Humboldt High School

Site Council Minutes April 10, 2006

Attendance: Valerie Atkinson (Staff Co-Chair), Bonnie Bellows (Staff), Deb Ship (AP), Mike Sodomka (AP Acting Principal), Dave Mergens (Staff), Jennifer Purtel (Parent), Gilbert De La O (Community), Kari Denissen (Community), Derby Campo (St. Olaf Gear Up), Becki Hamilton (Parent), Israel Moses (AP), Marilyn Mauritz (Staff), Anne Gangl (Parent), Lauren Rekonen (Staff), Tom Kranz (Union, Staff)

I.                    Approval of Agenda

Approval of agenda so moved by Dave M, seconded by Bonnie B.  Unanimous

II.                 Approval of February 13 minutes and March 13 minutes

Approval of minutes so moved by Bonnie, seconded by Mike S.  Unanimous

III.               Open Forum

Dave:  Hall of Fame induction tomorrow evening at the Prom center.  Close to 3,000 people have paid to attend and it has been in the paper.  We are inducting a past team and some coaches.  Great response of people and it should be very exciting.

Valerie:  April 13^th Blood Drive, students in cafeteria signing people up.  If any adults would like to sign up, please do.  We would like 50 pints, but we are not there yet.  Starts at 8am and goes until 1pm.  District gave us free calendars, please take one.  Site council interested in June potluck instead of a restaurant?  We can sign up in May so we have a good mix of food.  The date in June 12.  (Everyone in favor so we will have potluck in June).

Jennifer:  My mother came to visit for a career health day and she said she had a wonderful time and was treated very well.  Was very impressed with the career service section here.

Derby:  Gear Up is finalizing FAFSA forms with students and helping them make their May 1^st decisions.  They have visited St. Olaf with 4 Hmong teens and their families, the trip was in Hmong and it helped explain the application process with the parents.  ETS (Education Talent Search) just finished ACT test prep with students at Central.  9^th grade students will have their final trip to St. Olaf May 2^nd for the mentor program.  ETS is also working with WOW (AP support program at Humboldt) to help plan their dinner.

IV.              Update on presentations to the school board (presented by Dave for Andy M.)

Andy is very well spoken and did a great job with the board- sharing more about our proposals and why they are important.  They are showing support, although there is a lot on the school board’s agenda right now.  Andy has spoken at one meeting and Don Luna at another.  We were going to get a grant from Ramsey County but we won’t without some show of financial support from the district.  Next school board meeting is April 25^th.  Israel, Mike and Dave met with Pat Quinn, Luz Maria Serrano and Lou Kanavati to talk through out proposal.  We need an even bigger group to come to the next Committee of the Board meeting on the 18th (maybe 5:00/5:30).  It is up to Lou Kanavati and Luz Maria Serrano to get us on the agenda.  The school board is struggling with some other things so we need to push to stay in their.  1.4million will need to be shifted for our project, this money is there to be shifted but other people are asking for this money as well.  This money would include:  artificial turf, construct retaining walls and pad them, construct permanent bleachers on one side, construct the press box, put in a new PA system, install new score boards.  The part of Phase I that is not in this list are the 2 or 3 running surface around the football, soccer field.  The architects feel it won’t fit and will be dangerous because to close to the playing field.  We can keep softball field and make it regulation turf.  We would like it to get approved to begin a bidding process this summer so we can get Ramsey County’s support.

We need a letter/email from the site council co-chairs to Luz Maria Serrano asking to get us on this agenda.

Anything addressed for Phase II?  These will be looked at during the next capital bonding period because they are such huge projects.  We are pushing the Phase I projects because they do not need to be approved as part of the capital bonding bill. 

V.                 Update on Physical Improvements (Dave M)

(see above- these two reports done jointly)

VI.              School Continuous Improvement Plan (SCIP) (Moses)

This is a draft and it will be 12-13 pages when it is complete.  There are five sections to the SCIP- description of school and data will not be reviewed verbally tonight.

Both the goals and initiatives must align with the districts action plan. 

Goals:  These are for the students and what actions we are taking with them. The first goal is about how students will get to “safe harbor”.  Safe harbor is connected to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and illustrates the lowest scores we can get on the MCA’s in order to be in compliance with NCLB.  Goal 2 is pertaining to increasing the graduation rate.  The third goal pertains to the 9^th grade continuation rate and the 4^th goal is to increase the number of students (9^th, 10^th, 11^th grade) who are on track with their six-year plan and increasing enrollment is AP-type programs so that more students will be on track to graduate in the future.

Initiatives:  Initiative 1 sets out to utilize “best practices” from the Principles of Learning to achieve a more rigorous academic program.  Initiative 2 engages teachers to ensure students are on track with their six-year plan.  Initiative 3 seeks to build community partnerships, improve physical environment and align the schedule to match the junior high.

Discussion:  Guidance is working with students to explore careers to inform their academy selection.  This is done with the Explore and Plan test put out by the College Board.  After these, student prepare for the ACT by taking the PSAT in 11^th grade.  Then find a way to engage students in creating a six-year plan that can then be entered into the computer (so is documented).

VII.            Principal’s Report

John will be out until at least May 12^th (then reviewed by a doctor to see if he will return.

April 25^th 6:30-7:30 community forum to get input on what is important for a junior high principal.

MCA’s are coming up for 10th (reading) and 11th (math) graders.  The T Test tests students with/for emerging English, over 100 students are being tested (oral English skills).

Gang awareness seminar at Neighborhood House – 26^th from 6:30-8pm.

27^th from 4-7 are conferences.

Report cards mailed next Monday or Tuesday.

29^th is Prom at Metro state grand ball room.

June 2^nd is the last day for Seniors with an ice cream social for the community, parents, etc.  This ice cream social also recognizes 100 years of St. Paul.

Graduation is on June 5^th and all-night party is the evening of the 5^th.  Starts at 10pm and goes until 5am.

May 24^th is Senior Honors night.

Staff development training happening this summer, AVID, AP and Principles of Learning.

Continuing to align with the Junior High, some classes will be offered at the Junior High and some offered here.

There is a property tax rebate in the city of St. Paul that you can fill out.

School budget is done from last year (went down because of a change in distribution formula for compensatory funding) but our salaries and wages went up, this will result in loss of part-time positions and larger class sizes.

Meeting on April 12^th with Lois Rockney and Luz Maria Serrano to ask for more money.

Referendum:  The district is considering continuing a referendum (18mil).  They would like to renew it and ask for an increased amount.  Currently, this is at $300/student.  This may give us an additional $290,000 and it is about 4 teachers.  How would we use this money to be more competitive for the 21^st century. 

Next week is multicultural week and includes many important and exciting activities.

Passed out flyer for Neighborhood Learning Community learning conference on Monday May 1^st, 2006 from 3-5pm at the Drake Building, 60 Plato Blvd East

AVID program video:  1200 schools in 21 states.  Program to get students who are struggling (making C’s and D’s) on a college path.  Notes from video:  Revolutionizes teaching so teachers are a coach, cheerleader and a cop.  Turn around self-impressions of kids who may have been told or felt all their lives that they could not go to college.

VIII.         New Business

IX.              Reminder of upcoming Site Council dates:  May 1 & June 12

X.                 Adjourn

Motion to adjourn so moved by Bonnie B, seconded by Tom K. Unanimous