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NORTHERN LIGHTS ABC SCHOOL ABC Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes May 12, 2011 I. The May meeting was called to order by Karen Smith at 3:15 p.m. In attendance were Shirley Bertrand, Angela Galovin, Kathy Haghighi, Karen Smith, Richard Foster, Holly Hylen, Jeff Schaezlein, Sharon Comer, and Ms. Karen Wallace. II. Approve previous meeting minutes: Kathy Haghighi moved to approve the minutes of the April meeting. Angela Galovin seconded. III. Old Business: a. Principal Comments: Calendar for 2011/2012 distributed. K and 1st grade delayed start confirmed this week. NLABC vacant position for Spanish teacher. Position is a .5 and Language Arts position – possible job share with Polaris. Ms Alta Collins has been hired as NLABC librarian. She was the Librarian of the Year this year and recommended by committee consisting of advisory board members. She will oversee the book fairs and Shirley Bertrand will be a point of contact. Kara Cravens hired as secretary. Training to begin next week for a smooth transition next fall. b. Round Table Introductions New members introduced – Holly Hylen and Jeff Schaezlein (Mary Lou Kuffner out of town). Outgoing members Angela Galovin, Shirley Bertrand, and Sharon Comer thanked. Their contributions were significant and encouraged to join us for meetings in the future. Their input is valuable! c. Contract for parents and teachers: Karen Smith reported that the contract is complete and distributed at kindergarten orientation today. Kathy read the contract to the group. d. Monthly tour video: Kathy Haghighi continues to work on development of script and new material for an updated tour video. The goal is late fall 2012. e. Mrs. Easton Art Classes: Holly Hylen will be overseeing the project for the board. Karen Smith will coordinate with Holly before end of year in hopes of a start date of early fall. f. Fundamentally Speaking by Henry S. Myers, Jr.: We will circulate the copies with the board this summer. Ms. Wallace has secured copies and mentioned the in-service days of August 11 or August 12 as possible dates for board attendance. This would be a chance for teachers and board members to understand each other and the focus on the upcoming school year. g. Textbooks: Ms. Wallace reported that Mr. Shasby is reviewing textbooks at this time in hopes of purchasing by the end of the year so they can be used for the 2012 school year. Richard to coordinate with Shasby and Ms. Wallace so board members can also review the material before the purchase. h. Character Building Block Display: Shirley Bertrand is working on this display in the Multi Purpose Room. Thanks! IV. New Business: a. Core K 12 Assessment: Ms. Wallace went into detail regarding the subjectivity of the old process DRA. The new program is objective and by 2013 or 2014 will also incorporate a math element. This program has on line segments and will be distributed three times per year – fall/ winter/ spring. b. SPA Results: Parents will have results the end of May. The school should have results after the 20th. c. Explorer: 8th Grade testing will continue at NLABC. Ms. Wallace explained in greater detail for new members what this testing is and also referred them to the ASD web site. d. National Honor Society: NLABC had 13 inductees last week. Students must secure a 3.6GPA for a minimum of 3 quarters. Katie Bauers is also a Merit Scholar. We have two teachers nominated as bp teachers of the year – their names will be announced next week at the assembly. e. Teacher Representatives on the Board: Kathy suggested we ask teachers to rotate. Accepted by board and solicitations to continue. f. Elections: Board would typically elect positions at this meeting. We are going to wait for the first meeting in August to elect. g. 5th Grade Healthy Body Video: The version normally used was not available and a new version was screened by parents on Monday. There were concerns so the video was not used. The board agreed that we will view the video as a group in the fall or rotate this summer so we have a better understanding when parents approach us with questions. The letter inviting parents to preview the video also needs to be sent out a week prior rather than the day before. Karen to secure video with Ms. Curtis before the end of the year. h. Round Table: Shirley – 6th grade camp update and suggestion to rotate a 5th grade, 6th grad and 7th grade parent each year through camp. Sharon – agreed to attend meetings next year as a teacher representative/ parent. Discussion again that our meetings are open and encourage any parent to attend. Also the need for us to attend PTA meetings and encourage parents to attend those meetings. Angela – 8th grade recognition update at East on Wednesday. Solicited help, Sharon to assist. Jeff – welcome and to change personal data sheet info Kathy – recap of the summer projects i. CPC 2012: 3 day session for 8th grade students Parents are invited to review the materials prior to the sessions but turnout has been fewer than 5 parents in the past. Board members encouraged to attend the preview even if they don’t have children at that age to be familiar with the material for possible questions. j. Cyber Space 2012: The FBI or the police will be used but the goal is to complete this early fall. Discussion continued that it is new territory for parents and almost out of control for some because they are not familiar with the internet like their children. The technology the children use is not being monitored by parents and ramifications are larger than they understand. Do we offer workshops/ training to parents on the issue? Do we continue to focus on the children? Ongoing issues but something that is not going away in society and if the technology is used in harmful ways, it can hurt our children. V. PTA Representative: Not present but Karen read off the names of the new board members. VP of volunteers is a vacant spot. VI. Adjourn: Karen Smith moved to adjourn the meeting and Angela seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 4:53 p.m. Respectfully submitted, NLABC, Board President
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NORTHERN LIGHTS ABC School ABC Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes April 21, 2011 I. The April meeting was called to order by Karen Smith at 3:22 p.m. In attendance were Crista Burson, Angela Galovin, Kathy Haghighi, Jae McKee, Karen Smith and Ms. Karen Wallace. II. Approve previous meeting minutes: Kathy Haghighi moved to approve the minutes of the March 17, 2011 meeting with a correction from Mrs. Shasby to Mr. Shasby. Angela Galovin seconded. III. Old Business: a. Parking Overview: Karen Smith advised that the Parking / Traffic Committee remains without an official leader. The hope is for this committee to continue next year. b. Contract for parents and teachers: Karen Smith reported that a proposed agreement between parents and teachers is currently being reviewed by Mrs. Sims. Karen hopes to have a final product that would be distributed to incoming Kindergarten families. c. Monthly tour video: Kathy Haghighi continues to work on development of script and new material for an updated tour video. She hopes to have something for committee members to review over the summer with the intention of filming in the fall. Ms. Wallace will contact Laura Bliss to request assistance with this project. d. Mrs. Easton Art Classes: Sharon Comer continues to coordinate with Mrs. Easton. Sharon was not present to provide an update. Ms. Wallace reminded us that funding would need to go through the PTA. e. Fundamentally Speaking by Henry S. Myers, Jr.: Tricia Kofoid is contacting Barnes & Noble to see if book reprints are a possibility. Ms. Wallace has also been tracking down additional copies of this book to share with staff. f. Textbooks: Ms. Wallace reported that she still has funding available for textbooks. She is working with Richard Foster and Mr. Shasby to find textbooks. Once textbooks are approved she will work with publishing representatives to receive best possible pricing. g. Character Building Block Display: Shirley Bertrand is working on this display in the Multi Purpose Room. h. Weekly announcement of character building blocks: Karen Smith proposed to table this project until next year. i. Election process / update: Application deadline was extended to Monday, April 25th. The Election will take place at Family Fun Night on Friday, April 29th. There are 5 seats open for the 2011-2012 year. IV. New Business: a. Family Fun Night: Karen Smith asked for volunteers to monitor ballot distribution. Angela Galovin volunteered. b. Last Meeting Date: Karen Smith suggested that the date of the May meeting be changed to Thursday, May 5th as the 3rd Thursday in May is the last day of school. Those present agreed to the date change. This meeting will include outgoing committee members as well as newly elected members. c. Book Fair: Karen Smith asked Ms. Wallace about the statuses of the Book Fairs for next year. These are fundraising activities and fall under the responsibility of the PTA. d. Teacher Reps: Karen Smith requested that Ms. Wallace remind teachers and staff that representatives are needed on the Advisory Committee. Ms. Wallace suggested that we attend the Fall In-service meeting to promote. V. Principal Comments: Ms. Wallace reported that interviews for the librarian position will begin and committee members are needed to assist. She will contact us next week. VI. PTA Representative: Not present. VII. Adjourn: Karen Smith moved to adjourn the meeting and Crista Burson seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 4:36 p.m. Respectfully submitted, NLABC Advisory Board Secretary
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NORTHERN LIGHTS ABC SCHOOL ABC Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes March 17, 2011 I. The March meeting was called to order by Karen Smith at 3:20 p.m. In attendance were Shirley Bertrand, Crista Burson, Angela Galovin, Richard Foster, Karen Smith and Ms. Karen Wallace. II. Approve previous meeting minutes: Shirley Bertrand moved to approve the minutes of the February 24, 2011. Crista Burson seconded. III. Old Business: a. Parking Overview: Karen Smith advised that the Parking / Traffic Committee remains without an official leader. Recommendations for changes to current traffic flow as well as parking lot monitor volunteer forms will be coming out soon. b. March Tours: Richard Foster and Karen Smith will attend the school tour on Tuesday, March 22nd and Crista Burson will emcee the remaining assemblies. Attendance at the school tour was great. c. FBI Cyber Date: Ms. Wallace has still not confirmed a date for this program. She will continue to work on schedule. d. Contract for parents and teachers: Karen Smith created a Parent Communication Agreements. She distributed copies and ask for us to review and provide her with any feedback or suggestions. Mrs. Sims is also reviewing. March 23rd is the next staff meeting. ABC Advisory Committee plans to attend a staff meeting in April as the March meetings involve staff training. Kathy Haghighi continues to work on survey questions including Middle School retention information. e. Monthly tour video: Kathy Haghighi continues to work on development of new material for an updated tour video. She took notes during the video showing at the last tour including questions from those in attendance. f. Mrs. Easton Art Classes: Sharon Comer continues to coordinate with Mrs. Easton. g. Fundamentally Speaking by Henry S. Myers, Jr.: Karen Smith encouraged advisory committee members to read this book. She will contact Tricia Kofoid and Barnes & Noble to see if book reprints are a possibility. h. Textbooks: Richard Foster met with Mrs. Shasby regarding Social Studies textbooks. Richard also plans to meet with Ms. Black. It was determined that once a new series is selected 250 books are needed. Ms. Wallace works with publisher representatives to contract best price / packages possible. The style of books are changing to series format (more than one book) and even the addition of online and CDROM texts are available. Ms. Wallace suggested that Barnes & Noble be contacted as they have a textbook division. Richard continues to work on this project. i. Character Building Block Display: Shirley Bertrand agreed to manage this project. She is currently seeking materials that were used in previous displays. j. Weekly announcement of character building blocks: Karen Smith will look through old advisory committee binders for past information that might be used to recreate this important tradition at NLABC. If no information is found Karen and Crista Burson will contact teachers for input. k. Nomination Applications: Karen Smith distributed copies of new application materials for review. Applications will be available in the front office in April with the election occurring on Family Fun Night, Friday, April 29th. IV. New Business: a. Propose amending bylaws: Karen Smith suggested that we consider amending the bylaws with regard to term limits. After discussion it was decided to not make any changes at present but that if not enough applications are received a motion would be made to set aside the bylaws for that year to accommodate a possible term limit issue. b. 2011/2012 focus for board: Karen Smith would like advisory committee members to each take on projects and report on progress at monthly meetings. At the first in-service meeting of the year Ms. Wallace reviews the NLABC philosophy and the handbook with staff. Ms. Wallace reminded us that our primary focus should be staying the course of the NLABC school philosophy. c. Interview process: Ms. Wallace is starting the interview process for the librarian position. She will contact committee members to schedule interviews. We are required to use a script of questions for each candidate. She recently interviewed a highly qualified candidate with a librarian in Petersburg. d. Teacher input: A suggestion was received that each grade level should have a lead teacher. Ms. Wallace advised that Ms. Black is a paid induction liaison who meets with new staff to explain the culture and philosophy of NLABC and the importance of consistency. There is not an expectation that all teachers are to teach in the same way. Focus is on whole group instruction with all core requirements being taught. Discussion included changing learning and teaching styles due to advances in technology integration, etc. The Induction Liaison should be the go to person for new staff regarding school culture, awards, grading, etc. Communication between teachers in grade levels is key. V. Principal Comments: Ms. Wallace concluded that AEA offers a mentor program for brand new teachers. VI. PTA Representative: Not present. VII. Adjourn: Karen Smith moved to adjourn the meeting and Shirley Bertrand seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 5:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted NLABC Advisory Board Secretary
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NORTHERN LIGHTS ABC SCHOOL ABC Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes February 24, 2011 I. The February meeting was called to order by Karen Smith at 3:18 p.m. In attendance were Crista Burson, Sharon Comer, Tricia Kofoid, Jae McKee, Karen Smith and Ms. Karen Wallace. II. Approved previous meeting minutes: Tricia Kofoid moved to approve the minutes of the January 20, 2011 meeting and Karen Smith seconded. III. Old Business: A. Traffic / Parking Forum Review: Karen Smith recapped yesterday’s Traffic / Parking Forum. Several volunteers were recruited to form a committee to address ongoing issues. The first meeting is Monday, February 28th at 11:30 a.m. in the library. B. March Tours: Karen Smith reminded those present that there are two school tours in March prior to the lottery. Tours are at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesdays, March 15th and March 22nd. Richard Foster is scheduled to assist on March 15th and Karen Smith is scheduled to assist on March 22nd. C. FBI Cyber Update: Karen Smith, Ms. Wallace and Mrs. Curtis are working with staff to determine time and date for this program and which organization will present. D. Board Members Attend Staff Meeting on March 3rd: Karen Smith discussed possible parent / teacher contract to include dress code, expectations and behaviors as an item to continue discussing with staff. Tricia Kofoid, PTA President, will also attend the next staff meeting to encourage three remaining teachers to join the PTA. If NLABC has 100% teacher participation the staff will receive $1,500 to spend toward staff lounge upgrades / equipment. E. Contract for Parents and Teachers: Karen Smith is continuing to research possible options. As mentioned above, discussions continue. F. Monthly Tour Video / Survey: Karen Smith advised in Kathy Haghighi’s absence that both projects are ongoing. G. Mrs. Easton Art Classes: Sharon Comer continues to meet with Mrs. Easton to define the scope of art class offerings. She suggested 2 week programs that will meet 3 days a week with 20 students of all ages. Fees and permission slips are forthcoming. Tricia Kofoid that after school programs are a possible way to raise funds for PTA. H. Fundamentally Speaking: Three copies are being circulated by Advisory Committee members. Tricia Kofoid confirmed that additional copies are not available through Barnes & Noble. Research on possible options continues. I. Social Studies: Ms. Black not present to discuss concerns. Richard Foster is spearheading discussions with staff regarding Social Studies curriculum. Mr. Shasby, Middle School, is using outside materials to supplement the current Social Studies curriculum. Mrs. Christie Conway is compiling a textbook listing. J. JA in a Day: Exxon is confirmed as corporate sponsor for JA in a Day and NLABC on April 15th. Exxon does not currently have a school that they are business partners with. Those present discussed possible projects that Exxon might be interested in sponsoring at NLABC. Science Night, Science Fair judging, etc. K. 3rd Quarter Report Cards: Discussion continued regarding concerns from parents that percentage grades were not reflected on all report cards last quarter. Ms. Wallace indicated that teachers continue to struggle with Zangle. Middle School report cards reflect both letter and percentage grades. Discussion turned to differences in grading techniques by teachers. Some teachers prefer points while others use percentages. If computed correctly, both methods result in same correct grade calculations. Grades KG – 3rd Grade (50% homework and 50% tests) and 4th – 8th Grades (25% homework and 75% tests). L. Character Building Blocks: Karen Smith proposed possibility of NLABC Character Building Blocks being prominently displayed in the building. Ms. Wallace commented that header beams in the Middle School hallway contain some information. Discussion included a professional, rotating display that would hang from ceiling as you enter front doors of building as well as bulletin board in the Multi-Purpose Room IV. New Business: A. 2011/2012 Elections: Applications for open seats on the NLABC Parent Advisory Committee will be available sometime in March. Election takes place on Friday, April 29th, Family Fun Night. The following committee member terms are expiring: Seat B – Shirley Bertrand, Seat C – Karen Smith, Seat D – Sharon Comer, Seat G – Kathy Haghighi and Seat H – Anglea Galovin. B. Overview of Glen Nielsen Meeting: Karen Smith briefly discussed meeting with Ms. Wallace’s supervisor, Glen Nielsen. Karen and Crista Burson met with him on February 17th specifically to discuss parking / traffic issues. Mr. Nielsen advised that revocation of zone exemptions were not an option for violation of parking / traffic issues. V. PTA Representative: Tricia Kofoid reminded us that the Read-A-Thon is in March. The Chuck E. Cheese fundraiser is also in March. There is a book exchange next Tuesday to kick off the Read-A-Thon. The PTA will also be holding elections on Family Fun Night. There are several offices open. They will provide application materials similar to those that the Advisory Committee uses. PTA terms of office are for one year with an officer term limits set at two years. Ms. Wallace reminded us that Middle School Orientation is tonight at 7:00 p.m. She also informed us that Ms. Hothstein, the Spanish teacher, will be taking a one year leave of absence. Mrs. Janie Young, the librarian, leaves on April 15th. Her position has posted and interviews will be scheduled in the future. Ms. Wallace will request PTA and Advisory Committee assistance with interviews. VI. Adjourn: Karen Smith moved to adjourn the meeting and Crista Burson seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 5:04 p.m. Respectfully submitted, NLABC Advisory Board Secretary
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NORTHERN LIGHTS ABC SCHOOL ABC Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes January 20, 2011 I. The January meeting was called to order by Karen Smith at 3:15 p.m. In attendance were Shirley Bertrand, Crista Burson, Sharon Comer, Angela Galovin, Kathy Haghighi, Tricia Kofoid, Jae McKee, Karen Smith and Ms. Karen Wallace. II. Approved previous meeting minutes: Karen Smith moved to approve the minutes of the December 9, 2010 meeting and Shirley Bertrand seconded. III. Old Business: A. Alternative Fair Sign Up Sheet: Sign Up sheet for the ASD Alternative Education Fair on Saturday, February 5th from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. was circulated. A sign up sheet for teachers and staff was posted in the teacher lounge. B. Assembly & Tour Schedules: Assembly and NLABC Tour sign up sheets were circulated. Karen Smith reminded us that two school tours are scheduled in March. Karen Smith will attend the NLABC Tour on Tuesday, February 8th. Kathy Haghighi will emcee the RWB Assemblies on Friday, February 25th. Richard Foster will attend the NLABC Tour on Tuesday, March 15th. Karen Smith will attend the NLABC Tour on Tuesday, March 22nd. C. FBI Cyber Update: Karen Smith, Ms. Wallace and Mrs. Curtis are working with staff to determine time and date for this program and which organization will present. D. Board Members Attend Staff Meetings: Karen Smith recapped attended staff meeting. Kathy Haghighi explained the role of the NLABC Advisory Committee and shared the book, Fundamentally Speaking by Henry S. Myers, Jr., that outlines the philosophy that NLABC was founded upon. Middle School and Specialists were not in attendance. It was suggested that an email be sent to inform staff not present about what was covered. It was also suggested that staff receive copies of our monthly meeting minutes. Karen Smith will coordinate effort to send an anonymous survey to staff. E. Contract for Parents and Teachers: Karen Smith will meet with Mrs. Sims and Mrs. Hanlon regarding this project. The staff survey should include area for staff suggestions of items that might be considered for a Parent / Teacher contract. F. Parking: Karen Smith advised that the traffic lights near Abbott Loop Elementary were part of a two year school community project. She asked Mr. Shasby to consider traffic / parking issue resolution as a community project for Middle School. This would begin next year. Ms. Wallace advised that Governor Parnell’s new scholarship program includes community service requirements. She also advised that Stephane Aarseth, a parent, went to ASD regarding parking / traffic issues. Stephane Aarseth was advised that a possible solution for traffic congestion / overflow might be use of the Simonian strip mall parking lot. RSOs Jones and Clark will be monitoring traffic more often. We should also see an increase in police patrol and ticketing in traffic areas. We are urged to continue requesting assistance from ASD. Ms. Wallace agreed to speak with Mike Abbott, District Supervisor, about traffic issues as well as contact Simonian. Jae McKee met with Dave Sharrow at Risk Management in an effort to get answers to traffic questions. All ideas require funding. Right now the district does not have funding available so any cost would be responsibility of NLABC. G. Monthly Tour Video: Kathy Haghighi will meet with Ms. Wallace to coordinate this project. H. Mrs. Easton Art Classes: Karen Smith asked for a volunteer to coordinate an after school art class program. Sharon Comer agreed to spearhead this project and meet with Mrs. Easton. It was suggested that a class would meet from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. and cost approximately $5.00 per child. Everyone present agreed that Mrs. Easton is a gifted teacher whose talents can be shared with our students. IV. New Business: A. “40 Values” Memo: Ms. Pierce shared a copy of a “40 Values” memo shared at a recent ASD meeting. Kathy Haghighi will distribute copies to committee members to review. B. Fundamentally Speaking by Henry S. Myers, Jr.: Kathy Haghighi shared that this book gives historical perspective of the NLABC philosophy. The original NLABC Advisory Committee used this book as a guide. There are three copies being circulated. C. Social Studies: Ms. Black unable to attend today’s meeting due to illness. We will review at next month’s meeting. D. Middle School Survey: Surveys were sent home with 6th grades requesting information regarding enrollment plans for Middle School. Currently, there are more students planning to stay at NLABC for Middle School than there are student slots. E. Ms. Wallace Comments: Committee members shared numerous concerns from parents regarding percentage grades not being reflected on Zangle report card format reporting 2nd Quarter grades. Ms. Wallace commented that Zangle is not currently programmed to reflect all NLABC report card specifics. Ms. Wallace will follow up with Sarah McGloughin regarding possible options for reporting of percentage grades. F. JA in a Day: JA has confirmed that JA in a day will be offered this year at NLABC. Ms. Wallace will confirm date with Jan at the JA office. G. PTA Representative: Tricia Kofoid reminded us that Science Night is Friday, January 20th from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. The PTA is still looking for a volunteer to coordinate this event. Karen Smith is coordinating design and ordering of new NLABC apparel. PTA will have it’s own monthly newsletter that will be delivered via email the first day of each month. March 19th is the Chuck E. Cheese fundraiser and Read-A-Thon kickoff. Grand prize for the Read-A-Thon is a laptop computer. Ms. Wallace reminded everyone that Parent / Teacher conferences have been moved to mid-February which fall midway through the academic quarter. The Book Fair will coincide with conferences. Ms. Wallace suggested that we follow the ASD School Board budget process. The School Board is working to present a balanced budget to the Municipality. We are encouraged to comment to School Board Members. Proposed cuts include Summer School, Library Teaching Assistant positions, AP Classes, etc. V. Adjourn: Karen Smith moved to adjourn the meeting and Crista Burson seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 4:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, NLABC Advisory Board Secretary
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NORTHERN LIGHTS ABC SCHOOL ABC Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes December 9, 2010 I. The December meeting was called to order by Karen Smith at 3:30 p.m. In attendance were Shirley Bertrand, Crista Burson, Sharon Comer, Kathy Haghighi, Tricia Kofoid, Jae McKee, Karen Smith, Christie Conway and Ms. Karen Wallace. Immediately following the meeting being called to order, Ms. Wallace reviewed the ASD Assessment Calendar in detail. II. Approved previous meeting minutes: Shirley Bertrand moved to approve the minutes of the October 21, 2010 meeting and Sharon Comer seconded. III. Old Business: A. Assembly & Tour Schedules: Assembly and NLABC Tour sign up sheets were circulated. Sharon Comer will attend the NLABC Tour on December 14th. Crista Burson will emcee the 2nd Quarter Academic Awards assemblies on January 7th. B. FBI Cyber Update: Karen Smith and Ms. Wallace are working with staff to determine time and date for this program and which organization will present. C. Board Members Attend Staff Meetings: Karen Smith confirmed that Jalynn Ireland has agreed to be a Teacher Representative for the ABC Advisory Committee. Karen Smith agreed to coordinate members to attend a future NLABC staff meeting. D. Contract for Parents and Teachers: Karen Smith will provide an update on parent contracts at our next meeting. E. Parking: Karen Smith asked if Jae McKee would consider spearheading parking lot / traffic issues. There was a brief discussion regarding excess snow in the parking lot. Jae agreed to contact ASD regarding snow removal. F. Monthly Tour Video: Kathy Haghighi has agreed to coordinate this project. Promotional materials would be developed for both the elementary and middle school programs. IV. New Business: A. ASD Annual Tests: Ms. Wallace covered the testing schedule at the beginning of the meeting. The ASD website offers links that fully explain each test. B. Social Studies Curriculum: Ms. Black will attend our meeting on Thursday, January 20th to discuss. C. Ms. Wallace Comments: Ms. Wallace reminded us that the ASD Alternative Education Fair is Saturday, February 5th from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. She will arrive at 9:00 a.m. to setup. Volunteers are needed to work throughout the day. The Lottery is on March 25th and Parent / Teacher Conferences are in February. This is almost a month earlier than in years past. December 14th is the Band / Orchestra Concert, December 9th is the Choir Concert and January 27th are NAEP tests. Spencer Mitton, an NLABC student, won a logo design contest for Teen Underground / Loussac Library. The Rotary Club has honored him and will present him with and iPad and give a presentation on what Teen Underground is. This will occur on December 14th at 9:15 a.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room. The PA system is still not functioning. Staff are using hand held radios as an interim measure for communication. Classes can be contacted individually but general announcements are unable to be made at this time. There is no resolution date at this time. Teachers have been reminded that the Pledge Of Allegiance is to be said in the classroom daily. Jae McKee inquired if installation of new wireless internet equipment could interfere with the PA system. Karen Smith agreed to see if budget permits replacement of the PA system. D. JA In A Day: Flora Teo, an NLABC parent and employee of JA, confirmed that this program will occur at NLABC again this year. The time and date are yet to be determined. E. PTA Representative Needs & Concerns: Tricia Kofoid share that the Barnes & Noble event had 110 sponsors with total sales of almost $4,000. 15% of sales will come to NLABC PTA. Performances and readings seemed to draw great participation. The school directory is almost complete. Friday, January 21st is Math & Science Night. The PTA is looking for a volunteer to coordinate this event. Mad Science AK has been contacted to provide a presentation. Their fee is $900 and the presentation is really geared for small groups. F. Round Table: There was a brief discussion regarding classes / activities that could be offered after school. Mrs. Easton would like to offer and art class. Ms. Wallace said she controls use of the building until 5:00 p.m. and that extracurricular classes should be coordinated through the PTA. The PTA handles fees for supplies and compensation to instructors. Sharon Comer inquired in NLABC will receive Smart Boards that are currently being demonstrated throughout the ASD. Kathy Haghighi asked for suggestions regarding material that should be covered in new promotional DVDs. There was group discussion about recruiting teachers to participate in the ASD Alternative Education Fair. V. Adjourn: Karen Smith moved to adjourn the meeting and Shirley Bertrand seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 4:24 p.m. Respectfully submitted, NLABC Advisory Board Secretary
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NORTHERN LIGHTS ABC SCHOOL ABC Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes October 21, 2010 I. The October meeting was called to order by Karen Smith at 3:18 p.m. In attendance were Crista Burson, Sharon Comer, Richard Foster, Angela Galovin, Kathy Haghighi, Tricia Kofoid, Jae McKee, Karen Smith, Christie Conway and Ms. Karen Wallace. II. Approved previous meeting minutes: Kathy Haghighi moved to approve the minutes of the September 16, 2010 meeting and Sharon Comer seconded. III. Old Business: A. Assembly & Tour Schedules: Assembly and NLABC Tour sign up sheets were circulated. Kathy Haghighi will emcee assemblies on November 5th and 12th. Karen Smith will attend the NLABC Tour on November 9th. Sharon Comer will attend the NLABC Tour on December 14th. B. FBI Cyber Update: Karen Smith and Ms. Wallace are working with staff to determine time and date for this program and which organization will present. C. Board Members Attend Staff Meetings: Meetings are held every other Monday. Ms. Wallace and Christie Conway agreed that our attendance would be welcome. Jalynn Ireland offered to be Teacher Representative. D. Contract for Parents and Teachers: Discussion from last month’s meeting continued regarding suggestion by Mrs. Sims to develop and Parent / Teacher contract. This request is made almost every year. Concern is that there is no real recourse for violation of such a contract. Ms. Wallace suggested that Advisory Committee write or contact ASD regarding any recourse we may have as we are a school of choice and not a neighborhood school. Continuing concerns include students being dropped off very early in the morning and not being picked up until well after 3:00 p.m. ASD continues to work on revising the lottery application process. It was suggested that revocation of zone exemption could be included. Members present agreed that current contracts should be reviewed and ASD contacted for more information. E. Parking: 1. Teacher role is to watch children not to monitor traffic. Teachers cannot be required to work Laurel Street crosswalk. 2. Members present and Ms. Wallace are not comfortable with recruiting of parent volunteers to monitor traffic issues at this time. 3. Karen Smith contacted the municipality regarding traffic concerns. Those present discussed concerns over recruiting older students as safety patrol due to risks involved. Suggestion made to consider a security position to handle traffic / parking lot issues. IV. New Business: A. Ms. Wallace Comments: Explore surveys are complete. Middle School teachers plan to review tests when they are returned in February. Ms. Wallace detailed upgrades for internet service in building, multiple air ports, are currently being funded with stimulus money received by ASD. B. Tour Video Update: Kathy Haghighi suggested that the video currently used during monthly NLABC Tours be updated / revised. The current video is dated and has sound problems. Ms. Wallace suggested Laura Bliss or Mrs. Clifton be contacted. The current format is VHS and if updated product developed in digital format it could be included on the website. Kathy Haghighi agreed to look further into this project. C. Math Curriculum Concerns: Middle School parents contacted Advisory Committee members with questions regarding changes in math curriculum. Ms. Wallace advised that ASD adopted new math series that incorporates material needed in High School. Adoption of new curriculum will allow students to earn High School credit. Ms. Wallace also shared that an Anthology Language series was also adopted by ASD. Jae McKee reminded those present that match curriculum changes were covered in detail at the Middle School Open House. D. PTA Representative Needs / Concerns: Tricia Kofoid shared that the Fall Carnival (food and ticket sales) raised approximately $4,000 and the silent auction raised approximately $7,500. The Chuck E. Cheese fundraiser is tonight. Red Ribbon Week will end on Friday. The PTA is also considering options for balance of money in the Playground Fund. E. 5th Grade Social Studies Curriculum: Ms. Black approached the Advisory Committee with concerns regarding new Social Studies Curriculum adopted by ASD. Sharon Comer is reviewing old and new book formats. Concerns are that new material does not match the Houghton Mifflin series currently used by NLABC. This series is no longer in print. Matt Shasby has offered to research what possible Social Studies curriculums are available and are suitable for NLABC F. Huffman Elementary School Lunch Schedule: Karen Smith shared that Huffman Elementary has recess prior to lunch. Studies indicate that behavior issues are often resolved when students are allowed physical activity prior to lunch. G. Round Table: Brief discussion on possibility of restriping and resigning the parking lots in an effort to assist with continuing traffic issues. V. Adjourn: Crista Burson moved to adjourn the meeting and Angela Galovin seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m Respectfully submitted, NLABC Advisory Board Secretary
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NORTHERN LIGHTS ABC SCHOOL ABC Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes September 16, 2010 I. The September meeting was called to order by Karen Smith at 3:18 p.m. In attendance were Shirley Bertrand, Crista Burson, Sharon Comer, Kathy Haghighi, Karen Smith, Christie Conway and Ms. Karen Wallace. II. Approved previous meeting minutes: Shirley Bertrand moved to approve the minutes of the August 19, 2010 meeting and Kathy Haghighi. III. Old Business: A. Assembly & Tour Schedules: Assembly and NLABC Tour sign up sheets were circulated. Discussion included option of parents leading tours as well as if times of tours worked well for everyone. Consensus was that families genuinely interested in attending NLABC would make the current tour schedule, second Tuesday of each month at 11:00 a.m., work. B. “Let’s Talk Healthy” Update: Program begins tomorrow, Friday, September 17th at 6:30 p.m. with a parent meeting. Classes will be taught on Monday and Tuesday, September 20th and 21st to 8th graders only. Classes are segregated by gender. C. FBI Cyber Update: FBI discussions for cyber presentations are ongoing. Ms. Wallace is working with staff to determine time and date for this program. D. Teacher Representatives: Ms. Wallace is still recruiting volunteers. Christie Conway, NLABC Special Education teacher, attended the meeting today. She was invited to become a Teacher Representative. It is possible that faculty members may rotate attending. E. New Parent Tea Recap: The tea was well attended. Karen Smith circulated notes for members present to sign. These notes will be mailed to families that attended and to those that missed the tea. F. Review of School Business Partnerships: Karen Smith and Ms. Wallace continue to promote this opportunity. It was suggested that YMCA and Borders be approached as possible partners. IV. New Business: A. Ms. Wallace Comments: Middle School recess is going well. It starts at 11:55 a.m. each day. Middle School teachers are rotating noon duty coverage to assist with supervision of additional students. Middle School staff team meetings are every other Friday. Ms. Wallace reviewed federal law required College Career Readiness program. NLABC begins with non-cognitive (interest survey) testing on October 6th followed by cognitive (English, Math, Science and Reading) testing on October 13th. Results will be returned with tests to students. Ms. Wallace also discussed Work Keys Testing. This program focuses on juniors in High School and offers possible college financial assistance or career placement based on testing scores. The State of Alaska is starting this testing with 6th graders. We were encouraged to visit the Department of Education website for more information. Ms. Wallace also asked us to discuss why families leave NLABC in Middle School. We discussed Middle School Math and Foreign Language options as positive aspects of remaining at NLABC. Students are able to apply for High School credit for these classes. We suggested development of a program geared toward rising 6th graders and their families to outline all options and requirements in Middle School and 6th grade. It was also suggested that Middle School activities be publicized in a highly visible area in an effort to make families of Elementary students aware. All grades / classes are full with the exception of 4th grade. Ms. Wallace detailed her “How Full Is Your Bucket” project. This project is based on a book and emphasizes character development. Students are asked whether they are “bucket dippers” or “bucket fillers”. Books and buckets are located throughout the school. For more information visit the website www.bucketfillers101.com. The new cafeteria manager is in discussions with district food service to see if NLABC could offer the Middle School menu options to all grade levels. There is concern that portion sizes are much different from last year. Middle School Spirit Day and Ice Cream Social is Friday, September 17th and are being coordinated by Angela Galovin. B. PTA: A PTA representative was not present. C. Student / Parent / Teacher Behavioral Contract: Copies of examples were distributed. This item will be discussed at next month’s meeting. D. 5th Grade Social Studies Curriculum: Ms. Black will attend next month’s meeting to request approval of new curriculum for 5th grade. E. Bylaws & Advisory Board Function: Copies of bylaws were distributed to those present. F. Round Table: We have received numerous complaints of continue parking lot problems. The Board will develop a friendly reminder of rules and expectations for parking lot behavior. We discussed having group monitor parking lot situation and issue citations. This will be discussed in more detail at next month’s meeting. Shirley Bertrand shared examples of textbooks (Math and Spelling) in 6th grade. Many are in poor condition and falling apart. Ms. Wallace will gather information relating to legislative grant process. Board members present offered to assist with this process. V. Adjourn: Karen Smith moved to adjourn the meeting and Crista Burson seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 5:02 p.m. NLABC Advisory Board Secretary
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NORTHERN
I.
The August meeting was called to order by Angela Galovin at
II.
Approve Agenda:
Angela Galovin moved to approve the agenda and
III.
Approve previous meeting minutes:
Shirley Bertrand moved to approve the minutes of
the
IV.
Member Introductions:
New member Richard Foster was reintroduced.
His daughter, Ariana is in 2nd grade.
V.
PTA Comments:
Angela Galovin, Middle School PTA
Representative, notified us that PTA meetings are scheduled for the first
Monday of each month.
The next meeting is September 13th,
second Monday of September, due to the Labor Day holiday.
The PTA is searching for individuals to chair
the Fall Carnival.
VI.
Teacher Comments (Representatives Needed):
Ms. Wallace will announce at the next staff
meeting on Wednesday, August 25th, that teacher representatives
are needed for the Advisory Committee.
VII.
Let’s Talk Healthy Relationships:
Carole McKee should be contacted to determine
specific date.
Parent night has not been well attended.
It was discussed that with proper advance notice
and information of what will be covered Parent Night was not necessary.
Shirley Bertrand will contact Carole McKee to
begin planning.
VIII.
FBI Parent Night / Middle School Information Day:
Ms. Wallace reported that our previous FBI
contact was relocated.
Karen Smith will contact the FBI and inquire
about cyber crime presentation options.
Ms. Wallace also noted that APD has two officers
that also provide similar presentations.
IX.
New Parent Tea:
The New Parent Tea is Friday, September 10th
from
X.
New NLABC Staff Introductions:
Ms. Wallace announced new staff for the
2010-2011 year that include Heather Kaas – 4th grade, Wendy
Pierce – 5th grade, Barbara Brovelli-Moon – 6th grade,
Matt Shasby – Middle School Social Studies and Sarah McGloghlon – Secretary.
There is still a Special Education Teaching
Assistant position to be filled.
XI.
Principal Comments:
Ms. Wallace advised that the Middle School
schedule is being adjusted to accommodate a fifteen to twenty minute recess
option for students a couple of days each week.
Students will be required to dress
appropriately.
The Rules Assemblies went well.
The P.E. Teachers modeled what not to wear in an
effort to emphasize dress code rules.
Announcements are forthcoming that no adult
supervision is provided after
XII.
Elections:
Shirley Bertrand nominated Karen Smith for
President, Angela Galovin seconded and all members present agreed.
Crista Burson nominated Shirley Bertrand for
Vice President, Angela Galovin seconded and all members present agreed.
Richard Foster nominated Crista Burson for
Secretary, Shirley Bertrand seconded and all members present agreed.
XIII.
Important Upcoming Dates:
Angela Galovin also reminded us of the following
important dates:
August 18th – First day of school 2nd
– 8th grades
August 24th – First day of school K – 1st
grades
September 1st – Open House K – 3rd
grades from
September 2nd – Open House 4th –
8th grades from
September 6th – No School / Labor Day
September 8th – Fall Pictures (members
requested to have their pictures taken)
September 10th – New Parent Tea in the
library from
September 13th – PTA Meeting (Angela Galovin
to attend)
September 14th – NLABC Tour,
September 16th – Next Advisory Committee
Meeting at
October 1st – Red, White and Blue Assembly /
5th Grade Performs
XIV.
Adjourn:
Angela Galovin moved to adjourn the meeting and
Shirley Bertrand seconded.
The meeting was adjourned at
Respectfully submitted, |