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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-01-04 School Council - Wood End Elementary Minutes6F6Fxf Town of Reading ,.y. Meeting Minutes i +.LCt.IVt.0 f OWN CURK �•�° 'LADING. MASS. Board - Committee - Commission - Council: ,wl(_ A 4l' School Council -Wood End Elementary Date: 2016 -01 -04 Time: 3:15 Building: School -Wood End Location: Conference Room Address: 65 Sunset Rock Lane Purpose: Monthly Meet for December 2015 -2016 School Year Attendees: Members - Present: Christine Daly, Joanne King, Caitlin Koehler, Lynda Michel, Melissa Murphy Members - Not Present: None Others Present: Ellen Commito(Liaison to the District Safety Committee) Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Lynda Michel Topics of Discussion: The fifth monthly meeting of the Wood End Elementary School was held in the conference room of the Wood End Elementary School on January 4, 2016. Call to order: A quorum of members being present and the meeting having been duly convened at Wood End School by the Wood End Principal, Joanne King had called the meeting to order at 3:15 and proceeded with business. Review and Acceptance of Minutes: Members reviewed draft minutes from the last meeting, which was held on December 7, 2015. There being no discussion, Mrs. King moved that the minutes be accepted as drafted. Mrs. Murphy seconded the motion. The members then voted unanimously to approve the minutes. Vote: Minutes Accepted 5 -0-0 New Business: WASH Update- Safety Procedures (Ellen Commito): Mrs. Commito informed the School Council that representatives from each building in the district who comprise the Safety Committee meet together to discuss different topics regarding safety procedures and protocols focused on the Wellness, Allergy, Safety and Health concerns of students and staff. In September, the committee reviewed the ALICE protocol for enhanced lockdowns. In September each building conducted an ALICE drill with students and staff. Mrs. page I 1 Commito explained the steps for each drill. Each time an ALICE drill is conducted it is followed up with a debrief in each classroom with students and their teacher. The teacher and students look at what went well and given the situation other ways their class could have responded. The thoughts are collected and recorded on a predetermined form used by all teachers. Additionally, a staff debrief is conducted at a staff meeting as well as a debrief with the school Team that, at Wood End, consists of Mrs. King (Principal), Ms. Norcross (Asst. Principal), Mrs. Suglia (school nurse), Ms. Rezza (school psychologist) and Mrs. Finigan (School Administrative Assistant). The Team looks at and observes what went well and other ways the staff could have responded to the drill. Additionally, they look at which classes choose to lock down vs the classes that choose to evacuate and why. Mrs. Commito compared these practice drills to the fire drills which are routinely practiced as well. The goal of the drill is to make sure all people (in the building) stay informed -in the event of a true emergency anyone could do the "all call" over the intercom. The language is plain, no codes, the "caller" should simply say what they see. Mrs. Commito then explained the difference between Shelter in Place and an ALICE drill. A shelter in place allows for classrooms to go about their daily routine but staff and students are not allowed to leave their classrooms. Often times, Shelters in Place are called due to a medical emergency. We have had two medical Shelters in Place this year. The district is trying to improve consistency with drills but tailor things depending on the building -two story building vs one story building. Mrs. King added that backpacks (To Go Kits) are in every classroom. The district is working on having ALL backpacks to include the same items i.e. class rosters, tarp etc. Having the consistency in all buildings allows substitute teachers and any other staff member in the classroom to be prepared in case of an emergency. Mrs. Murphy questioned whether kids are to be quiet and whether they have to barricade or get out. Mrs. King explained that yes the children are expected to be quiet and the decision, depending on where the location of the intruder is, may be to barricade or escape but is made by the adult in the classroom. Ms. Koehler asked if people could escape through the windows. Mrs. King explained that the windows do not open wide enough, but could be broken if hit /kicked in the correct spot. Fire Inspections Mrs. King then moved the meeting along and informed the committee about the fire inspections being conducted by the fire department. The district needs to comply with different standards (i.e. need to take fabrics out of buildings that are not flame resistant /retardant including rugs, curtains). Student work can only be hung on bulletin boards and not more than 50% of classroom wall space is allowed to be covered. All rugs will be removed in June and Dr. Doherty will provide information to schools to order new rugs that meet the guidelines - pricing for bulk orders to save costs. Allergies & Wellness: Mrs. Suglia will attend and speak to the School Council in February. Mrs. Suglia has been working with nurses in the district putting together a binder of protocols and procedures for Page 1 2 substitute nurses. Mrs. Suglia will provide more information on allergies and wellness when she attends in February. Drop -Off /Pick -Up: Mrs. King followed up from Ms. Koehler's suggestion about signage at the drop off area. Mrs. King spoke with Joe Huggins, Director of Facilities, earlier in the school year to get pricing and identify need to replace signage around the school Due to costs, the signs will not be replaced until the end of the year. Mrs. King met with Officer David Savio, Safety Officer for the Reading Police Department, and did a walkthrough of the parking lot and driveway to help make informed decisions about replacing signs in order to be in compliance (i.e. fire lane parking, stop sign, and size regulations). Budget: Wood End budget parents are Michele Sanphy and Brian O'Mara. They will attend district budget meetings and keep the Wood End community informed about changes or suggestions being made to the budget during the FY17 budget process. They will attend a series of meetings over the next couple of months. Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Doherty will be hosting two Community presentations on the FY17 Recommended Budget. The dates and times of the meetings are below and child care services will be available at each meeting: • Tuesday, January 12th, 6:30 p.m., at Coolidge Middle School Multipurpose Room • Wednesday, January 13th at 6:30 p.m. at Parker Middle School Multipurpose Room In coming Kindergarten: There was some discussion on whether or not there would be integrated Kindergarten classes at Wood End next year. Mrs. King could not answer as the Kindergarten numbers are not finalized, but she will have more information in March. Adjournment There being no further business, the School Council adjourned at 4:15 with plans to meet again on Monday February 1, 2016. Respectfully Submitted, Lynda Michel Recording Secretary Page 1 3