Minutes of the September 1^st, 2020 meeting of

The 19^th Ward Community Association Schools Committee

Attendees: Charlotte and Douglas Giebel, John Laing, Dan and Jay Ross, Joe Baldino, Sarah Yaworski, John Boutet, Moniek Silas-Lee

Spelling Bee Status (Douglas and Charlotte)

We continue to look for possible ways to conclude the 10^th Spelling Bee and initiate the 11^th Spelling Bee. The spreadsheet of the 10^th expenses will be completed this month.

Shawn Neal, who won 7^th grade Spelling Bee in 2014 and 8^th grade in 2015, contacted us, and we put him in touch with the scholarship coordinator at the Community Foundation. There are a number of winners whom we have lost track of, and haven’t received their scholarships. Ruth Jenerson will share their names in a future 19^th Ward communication in the hope that it may provide some contact information.

School reopening/volunteering

The budget crisis, coupled with COVET-19, has created instability in the schools and in the homes of students, staff and teachers. We expressed sympathy to the principals, and offered to help in any way we can.

People are willing to help students in September. Is there a way that volunteers could be matched up with students? Moniek was to check.

Chromebooks and internet access are required to enable distance learning. Joe was going to check on the progress.

New Business

The RCSD enrollment for pre-K is substantially reduced, such that school building 44 will not be used as a site. Dan raised the concern with what will happen to those children who are lost. Dan will check on the possibility of the Children’s Agenda taking on the project of answering the question “Where are the Children and Who is taking care of them.”

School 10 has been renovated. Charlotte wondered if there would be an opening event to showcase the school. If not could there be a virtual tour that could be shown on the district website. Why not have such a tour for all of the schools?

The next committee meeting will be Tuesday October 6^th at 7 pm on Zoom.

Submitted by John Laing