December 15, 2003
Mr. Degree called the meeting to order.
Lynn Blewett took attendance.
Present: All Present but one parent. Absent: Jonathan Zats
Voting Privileges: Lynn Blewett (alt1) will serve as voting member for this meeting.
Tom Degree made a motion to approve the minutes. John Mayock seconded the motion. Tom Degree made motion to approve the agenda. A motion was made to move Principal report up in the agenda. John Mayock seconded the motion. Approved by council.
PRINCIPALS REPORT
1. Mission Statement: Louis Mariucci handed out the Mission statement of Capitol Hill Magnet School for discussion. He thinks its time to review and to possibly change. Discussion was about whether this was an academically gifted school or a more generally gifted focus. Lori reported that there is no intention at the District level to change the current entrance test. The current Naglieri test is designed to increase the diversity of academically gifted children not on the diversity of gifts (music, art, etc…). CH does provide “Challenging Academically Gifted and Talented Students in a Diverse School Environment” or are we not targeting Academically Gifted and Talented students with the current test. John Mayock made motion to bring it up at next meeting and the committees to review the language and present their position (due to inclimate weather). John Porter seconded the motion. Lori suggests that it’s important to keep the Academic Standards of students. Roxanne asked about context and climate. Why are we discussing and changing this now? Louis thinks that Naglieri are not identifying academically gifted students and that the current mission statement doesn’t say how CH is challenging students.
2.Curriculum for Capitol Hill. Louis presented a handout, “Getting Started with the Parallel Curriculum Model” for discussion. He attended a panel at the national conference last month. Ann Oyen commented that a few of the middle school teachers thought that the Parallel Curriculum Model (PCM) would fit with the IB model for 6,7,8 and they would fit nicely together. Gayle Patterson from the District will present at the Town Hall meeting on the Parallel Curriculum model. This is in response to the SCIP plan where CH is supposed to develop a model that guides our instruction and education program. Tom Degree asked to clarify the role of the site council and that is to be knowledgeable about the different models being considered. John Porter commented that the PCM model is more open and has flexibility that might fit the school better. Not a prescribed model. Where does SEM fit in with this? Can we incorporate School-wide Enrichment Model (SEM) into the Parallel Curriculum Model? Ann Oyen thought we could. It is a bit different but has some elements that relate to SEM. The Committee ruled out SEM as a model. John Porter commented that having a unique model is a good marketing tool. CH is not a pull out model. CH has a school-wide all-day enrichment model.
NEW BUT RELATED BUSINESS
Lori brought up that the District is going to be doing an assessment across the schools to equalize the number and availability of SEM teachers based on level and number of students. There will be some changes at the District Level. The District representative was shocked that the teachers at CH have not had SEM training. Ann Oyen has commented that there are many teachers have masters degree in gifted and talented education program and may have enough skills. The District felt that there could be some new funds for training for CH. There are some schools that have no SEM specialists.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Tom Vellenga (parent of 1st grader) has been thinking about ways to help out at CH. Had a lunch meeting with Lori and was quite distressed about history of relationships between CH and District relations. Thinking about different ways to think about things…the test and passing the test has framed the way everyone thinks about the school. The test doesn’t say anything about the skills of the kids and what happens here. Linwood, is an arts school, Highland is IB…maybe a message about the curriculum and not the innate talents of the kids. Think about how to frame CH. New Yorker article about how corporations deal with talent. The kids that are told that they are gifted and talented did very well but when they didn’t do well they were crushed. The message is more that they are not gifted and talented but that they work hard, you have good work habits, lets work with them.
Mary Reis brought up a report that the Site Council should all look at, “The Choice Report: Ideas and Issues Raised During the St. Paul Public Schools’ Community Conversation on Social Choice” August 2003 from the District. She also suggested that there be guidelines for parents attending the meeting and for voting of alternatives and other. Final concern is for the 6th grade science teacher position.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
SCIP MEETING
Dawn and Stacy Waskosky met last Friday and went through the SCIP plan for goals and targets and will do a summary for the newsletter—what is in place and what is in the future.
OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS
Discussion about the role of committees and role of site council. Mariucci made the comment that the reports and discussion were going too long. John Porter made the motion for the Committees to make their report and save discussion for later in the business possibly in New Business and get decision points ahead of time to Lori for Agenda item; John Zats seconded.
Roxanne commented that her committee has decided that rather than conducting full scale exit interviews, she will work with staff during a trial start and will look at the process and the feedback from the instrument in February. The PTO survey that was brought up last year that might be useful, it is not because of sample size. MaryReis and Sherri Knuth will be doing some outreach with MLK. John Porter and Tom Degree are looking internally at School projects that could be taken out in the community to identify community connections. Louis will identify local neighborhood newspapers; Rondo Days involvement will be put into the SCIP budget; working with Administration to figure out what role the committee will be in School Fair.
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
Circulated a flyer at conference time and received three responses. Michael is meeting the deadlines for getting the notices out and in the newsletter. Appointment of Gloria Glorestine; this appointment is to be done by the Chair and hope to have this accomplished.
REFORM COMMITTEE
Ann Oyen reported that the committee did not meet this month.
PTO LIAISON
PTO will provide $100 for childcare during Town Hall meeting. If this is a recurring event the PTO would like a formal request for annual childcare for Town Hall meetings. For Junior High students and one adult. “…on a yearly basis we would request $100 per meeting to clarify the expectation.”
GTAC LIAISON
Lori Windels commented that name had changed that the name Gifted Services Advisory Committee (GSAC).
OLD BUSINESS
1. Student Drop Off: There doesn’t seem to be improvement and with the weather there were some problems. Student Drop Off – Can we open up the 4th grade doors? Mary Reis commented that it was better once the Louis Mariucci letter went out. Sherri Knuth suggested that we leaflet the cars to notify them of the rules and the safety issues. Louis suggested that the five issues identified in the letter be passed out. Mr. Ford is working on school patrol. We might use students to flag the kids crossing the street. This is an option. Sherri Knuth will coordinate volunteers and leaflet. Mary Reis will help. Louis will do a reprint of the letter. Roxanne will get it repeated in the newsletter. Louis will assess whether the orange doors could open.
NEW BUSINESS
1.District training for gifted and talented at Capitol Hill – see above.
2. Sara Langworthy called and left a message and concern about the discipline and staff in the lunchroom. PTO liaison said it was an Administrative issue about how staff handle the discipline during lunch. Staff did get rid of the whistles. The 3rd and 5th grade lunch is the biggest challenge. Jean suggested that they change the lunchroom policy. This is the only school that makes the students sit for 30 minutes and they have nothing to do. The expectation is that when they start the countdown and all the kids get yelled at. It’s just set up for a disaster. How do we get those kids outside? The lunch line is also very long line. Mr. Degree suggested maybe that we have an ad hoc committee to look at some alternative lunch policies. Tom Degree will talk with other teachers and see what next steps will be.
Dawn made motion to adjorn. Mr. Degree seconded.
| 
