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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-01-11-Harrington-min Harrington School Council Meeting January 11, 2011 Members Present: Amy Chamberlain, Suzanne Cherenson, Judy Crocker, Michelle Dardeno, Susie Lee-Snell, Genevieve Ng, Susan Rosie, Liz Sherriff, Grant Smith Absent: Elaine Mead 1. December 14, 2010 minutes were reviewed and approved. 2.Lynne Griffin's workshop summary  Lynne Griffin ran a workshop on “Pro-social Skill-building for Children”.  Faculty discussed the workshop and their “takeaways” for Harrington:  Differences between expectations and reality of behaviors, ways to show respect to the community and classroom, and actionable follow ups to student misbehaviors.  Using internal rather than external motivators for students. For example, instead of getting stickers and a party for a reward for behavior, students would reflect on how they feel about their accomplishment, more of an intrinsic motivation.  Emphasis on skill-building for students: self-reliance, resiliency, pro-social behavior.  The challenge is how to break down specific skills and teach them. Kids are are not clear about what is expected. 3.Building Resiliency – discussion and ideas for next steps  CASEL website identifies developmental and age/grade expectations.  Teachers are working through PLCs to determine how to best integrate this into the curriculum.  Grant Smith spoke about academic and pro-social goals coming together in curriculum development, a change from the past pattern.  Amy Chamberlain's Harrington Herald article, “Building Resiliency in Elementary-aged Children” identifies guidelines by different developmental levels for parents and caretakers to promote resilience in children.  LPS District goal: develop curriculum and add position of Director of K-12 Guidance.  Specific ideas were discussed to help students calm down, process and problem-solve. An example is teaching students to be like a “turtle” to calm down. Mindfulness training was also discussed.  Aligning home and school behavioral expectations and skill building strategies. The Herald can be a source of information for parents on CASEL, Lynn Griffin's presentations, books, such as Yardstick, by Chuck Wood, and tips for parents and teachers. One example of a tip is, for every negative comment made to a child, say 4-6 positives, specifying what was good, not just “good job”. 4. Budget FY12 Update  Harrington School's office and administrative supplies budget will be similar to last year at approximately $25,000.  Parents are encouraged to attend School Committee and town meetings regarding the school budget. The schedule for meeting can be found on the LPS website.  Grant, Suzanne and Judy attended a presentation for School Councils conducted by Superintendent Paul Ash, “Fiscal Year 2012 Superintendent of School's Level Service and Recommended Budgets” on January 4, 2011.  School Committee Vice Chair Mary Ann Stewart is proposing approximately 4 Joint Council Meetings, of all the LPS School Councils, per year with Dr. Ash, and she and Dr. Ash are seeking input from Council members for agenda items. 5.Future Agenda Topics  How to collaborate with other School Councils and the Superintendent. Dr. Ash asked co-chairs for feedback from their councils regarding possible topics for joint council meetings. Suzanne Cherenson will collect ideas and submit.  FY 2012 School Budget: specific impact, if any, on Harrington.  What has been the school-wide impact of the Bucket book. The next School Council Meeting is February 15, 2011. Gen Ng will be the secretary for the meeting. Respectfully submitted, Suzanne Cherenson