Laing School Improvement Council Meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013
Minutes

Attending:

Shari Sebuck(Chair); Susan Hill Smith (Secretary); Jay Whitehair (Principal); Jane Dawson; Anne Canterbury; Kathleen King; Rhonda Seay; Annie McCormick; Stephanie Lanier; Andrea Niesse; Mel Goodwin; Cori Herring

I. Call to Order
a. Meeting was called to order.
II. Reading and Approval of Minutes
a. Minutes from the Oct. 1 meeting were not distributed; will need to be approved at next meeting.

III. Principal’s Report

  1. The student newspaper will be posted on the website (as suggested at last SIC meeting). Also, 300 hard copies will be printed and distributed at school for those students who really want a copy. In the future, students can view the school newspaper on iPads as well.
  2. Request for updates for the website. Ms.Seay suggests updating the site’s photos of students. There are many students shown who are 10th-gradersnow.
  3. Talked to Wando High School PrincipalLucy Beckham about having someone from Wando sit on Laing’s SIC and have not heard back. (Group discusses the need to add new community members, in addition to Mr. Goodwin, to the SIC before Nov. 15 so our ratio of parent, teacher and community members is in compliance.)
  4. Principal’s Chat was held in the morning (Nov. 5) and a fact sheet on Common Core State Standards was given out to parents to explain more about how Common Core evolved and how it is different than what the school does now. (Handout also distributed to SIC members.)
  5. Update on Vision 2016 (with handout): Charleston County School District has developed targets for our school, as well as others, based on 2012 testing data. Laing saw significant increases in many of our subject areas and grade levels for 2013. One of our biggest challenges now is maintainingthe already high achievements that Laing attained the first year. For example, 6th grade ELA scores went from 82.4 percent in 2012 to 91.5 percent in 2013. The 8th grade math score for 2013 was 87.6 percent, which already exceeds the target for 2016 of 86.4 percent. Possible reasons for dramatic gains: Focus on literacy for ELA, high quality of instruction, Laing’s STEM program.
  6. Magnet applications: More than 160 had been turned in by the preceding Friday. Mr. Whitehair will take into consideration families who will be rezoned for Laing in 2015. We know that students from Jennie Moore and Belle Hall elementary schools, as well as 90 percent of WhitesidesElementary School will be zoned to attend Laing.

IV. New Business

  1. Discussion about how minutes should be handled with advance distribution for SIC members before the next meeting so they can be approved at the start of that meeting.
  2. Chairwoman Sebuckpasses out SIC binders with the state SIC handbook to each member and discusses goals for the council to come into compliance and follow SIC protocol. She will bring tent cards to the next meeting with each SIC member’s name.
  3. Ms. Sebuck hand-delivered a letter to South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley inviting her to visit Laing. The first reponsewas no, which was expected. We may have 5 or 6 more no’s before we get to yes.
  4. Ms. Sebuckstarts discussion about putting on a program or series of programs for parents and students in the community to discuss gaming, social media (such as Instagram) and other technology as used by young people. It could be an event similar to what Wando High’s SIC put on in regard to substance abuse. There is discussion about starting with an informational session by a manager at Game Stop about ratings before the holidays, but reservations about rushing to put something together during the holiday season, when there are a lot of events, and questions about whether the school could be seen as promoting a business. The consensus is to pursue a series as suggested, but to schedule after the holidays. Sessions might also includealternative uses of technology that are educational but also engaging.
  5. Ms. Sebuck challenges SIC members to come up with three goals for the council to accomplish by the year’s end so that we can move forward with a timeline and action steps for implementation.
  6. Discussion about establishing a strong SIC that will be in place once the new building is opened and the school is expanded in 2015.
  7. Discussion about encouraging class applications to Boeing’s Dream Learners program, which allows for small school groups to visit the plant in North Charleston.

V. Adjournment

  1. Meeting was adjourned.

VII. Next Meeting

  1. Tuesday, Dec. 3, 3:45 p.m., Laing Middle School front office conference room