Leadership Team Meeting Minutes

December 2, 2014

Martin McDonald, Principal

Ileana Herrera, AP

Rose Pate, Media (Chair)

Jessica Kimrey, English

Megan George, CTE

Manda Bass, Math

Sabrina Beasley, English

Melody Dark, HPE

Elizabeth Deaton, Social Studies

Matt Fry, Fine Arts

Robert Dainton, ESL

Cynthia Bredenberg, World Language

Justin Tillett, Science

Victor Knight, Parent

Heather McCrory, English

Jonathan Davis, EC

Margaret Grayson, Counseling

Tammy Morris, Counseling

Tori Mazur, Technology & Testing

I.  Calendar Update

Tillett was our rep on calendar committee. Calendar draft has been shared with all. Tillett says:

88/92 day split. Original calendar had an early release day Mon. Dec. 21; that was moved.

2 workdays between semesters; elementary people didn’t want to but we did

District does not foresee whole-day staff dev. Anymore. Going to half day and/or online.

Feb-Mar gap with no workdays to accommodate not having to go Dec. 21. Oct. 12 will be parent-teacher conference day for high school. Half-day staff dev.

Only two days at end of school. Will need to get cum folders done quickly. That third day would have been staff dev. anyway.

Calendar law changed to allow start the Monday of the week that includes Aug. 26, so we can begin Aug. 24.

Questions? Dainton asked about inclement weather days; was not part of calendar committee’s purview. For high school, extra days in spring semester give us some buffer. McDonald concerned about optional day at end; he will recommend to Ms. Frazier that day be required.

Tillett said tentative convocation date Fri. Aug. 21.

McDonald said last school day 9th of June—five day exam window Friday-Thursday before graduation on Saturday. All this becomes more important in view of 95% testing requirement.

McDonald: Work Keys testing got all but four of seniors who needed to test; have to January.

II.  Capital Outlay

McDonald is still waiting on paperwork from Mr. Blice to file official requests. What did we see as we’ve been looking around campus?

Tillett—Hot water in science classrooms (5 rooms) Do we also want to update countertops to non-wood? Tillett says yes.

MCrory—even out heating (going away from radiators) on 100 hall. Over 80s with all windows open and AC running. Kimrey says dangerous to kids. Trash behind radiators fire hazard. Also sewer smell in 100 hall.

Fry—reworking storage area for costumes. Depending on estimate, we may use instructional funds. Also, no camera on entrance at band/ag door.

Mazur—dedicated testing double-wide trailer for AP and pullout testing; asked about replacing fire alarms.

Bredenberg—drainage outside the trailers very bad, lighting in parking lots, camera for far parking lot, cement in front of west ticket booth broken

Dainton—additional trailer for online classes with carrels.

McDonald—has been talk about moving ISS to room on gym stage, freeing up ISS room. Difficulty is having ISS students traffic through gym for water/restroom.

Where could we put another trailer? Mrs. Fields’ garden, area outside bandroom, but not level, front of school? Would prefer not to.

One idea is to extend weight room into empty area in courtyard between art room and media center. Could put restroom/water there to keep kids in place.

Upgrade on front of school scheduled to begin in February.

Already on cap outlay request is resurfacing tennis courts but base cause is underground creek in that area.

Pate—exterior lighting on auditorium end of building. McDonald said considering running lights beside sidewalks and better signage in the school.

Herrera—another custodial truck, fire alarms too easy to access and need one-key access for all alarms.

McDonald will get cost estimates, then we can work on prioritizing our requests. Also, he’s talked with Drumheller about fencing in courtyard by cafeteria. Breezeway connecting cafeteria to 500 wing too decline, would have to extend fence down toward Mrs. Peterson’s room. Fence would need a big gate for utility trucks; would cost about $5,000. Uncertain about how this would impact student movements. Is this something we want to investigate? If kids open the gate, it sets off an alarm.

Do we want to make keeping kids in cafeteria during lunch a permanent thing? Herrera and McCrory said yes. We will have more conversation about that issue later. One reason was trash, the other was the bees, because of the food.

III.  Support Plan

ASIS team developed list of at-risk factors; we have the most in Chatham County. Tied to School Improvement Goals, but will not be what we do, but what ASIS team will do to support us.

ASIS here last Tuesday. Complimentary after work-through. People either testing or teaching. Learning objectives posted, some need improvement.

Ideas from us for what district can do to support us. Big picture for future is that allotment practices need to be adjusted for schools most at risk. Outside of additional allotments, what do we need? An example is conference attendance.

McCrory: Quality conferences or other PDs on literacy for English teachers. McDonald said he has already asked for literacy support for all the core content areas.

Tillett: Resources for teachers to support any mandates on online testing.

Dainton: Share time with reading specialists from other schools, perhaps to come observe and give suggestions on how to improve literacy.

Fairly extensive discussion about literacy challenges and how we can work with feeder schools to improve transition.

Pate—Can we ask for help paying for tutors?

Email McDonald with any other suggestions for support plan. He encouraged teachers of freshmen with multiple failures to stay for conference time this evening.

Meeting adjourned because of Freshman At-Risk meetings; other items tabled for January meeting.

IV.  SIP Updates

V.  School Rules