Attendees 

Salma Kandil, Terry Noeth, Vivian Boudreaux, Linda Frommer, Cindy Phillips, Walter Barry, Susan Scheel, Andrea Carlisle, Suzanne Doran, Madeleine Smeets, Britta Kajimura, Amanda Ballard, Sandra Pearson, Susan Bailey, Jan VH Prehn, Vito LaSala

 

Welcome, Agenda, Minutes

No changes to agenda

No changes to minutes

Correspondence regarding the expansion of gym space (member of City Parks and Rec. slated to attend meeting); due to attend during Open Forum (Paul Losch)

 

Identify Parent & Staff Election Coordinators  - Linda Frommer

Need a Parent Election Coordinator - Responsible for advertising elections (ENews & Jordan Journal) and placing candidate statements in Back-to-School Packets – Madeleine Smeets volunteered

Need a Staff Election Coordinator – Suzanne Doran volunteered

 

Open Forum

Paul Losch - PA Parks and Rec Commission – reports to City Council

Very active member of the community (kids went through school system, involved in Little League as umpire)

**Key Idea** Double the gym size space at Jordan

  1. Shortage of community gym space
  2. Opportunity to leverage resources shared by community
  3. Private and city funding could contribute to this effort (rather than school funds) – however district needs to hear from Site Council

**Benefits**

  1. Students benefit from greater space
  2. Space for community
  3. Don't believe there's a downside in terms of expansion and impact on the campus experience

 

Q. Are you talking to other schools?

A. Will visit JLS, high schools already taking care of needs (Terman site already at capacity)

Q. What is the Peery initiative (converting the space formerly Kiki's), and is it going forward?

A. Private gym for private school – will be rent-free for them; after hours will be open to others

Q. Were you directed by the School Board?

A. Came on own volition (typically not the purview of this Site Council to approve/disapprove of building expansion)

 

PL feels the process is very murky, came as School board members commented on the fact that they haven't heard from the schools

SB intriguing as a joint school/city initiative/PL implied that this could be taken care of by funding that wouldn't impact the District Budget

More spacious gym may impact after-school sports more than school day (with the exception of rainy days); noted that space is needed on campus for performing arts (difference acoustically between an auditorium and gymnasium)

Q. Do we advise the School Board on this issue even though not typically a Site Council action item?

A. Noted that we should wait until next meeting, so we can be apprised of this process; in partnership with the city, there is a challenge in terms of usage of school fields; need to overcome potential similar issues with space  – students need to be served

 

Discuss School Goals for 2008-09 - Sandra Pearson

School Plan needs to become the roadmap of what we undertake as a school in order to serve the planŐs goals

Ideal – make the plan a living, meaningful document with input from all constituencies; caveat is the fact that the Board sets some of the overarching goals that we need to adopt and execute; within those district goals some wiggle room; superintendent plans to continue existing goals next year; can refine existing goals

 

Noted that last Cluster Group agenda centered around the major school goals and soliciting feedback that will be shared out at tomorrow's staff meeting (so far feedback expresses comfort with goals with a note of adding collegiality to the mix); will bring refined goals that consider feedback to Site Council

 

Q. What is a Cluster Group?

A. Group comprised of teachers from different subject areas and grade levels that discuss issues that may not come up in team/subject area meetings

 

Q. How often do you meet?

A. 1x per month

 

Q. Why initiated?

A. Means for a more intimate way of expressing views, airing concerns without an administrator being there

 

Example of topic – Advisory and its purpose

 

As part of the School Plan, need to adopt a draft/final by June – need to know next year's goals (rather than set at a November retreat)

 

Two pieces of plan – report out on what already executed; establish goals for next year

(largely Department based)

 

Will ask Instructional Supervisors and their Departments to comment on strategies set to achieve content-area goals and continue for next year (Noted that Team Leaders ought to be part of the mix)

 

Progress Reports in terms of grants (grants ought to have addressed school goal); some programs heavily funded that we will want to hear from

 

Comment – As a new Site Council member, difficult to wrap head around what was funded last year (what spent on green budget sheet in binders (technology, Safe and Caring Schools, Computer Lab Technician) – some of 06-07 grant monies not spent)

 

Comment – If most of money spent on Technology, we should make technology part of school goals

 

Comment – We should revisit some of the ways money spent last year (specifically for bio-tech and struggling readers)

 

Q. Is there any movement to get technology funding from the district instead of the Site Council? (addressed to Sandra Pearson)

A. Will continue to struggle with this issue; needs will surpass available funding

 

Susan Bailey (PiE)

Looking at this issue from a district wide perspective; implications of bond measure in terms of equity issues and ensuring that each school's need are met; meeting with principals to determine what important to schools

 

Q. What is the procedure in terms of who getting a form to fill out and who not?

2006-07 – some of money applied to this school year (Dec. 2007)

Cindy Phillips went through items and came up with list of 14; having difficulty reconciling her list with green sheet; can establish what warrants form completion and, for some, presentation

 

Comment –Should indicate if new investment or maintenance

 

Comment - Where to go for funding an issue

 

Study Committee work – Study Skill/Social-Emotional Sub-Committees of Site Council in line with school goals

 

Comment – We need to include in our goals/strategies those items that are well funded – Technology and Music

 

Student Council Report – Britta Kajimura & Amanda Ballard

Started ODFL last Monday (have collected almost $1000), goal by end of week $1600; would like to thank staff who are participating in Ms. Shagory's ODFL luncheon; noon activity – Pin the Tail on the Cow! to raise awareness

Green Citizen – electronic recycling – looking at schedule to determine if can wage the program again this year

8th grade Student Council members have met to discuss 8th grade gift; solicited input from Ms. Pearson; will also distribute survey to 8th grade students for gift ideas (best idea so far is to install a sound system in the gym to hear announcements, score-keeping etc. – may be too costly)

 

Aside – Found an environmental rep for 7th grade

 

PTA Report – Susan Scheel

International Potluck – April 23rd; will start at 5:30 and entertainment will commence at 6:15 (Irish Dancers will be back!)

Dinner – outside/ Entertainment - Cafetorium

PTA – March 19th next meeting (Sharon Ofek will speak about social norms; Josh Spira will do a SmartBoard presentation)

Technology issue came up – Tech budget surpasses PTA budget – struggle with how to fund technology

Overage of 60K – 40K will go to safekeeping; 15-20K may be allocated to teachers (one time thing)

 

Comment – will announce PiE funding at School Board meeting tonight

 

Q. How much of what goal is can we count on for this year?

A. Will find out tonight in terms of dollar amount

 

PTA lowered ask from $300 - $250; asked to donate to PiE – 42% (last year 32%)

 

Principal's Report – Sandra Pearson

Principal selection process well underway – interviews on Friday (five-six) candidates out of 25 plus applicants

Have started to look at staffing for master schedule (enrollment will be the same but losing a couple of periods – related to Parcel Tax); classes may creep up a bit in size

Staff Development Day – focus on Safe and Caring Schools (feedback largely positive)

 

Comment – learned some strategies on how to weave into daily teaching – ties in well with subcommittee

 

Superintendent – issued an update to the community

 

Wanted to applaud PiE in terms of fundraising efforts

 

Will be an opportunity for community to comment on the district via survey (after Spring Break)

 

Study Skills & Social Emotional Subcommittees – Suzanne Doran & Vito LaSala

Devised a form to delineate next steps

 

Debrief – Social Emotional Group not quite ready to report out (distracted with Advisory in terms of implementation of Safe and Caring Schools program – the time is not there); where else can these goals be implemented; will send out email to Site Council members to be prepared for discussion

 

Study Skills – Steps – Staff Meetings – 20 minutes at two staff meetings to inform staff of request and to start to put together some sort of grade level benchmarks/expectations

Sandra Pearson will discuss with Guidance Wheel instructors the potential to move some study skills into their program