HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-10-31 School Council - Arthur W Coolidge Middle Minutes�y OF R
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i. Meeting Minutes
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Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
School Council - Arthur W Coolidge Middle
Date: 2013 -10 -31 Time: 2:45
Building: School - Coolidge Location: Conference Room
Address: 89 Birch Meadow Drive
Purpose:
Attendees: Members - Present:
t�ECEIVED
i OWN CLERK
�r,DING, MASS.
dill JAN 21 A 11: 35
Sarah Marchant, Principal; Liz Lovell, Teacher; Mark Burton, School
Psychologist; Jennifer Oliveira, Teacher; Linda Snowdockser, Parent; Kristin
Kinsella, Parent; Lauren Ream, Parent
Members - Not Present:
Lisa Tighe, Parent; Paul Guidetti, Teacher
Others Present:
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Jennifer Oliveira
Topics of Discussion:
I. Call to order by Principal Marchant at 2:45
II. Meeting opened with a discussion of the budget meeting that Mary Delai had with
staff. The Council created a wish list for the school. Members created the list
below.
a. Class size
This is difficult due to scheduling and building size. It would require more staff.
b. Competitive wages for substitutes
c. More staff enrichment options
-A World of Difference (AWOD) is often a class offered at schools
- Newspaper class
-Block schedule where students are able to work with other students from other
grades
d. Budget for METCO: Add budget for social activities for kids and families to mix
outside of classroom and to feel more involved in the community. Things like flexible
rides to the train station, and not just a "host family" but more like partner families.
e. REF: Money for string instruments like violin and cello... something here to add to
the band, perhaps turn it into an orchestra. A possibility to create a program after
school for students who'd be interested.
f. Michael Fallon: Psychologist who transforms himself on stage into different
stereotypes then tells a story about that person. His gestures were powerful and
the students enjoyed it.
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g. The Improbable Players: This group performed at Coolidge. It's a group consisting
of people who are all recovering from addiction. They tell their stories and act it
`out. Kids see that anyone can be an addict. They see that they can get help and
they don't need to do it alone.
h. Travis Roy: Can he return to Coolidge and maybe stress the importance of helmets
(especially bike helmets), would be a good message to share with kids. Maybe have
a program where kids are rewarded for wearing helmets around town.
Project Lead the Way: This is an engineering program started last year at Coolidge.
How do we make it available to more students? It is working successfully at high
school.
III. Year ahead and creating goals for the committee
a. Math and the placement tests. Better way to figure out where they go. Also
providing a way for 7th graders to move up and down. A way that parents can
understand it better so that they can disseminate the information throughout. Maybe
someone can go to PTO meetings and share the information.
b. How healthy is PTO? There's been a decrease of parent volunteers and at the parent
coffee. Are we meeting their needs? Is Skype an option? From a parent point of
view, it is seen as a fundraising organization, but they do so much more. Corey
Santasky will be doing a presentation for the parents of PTO about Internet safety.
How can we get more participants to this beneficial meeting? The paper, maybe a
phone chain?
c. Blue Ribbon: Are parents able drop in on some of the programs?
IV. Topics for next month:
School Improvement Plan
Philosophy of school
Next meeting November 21 at 2:50
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