Synopsis of April 2, 2013 meeting

This is an unofficial synopsis of the meeting held on Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013.  I was not in attendance for the beginning of the meeting so some parts of this synopsis are based on discussions with those present after the conclusion of the meeting.  This synopsis may contain inaccuracies.  The minutes released next month will serve as the official record of the meeting.

The meeting was called to order at 5:04 p.m. by Vice Chair Denise Robinson.

The inspiration was provided by Veronica Barnes.

Minutes from the March meeting were approved.

Reports: 

PTA President Report

- given by Jennifer Hatfield and included a review of the arts night hosted in March.

The Evansdale Foundation Report 

- prepared by Phil Castro and given by Angie Claussen.  The written report was as follows:

• "Dinosaur George" Blasing led two assembly programs for the entire school on March 11 as a reward/thank you from the foundation for exceeding our Eagle Trek fundraising goal.
• 3rd annual Red, Hot & Blue at the Greater Good Barbecue on March 23 was a great success with approximately 175 attendees and $26,000 raised. Much thanks to everyone who attended and volunteered.
• Spring family portrait fundraiser, hosted by the foundation and Patterson Photography is scheduled for Sunday, May 5 and Saturday, May 11 on the Evansdale campus. See the April 2013 Eagle Newsletter for additional details; additional communications will be distributed over the coming weeks.
• Transition planning is underway to effectively on board incoming board members whose terms begin June 1, 2013.

The Principal's Report 

- given by Dr. McGuire.  

There were no staffing changes in March.  Enrollment is currently 651 students.  There are 21 preK students, 116 K students, 102 1st grade students, 92 2nd grade students, 115 3rd grade students, 105 4th grade students, and 100 5th grade students.  STAR reading test results for March were also reviewed.  Third grade STAR reading scores are above the benchmark.  All other STAR reading and math scores are slightly below the March goals that were set at the beginning of the school year.

Unfinished Business:

Parental Involvement  

Greta Massetti reviewed the following information based on a subcommittee meeting. The main conclusion from the subcommittee meeting was that the issue of parent involvement would be acted upon by the PTA.  Immediate plans include: 1) identifying a volunteer coordinator for PTA, and 2) surveying teacher needs and preferences so that volunteer efforts could be focused on tasks that most immediately benefit the children's learning experience.

Copy of subcommittee meeting notes

Meeting objectives:

1. Identify specific priorities for parent involvement 2. Brainstorm strategies to address priorities

PRIORITIES

- Increase involvement in PTA committees

- Address teacher needs by 1) identifying what teachers feel is most helpful to them, and 2) developing strategies to meet those needs

- Obtain some data on parent involvement to guide efforts to increase involvement

STRATEGIES

1. Establish a PTA Volunteer Coordinator role on the PTA Board to

- This might be better for 2 people to share responsibilities

- Liaison between committee chairs, room parents, VPs of programs/fundraising

- Need to clearly delineate role to avoid confusion and make sure it is a manageable responsibility

2. Establish a volunteer expectation for all Evansdale families

- Need to determine the appropriate expectation level (10 hours per year?)

- Need to determine how the hours can be tracked

- Hours can involve service to PTA, classroom, EEF, school council, etc.

- Can also establish expectation of service for students

3. Streamline and prioritize PTA activities

- PTA executive committee will review list of fundraising activities and service programs and eliminate those that are overly burdensome, duplicative, or difficult to manage

- It would be helpful to eliminate programs that require involvement of teachers or classroom time to remove burden from teachers

4. Conduct a PTA committee chair training for all committee chairs at the start of the school year

- Training will cover volunteer recruitment strategies and other techniques for

- Encourage all committees to have co-chairs to ensure continuity of programs and increased support for committee work

5. Establish PTA branding and marketing campaign

- Increase awareness of and support for PTA committee work

- Consider "service" as a component of the PTA theme

- Highlight PTA committees through Eagle, flyers, and other outreach activities

- "PTA Committee of the Month" highlight to bring attention to different committees and what they do

- Have more frequent recognition for volunteer service - volunteer of the month rather than volunteer of the year

6. Establish a "buddy system" for incoming families new to Evansdale

- Pair new families with an established family to ease transition to Evansdale

7. Conduct a survey of teachers to identify their needs and priorities

- Tonya will hand out at a faculty meeting

- Assess what teachers find most helpful, and what supports their work the most

- Reach out to specials teachers to make sure they have an opportunity to get support

8. Collect data on current parent involvement

- Conduct baseline estimate of families currently involved in PTA, EEF, or classroom volunteering

- Conduct parent surveys to determine what programs and activities parent value the most

Discipline Plan/Policy

Ms. McCloud gave an overview of the amended discipline policy.  Amendments were made following the March School Council meeting based upon:

1) feedback from the School Council

2) email, phone, and in-person feedback from parents

3) input of a committee assembled by Ms. McCloud that included two parents and grade level chairs

The new policy will be posted online on the Evansdale website after proof reading is completed (a link will also be posted here at that time).  

The document will remain a living document and will be periodically reevaluated and updated as needed.  

During this portion of the meeting Ms. Pitts also made a statement (had been added to the agenda in advance of the meeting).  The statement included appreciation for the teachers for their perseverance and continued commitment to Evansdale.  Ms. Pitts voiced her support for the new discipline policy and the support of the teachers as a group for the policy.  She indicated that the use of the plan so far has improved behavior in the classroom and provided meaning for the check system so that students are more responsive.  Ms. Pitts also indicated that the teachers want the parents as partners in the education of the children and that a discipline plan was not a way to terminate that relationship but rather a way to add support for the teachers in that relationship.  The School Council thanked Ms. Pitts for her input on behalf of the teachers.  

The Discipline Policy will not be discussed at future School Council meetings unless an issue arises or a formal re-evaluation is requested.  

STEM Update

A meeting of the Evansdale STEM committee was held prior to this School Council meeting and a brief synopsis was provided.  An additional school garden is being considered for behind the gymnasium which could tie in to a rain water irrigation system.  The EiE (Engineering in Elementary) units have been ordered and will be implemented on a voluntary basis next year.  EiE is basically the core subjects for elementary students taught from an engineering platform with focus on problem solving.  The Lego supplies have been ordered for next year and will be implemented on a voluntary basis.  Forty-five new laptops will be available next year in addition to the current computers.  Reorganization of the computer lab was discussed briefly during the STEM meeting.  A teacher survey is being conducted to identify: 1) professional learning preferences related to STEM, and 2) the community partners that will be most beneficial to the teachers related to STEM.  In any cases where EiE or Lego STEM curricula are not implemented in the classroom, they will be implemented through Science Lab.  

ELL Adult Programs

MALDEF (Mexican American Defense and Education Fund) will host a single session program for our community on April 30th in the morning.  This program will provide basic information about the U.S. educational system.  If the program is well received, the 12 week program will be explored for next fall.  This program is administered entirely by the MALDEF and no Evansdale resources (beyond space) are required.  A flyer will be distributed in the couriers.

DCSD will provide interpreters for an informational session on May 3rd for the Evansdale community on changes within the school.  Topics discussed will include ELL services in DCSD, changes to Magnet, STEM, and the dual immersion program.  

New Business

Dual Immersion Program - French

More information will be available on the program on May 1st.  Only two classes within kindergarten will be impacted by any changes next year.  Children in those two classes will receive instruction of the regular core curricula in English for half the day and in French for half the day.  The teaching team will consist of one English speaking teacher and one French speaking teacher who will share the two classes.  Children in the dual immersion program will still experience regular specials such as music, art, PE, and science lab.

A lottery will be conducted to determine which students will be placed in those classes.  The program will be described at the May 3rd informational meeting discussed above and at a meeting on May 6th which is open to all rising K families.  Advertisements will go out by traditional Evansdale channels and also be posted at the apartment complexes, churches, and local markets.  The form to register for the lottery will be included in the K registration packet.  The lottery will be run through the Foreign Language Office at DCSD but will be a paper lottery.  It is likely that there will be one lottery for girls and one for boys to balance sex ratios in the classes.  

Agenda for May Meeting

The meeting will include: regular reports, Parent Involvement update, STEM update, ELL update, Dual Language Immersion update, School Council election plan review, discussion of allotments for the 2013-2014 school year.

Meeting adjourned at 5:52 pm.