Board Voice
Volume 1, Issue 1 – Bill Burkett & Aubrey Fennewald
Welcome, Mountain Song Families, to the first edition of the Board Voice. We, the Mountain Song Board of Directors, plan on publishing regular communications in the Songbird about what the Board does, what the Board is doing right now, who the members are and what their roles on the Board are, and other news about Board activities that are important to Mountain Song Families.
We are still ramping up our activities and plans for the new school year and have gotten off to a great start with a new Board president, Tina Halligan, new Board members Hilary Hoekenga and Aubrey Fennewald (who really isn’t that “new” to the Board), and returning members Scott Diebert and Bill Burkett. Our five-member Board is just enough to operate and govern the school, but we’d like to expand the Board to at least 7, and ideally 9, members – so if you are service-minded and would like to serve the school in an important leadership role, please contact me, Bill Burkett, at wburkett@mountainsongschool.com for more information.
Too Much of a Good Thing?
We are happy to say that we are bursting at the seams – that so many families from the region are committed to public Waldorf education is a wonderful thing! But it does put a strain on our operations and future growth plans to remain in the present building, which we lease from the local school District 11. We anticipate adding yet another new grades class next year, yet we have used every available space in the current building. We will simply need more space next year.
The Board of Directors (BOD) met for their annual retreat on Saturday, September 14th. Much of the day was spent in discussion and consideration of the great undertaking ahead of us to move the school. The BOD focused on identifying goals, and reviewing and discussing a plan of action for this school year (2019-20) in order to ready the school for a move to a new location!
The BOD and the ELT are committed to keeping you informed of that plan and updates as we move through the coming year. This is the first of many regularly-scheduled communications from the BOD to the Community regarding our progress to find a new home for our beloved school. The Mountain Song BOD and volunteers of Board committees are:
- Working actively on the plan to move the school
- Seeking out potential sites and funding sources
- Recruiting additional BOD members and Committee volunteers with expertise in real estate, development, and finance
- We anticipate a 25,000-40,000 square foot facility with possible acreage for facility and program development
- We are working within a timeline that is 8-24 months.
A Call to Action!
WE NEED ALL HANDS ON DECK!! This is a call for YOUR help. We need ALL community members to step up! Parents, community members, friends, guardians, family … we especially need any expertise in capital projects, construction, real estate, or move-the-school related experience. We also need help with development (fundraising), communications, and outreach … WE NEED YOU!
The Futures and Development Committees have joined forces for the coming school year and will be operating as one joint committee to lead much of the work to come. If you can give your time and feel you have the skills set(s) we are looking for – OR, if you can connect us to one of those hotly sought-after recruits – please contact Co-Chairs Scott Deibert or Aubrey Fennewald:
Thank you all for your commitment to our Mountain Song community!
Coming Up
Future editions of the Board Voice will continue to provide status updates on the new school planning and progress, introduce and describe the officer roles and Board committees, and provide updates on important things going on at Mountain Song Community School.
Bill Burkett
Aubrey Fennewald
