HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-08-25 School Council - RMHS MinutesrRr �_
Town of Reading TGWNECLERK
Meeting Minutes READINGLMA.
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Board - committee - Commission - Council:
School Council -Reading Memorial High
Date: 2022-08-25 Time: 4:00 PM
Building: School -Memorial High Location: Zoom
Address: 62 Oakland Road Session: Open Session
Purpose: School Council Meeting Version: Draft
Attendees: Members - Present:
Kevin Tracy, Jess Theriault, Laurie Donahue, Eileen Manning, Michelle
Greenwalt, Marianne Downing
Members - Not Present:
Sherilla Lestrade, Tim McIntire, Kadi Buckley
Others Present:
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Marianne Downing
Topics of Discussion:
The RMHS school council met Informally to discuss the proposed draft RMHS handbook
changes in view of the upcoming school committee meeting where they would be discussed
Principal Tracey noted that Jessica Callahan, a new hire for RMHS, has a similar role at
RMHS to the Assistant principals and had helped him with the handbook changes. He also
noted that some handbook changes are meant to be parallel to what was put in the Portrait
of a Graduate.
The group began by discussing the current RMHS handbook policies for attendance and
proposed changes. It was mentioned that Reading Public Schools (RPS) has formed a
district -wide attendance committee. Principal Tracey stated that the RMHS rate of chronic
absenteeism is out of whack in comparison with other Middlesex League schools. He also
noted that RMHS needs to run attendance reports regularly to follow state laws on
notification.
Parent members asked about the need for a doctor's note for all absences, explaining that
for Illnesses like Covid, a doctor will not even let a student/patient come into the office, so it
is very difficult or even impossible to get a doctor's note. Parent members also said that for
routine illnesses that result in an absence, no one takes a student to a doctor. Parent
members also mentioned equity issues like affordability and access, in requiring doctor's
notes for an absence to be excused.
Principal Tracey responded that the absence protocol In the handbook will take Into account
Covid and does not require doctor's notes for absences due to Covid.
Parent members asked about the rationale for the department awards given last spring,
noting that it was often unclear about why an award was being given, or what was the
criteria for giving an award. Principal Tracey replied that it was his understanding that the
awards were given to students who have a "passion" for a subject. Teacher Laurie Donahue
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suggested that academic departments could set up rubrics or sets of criteria for department
awards, both academic and nonacademic, and that kids need to understand why they are
getting the department award.
Parent member Eileen Manning asked about the status of the Century Club and whether
that award would be kept in. Principal Tracey said Century Club would be kept In. Principal
Tracey also stated that the awards night should be boosted to be more robust.
The council discussed a new Academic Support center that is being created in the RMHS
library for this year. Principal Tracey explained that the original plan was to have two
Merrimack fellows staff the center, but both of them dropped out of the program.
Consequently, the Academic Support Center will be staffed by adults from RMHS staff.
As the council continued to go over proposed handbook revisions, less Theriault and
Principal Tracey explained that the school will be implementing a new electronic pass
system for students using an app called "Smart Pass," which can run on either a student's
laptop or phone, and will track where kids are in the building, such as when they request to
use the restroom during class.
less Theriault and Principal Tracey also discussed a new policy for student ID cards, where
the intent Is for students to wear passes on a lanyards, which could be visible to staff down
the hall. The intent is in part to be aware of who is in the building at all times. The council
discussed that lanyards may not be the way students prefer to carry ID in other ways, and
Principal Tracey agreed that perhaps students should have agency on how to wear lanyards
or IDs.
Jess Therlault went over some new disciplinary policies being proposed in the handbook,
with a new introduction, new code of conduct, a new philosophy of discipline, etc. less
Theriault and Principal Tracey explained the levels of various types of incidents that have
been seen in recent years. Parent member Marianne Downing expressed surprise and noted
that the levels discussed are higher than what is shown in the state DESE data. Principal
Tracey explained that the DESE reporting system Is Incomplete and does not show all the
incidents that happened at RMHS, because the DESE reporting system does not mesh
properly with the current system that the school uses to track disciplinary incidents. _
The council then went over handbook sections relating to policies for changing course
selections, further in view of an email from the director of guidance Lynna Williams. Parent
members expressed concern about the email indicating that no class changes would be
entertained. Kevin Tracey explained that the email should have been clearer that it was
Intended for juniors and seniors to be not changing classes simply to get A block or G block
free.
No vote was taken on any proposed handbook changes, but the school council members
present expressed unanimous agreement with the proposed changes as discussed during
the meeting.
The meeting ended at 5:32 pm.
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