Board of Education Meeting Highlights for September 10, 2024

Welcome to our monthly Board of Education newsletter, a place where our community can read the highlights of the celebrations and business that take place at our monthly meeting. This September 10th edition brings you a roundup of news, events, and updates, keeping you connected and informed about our collective journey in education. The MGSD Board of Education meets for its regular monthly meeting at Mooresville Town Hall. If you would like to go back and view our meetings, you can do that at this link: MGSD Board Meetings via YouTube. For the September 10, 2024, meeting we had technical difficulties with the live stream. If you would like to view that meeting specifically, please visit this link: Board of Education Meeting Stream - September 10, 2024. For meeting schedules and additional Board information, please visit the Board of Education webpage at MGSD Board of Education. Please let us know if you have any questions regarding the information contained in this newsletter. Thank you for your continual support of MGSD!

Josh Rouson, Mooresville Middle School 8th grade student, was selected as the MGSD Student of the Month for September. In the nomination by his middle school teachers, they said that Josh personifies the HEART of a Red Imp: he’s Honest, Engaged, Accountable, Responsible, and Tolerant. He doesn’t usually draw a lot of attention to himself, but his hard work, dedication to grow, and kindness towards others speaks volumes with his teachers. Here’s what some of Josh’s teachers said about him:

Thank you, Josh, for making a positive impact on both students and teachers at MMS!

The Board recognized the MMS All-State Chorus Participants as the MGSD Artists of the Month. This group of students was nominated by Ms. Marla Young, chorus teacher for Mooresville Middle School and Selma Burke Middle School. Ms. Young nominated these students for the following reasons:

"Last April, middle school students were able (for the first time) to attend and sing at the All State

Chorus in Greensboro, North Carolina. Our middle schoolers worked VERY hard to learn their

music and it was an amazing honor and privilege for our students. They had the opportunity to

work with amazing clinicians and sing in a huge choir of 150-200 other students from around the

state."

An MMS chorus parent had the following to say about the experience:

“Ms. Young did an exceptional job preparing the girls – each passed their screening and all were well prepared for the show. She also made sure parents were informed of all the practices/scheduling for the weekend. I felt confident that my daughter was well looked after and that Ms Young had an eye out for the well being and safety of all the girls. My daughter loved this whole weekend and the chance to perform on behalf of her school. For those students who might not make an athletic team, this is one of the only chances to feel that kind of school connectivity and pride. Thank you for supporting this program and chorus in general...my only wish is that it could be a year long program!”

Every single girl represented MMS and MGSD in an exemplary manner!

Congratulation go to

The girls performed "Be Who You Are" by Ryan Main at the meeting. To view their performance, click this link: MMS Chorus Performance.

The Board of Education recognized Ms. Dawn Baierlein, Human Resource Specialist, for the August ABCD award. Ms. April Kuhn, Chief Human Resource Officer, nominated Ms. Baierlein for the following reasons:

"Ms. Baierlein goes “Above and Beyond the Call of Duty” by demonstrating the following MGSD Core Value: Authentic Relationships (We believe in an environment welcoming to all, creating a sense of community. We believe in an inclusive environment where all voices are valued and all people know they belong.). When I began working at MGSD last year, I recognized that the leave of absence process needed improvements. When I first approached Ms. Baierlein with the task to help support the leave of absence process she hesitantly said she was up for the challenge. She has taken on leading this work with integrity and created methods to ensure that all staff are clear on their options when they enter the leave process. She refined systems and shared information with staff while also protecting the confidential information she received from staff who had been out on medical leave. She develops authentic relationships as she has been a listening ear to many different people in crisis this year. Dawn provides accurate data to people so that they feel empowered to make the best decisions for their families when dealing with leave or retirement. She has provided resources and informal training to other colleagues. Most of all she goes above and beyond with her initiative. If there is a question about her area of work, she does not wait for me or anyone else to find a solution - she researches and finds it herself. She is dutiful, timely, and professional in her work and an asset to the Mooresville Graded Schools team. I am grateful that she is on my team. Congratulations Dawn!"

The Board of Education recognized Ms. Kathi Johnson, Mooresville Middle School's financial data manager, with the September ABCD award. Ms. Johnson was nominated by the MMS administrative team because she embodies the MGSD core value of Authentic Relationships. In the nomination, the administrative team said the following about Ms. Johnson:

"Ms. Johnson is the glue behind the scenes at Mooresville Middle School. She puts safety and student supervision at the forefront of her daily work, calling and texting countless phone numbers to secure the one necessary substitute teacher. She works with our head custodian and assistant principals on submitting work orders to ensure the school environment is suitable for working and learning. She'll volunteer to help at the front desk for arrival and dismissal times to assist with the high volume of calls and traffic. Ms. Johnson also builds trust in our school community by being honest and upfront when a situation needs to be addressed. She is not shy about voicing her opinions when she sees inequity and unfairness within our school or district. This is a GOOD thing because our leaders need to hear all types of feedback to properly make an informed decision. Even when dealing with a catastrophic flood that started on the roof over her office, her attitude has been positive and constructive. She embodies the #AllHeart slogan of our school.

As the financial data manager, she is the financial guru of MMS - helping the principal and other staff members keep their eyes on fiscal responsibility and long-term school needs. Most of all, she wants to ensure our school's finances to help our students. Again and again she asks, "How does this benefit kids?" Kathi Johnson's recognition that even our financial decisions need to be centered on students is why our MMS admin team feels she rises Above and Beyond the Call of Duty. We love and appreciate Ms. Johnson and hope she never retires!"

The following Board of Education policies were presented to the board members for review until the October 8, 2024, board meeting.

The following items were brought to the Board of Education for approval.