Executive Board
The Executive Board, responsible for the month-to-month operation of the school, is elected by the Board of Councilors. The Executive Board's six members, who may or may not be parents, serve three-year terms. A representative from the U.S. Consulate, and the Head of School also hold voting seats on the Executive Board.
Executive Board News
Members of the Executive Board and Board of Councilors met for the yearly Board Retreat on Saturday, March 24, led by John Ritter, an outside consultant to many international schools and their boards.
The retreat was guided by our new mission statement—at HIS we Honor the Past, Inspire the Future and Savor the Present. In the first session, we reviewed the Past year. Considering this was a year of transitioning to a new head of school, it was quite wonderful to recall all the things that have been successfully accomplished.
During the second session, we examined our Present situation beginning with a review of our newly revised Board Ground rules. As members of the Board, but also as members of the HIS community, we acknowledged the important aspect of building trustful, healthy, productive relationships. While we seek to engage in free discussion and open disagreement, we show mutual respect by exercising tact and detachment in our communications and interactions with each other as defined in our Virtues Project.
In our final session, looking to the Future, we discussed tentative goals for a revised three year Strategic Plan for 2012–2015, based on a previous ten-year strategic plan for 2008–2017 and the priority goals generated by this year’s WASC Self-Study. After hearing the WASC visiting team’s report on April 26, which was presented to the entire HIS community, the Executive Board met to finalize the Strategic Plan. This Strategic Plan will direct the focus for our Executive Board goals and board commissioned committees for the next school year.
The effort to complete the WASC Self-Study report for the accreditation visit in April was school-wide. The Board extends their thanks to all of those involved; for their time, input, and effort.
The Executive Board concluded the March retreat with its monthly two-hour Board meeting. Board members brainstormed several different possible marketing strategies for the Sapporo and Niseko campuses. The Board also decided to combine the Fundraising and Future Planning committees into a new Marketing Committee to continue to explore the feasibility of the proposed ideas and create a plan of the most viable options.
The minutes of all Executive Board meetings are available for viewing on the HIS website after they have been approved by the Board. We encourage you to read through these to get to know more about the Board and what we do. There is always a five-to-six-week lag between Executive Board meetings and the minutes being posted online. Please see below for how to access the Executive Board meeting minutes. |
Executive Board Minutes
Executive Board meeting minutes are posted here. Please click March 24, 2012 HIS Board Minutes(PDF 98 KB) for the most recent meeting minutes.
To access past meeting minutes please click HIS Downloadable Documents and see the Executive Board Meeting Minutes Archive table.
HIS Board Policies
Nominees for the HIS Boards are recommended by the Board Nominating Committee, which identifies potential Board members, interviews candidates, and proposes a slate of nominees to the Executive Board and Board.
Board Member Selection
Nominees for the HIS Boards are recommended by the Board Nominating Committee, which identifies potential Board members, interviews candidates, and proposes a slate of nominees to the Executive Board and Board of Councilors each spring for approval. The process takes approximately two months each year. One third of Board members’ positions are up for review annually.
New Board members are usually asked to join the Board of Councilors. New Executive Board members are usually taken from the Board of Councilors
If you would like to be considered as a candidate for a Board position, please talk with either the Head of School or the Board Chairman, who will forward your name to the Nominating Committee.
Executive Board Members
Executive Board Chair – Dale Viljoen
Members:
Tatsuaki Ikeda
Robert Johnson
Yukiko Kanai
Karen Katayama
Phred Kaufman
Barry Ratzliff
John Ries
Mark Rubiner
Suzanne Yonesaka (Auditor)
PTA
HIS students and teachers focus on the learning process. We the parents, need to support our HIS community. The HIS Parent-Teacher Association is the best way to encourage cooperation, communication, and friendship between parents and teachers, parents and parents, and parents and students.
We can foster a warm atmosphere in our HIS community by building trust and friendship through working together. We can widen our international understanding. We can provide role models for our students. PTA meetings are held during the evenings at various times throughout the year.
Along with regular meetings, the two biggest PTA sponsored events of each year have been the Fall Festival, a fundraiser focusing on food and games for the whole family, which usually happens mid- or late October, and the Spring Bazaar, which is an opportunity for everyone in the community to clean out their closets and share their wares with the world. This is usually in mid-May. Both of these events net funds which are then shared with the school in various ways. Both also require a lot of parent help to be successful, so if you are coming to HIS, be prepared to get involved! There are many ways both big and small to get involved in PTA, so talk to other parents to find out how you can lend a hand.
To contact HIS PTA, please drop a note in the PTA mailbox at the HIS office. Or send us an email at hupa@his.ac.jp.
Endowment Fund
In 2008 HIS launched an Endowment Fund to secure our future. HIS has seen growth from its founding to the present. Even as we recognize our past and our history, we also look to tomorrow.
The Endowment Fund will raise money to support the educational program at HIS by investing the funds and drawing from earnings raised from that investment. HIS will only draw from the earnings of the investment so the principal of the donations will always be protected. Each year HIS will hold an annual fund raising event to perpetuate the fund for the future.
The Endowment Fund will support the educational programming at HIS by providing funds for educational programming, student enrichment and scholarships and for teacher professional development.
Mission Statement
The HIS Endowment has been created to provide educational grants in perpetuity. Its mission is to ensure the quality of HIS education through grants for special educational programs, staff development, student enrichment, scholarships, and other extraordinary educational expenses.
The Endowment Fund is recognized as a non-profit corporation in the State of Oregon in the United States. The Endowment Fund is organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within the meaning of 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The Endowment Fund investment adviser is Harris Associates L.P., which also advises the HIS capital fund.
The Endowment Fund is invested in Oakmark Funds for long-term capital appreciation.
The Endowment Fund was launched with its first contribution of ¥500,000 by the PTA (HIS Parent-Teacher Association).
Endowment Fund Meeting HIS Needs
Special Education Programs
The Endowment Fund would support special programming with the mission and curriculum program of HIS. This could include arts, technology, outdoor education and more.
Staff Development
The Endowment Fund would provide opportunities in professional development for HIS faculty and staff that requires funding beyond the normal expenditure. This could include conferences, courses, research and more.
Student Enrichment
The Endowment Fund would support programming to enrich student learning through curricular programming for students at HIS.
Student Scholarships
The Endowment Fund would support student scholarships by contributing money to existing Developing World Scholarships or providing new opportunities through additional scholarship programs.
Extraordinary Educational Expenses
The Endowment Fund would provide funding for one-time purchases that are beyond the means of an annual budget but within the curricular plan of HIS.
