School Council

CEMA School Council Minutes

 

MEETING DATE: 8/13/25

START TIME: 3:34pm

LOCATION: CEMA Library

ATTENDEES

President - Maggie Fuller

Acting Principal - Patrice Prince

Teachers - Christina Heisler (Teacher of the Year 2026-2027), Angela LaPlante (Teacher of the Year 2025-2026), Elizabeth Whalen

Parents - Bridget Cross, Eric Hansen, Vian Morales, Aiysha Varraich, Lori Wynn, Leah Yakibovits

Business/Community Partners - Laura Filson (Montessori Emeritus), Mary Britton Senseney (MESS), Allie Walz (PTA)

 

INSPIRATION

Presented by Ms. Laura: “How much fuller and richer life would be if we saw the child in all his greatness, all his beauty, instead of focusing on all his little mistakes?” - Maria Montessori

COUNCIL OFFICERS

Maggie opened discussion of nominating officers for president, secretary, and vice-president of Council for this school year. Vian expressed interest in serving as VP, Bridget agreed to serve as secretary.

Maggie moved to nominate Bridget as secretary; Vian seconded; Council voted yes unanimously. Lori moved to vote to reelect Maggie as president; Bridget seconded; Council voted yes unanimously. Ms. Laura moved to vote for Vian as VP; Leah seconded; Council voted unanimously.

Council officers for 2025-2026 are:

President: Maggie Fuller

Vice-President: Vian Morales

Secretary: Bridget Cross

Teacher of the Year (2026-27): Christina Heisler

Teacher of the Year (2024-25): Angela LaPlante

Parent Representatives: Eric Hansen, Aiysha Varraich, Leah Yakabovits

Business/Community Partner: Maja Ciric

Ex Officio: Mary Britton Senseney (M.E.S.S. President)

Ex Officio: Allie Walz (PTA President)

Acting Principal: Patrice Prince

Discussion of vote process for teachers to approve Angie to continue as TOTY for 25-26; Maggie confirmed this vote occurred and all teachers were in favor.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Council confirmed that minutes from 6/25/25 were approved via email on 6/27. Minutes from 6/10/25 Zoom meeting will be sent by Sarah for review soon.

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Council welcomed Ms. Patrice to Council in her role as Acting Principal, and discussed our relief and happiness with this new transition. Ms. Patrice agreed that she was looking forward to this new role and the year ahead.

Ms. Patrice reported that the school year is off to a good start. Our enrollment is currently on target at 433; we do need one additional 3rd grader, who is due to start tomorrow for 434 total enrollment.

MAP testing and Amira testing will start on 8/18. Lori asked whether MAP is replacing I-Ready testing and Ms. Patrice confirmed this is true, though I-Ready will still be used for assessments. Several Council members confirm that MAP testing is generally preferred by teachers.

Ms. Patrice reports that MESS has provided funding for new teacher Jessica Price to receive Montessori training, which will begin soon.

Dr. Joyia Turner is our new assistant principal on loan, assigned by district. Her term is unknown; plans to hire new AP are also unknown.

PRINCIPAL SEARCH

Ms. Patrice confirms that she is interested in applying for the permanent principal position. Maggie asks if we can recruit for a Montessori-trained AP who can work alongside Patrice.

Discussion of district plans to launch a Montessori advisory committee. Maggie informs that Ms. Tanya will be part of this.

Discussion of Dr. Watts’ email from 7/20/25: Dr. Watts affirmed she is launching this advisory committee and intends to be fully supportive during hiring process. New CEMA principal will also receive mentorship from Ms. Tanya. Council discussed whether we would share Dr. Watts’ email with the school community. Maggie suggests asking Charles McMillan (School Council Liaison) for feedback on this; she will reach out to him and let us know.

[7/20 Letter from Dr. Watts attached below.]

Mary Britton recommends inviting Dr. Watts back to CEMA building for another visit asap.

Ms. Laura comments on how calm and peaceful the school environment seems this year; other Council members agree.

ACCREDIDATION UPDATE

Maggie provided an update on accreditation from Ms. Beth: We received AMS verification last year. Ms. Beth, Mr. Trent, and Ms. Patrice met with the AMS liaison at the end of last year. AMS is very supportive of public schools through this process. Ms. Beth and Mr. Trent were also in contact with a public school in Ohio that just got accredited and received some feedback and guidance. Ms. Beth will share more on this next meeting.

3 YEAR OLD PROGRAM

Ms. Patrice spoke with Rachel Hurst (her supervisor) and Angie Lewis (CTAE) about 3yo program this summer. Our proposal is to accommodate 12 three year olds divided among primary classrooms in order to avoid needing additional staff or space. Rachel has taken this request to her supervisors for approval, as they had originally wanted 22 children for this program. This plan is proposed to begin this year, timing unknown.

Eric asks about lottery process for 3yos. Ms Patrice reports that preference will be given in the same order as for Choice lottery – to Ellis employees, then district employees, then siblings. For the first year, CTAE office would manage lottery and manage marketing/promotion. Mary Britton asks if someone from our community could provide oversight of this process. Ms. Patrice says she is unsure of lottery process after this first year. Several council members recalled discussions in the past confirming 3yos are guaranteed seats in PreK.

Ayisha asks whether CEMA will get more money from district to accommodate this program. Ms. Patrice believes they provide funding for additional supplies and furniture only. Maggie says Lacey had discussed using FunRun funds for classroom materials for 3yo program. Allie says they have discussed this and incorporated it into PTA budget.

Vian asks if we can open another classroom if we are required to take 22 children. Ms. Patrice says we do have an additional room to use if needed but notes we would also need additional funding for 2 more teachers if we have 22 three year olds.

GRADING POLICY REPORT

Council reviewed that the grading policy from 24-25 was rolled back over the summer, for this year and next, per Dr. Watts email from 6/3/25. Maggie noted that this was another supportive and encouraging response from Dr. Watts, that indicated understanding of our school community and Montessori education. With the support of new Montessori advisory committee, discussion of grading policies may be revisited in the future. Ms. Angie confirmed that she shared this letter with staff to clarify grading policy change.

COMMUNICATIONS

Council discussed our approach to communicating with CEMA community, recapping what we learned from Charles McMillan (SCCPSS school council liaison)  last meeting. Maggie reiterated Mr. McMillan’s proposed strategy that community members with questions about Council business may be referred to minutes, which are stored on CEMA website. She confirms that Ms. Brooke is in charge of website management for now. A permanent link to Council webpage will be included in Weekly Wonders by new librarian, Susan Byers.

Council discussed adding a section to future meeting agendas for public comment. Community members are welcome to attend any meeting and provide public comment for a maximum of 3 minutes.

BUILDING, GROUNDS & SAFETY UPDATE

Ms. Patrice reports the district is installing new security cameras – no scheduled date for this year. We do have some cameras at entry points but these will be additional. Ms. Patrice informed that AP did a safety walk of school campus with a SPD officer at start of school year. Ayisha asks about security cam footage and expressed concern about possible data breach. Ms. Patrice informs that the footage belongs to district.

We do not have our own SRO right now; we are sharing one with Savannah Arts. We have a new SSO, Yusef, at the front desk, who is able to monitor security camera footage.

Ayisha asks about painting and beautification projects at CEMA. Mary Britton and Allie say that PTA may be able to help support this as well as Erdkinder students and Bobcat dads.  Allie will discuss at next PTA meeting to gauge interest.

MESS UPDATES

MB informs MESS has been very busy. MESS sent an email to all staff and teachers to inform them about what MESS does and how to contact them. She met with Mr. Trent, Ms. Beth, and Lacey last week to discuss funding Seacoast credentialing. MESS is committed to funding 2 upper el teachers. This training will begin in Sept 2025 in-person/online. The district did provide some funds for this and MESS is filling the gap. Erdkinder teachers will also receive training though location for this is unknown. MESS will likely also fund this.

MB says she plans to write Dr. Watts an email introducing MESS and sharing their past work. She will ask the district to fund AMS membership annually as it’s required for accreditation and is very expensive. This will allow us to post jobs to Montessori boards and will support teachers’ continuing education.

MB also wants to pick a date for the MESS holiday party soon and will check with Ms. Beth, who is organizing school calendar. Tentative date: 12/5/25.

Family photo fundraiser is also happening again this year - date TBD.

Over the summer, MESS funded Ms. Kami to attend AMS directors academy – she will start in January. This will allow Ms. Kami to train teachers in-house from the whole district, making CEMA a Montessori training site.

Ms. Beth says she will follow up with Georgia Southern to revisit conversations regarding student teachers at CEMA.

MB reports that Ms. Jazmin also proposed funding requests for 11 teachers to attend AMS conference this year. MESS will try to assist with this. Sarah Smith has done a GoFundMe for this in the past, MESS may do the same. MB intends to send a message to all families regarding MESS and fundraising goals.

PTA UPDATE

Council welcomed Allie Walz to PTA and Council. Allie informs that the first PTA meeting will be on 8/26 at 6pm in the MPR. Pizza will be served. She will send dates for future meetings to Ms. Beth for the master calendar.

OTHER BUSINESS

Maggie asks why Erdkinder students do not have cubbies. Ms. Christy says there are no official cubbies but they can store things in her classroom. Ms. Patrice says space is already limited.

GOOD THINGS TO SHARE

Maggie welcomes everyone back, and welcomes Ms. Patrice as acting principal. Ms. Patrice is very happy to accept this request to serve from our CEMA community.

Leah shares her positive experience with Erdkinder program – each of her kids is thriving. She notices increased responsibility, choice, and self-leadership. General discussion of positive impact of no phones in classrooms. Maggie says she experiences a positive, healthy social environment in Erdkinder as well. Leah would be glad to organize some type of guidance program for upper el families to learn about Erdkinder and ask questions, possibly hosting an Erdkinder night.

Brief discussion of attrition in middle school. Ms. Angie reports that last year, only 1 student left for 6th grade, much less than in the past.

Maggie moves to adjourn the meeting, Lori seconds, Council votes yes unanimously to adjourn.

END TIME: 4:45pm

NEXT MEETING: 10/15/25 at 3:30pm in CEMA Library

ATTACHMENT: Email to CEMA School Council from Dr. Denise Watts, School Board Superintendent

​​---------- Forwarded message ---------

From: Denise Watts <Denise.Watts@sccpss.com>

Date: Sun, Jul 20, 2025 at 4:26 PM

Subject: Update Regarding Principal Vacancy at Charles Ellis Montessori

To: Charles Ellis Montessori Academy School Council <ellismontessorischoolcouncil@gmail.com>

Cc: Denise Grabowski <Denise.Grabowski@sccpss.com>, Ramon Ray <Ramon.Ray@sccpss.com>, Raymond Barnes <Raymond.Barnes@sccpss.com>, Roger Moss <Roger.Moss@sccpss.com>

I hope everyone is as excited as I am about the launch of the 2025-26 school year. As we all prepare for what I know will be a very productive and successful school year, I wanted to follow up on my commitment to keep you updated on the progress we are making towards filling the principal vacancy at your school.

During the most recent Board of Education meeting, I recommended, and the School Board endorsed, Ms. Patrice Prince as the Acting Principal of Charles Ellis Montessori School. Ms. Prince brings experience to this role, having recently served as the assistant principal of Charles Ellis. Her familiarity with your school community positions her well to provide strong leadership during this transition period.

To further support the school and the acting principal, we have engaged in conversations with Ms. Tanya Melville, the most recent retired principal of Charles Ellis Montessori. We have contracted with her to serve as a mentor to Ms. Prince with on-site support several days a week. Ms. Melville's extensive experience and deep knowledge of Montessori education will provide invaluable guidance and support. Because Ms. Prince is serving as Acting Principal, we have assigned another assistant principal to the school to ensure there is adequate leadership capacity. I believe that this combination of strategies and support will promote a strong and seamless school opening.

We remain actively engaged in the hiring process for a permanent principal. As I have shared previously, my intent is to ensure that we select a principal who can effectively lead Charles Ellis Montessori and continue to provide students with a high-quality Montessori educational experience that honors the unique philosophy and methodology that makes our school special. Ms. Melville has been a very supportive consultant to us in this process as well.

Looking ahead, I am committed to engaging the school council and surrounding stakeholders about the Montessori experience in our district. During the fall, my goal is to launch a Montessori Advisory Committee led by the district’s Office of School Leadership and Chief of Schools, Dr. Raymond Barnes. This committee will enhance the Montessori learning experience at Charles Ellis Montessori School by providing a connection between the school and the district office that provides attention to your unique needs and experiences. This committee will provide an important forum for ongoing dialogue and collaboration as we work together to ensure our Montessori program continues to thrive.

Thank you for your continued patience and support during this transition. I will keep you updated as we move forward with the permanent principal search and other developments affecting our school community.

In Service,

S. Denise Watts, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Savannah-Chatham County Public School System

 

Ellis School Council Meeting

Agenda

August 13, 2025

3:30pm

Media Center
 

Inspiration
 

1. School Council Business

• Approval for Ms. Angie to remain on council 
• Officer elections
• Approval of Minutes

 

2. Principal’s Report

3. Goal Setting
 

• Accreditation

• Update 
• 3-Year Olds
   

• Principal Succession

• Email from Dr Watts
   

4. Academic Achievement
 

• Assessments/Testing
• Grading Policy – Review
   

5. Buildings/Grounds/Campus Safety Update

 

6. Partner Updates
 

• MESS
  • MESS supporting Montessori teacher credentialing with Seacoast for three Upper El teachers starting in Sept 2025
  • Advocating for district funding for AMS school membership
  • Need for advocacy with Dr. Watts for a Learning Management System (LMS) such as Transparent Classroom or MRX
• PTA
   

7. Other Business
 

8. Good things to share

 

School Council Meeting - School Year 2025-26:

 

October 15, 3:30pm

January 14, 3:30pm

March 11, 3:30pm

 

CEMA School Council Minutes 

MEETING DATE: 10/15/25 

START TIME: 3:35pm 

LOCATION: CEMA Library 

 

ATTENDEES 

President: Maggie Fuller 

Vice-President: Vian Morales 

Secretary: Bridget Cross 

Acting Principal: Patrice Prince 

Teachers: Christina Heisler (Teacher of the Year 2026-2027), Angela LaPlante (Teacher of the Year 2025-2026), Kami Johnson, Rebecca Burkhart 

Parents: Eric Hansen, Aiysha Varraich, Lori Wynn, Leah Yakibovits 

Ex Officio: Mary Britton Senseney (MESS), Allie Walz (PTA) 

 

PUBLIC COMMENT 

No CEMA community members were present. 

 

COUNCIL BUSINESS 

Maggie confirmed that minutes from the 8/13/25 meeting were approved by Council. Today’s agenda and past minutes are now shared with the community via Weekly Wonders and CEMA website. 

 

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT 

Ms. Patrice shared our AMS verification certificate, which she just received. Council members expressed thanks and appreciation for all the hard work that went into this accomplishment.  

 

The first 9-week quarter has wrapped up. This year, fall break included time off for both teachers and students, which was appreciated. All students participated in assessment testing this past week. 

 

Ms. Patrice met with SCCPSS Board members re: upcoming building renovations. These will focus on HVAC and other modernization updates. Additional updates may be addressed but this is not clear. The Board is in talks with contractors and will let us know an estimated timeline, hopefully during 26-27 or 27-28 school years.  

 

Aiysha asked what would be needed for CEMA to have a cafeteria or a gym since we don’t have either in the current building. Ms. Patrice confirmed this would require an entirely new building or a new site. Council discussed the pros of our current building, including location in a desirable neighborhood. 

 

Ms. Patrice also responded to Aiysha’s question from 8/13 meeting re: security footage. All footage is in SCCPS cloud storage and is not available to anyone outside the district unless subpoenaed.  

 

ACCREDITATION UPDATE 

Ms. Kami reported on progress toward development of a teacher education program (TEP). In talks with AMS, she learned initially that MACTE training is not required, but she has now been informed that it is. This does not create more work but will cost more money. Completion of paperwork for this program is on hold until Ms. Kami completes her directors academy program, which begins in January.  

 

Ms. Allie and Ms. Jazmin will start instructors academy in a few weeks. Two additional staff will also be trained as verified AMS trainers. Ms. Kami noted this will allow us to be fully prepared for AMS accreditation and creation of our own TEP. Community members are looking forward to CEMA being a hub for public Montessori teacher education in the region. 

 

MB informed that MESS has developed a grant/endowment taskforce with the hopes of reaching our larger funding goals. This taskforce will also work with Dr. Lecke from GA Southern to strengthen that relationship and reestablish student teaching pipeline. Tanya Melville, Cindy Crane, and Danielle Barboza are meeting weekly to help organize this.  

 

Ms. Kami reported that Ms. Beth and Mr. Trent have also met with Woodville Tompkins HS to initiate a teacher training program. Ms. Patrice shared that groups of juniors and seniors come to CEMA periodically to observe Montessori instruction. MB said Ms. Beth wants to do a similar program with GAS students but is unsure on program status. Maggie will ask Ms. Beth for further update as she is out today.  

 

Maggie reported that Ms. Beth and Mr. Trent are both working on the AMS accreditation application via Edvera. She has offered the full support of Council to this effort. 

 

3 year old program development:  

Ms. Patrice shared that we still need a document from SCCPSS that confirms they will allow us to have 3 year olds in the building. If we have that letter of intent, we can move forward with AMS certification. She has made multiple requests and has not received feedback.  

 

Montessori Advisory Committee 

Maggie asked about the Montessori Advisory Committee. Ms. Patrice informed that Tanya Melville is working on this and will set up an initial meeting next month.  

 

PRINCIPAL SUCCESSION 

Maggie asked for any principal succession updates. Ms. Patrice noted that she has not heard any news since the last meeting. She confirmed that she applied for the position in June and intends to interview.   

 

Council discussed the need to extend an invitation to SCCPSS Board President Dr. Watts for another visit to CEMA. Ms. Patrice noted that Dr. Watts’ last visit (spring 2024) was meaningful and positive. Perhaps we can get further details regarding accreditation and principal search during her next visit. 

 

Maggie reminded that Denise Grabowski has been a wonderful advocate for our school, and noted that she is very familiar with CEMA and our unique needs.  

 

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT 

Ms. Patrice noted that generally, staff is at ease and morale is up from the previous school year.  

 

District walk-through:  

Vian shared that in a recent District walk-through, someone commented that it was the “best walk-through ever.” Ms. Patrice confirmed that it was very successful. She received positive feedback and confirmation that we are meeting District standards. 

 

Ms. Patrice explained that walk-throughs occur once a month for about 3 hours. Three teams visit 4 classrooms and observe math and ELA lessons for 15 minutes in each class. Afterward, the teams debrief with the Principal and discuss action plans for next time. She has also established a “vertical team” of CEMA teachers of all subjects to work on aligning Montessori curriculum with state standards in order to maintain good standing with the District. 

 

School counseling update: 

Ms. Rebecca shared that she and Ms. Ava recently completed an application for RAMP (Recognized ASCA Model Program), which she described as “AMS for school counselors.” Ms. Rebecca achieved this designation in her position in Beaufort county schools several years ago. It is awarded to counseling programs that demonstrate a cohesive data-driven program and evidence-based counseling services.  

 

Ms. Rebecca noted that since Ms. Ava started at CEMA, they have collected 3 years of data on the impact of counseling services, including challenges facing students during Covid, literacy and reading data, and attendance. The RAMP application process took one year to complete and she hopes to hear back in January 2026. If their application is accepted, they will be invited to the ASCA national conference. 

 

Ms. Rebecca also shared that the most recent family partnership meeting was successful, with 32 primary families in attendance. This month’s meeting is on 10/18/25 and will focus on lower elementary students. Next month’s will focus on Erdkinder students and high school applications.  

 

PROFESSIONAL SENATE UPDATE 

Ms. Angie reported on the most recent Professional Senate meeting (see report summary tab). She shared on the following Senate discussion questions:  
 

1. Cell phone policy for high school: Board plans to approve a policy in January 2026 that eliminates cell phones K-8, bell to bell, to mitigate negative effects on literacy. Board members want to adopt a policy for high school students as well. Though it is not yet a state-mandated policy, the Board may still move forward to remove phones from all classrooms with exceptions for health needs. This will be further discussed at Board retreat. 
    

2. School media centers: Board discussed the role of media centers and how to improve outcomes in media center use for students with the greatest literacy needs. In previous discussions, the role of school librarian was not included, which was an oversight. There has been critique of the Board for this omission, which they are working to rectify. 
    

3. Transportation: How can the District improve transportation by adding more monitors and improved comms for routing issues? The Board discussed payroll issues, which have led to monitor and driver shortages. Many employees can find better-paying jobs elsewhere.  
    
   Council discussed the driver training process. Ms. Patrice shared about the District CDL class, which she has completed. She noted that it would be very difficult for District employees to attend training due to hours during the school day. Eric asked if you must be a District employee to take the CDL class; Ms. Patrice said yes. 

 

BUILDING GROUNDS & SAFETY UPDATE 

Ms. Patrice informed that we are still waiting for security camera installation from the District. We currently have two weapons detectors, which are better than previous metal detector machines. She confirmed that all school visitors and parents must now be screened when entering the building. Leah asked about clear-bag policy; Ms. Patrice shared that we are not using this yet.   

 

MESS UPDATE 

MB shared that a recent partnership between MESS, PTA, and Ms. Patrice’s budget funded 10 teachers for the Montessori Accelerated Reading Pathway training, which started last week.  

 

MESS also paid for AMS school membership fees, which will allow us to proceed with accreditation and teachers to pursue continuing education credits via AMS. 

 

The fall family photo fundraiser is almost full. It will take place on 10/25, 10/26, and 11/2. Three photographers have donated their services and the fundraiser typically brings in around $3000. 

 

This year’s MESS holiday party is on 12/5/25 at PERC from 6pm to 9pm. MB confirmed that MESS will invite School Board President Dr. Watts and School Board Member Denise Grabowski. 

 

MESS will have a table at the fall festival on 10/17/25 in order to fundraise and share information about the MESS program. Fundraising flyers will also be sent home with all CEMA students. 

 

The MESS fundraising goal for this year is $70K. MB discussed a campaign to target all Ellis families by breaking down how money is spent and the impact on our academic achievement and community. The goal is to have 100% family participation. 

 

MESS will support a teacher training fundraiser on 11/13/25 with a movie night (Minecraft) on the playground.  

 

PTA UPDATES 

Allie reported that the year’s first PTA meeting turnout was great. PTA has officially closed the first grant session and approved the majority of applications. 

 

The fall festival is this Friday. Tickets are being sold in advance this year to improve entry flow. Neighbors have also been notified in advance. The PTA has shared a postcard with neighbors about all CEMA events this year. 

 

The next PTA meeting is 11/18/25 in the MPR. 

 

ACTION ITEMS 

School Council will invite Dr. Watts to conduct a school visit. 

 

Maggie moved to adjourn the meeting, Vian seconded, Council voted yes unanimously to adjourn.  

 

END TIME: 4:42pm 

 

NEXT MEETING: 1/14/26 at 3:30pm in CEMA Library 

 

ATTACHMENT: Superintendent’s Professional Senate Report  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ellis School Council Meeting

Agenda

October 15, 2025

3:30pm

Media Center

Inspiration

Public Comment
School Council Business
Principal’s Report
Goal Setting:

- Accreditation

- 3-year olds

- Montessori Advisory Committee

- Principal Succession

Academic Achievement

- Assessments/Testing

- District Support

Professional Senate Update

Buildings/Grounds/Campus Safety Update

Partner Updates

- MESS

- M.E.S.S. has funded the following since the start of the school year: Montessori Reading Acceleration Pathway training for four teachers, AMS School Membership

- Fall Family Photo Fundraiser - Oct. 25th, 26th, + Nov. 2nd

- M.E.S.S. Holiday Party - Friday, Dec. 5th @ PERC (tentative)

- PTA

Other Business

Good things to share

School Council Meeting - School Year 2025-26:

January 14, 3:30pm

March 11, 3:30pm

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT: Superintendent’s Professional Senate

Report on the Professional Senate Meeting held on September 18, 2025

For presentation at the October 1, 2025 SCCPSS Board Meeting

Call to Order

Meeting called to order at 4:15 p.m. at Windsor Forest High School.

Literacy Poll Results

Results of the literacy poll were reviewed. Findings are summarized below:

• The largest proposed impact to literacy scores would be smaller class sizes.
• Paraprofessional support and intensive intervention tied for second and third.
• Vertical planning and additional professional development came in fourth and fifth.
• Staff were split on the issue of retention impacting literacy scores, with 54.5% saying yes and 45.5% saying no.
• Staff were split on the issue of calendar changes impacting literacy scores with 53.5 saying no, and 46.5 saying yes
  • Suggested changes included year round school, four day school weeks, and longer academic days.

Board Members Q & A

Board members were introduced, and the session was moderated by Kurt Hetager.

Board members advised teachers to be the liaison between teachers and staff at their school and the senate.

• Board members encouraged teachers to reach out to them with concerns and ideas.
• Many questions that were received fall under administration, so the district will be responding to those queries at a later date.
• Q1: How can the district improve transportation by adding more bus monitors? Secondary question-how can we improve communication for routing at the beginning of the school year?
  • Dr. Bringman: I believe that we have the positions in the budget for bus drivers and bus monitors. We don’t have enough people applying for them. We increased salaries in those areas to try and attract more people. We just do not have the bodies.
  • Dr. Howard-Hall: My question is why do we need more monitors? If we have behavior problems on the buses, it’s happening in the school. If we need more monitors on the bus, we need more monitors in the school.
  • Mr. Kachmar: We have had a transportation issue since covid, competing with Fedex, Amazon and the port. We have tried to figure out nonmonetary ways to attract drivers: better schedules or benefits. When we adjust for pay, private companies adjust as well. We don’t look at pay in isolation. If we make a change for one category of employees we have to look at everyone else across the district and then make adjustments across the entire district. We want pay equity because people need to be treated fairly for the jobs that they are in. We need to look at the budget costs for recruiting and retaining people.
  • Mr. Moss: This is about our focus on behavior and on establishing a culture of excellence in behavior that is communicated to our students and to our parents. We are going on a board retreat, and we will be discussing that at our next retreat. Our priority is to make sure that teachers are allowed to teach and we know that it is a challenge to teach when you have students that are interfering with your teaching, so we have to address that and we will be addressing that. I love having bus monitors, but we have to tackle it from day one, we have to say this is the behavior that is acceptable and this is the behavior that is unacceptable and we have to talk about consequences. So understand that we hear you.
  • Dr. Hoskins-Brown: We invite you to help us with creating solutions. If we can't find folks in a particular demographic that would be a good bus monitor, could mature, disciplined, strategically selected high school students be monitors? The other question is about the routing, is that just this year or is this a perennial problem? ○
  • Audience Responses:
    • Routing problems exist every year.
    • ESOL students were not routed for a bus which caused them to miss school.
    • Growth and mobility of families within the community.
    • Need for common language for the school and families (e.g. learning bus route numbers instead of looking for a bus number.)
    • Monitors being present with substitute drivers to help with finding stops.  
• Q2: What is the board’s vision for media centers and what does the board feel the role of the media center is in the school?
  • Ms. Grabowski: The media centers in our schools today are very different, so I am always inspired when I see how our specialists are evolving those spaces to make a welcoming environment. Literacy is our north star and our media specialists should be our lead teachers when it comes to literacy in our schools, so I really hope we can see how to bolster that specialization in our media specialists. We know a lot of technology has been placed on our media specialist and we have tried to address that as a board with additional support to deal with the technology. I am excited about where we can go and would love ideas from you of how we can continue to evolve that great learning common space in our schools.
  • Dr. Hall: The media specialist is the one who engages with the students. If the space is a place where children really want to come, they come not just to read but to work on their projects. It’s a hub of the intellectual activity that is happening in the school. If we could start using the media center for providing services and keep in mind that that space should be inviting so that all the children in the school want to be there.
  • Mr. Kachmar: Growing up, our librarian taught us how to use the Dewey Decimal System and I think students today need to know how to do research, and how to be critical thinkers. Kids are on their phones, and in their echo chambers of what they are seeing and reading. Who is teaching them media literacy, critical thinking, and how to check a source?  I would like to see a component of that in our system.
  • Dr. Howard-Hall: That question may have been asked because in today's world they are assisting teachers with their technology, and not assisting students. We may need a technology specialist to address teacher needs versus having the media specialist do it.
  • Dr. Hoskins-Brown: I want to make sure we don’t lose the part of the suggestion of not involving the media specialist in the literacy program. They are the resource.
  • Audience Responses:
    • The media center was left out entirely with literacy being the north star. Include us in wider conversations.
    • Time constraints of visiting the media center due to instructional obligations.
• Q3: The board has a task to approve a policy by January 1st, 2026 on a new law that will eliminate cell phones K-8 bell to bell. Can the district adopt a consistent district wide policy on cell phone use in high schools to address student overuse and its negative impact on literacy?
  • Mr. Bringman: I would want to dig deeper. If you would like to send an email with your plan for your grade level up, is it the same plan as K-8? Right now, a principal can decide and we allow teachers to make that decision in their classroom. I teach college students, and every day I am calling someone out for being on their phone. It is an ever growing problem and I truly do not know how society is going to thrive spending so much time on their phones.
  • Ms. Campbell: Are we getting any pushback from parents more? I am a big fan of doing it in the high schools as well. Based on what I am hearing, it is what increases problems during the day, so maybe this is something you can help us think through. Parents are pushing back because they feel that their child is not safe. They are worried their child is not safe and they could not call them. We would need to figure out how to store them, particularly in high school. Hopefully we can offer a system to all schools instead of leaving it up to each person. Dr. Howard-Hall and I have been on the same page for this. If we get behind a policy and we enforce it and we mean it, every time the same way, I don't think we will have to be worrying about that stuff.
• Dr. Hall: Before we delve really deep into studying and getting all this done, I believe the state is going to make a decision for the high schools as well. Spend time thinking about it, but I believe it's going to be decided for us.  ○ Mr. Kachmar: Parents say they don't want kids on phones, but they want their child accessible. We are going to adopt some sort of policy on cell phones but what other policies can we adopt in conjunction that will result in behaviors that we want? The question was how do we do something to impact literacy. We are taking away something, but what other requirements can we put in there?
  • Mr. Moss: How many of you would like to eliminate cell phones from the time kids walk into the school until the end of the school day? I don’t like waiting for the state to tell us to do something. We need to listen to you guys. We know how destructive cell phones are in allowing you teachers to teach. I want to thank all of you for being here, thank you for all the things you have told us. We learn something every time and we would like to do more. Please reach out to us.
  • Audience Responses:
    • Students are unaware of the long-term consequences of what they are sharing from their devices.
    • Cell phones collected and held in lockers.
    • Policies for rule infractions.
    • No parent pushback reported.

Closing

• The next Senate meeting will be held on Thursday, October 23rd from 4:15-5:15 p.m. at Windsor Forest High School.

This meeting was adjourned at 5:15 p.m.  

Respectfully submitted this 19th day of September 2025

Jennifer Hughes, 2026 SCCPSS District Teacher of the Year

Jabari Hymon, 2026 District Instructional Support Person of the Year 

CEMA| School Council |MINUTES 

Meeting date | time 6/25/25, start time: 10:12am | Meeting location CEMA Media Center 

Attendees:

Role	Name of
Chairperson	Maggie Fuller
Principal	Not present (Amanda Zito)
Teachers	Angie LaPlante (Teacher of the Year 2024-25)  Christina Heisler (Teacher of the Year 2026-27)
Parents	Bridget Cross, Leah Yakabovits, Eric Hansen, Vian Morales, Lori Wynn (VP)
Business/Community Partners	Maja Ciric (Business Member), Laura Filson (Montessori Emeritus), Diana McGaw (PTA)

Guest and others attending: Patrice Prince (Assistant Principal), Charles McMillan (McMillan and Associates, School Council Liaison), Meredith Thompson (Parent) 

Agenda topics:

Topic	Discussion and Summary
OPENING: INSPIRATION	Inspiration presented by Ms. Laura: “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.” –John Maxwell
Presentation by School Council Liaison Charles McMillan (CM)	CM informed that SCCPSS School Board plans to vote today on principal changes for CEMA and 3 additional schools. Results of vote will be published to BoardDocs.  CM provided positive feedback to School Council on principal interview process last year and recent advocacy efforts re: grading policy and potential principal search for upcoming school year.
	CM provided School Council training:  See attached supporting documents: School Council Fact Sheet, Complete School Council Law, Law Reference Segment, FAQ When Hiring a Principal  Council's purpose is to offer advice to School Board, Superintendent, and principal on school improvement and student achievement.  Council differs from PTA in that it is a public body, governed by law, and open to the public.  Council membership:   Composed of parents, teachers, business/community partners, principal. Other members may be appointed by Council: e.g. TOTY, PTA/MESS rep, Montessorian emeritus.  Parents are elected via public election available to all CEMA parents/guardians; public notice of election must be at least 2 weeks in advance. Must be parents/guardians of current CEMA students; may not also be employees of CEMA.  Teachers are elected by full-time CEMA teachers. Non-teacher employees may not participate in election. Public notice must also be given at least 2 weeks in advance.   The principal is a permanent Council member.  Other members are appointed at discretion of Council in accordance with by-laws.  Parents must make up a majority of Council. Parents serve a 2-year term and may be reelected.  There must be at least 2 certified teacher members and the principal. Teachers serve a 2-year term and may be reelected.  Council member term is 7/1-6/30.  Discussion: May Ms. Angie continue for a 3rd year due to Ms. Lisa’s resignation? CM says she may need to be reelected as she is no longer TOTY.  Meetings:  Public, open, anyone may attend.  Notice of meetings and agenda must be made public via school’s comms channels ahead of time.  Frequency: at least 4x a year. Dates/times: Council decides.  Non-members may attend. CM recommends limiting public comment to 3 minutes each.  Minutes:  Must be made available to public via school comms channels and hard copy in Minutes notebook in Media Center.  Must be distributed to Council for approval within 20 days.  Must be distributed to School Board, Superintendent, School Council liaison.  Officers: president, vice-president, secretary  Elected by Council.  President must be a CEMA parent.  Additional officers can be added to the by-laws as needed.  Role of School Board:  Provide info to Council that is not confidential by law.  Designate a representative to attend meetings.  Receive and consider recommendations from Council.  Will respond to recommendations of Council within 60 days.  Allow Council to present reports in support of recommendations.  Complete list of items that Council may advise on is listed in School Council Law section S (1–14).
Council’s Role in Selection of New Principal	Discussion: Council’s advisory role in selection of new principal (see FAQ When Hiring a New Principal). As of today, status of Ms. Amanda’s potential job at Godley Station is not known. Council discussed its role in principal selection process as part of training and also in anticipation of potential future principal search.
	CM confirmed that the meeting to interview and deliberate on principal candidates is closed but Council’s final recommendation to school board is available to the public.   Planning ahead for potential future principal search:  Discussion of what went well and what didn’t in last year’s search. Council members reiterated frustration with challenges faced: short time frame (2-3 weeks) and generic job listing (e.g. district did not use principal profile written by Council).   Significance of Superintendent Watts’ recent written support indicating intent to collaborate with Council in order to find ideal candidates with Montessori experience.  CM recommends developing a new set of questions if we interview again, and recommends asking candidates about cell phone policy. Maggie confirms we will review questions.
School Council Communication with CEMA Community	Discussion: Communication with CEMA community re: School Council role, responsibilities, and actions.  Maggie asks about what obligations Council has to update and inform CEMA community on Council meetings and actions. CM affirms that all updates are provided via Minutes, which are shared publicly.  CM confirms issues such as policy changes (e.g. grading policy) should be communicated to families by the Principal/administration, not Council.  Leah suggests we create a process to allow CEMA community to sign up for public comment slots in future Council meetings (3 minute maximum).  Angie recommends sharing agenda and Minutes via official comms channels only, i.e. Weekly Wonders/CEMA website instead of engaging via social media.  Maggie advised that the School Council page on CEMA website should be updated with links to past Minutes (by Ms. Brooke) before the start of the school year.  General discussion of past comms challenges re: grading policy.
Council transitions	Sarah Smith is rolling off School Council on 6/30 and will still be involved with MESS.  Maggie asks about teacher election process. CM suggests sending a message to all teachers to ask if they agree to elect Angie to a 3rd year on Council.  Discussion of upcoming officer nominations. CM recommends we elect new officers at first meeting of 25-26 school year.  Discussion of adding additional business member. CM recommends consideration of fit and access to needed resources. Leah notes we would benefit from business member who can support advocacy work.  Maja suggests we define some of our goals as a Council as we haven’t been able to consider future plans due to accreditation, grading policy, past principal search, and possible new principal search.  Diana reminds us that our primary focus after potential principal search is AMS accreditation process.
Next Steps	Discussion of AMS accreditation tabled until next meeting.  Next meeting date will be set pending results of School Board vote today and any potential updates re: interim principal.  Minutes will be finalized, sent to Council for approval, and shared via school website and Weekly Wonders.

Meeting adjourned at 12:04pm. Next meeting date TBD. 

Ellis School Council Meeting Agenda

June 25, 2025

3:30pm

Media Center

• Inspiration
• School Council Training with Charles McMillan
• School Council Business
  •  Approval of Minutes
  • Introduce New Members
  • Motion for Ms. Angie to remain in place of Ms. Lisa
  • Officer nominations and voting
• Principal Succession
• Academic Achievement
  • Grading Policy Change
• Goal Setting
  • Accreditation
• Partner Updates
  • MESS
  • PTA
• Other Business
• Good things to share

CEMA School Council MINUTES

Meeting date | time: 03/12/2025 3:30 PM | Meeting location: CEMA Media Center

Attendees:
Chairperson: Maggie Fuller
Principal: Amanda Zito
Teachers: Lisa O’Donnell (2025-26 teacher of the year); Beth Whelan
Parents: Eric Hansen, Vian Morales, Bridget Cross, Ayshia Varrich, Leah Yakabovits
Business/Community Partners: Sarah Smith; Mary Britton Sensensy (M.E.S.S.); Laura Filson (Montessori advocate); Maja Ciric; Diana McGaw (PTA), Angie LaPLante (Teacher of the Year 2024-25)
Guests and others attending: Patrice Prince (Assistant Principal); Ms. Brooke (teacher); Ms. Alli (teacher); Ms. Kami (teacher)

AGENDA TOPICS

OPENING: INSPIRATION  
"What is your great work? Not the tasks you do to complete each day. Not the have-to and errands and chores of survival. What is your great work? The work that defines you. That drives you? What is your Great Work?" ~ Maria Montessori (read by Laura Filson)

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:  
On a motion duly made and approved, the minutes from the 15 January 2025 meeting were approved.

NEW BUSINESS  
- Mr. MacMillan advised a School Council Review Meeting is needed soon (~1 hour). Maggie will send a Doodle poll; Amanda will collect workable dates/times.
- Ms. Lisa will resign at year-end; she notified SCCPSS staff/board with a public letter highlighting district issues like building maintenance. Lisa said the council must advocate and that parents’ voices are heard more than teachers’. She also praised Dr. Watts and the Professional Senate.
- CEMA is on the list for ESPLOST 5 improvements. If not approved, the position is poor. Suggestion: remind families to vote Mar. 18 (note: ESPLOST passed on 4/8/25).
- Ayisha suggested advocating for a school tech/communications/social media staff member. Lisa noted Rep. Densie Grabowski raised this at the last board retreat.
- Lisa said SCCPSS leadership should visit schools to see real needs; staffing is outdated.
- The council thanked Lisa for her advocacy.

School Council Elections:
- Lori Wynn, Maggie Fuller, Eric Hansen rolling off (Eric may re-nominate); Sarah Smith stepping down.
- Mary Britton and Leah suggested recruiting new members from younger grades and getting teacher input on involved parents.
- Suggested recruit: “Hillary with the cool truck and tall husband”.

Senate Feedback:
- Angie, CEMA’s rep, reached out to other specialty school Teachers of the Year for input; no responses.
- Mary Britton asked if the council should reach out to other school councils.
- Angie emphasized school councils have power (e.g., Godley Station changed dress code to add spirit wear).
- Angie directly contacted Chief Enoch about CEMA’s non-working back door — it was repaired the next week.
- The Senate wants the council to discuss why grades must be finalized on the last day of the quarter when report cards go out later. This timeline cuts into instructional time.
- District will remove wall hand sanitizer dispensers. Diana McGaw says Employability has hospital-grade sanitizer pallets.

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
- Attendance goal: increase from 95% to 97.2% (currently 95%).
- Two core walks with district leadership focused on rigor; a 3rd visit is expected.
- EOY testing: iReady after Spring Break; GMAS for grades 3-8, same day testing.
- Kindergarten orientation: March 19.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
- CEMA received district Literacy Leader recognition for growth in grades 3, 5, and 7. Also, Math Leader for grade 8 growth. Banners presented by GA Superintendent Richard Woods.
- Kindergarten students won a pizza party for most play card use at the library; local news filming Mar. 19.
- A schoolwide grading rubric was created to align with district mandates, focusing on work habits consistent with Montessori values. It was shared with families during conferences.
- Eric Hansen read Amanda Fanelli’s letter about concerns: rubrics must define measurements to avoid grade challenges. Teachers need time to ensure consistent, fair grading.
- Ms. Amanda Zito said staff discussed rubric calibration extensively. She said concerns may be isolated, not widespread.
- Leah questioned grading subjectivity; Ms. Amanda explained it’s documented quarterly but assessed more frequently.
- Faculty feedback needed: what does consistency look like at each developmental level?
- Aiysha noted IB primary grades use a similar rubric. Ms. Amanda confirmed CEMA sought feedback from other Montessori schools.
- New protocols for parent requests to move students between classrooms, with different processes for faculty or peer conflicts, will start in 2025-26.
- Leadership is also setting up protocols for diverse/equitable classroom communities.
- The gifted program must change as GA no longer accepts the current model.

GOAL SETTING | ACCREDITATION (Ms. Beth)
- Ms. Beth submitted the CEMA AMS self-evaluation on Feb. 17; a few loose ends remain.
- A PreK-3 program is required for accreditation. CEMA must engage the district to ensure support and understanding.
- Concerns: CEMA needs more autonomy as a choice school to maintain authentic Montessori practice.
- Ms. Amanda will meet with Rachel Hurst and Troy Brown to discuss PreK-3 and accreditation. Troy’s institutional knowledge may help.
- The council can follow up as a parent/community voice.
- Sarah and Maggie met with Denise Grabowski, who supports CEMA. Denise noted all choice schools face autonomy struggles and floated the idea of a Choice School liaison. She’ll raise this with Dr. Watts.
- District favors PreK-3 programs. CEMA would need to increase staffing but could access grant money for enrolling 3-year-olds.

SCHOOL SAFETY
- No one is staffing the front vestibule. SSO Sam’s position remains unfilled due to unclear employment status — the council wants pushback to fill this critical role.

ATTENDANCE POLICY
- Aiysha: Students with extenuating attendance issues get a contract, then a social worker call.
- Families can submit 5 parent notes; after that, absences are unexcused.
- Attendance is reviewed weekly; reporters are mandated by law to report.
- The district is reevaluating the policy.

PARTNER UPDATES

MESS
- Held an informational mixer for Montessori groups; only one non-CEMA attendee. Good post-meeting insights.
- Upcoming: spring staff appreciation, fall Montessori staff retreat (TBD), Child in Nature symposium Spring 2026.
- New peace pole created with Ms. Angie for the front garden.

PTA
- Boosterthon netted $24,597 (raised $48K) — a record profit.
- 68% pledged; 62% collected donations; 73% donations from non-parents.
- Possible $2K in corporate matching.
- Boosterthon became a dance-a-thon due to weather — fun and successful.
- PTA leadership cycling off; new officers will be elected in April. Only co-president slot open.
- Culture Fest returned with 13 families. Big success — next year, it will align with International Montessori Week.
- Diana McGaw and her mother-in-law will quilt Culture Fest squares made by kids.

REFLECTIONS / GOOD NEWS
- Beta Club + PTA hosting a 6th–8th grade dance on April 17.
- School council watched Ellis Symphonic Band video receiving LPGE citations — big cheers!

Meeting adjourned at 5:10 PM.
Next meeting: end-of-year retreat (date TBD). Maggie will send a Doodle poll.