MHS Home & School Meeting Minutes

February5, 2009

MHS Library

Attendees:

Carole Staats, Jerri Rosini, Anne DiSpaldo, Judy Landis, Cindy Hartson, Barbi Griffith, Marijane Barbone, Manisha Baman, Jacqui Sattler, Sandy Leistensnider, Mary Buler, Candy Jones, Jenny Anderson

Welcome– Carole Staats ()

  • Thanked all for attending
  • Meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.

Co-Secretaries’ Report –Anne DiSpaldo ()

  • December minutes were approved and are available on the web
  • Discussed E-Alerts –Judy Landis asked what percentage of parents are signed up
  • Anne will check and advise

Treasurer’s Report – Carole Staats for Vicki Rioboli ()

  • Expenditures for month as follow:
  • $800.00 for class donations ($200 each)
  • $1,200.00 for Post Prom donation
  • $75.10 for Soldiers donation
  • $157.14 for Public Relations
  • $875.00 for Staff Recognition
  • $17,839.38 ending balance - $7,990.94 held in escrow for new sign = $9,848.44 ending balance as of 01/31/09
  • Budgets for December and January were approved
  • Discussed mini grants for spring now available

Principal’s Report – Judy Landis ()

  • Dual Enrollment beginning in September 2009 - letters sent to parents
  • MHS will offer 13 classes for college credit
  • Professors from Montco to teach or qualified staff
  • Tuition amounts per class
  • Students will need to choose between AP courses or Dual Enrollment
  • Judy noted some schools will want to see AP courses on transcripts
  • Students will need to know if Montco credits will transfer
  • Information Session for parents in April
  • Honors/ AP Weighting
  • Sent proposal to School Board to weight Honors at 1.1 & AP at 1.2 beginning with September’s Freshman class
  • Co-teaching for IEP & Special Ed Students to mainstream with Regular Education
  • Will be expanded for No Child Left Behind/ Adequate Yearly Progress on PSSA scores
  • Enable IEP students to take more challenging curriculum with additional support predominantly for English and Math classes
  • Front load for 9th & 10th grade classes with goal of students needing less support in future
  • ACT 80 Days 3/10 & 4/27 for Co-Teaching seminars and to go to other schools using co-teaching
  • 35 teachers will be involved with co-teaching
  • PSSA Testing – Juniors only
  • Writing Feb 10-12
  • Reading/ Math March 17-19
  • Science April 28-30
  • Will have snacks available – H&S to donate soft pretzels
  • Discussed modified rotating schedule for periods 1-3 during testing dates

Guidance Department Report – Cindy Hartson ()

  • College Mid Year Reports
  • 750 to go out within next 2 weeks
  • Seniors should be providing acceptance letters and scholarship information
  • SAT–Next test date: March 14th – deadline February 10th
  • Juniors taking Fundamentals in Geometry should wait till May test date
  • Sophomores – Career planning
  • Freshmen – periodic meetings

Teacher’s Report – Barbi Griffith ()

  • Received 2 requests for Mini Grants
  • Susan Ashenfelter would like to secure money for guest speaker fee – Jimmy Biddle – STD Prevention for Juniors & Seniors
  • Melissa Lantz would like to subsidize an Honors Geometry Field trip (both MHS & Arcola students) to NJ to see how Geometry is used in architecture
  • Spanish Club will be going to Eagleville on March 3 to teach a Spanish lesson to 2nd & 3rd graders
  • Senior Class is sponsoring a Talent Show (fund raiser) on February 6th
  • Lee Brader advised both basketball teams qualified for PAC’s Final Four Tournament
  • Boys play February 6th
  • Girls on Saturday, February 7th
  • Girls’ Team sponsored 3rd annual Breast Cancer Awareness game on February 5th
  • Staff Appreciation Luncheon – Several teachers sent thank you notes
  • Teddy Bear Drive WPG for Nehemiah’s Way
  • Looking for donations of new bears
  • $1 donations of paper bears to go to Children’s Association of Laurel House
  • Janet Song, Methacton Senior, has been named one of only 40 national finalists in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search. The top winners will be named in March; all finalists get financial prize and laptop. She has a patent pending on a test she hopes will help detect cancer.

President’s Report –Carole Staats()

  • Website – Carole asked parents to check out website and information available
  • Upcoming Guest Speakers
  • March – Ryan Creeden will talk further on FreshmanAcademy
  • April – Dr. Robinson will talk about results of consultants for counseling department possibly
  • North Montco Tech – Open House 3/26, 6-8PM

School Board Report – Marijane Barbone

  • Preliminary budget proposed with 7.3% tax increase
  • Still working on budget – looking for areas to decrease
  • Had 4.1% decrease in revenue
  • Increase due to building projects, salaries and benefits
  • Woodland
  • 98% complete inside
  • Some space issues will occur until completion of 5/6 building
  • 5/6 Building
  • Moving forward & currently on schedule
  • Voting completed for name of new school
  • Dr. Quinn completed analysis on Classroom space
  • Report on District website
  • Answered questions regarding snow days and late start for next school year

Post Prom Report – Candy Jones and Jenny Anderson for Lisa Bugda & Ernie Paravati ()

  • Post Prom Meeting – February 18, 7PM, MHS Library
  • Open to all – committees to present
  • Thanked Home & School for generous donation
  • Night in Las Vegas (formerly Oldies Night) – March 27
  • Looking for donations of baskets to raffle

Old Business/ New Business–

  • Upcoming Dates
  • 2/6 – Talent Show, 7-10 PM, MHS Auditorium
  • 2/10-2/12 – PSSA Writing – 11th Grade
  • 2/12/09 – Senior Banquet – Westover Country Club
  • 2/12-2/16 – No School
  • 2/26-2/18 – Spring Musical
  • 3/5 – Home & School Meeting, 9AM, MHS Library Conference Room
  • 3/10 – No School
  • 3/13 – Mr. Methacton Contest
  • 3/17-3/19 – PSSA Math and Reading – 11th Grade
  • 3/27 – Post Prom Fundraiser “A Night in Las Vegas”

Next Home & School Meeting will be held on March5th at 9:00 a.m.

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