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Site Council Minutes

Monday, December 1, 2008

Members Present:  Valerie Atkinson (non-teaching staff, co-chair), Jennifer Purtell (parent, co-chair), Lauren Rekonen (staff, secretary), Suzanne Fields (parent), Bonnie Bellows (staff), Beverly Babcock (staff), Craig Cass (staff, alternate), Preston MacMillan (staff, union representative), Arleen Schilling (parent),  Marilyn Mauritz (staff, alternate), Tim Hausker (non-teaching staff), Joe Laconic (staff), Tom Kranz (staff, union representative)

Guests: Jenny Marietta (staff), Mary New (parent), Caritza Mariani (Public Achievement Coach), Kenny Zimmerman (Gear Up), Isreal Moses (Assistant Pricipal)

Members not Present:  Andy Mosca (parent), Catherine Farrell (parent)

1. Approval of Agenda: V. Atkinson
1. Motion to approve minutes made by V. Atkinson, seconded by B. Bellows.  Unanimously approved.
2. Approval of October Minutes: J. Purtell
1. Motion to approve minutes made by J. Purtell, seconded by B. Babcock.  Unanimously approved. 
3. Open Forum
1. B. Babcock:  The Hawk Café student-run restaurant is up and running.  Seven students are preparing the food during 3^rd hour and one student and one EA are serving the food during lunches.  They are currently running on a pre-order basis in order to ensure that they do not run the restaurant on a deficit. 
2. B. Bellows.  Ecolab is sending volunteers to work with 12^th graders with their college essays and autobiographies.  The 12^th graders are making connections with these volunteers and are learning a lot from them. 
3. J. Laconic:  In yesterday’s Star Tribune and 10^th grader wrote an essay about his fellow students’ lack of scholarship.  It was impressive.  Also, Joe is currently working part-time at Harding and states that the learning and physical environment is far superior at Humboldt.
4. C. Mariani:  One of the Public Achievement groups will be beautifying the outside of the school.  The students have an idea to plant plants with the help of other students and with community funding and service-learning hours.  They would like to add environmentally-focused artwork on the pillar.   They would like to combine their efforts with the Center for Changing Landscapes’ ideas for the outside of the building. 
5. Principals’ Report: Mike Sodomka and Tim Williams
1. The Large Scale System Changes are being driven by a combination of declining enrollment and NCLB.  The district is currently about 10,000 students below capacity, so they will need to close buildings in the near future. 
2. Question:  Will the Fellow program continue?  Answer: Probably, because these are teachers in high-need licensure areas.
3. The interview process will begin in February.  The interview committee is tentatively set to consist of Mike Sodomka, an executive director, a business agent, Nancy Statgel (Chief of Schools), an HR representative, and an SPFT representative.
4. Will money and effort be put into the environmental initiative?  Money is being sought out from outside funders and some from the district for year one. 
5. What numbers of staff don’t hold the proper 7-12 licenses?  Less than 10. 
6. HR will be meeting with the staffs on Wednesday. 
7. SPFT and Education MN will be having a meeting tomorrow to discuss staff questions. 
8. How will staff who are reapplying address the environmental issues?  We are still trying to figure out the answers to more questions so that teachers can decide if Humboldt will be a right fit for them. 
9. With school choice brochures coming up, what will Humboldt’s emphasis and who will put it together?  The catalogs are already printed as a 7-8 Jr. High and a 9-12 Sr. High, however, we will be having one booth at the parent fair. 
10. V. Atkinson:  The district should help Humboldt with PR and advertising for next year, especially at the parent fair.   Has the district offered any help with this?  No.
11. We don’t know what our name will be.
12. At the parent fair we won’t be mixed with all of the high schools, we will be showcased as a small 7-12 school. 
13. Why is the district pushing the characteristics of the National Middle School Association?  We’re not sure.
14. What will happen to the Site Council?  We don’t know. 
15. Will the district take away some of the decision-making power from the Site Council?  The district is required by the state to take a “direct interest” in Humboldt and the restructuring. 
16. Parent teacher conferences tomorrow 4-7.

Motion to adjourn made by V. Atkinson, seconded by J. Purtell.  Unanimously approved.

 

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