Science Materials Center Cooperative Meeting
Science Materials Center Cooperative Meeting
Thursday May 30, 2008 – 10:30 am – 12:00 noon
SMC – Stanwood SD
Members present:
Karen Ashmore – Ferndale SD
Barb Brausieck – Ferndale SD
Tracy Dabbs – Burlington-Edison SD
Philippa Farrell – Snohomish SD
Susie Gaudette – Mount Vernon SD
Kerry Holiman – Stanwood-Camano SD
Joanne Johnson – NWESD
Nancy Menard – NWESD
Ruth Retasket – Lummi Nation Schools
Lloy Schaaf – Stanwood-Camano SD
Kelly Spears – NWESD
Teresa Van Haalen – Mount Vernon SD
Peggy Webb – Lakewood SD
Introductions/New Faces
Lloy welcomed everyone to the new SMC on behalf of the Stanwood SD. This was the first cooperative meeting for Karen, Kerry, Ruth & Peggy.
What does the new locale mean for all of us?
· What stayed the same? – There is still no running water as per the group decision when considering the move. All kits are labeled as such. Kelly and her staff are thrilled with the new location. Hours of operation have remained the same. The SMC is staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, Mon – Friday.
· What is different? – We have TWICE the space! Four portables instead of two. The facility will now be refurbishing STC elementary kits. The supplies for refurbishment are now color coded by kit. Refurbishing now has it’s own area in the new SMC.
TOUR
Kelly provided is with a tour of the new SMC. One portable for storage, one portable for refurbishment, one portable to kit work and the final portable as a training location. The Professional Development portable will be available for use August 1, 2008 and will share space with critters which will move from Lakewood after the fall rotation.
Summer Updates
Kelly reported that she is in the progress of starting a bar coding system for the kits. The company we have been recommended by our Learning Research Center is Folio. This software will track where the kits are and when they are to be returned, what kits each district has, etc.
The center has purchased (or will be purchasing) a shredder, cart, two hand trucks and a worm bin. The NW LASER Alliance was able to provide $7000 worth of start-up funding to support the center’s move and additional center supplies.
The 2008 summer schedule was distributed and Kelly asked that if changes are necessary, she be notified immediately.
2008-09 Schedules
Please send Kelly your 2008/09 rotation schedule, electronically, no later than June 7th .
Manuals for Rental Kits
Kelly reminded us that refurbished kits leaving the SMC do not include manuals. It was suggested that if anyone has extra teacher manuals the Center would appreciate having them available for check out. Districts can encouraged to label them so that if the need arises, they can be returned. Kelly will track manuals with our new bar coding system.
Other?
· Middle school kits are not refurbished at the center. We can order the supplies for you. We will charge the district a 30% labor fee along with a 10% NWESD indirect. The cost will still be significantly less than if the district would order direct from the vendor.
· When kits are not used by a district and are returned to the center, please clearly mark the kit that it has not been used. If it is not clearly marked, the center will still go through the kit and the district will be charged a labor fee.
· Tracy Dabbs shared that Burlington-Edison SD sends a survey to the teachers so they can let administration know what they can do to support/assist them with the program. FOSS Kit Survey
· For teachers trained in Science Notebooking, the SMC has previously provided student notebooks. As Kelly purchases for the summer refurbishing cycle, we will have a much better idea about our budget capacity for next year. The SMC cannot commit at this time to the purchase of notebooks. The SMC can however commit to keeping the costs for refurbishment the same in the 2008/09 school year. NO INCREASE IN CHARGES.
· Deliveries to the center. Please work with your transportation folks to have the drivers go to the back of the school. The best place to unload would be to back up next to the P169 portable. Deliveries can be made at any time the SMC is open. At Port Susan we have no time constraints for delivery or pick up. Kelly still needs to be notified in advance, during normal operating hours.
Next meeting:
Friday October 17, 2008
10:30-12:00
SMC - Stanwood