Greetings,
GreenMount Community,
Recently, some have expressed concern
about the gate in back of the building that leads to our learning
cottages. The concern is that the gate
is left unlocked during the day. This is
a legitimate concern since anyone could walk into that area without first being
seen. The problem we have is that we
must leave the gate unlocked (not open) due to fire regulations. The Fire Marshall has stated specifically
that we cannot lock our students into the gated area (for obvious reasons). Therefore, we are left with an uncomfortable
situation.
First, though, we must acknowledge that we can never
be completely secure. Any school is
vulnerable to someone intent on getting in or doing harm. That said, we also know after consulting with
individuals trained in dealing with intruders that barriers that slow someone
down are often adequate when dealing with this kind of situation. We have improved our security by adding locks
on classroom doors and training students about where they should go in order to
be out of sight of people looking in. At
this morning’s gathering with the students we discussed the intruder drill and
the procedures that are in place for that type of situation. Additionally, we will be adding a
sophisticated camera system that will greatly improve our ability to monitor
who is seeking access to our building.
One camera will be installed to view the front door and another will be
installed that looks at the back gated area where the unlocked gate in question
is located. The cameras will be
connected to a computer screen located in the office so that Jen, or anyone
else manning her desk, will be able to see those two areas at any time. We will also be able to access the cameras on
our cell phones, which means that I will also be able to view the two areas at
any time, including at night when I am at home and receiving a call about an
alarm. This improvement to our security
comes to us in the form of a grant that Jill Goodman was able to secure for
this specific purpose. Once again, she
comes to the rescue when our needs are greatest.
On Friday evening, many parents and
staff members gathered at Jeff and Christie Hazard’s house to celebrate the
success of last year’s Annual Fund. I
would like to specifically thank the Development Committee, led by Jill Goodman
and Christie Hazard, for the amazing job they did last year. We actually doubled our contributions from
the year before. And a big thank-you
also goes out to all of you who gave an average of about $210, with other
contributions of as much as $5,000, making last year our greatest success ever.
Now we have begun our campaign for this year with the
goal of $33,000. This fund is very
important in terms of our ability to operate the school effectively. Your tuition covers about 93% of the costs
associated with a full school year, leaving 7% to be covered by other sources. Of course, we have had great success with
grants, thanks to our Development Committee.
However, grants are almost always restricted. That is, they are designated for a specific
purpose, such as the Theater Arts Project.
Our successful infusion of grants still leaves us with nearly a 7%
deficit in operating costs. Based on the budget we have for 2013-2014,
that 7% amounts to nearly $70,000. So
you can see why the Annual Fund is so important. I encourage you to make your contributions
early. We are hoping for 100%
participation from everyone, including the staff. By the way, when those awarding grants see
that our community contributes at a high level, they are much more likely to
look at us above other applicants. This way we can double the benefit of a high
level of participation.
Finally, let me thank you again for
how well this year has begun. The
highlight of my day is always greeting you and your children at the front
gate. I have never seen so many happy
faces and children ready to learn. You
are doing a great job as parents and your success is readily seen on the bright
faces of all the students who pass by me every morning. Please know that when I am not there, it is
not by choice. You and your children
start my day, and without that connection, my day is missing its most important
component. I’ll be out on Friday. Drat!
Cheers,
Steve
