Board Of Education Meeting Briefs

Authorization to grant a poSthumous diploma to Richard Pustay, a Pioneer High student who was killed recently in an automobile accident, was unanimously approved by the Ann Arbor Board of Education. The diploma will be presented to the Pustay family. o o The board approved 15 resignations f rom the professional staff and two requests for leaves of absence. n The trustees approved a request from the Pioneer High Student Council to collect funds for Biafran relief. Rex Hauser, student chairman of the drive, said his group hopes to collect at least $1,000 to send to the starving people of Biafra. The money will go to Biafra via the International Red Cross. Trustee Richard M. Wood complimented Hauser and the Pioneerstudents for their "humanitarian approach" to the Biafra problem. o o The board approved a request from the Pioneer High Ski Club tö take a weekend excursión to the Sugar Loaf Ski Lodge, near Traverse Cty. Between 30 and 50 students are expected to take the trip from Jan. 31, 1969, to Fbe. 2. Four adults will chaperone. o o Authorization was approved to incorpórate the official coun,ty canvass of the Dec. 18 school lelection into the school board minutes when the canvass is [ completed. o o Revised charges to four Citiz e n s ' Committees - Library Advisory, Vocational Education, Continuing Education and , Recreation Advisory - w e r e ' unaimously accepted. o o The board accepted with thanks two trees to aid the development of landscape plans for Newport Elementary School from Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Bookstein, and a Thermofax machine to Mack School from the Mack Parent-Teacher Organization. The trees were donated in memory of the late Dr. Gerald Brody. o o Duane Cuthbertson, an adviser of the Huron Valley Youth For Christ organization, told the board he and a number of Ann Arborites are disturbed at the new Christmas policies which are being observed this month in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Cuthbertson charged that the policies- which s p e c i f y how Christmas will be observed in the schools - divide the Christian and non-Christian communities in Ann Arbor, and termed the policies a "slap in the face." He asked the board to consider whether such a policy was really necessary. School Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr. said the policies are considered tentative and will be reviewed in January. The policies will also be discussed by the board at a briefing session in the near future. A Saline teacher, Leonard England, asked that some new iníormation be accepted by the board regarding the distribution of New Testaments to Ann Arbor students by the Gideons. School Board President Joseph R. Julin said the informatiqn will be accepted. o o Trustee Kichard M. Wood asked, on behalf of a number of parents, that the school policy on children participating in recess periods be re-examined. He said many parents are worried that their children, just recovered or recovering from the Hong Kong flu or other viral infections, are made to go outside during recess.