HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-03-30 School Council - RMHS MinutesTown of Reading
Meeting Minutes
Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
School Council -Reading Memorial High
Date: 2023-03-30 Time: 4:00 PM
Building: School - Memorial High Location: School Library
Address: 62 Oakland Road Session: Open Session
Purpose: School Council Meeting Version: Final
Attendees: Members - Present:
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Jessica Ayer, Michelle Greenwalt, Sherilla Lestrade, Eileen Manning Marianne
Downing, Haden Davis, Cole Grant, Antonio DiSerio, Dante DiSerio, Kevin
Tracey, Kelly Bedingfield
Members - Not Present:
Eli Brown, Daija Forero, Bridget Patterson, Pooja Mandon Parsons, Christine
Lusk
Others Present:
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Marianne Downing
Topics of Discussion:
Meeting was called to order by Mr. Tracey at 4:OOPM
The meeting began with some parent questions. One parent wanted to know why are
some AP science classes same number of credits as other classes but take up more blocks,
than the other classes (e.g., 1.5 blocks).
- Mr. Tracey explained that we are trying to adjust some things in the schedule, but It
is possible this will not be fixed. He said that, as a matter of equity, AP teachers
generally teach 4 classes while non AP teachers teach 5 classes, and that we are the
only school in Middlesex League that has a lab attached to Its AP science classes.
- The parent followed up that, the reason this is a concern is that, if a student is taking
two AP science classes at once, each class effectively requires another 1/2 block and
thus prevents a student from taking another class in that block.
Mr. Tracey followed up on the RMHS scheduling committee. He noted that they went from
14 possible markups to now 3-4, and they hope to bring in staff and parents for further
Input.
- One parent asked students what they though of the schedule, and could they
possibly vary the schedule so that one subject is not always in 'A' block, for example.
- A student answered that they like the schedule the way it is, that they I Ike taking a
certain class at a later time.
The group discussed various issues with the current schedule:
- A parent noted, one issue with having the schedule be like it is now, with a class
always taking place in a certain block, like G block, is that student athletes often
have to get dismissed early to travel to sports games with their team, and they can
get behind in the G block class.
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- Mr. Tracey said that a further complication and reason for the early dismissals is that
not all Middlesex League schools have the same start and end times, and that
despite a few years ago people thinking that all Middlesex league schools would go to
the same start and end times, this has not happened. Thus, RMHS students who
start later than some other schools, have to leave class early to make games with
other Middlesex League schools whose school day ends earlier.
- Mr. Tracey said he had Inquired if RMHS could move to an 8 am start time, but was
told by district administration and police, that moving to 8 am Is off the table due to
the other schools in the Birch Meadow area and traffic/safety issues.
- Mr. Tracey said that he has not seen that the later start time has improved tardiness
of students, but a teacher stated that their A block students now seemed more alert
as compared to before the move to the later start
- A student asked, why would a new schedule reduce study halls. Mr. Tracey replied
that study halls and Flex blocks may not be the best use of the time, and one
possibility is Instead of two long flex blocks a week, that there is briefer flex block
every day after lunch.
- Parents and students noted that a lot of clubs now use the flex blocks for club
meetings, and of course there is the guidance curriculum, but that does not run all
year.
- The group discussed pros and cons, equity -wise, to having clubs meet during flex.
Some pros are that it allows Boston students and special ed students, who may
have to get a bus after school, to participate in clubs, but a CON is that students who
need to use the block for academic support, will not be able to participate in clubs.
Mr. Tracey gave another update on Internships:
- He said that now over 100 RMHS senors have Internships, and that 45 of these are
paid STEM internships, where a student gets a state stipend of $1500 for no more
than 20 hours a week work, that it works out to minimum wage.
There are still open internships.
- For gr. 12 students with an internship, there is no Q4, they are done, and there is a
formula to adjust the grades.
- The remaining 2/3 of seniors will still have academics
- The students on internships are required to write a reflective paper or presentation
at the end, about the internship
- A parent suggested, seniors should do or record a presentation to juniors about their
internships, to get juniors excited about internships for next year
Mr. Tracey gave another update on the School store, that they have painted it and are now
setting it up. As he noted before, the funds will go into the PTO budget
- A student asked, how much will things cost at the store, but no one had an answer
- Mr. Tracey noted that volunteering time at the store may be able to count towards
National Honor Society volunteer hours
Mr. Tracey said RMHS may be forming an international trip committee, to try to fundraise
to reduce the cost of student international trips and help to increase advance notice of trips.
Mr. Tracey brought up the topic of midterms and final exams. He stated that staff needs
to figure out if it Is best to have a mid term to avoid a huge cumulative exam at the end.
Currently, midterms count as 20% of the grade.
The school council discussed the topic of Century Club.
- The group discussed the parameters of Century club, that traditionally it included
100 students, including the top students (by GPA) in each grade, including 10
Freshman, 20 sophomores, 30 juniors, and 40 seniors.
- Parents noted that the good thing about century club is that since it is based on
unweighted GPA and not weighted (i.e., not on whether a student is taking honors
classes, etc.), that It Is an honor open to "all" students.
- Several parents expressed a desire to keep Century Club or some equivalent
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- Mr. Tracey stated that "guidance feels strongly" that Century club puts "too much
pressure" on students.
- The group discussed whether RMHS is recognizing kids who achieve in other ways
beyond academics, and whether the current ways we recognize students, such as
honor roll, are equitable to all groups of students
- Some parents noted that it was hard to determine if student even made honor roll,
as report cards were hard to locate, and another parent suggested that the principal
could send an automated email congratulating students who made honor roll.
- The group discussed ways to honor students
- Mr. Tracey discussed the demographics of students vs GPA and who gets academic
honors and expressed his concerns that certain subgroups are rarely part of the
group making honor roll.
Mr. Tracey and the group discussed honors and AP classes and how they impact academic
honors, and how students are or are not encouraged to get into those classes, as well as
how students are put into a math track starting in grade 6.
- Mr. Tracey noted that other communities do things differently. For example, he
observed that in Lexington, all students are enrolled in only one level of gr. 9
Geometry. Parents noted that means that in Lexington, all gr. 8 students are getting
Algebra, which is not the case in Reading, because 3/p of the gr. 6 students are put
on a track that does not lead to Algebra in gr. 8, due to the gr. 6 test given in
Reading.
- Mr. Tracey stated that he does not agree with tracking students in math based solely
on the 6'h grade test and that all student in gr. 8 should be taking Algebra 1.
Parents noted that the district used to do things differently, with multiple levels of
Algebra in gr. 8, but that about 10 years ago the district made some changes when
common core came along.
Mr. Tracey stated that he would try to get honor roll data and demographics to bring to
the next meeting. He noted that it was very difficult, with the current student Information
system, to get data on students from previous years.
Mr. Tracey also noted that there are concerns with the incoming gr. 9 class for next year,
and that 29 incoming students, who are not special education students, will need reading
services in high school, and that this is unusual and should not be the case.
The group discussed valedictorian and salutatorian, and Mr. Tracey stated that there will
still be those honors at least this year.
- One parent expressed concerns with the equity of these honors, noting that certain
subgroups of students are not encouraged to take the high level classes that lead to
the high weighted GPAs which lead to these honors. Mr. Tracey noted that this type
of issue was the subject of some of the professional development that teachers are
getting this year, in the area of Culturally responsive teaching, and that a goal is to
try and encourage more students to take high level classes.
- One parent asked, can we still have Century club or some equivalent this year? No
answer was given.
- One parent asked, what do other Middlesex League schools do for academic honors.
- Mr. Tracey mentioned one project that can lead to more students taking high level
courses is called "The calculus project," which he did in another district, but this
program is very expensive. A parent asked, is there a way to do this project In a way
to collaborate with other districts?
The school council adjourned at approximately 5:30 pm.
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