Present: Karynn Campbell, Rick George, Michael Hanks, Susan Lovrin, Jill Shelley, Karen Strain, Sally Wells
Nov. 15 Minutes: The SIP team approved the Nov. 15 minutes by consensus.
Literacy for All: Rick shared a synopsis of strengths and needs. Although HMS has added learning support for students during the school day compared to 2009-2010, support is still not to the level is was before staffing cuts reduced that level of support after the 2008-09 school year. We need to enhance our system of extra support during the school day for students who are not learning the essential skills & learning, in contrast to focusing intervention on task completion and grades. What are the key, crucial skills for which we will intervene? We need more time for teachers to meet to plan modifications and accommodations. Paraeducators can play a role; for example, they could be working with the high-end students once a week, while the teachers work with the students with most need.
School-wide Student Management System: A online survey has been developed and its URL distributed among HMS staff. The due date is Dec. 17, before break. After some discussion the SIP team approved the drafting of a school-wide task force proposal.
Jan. 5 Early Release “All-staff” meeting: The meeting should be structured to help staff can gauge each other’s sense of well-being and efficacy, in keeping with the “reconnecting, regenerating” theme. It was agreed that Rick would consult with SIP team teacher members via e-mail to plan out a meeting, including an examination of results of a “Collaborative Team Protocols” survey teachers took Dec. 9.
The meeting adjourned at 4:35. The next SIP meeting is scheduled to start 3:30 p.m. Jan. 10. (revised to Jan. 18)
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Nov. 15, 2010 SIP Team Minutes
Oct. 11 Minutes: approved by consensus.
School-wide Student Management Program: Amy Sacquety shared materials and experience from the implementation of a Positive Behavior Support student management system that she helped lead at a previous school at David Douglas School District.
The system parallels a “Response to Learning” system with three tiers of students, with the first tier for well-adjusted students, the second one with student having moderate needs, and a third level with highly challenging students. The RTI model involves student intervention team that made plans for these students. A school leader tracked problem areas and students who were most active.
She said that this system helped the whole school. Teachers who were grumpy lightened up. Reluctant teachers gradually bought into the program. Students who had struggled had an opportunity to be successful. The program features a way to extinguish bullying, incorporate positive emphases and rewards, and teach and practice appropriate behaviors positively. The community supported the program with rewards for prizes that were drawn randomly. Everything is phrased positively. Students took on leadership in helping teach. For example, every teacher taught cafeteria behavior, using a common script and plan.
But it was not easy. The training needed was extensive, and the need to meet and plan is important. It took time. It’s a highly respected program nation-wide. Trainings pack full auditoriums. Five years later, they’re still supporting a full-time employee to support it, even after all the budget cuts, even after cutting the reading specialist position.
How to sell this program? This is a crucial aspect. Amy actually attended a half-day training on “selling” the program. The school actually made a video. They asked the teachers, “What do we want?”
More time for teacher collaboration: There is a strong need for additional teacher collaboration work, particularly for curriculum and assessment. The SIP team brainstormed ways to get time:
o Sub days
o After school
o Saturdays
o Summer
o Lunch
o Early birds before school
o Weekend retreat
o Sharing classes
o Guest sub—strong, reliable, can handle taking the class and can teach with minimal planning required; pay them to write the lesson plan
o Recruit presenters, particularly connected to curriculum, such as Insitu or ICE engineer, or field scientists
o Assemblies—more so that teachers can get together; parents can help
o Find more assemblies
o Recruit the parents
o Use “test days” w/ substitutes to proctor tests; then the teachers can meet…paraeducators and parents…
Rick will put out an e-mail for using “test days” as a way to create collaboration time. We’ll continue this creating of time as a “standing item” on our SIP team agendas.
The meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m. The next SIP meeting will be 3:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13.
School-wide Student Management Program: Amy Sacquety shared materials and experience from the implementation of a Positive Behavior Support student management system that she helped lead at a previous school at David Douglas School District.
The system parallels a “Response to Learning” system with three tiers of students, with the first tier for well-adjusted students, the second one with student having moderate needs, and a third level with highly challenging students. The RTI model involves student intervention team that made plans for these students. A school leader tracked problem areas and students who were most active.
She said that this system helped the whole school. Teachers who were grumpy lightened up. Reluctant teachers gradually bought into the program. Students who had struggled had an opportunity to be successful. The program features a way to extinguish bullying, incorporate positive emphases and rewards, and teach and practice appropriate behaviors positively. The community supported the program with rewards for prizes that were drawn randomly. Everything is phrased positively. Students took on leadership in helping teach. For example, every teacher taught cafeteria behavior, using a common script and plan.
But it was not easy. The training needed was extensive, and the need to meet and plan is important. It took time. It’s a highly respected program nation-wide. Trainings pack full auditoriums. Five years later, they’re still supporting a full-time employee to support it, even after all the budget cuts, even after cutting the reading specialist position.
How to sell this program? This is a crucial aspect. Amy actually attended a half-day training on “selling” the program. The school actually made a video. They asked the teachers, “What do we want?”
More time for teacher collaboration: There is a strong need for additional teacher collaboration work, particularly for curriculum and assessment. The SIP team brainstormed ways to get time:
o Sub days
o After school
o Saturdays
o Summer
o Lunch
o Early birds before school
o Weekend retreat
o Sharing classes
o Guest sub—strong, reliable, can handle taking the class and can teach with minimal planning required; pay them to write the lesson plan
o Recruit presenters, particularly connected to curriculum, such as Insitu or ICE engineer, or field scientists
o Assemblies—more so that teachers can get together; parents can help
o Find more assemblies
o Recruit the parents
o Use “test days” w/ substitutes to proctor tests; then the teachers can meet…paraeducators and parents…
Rick will put out an e-mail for using “test days” as a way to create collaboration time. We’ll continue this creating of time as a “standing item” on our SIP team agendas.
The meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m. The next SIP meeting will be 3:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
October 11, 2010
Present: Karynn Campbell, Rick George, Michael Hanks, Susan Lovrin, Donna Rockwell, Jill Shelley, Karen Strain, Heather Whidden
Sept. 20 Minutes: approved by consensus.
Budget: Rick shared the School Improvement Planning budget with the SIP team. At this point in time, the budget for 2010-2011 is $5,500, with $4,000 for staff training/substitutes related to training, $1,000 for contractual services, and $500 for travel. Just over $3,000 has been spent so far; the priority for the remainder of the school year will be training and planning time for collaboration team leaders.
Respectful and Supportive Climate: The team examined a chart of discipline referral data from the past five school years. Overall discipline referrals were about the same as in previous school years, but there was an increase in the number of referrals related to physical aggression and harassment. The team also discussed numerous proactive programs and projects that the school has to promote respect, including:
Challenge Day
Virtues Project/Second Steps (5th/6th Grade curricula)
Boys Leadership Group
Peer Mediation
Connections Advisory Groups—Greeting and a Reading
The important role that both community and school extracurricular activities play in helping all students have positive outlets and additional opportunities to develop pro-social skills. The SIP team asked about whether soccer could possibly become a middle school sport sometime in the future. Rick said he’d ask Janet McCutcheon.
The team also indicated that it would be worthwhile to pursue the creation of a Girls Leadership Group. Rick said he has had some chats with various individuals about that possibility and was reaching a point of recruiting among school staff to see who might be interested.
The meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m. The next SIP meeting will be 3:30 p.m. Nov. 15, and an agenda focus will be a discussion about endeavors to increase students’ literacy skills.
Sept. 20 Minutes: approved by consensus.
Budget: Rick shared the School Improvement Planning budget with the SIP team. At this point in time, the budget for 2010-2011 is $5,500, with $4,000 for staff training/substitutes related to training, $1,000 for contractual services, and $500 for travel. Just over $3,000 has been spent so far; the priority for the remainder of the school year will be training and planning time for collaboration team leaders.
Respectful and Supportive Climate: The team examined a chart of discipline referral data from the past five school years. Overall discipline referrals were about the same as in previous school years, but there was an increase in the number of referrals related to physical aggression and harassment. The team also discussed numerous proactive programs and projects that the school has to promote respect, including:
Challenge Day
Virtues Project/Second Steps (5th/6th Grade curricula)
Boys Leadership Group
Peer Mediation
Connections Advisory Groups—Greeting and a Reading
The important role that both community and school extracurricular activities play in helping all students have positive outlets and additional opportunities to develop pro-social skills. The SIP team asked about whether soccer could possibly become a middle school sport sometime in the future. Rick said he’d ask Janet McCutcheon.
The team also indicated that it would be worthwhile to pursue the creation of a Girls Leadership Group. Rick said he has had some chats with various individuals about that possibility and was reaching a point of recruiting among school staff to see who might be interested.
The meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m. The next SIP meeting will be 3:30 p.m. Nov. 15, and an agenda focus will be a discussion about endeavors to increase students’ literacy skills.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Sept. 20, 2010 SIP Team Minutes
Present: Karynn Campbell, Rick George, Michael Hanks, Donna Rockwell, Jill Shelley, Karen Strain, Sally Wells
Professional Learning Communities: Rick shared how HMS learned from its experience with Professional Learning Community collaborative educator teams as a vehicle for school improvement. The district obtained a grant to train PLC teacher leaders and to do strategic planning so that in 2010-2011 PLC teams would be very focused on the “right work,” increasing student achievement. The team examined a district brochure that includes the district’s definition of a PLC.
Karen shared the work of the 7/8 “Wing” focus on increasing student motivation. The team is delving into the question into how to make sure we’re motivating all students, not just the students who are struggling, but all students. How do we measure if all students are motivated? What will be happening in the classroom, including student responses as well as in instruction, to engage all students?
Sally shared the work of the 5/6 Wing focus on mathematics. They have spent time clarifying that their PLC time will be very much focused on student learning and instruction—the bottom line being student learning. Logistical planning will take place during Thursday morning meetings, not during PLC time on Wednesday Early Releases. At its second meeting, the staff looked very carefully at the achievement data of the actual students in the school to look for strengths and challenges. They are focusing on group tendencies as well as very specifically upon actual students.
Rick said he would get three more copies of the book Learning by Doing, which describes in detail the important steps that PLC teams should take in order to maximize their effectiveness in improving student learning.
Student-led Conferences: Karen wondered and asked: what information would parents like to obtain or receive from the student-led conference model? What if each student had the means to solicit a question that his/her parent has that can be explained or shared at the conference? The form should be returned with a parent signature. The parent can check that he/she has no particular questions prior to the conference. Could there be a form a parent can send in afterward, in case a parent has another question? Having a class syllabus available would be another enhancement to the experience. What if we could schedule curricular interest group/sessions during conference times?
Rick said he would send the 7/8 Wing meeting minutes from Sept. 22 to the entire SIP team.
Role of SIP Team: After some discussion, the following was agreed upon for the focus for the SIP team:
o Parent communication/feedback/input for school improvement initiatives
o Means of listening to parent ideas, questions, input, positive observations, concerns…
The meeting adjourned at 4:32 p.m. Next meeting: Oct. 11, 3:30 p.m.
Professional Learning Communities: Rick shared how HMS learned from its experience with Professional Learning Community collaborative educator teams as a vehicle for school improvement. The district obtained a grant to train PLC teacher leaders and to do strategic planning so that in 2010-2011 PLC teams would be very focused on the “right work,” increasing student achievement. The team examined a district brochure that includes the district’s definition of a PLC.
Karen shared the work of the 7/8 “Wing” focus on increasing student motivation. The team is delving into the question into how to make sure we’re motivating all students, not just the students who are struggling, but all students. How do we measure if all students are motivated? What will be happening in the classroom, including student responses as well as in instruction, to engage all students?
Sally shared the work of the 5/6 Wing focus on mathematics. They have spent time clarifying that their PLC time will be very much focused on student learning and instruction—the bottom line being student learning. Logistical planning will take place during Thursday morning meetings, not during PLC time on Wednesday Early Releases. At its second meeting, the staff looked very carefully at the achievement data of the actual students in the school to look for strengths and challenges. They are focusing on group tendencies as well as very specifically upon actual students.
Rick said he would get three more copies of the book Learning by Doing, which describes in detail the important steps that PLC teams should take in order to maximize their effectiveness in improving student learning.
Student-led Conferences: Karen wondered and asked: what information would parents like to obtain or receive from the student-led conference model? What if each student had the means to solicit a question that his/her parent has that can be explained or shared at the conference? The form should be returned with a parent signature. The parent can check that he/she has no particular questions prior to the conference. Could there be a form a parent can send in afterward, in case a parent has another question? Having a class syllabus available would be another enhancement to the experience. What if we could schedule curricular interest group/sessions during conference times?
Rick said he would send the 7/8 Wing meeting minutes from Sept. 22 to the entire SIP team.
Role of SIP Team: After some discussion, the following was agreed upon for the focus for the SIP team:
o Parent communication/feedback/input for school improvement initiatives
o Means of listening to parent ideas, questions, input, positive observations, concerns…
The meeting adjourned at 4:32 p.m. Next meeting: Oct. 11, 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
April 12, 2010
Present: Debbie Bergstrom, Rick George, Mike Hanks, Susan Lovrin, Donna Rockwell, Jill Shelley, Karen Strain, Sally Wells
March 8 Minutes: Approved by consensus
New Member: The SIP team welcomed Mike Hanks as a parent representative. Mike has a seventh grader, Megan Hanks, attending HMS, and he has two younger children also.
Early Release PLC Planning: Rick shared with the team the need for HMS to develop SIP Plans, including action plans in language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. After some discussion, the SIP Team set aside upcoming PLC Early Releases for the following:
April 14 Already set aside as Wing mtgs, w/ agendas decided by
teachers at April 7 Wing meetings
April 21 5th/6th: Wing w/ math focus
7th/8th: Curriculum teams
April 28 District curriculum
May 5 5th/6th: Wing w/ CBA assessment focus
7th/8th: Wing w/ Action Plans focus
May 12: 5th/6th: Wing, w/ 2010-2011 planning
7th/8th: Wing, w/ end-of-year planning
Action Plans Rick encouraged teachers to develop and submit action plans with only a few items upon which teachers would focus. He encouraged the action plans to identify a few key student learning objectives and to have on them strategies for helping the students meet those objectives. Also, the action plans should include activities or instructional materials that would have a cost.
On April 28, the district teams will be mathematics assessment for K-8 teachers. Lisa Rogell will share newly released assessment documents and support materials from OSPI. Karen Strain is tentatively scheduled to work w/ high school staff on the algebra texts pilot, but she indicated that she and her CHS colleague may finish prior to April 28, in which case she would join the assessment session.
Early Release 2010-2011 from staff: Sally shared preferences from the 5th/6th grade teachers for the type of activities as well as for the sequence of Early Release PLC work in the upcoming school year.
Professional Development activities and budget: Not much from the professional development budget will be spent prior to the end of the school year, leaving funds available for summer collaborative work. SIP team teacher representatives said they believed there will be much work for which teachers will wish to collaborate. Besides curriculum and assessment work, with new teachers coming to HMS, professional development activities in the summer could include support for those teachers, particularly helping them understand the curriculum, assessment, and instructional strategies our school uses.
SIP team teacher representatives advocated setting aside PD funds in 2010-2011 for formal mentoring for new teachers.
Rick proposed setting aside funds for a teacher team of two or three teachers to pursue expertise in assessment practices according to current research and best practices from highly effective schools. This team could attend conferences and/or visit schools where such assessment practices are in place.
Rick said he would share the SIP teams recommendations for summer professional development with the HMS staff via the weekly staff bulletin. It was suggested that he also communicate this via e-mail, and he agreed to do so.
The meeting adjourned at 4:47 p.m.
March 8 Minutes: Approved by consensus
New Member: The SIP team welcomed Mike Hanks as a parent representative. Mike has a seventh grader, Megan Hanks, attending HMS, and he has two younger children also.
Early Release PLC Planning: Rick shared with the team the need for HMS to develop SIP Plans, including action plans in language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. After some discussion, the SIP Team set aside upcoming PLC Early Releases for the following:
April 14 Already set aside as Wing mtgs, w/ agendas decided by
teachers at April 7 Wing meetings
April 21 5th/6th: Wing w/ math focus
7th/8th: Curriculum teams
April 28 District curriculum
May 5 5th/6th: Wing w/ CBA assessment focus
7th/8th: Wing w/ Action Plans focus
May 12: 5th/6th: Wing, w/ 2010-2011 planning
7th/8th: Wing, w/ end-of-year planning
Action Plans Rick encouraged teachers to develop and submit action plans with only a few items upon which teachers would focus. He encouraged the action plans to identify a few key student learning objectives and to have on them strategies for helping the students meet those objectives. Also, the action plans should include activities or instructional materials that would have a cost.
On April 28, the district teams will be mathematics assessment for K-8 teachers. Lisa Rogell will share newly released assessment documents and support materials from OSPI. Karen Strain is tentatively scheduled to work w/ high school staff on the algebra texts pilot, but she indicated that she and her CHS colleague may finish prior to April 28, in which case she would join the assessment session.
Early Release 2010-2011 from staff: Sally shared preferences from the 5th/6th grade teachers for the type of activities as well as for the sequence of Early Release PLC work in the upcoming school year.
Professional Development activities and budget: Not much from the professional development budget will be spent prior to the end of the school year, leaving funds available for summer collaborative work. SIP team teacher representatives said they believed there will be much work for which teachers will wish to collaborate. Besides curriculum and assessment work, with new teachers coming to HMS, professional development activities in the summer could include support for those teachers, particularly helping them understand the curriculum, assessment, and instructional strategies our school uses.
SIP team teacher representatives advocated setting aside PD funds in 2010-2011 for formal mentoring for new teachers.
Rick proposed setting aside funds for a teacher team of two or three teachers to pursue expertise in assessment practices according to current research and best practices from highly effective schools. This team could attend conferences and/or visit schools where such assessment practices are in place.
Rick said he would share the SIP teams recommendations for summer professional development with the HMS staff via the weekly staff bulletin. It was suggested that he also communicate this via e-mail, and he agreed to do so.
The meeting adjourned at 4:47 p.m.
March 8, 2010 Minutes
Feb. 8 Minutes: The SIP Team reviewed the Feb. 8 minutes and approved them by consensus.
Summer “Fair” to promote youth opportunities: It was proposed that we consider a “fair” or other means toward the end of the school year to communicate and promote to students community education, enrichment, and other summer activity possibilities for youth. Could Nat’l Honor Society help? Could parents help staff it? Perhaps during that time teachers could do some collaborative planning?
Morning Meetings: It was reported that staff person felt overburdened by the meetings, particularly Wednesday morning matched with Wednesday afternoon. Rick said that the overall meeting time was within the contractual agreement but that he would take the concern under advisement and consider alternatives.
March 24 Early Release:
1. Planning for 2010-2011 Early Releases
• Need some flexibility because we don’t know exactly what will be happening
• Because 7/8 may have new staff, there will need to be more collaboration time w/ SpEd, language arts w/ language arts; science w/ science…regular opportunities for Wing and for curriculum partner collaborations
Ask staff: What are your three priorities for early release activities?
How should we pattern/cycle the sequence of meetings?
Early Releases impact on parents: Difficult on parent schedules to do Early Releases; another SIP parent said Friday would have been a better day for Early Release. It was pointed out that the parent surveys in 08/09 indicated a preference for Wednesday Early Releases, but during the second year of the pilot, we could re-survey parents to see if their preferences will have changed.
Additional teacher planning time strategies:
1) Possibility to have substitutes pre-trained w/ certain units, or to implement curriculum, such as I-Safe lessons. We’d pay them ahead of time…we can arrange ongoing, pre-planned, worthwhile activities for students to do…possible
If we had these two ways:
1. Parent Enrichment workshops
2. Grant for substitutes…pre-planned
Consider more on staff wellness…
Assessment/grading systems: In a learning-based grading system, how can it be clear what the grades mean? Are grades compared to benchmarks, growth, or average performance on all assignments?
Meeting adjourned 4:44 p.m.
Summer “Fair” to promote youth opportunities: It was proposed that we consider a “fair” or other means toward the end of the school year to communicate and promote to students community education, enrichment, and other summer activity possibilities for youth. Could Nat’l Honor Society help? Could parents help staff it? Perhaps during that time teachers could do some collaborative planning?
Morning Meetings: It was reported that staff person felt overburdened by the meetings, particularly Wednesday morning matched with Wednesday afternoon. Rick said that the overall meeting time was within the contractual agreement but that he would take the concern under advisement and consider alternatives.
March 24 Early Release:
1. Planning for 2010-2011 Early Releases
• Need some flexibility because we don’t know exactly what will be happening
• Because 7/8 may have new staff, there will need to be more collaboration time w/ SpEd, language arts w/ language arts; science w/ science…regular opportunities for Wing and for curriculum partner collaborations
Ask staff: What are your three priorities for early release activities?
How should we pattern/cycle the sequence of meetings?
Early Releases impact on parents: Difficult on parent schedules to do Early Releases; another SIP parent said Friday would have been a better day for Early Release. It was pointed out that the parent surveys in 08/09 indicated a preference for Wednesday Early Releases, but during the second year of the pilot, we could re-survey parents to see if their preferences will have changed.
Additional teacher planning time strategies:
1) Possibility to have substitutes pre-trained w/ certain units, or to implement curriculum, such as I-Safe lessons. We’d pay them ahead of time…we can arrange ongoing, pre-planned, worthwhile activities for students to do…possible
If we had these two ways:
1. Parent Enrichment workshops
2. Grant for substitutes…pre-planned
Consider more on staff wellness…
Assessment/grading systems: In a learning-based grading system, how can it be clear what the grades mean? Are grades compared to benchmarks, growth, or average performance on all assignments?
Meeting adjourned 4:44 p.m.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
February 8, 2010 Minutes
Present: Karynn Campbell, Rick George, Susan Lovrin, Donna Rockwell, Jill Shelley, Karen Strain, Sally Wells
Jan. 11 Minutes: The SIP team approved the Jan. 11 minutes.
Professional Development Budget—No proposals were submitted by Jan. 29. Rick will put out a reminder in a month or so about the funds available.
Early Release and Meeting Schedule: The opportunity for Wings to meet separately in the morning can help wings cover needed tasks. Rick said he’d aim to offer wing-based morning SOTW and meetings a bit more frequently.
Feb. 24
Whole Staff: Whole staff together for a summary from the stations from Feb. 3 teacher meeting but also an opening—where to we want to go from here? (approx. 30 minutes); Wings: an hour for wings—conferences theme—reflect and look ahead
March 3
5/6—45 minutes w/ Jan Kennell, Second Steps training & review/processing; 45 minutes for curriculum focus
7/8: Curriculum teams
March 10
Wing-level curriculum teams
HMS staff memebers on the SIP team would like to have at least some Late Starts in 2010-2011 so that all staff can participate. Karynn shared that if all the times are Early Releases, she’d like to see two of the building-designated meetings be non-POD days so that all staff, including paraeducators, can participate in these important meetings.
Professional Learning Community mid-year reflection and staff mid-year “climate” check:
The SIP team examined the PLC reflection results and comments from the Feb. 10 morning meeting and also the staff well-being and focus from the afternoon meeting. A couple of discussion strands resulted.
1. How can parents help create time for teachers? Rick is open to meeting with parents to explore possibilities. Donna asserted that parents are willing to do more, such as having activity afternoons led by parents to free staff up to do planning together.
2. Aim for 5-8 Curriculum Teams at end of year so that we can reflect—what did we get done? What’s been covered? What hasn’t?
3. Future Early Releases, later this year but especially looking toward 2010-11: Less is more, pick one or two things…plan the calendar so that, for example, for a quarter all the 5/6 wing meetings focus on one subject, such as math; or plan it so that, for example, twice per month 7/8 wing teachers know they’ll be meeting with their 7th/8th grade curriculum mates. We need to pick something tangible we want to accomplish at the beginning of the year. Then we do it, with focus and continuity.
It was decided to share SIP ideas for structuring Early Release PLC’s and to solicit staff ideas at the March 24 “building” level Early Release.
The meeting adjourned at 4:35 p.m. The next SIP meeting will be 3:30 p.m. March 8.
Jan. 11 Minutes: The SIP team approved the Jan. 11 minutes.
Professional Development Budget—No proposals were submitted by Jan. 29. Rick will put out a reminder in a month or so about the funds available.
Early Release and Meeting Schedule: The opportunity for Wings to meet separately in the morning can help wings cover needed tasks. Rick said he’d aim to offer wing-based morning SOTW and meetings a bit more frequently.
Feb. 24
Whole Staff: Whole staff together for a summary from the stations from Feb. 3 teacher meeting but also an opening—where to we want to go from here? (approx. 30 minutes); Wings: an hour for wings—conferences theme—reflect and look ahead
March 3
5/6—45 minutes w/ Jan Kennell, Second Steps training & review/processing; 45 minutes for curriculum focus
7/8: Curriculum teams
March 10
Wing-level curriculum teams
HMS staff memebers on the SIP team would like to have at least some Late Starts in 2010-2011 so that all staff can participate. Karynn shared that if all the times are Early Releases, she’d like to see two of the building-designated meetings be non-POD days so that all staff, including paraeducators, can participate in these important meetings.
Professional Learning Community mid-year reflection and staff mid-year “climate” check:
The SIP team examined the PLC reflection results and comments from the Feb. 10 morning meeting and also the staff well-being and focus from the afternoon meeting. A couple of discussion strands resulted.
1. How can parents help create time for teachers? Rick is open to meeting with parents to explore possibilities. Donna asserted that parents are willing to do more, such as having activity afternoons led by parents to free staff up to do planning together.
2. Aim for 5-8 Curriculum Teams at end of year so that we can reflect—what did we get done? What’s been covered? What hasn’t?
3. Future Early Releases, later this year but especially looking toward 2010-11: Less is more, pick one or two things…plan the calendar so that, for example, for a quarter all the 5/6 wing meetings focus on one subject, such as math; or plan it so that, for example, twice per month 7/8 wing teachers know they’ll be meeting with their 7th/8th grade curriculum mates. We need to pick something tangible we want to accomplish at the beginning of the year. Then we do it, with focus and continuity.
It was decided to share SIP ideas for structuring Early Release PLC’s and to solicit staff ideas at the March 24 “building” level Early Release.
The meeting adjourned at 4:35 p.m. The next SIP meeting will be 3:30 p.m. March 8.
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