MHS School Site Council
3/10/11 Meeting Notes
3:15pm – 4:30pm
In attendance: Mindy Peterson, Karen Hunter Quartz, Bill Robinson, JuliaCheri Hoos, Alex Mayle, Patrick
Miller, Adam Panish, Rachel Stowell, Mark Kelly, Colleen Baum, Miranda Bard, Kathryn Ibarra, Ingrid
Peterson, Audra Hotchkiss, Jennifer Denker, Keely Jensen, Bambi Young, Patricia Gruendenmann
1.
School Updates
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Masque this week. Three different programs all three nights.
We got our new technology from the EETT grant. Student response systems. Adam
Panish has started using it already. Students report liking using the new system. Five
teachers received this on Monday. Training is ongoing.
Our CSL coordinator (Bobbi Ross Neier) was contacted by a HS in Maine. They are trying
to implement a new school-wide Community Service Learning program. They contacted
her because MHS kept coming up as a school that is doing what they hope to do!
Update on school uniform discussion
 Introduction my Mark. Some Parents want to explore a common dress code.
Parents and Mark have not been able to meet yet. Going to meet next week.
Parents are going to share what they would like. This is just a preliminary,
beginning discussion. A process has not yet been developed. Looking for input
from the site council.
 Jen Denker – Younger kids dress to emulate older kids. Dress code is an issue.
Parents and faculty spend a lot of time policing it. It has been regularly in the
Monday Morning Message. Have done research. Going to explore the idea.
Goal of creating a survey and seeing what happens. The article in the local
paper was not planned, particularly not at this early stage of the game. Malibu
High does not have a good reputation for the way the kids dress here. We want
our kids to be able to express themselves, but we also want them to be dressed
appropriately for school and not have clothing be a distraction and a struggle in
school. Modesty is part of the issue. Another issue is leveling the playing field
in terms of “haves” and “have-nots.”
 Mark – Are there things you want the council to be thinking about? Do you
want feedback of a particular kind?
 There are ways to have uniforms and still allow students opportunities for
individual expression.
 The research shows that uniforms are mainly positive for parents, students, and
teachers.
 Questions from Bill Robinson – Will senior girls be willing to do this? Is this
“Malibu High” to impose a dress code? Does it go against the individuality of
our school? There’s a lot of the spirit of the school that is about individuality?
 Counter questions – If you require uniforms, how will we pay for it? Under new
law, would the school have to pay for it? What would be a reasonable process
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2.
and timeline for working on this? How can we make sure the process is as
democratic as possible?
Given the budget concerns – if this is a costly change, it should probably be a
low priority.
Patricia Gruendemann – There is a clear difference between how uniformed
children behave and how non-uniformed children behave. Uniforms allow
students to interact based upon who they ARE not based upon how they dress.
Helps children learn that they have value that is based on what is inside, not
based on externals.
There will be opportunity for a pro/con discussion at a later date.
Meeting with Mark and parent reps. 11:30 on Tuesday (3/15). If an SSC
member would like to attend – let Mark know.
SMMUSD Strategic Plan—presentation and survey
 There has been a strategic plan committee working on a new plan for about the past
year.
 Mark shared a PowerPoint presentation (will be attached to these minutes)
 Reasoning – For the Board and district leadership to guide its work, prioritize, and help
with decision-making
 Started in 2009
 There were opportunities for stakeholders to have input into the new plan
 Liz Cowgill has been the most consistent representative from MHS.
 We are in the “finalize and adopt” phase. Should be completed and adopted by the
Board in June, 2011.
 There will be another open house in April. Announcements should be coming out soon.
Should be in the last week in April.
 Used the framework of “21st Century Student” skills in creating the plan.
 Proposed plan formatted as a pyramid:
 Top = Outcomes for graduating students (seven listed)
 Middle = Core goals of the district with the aim of promoting excellence
organized as strategies supported by initiatives
 Bottom = Supporting goals organized into three categories
1. Ensure district resources
2. Strengthen talent at every level
3. Nurture collaborative partnerships
 Foundation = Mission Statement = Extraordinary achievement for all students
while simultaneously closing the achievement gap.
 Maureen Bradford will email the survey for site council members to complete
 If guests of today’s meeting would like to participate, please provide your email to Mark
before you leave.
 Questions –
 In the strategic plan, is there any means for assessing the progress of the plan
and making choices based on those assessments?
 Answer – Not that Mark has heard of.
 How does this or will it align with our Single Plan for Student Achievement? The
strategic plan is impressive…it may give us an opportunity to approach
improvement and student success using measures that extend beyond the CSTs.
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 Answer – Don’t know. We may receive some direction from the district to take
the strategic plan into account when creating our annual SPSA.
 Audra Hotchkiss: There are a lot of parents who have a lot of resources who can
assist not only their students, but also other children. How can we develop and
improve those connections? How can we use this plan to help us improve?
1. Conversation about Science Fair.
2. 9th graders have formed a science club
If people have other input – send it to Mark. He will craft a communication to send to
the District.
The 2011 Single Plan for Student Achievement
 Update on student survey
 Miranda Bard – Student Rep in place of Charis and Elizabeth who could not
attend today.
 The Student Survey was created through a collaborative process with teachers
and students, and administered anonymously at change of semester; results
went only to teacher
 Teachers would like more written feedback, but students want those comments
to be anonymous; perhaps it could be done on computer
 Needs to be a less cumbersome process for teachers to score the survey forms.
 15 HS teachers (of approximately 30 HS teachers) filled out the teacher
feedback survey.
 Right now ASB is funding it…but it’s a part of the Single Plan, so the ASB would
like the site council to fund it. Currently it costs $1100.00.
 Proposed: Change to a low-cost online form
 Proposed: Find a way for there to be a common core of questions, and also
specific questions teachers could add on regarding their own discipline and
practice
 The pros of taking it online outweigh the costs. It would allow for easier analysis
of data. ..
 It would be beneficial to have a cover letter attached to the teacher response
survey. This will help teachers understand what it is, why they are being asked
to fill it out, and so on. Will probably lead to greater teacher participation and
more useful results.
 Next Steps: Send results of teacher survey to teachers with a cover letter
including follow ups and next steps.
 Discuss ideas for Spring Site Lines draft
 Should we make ours look like the PTSA newsletter? Colleen Baum will make it
available in the same online format.
 Content –
1. Update on HS teacher surveys
2. Update on EETT grant technology
3. CSL Fair
4. Strategic Plan?
5. Meaningful Projects? (6th grade read-a-thon or 6th grade book clubs)
4.
Set agenda for April 7th meeting
 Follow up on single plan
 Follow up on students rights – will we be administering another survey toward the end
of the year
 Department update from our single plan timeline (Adam – creating common writing
grading for HS history teachers?)
 CSL update—invite Bobbi to present
 Newsletter