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`FxI N 17 Stedman Road ❖ Lexington, Massachusetts 02421
Anna W. Monaco, Principal Office: (781) 861 -2450
Jennifer E. Turner, Assistant Principal Fax: (781)674 -2043
Jonathan R. Wettstone, Assistant Principal
Site Council Meeting
April 4, 2013
3:15 PM
In Attendance: Anna Monaco, Principal; Kristen Rangel, Teacher; Kelly Manor, Teacher; Sarah
Franford, Teacher; Suzanne Cherenson, Parent; Sandra Mayo, Parent; Lorelle Yee, Parent; Jonathan
Schechner, Teacher; Krystal Bavin, Teacher; Andrea Foley, Teacher;, Jennifer Turner, Assistant
Principal; Jonathan Wettstone, Assistant Principal
I. Approval of minutes from January 2013 - Minutes Approved
II. School Updates
Mrs. Monaco provides update on hiring for next year:
A. Moving our 4th team up to 8th grade
B. Teachers on that team have not been made public yet
C. Next step is presenting to faculty
D. Open positions:
1. Tech App /Economics - retiring
a. Mrs. Monaco provides explanation of how challenging it is to hire for this
position and how we want the Tech Apps course to shift over time to reflect
the technology skills that we would like students to have moving forward.
2. 6th Grade Math Coach /Specialist
3. PE .6 FTE
4. Engineering and Design -.3 FTE to account for increase in enrollment
S. ILP
Mrs. Monaco provides an update on the upcoming trip to China:
A. Ten teachers will be traveling to visit the partner school and visit Beijing
B. Primary Source came in to provide a workshop on the differences between US
schools and Chinese schools
1. Parent asks about the plans for the exchange - Mrs. Monaco explains it is still
in the works and this visit is the first step - we are hoping that by next April 2014
we would be able to send a small cohort of 8th graders.
We have applied for an LEF grant for another cart of Ipads for the 8th grade to use in a blended
learning environment
A. Teacher talks about how technology was implemented into a geometry unit - small
videos that she created allowed students to experience an enrichment activity
B. Another teacher describes how he has used present.me to give students short
videos to watch at home so that students could come into class prepared - positive
feedback was around the ability to watch the videos at their own pace
C. Parent discusses the inherent motivation of being able to use technology for
homework
D. Parent discusses the benefit of the flipped model when students are absent
III. Survey
Mrs. Monaco said the survey went out to parents this week and explains that she shared with the
JCSA this morning the purpose of the survey. Parent suggested a reminder should be sent out next
week with a reminder and the link again Parent asked about when the students will take it - Mrs.
Monaco explains we will align it with course selection in early May. Parent asked about a closing
date - Mrs. Monaco said we would see how many responses we had after vacation and then we
would close
IV. School Improvement Plan - Draft Review
Mrs. Monaco explains that next year we will be revamping goal #1 - wanted to take a few minutes to
look at goal #2 - asks people to consider things that may need to be changed or updated.
Parent asks about how much of the monitoring has been completed at this point. Mrs. Monaco gave
an update on Rachel's Challenge - another parent mentioned that she didn't like the program and
that she found there were religious undertones and that it was outdated. She would like to see a
review of more current programs. A discussion took place around the program benefits and
drawbacks and the updates that the organization has provided.
Parent explains that there is a group of 7th grade mothers that meet once a month to talk about
stress and also bullying and how important it is to increase physical activity. She also said they
heard some teams did some physical activity before MCSA testing. Teachers confirm that they did
incorporate some physical activity into the day such as running around the building, umping jacks,
etc. Mrs. Monaco talks about the Student Health Advisory Committee and acknowledges the
importance of physical activity for students during the school day. Another parent talks about the
importance of getting the message out to parents that teachers are incorporating physical activity
into the school day.
Parent mentions that Dr. Madigan came and perhaps we could include that for next year as well to
assist students with stress management.
Survey plans include a twice a year implementation. Mrs. Monaco will add that to the goal for next
year.
Parent asks if we as a school are aware of students that may be susceptible to bullying or stress or
depressing. Mrs. Monaco talks about our Monday meetings and how we use that time to update on
student that appear at -risk.
Parent shares the brochure from a conference she went to on students who do not participate in
class and what that silence could mean.
VI. Questions or Concerns
None
VII. Next Meeting May 23rd - The next meeting may be moved up to earlier in May in order to
review the draft SIP for the 2013 -2014 school year prior to sending it to the School Committee for
review and approval.