2019-09-20-BRIDGE-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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BRIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCHOOL-BASED SITE COUNCIL 55 Middleby Road, Lexington, MA 02421 781-861-2510 SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 MEETING MINUTES APPROVED NOVEMBER 15, 2019 Attendance: Erin Cerat, Margaret Colella, Tiffany Crooker, Kristen Gray, Kimberly Hensle Lowrance,Amy Kvaal, Zeba McGibbon, Sejal Patel, Deirdre Schadler, Kira Sevene, Brienne Thibodeau, Maria Totniou, Shawn Wood, and Betty Yee. The Bridge Elementary School School-Based Site Council (SBC) held its monthly meeting on Friday, September 20, 2019 at 8:00 AM in Bridge School, Room 19. Meg Colella welcomed everyone, including new members. Introductions were made. Next, Meg gave an overview of the role and purpose of the SBC (provide a forum for parents,teachers, and administrators to dialogue about issues facing the Bridge community; weigh on site plan; offer feedback and suggestions). She also shared that the back-to-school season has been going well, and that we're a bit smaller this year with 26 classes. The new playground's construction is on target,with a dedication scheduled for October 2 at 9 AM. The dedication will be 15 minutes long,will involve all students, and will be held outside. Families are welcome.Also new this year is the new sensory path around the school,which the children are enjoying. It's especially helpful for kids who need to take a break from the classroom during the day. Meg explained that she and Kristen Gray are working to address data that indicates students of color and students with disabilities are sent more frequently to the principal's office. They're working to figure out why and to create mechanisms to address this. Overall, though, Meg added, Bridge doesn't have a significant problem with student behavior. Shawn Wood talked about Bridge's mentor program,which she has taken over managing from Kristen. The program matches students who "need a little TLC" with teachers, administrators, and other staff for one-on-one support. The mentors (who volunteer to participate) and mentees go for walks, play board games, do crafts, etc. Currently, Shawn is working on the purpose and parameters of the program to make sure the program is equitable and addresses student needs. SBC members brainstormed topics to discuss during the 2019-2020 school year. Suggestions included: • Homework Policy o This topic has come up again due to the district's new homework policy. o The new policy essentially says that elementary school students won't have homework outside of reading- except for 5th graders who may have more homework in order to prepare for middle school. 1