Humboldt High School

Site Council Minutes

11-14-05

Introductions: Valerie Atkinson (Co-Chair Staff), Becky Hamilton (Co-Chair Parent), Stoney Wilson (Student), Nicole Becker (Student), Andy Mosca (Parent), Christian Borgan (Student), Ann Gangl (Parent), Gilbert de la O (Community), Sandra Forsyth (Gear Up/ETS), Bonnie Bellows (Staff), John Bianchi (Principal), Isreal Moses (AP), Jolene Schlief (Parent), Marilyn Mauritz (Staff), Diane Schroepfer (Staff), Deborah Shipp (AP), Natalie Hamilton (Student), Mai T. Vang (Student), Jennifer Purtell (Parent), John Heines (Parent), Kayla Fearing (Student), Kandice Hedlund (Parent), Kari Dennisson (Community), Andrea Dickinson (Staff), Tom Kranz (Union), Mike Sodomka (AP)

1. Motion to approve agenda by Anne Gangl, seconded by Gilbert de la O.

2. Minute approved by Gilbert de la O and seconded by John Heines.

Welcome of new parents: Andy Mosca, Jolene Schlief, Kandice Hedlund

3. Open Forum

Anne Gangl: suggest one day of the conferences start later and end later. Also coupons for Herbergers for fundraiser for graduation party.

Sandra Forsyth: St. Olaf Gear Up, college program to help students to plan for life beyond high school. 145 different applications have been mailed out.

4. Diane Schroepfer-Review of Committee Discussions on Standard dress, environment and common schedule with junior high. Working to develop a plan to improve Humboldt. Discussed on staff development day, academy meetings, and during lunches.

Standard Dress: Handouts on uniforms/standard dress. We are trying to promote the school as an educational institution. We are planning on fitting student and have a fashion show to exhibit for other students. We have a tentative agreement that we would be a junior high/senior high standard dress complex. We are looking for a proactive way to improve the building. Staff are being polled to see if they approve the concept of uniforms. What will be the process for making the decision of uniforms, how will students and parents be involved? NHS students and Hawk Leader students have been involved in the initial process.

Environment: (Dave Mergens discussed athletic fields at the last site council meeting.) Staff met to discuss options for improving the front of the building and inside changes to make it more internally inviting. Signage on Robert is being pursued, on the front of building and on the doors. Police cars have been removed to the street. Street parking was requested by parents for activities. Suggested to have custodians unlock doors for times before meetings or have student volunteers man the doors to let guests in. Removing trees in parking lot improve parking lot. Parking for people with disabilities is available at the front of the building. Signage could be added to detail parking for disabled drivers. We need to look at ways to be more accommodating to parents. Garbage cans on corners and improving landscaping should also be pursued (i.e. shrubs, flowers and trees). We discussed putting a ramp in from back lot to the side of the building. We could also review moving student parking and staff parking spots. The site council should write a letter to address safety and security issues such as: parking lots, lighting in lots, better walk ways, and secondly beautification. What are the chances of improving a building with declining enrollment, we need to be involved with Clear Spec (the school boards capital improvement committee). The committee meets and makes recommendations to the board, which the board usually accepts. It is important to know the language when requesting the changes; parent generally have the most impact on this committee’s decision. It’s also difficult for athletes access the fields due to the poor condition and limited access. The doors also do not have a double set of doors to prevent air access in the winter. The carpeting is in terrible condition. Building paint is nice. There are improvements which need to be address. Security cameras are coming in the hallways. Students don’t feel the lighting is bright enough, timers have been put on the halls and only half the lights are on in the halls, due to energy conservation per district mandate. Air quality is also poor. We need to have a plan which puts entire package into a single plan. Ideas need to be presented to the Site Council, with student, staff, community and parent representation. The power is with the parents, they get the attention of the board members. Lou Kanavati expressed support for changes to the atmosphere.

Scheduling: Pursue a schedule similar to the junior high. The junior high is pursuing a 6 period trimester. This would allow for junior high students to take senior high classes, peer mentoring, shared classes and programs. We are working to improve instruction and curriculum. We have brought in curriculum coaches to improve instruction currently. John also has contacted a 7-10 school to work to have those students move to Humboldt in their 11th grade. The downfall is we have moved to a new schedule too frequently. We are also pursuing Project Lead the Way, a 9-12 pre-engineering program, which also has a 7-8 component. It is troublesome to move to a new schedule another year. There is also a challenge when students move to a new teacher at different times. Last year we also have had a revolving door of 9GA math teachers, which caused problems. The 9GA schedule is different from school, which is confusing to students. 9GA is running year long schedule with math, science and English to give them year long classes.

Student uniform discussion: Pros/Cons handout. NHS students were surveyed to determine if it would affect coming to Humboldt. Majority wanted uniforms, because it would promote the educational atmosphere. Those against thought it would impact self-expression of students. It’s necessary to survey all the students. Uniforms would remove the uniqueness of the student body. The group thought all these changes would give us the image of a private school. We have not received the teacher’s views or research behind standard dress. The reasoning has not been shared with students, this is needed. Many of the small groups in the Hawk Leaders were against the concept of uniforms, it’s difficult to identify pros, but the cons are easy.

Policy issues need to addressed. We’re being told the use of uniforms would increase enrollment; we would be the only school with uniforms and we didn’t know how it would impact enrollment. We are working to get the bad attendees, the students who don’t participate and work and this would be another filter. Arlington is also currently discussing uniforms if possible. There are disadvantages and advantages to uniforms, this is a public school and students should wear what they want. Student should be able to express themselves. Parent thinks it’s a good idea on one side but also may be "fascist"; a stricter dress code should be reviewed instead of full blown uniforms. Uniforms do not improve a building. Uniforms cannot cover up differences, those differences are there. We need to embrace our diversity, not cover it up. The community students state they make the decision as to what high school they attend, not the parents when students were surveyed during principal search. Improving the dress code is more important than the concept of uniforms. The administration has worked hard to improve student dress, removing distracting outerwear and items. School uniforms are important in elementary schools, but changing behaviors at a senior high level is difficult to accept. Will senior high go alone, if junior high does not? Will it be students and staff? What is the process for this decision? Where is this coming from?

Bianchi states: the superintendent encouraged Humboldt to improve its image by getting people’s attention. West side leaders stated the perception of Humboldt was negative in the eyes of the Westside. We have been consistent in holding the students to respect and responsibility. We have worked to removed non-students who are interfering with instructions and violent students to improve the building. Staff feel we are dealing with issues and have improved the building. We have improved our test scores by 9% and 11% on our MCA math and reading tests, but this is has not proven to be accepted as a flash in the pan, for improving our building. The process for uniforms process for students needs to be surveyed by staff. If staff is on board we will pursue this with students. We will be surveying students and parents in the future, if the staff supports this idea. We will use our business partners for funding and will have uniforms available for reluctant students. The superintendent needs to speak to the board to see if they support it. Bianchi met with all classes today to meet with kids, he saw a number of students dressed inappropriately and addressed it. Students do not demonstrate they are ready to learn when they focus too much on attire.

5. Principal’s Report (John Bianchi) We don’t want to close this building. We have been working to get this school under control and improve instruction, but our reputation remains an issue. We have great things going on, we need to keep our rigor. We are funding our AP program and will continue. We cannot allow things to go on as they are; the district has not supported this school up until recently. Kanavati is willing to support improving Humboldt. School Choice policy is a policy which has created an unevenness in the city. The students here are the heart of our culture, whether AP, special ed or average. It’s not fair for our district to face the reality of the quality of the culture of our school. We cannot let the district determine our destiny; we need to take ownership of our school.

Parents: Could academies choose uniforms and JROTC uniforms? The community needs to be welcomed. We don’t advertise enough our parent fair and Showcase. We had outstanding staff turnout at the parent fair, but still didn’t get results. Last year we went to three junior highs, brought junior high students over here, and are currently attending junior high conferences and elementary conferences. We are also having the junior high principals here to show off Humboldt. The placement center staff has come to tour the building. Uniforms may have a similar impact as police cars in the front of the building. Parents take the input of their kids when determining a school. The uniforms may cause students to choose other schools.

6. Parent Initiative: Parents were at conferences and did callings. It was a successful turnout to recruit parents at conferences. We cannot pass up opportunities to recruit parents. Parents appreciate knowing how their kids are doing and often when called didn’t know about conferences. The telephone numbers on the lists are not accurate. Numbers are disconnected, one parent was deceased, and there were language barriers. We need people who speak home languages doing calling. We need to have students’ complete accurate records. We cannot contact parents with inaccurate numbers. Counselors called all 10th grade parents and parents called all 9th grade parents, but several numbers were disconnected. We could have a calling night which is coordinated with parents. It is helpful to have staff call parents. It is important to have interpreters involved whenever needed. Next months meeting we need to coordinate the calling. Conferences should be changed to 4:30-7:30 PM.

7. New Business for next agenda:

8. Next meeting Monday December 12 in Senior High Library

9. Adjourn, motioned by John Heines, seconded by Bonnie Bellows. Adjourned at 7:54 PM.