LBSS Student Services Advisory Council
Minutes
/November 21, 2014
/7:30 am
/Faculty Dining Room
Facilitator / Alka Howard, Designated HS CounselorsNote taker / Dylan Hackbarth
Attendees / Invited Guests
Opening Remarks- Alka Howard: Introductions. Welcomed all participants and reminded about our three Advisory Council meetings throughout the year. Mrs. Howard explained the Advisory Council process and our RAMP application process.
Agenda topics
SMART Goals
/Megan Cashman
Discussion / Ms. Cashman explained the way the department establishes SMART Goals- using collected data and to align with the SIP.Goal 1 (Academic) – 100% percent of Seniors will graduate by August 2015.
Goal 2 (Career) – The percent of seniors that complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will increase by 10% by the end of the 2014-2015 school year
Goal 3 (Personal/Social) – Hispanic students will decrease their total number attendance offenses (truancy, cut class, tardiness) by 10% by the end of the 2014-15 school year
Action items / Person responsible / Deadline
None / NA / NA
small group
/Jacquie Naughton
Discussion / Ms. Naughton explained that our groups are decided based on demonstrated student need/data.Current group: Latinas on the Rise – helping Hispanic females with academic performance
Other groups include: helping seniors graduate, struggling 9th graders, stress/anxiety management(in spring), Portrait of Student/communication/self-advocacy
Data to come.
Ms. Howard opened up conversation regarding student stress.
11th Grade Student Suggestion- Department chair organize calendar to decide test placement, “Stress-Free Month” – School-wide initiative around finals time to help students deal with their stress/anxiety around testing
10th Grade Student- Discussed “Teen Girl Summit” at GMU. Increase advertising – twitter, morning announcements regarding opportunities. Student-athletes- targeted interventions/discussions for this group of student? Group?
Action items / Person responsible / Deadline
Increase advertising for twitter account- contact other LBSS accounts regarding retweeting our initiatives
Increase attendance and access to Alumni Panel in December / Brown/Cashman
Carrera/Ranallo / 6/17/15
12/14/14
new student orientation
/Deb Brown
Discussion / Mrs. Brown gave a brief overview of the orientation program for new students. Had a landmark year for attendance over 100 students.In response to previous data response, we broke the tour groups into small clusters to provide increase access for information with student ambassadors.
Information session with counselors/students – plan to amend plans for next year to increase connections.
Senior, New Student- Military family, shared experience with orientation program. Appreciated getting the tour and became friends with some of his tour guides. Believes this school’s orientation program was one of the best he has experienced moving around the country. “Came in knowing the school and with some new friends.”
Junior, SGA- Tour Guide- Pairing up with grades was helpful.
Mrs. Brown discussed our survey/data-collection process with Google Forms and QR codes. 98% of student respondents reported the program helpful.
Action items / Person responsible / Deadline
None / NA / NA
9th grade student/parent Night and grade level
/Gary Ranallo and Sam Ramatowski
Discussion / Night Program – Mr. Ranallo shared evening program overview.- How to use counselors; contact vested parties (career center specialist, administrators, etc.).
- Stressed self-advocacy on student part.
- Discussed self-care for the first time ever in this program
Next year plan to emphasize the program is for students and families- augment marketing
Suggestions for future programs from surveys- Families like hard copies. Families want more time on Family Connections. Families also request a question/answer session after the presentation. Feedback regarding timing with Bruin Blast- counselors will examine the timing of the program, specific recommendation from some families to place program in the spring of 8th grade.
YouTube: We videotape the presentations and post along with presentations on our student services website to provide additional access.
Parent: “ Believes that bringing the child was valuable. “
Freshman Unit: -- Mr. Ramatowski shared overview of the freshman unit.
- Through Biology
- How to access counselors/student support
- How to balance schedules
- In Labs
- Focus on connections.
Discussion of Bruin Block purpose and procedure proceeded- started by students and responded to by Mrs. Howard and Mr. Thomas. Junior student discussed her appreciation for the assigned Bruin Block- a change from Bruin Blocks that are social to Bruin Blocks that help students get their work done- believes that the culture is changing for the positive. Sophomore student who started the conversation relents. Math Teacher- concern about Bruin Block schedule- assigned odd periods on even school days. Teacher: “flexibility is gone” no room for students to flex-in to a room of 31 students.
Action items / Person responsible / Deadline
Keep grade unit lessons during Bruin Block / All Counselors / 6/17/15
senior post secondary parent/student night program and grade level
/Lynn Carrera and
Ameen Jackson
Discussion / Night Program- Mrs. Carrera provided a brief overview of the evening program. Large group presentation in the Little Theatre and breakout sessions with individual counselors around the school. Counselors and other staff provided specific information about the post-secondary planning process.Internal recommendation- Counselors believe that they repeat information during breakout session- suggestion for counselor-panel presentation for future presentations to provide efficient, consistent information across student body.
Senior Student- College planning responsibilities for students is complicated and confusing. The night program helped students understand their part and what their counselor’s responsibilities are. Helped student come up with a plan and assign roles. Found the breakout session helpful.
Senior Parent- The breakout session did not add value- “rush, rush.” – Visual, maybe the whole process can be flow-charted… color code whose roles are whose.
2nd Senior Student- Share all information in one place.
Senior Meetings- Mr. Jackson provided a brief overview of the group senior meetings. Overview of information provided to students during their group meeting. Additional discussion of student responsibilities with the application process through student services.
Senior Student- Received more specific information from individual counselor meeting- more than the group meeting
Sophomore Student- Attends college fairs, receives specific information from individual counseling meetings with Ms. Cashman. “Students have to take some initiative to work with their counselors to get help.” All the information from Mrs. Edwards is helpful.
Junior Student- Maybe we should create a brief “welcome to LB” packet- dispel myths, how to talk with administration. Tell the students to reach out to counselors and administrators and you will always have someone to support you and watch you. Maybe put together a book from graduates with advice to incoming freshmen.
Mrs. Brown- We have a “New Student Guide” that we provide to students. Perhaps we should provide a copy to SGA for types and direction.
Mrs. Howard- Post-secondary planning is a buildup of every program we provide throughout every grade. Our programs are modified with the information provided by participants in the meeting.
Action items / Person responsible / Deadline
Promote New Student Guide / Brown / 6/17/15
Compassion in action
/Alka Howard, Cathy Trenary, Dylan Hackbarth
Discussion / Mrs. Howard- Discussion of mental health wellness- this CIA initiative is a component of mental health awareness. Overview of pyramid-wide initiative. Discussion regarding CIA Week, December 8-12- partner with SGA and CIA Club to collaboratively address bullying within our building.Mr. Hackbarth provided overview of our bullying reporting tool via Black Board.
Ms. Trenary discusses the lesson planning process and using teachers to help develop. Ms. Trenary explained the upcoming lesson (“Taking Time to THINK”) and the structure/timing of the lesson. Ms. Trenary also discussed the new CIA Club. Provided an example of student group initiative, pink shirts, art contest. The club is working on different initiatives to inspire compassion.
Mrs. Howard- Part of feedback from first lesson was that we need to modify the lessons to meet high school needs. Working with high school teachers.
Sophomore Students – Students are not taking this program seriously. Discussion of new signs in hallway. “CIA, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of.” Can you advertise the t-shirts?
Ms. Trenary- T-shirts will be advertised on the announcements. Taking feedback from students regarding the lessons. Next lesson will be more appropriate for high school students. “Rachel’s Challenge” will be presented in December- anecdotally discussed Robinson’s response.
Sophomore Students- Discussion of student response on social media to county suicides- “nobody takes it seriously until it happens at their school.”