Attendees

Linda Frommer, Mary Sano, Suzanne Barbarasch, Glenn Krasner, Millie Balsam, Paul Gralen, Vivian Boudreaux, Nancy Coffee, Molly Golden, Jan Van Houten-Prehn, Karen Ersted, Salma Kandil, Cindy Phillips, Maripat Wilkins, Andrea Mone

 

Welcome, Agenda, Minutes

Changes to Agenda

 

Role Changes

Facilitator – Jan Prehn

Minutes- Andrea Mone

 

Changes to Schedule

4:15 Sharon Ofek

4:35 Millie Balsam

 

Change to Dec Minutes

Maripat Wilkins present

 

Agenda and minutes approved

 

Student Council – Max Najork

Will pursue a classic fundraiser (Pennies for Patients); rep will attend meeting tomorrow to present program and generate student body interest

Reviewing clubs with insufficient membership in terms of funding

 

PTA – Glenn Krasner

Staff lunch

No parent education meeting at Jan PTA meeting

Starting to look at next year's board

Budget – over 90K; would like to get to 120K (25K short; ½ may be items don't need to cover; school may be able to cover some; realistically 12-13K short)

Question: Homework center?

 

PrincipalŐs Report – Suzanne Barbarasch

Staffing: Al Varni gone 2nd semester – Jason Blum will cover for him second semester; Jason here now to ensure smooth transition; new health tech Jennifer Kleckner (Mary McCarthy resigned to return to school full time)

3rd round of interviews for campus supervisor

 

Social Norms: Social Norms survey – last week of Jan

Becky Beechum PAMF – will attend staff meeting to discuss Social Norms Program

Joleen Roach will review last year's survey and results and intro Door Decorating Contest

Question - Survey – through math class, 1/2 an hour duration, privacy

 

Electives: Elective's Night Jan. 24th 7-8pm in Cafetorium

Electives sheets due Feb 2nd

Jordan Journal, E-news, letter to 5th grade parents

Two new electives added to catalogue – Video Production, Biotechnology

Video Production – to better prepare students for Broadcast Journalism

Biotechnology – to add science content to electives

 

Incoming families: Annual road shows - Walter Hayes last week, Addison 01/09, Duveneck and Escondido upcoming

 

Student Population: Population is growing; boundary shifts; middle school populations on the increase; will likely add more faculty and not space – space sharing will be a reality in the future; no intent to make one middle school appreciably bigger than another

 

Music Department Proposal – Vivian Boudreaux & Nancy Coffee

 

Aim to keep programs going

 

Band- Classes 47-64 students (playing numerous instruments); focused attention of specialists makes teaching more streamlined; provides more support to those students who need it

Brass & clarinet specialist at present; percussion in past

Specialists are professional musicians

Not requesting new funding

Each group specialized attention once a week; coach small ensembles

(imagine learning French, Spanish, German all in the same classroom)

 

Jazz Band – meet once a week outside of school 25-30 students; rehearse before school 7-8am once a week; stipend for time

 

Nancy Coffee

Orchestra – Accompanist

Choir– Need more guided instruction & more accompanist involvement

 

6K for specialist support

1.5K Jazz Band

1K for accompanist

 

Questions –

WhatŐs the funding at other schools?

JLS came up with 10K (Site Council and PiE)

Terman $1500

Jazz Band (Advisory at JLS and Terman)

 

What are the 7-8 numbers?

Concert 47

Adv 55

Symphonic Band 60

 

Jazz Band 26

Can manage the numbers of students; itŐs more a case of focusing on a particular instrument group

See all of 6th graders

 

Conflict Resolution/Anti-Bullying Programs – Sharon Ofek

Back for a discussion

Attended a workshop called "Mean Girls"

If lean toward eradicating this behavior, must be a school-wide effort

3 Programs – LetŐs Get Real (video and program) part of Respect for All Project (Guidance Wheel uses some of program), No Bully – anti-bullying statement and policy; references LetŐs Get Real; Safe and Caring Schools – Katia Peterson worked with the sage team; customizes program based on an assessment of the school; will be working on the Feb 16th Staff Retreat – will gauge based on staff reaction whether or not to pursue

 

Realistically – looking at bullying program for the fall

 

Questions – For training the staff? What's the purpose? Expectation of staff?

Why didnŐt like strategy of No Bully?  Get bullies and victims together in the same room

How does one assess? Social Norms Data, discussion with students

Funds? How much would such a program cost?

 

English Department Proposal – Millie Balsam

$2,863.62 – Rationale to teach same novel at the same time and to encourage more coordination/support as colleagues (The Outsiders - ext core and Beowulf - core); all want to teach the novels at the same time (3 grade level teachers); Everbind more expensive but more difficult to destroy

 

Questions - Textbooks – How do departments get textbooks? Texts are funded by state through the adoption process.

 

Funding Proposals – Suzanne Barbarasch

Recap of vote summary from last meeting

 

1. Science:  Looking for $564.84 (liquid nitrogen dewar)

Question: How much to rent?

APPROVED

 

2. Core Lit Funds Outsiders/Beowulf

APPROVED

 

3. Overhead Projectors

APPROVED

 

4. Audio Copies of Core Lit

APPROVED

 

5. Music Department POSTPONED TO NEXT MONTH

 

Notion of aides in the classroom/equity – topic for future discussion

Reiterated that these are professional musicians

PiE study – PA low in staffing; music has come up with a unique way of addressing

Question:  Can we look at the budget to look at funding for programs, electives?

Why can't we have Jazz Band during the day? (during Advisory)

 

NEXT MONTH - Discussion of lit circles for 7th grade (Pilot as potential core lit)