Sept 11, 2007 Minutes

Attendees

Walter Barry, Linda Frommer, Madeleine Smeets, Cindy Phillips, Vivian Boudreaux, Jan VH Prehn, Juliana Moraes-Liu, Terry Noeth, Suzanne Doran, Salma Kandil, Susan Bailey, Suzanne Barbarasch, Amanda Ballard, Vito LaSala, Susan Scheel, Andrea Carlisle, Leslie Goldman (to provide technology report)

Welcome, Agenda, Minutes

No agenda changes

No corrections to minutes – June 5^th minutes approved

Open Forum

No one present

Site Council Introductions

New and continuing member intros

Site Council Binder & Bylaws Review

Review of tabs and contents for new members

(Norms, Site Council Handbook, Election Procedures, Responsibilities, Site Council Must-Dos, School Site Councils State Doc., Decision-Making Planning Sheet, Agendas/Minutes, Members/Committees, Bylaws, Budget (Bd. Of Ed. & more user-friendly budget), School Plan (draft), GATE Plan, Safe School Plan, Survey

Technology Report

Funding for teacher laptops priority (Latest version of InClass - OS incompatibility issues & with new social studies software); 30-31 laptops need to be replaced; last year Bridge Funding, Black and White ball raised the funds considerably; PTA contrib., along with technology fund request in reg. pack reduced or gone

*Needs funds ASAP for teacher equipment

FOUR-PRONGED APPROACH

• Up-to-date computing for students and staff
• Continue refresh and replacement cycle
• Want 4 year replacement cycle for laptops and 5 year for desktops
• Increase and maintain video equipment
• Increase content area programming for JTV
• Test SmartBoards

Q. Where historically does funding come from? Historically has been a mixture of sources – Site Council, PTA, private donations, Bridge Funds for students only (approx. 66K) – predictable cycle of replacement/renewal BUT no predictable funding

Q. What's the baseline you need right now? 55K

Q. Why isn't there a baseline line item for technology needs? This is ostensibly what the District did with Bridge Funding until other alternatives were available. There are also limitations to this funding i.e. funds directed to student not teacher laptops.

PROPOSAL – Recommendation that 20K be applied to technology by Site Council

FUNDING APPROVED – Much discussion ensued about this dilemma; there were 2 NAYS

Election of Officers

Chair – traditionally parent and teacher serve together; 2 chairs and Suzanne meet together and formulate agenda & invite individuals to speak at the meetings; district has trainings for chairs - Oct. 17^th at 9am in SDC (Linda Frommer & Cindy Phillips)

Facilitator – moving things along, keeping on schedule (Terry Noeth with Jan VHP as backup)

Secretary – note taker (Andrea Carlisle and Salma will fill in)

Review of School Plan & SIP Budget/Principal’s Report

Oct. 23^rd or 30^th – presentation of School Plan

Next meeting will receive new copies of school plan as two pages missing

Revised every year

When district revises strategic plan, the template will change.

Principal's Report

919 Students (official number set the 11^th day – 9/12)

3 new full time teachers – Jessica Ramirez (Fullbright Scholar); Dirgha Kamboj, Keith Rocha 6^th grade; number of part-time teachers; hired a campus supervisor who resigned but have another candidate

Participating in a pilot called Renzulli for GATE (differentiation), 9/20 training; will be site visit 10/25-26 to Nueva School; GATE report will be forthcoming

Noel Berghout on special assignment for science textbook selection

Will continue with Collins on writing; Teri Haynes will present on reading strategies at staff meetings

Counselors and admin. will continue pizza parties with students (next Tuesday); grade 8; October = new students

Two new electives – video production and biotech

Safe and Caring Schools will be working with us - Adopt a Hallway program, more teachers in halls; Katia Peterson will present ideas at next staff meeting, meet individually with teachers and do parent outreach; assessments will be forthcoming

Video cams. in but can't be installed until signage made (legality)

Questions about electives enrollment – languages have remained the same; down a section in art and industrial tech.

Q. What percentage of students take a world language? At least half (don't have exact numbers)

Q. What's the process to add a new elective? Needs to present to Ed Council during Nov. time frame (should approach their steering committee)

Budget – proposal made one month and deliberated upon until the following month

$54,250 – funding needed for teacher laptops ($1,750 per)

Indirect cost = money that school district can hold back on any funding that involves state grants (cost of doing business)

$37,572 – amount of money to work with this year; less than last year but allocated a lot of money to departments; consider allocation 20K to teacher laptops, balance will come from PiE funds

Q. Can we get an invoice breakdown on computers? Will try

Q. What other needs are out there on campus?

Q. Why was PTA budget cut? This year was increased to 35K

Comment made that PiE donations are greater at elementary level than secondary; however increasing at the secondary level; in the long term would like donations made on a district wide basis to support all levels of schooling

This year PTA has 22k extra – monies for computers could conceivably come from PTA

PROPOSAL – Recommendation that 20K be applied to technology by Site Council

FUNDING APPROVED – Much discussion ensued about this dilemma; there were 2 NAYS (this is also listed in tech. section of minutes)

PTA Report

Back to School dinner a success

17% increase in Book Fair sales

First Parent Social on Oct. 20^th at the Blue Chalk (teachers invited)

Comment that Fundraisers (for items such as technology) tend to serve as an emergency band-aid

Student Council Report

8^th Grade Officers

Amanda Ballard, President

Luke Prioleau, VP

Michael Augustine, Treasurer

Uma Veerappan, Secretary

7th Grade Officers

Simone Buteau, President

Britta Kajimura, VP

Maryssa Sklaroff, Treasurer

Juliana Moraes-Liu, Secretary

Have had two meetings, will meet again tomorrow (9/12)

Big push for Magazine Drive; have worked on informing parents that clubs and activities are funded by this effort

First week of October – club sign ups

October 25 – 6^th grade elections

Green Commissioners at grade level to discuss environmental issues

Working with JLS and Terman to have a leadership summit

Last year had a clean campus campaign – want to continue this year

Q. When will there be advisory elections? After the 6^th grade elections

Calendar

Proposing Nov. 7^th or 14^th for retreat; tentatively the 14^th in lieu of the 13^th meeting