Montessori Matters
February 15, 2019
Chat with the Administrator Report
Tuesday evening’s “Chat with the Administrator” had quite a few parents in attendance to voice their concerns and questions about the recent personnel announcement. The conversation quickly turned to broader concerns and questions regarding the MSA Board of Trustees and Administration. Several parents indicated that they do not know who the board members are or have knowledge about how the board operates, so I would like to provide some of this information to you.
The board currently has seven members: Mr. Vince Fanello (president), Mrs. Jennifer Cline (vice president), Mr. David Rogers, Dr. Keremy MacDonald, Dr. Dan Keenan, Mrs. KD Simpson, and Mr. Chris Simcoe. Ms. Karen Holt, MSA Founder, and Mrs. Gloria Harmon also serve on the board as ex officio, non-voting members. The board meets monthly in the conference room of the main office to handle the financial business of the school.
Having served in the past as a board member and later as Administrator of MSA, I can tell you how important it is to have a board and an administrator who work together to advance the mission of the school. You should be pleased to know that the current board and I have a very positive and productive working relationship. During this time of self-assessment for re-accreditation, the board has worked diligently to ensure that we have and follow the documentation necessary to meet the standards for the governing body of an independent school, such as a board orientation packet, code of ethics, conflict of interest statement, and bylaws (available in the main office). The board also ensures that we have the financial statements and documents required as evidence to meet standards, such as budgets, compilation/audit, and annual report (available at the April Annual Meeting). Filling vacancies on the board,revising the bylaws to allow for non-parent MSA board members, and improving teacher salary and benefits has also been a goal of the board this year.
I have known most of the current board members for many years. Board president and father of three girls, Vince Fanello, has been a parent at MSA for 15 years. During that time, he has given consistently to MSA’s Annual Fund, sponsored the Spring Benefit, sponsored Fall Fest, and been a named donor during MSA’s Capital Campaign to support the high school program - funding the science lab. Vince, a successful business owner, was nominated to the board to share his business acumen. His primary focus during his service on the board has been to place MSA in better financial standing than when he began. As he approaches the end of his time on the board, he will have the satisfaction of knowing that he has done just that!
Board vice president and mother of two boys, Jennifer Cline, has been a parent at MSA for 12 years. She has been the coordinator of the Parent Panel since 2009, organizing all of the fundraisers/events on campus, such as Fall Fest, Book Fair, Field Day, etc. She also served on the steering committee for Spring Benefit for several years, supporting the tuition assistance fund. Jennifer was nominated to the board because of her fundraising knowledge and volunteer coordinating experience. She has far exceeded the “Two Hour” parent volunteer pledge serving as chaperone/driver for numerous field trips, organizing teacher recognition luncheons and holiday gifts, and much more. Her presence on campus is a welcome one!
Vince and Jennifer are just two of the board members who have invested in this school with their time and talents again and again. The others have similar stories of how they have supported MSA over the years and continue to do so for the purpose of continuous improvement for student success. Every decision made by this board is made with that consideration first and foremost. Many of the concerns that were expressed last Tuesday have existed for years, but the board we have now is not content with maintaining the status quo, committed instead to bring about positive change for the governance of our school. They would welcome other members who share that vision and they are working to bring that about.
Lastly, I would like to share that during the “priority” enrollment period, a majority of our families submitted their enrollment agreements to reserve their child(ren)’s place for the 2019/2020 school year. This sign of confidence in the education that MSA provides to all of her students is greatly appreciated. We maintain that even with the challenges we face, MSA still provides the best environment for your child(ren)’s education. Through it all, the Montessori Method and philosophy prevail and the successes of our students academically and in life are the proof!
Sincerely,
Dr. Dana Hill, Administrator
Montessori School of Anderson
Dates to Remember
February 16 - 2019/2020 enrollment has opened to new families
February 18 - President's Day - All Programs Closed, Extended Day Available
February 21 - UE poetry night
February 22 - Last day to order yearbooks to be guaranteed a copy
February 23 - HS Mock Trial Regional Competition in Greenville
February 24 - MSA Open House, 1-4PM
March 11 - 21 - MAP testing
March 17 - MSA Open House, 1-4PM
March 22 - Teacher professional development day
March 25-29 - Spring parent conferences
March 30 - Spring Benefit at 6:30PM at the T. Ed Garrison Event Center
Book Fair - It's not over yet!
The Benefits of Spring Benefit
Spring Benefit, the largest fundraiser of the year, funds the tuition assistance program at MSA. Offering tuition assistance is vital to fulfilling the mission of our school. It brings a socio-economic diversity to our community that is consistent with our desire to serve all children, despite financial need. Additionally, by increasing our enrollment overall by making MSA a more affordable option for dozens of students each year, the cost of tuition for ALL students is lower.
Spring Benefit By-the-Numbers:
Spring Benefit is being held on March 30, 2019 at 6:30 PM at the T. Ed Garrison Event Center.
Only 250 tickets to the event are sold.
A ticket costs $150 and admits 2 people.
Recipients of tuition assistance must sell at least 1 ticket to the event to “pay-it-forward” for the next year's fund.
Over the past ten years, Spring Benefit has raised approximately $38,000 each year for MSA's tuition assistance fund.
Approximately, 20-30 students are recipients of these funds each year, enabling them to attend MSA.
A student can receive up to 50% of the cost of tuition through assistance. No student receives more than 50%.
Over 60% of families receive some form of tuition assistance, including the military, alumni, sibling, and single pay discounts.
Please support this most important event through volunteer hours, ticket sales, auction item donations, and/or purchases the night of our event. It is a fun night to enjoy time with our community members and it is for a good, no, the best, cause - our children!
Dr. Dana Hill, Administrator
Grandparent's/Special Person's Day
Tom Sawyer
Yearbook Purchase Deadline
Montessori School of Anderson
Email: mdabney@msasc.org
Website: msasc.org
Location: 280 Sam McGee Road, Anderson, SC, USA
Phone: 864-226-5344
Facebook: http://facebook.com/MontessoriSchoolofAnderson