HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-05-15-CLARKE-min.pdfPUBLIC MEETING NOTICE
Jonas Clarke Middle School
School Site Council Meeting
May 15, 2025
7:00-7:45 AM
Room 221, Jonas Clarke Middle School
17 Stedman Road Lexington, MA 02421
Agenda
Members Present: Jennifer Zacharis, Gary Van Deurse, Elisabeth Moeller, Brandy Hartford,
Alison Stevens, Nataliya Paquette, Jamie Welsh, Tiffany Zides, Dane Despres
I. Call to Order, Welcome, Council Business & Public Comment
a. 7:02 call to order
b. Parent/Staff comment
i. What are folks saying about DC? (See notes below)
II. Parent/Caregiver, Staff, and Admin Check -Ins: March in Review
(15 -minute limit)
a. Star Reports, Round 2:
i. Reports will be shared through Aspen - not need to send hard
copies home
ii. Truncated process for this last round to get recommendations
for interventions processed by end of the year
b. Transition Survey Update:
i. May 22 in WIN for our version (current 8th graders) - so we'll
have this year's numbers later on.
ii. LHS results (of this year's 9th graders thinking about both 8th
and 9th grade)
1. What they remember their worries being: Homework,
higher expectations, workload, amount. Different grading
was 7th (at around 59% of Clarke students)
2. What their concerns are now: sleep pops up to #3,
expectations and extracurriculars, etc. Grading drops to
around 23%. Disparity from Diamond (only 13%).
Transfer students stay flat.
iii. How do we help with some of the stress they are carrying
(getting lost is 41 % of 8th graders).
1. presentation from high schoolers?
2. do we acknowledge and name it / don't address an
emotional concern with only an intellectual solution
U
moist
i. Really great trip. This year's 8th graders really managed the trip
well. Everyone has a different favorite moment.
ii. Making list of things to ask explicitly of tour company next year
1. Driver(s) / bus company policies re: drive time limits, etc
2. Location of dance cruise
3. Why don't we fly? Answer: $400-$500 more per person
4. Coordinating with Diamond (use same company, etc)
5. Won't lock in dates until next September (plan around
MCAS), but will start recruiting chaperones (will need 25
to support size of next year's class)
6. It's a great trip to take with 8th graders at this time of
year; great ways to interact
7. This is a core memory - visiting high schoolers recall the
DC trip and share about it when they come back
8. Logistics: try to use LHS parking lot for some of the
buses next year; need a `home crew' to help see us off /
welcome us back so chaperones on buses don't have to
manage / someone has keys in case admin aren't on the
first returners.
III. Reviewing Updates/Questions about the School Innovation Plan
• Learning Process Progress
o Just wrapped up fourth staff meeting - goal was to identify a
grade -level "element" for learning process that would be
common across all classes in that grade
■ Dane shared process used at staff meeting (mixed grade
convo followed by grade -level convo)
o Clarke and Diamond have collaborated on this and there are
drafts in development for staff feedback
o Question: how will you build that skill?
■ Answer: if we are stressing it/focusing on it, then there
will be resources/lessons/etc to help students develop it
■ MS will have two days before students arrive so staff will
be able to do some training specifically that's not lumped
in to all the other beginning of year stuff
o Question: will that focus be shared with parents?
■ Answer: yes! once it's locked in, it will be part of our
messaging and communication with home
■ Also trying to balance need to have consistent
messaging with the need to allow students to experience
varying expectations and adjusting to those as prep for
HS
o Parent feedback: shared experience of listening to older
students talk about self -advocacy. It includes creating a culture
where students don't feel "dumb" for asking questions or that it
doesn't make you lesser for asking. How do we shift that
culture?
o Teacher feedback: visited another school where the first
three/four days are all about culture/classroom and not
academics
■ It was created for the staff - they didn't not have to create
it themselves
o Bring in teacher examples of how they do things to support the
various goals
• Joy In Learning Celebration, June 6 9-10AM
o Not open to the public, but invited groups include
■ School Committee
■ Other principals
■ Site Council
Final meeting is June 11 - will be a celebration /goodbye to those leaving the council
as well as some of the results from the 8th grade survey
IV. Adjournment - 7:48am