Tuesday, April 15. The meeting is open to the public.

Drummond’s draft school improvement plan is available for viewing  outside of the school office.  You can comment on this document by emailing or by dropping a note to Laura Kuzniar in her mailbox in the office.  All comments are welcome!

Thanks to all who have contributed work to the Recycled Art Show, which will be installed in the halls of school from April 10th – 25th.

Please note that there IS NOT an opening on April 9th, as was listed in the Peace Calendar.  Instead, the best time to check out all the amazing work will be on April 17th at report card pick-up, you’ll have plenty of time to stroll the halls and see everything.  Also, on report card pick-up day Ms. Rejman will have supplies in the art room ready for kids and adults to make their own  recycled art work to take home.

If you contributed work to the show, please make arrangements to pick up your piece from Ms. Rejman on April 25th.

The next Drummond Dollar Gift Card Order will be due on Monday April 14th (instead of April 10th as previously posted). If you would like your order to be a standing order please write “standing order” on your order form. Below is a link to the order form that can be printed and they will also be sent home in backpacks next week.

Drummond Dollar order form.pdf

April 4, 2008
 

Dear Students, Teachers, Parents and Community Members,

Our little garden is getting much closer to becoming a reality. Many of you were able to attend the Public Garden Meeting on April 2^nd and hear first hand from the Public Buildings Commission, Chicago Department of Transportation, the school administration and a representative from the State of Illinois along with our alderman, Scott Waguespack about the history of our project, the layers of work that have already taken place and the steps necessary to make this a reality. This was a well attended meeting that was full of lively debate which prompted a follow-up meeting yesterday and the decision to hold one more meeting on Tuesday morning at 8 am. If you are interested in sharing your input regarding the few remaining issues: parking, green space, the concrete in the rear of the school leading to the dumpsters, please plan to attend this meeting.

Yesterday’s 3:30 meeting, which was held in our library, was also well attended and stuck to these very issues, there was a general consensus around:

1)      Going forward with the current plan as presented at the April 3 public meeting, and working together to develop, fundraise for, and build a green space that works for all of us in the coming months and years;

2)      Prioritizing our students’ safety, security and health throughout the planning and construction of the new space.

3)      The need for sufficient teacher parking, and desire that it take up as little playground space as possible.

4)      Supporting the “green-ness” of the green space wherever possible, including incorporating eco-friendly irrigation and maintenance practices, native plants, and recycled materials.

At the next meeting at 8 a.m., Tuesday, April 8, discussion will move forward toward consensus on a few remaining issues:  security fencing, parking options, emergency vehicle access, and bike parking.  I will have more information on each of these topics at the next meeting. I hope you will be able to lend a supporting voice.

Sincerely,

Mark Neidlinger

and Sabrina Craig

PS. A synopsis of this letter will be printed in Spanish on Monday

Dear Parents and Community members:

We are quickly moving forward with our Garden Project and would like your input with a few of the details. We will be holding a meeting today at 3:30 and another meeting next week (date and time to be determined). If you are able to attend please meet in room 007. We will be discussing three items: Parking, Educational aspects, and over all Green Space. We want to hear from you. If you have any thoughts and ideas please either bring them in person or send them via email.

Thank you,

Mark Neidlinger

Dear Parents and Community Members:

We are trying to gather your input to our garden project. Tonight at 3:30 we will hold a meeting in room 007. At this meeting we will schedule the next date and time for next week. If you are interested in attending, please do. If you are unable to attend this meeting, but have a preference for a date and time next week, please email me – I will go with the concensus.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the key issues: Parking, green space and the educational componant of this garden. Please give me your input.

Thank you,

Mr. Neidlinger 

The SIPAAA Committee of the LSC will meet on Thursday, April 10 at 10:00am to review the nearly completed Plan.  If you are interested in the School Improvement Plan and would like to help in the final product, please come to the Committee meeting.  We’ll look forward to seeing you there. 

There is still time to raid the recycling bin and come up with something inspiring, poignant, useful, beautiful, impractical, wearable, hideous or humorous!  Students, parents, families and teachers are all invited to participate.
Submitted work is considered “recycled art”  if it is primarily composed of material(s) that would have otherwise been disposed of.  All contributions will be displayed and our opening will be at the Report Card pickup on April 17th.

All art must be delivered to Ms. Rejman, room 204 — NO LATER THAN 5:00 p.m. Monday April 7th, 2008.  All art must have your name and phone number attached to the artwork.