December 1, 2010

Leigh Anne – staff rep
Rebecca
Rochelle
Joe Banta
Helen Sharratt

Attendance: Sign-in Sheet available from Helen.

Reports

Principal :

Harlod notified the group that he wasn’t able to make it tonight.

Staff :

There will be a ½ day registration January 3, 2011 for second semester, not a whole day.  Same format, but compressed.  Students will register in a.m. then dismissed.   Friday is last day of normal class but quarter grades due after intensives.  This information will be posted on the Flash and via a robo call.  The schedule is on fourth draft and will be finalized soon for both third and fourth quarters.

The group discussed the registration process.  Role of the advisor means that wouldn’t really work well electronically via Zangle.  LA (Leigh Anne) thinks it’s the best way, it allows kids to have a say, and lets advisor have flexibility.  Process is to meet with advisor, come up with schedule and then go around to the classes to get signed off.  First comes first served.

Joe – there have been long lines, cutting issues, saving places etc.  Teachers need to have zero tolerance on this.  Hold slots for each grade for multi age classes.  Intensives and after school PE programs can be used to make up credit if do not get into PE and also if doing Band and a language.  We are trying to cover 7-12 curriculum with an elementary school numbers of staff.

Op group:

Rochelle – Op group didn’t meet this week.  LA – film club has been added.  One student wants to organize a blood drive next semester.  Students have to be 17.  Some of the younger students can help out.

Treasurer’s Report

$550 dollars paid for TOB (Temple of the Bean – coffee shop)  $100 in new gaming account.  $150 parent donations.  $130 e-script.  Rebecca reminded everyone how to register on the escript mall first and then do on line shopping.  First see if escript will take you to that website.  $130 a month is significant.  Raffle tickets for the Mazda.  This is a great deal for Steller.  We do this with Holy Rosary. $20 each.  Steller gets $10. 

We need to get a gaming permit so we can hold our own raffles and auctions.

Old budget – 30% of everything would go to a tech fund, and that was set up before district provided computers.  Now each school has a tech budget.  So we rolled ours into special projects.

The Parent group voted in September to hold  the auction with the ninth graders help.  $500 to auction expenses.  10% to yearbook, and I added travel scholarship   Parent group is not bound by previous budget allocations, but still think it’s a worthy cause – the travel scholarships are for the intensives.  Overseas, could also be an intensive scholarship.  Maybe we should rename it?  Currently has to be out of state travel.

Rochelle – scholarship committee composed of staff

Rebecca – parent group can have its own committee and change this altogether.  Could be merit not needs based, for example.  Harlod has said that now that we have the auction money we can do what we want with it.  $4500 moved under that line item.

Leslie Glasgow -How many kids benefit from this? Seems like a lot of money is being invested in a very small number of students.  15 out of 275 students?

Discussion about the travel scholarship – it depends on the year, and the trip.  Scholarship will pay up to ½ the trip cost.  Allows students to go who wouldn’t be able to do that.  Only talking about a few kids?  LA – up to 4 trips can go every year.  Up to 20 students per trip.

Joe – If needs based, and allowing children that would otherwise not be able to leave AK, that works for me.  It’s a good opportunity for many because students are here 6 years and they cannot repeat an intensive.  These types of experiences are what Steller is about.

Rebecca – maybe shouldn’t just be travel, it should be for intensives generally.

Rebecca – if staff need money LA can show the financials to staff.

Might service more students if you open it up to intensives not just travel

Joe – policy on travel scholarship would need to be amended.  Nina and I talked about it.

LA – if money would be used in intensives not just travel, would devise policy, how much, criteria.  Parents could form own scholarship committee

Staff committee for travel will go away after funds exhausted.

Motion to make sure that staff is included in the travel committee

Staff, parents and students should be involved.

Change it to include intensives and that it include parents, students and staff

Rebecca – we need a committee to put together some guidelines then parent group could vote on awards.

Rochelle – I think that a motion is premature.  We should get the travel scholarship policy and review it first and then decide.  Ad board voted on travel policy.  Not sure if this is just parent group.

Table this for now. But as Rebecca need to approve a budget

Motion: Can we approve the budget with leaving out the issue of distribution of travel funds?

Table the motion, and then bring it up after we review.

Rebecca’s motion would be that we look at travel money and that we broaden it to include all intensives to be distributed as needed by all students and not just for travel intensives

Seconded by Glasgow

Decision is to table this motion until we review the travel policy and application. Need to get this from Nina.

Motion on budget?  With caveat that the travel money distribution matter is unsettled?

Rebecca makes a Motion to approve the budget with the caveat that the travel money distribution issue is outstanding.

Seconded by Bren

None opposed.  Budget approved.

Old Business:

Joe – survey monkey allows for two way communication with school/families.  We have a draft survey.  Joe shows it on screen.  Discussed categories – one to five scale.  Several categories.  Communicating effectively, for example.  Section on supporting student success.  Speaking up for every child – fair application of policies, etc.  This was developed by the state PTA.  We can adapt and change it as we want.  Put out on Flash for input and then tweak.

Glasgow – Mentioned issues with classroom discipline.

Discussion followed regarding classroom behavior, discipline, student responsibility, and procedures for classroom observation by parents.

LA – parents need to give teachers 24 hour notice to come in –  that’s an ASD policy.  Of course parents can come in but there is the notice requirement.

Alise – survey talks about availability, and how parents can contribute to the school.  That could be useful.

Do we need a committee to work on this survey, just Alise so far?  Alise would like to have it reviewed and approval first.  Staff might also want the opportunity to review and make suggestions.

Rebecca – I’m fine with it and Joe is too.

Rochelle I like what is on the screen.  Can we send it out as an email?  Can put on with a link and also can be completed as a PDF printed out if can’t do on line.  Mostly based on 7 and 8 graders.

Helen – what about an open field – please add any question that you wanted to see on here, in open field.

Alise – I like that idea.

LA – Staff will look at it but not as a review.  The next staff meeting is in January

Joe  – then we could bring this to all community meeting in February.

LA if you want feedback staff would be happy to look at and be aware.

Joe: Strategic plan update – there was a very good discussion at the all community meeting in my circle of folks.  Handouts here from the process we did at the meeting.  Looked at the old plan 2006-2010

Looking at what we can check off as complete and if not, to put into 2010-2014 plan.  We also have some new key issues to look at.  A very important one is the issue of how to promote student retention and marketing the school.  Critical issue – need to maintain student recruitment and not lose our teachers and make sure people understand what Steller has to offer.

Glasgow – one thing I’d say, at Rogers Park they only went to gifted classes, not neighborhood classes.

Rebecca – trying to target all sixth grade teachers, not just gifted.

Rebecca – please email Linda our counselor to notify her of your concern.

Joe – every sixth grade teacher should be getting the notice, and that’s our approach.

Glasgow: It has a negative effect if people feel that Steller is too uppity.  Something you need to consider – need to reach out.

Rebecca – need to also target higher grades.

Steller presentation should be done at 6^th grade.

Joe – hoping to bring draft Strategic Plan to all community meeting in February 2011.

Rebecca re. auction – We need a first auction meeting and I want to invite every parent who was on the committee last year to come to the meeting.  We need to brainstorm their experience with us and let us know whether or not they want to stay on the committee. Auction is 25 March, 2011

Rebecca – maybe during intensive periods we could have a meeting?

Rebecca – I need two parents or a parent and a student to meet with me on Friday and go through all the auction stuff in the media/computer room.  If we don’t need it, we should go through it and get rid of stuff we don’t want.  Harlod would like some of those shelves back.  A group needs to go through that room and then at first meeting will need to order supplies needed.

December 17 for cleaning out auction stuff at 11:30 a.m.

First auction meeting.  December 10 at 2 p.m for first meeting.  Auction stuff is in Phillip’s closet.  Ninth graders who were active last year should be involved.  Phillip and Jean should come.

New Business:

No CES update.

Amy – Gardening club funding request – can we authorize the request?  Amy – would like you to help us fund window farms.  Explains the process to grow food in our windows.  This product is available at cost.  $279 .  Freight $163 would be ½ with freight.  We have seeds from last year.

Rebecca – why not ask for $200?

Motion to donate $200 dollars to gardening club made by Glasgow

Rebecca – second

Vote – no opposition. Motion carries.  $200 dollars to garden club

Rebecca – funding request from Dan Lew Sped teacher at Steller.  Math Counts program competition, one team, up to six students.  Fee is $240 and it would be under our special projects motion to approve

Rebecca makes the motion to fund Math Counts competition in the amount of $240

Glasgow – second

Vote carried.

Facility Upgrades – this was a strategic plan goal last time around.

Helen explained the time commitment to a large number of schools is required on CRAC, not just Steller, but is willing to work with Joe and others to advocate for Steller’s need for more space for a library, more classrooms, an art room, and other identified or agreed upon goals.

LA – you should bring this to advisory, and the op group –  maybe staff wouldn’t want new wing.

LA – not sure you’d get 18 kids focused on architecture.  More of a passage.

It would be a good idea to ask for your dream facility ideas at the next all community meeting.

Student input, parent input, and staff input on facility needs and then needs assessment.  Look at history.  Check in with needs assessment, and when last looked at.  Don’t know where to get  – Nina would know.  Helen will ask Nina.

Glasgow – brother is an architect, done all sorts of things, hospital etc. Might be able to assist.

We need to check with Kitte if there’s a plan/assessment etc.  Partnership working with ASD.  .

Joe – let Op group know and staff know that we want members for working on a committee to market, recruit, and brand Steller.

Mentor family concept – a parent has suggested this.  This is a great idea.  We want families to feel welcome and to learn the ropes quickly and a mentor family would be helpful to achieve this.

Alise – mentor family would help new families learn what the culture is, now child is more independent for example.  We had welcome to Steller nights, we had round tables and it was just a casual meeting and it was productive.  Just if parents want to be matched up to experienced Steller parent.

Joe – we could put it on the website.  – email webmaster and we look for mentors.

Alise is volunteering to head in charge of the mentorship program.  Glasgow will join

Helen – the New to Steller handbook should also reference it.

Use the Flash to send out chore lists – it works!

LA sends out notices for help.  Joe – we want teachers to feel like they can ask for assistance.  Rebecca – they can also ask at parent group.

Rebecca – makes a motion to open a Wells Fargo gaming account

Joe – second

Discussion – we are required to have a separate bank account for raffles.  Start out a/c with $100.  Then we’d put all gaming monies in there, for how we decide to use for Steller.  You have to have account open before you apply for permit

This is only so we can do our own raffles, auction.

Rebecca –   minutes need to be clear that this is solely for the purpose of raffles in which the revenue would be directed to Steller community needs.

Raffle is strictly for parents and staff and over 18.  Kids should not be handling tickets or money – Friendly amendment to motion.

No opposition.  Motion Carries.

Rebecca – We have to propose a change to the bylaws and we don’t have to make the change now, but if they are amended some time in the future it would be added the next time the bylaws are approved for changes.  This change must read:

“If the Parent Group is dissolved for any reason, any net proceeds in the Parent Group Gaming Account held at Wells Fargo must go to another gaming permitee within the Anchorage School District.”

If the parent group is dissolved for any reason, funds must go to another gaming permittee within the school district.

Alise: I make a motion to put in as a proposed bylaw changed.

Glasgow: second

Motion carries.

Rebecca – the gaming permit application requires that we give 20 minimum and 40 maximum names of the organization.  Any problem with me providing that list?

Rebecca will ask for volunteers to have first and last name for raffle permit.

Discussion about teacher communication and response.

Next Parent Meeting – January 13, 2011 – Correction from the Agenda which was 20^th.