Meeting
minutes for June 7, 2005
Members present: Laura DeRose, Kathleen Nolan, Michelle Nilsen, Jim Kistner, Maggie Peach, Tim Petryni, Bobbie Jaffe Nash, Shawn Doan, Craig Ferguson, Nancy Barga, Jane Wynn
Counsellor’s Report: Michelle Nilsen.
1. Senior breakfast went well and they want to continue for next year. It was a good venue for giving awards to groups of students.
2. June 8 is the senior tea, right after school, and the ceremony for individual awards will start at 4pm.
3. Counselors are doing a lot of work to help seniors to pass who are in danger of failing.
4. Counselors are spending a lot of time trying to work out the details of next year’s master schedule.
Principal’s report: Jim Kistner
1. Sehome has just received additional FTE for teacher coaching (professional development). This was uncertain because of uncertainties with Gates Grant funds.
2. Next year’s teaching assignments are still uncertain, because they are still moving teachers building to building. Of those teachers at risk for displacement from Sehome, Jessica Schlicting will stay. There is a slim, but diminishing chance that Ashleigh Bobovsky will stay, but if she moves, a position is available at Squalicum HS.
ASB report: Tim Petryni
1. Students are upset because they believe that arts will be cut at the middle school. They are concerned for both the middle school programs and the consequences at Sehome.
Discussion: Kistner – Teacher changes were a consequence of earlier uncertainties of funding, contractual obligations of the district to teachers, and legal requirements for PE at the middle school.
Jaffe Nash – There is a perception that the changes were a “done deal” when they were announced that contributed to unrest.
Petryni: - A student forum to educate students about why staff and curriculum changes are occurring would help dispel the uncertainties and misconceptions that upset students.
Kistner – Agreed, but law requires the district to make RIF announcements before the RIF is confirmed. Frequently the RIF is not carried out. As a consequence curriculum and staff changes take some time to sort out which makes a single forum difficult until after the changes (on non-changes) are finalized.
Facilities report: Nancy Barga
1. Estimates for campus maps of 18”x24”:
Bellingham Promotional Products: $200 for 2 maps (were these printed on plastic?)
Signs Plus: $425 for 2 maps printed on all-weather plastic.
Applied Digital Imaging $25 per map on plastic laminated paper.
Options Discussed:
A. A professionally made sign 2’x3’ or larger.
B. Make some inexpensive signs to put up temporarily.
C. Hire a graphic artist to professionally redraw the map for clarity before having the sign made.
Jaffe Nash will send an e-mail to PTSA to ask if anyone would like to redraw map to a professional standard for clarity and ease of understanding.
2. A suggestion was made to post direction arrow signs in addition to the map signs and many members agreed this would be helpful to those new to Sehome.
Parent Connect: Kathleen Nolan – A draft of a Parent Connect information sheet was submitted for comments. The sheet may be copied to the back of the parent connect application and handed to all new Sehome Parents, to all 9th grade parents, and to all attending parent night. The entire info sheet was checked against the modules available to parents, and checked by Betty Miller. There was general agreement that the sheet was informative and attractive.
Laura DeRose – A draft of a survey to find out how to get more teachers to use the Zangle Gradebook was presented.
Discussion and recommendations:
1. address the survey to all teachers anonymously.
2. Include the new parent connect information sheet, and inform teachers that there is an attempt to attract parents to Parent Connect.
3. Include the number and percent of parents that are using Parent Connect (and the # of students this represents).
4. ask only questions about Zangle Gradebook.
a. what features of the Gradebook are missing from Zangle?
b. what difficulties with Zangle Gradebook cause another choice of grading program?
c. what time, training or information would entice a teacher to change to Zangle?
5. Include a multiple choice of anticipated responses (in addition to a fill-in-the-blank) so that the survey is easier to score.
Action Plan report postponed due to running out of time.
PTSA: Jaffe Nash
1. Successful luncheon for student volunteers that had lots of leftover food.
2. PTSA representative on the budget committee noted that a lot of the requests for funds were for things that parents may be able to donate such as VCRs. Suggest that an e-mail to PTSA be sent out to request these items.
Next Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2005