From: Angie Keil
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 4:04 PM
To: All Exchange Users
Subject: LTUSD School Update
Good Afternoon Everyone!
It’s good to be back in the United States after a
two week visit to Europe. I have a renewed appreciation
of how great this country is – particularly the community
of South Lake Tahoe!
First, let me welcome most of you back to the new school
year, which starts next Tuesday, September 2nd. I’d
also like to welcome the new parents/guardians who are
joining the email list this year and explain the purpose
of these emails. After each regularly scheduled meeting
of our School Board, I try to give you a brief synopsis
of what happened at the meeting in order to keep you informed
about school issues. Sometimes I get a little carried away
and brevity goes out the window, so feel free to skim through
the items of my report and take from it what you wish.
These reports are not the official minutes of the meeting,
but just my take on what happened in an effort to keep
parents and the community “informally informed”.
Official minutes can be found on the District’s web
site at http://ltusd.csbaagendaonline.net . I also try
to include items of information that I uncover during the
week which might be of interest. Again, you can take them
or leave them…………..
With that said, here we go with a rundown on what happened
at last night’s School Board meeting:
Communication from the Public
Although we had a small audience on a beautiful sunny
evening, no one felt compelled to speak on any topic, so
we moved right along.
Board of Education Report
Summer’s just flown by, but your Board of Education
members have been busying themselves with a variety of
activities in an effort to improve our students’ educational
experience.
As I mentioned in a previous email, the District has placed
a school bond measure on the November ballot and you’ll
be hearing more about that in the upcoming months. A
list of FAQs
(Frequently Asked Questions) is available
on our web site if you’d like more information.
The Lake Tahoe Educational Foundation has done an amazing
job over the past several years raising funds to enhance
our schools. During the 2008/09 school year, they will
be awarding grants to schools up to $10,000 per school
for programs designed to encourage, facilitate, recognize,
and reward enrichment programs. More details are available
on their web
site.
A very successful Board Retreat was held on August 22 and
25, allowing the members an opportunity to evaluate their
effectiveness, both as a board and as individual trustees,
in the District, and also to hear from principals regarding
their goals for the upcoming school year.
Superintendent Report
Most schools are celebrating successes with the recent
release of the California
Standards Test results, which
revealed that all schools, except for South Tahoe Middle
School, met their API (Academic Performance Index) goals.
Teachers have returned to work this week and are participating
in professional development classes, analyzing test data
and setting the course for even more improvements next
year. STMS has a new principal, Beth Delacour, who has
held the position of Director of Human Resources for the
past few years. Maintenance crews have been hard at work
all summer, cleaning, painting, and repairing facilities
to ready them for the onslaught next week.
Approve California Department of Education Employee Ratio
Worksheet
Now here’s an exciting piece of business! In a nutshell,
the District must certify to the State that the administrator
to teacher ratio is not out of whack……..the “bloated
administration syndrome” one might say. As it turns
out, the maximum amount of administrators a District our
size should have is 18. However, due to the lean and mean
fiscal actions over the past few years, LTUSD has only
13 administrators. Hmmm……..that would account
for the increase in silver headed men and women seen frantically
dashing around town!
Student Meals for the 2008/2009 School Year
I’m sure it’s no surprise that many food items
critical to providing balanced, nutritious school meals
saw double-digit price increases during 2007 and 2008:
milk increased by 17%; rice and pasta increased by 13%;
cheese increased by 15%; bread increased by 12%; heck……….sliced
lunch meat increased by 76%!
Add to that, the increase in energy and fuel prices, and
top it off with the State slashing reimbursements for school
meals and you see why Director of Child Nutrition, Shelley
Giannotta, brought a request to increase school meal prices
by $0.25 across the board.
Board Members did not have an easy time approving these
increases but agreed that it must be done to cover costs.
Shelley said that she is planning to pilot a salad bar
at the High School and introduce new entrée choices
at all locations. The lack of adequate eating facilities
at the High School reared its ugly head again, as she acknowledged
that kids don’t want to eat there when they have
nowhere to sit comfortably. (The bond measure would help
to alleviate that problem if it passes in November.)
So here’s what transpired:
· STMS AND STHS
Paid student lunch will now be $2.75 (currently $2.50)
Paid student breakfast will now be $1.50 (currently $1.25)
· ELEMENTARY
Paid student lunch will now be $2.25 (currently $2.00)
Paid student breakfast will now be $1.25 (currently $1.00)
Well, that’s about all the news to report on last
night’s meeting. If you have a few more minutes to
spare, here a few snippets of news from organizations with
which I am involved:News from Tahoe Youth and Family Services
A very successful fund raiser was held at the Air Show
in June, called Manure Monopoly, and I’d like to
thank all of you who bought tickets and supported us out
at the Airport. I’d also like to extend a huge thank
you to Andrew Morris of Area Transit Management who recently
donated $500 in bus tokens to TY&FS to enable families
to avail of the excellent counseling, education, and support
services offered by the agency.
News from Kiwanis of Tahoe Sierra
Our annual Oktoberfest will be held on Friday, September
19th at Mont Bleu Casino & Resort. Last year’s
event allowed the Club to distribute over $17,000 to children
who lost their homes and belongings in the Angora Fire.
This year, proceeds will go to help at-risk and underprivileged
youth in our community. It promises to be a great evening
of food, music, and fun. Tickets are only $40 in advance
or $45 at the door. Call or email me if you’d like
to purchase tickets.
In other news:
Back to School Immunization Clinics Scheduled in South
Lake Tahoe
The El Dorado County Public Health Department is offering
low-cost back to school immunization clinics in South Lake
Tahoe at the end of August and in September. “Diseases
like pertussis and mumps have been more prevalent over
the last few years, so children need to be protected before
they enter school,” said Allyson Tabor, Supervising
Public Health NURSE.
The Public Health Department’s low-cost back to
school immunization clinics will be offered at 1360 Johnson
Blvd, Suite 103 in South Lake Tahoe by appointment on August
27, September 2, September 4, September 9, and September
12 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., and on September 3
from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. To schedule an appointment,
call (530) 573-3155. A parent or legal guardian must be
present for immunization appointments, and parents should
bring the child’s yellow immunization card or shot
record. (CLICK THE LINK ABOVE FOR MORE INFORMATION)
UPCOMING EVENTS AT YOUR LOCAL HOSPITAL:
FREE Quarterly
Health Checks through Barton HealthCare -- Sept. 19 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
At each FREE Quarterly Health Check, half a dozen different
health screenings are offered to the community at no charge
in an effort to keep South Lake Tahoe locals healthy.
Refreshments, courtesy of the Barton Mountain Café,
will be served, informative health videos will be running
and all volunteers for the day are Barton HealthCare System
employees.
The Quarterly Health Checks are free but pre-registration
appointments are required. Call 530-543-5537 or go to www.bartonhealth.org/healthcheck
* Sept. 17 & 20 – EKG – 1 p.m to 5 p.m.
in Barton’s EKG department. $45 payable at your appointment.
Call (530) 543-5881 or register online at www.bartonhealth.org/ekg.
* Tues. Sept. 16 – Wellness Lab Draws, 6:30 a.m.
to 1 p.m. at Express Lab across from Barton Memorial Hospital
and at Stateline Medical Center. $40 Wellness Panel, $30
PSA screening, $30 Thyroid test, $35 Hemoglobin A1c test.
Register online at www.bartonhealth.org/lab
Fri. Sept. 19 – “Legs For Life,” Sponsored
by Barton Memorial Hospital’s Medical Imaging department
at Barton University, 1111 Emerald Bay Road. September
is National Vascular Disease Awareness Month. $50 screenings
to check for several important vascular diseases & Dexa
bone scans. 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Register online at www.bartonhealth.org or call (530) 543-5537.
* Sat. Sept. 20 – Wellness Lab Draws, 8 a.m. to
1 p.m. at Express Lab across from Barton Memorial Hospital
and at Stateline Medical Center. $40 Wellness Panel, $30
PSA screening, $30 Thyroid test, $35 Hemoglobin A1c test.
Register online at www.bartonhealth.org/lab
The Gala – Oct. 11, Sponsored by the Barton Foundation
at Harrah’s/Harveys Convention Center. “The” formal
event of the year. Live music, cocktail hour with hors
d’oeuvres, elegant dinner, dancing, silent and live
auction. Call (530) 543-5614.
Social Networking Sites: Safety Tips for Tweens and Teens
PLEASE DISCUSS THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE WITH YOUR TWEEN OR
TEEN.
You’ve probably learned a long list of important
safety and privacy lessons already: Look both ways before
crossing the street; buckle up; hide your diary where your
nosy brother can’t find it; don’t talk to strangers.
The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer
protection agency, is urging kids to add one more lesson
to the list: Don’t post information about yourself
online that you don’t want the whole world to know.
The Internet is the world’s biggest information exchange:
many more people could see your information than you intend,
including your parents, your teachers, your employer, the
police — and strangers, some of whom could be dangerous.
Social networking sites have added a new factor to the “friends
of friends” equation. By providing information about
yourself and using blogs, chat rooms, email, or instant
messaging, you can communicate, either within a limited
community, or with the world at large. But while the sites
can increase your circle of friends, they also can increase
your exposure to people who have less-than-friendly intentions.
You’ve heard the stories about people who were stalked
by someone they met online, had their identity stolen,
or had their computer hacked. (click the link above
for more information)
Well, that’s all for now. We’ll be ready and
waiting next Tuesday morning to greet all those anxious
young children who just can’t wait to start another
great school year!
As always, do not hesitate to call or email if you have
any questions.
Angie
________________________________
Angie Keil
Lake Tahoe Unified School District
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER
PHONE: 530.541.2850, ext 225
BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICIES AND AGENDAS: http://ltusd.csbaagendaonline.net
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