Board Briefs, Volume 36, Issue 13

Board
Volume 36, Issue 13
JPS SCHOOL BOARD:
Ms. Beneta Burt
President
Dr. Richard Lind
Vice President
Mr. Jed H. Oppenheim
Secretary
Dr. Otha Burton, Jr.
Member
Ms. Camille Stutts Simms
Member
Mr. Kodi Hobbs
Member
Mr. Rickey Jones
Member
Dr. Cedrick Gray
Superintendent
Ms. JoAnne Shepherd
JPS Counsel
Ms. Dorian Turner
Board Counsel
Ms. Vikki Mumford
Secretary to the Board
Briefs
JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
January 19, 2016
CALL TO ORDER
Board President Beneta Burt called to order the January 19, 2016, regular meeting of the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Sherlin Gonzalez Rangel, a fourth grader at Sykes
Elementary School, delivered the Pledge of Allegiance. She is an English Language Learner student whose native roots trace back to Mexico. She
is also an honor student who is always eager and
excited to learn something new. Her favorite subject in school is science. As an academic scholar,
she frequently seeks out additional materials to
read at home on the weekends. She has been recognized by the school as a student of the month
and PRIDE award winner for terms one and two.
The award recognizes students for meeting these
expectations for positive behavior: possessing a positive attitude, responding respectfully, individual responsibility, demonstrating self-control, and exercising
brain and body. Her leadership skills are demonstrated by serving as group leader
inside and outside of the classroom. She aspires to be a teacher when she grows
up. She is the daughter of Ana Rangel.
PRAYER OF INVOCATION
The Prayer of Invocation was given by Evangelist Sharon Rand. Evangelist Rand
is a native of Jackson, Mississippi, but spent part of her childhood in New York
City where she attended public schools in Brooklyn and Manhattan. She holds a
Bachelor of Science degree in health care management and has been employed
for nearly 25 years at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She also
holds a Master of Divinity degree in Christian Leadership and is pursuing a doctorate in Organizational Leadership. She and her husband, Eric Rand, Sr., are the
proud parents of three sons, Chris, Eric, Jr. and Dion. They are members of Progressive Morningstar Baptist Church, pastored by Rev. Willie Tobias, Jr. Evangelist Rand is president of the Missions Ministry and is actively involved in the
Evangelistic Ministry. Evangelist Rand’s motto is taken from T.D. Jakes’
“Maximize the Moment,” and she truly believes that prayer changes things.
Board member Rickey Jones presented certificates of appreciation to Sherlin
Gonzalez Rangel and Evangelist Sharon Rand.
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JPS BOARD MEETINGS:
JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS ESTABLISHES P–16 COUNCIL
The Board of Trustees generally
holds two regular meetings per
month.
February Board meetings will be
held on February 2 and 16, 2016,
at 5:30 p.m. in the Board Meeting
Room at 621 South State Street.
The Jackson Public Schools Board
of Trustees welcomes public
comments
regarding
policy
revisions.
CONTACT THE BOARD:
Jackson Public Schools
School Board Office
662 S. President Street
Jackson, MS 39201
E-mail:
[email protected]
JPS Website:
www.jackson.k12.ms.us
WATCH MEETINGS ON JPS ITV:
Channel 19 Program Schedule
JPS ITV on YouTube
CONNECT WITH JPS ONLINE!
Facebook.com/JacksonPublicSchools
Twitter.com/DrCedrickGray
The Jackson Public School District established a District-wide Pre-Kindergarten
through College (P-16) Council during a meeting on January 14 at Murrah High
School. The JPS P-16 Community Engagement Council is charged with empowering the community to make policy recommendations for the purpose of providing every JPS scholar with a quality educational experience. Superintendent Dr.
Cedrick Gray introduced the P-16 members to the Board of Trustees during the
meeting.
POTHOLE TROUBLE? BLACKBURN SCHOLAR HAS AN APP FOR THAT
Bumpy car rides with his mother inspired a 13-year-old tech wizard to
design an app. Chokwe Selassie, a
seventh-grader at Blackburn Middle
School, created an app to help Jackson drivers avoid potholes. His teacher, Etoria Hill, (left in the photo with
Selassie and Dr. Gray) was on hand,
along with Blackburn principal Dr.
Valerie Bradley, for the Board’s
recognition of the innovative scholar’s exciting invention.
JPS HONORS LEROY WALKER, JR. FOR SUPPORT OF MLK CONTESTS
Jackson businessman Leroy Walker, Jr. presented a check
for awards and incentives to support the District-wide
Martin Luther King, Jr. student contests. Walker, along
with his wife Terryce, have provided significant financial
support to this program for more than 20 years. The 2016
awards ceremony will take place February 4 at Cardozo
Middle School to showcase winning artwork, essays, and
poetry, and to allow oratorical contest winners to deliver
their speeches.
Board Briefs, January 19, 2016
JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
JPS BOARD APPROVES NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE GRANT
PARENT HOMEWORK SURVEY
JPS parents are invited to share
their opinions about homework
in the Parent Homework Survey
for Parents. Go to our website at
www.jackson.k12.ms.us to take
the survey.
The JPS Board of Trustees approved the project agreement between the RAND
Corporation and the Jackson Public School District. JPS will receive a grant
award from RAND in the amount of $4,988,217 to implement the Tools for Life
®
Relationship-Building Solutions.
MLK CELEBRATION & RECEPTION
The JPS celebration and reception
for Matin Luther King contest
winners will be held Thursday,
February 4 at 6 p.m. at Cardozo
Middle School.
MAGNET TESTING DATES
Casey Elementary testing dates
are February 9, 10, 11, and 13.
Davis IB and Power APAC
Elementary Schools will hold
testing dates for applicants
February 6 and 20.
Tools for Life ® provides a set of strategies that teachers can integrate within
classroom instruction by building relationships and teaching students interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. This three-year grant project is designed to support the
District’s current efforts to stimulate positive school environments and to escalate
students’ acquisition of essential relationship-building skills.
JPS will implement the Tools for Life ® Relationship-Building Solutions from
January 20, 2016, through December 31, 2018.
Approval of this agreement will help fulfill the District’s goals of attracting and
retaining high-quality teachers and increasing scholar achievement.
JPS PRE-K ENROLLMENT
Pre-kindergarten screening for
the 2016–2017 school year is
being conducted through March
4. Parents and guardians may
submit applications at school
sites in their attendance zone.
SPRING BREAK
JPS schools and offices will be
closed March 7–11 for spring
break.
Get details about these events
and more on our website at
www.jackson.k12.ms.us.
Board Briefs, January 19, 2016
JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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