Minutes from Feb 9, 2010 IHS Site Council
Present: Gina Bauer, Jim Holm, Jocelyn Harley, Lydia Norton, Janell Schjoellhorn, Caleb Kostechka, Wade Powell, Craig Wiebe, Jackie Owens, Deon Saraceno, Deon Saraceno, Joanne Moorefield, Peggy Farris, Courtney Leonard, Lisa Gai.
Jocelyn is convener
Wade takes minutes
The minutes of Jan 12 were approved with a change to page 3, from HIS to HIS
Announcements were scarce
Reports:
Students: IHS dance will be a fundraiser for Haiti…
Parents: Short meeting in January. We discussed the community service fair, and other topics.
We had a discussion on “travel as a political act”
Many good questions, and a vigorous discussion.
Staff Report: CAS Cas committee met, and will meet again, so that process s ongoing>
Courtney has us focused on the staffing handout. Se attached.
Many changes in our numbers, and how the district is managing the declining enrollment throughout the district. District enrollment policy s to have no HS over 1500. Churchill will have a small class coming in from the two feeder middle schools. In general, only a few students via waiting lists will be allowed to go to a school other than their region’s high school.
Much discussion about how students drop, transition out, stay, etc…
Eugene IHS Review: Courtney shares how M Curtis and district folks met about IHS’s review as an alternative high school. We are unique, thus we’re the only high school being so evaluated.
There will be a paper review, visits, reports will be submitted, all leading to the district superintendant. He will take all this to the school board, for approval.
Courtney handed out the Preparation Summary List. She described the various parties who will have input throughout the process.
Tonight, we’ll talk about advantages or disadvantages of co-location with our high schools.
March 19 is our deadline to make our presentation. Now we’ll discuss item 6
Peggy: An advantage is each school gets an IB curriculum opportunity.
Lydia: Being part of a larger school that has theater, sports, etc available.
Craig: Across city kids can meet and work together at meaningful activities
Joanne: Students can define themselves in different ways based on many things/multiple campuses
Peggy: Scheduling is often difficult
Deon: Library projects involve many gifted librarians, so kids benefit with varying resources in both staff and resources
Lydia, we put together a few fairs that many kids attend from different campuses
Peggy: Our requirement of 3 yrs of foreign languages, this is unique, and relevant
Jocelyn: We improve teaching and communication between staff on each campus that has a multiplier effect for both students and staff
Lisa: Block schedules have a zero period, as it allows flexible schedules for high functioning students
Gina: Students feel an enriched sense of community over their 4 years in HIS. This is unique compared to host school classrooms
Jackie: Inherant (sp) in our curriculum is a form of multiculturalism
Gina: HIS students are taught to see connections across curriculum because of our structure as well as content.
Peggy: Students coming from small outlying areas of home schooling are comfortable with our “small cohort”, as well as the host school.
Caleb: We have immersion programs
Joanne: We have little control over school resources such as computer labs and such.
Jocelyn: We’re learning about technology, and all of our kids benefit
Caleb: Our students are available
Deon: Occasionally HIS teachers are made to feel less than welcome at the host school
Lisa: Teachers having to do IB and AP curriculum in the same class and that is difficult.
Jocelyn: Differing forms of governance sometimes leads to an unbalanced distribution of resources
Peggy: Communication itself is often difficult
Jackie: When host schools set up new programs, we are asked to adjust and this is sometimes difficult
Courtney: As new staff and administrators come on line, our traditions and history are not automatically passed along. Often we start from scratch.
Caleb: With our vertically and horizontally aligned curriculum is unique and a benefit to our students
Jocelyn: Best teacher practices are honed with our role in our own leadership, blending in on host school campuses, and how we collaborate with each other. This is enhanced by our multiple campus lives…
Craig: We offer choice.
Jackie: We bring the same lesson to each school environment, and we hone our teaching by adapting to the differing audiences
Jocelyn: Carrying supplies around is a drag.
Deon: Students often bring in things we can share with students on other campuses
Courtney” Head teachers are not administrators. This is a position that has some inequity in how it is perceived and exercised. We have no particular advocate for our program at the district level
Jackie: Sometimes HIS is seen as “too hard” and sometimes councelors problem solve by having students withdraw rather than work thru the particular challenges.
Caleb: We worry about school enrollment, this is a pressure most teachers don’t feel. It leads to a sense of ownership that is unique.