Mr. John J. Moore, Superintendent

January 27, 2010                                                                                   Vol. 1, No. 2

Congratulations:  I always enjoy beginning these news letters with congrats!  Michelle Darabaris, LES teacher, has been named the Leeds Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year.  She was selected by the chamber executive committee among many fine teachers.  Ms. Darabaris will be recognized at the Citizen/Teacher/Business of the Year Banquet this Friday night.  Thank you, Ms. Darabaris, for all that you do to make our district an outstanding one.

Thanks, Mr. Swift:  Many of you may have noticed some subtle changes in front of LHS in terms of landscaping.  Mr. Bryan Swift, a science teacher, has begun the process of creating an outdoor classroom for our students.  He has consulted with many outside professionals, written grants, and put a plan of action into place.  Thank you, Mr. Swift, for taking the initiative to create meaningful, hands-on activities for our students. 

SACS Update:  Last week, group leaders met with our SACS facilitator to monitor progress.  We are currently nearing the end of writing the self study of the district.  Next month, we will endeavor to post our documentation to a drive on the district server.  This is a vast improvement from the old days when we had to create boxes of papers, archives, and work.  I would like to again thank all committee members who have participated in this preparation process.

Calendar:  I am prepared to recommend the 2010-2011 scholastic calendar to the Board at the next meeting.  I appreciate everyone who took the time to provide input.  I did adjust two dates as an outcome of comments made by teachers.  As I am certain you understand, it is next to impossible to create a calendar that pleases everyone.  However, I think it helpful that everyone had an opportunity to comment.  We will provide you a copy once the Board approves. 

Swine flu clinics:  I would like to say thank you to our two wonderful nurses, Ms. England and Ms. Lail.  They guided us through several swine flu clinics at the three schools without incident or fanfare.  I appreciate their professionalism and care, and I am pleased we were able to provide this service to our students.  Fortunately, we have not seen many incidents of flu, and I am hopeful things stay that way.

LMS Ditch:  We have been given the final approval by the Alabama Department of Transportation to begin work on the LMS ditch.  We anticipate dirt moving the week of February 1^st.  We will need the middle school faculty's patience as we proceed through this project.  I will be oh so happy to have this final phase behind us!

Safety Patrol at LES:  As many of you know, I am the parent of a first grader at LES.  Like so many other parents in Leeds, I drop my child off each morning.  How impressed I am with the safety patrol?!  They look great, they help small children exit cars, and I am grateful for their service.  I appreciate all those teachers and administrators who organize this community service.

State Education Budget:  I attended a series of meetings over the past two weeks in Montgomery related to the 2010-2011 school budget.  My general feeling is this: things are not as bad as they could be, and they are not as good as we would like them to be!  I will remain hopeful that the emphasis will continue to be placed on maintaining teacher units and benefits.  I will keep you informed of this process as we go through the legislative session. 

Thanks to the Child Nutrition Program:  A special thank you is due to Ms. Anita Smith and all the wonderful people who work in the cafeterias at the three schools.  The child nutrition program was recently audited by the State Department of Education; this included a visit to the LHS lunchroom.  We passed with flying colors!  We are fortunate to have such caring people who serve us everyday. 

I Appreciate All of You:  Thanks to each of you for the difficult yet rewarding job you do everyday.  Every child presents a challenge as well as an opportunity, and that in itself is a task worthy of our best efforts!  Have a great remainder of the week.