The Carson City School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved the selection of Carson High School teacher Jennifer Minifie and Fountainhead Foursquare co-pastor Vanessa White to fill two vacancies on the Family Life Advisory Committee. The trustees also heard the group’s annual report. The committee guides CCSD’s sex education curriculum and determines what would be age-appropriate per grade level and reviews student health policies. In a presentation from associate superintendent Tasha Fuson during Tuesday’s board meeting, Fuson said the FLC has met five times in the past year going through five different sources of instructional materials that covered human trafficking for approval for fifth-grade students and older, videos on how contraceptives work, the male and female reproductive system and a presentation by the Transgender Allies Group. The program includes instruction regarding acquired immune deficiency syndrome and the human reproductive system, related communicable diseases and sexual responsibility. Fuson said the committee always reviews with members as it begins its work the FLC rules and procedures as well as Nevada Revised Statute 389.036, which calls for school boards to appoint such an advisory committee. The committee is comprised of five parents of children attending schools in the district and four representatives from the community, each of whom come from backgrounds in medicine or nursing, counseling, religion, students who attend schools in the district or teaching. This year, the committee had two outgoing members, Erin Been and Chris White, Vanessa White’s husband and co-pastor at Foursquare, and the district sought to fill the vacancies by sending out a district-wide e-mail and publishing an announcement in the Nevada Appeal. Letters were to be submitted by Oct. 19, and two were received, Macy said. Appointment as members of the committee typically are appointed for an initial term of three years. Trustee Lupe Ramirez recommended that staff also use ParentSquare as a potential communication tool for the next parent opening to achieve diversification. Minifie has taught at CHS for the past 26 years, which has included the freshman seminar and health as well as personal fitness. Vanessa White, a licensed minister and former pediatric nurse with Renown Regional Medical Center for more than five years, has worked for various California employers as a bookkeeper and registrar, a food server and taught Spanish and assisted school staff. The trustees thanked Minifie and White for volunteering to participate on the committee. They also asked how community members might be able to get involved if they chose, and Fuson said it’s best to reach out to her at tfuson@carson.k12.nv.us, committee chair Sheila Story at sstory@carson.k12.nv.us or Cheryl Macy, director of equity in curriculum and instruction, at cmacy@carson.k12.nv.us if they have questions about participation. Fuson said they are the ones who can best provide families direction on FLC’s activities and needs.
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