June 5th, 2007 Minutes

 

 

Attendees

Karen Ersted, Millie Balsam, Glen Krasner, Paul Gralen, Cindy Phillips, Andrea Mone, Jan Prehn, Mary Sano, Walter Barry, Linda Frommer, Suzanne Barbarasch, Maripat Wilkins, Max Najork, Michael Yuan, Salma Kandil

 

Welcome, Agenda, Minutes

Addition of Safe & Caring Schools Proposal

Add LindaÕs report to agenda

Minutes approved

 

Open Forum

Nothing for Open Forum

 

Student Council Report

Clean Campus Campaign – JTV segments and announcements regarding a clean campus

Green Citizen – recycle electronics; next year may have a drop off for large electronics

Elections – for 7th grade - Pres Simone Buteau, VP Brita Kajimura, Sec. Juliana Moraes-Liu, Treas. Maryssa Sklaroff, and 8th grade - Pres. Amanda Ballard, VP Luke Prioleau, Sec Uma Veerppan, Treas. Michael Augustine

Food Drive for Central Valley Farm Workers

 

PTA Report

Election – officers posted on web; annual luncheon of incoming with outgoing board members; wrapping up year round spending; new board getting up to speed, working on back to school packets and planning for next year

 

PrincipalÕs Report

Amended the agenda to consider the proposal for Safe and Caring Schools

½ or more of Site Council will be gone; if possible, consider voting on today

Amend total to 25K (factor in $4500 for three days here and $20, 500 for next school year)

Heads-up for returnees (Can we allocate some money to technology next year? District will give $$ for student computers, BUT teacher computers need to be replaced)

 

Question:  If 19K left and voting on 25K, can we allocate some of next yearÕs budget?  YES

 

Also need to think of approving next yearÕs budget

Computer Lab Tech (32K)  and Library Allocation ($700) – 33K

Proposal from Music Dep. (10, 937) and Safe & Caring Schools (25K)

Up to this body to decide

 

Meeting w/ Superintendent - Linda Frommer

Gunn, Jordan and Walter Hays reps. Present with Mary Francis Callan

 

One school challenging parameters of Site Council – School Based Coordinated Act  - makes budgetary process more complex- no school in the district does it this way; concern over how curricula implemented

 

Main point of discussion – High school (open 3rd HS, open a magnet school or expand an existing site or use Cubberley); enrollment projected to go very high 500-600 per site by 2011-2017

 

Attendance area advisory – boundaries and whether to add a 13th elementary school (trigger point for opening long past – over 96% of capacity); looking at expanding class size 24 to 1(could fit 20% more kids in the classrooms) and would lose state money  – will vote on June 26th

 

Also discussed Mandarin immersion and foreign language at the elementary level

 

Anti-Bullying Program – Katia Peterson

Has visited the school and spoken to teachers, parents, students, teams etc.

Her approach is not one of coming in quickly – believes in long term commitment & empowering the staff, then reaching to the kids.  Believes in leveraging the foundation that already exists.

Bullying – kids are very sophisticated (cyber, emotional and psychological)

 

Q: What are ambassadors of peace celebrations?

Akin to student of the month; choosing students and highlighting skills they use with regard to peace building; Ōmake it cool to make the right choicesĶ; they will also find other kinds and adopt a pay it forward strategy

 

Q: Would this take place in a pride assembly like venue? YES

 

Q: What about the training in August?  It will likely be ½ a day when teachers are here without students

 

Q: What will be different about your program (vis a vis the existing programs)?  Will infuse the expectations, the language, the communication skills in the classroom; all students will get it; addressing the issue of bullying not enough; need to build a foundation of respect, how to appropriately express emotions

 

Q: Can you give an example?  In social studies, can take people in history and pinpoint characteristics that made them great. Can have a dialogue, write a journal entry – then personalize it and relate this leader and said skill to themselves

 

Students commented on how much they enjoy the connection made with individual teachers.

 

Q: Will you provide assignments or links to integrate with curricula?  I will provide links and be here for support.  Do not want to overwhelm teachers.  For example - Dignity and Respect – wrote something in creative writing class and took to art to create the visual – kids were doing it; spoke to drama teacher – work on script to address issue of bullying

 

Q: Is that what youÕd be doing in monthly staff meetings coaching? – Yes

Noted that program needs to involve the parent community

 

Q: Do we have a parent involvement piece yet?  Not currently in budget; could allocate existing budget to parents or make an adjustment

 

Q: Is there an assessment?  Pre and post that will be distributed to Site Council

There will be a social-emotional assessment given to teachers for students

 

Q: Is there a formal analysis that you do? Yes (through Social Norms) and Katia evaluated

 

Q: Do you have an approach mapped out for Jordan?  Yes in her head; will move forward if approved to go ahead

 

Q: Can you give an example of a school youÕve worked out similar to Jordan?  Kids so sophisticated boys took pictures of girls while changing; posted pictures on web and then created a rating system (ugliest, fattest etc); high percentage of parents had no idea

 

Developed a strategy for home; created monthly newsletters, sent emails, telephoned

Needed to ensure consistency from home to school in terms of messages

Same needs to occur from classroom to classroom; how does staff project wishes and wants

Created news, PSAs, special announcements – leveraged media

 

Q: How do you get parents involved at the front end?  Takes a plan, critical to success, behaviors modeled at home

 

Q: How long do you usually work with schools?  IÕve worked with one school for six years; trains the people (monthly, every two months, quarterly)

 

Music Proposal, Audio Books Proposal, & Safe and Caring Schools Proposal

 

Audio Books Proposal – Can we carry over the money (2K) to next year? APPROVED

 

Music Proposal – should have arrived in email

Clarifications – proposal is for $10, 937 (Jazz band and piano accompanist fees have gone up) not $8K; if didnÕt approve the full amount, could use one of the state block grants), reduce accompanist time, or cut Jazz band

Terman – uses monies from department; much smaller population

JLS – Choir is the bid program (accompanist paid out of Site Council)

Proposal for 8K or could amend to approve the $10, 937

Lots of discussion in terms of who should fund these efforts from PTA to the District to PiE

 

JAZZ Band Director - $2,057

Piano Accompanist - $1,446

Remainder - $4,497

8K APPROVED

 

Safe and Caring Schools Proposal –

Conditions - Pre and Post Assessment apart from Social Norms & Check references (success factors)

25K  Approved 1 Nay

 

Approve Safety Plan

Approved

 

School Budget

25K + Music 8K +

Computer Technician 32K + Library 700 – Approved

 

Parent Surveys

Passed out comments from parent surveys after

No Homework Nights – received many comments (as did previous year) in favor and related to efficacy

 

Review SIP

Can email comments (will not be worked on until next month)

 

Closing Remarks