The Board of Crocker Arts and Technology School met Oct. 22. Members in attendance were Grisela Jackson, chairwoman; John Jones Jr., vice chairman; Shaun Rafferty, secretary; members Stephen Boyard and Edward Scharfenberg, and ex officio members Charmaine Robertson, the school’s principal, and Cherie Lopez, financial administrator.

The absent board members were Simonne Robinson; John Tobler and Shauntel Butler, assistant principal

Crocker’s fall term is proving to be a lively one, thanks to a new guitar club, a field trip to explore local history, a visit from the Saints and a week-long Red Ribbon campaign on the theme: “These Paws don’t touch drugs.”

Crocker’s observance of the anti-drug Red Ribbon campaign, held at schools across the nation in the last week of October, will be marked in the following ways:

– Monday, Oct. 24, is “Shade Out Drugs” day on which students may wear sunshades to school.
– Tuesday is ”Hair’s to A Drug-Free Life” day, on which students may sport wild and colorful hair-dos.
– Wednesday’s theme is “Follow your Dreams, Be Drug Free;” students may wear appropriate pajamas to school and there will be a school-wide scavenger hunt.
– Thursday’s theme is “Be the Face of The War on Drugs; students may paint their faces.
– On Monday, Oct. 31, the theme, marked by T-shirts and jeans, is “Wear Red Drug Free T-Shirt and Be a Jean-IUS.”
The visit from the Saints is during the first week of November, Principal Robertson announced. Team members will engage students in a training camp.

Robertson said students are also enjoying the guitar club and the Historic NOLA group that is educating students on the history of New Orleans. The group took fourth-graders on an architectural tour of the Crocker neighborhood.

Crocker continues to seek bus monitors, Robertson reported. While the search continues, board Chairwoman Jackson has been monitoring Bus 8 in the afternoons. “Some days are better than others” on Bus 8 and there “needs to be more than one  monitor,” Jackson told the board.

Crocker still needs monitors for Bus 9, Robertson said, but the school hopes to avoid using parent volunteers because of conflicts that can arise when parents discipline children who are not their own.

A school resource officer continues to follow Bus 9 to school. Bus 10, however, appears to be problem-free and does not
need a bus monitor, Robertson said.

An incident in which two boys were wrestling and one hit the other’s rump was reported by a parent as an act of sexual harassment. Robertson  referred the matter to social services, but no charges were filed against the students or the school, she said.

Cherie Lopez, Crocker’s financial administrator, said she is still working on the annual financial report that is due to the state by Oct. 31.

Their next board meeting will be Nov. 12.