Bancroft IB World School

Site Council

April 24, 2017

5:30 – 7:00

Purpose: Revisiting

The role of the Site Council is to provide the collective leadership that helps the school to identify and set annual and long-term mission, vision and goals. The Site Council will assist in determining strategies for achieving the goals. The Site Council will assist in developing the School Improvement Plan in conjunction with the instructional team. This includes measuring and analyzing school data; establishing and focusing on goals, reporting progress; communicating with the school community; and setting priorities for and finalizing the allocation of resources. The Site Council will also partner with families and others to examine existing school policies and practices in order to improve and support student performance and building school community.

Duties:

To facilitate shared decisions through parent and staff representation to achieve high quality education for our children and a positive, supportive and responsive educational environment for students, staff and parents.

Council members will attend meetings during the school year (about once a month) in order to propose, discuss, make, publish and implement decisions and policies pertaining to the goals, directions and activities and pedagogical methods of Bancroft IB World School.

Agenda
April 24, 2017 / Notes/ outcomes / Actions to complete/ responsible person
Welcome and Introductions – Erin / Present: Linda M., Laurie, Cassie, Linda D., Matt, Andy, Erin, Diego, Mary W., Nicole, Tish, Mary S., Sue, Sharon
Updates:
Update for Parent group
5th Grade Camping
Field Day
Classification Process
Testing Update
May 5
MPS Residency Program / PTO & Site Council:
Could we combine PTO & Site Council – work is going in both places and with lower parent participation, could we combine evenings so information isn’t being repeated? Overlap meetings? Part that is the same for both would be in between the two meetings. Both groups also working on parent activities.
Site Council – more decision making
PTO – more fundraising
Consider a different name or how we might label/brand it to encourage people to attend.
Opportunities for task forces to work on specific projects
Being careful to not become too big to make decisions efficiently
Focusing on the PTO’s mission/purpose – fundraising? Bridging the gap for parents?
Parent Group Update:
Site Council – working around equity and understanding
Developed a Native American panel to present to the staff
Takoda Prep connection (MPS school) – 4 students will present, an AE from MPS, community members/teachers, Cassie
Goal of the panel is to give perspective –what has gone well in their education? What hasn’t gone well? Listening session
Idea than to add onto this with a parent night and move on to other cultural groups as well
5th Grade Camping
This year – went to Camp Ihduhapi – went well. Closer to school so all could attend
Next fall – Camp St. Croix – could offer more options of things to do
T., October 24 & W., October 25
Working to build a program just for Bancroft
Would still be able to shuttle students back and forth if they can’t stay over night
Camp St. Croix is offering grant opportunities
Field Day
With construction, need to reorganize how we are going to have field day
June 1 – H5, Kindergarten & 1st - on our playground
June 2 – Grades 2-5 at Powderhorn (probably close to the community center)
Testing Update
MCA season – reading is finished
Math starts tomorrow – testing grades 4&5 - whole class at the same time
May 5
Latin American Family Day
Breakfast
World Language teachers will have a presentation with students during the breakfast
MPS Residency & Student Teachers
K team will host resident teachers next year
2 student teachers from Hamline – Linda & Leah
Classification
Organizing students for the next grade level
Will go out in the next newsletter – parents are invited to let the office know about characteristics that best for their child or a teacher that has had a sibling
Looking at balance and what’s best for the students
Discussion:
Family Involvement Plan
Food Policy/Sleep / Food Policy
Last meeting – reviewing the two documents (MPS Wellness Policy and info from Mary/Nicole)
Mary W., school nurse with the Site Council tonight to help in the development
Working on it for the last 4 years
Food allergies – at least 10 students w/ severe allergies (epi pen required)
Diabetes concerns
MPS does have a Wellness Policy
Next Year: Add the policy to the school calendar, campaign the policy starting early in fall, enforce it throughout the year, reminders in the newsletters, add to the policies folder and have it signed off on (like we would the media policy)
Anticipate that this will take some time
Need to anticipate the times of the year that students naturally bring in treats (ex: Valentine’s Day) Could we do something as a school? (ex: skating, ice-skating)
Food is culture – how do we also acknowledge?
Class celebrations – connected to unit celebrations (ex: poetry party, Pippi, etc.)
Compile a list for classrooms: List of smart snacks w/allergens listed beside it
Technology’s Impact
Sleep - Blue light – inhibits melatonin
Technology before age 4 – can impact brain development (executive function)
Recommendation - 1 hr/day
School’s policy – cell phone policy - more and more being brought to school and used inappropriately - policy is no cell phones in school (off during the day) – give phone to teacher or principal and pick up at the end of the day
Family Involvement Plan
New template from MPS – Good feedback on the welcoming of the parent survey, compact is shared with families at conferences, robo calls and newsletters top two methods of parent communications, Coffee Tea, and IB, family nights
Capacity building – literacy and math nights – tools and strategies to do at home
CPEO workshops
Conferences, Portfolio night
Space will be a consideration for events next year due to construction.
New Business
Next meeting
May 22, 2017 (Joint PTO and Site Council) / IB Evaluation Feedback