HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-09-27-Hastings-min
Site Council Minutes 9/27/2010
In attendance:
Louise Lipsitz, Principal
Nancy Campbell, Assistant Principal/ETS (note taker)
Katie Boudreau, PE Teacher
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Dana Steiner, 4 Grade Teacher
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Kyle Tompkins, 5 Grade Teacher
Nancy Salitsky, School Nurse
Geetha Padaki, Parent
Sion Harris, Parent
Stew Kennedy, Parent
Janet Lane, Community Member (former Hastings parent)
Hiedi Pasternak, Parent
Mary Erdman, Parent
School Councils are representative, school building-based committees composed of
the principal, parents, teachers, community members and, at the secondary level,
students, required to be established by each school pursuant to Massachusetts
General Laws Chapter 71, Section 59C. All are welcome to attend~ Minutes are
posted to the Town Hall. School Council information can be found on the
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website, the
link is below~
http:www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/advisory/schoolcouncils
School Goals~
Developed in conjunction with superintendent’s district-wide goals.
First Goal- academic and broad, but covers the use of student data
School Council reviewed the implementation plan and timeline for those goals school-
wide. The “across grade level groups” have changed from K-2 and 3-5 to K/1, 2/3, and
4/5.
Doubled the number of K-5 technology specialists in the elementary schools. This allows
Hastings to have an integration specialist one full day her a week. This person helps
teachers with integrating technology (hardware and software) into the classrooms.
Second School Goal is regarding “pro-social” behavior and resiliency increasing and
decreasing student stress, thus aiming to improve student success and well-being.
Legislation on bullying will require the building to respond with a plan for bullying that
will be submitted to the State~
Reviewed the parts of the school’s conduct procedure regarding general school
rules, which supports part of the bullying plan in keeping data on students’ who struggle
during recess, lunch, or in the halls, as the unstructured times are typically the times when
students may bully, become a victim of bullying, or witness bullying, all of which require
intervention.
Anti-bias committee~ Annual multi-cultural potluck dinner, series of displays brought in
by families to share, book bags go home with different books (literature meant to educate
our students and families about differences in culture, disability, etc), theater performance
on dyslexia, celebrating “Inclusive Schools Week”
A new Parent/Guardian Guide is under construction and will be posted on the website. It
will be a “work in progress”, thanks for your feedback~
All School Meeting as a tool for modeling “how to’s” at recess, etc. The question is
where do we find the time to increase that teaching at All School Meeting, which is a
forum for learning.
Are there opportunities to bring the language home to parents, so they can process things
at home with the same language~
System-wide committee is under development by Chris Greely (assistant director of
student services). A survey to parents will come from that committee.
Link to bullying prevention information is on the website
http://hastings.lexingtonma.org
Next Steps for this group~
Tools for parents (Open Circle language, and other language we use to discuss
things with kids so that parents and school staff are on the same page with how we
process with our students/children).
How do we help kids expand their tool box~
How can we build students up and combat self-esteem related to bullying
Mindfulness- How to bring that to teachers and then students
Intro to Mindfulness starts tonight (9/27/10 @ Clarke). Giving parents more
language and tools is also part of the focus~
Please bring ideas to the next meeting regarding what has worked/areas suggestions,
discussion points on your perspective relative to when you’ve seen bullying occur.
Next meeting is October 18, and then November 1, January 10, March 7, April 11, and
May 2.