Board members, parents, teachers, and administrators have been meeting this fall to complete the strategic planning progress begun earlier this year to establish a new mission statement and develop long-range goals for the Schools.
As the stakeholder groups meet, they will develop three key goals and objectives from a list of topic areas. The goals and objectives from each meeting will be sent to the strategic planning coordinating committee. This committee will eliminate redundancies and choose three or four goals from each area for the board's consideration.
"The Laboratory Schools Board then must approve all goals and objectives," said Rusty Hellman, organizational consultant with the University and facilitator of the process. "After Board approval, representatives from each group will meet to write time-limited, specific action steps for the goals and objectives."
The Board's strategic planning committee is currently reviewing a draft mission statement. That statement will be reviewed by the full Board, distributed again to community members working on the strategic plan, and then returned to the Board with the final draft of the goals and objectives.
The process should be completed early next year, Hellman said.
It's not too soon to think about the coming school year. The Office of the Registrar is already planning for 2001-2002 by preparing a re- registration mailing that will go to parents on January 2.
When you receive the mailing, be sure to respond so that your child can be re-enrolled for the coming school year. A deposit is due for each child on or before February 5 and will be credited to the Fall 2001 tuition balance.
The deposit is refundable under specific circumstances: (1) notifying the registrar, (2) putting a notice of withdrawal in writing (the Schools need an Official Notification of Withdrawal from a parent), and (3) doing so by May 1 to obtain a 100 percent refund of deposit or by June 1 to obtain a 50 percent refund of deposit. People who have questions may call (773) 702-5884.
Seven students and six teachers were elected to the University High School Disciplinary Board, a new group established as part of a review of discipline procedures at Lab.
Students named to the board are seniors Johanna Budzilowicz, Hannah Lantos, and Tiffany Northrup; juniors Chris Amos and Michael McGehee; and sophomores Alexander Chiu and Terese Lantos.
Faculty named to the committee are David Derbes, Hal Hoffenkamp, Mona Khalidi, Andrea Martonffy, Rosa McCullagh, and John O'Connor.
The Disciplinary Board provides students with an opportunity for a hearing and review process after the school administration has notified them of suspension or expulsion. According to the the procedure, eight board members - four teachers and four students members meet on the same day as the request for a hearing. They must cast a 6 to 2 vote to make a recommendation, which then must be reviewed by the Principal in the case of a suspension and by the Principal and Director in the case of an expulsion.
We have the following corrections to make to the 1999-2000 Annual Report, mailed to families and alumni in September: