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August 2009 Committee Updates
Committee Updates
The Curriculum Committee has been working on the final edits for the Family Contract and discussing important aspects of the teacher application. The committee is also outlining an option of having local universities do the intregrated instruction in-service training for staff instead of using an expensive out-of-state company.
The Finance Committee has just received the IRS letter confirming nonprofit 501(c)(3) status for Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts. We previously had 501(c)(3) status with the Richmond Partnership for Neighborhood Schools, and PHSSA has been receiving donations through the parent organization. We will be opening a separate bank account for PHSSA. Also, PHSSA is submitting an application for the U.S. Department of Education Charter School Program. An award decision will be made in October. Average awards are $150,000 per year for three years.
The Hiring Committee is still screening applicants and accepting resumes for Patrick Henry's school principal. The committee is also working on writing PHSSA teacher position descriptions, which it hopes to have drafted by the end of September to present to the board for approval. The timeline for submission to Richmond Public Schools and media outlets is the end of October.
As we get closer to our opening date, the Information Technology Committee is shifting gears from light-weight IT support to full IT/communications infrastructure planning, community portal development, and website redesign. This brings a new set of immediate resource needs in the area of physical technology and technical skills. Currently, we're looking for one or two motivated and experienced technologists with the following skills who are willing to donate their time in supporting our effort:
- Expert web development skills with HTML, CSS, Javascript (prefereably
Jquery and/or ExtJS experience), and PHP/MySQL application development
experience.
- Familiarity/experience with Drupal 5/6 content management framework or
comparable.
- Familiarity/experience with CiviCRM 2.x deployed on Drupal a plus but not
a must.
- Strong understanding of Web 2.0, cloud-computing, and social networking
based systems with ideas of how to apply such to an academic environment.
We also have a need for an IT/IS management professional to support our administrative and academic IT budgeting, planning and fundraising efforts for the coming year. Experience working with the Richmond Public Schools' technology department would be a big-plus given our need to be integrated with their IT and operational systems.
If you feel you fit either of these bills (or both!) and would like to contribute to the Patrick Henry IT initiatives (Website CMS, Volunteer/Fundraising CRM, and/or Eduware/School Community Portal) please contact our Director of IT Operations, Jean-Etienne LaVallee.
The Public Relations Committee is revamping the Patrick Henry presence on Facebook. The committee has also scheduled a Chick-fil-A Spirit Night for Thursday, September 10, at the Stratford Hills restaurant. We will receive 20 percent of all PHSSA purchases made between 5 and 8 p.m. Other farmers' market and festival events are being considered for the fall.
The Partnership Committee has updated its goals and is looking for new and former members to lend a helping hand. Join us for a committee meeting Tuesday, September 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Patrick Henry building, 3411 Semmes Avenue. We will be working on building relationships with businesses, schools, and nonprofit organizations in the community. Contact Kelly Bulbulkaya for more information.
Please contact Krista Simmerman if you would like more information about volunteering for PHSSA. |
