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BRIDGE SITE-BASED COUNCIL Friday, October 6, 2017 MEETING MINUTES Approved December 8, 2017 Present: Melanie Alexander, Lynette Allen, Erin Cerat, Meg Colella, Kristen Gray,Allison Gullingsrud, Kimberly Hensle Lowrance, Ruth Litchfield, Huan Liu, Sejal Patel, Deirdre Schadler, Debbie Side, and Shawn Wood. The meeting began at 8:00 AM with a welcome from Meg Colella, Bridge School Principal and Site-Based Council (SBC) Chair. Since this was the first meeting of the year, everyone—staff, administration, and parents—went around the room, introducing themselves to one another. Ms. Colella next led the group in a discussion about this year's objectives. She explained a priority is to raise the profile of SBC and to let community know what is going on with this group so they can see it as a resource. The SBC discusses issues that are pertinent to our school as well as anything that is high profile in the Bridge community. Topics that the SBC is likely to address this year include: the district's revised homework policy; community events like Bridge Learns,which is scheduled for next month; and the search for a new superintendent. Ms. Colella emphasized that SBC can take up issues throughout the year, as they arise. The SBC provides an important opportunity for teachers and Bridge administration to get a sense of what Bridge parents are worried about,thinking about, and talking about. It was suggested that the SBC look at what is being done to welcome new families to Bridge so that we can be sure no one is getting lost in the transition to our school. Ms. Colella shared that, as of today, all but 33 families (out of 572 students) have signed up for My School Anywhere,which is the new PTA online communication tool. This is an excellent response, and the PTA and school leaders are working on reaching those last 33 families. Ms. Colella offered that at a future SBC meeting we could review the packet new families receive when they enroll at Bridge and offer input. Another issue that was raised was the November 7 information session about the YES Campaign. The Bridge PTA is sponsoring this event, and its purpose is to raise awareness of the effort underway to get town support for a new Hastings Elementary School, renovations to Lexington Children's Place, and a new fire station headquarters. SBC attendees were encouraged to attend this meeting and spread the word about it to others. (More information about this campaign can be found online at tt ://www.ves4lex.or2/.) One of those in attendance raised the question of communications from the school.We get news electronically—from the PTA, administration, and teachers—and in our children's backpacks, sometimes multiple times if there is more than one child in a family. It feels like too much and yet we sometimes still miss items; is there a way updates can be streamlined? Ms. Colella agreed that information could be overwhelming. Communicating effectively is a professional goal for Bridge staff, so this is a timely matter to bring up. It was suggested that Bridge consider adopting an "oldest and only"policy whereby printed notices only go home 1