School Advisory Council
Meeting
January 18, 2006
In attendance: Dan Kennedy, CSM Mike Collis, Jim Young, Bob
Lechner, Ken Cowles, Jann Vasiloff, Vera
McClaugherty, Robert Graham, Col. Steve Cork, Bill Race, Susanna Austin, Cadets
Katherine Valdesuso, Kyle Seeger, Kaitlin Jeffrey, Whitney Vosick and John
Miericke
Chairman Cowles called the
meeting to order at 11:05 a.m. Guest,
Susanna Austin SMA’s media specialist, joined the meeting. The minutes were reviewed and a motion was
made and seconded to accept the minutes as written.
Headmaster’s Report: Mr. Kennedy reported a smooth start to the new semester due in large part to the diligent efforts of guidance director, Fran Marx and her co-workers, Ray Thacker and Wilma Thompson. Enrollment stands at 450. Tuesday morning tours continue at a good rate and enrollment for next year is almost full. Once we reach that point we will go to a waiting list status. The Chinese class is very popular and it is being taught in conjunction with School in the Park. Japanese may be offered next year. FCAT preparation is well underway especially in the language arts and JROTC departments.
Commandant’s Report: Military Ball went well and was well attended. Thanks to all who helped prepare. Col. Cork reported that from his perspective this is our best year yet in terms of discipline problems. He stated that we are always working to improve, but that we have set standards and we are doing our best to adhere to them. He noted that while our standards are stricter than other high schools we must be careful not to lapse into mediocrity thinking that we have achieved our best level. Financially the academy is in good shape, paying bills on time, etc. The capital campaign was approved by the board of directors and is being led by a professional fund raiser who was hired to train the board members, among others, to involve the community and help solicit contributions for our building expansion. We have quite a few dignitaries visiting the school who show an interest in what we are doing. Mr. Vern Buchanan was a guest and was very impressed with the school.
Col. Cork requested that if anyone knows of a philanthropist who would be interested in seeing the academy, please pass the name to him. It is vital to build the expansion in order that the academy can reach its full potential.
Old Business: Mr. Kennedy reiterated the appreciation expressed by the faculty and staff to the SAC for the FCAT money allocated to them for a job well done. He also noted that a few staff members refused their portion of the money, returning it to the “pot” so that the bonuses were larger; some returned the money directly to the school. He, again, commended the cadets for recognizing the faculty and staff in this way.
Vera McClaugherty stated that she is getting requests from departments on different aspects of the building project. She is forwarding them to Ken Cowles so they might be included in future discussions.
Ken Cowles, founder of the SMA Lacrosse team, gave an update on the team’s progress. He also brought a sample uniform to the meeting. There are 21 members on the team; they currently have a 12 game schedule and he is looking for 3 more games to meet league requirements. There are 4 mini games scheduled The season kicks off with its first game 2/2/06 at Pt. Charlotte High School. Ken noted that all 3 coaches played collegiately and that they are volunteering their time. The team played a controlled scrimmage game against Lakewood Ranch High School and performed very well particularly for a new, inexperienced team. He stated that he has tried his best to schedule games that will not interfere with other SMA activities for drill team, rifle team, CAP, etc. Mr. Kennedy commended him for his efforts in all that he has done to establish this team and in his careful scheduling to avoid conflicts. Ken stated that next year there may be enough interest to start a girls’ Lacrosse team; which is a different game than boys’. Mrs. Vasiloff asked since the team is part of a league outside of the school system, if the members are still held to the GPA requirement of 2.0 or better in order to play; the answer was yes.
FCAT preparation discussion was continued with special note to the JROTC program and GOAT. CSM Mike reported that the GOAT program, presented by Greg Para, was workshops given to 10th graders on goal setting, not just in school situations, but in life. He noted that JROTC continues with the Sergeants Writes series. Susanna Austin commended those teachers who have continued with the DROP program in their classrooms allowing the kids extra reading time.
New Business: Mr. Lechner reported that we must submit our required report to the Southern Association of Secondary Schools by 1/25/06 to maintain our accreditation, and he will be working on that project.
Cadet Valdesuso stated that the SMA Interact Club voted to use some of their funds to help an SMA family who earlier lost all their possessions in a house fire.
Meeting was adjourned at 11:50 a.m.; next meeting is February 15th at 11:00 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Jann Vaslioff, Recording Secretary