WEM E-Newsletter

April 1, 2022

At WEM we practice BUCS PRIDE.

We are a Respectful, Responsible learning community dedicated to a

Safe and Positive learning environment for all individuals.

Greetings

It is April already! Soon, we will have prom and graduation. Currently, I am working on senior spotlights for social media. So if you know any WEM seniors, please encourage them to submit their information to me as per the instructions I emailed to them. I will also be working on a project to get teacher wishlists on our website to make things easier for those who want to donate. This is something several community members have requested.

As always, this newsletter starts off with a summary of the March regular school board meeting from Chairperson, Gary Michael. We apologize for the technical difficulties during the live stream and recording. There are plans to fix the issues, so please be patient with us. You will also find some information about ECFE classes, important dates, job openings, and more.

Do you have feedback or ideas for future e-newsletter content? I invite you to contact me. Please spread the word to others you think might like to be added by forwarding this email and/or directing them to the e-newsletter subscription sign-up page on WEM's website. Thank you.

Margo Kulseth, MLIS

Communications Coordinator

March School Board Meeting Summary

March 28, 2022, at 6:30 p.m.

Regular Meeting

Agenda (Additional links to documents below are found within the agenda.)

Call to Order - Gary Michael, Chairperson

All seven board members were in attendance as well as Superintendent Whitehurst and both Principals. We also had a special guest in our midst at the meeting, future WEM Superintendent, Ryan Jensen. Mr. Jensen was on spring break at his current job and decided to spend a few days working with Mr. Whitehurst to learn more about the district.

Approval

The agenda was approved with no additional items.

The board approved the following meeting minutes:

Regular meeting, February 28, 2022
Special meeting, January 11, 2022
Organizational meeting, January 20, 2022

The financial transactions were approved with limited comments.

Visitor Comments

Comments from visitors should be informational in nature and not exceed 3 minutes per issue. The board will not engage in a discussion or debate in those 3 minutes but will take the information and find answers if it is appropriate. As part of the protocol, visitors must keep their ideas and opinions related to policy issues. It is unacceptable for any speaker to slander, engage in character assassination, or discuss student or personnel issues (i.e. teacher, coaches, bus drivers, principals, board members, etc.) at a public board meeting. The person wishing to address the board must stand at the provided lectern.

We had several visitor comments for the first time in a while. The board heard comments from five citizens. The comments centered on making sure the WEM schools are providing a safe place for all students, no matter their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or national origin. I really appreciate the comments and thank those that took the time and had the courage to come before the board and speak.

I can assure you the WEM school district has policies in place that ensure we value every student and do not show prejudice toward one student over another. At WEM, we practice BUCS PRIDE! We are a respectful, responsible learning community dedicated to a safe and positive learning environment for ALL individuals. We plan to look into the concerns during upcoming work sessions.

Recognition

The Board approved monetary donations, including $400 from Partners In Education (PIE) to the elementary and $358.20 from WEM JO Volleyball to the volleyball program.

Reports

We heard a joint principal report from Bobbie Jo Bastian, Elementary Principal, and Jennifer Wilson, 7-12 Principal. The reports included information on the MN Honor Society induction, the annual Waseca Area Arts Center art show, the start of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) testing at WEM, and Kindergarten Round-Up dates.

We read the report from Jeff Boran, Community Education & Activities Director, who was not present. In the report was a note regarding the Preschool numbers for 2022-2023. Preschool is a point of emphasis for the school board. We would like to be able to offer as many classes as possible to encourage increased enrollment at WEM. We are exploring options to offer as many classes as possible to the WEM and surrounding communities. The board had a lengthy discussion around this topic and instructed Superintendent Whitehurst to come back to the board with options to increase the classes offered.

Currently, WEM is offering two 4-day classes and two 3-day classes and they are already almost full. The board is also considering reducing the cost of preschool as a way to encourage enrollment.

Information / Discussion

As mentioned above, the board discussed the cost of preschool and recruitment.

The board then discussed the 2022-2023 administration, specifically to address the occasional lack of administration availability in the Morristown building. Options discussed included increasing the counselor to full-time from 80%, altering the job description for the Student Success Coordinator, increasing professional development in classroom management, and hiring an additional administration position. Ultimately, the board instructed Mr. Whitehurst to come up with recommendations to the board for review and future action.

Action

The board approved the following items:

July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 Contract with Region V Computer Services $14,960
April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023 Contracts with NAC $39,612

Personnel

The board approved the following personnel items:

Softball

JH Coach - McKenzie Kuball
Volunteer - Kristin Velzke

Baseball

1st Assistant - Mac Lemcke
Volunteer - Troy Brekke

Contracts

July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023 Contract for Food Service Director, Nancy Culhane, Total Package Increase 3.0% Each Year and One-Time Stipend of $1,206, 2021-2022 $44,796, 2022-2023 $46,541
July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022 Contract for Building & Grounds Supervisor, Scott Allen, Total Package Increase 3.0%, 2021-2022 $46,103
July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023 Contract for Business Manager, Margaret Jewison; Total Package Increase 3.0% Each Year and One-Time Stipend of $2,300; 2021-2022 $73,041, 2022-2023 $76,540

Adjournment

The board adjourned at 8:10 p.m.

Upcoming meeting dates:

April 7, 2022, 6:30 p.m. work session (tentative)

April 25, 2022, 6:30 p.m. regular meeting

Gary Michael, Chairperson

507-330-0500, sba.email@yahoo.com

Note: WEM School Board meetings can be viewed live via Zoom video conferencing, and the recordings for past meetings are available on the website. The agendas and accompanying documents are also available online.

Spring ECFE

WEM Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) is holding spring evening classes for students ages 3-5 on April 12, 19, 26, May 3, and 10. Classes will be held in the WEM preschool room at Waterville elementary school from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Each class costs $5 or $20 if you sign up for all five. Each week will feature new activities, themes, and learning opportunities. Join us for songs, dance, stories, and much more!

Fees may be paid by contacting the WEM Community Education Office at 507-362-4403, paying online through JMC, or mailing a check to WEM ECFE, 500 East Paquin Street Waterville, MN 56096. Please register before calling.

Five Quick Contacts

Open Gym

The WEM high school gym in Waterville will host supervised open gyms Sundays in April and May (not April 17, Easter Sunday) from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. The cost is $1 per WEM student and $2 per adult. Participants will need to bring appropriate shoes, balls, and other equipment.

Registrations