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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-12-08-BRIDGE-min BRIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCHOOL-BASED SITE COUNCIL 55 Middleby Road, Lexington, MA 02421 781-861-2510 DECEMBER 8, 2017 MEETING MINUTES APPROVED MARCH 2, 2018 PRESENT: Megan Brown,Amelia Brower, Lucia Brower, Meg Colella, Erin Cerat, Kimberly Hensle Lowrance,Amy Kvaal, Ruth Litchfield, Huan Liu,Zeba McGibbon, Melanie Tanionos, and Shawn Wood. ABSENT: Lynnette Allen,Jon Cunha, Kristen Gray,Allison Gullingsrud, Beth Murnaghan, Sejal Patel, Deirdre Schadler, and Debbie Side. MEETING SUMMARY: Meg Colella, Bridge Elementary School-Based Site Council Chair (SBC), led the meeting, which began at 8 AM in the Bridge Elementary School Library. The members reviewed and approved the minutes from the SBC's October 6 and October 27 meetings. The first item for discussion was a continuation of the conversation about LPS' new Homework Policy, a follow-up to our October 27 meeting. SBC members who attended the recent School Committee meeting on this topic said there was "overwhelming positive feedback" about the new policy, especially from parents of high school students who are pleased about the moratorium on assigning homework on holidays. One concern, however, is that the volume of homework remains the same, despite having fewer days to complete it. Overall,though, parents see the new policy as a signal that time for play and family are valued. It was noted that no changes to this policy, if at all,would be made until the 2018- 2019 school year. Parents and teachers who have feedback on the policy are invited to write to the superintendent to share their thoughts. Ms. Colella noted that, from the Bridge perspective,the policy is still subjective,with room for interpretation,which requires special consideration to ensure consistency. The next item for discussion is the Bridge School Parking Lot, specifically how snow removal will be managed with the addition of the modulars. Ms. Colella agreed that keeping the parking lot clear of snow and ice so cars could move through safely is a priority. She said she would speak to the Facilities Department to emphasize the concerns about snow buildup around the modulars. She highlighted the attention and effort of Bridge's custodial staff, emphasizing how diligently they work to keep the school weather-ready. She added that the flood in that area earlier in the school year has been addressed and is not expected to reoccur. One SBC member asked what to do if the sidewalks outside of Bridge, along Middleby or Outlook, are not cleared from snow and ice. Ms. Colella recommended contacting the town directly, as those areas are the town's responsibility. 1 Another SBC member brought up a related matter. Officer Bill,the crossing guard who is stationed in front of Bridge, has had two incidents this past week when a child and an adult were almost hit by cars driven by distracted drivers. Both incidents were scary, and it is only a matter of time before someone is injured. Ms. Colella agreed that distracted drivers have been a problem at drop-off and pick-up, and she has sent reminders to parents to be more mindful when driving through and around Bridge. She offered to send another reminder, urging everyone's cooperation [note: this notice was sent December 12]. Ms. Colella also pointed out that one of the challenges when engaging with parents around pick-up and drop-off protocols, especially when pointing out if they are not following the rules, is that people can be very rude,talking back and even using profanity. Not everyone is rude, Ms. Colella explained,but it happens enough to be a problem. The police have been called in some circumstances, but they arrive after the situation has resolved itself. SBC members expressed concerns about this and discussed ways that we can ensure the safety of our students and the respect of our staff. One idea was to ask the town for a second crossing guard to be stationed with Officer Bill in front of Bridge. Melanie Tanionos offered to look into the application process for such a request. Ms. Colella will ask the police department if they can patrol in front of Bridge during high traffic times.Additionally, it was suggested that the students of Bridge be educated about proper drop-off and pick-up strategies, perhaps during an all-school meeting, so they, in turn, can brief their parents. The final topic for discussion was school start and end times. SBC members asked for clarification about school start and end times. It was explained that school starts at 8:30 AM,with the first bell,but students are not marked tardy until 8:46 AM, after the 8:45 AM "late" bell. Ms. Colella begins announcements at 8:40 AM in order to give students and teachers time to get the day started; specials, for example,begin at 8:50 AM. The day ends at 3:15 PM,with announcements starting as early as 3:05 PM. She added that Boston students start dismissal at 3 PM on Mondays and Fridays in order to ensure the bus will be on time to pick up students at other schools. Ms. Colella added that the Bridge School clocks are not synced with cellphone clocks, despite service calls, so she consults her phone before starting the dismissal process. At our next meeting on Friday,January 26 at 8 AM,the SBC will discuss security at Bridge, both physical (i.e., plans for what happens if an event occurs during recess,ALICE training, etc.) and data-related. The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 AM. REMINDER: Additional meetings during the 2017-2018 school year will be held January 26, March 2, April 27, and June 8 (note new date). FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Contact Meg Colella, Principal and SBC Chair, mcolellaPlexingtonma.org, or Kimberly Hensle Lowrance, Parent Representative and SBC Co-Chair, khensle@gmail.com, or visit https://lps.1exingtonma.org/Page/792. 2