HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-06-11-CLARKE-min.pdfPUBLIC MEETING NOTICE
Jonas Clarke Middle School
School Site Council Meeting
June 11, 2025
7:00-7:45 AM
Main Office Conference Room, Jonas Clarke Middle School
17 Stedman Road Lexington, MA 02421
Agenda
Members Present: Jennifer Zacharis, Gary VanDeurse, Elisabeth Moeller, Brandy Hartford,
Alison Stevens, NaIaliya PaqueRe, Jamie Welsh, Tiffany Zides, Dane Despres
I. Call to Order, Welcome, Council Business & Public Comment
a. 7:03 call to order
II. Parent/Caregiver, Staff, and Admin Check -Ins: May in Review (15 -minute
limit)
a. Parents/Caregivers: no additional
b. Staff: no additional
c. Admin:
i. Joy in Learning event thank yous!
1. Caregiver question: what was the format, what was it
like?
a. It was opened up to classes, extracurriculars, etc
to share what was joyful about their experience.
PE was there, 8th grade science, Sources of
Strength, and a student group called Five Fables -
a teacher had students in separate classes who
expressed a love of writing so she helped connect
them and hosting them for lunches for writing and
club planning. They were set up in stations and
visitors moved around the stations and at the end
there was a share out about what conditions are
creating joy.
b.
Audience: district admin, school committee, other
admin, site council
c.
teacher: can we do it during WIN again next time?
d.
parent attendee: I had a great time, but I hope you
will pushback on how many attendees as there
weren't that many. It's a lot of work and not very
many people there
i. suggestion: could it be tied to another
event?
e.
having it all in one space gave it a lot of life rather
than traveling classroom to classroom like other
schools have done it
ii. Chromebook settings feedback:
1. "Sleep" chromebooks from 10-6?
a.
Is this an issue? -caregiver question
i. teacher response: yes! parents are sharing
that students are staying up to late hours,
friends sharing concerns about friends,
students sending emails to teachers at
11 pm, 1 am, can see edits in their work.
b.
caregiver: we have this issue at home, but we
have the phone locked at 9pm, but you have to
build around the exception (it's tech week and
doesn't get home... ) so 10 is maybe too early.
c. It needs to be paired with messaging/cultural shift
`it's ok to not do your HW when you have
something' I would like for it to be 10-6 but I don't
want to cause an additional source of stress for a
student who was doing a school thing until 9
d. one suggestion was midnight - teacher response
would that it would not solve the issue.
e. DD: if this is enacted, there will need to be a
messaging to all staff about how to handle the
exceptions.
f. parent: what about 5am?
g. parent feedback: Can we pair it with
lectures/messaging about screen time?
h. does it vary grade -by -grade? Could the hours be
different for 6th vs 8th.
L the messaging needs to be school -wide, cultural
shift
j. the hope: if a student can't finish things done by
10 that it will prompt a conversation
k. how to message particularly around the
non -school after-school conflicts
I. can it be a pilot with a survey in
November/December to see where it may be
difficult for families
i. is there an override that can turn it back
on?
2. parent note: I am shocked how much students can do on
their school chromebooks.
a. response: the filter is filter OUT rather than filter
III. Reviewing Updates/Questions about the School Innovation Plan
a. Learning Process Update: Staff across both middle schools selected focus
"elements" for learning process work (draft form here):
6th: "Preparedness":
1. Homework Management (recording, completing, asking
questions, etc.)
2. Ready for Class (materials organization, charged Chromebook,
etc.)
3. Binder/Materials Organization (students are easily able to
produce the required materials)
ii. 7th: "Self-Management/Classroom & Collaborative Skills"
1. Following Directions
2. Being On -Task
3. Group Work
iii. 8th: Independence/Self-Advocacy
1. Self -Advocacy (asking questions, articulate difficulties, seeking
support, utilizing WIN and email, etc.)
2. Ready for Class (easily able to produce required materials,
tracking long-term assignments, etc.)
3. Implementing Feedback (working to avoid making the same
mistakes, reflect on teacher feedback)
b. Feedback/notes from conversation
i. Started year with building norms around learning process and ending
year with identified focus elements that came out of May 2 faculty work
- dominant themes were then identified by Clarke and Diamond
principals jointly. The above are drafts.
ii. Noted that we will be considering how to provide resources around
avoiding bias, particularly with the 7th grade.
iii. Acknowledgement that all of these things are important at every level,
but that these are focus areas for each grade level -- so every 6th
grade will have this as part of their expectations for learning process.
1. parent question: does this remove the others?
2. answer: no. Not reductive - this is to be included in a teacher's
expectations but is not the only one.
iv. parent question: is there more beyond these things like activities or a
curriculum?
1. answer: not yet, but this summer we are collecting resources
and planning for how to do that teaching piece of skills. Having
the additional day without students will give us more time to
train and this will be a module. We will get deeper into it: do we
have the right supports for students to build these skills
V. question: will the rubric be standardized?
1. answer: yes. we will be writing a rubric for each grade level
element that will be provided to teachers to add to their full
learning process rubric.
vi. Is there room to address the way chromebooks are contributing to
off -task behavior
1. is there a way to lock / prohibit visiting others sites?
2. do tech solutions exist?
vii. feedback on 7th: can it be more student focused - instead of following
directions can it be understanding directions? Needs to be really clear
about what it means to do group work well at this age.
additional feedback: step up day was great! The combination locks were a highlight!
Questions: election results? Yes, it was in the newsletter. VM and WD
Thank you (and goodbye) to Allison and Brandy who are rolling off site council.
IV. Adjournment - 7:48am