HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-05-05-Hastings-min
Minutes
Site Council – Maria Hastings Elementary
Miranda Clarke, Becky Barrentine, Kris Spriano, Patty
Meeting McLaughlin, Sheila Kaspik, Lisa Clough, Jane Kalinski,
Dan Strollo, Pawan Dhinga, Sanjay Aggarwal, Louise
Lipsitz, Anne Knight, Debbie Krasnow
Date Monday, May 5th, 2014
Time 7:45 am – 8:55 am
Library, Maria Hastings Elementary, 7 Crosby Road,
Location
Lexington, MA
1.Welcome and introductions – Louise reviewed
the history of Site Council due to guests
attending meeting. Distinguished between role
of council and PTA.
2.Reviewed March 3 minutes:
Meeting on 3/17 with superintendent and school
committee was well attended. Fiske enrollment
discussed at last School Committee Meeting and
how to handle large 5 th grade enrollment. No
Agenda
discussion about specific redistricting. Part time
teacher approved if go over a certain class size.
No news about when someone from MSBA will
come and visit Hastings re statement of interest.
Louise will put word out when she is made
aware. We are in the que and as a town have
done everything necessary.
LEF Community project started at recent
Multicultural Potluck on 5/1 – offered families
opportunity to have family portraits as well as
respond to interview questions to create photo
essays. This is to celebrate the rich diversity that
makes up our community.
5 th-6 th grade transition meeting to Diamond will
be Monday May 12, 2014 from 7:00-8:00.
Smaller meeting than the three-school meeting.
Minutes from 3/3/14 approved.
3.
School Improvement Plan: reporting on FY14;
review of FY15 plan – Continue to work on many
of the same things.
Workshop model in reading, writing, and
math in order to differentiate instruction
for students. More instructional time is
spent in small groups.
PLC – grade level teams are powerful ways
for teachers to plan and look at student
work together.
New teacher evaluation process. 50% of
faculty this year. Uses rubric as opposed
to a checklist (as in the past). Focuses on a
growth mindset – much more collaborative
and reflective on part of teachers and
leaders. Four big areas: knowledge of
curriculum, family connection and
relationship, teacher leadership.
Louise’s reflection on the evaluation
process – very affirming process but the
management of the spreadsheet of which
supervisor is seeing which teacher when
can be tedious. Very rich conversation
between supervisors and teachers.
New evaluation is tied to state’s
connection to Race to the Top federal
funding. The state continues to require
more documentation for all state
employees. State is mandating a new K
assessment in the fall. Parents will have
input into teacher rating in the future.
Louise will send the School Improvement
Plan out to site council for input.
4.School Budget: update – Town meeting fully
funded budget as proposed. Full time Evaluation
Team Supversior for each school to join
leadership team of building. Michele Welch,
former school psychologist, is moving into that
role. Teacher grade level shifts: Tammy McBride
(current 1 st grade) moving to 4 th grade. Patty
McLaughlin (current 3 rd grade) moving to 2 nd
grade. Jen Agne (current 4 th grade) moving to 5 th
grade. Stephanie Visone moving to full time
Special Ed Reading. Every building will have a full
time Occupational Therapist, eliminating the
COTA (assistant) position.
5.Becky Barrentine raised concern about class size.
Understanding that numbers must be within
School Committee guidelines – suggesting that
rather than make number of sections shift based
on solely on student numbers, it could be based
on grade level curriculum. Becky stated there is
a six student spread between grades with three
teachers and those with four. Frustrating for
parents in large class cohorts; looking for ways to
be more equitable. Louise acknowledged an
interesting idea, but curriculum can’t be the only
factor. Topic to discuss with school leadership
across K-5 in town.
6.Member input: FY15 If only two people are
interested in joining site council, automatically
become members. Submissions due by 5/9 –
very short presentation, just five or six sentences.
If more than two, an election will be held by end
of May.
7.Internet policy – principals are meeting with
district wide technology leaders. Hastings has
trialed white listing (as opposed to black listing
which is what we’ve done in past and what other
schools are doing). We have developed student
contracts K-1, 2-3, and 4-5 for internet use. Will
continue to use parent contracts as in the past.
Will incorporate internet policy into SIP.
PTA forums can help parents support their
children in these matters at home.
8.Bullying – serious teasing pops up from time to
time. Last year was in grade 3; this year grade 4.
Administrators met with students and parents
and students had consequences. Everyone is
much more viglient and students feel more
empowered to speak up. Open Circle and
Responsive Classroom meetings stress the
importance of not being a bystander.
Question raised about how recess as a
place for social emotional learning is
addressed in SIP – responsive classroom
training for SSP, meeting with staff on a
regular basis. Desire is to continuously
train this staff. As parent with a recess
concern, first communication is with the
classroom teacher.
Adjournment