MPES Community Council Meeting
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 – McPolin Library, 3:32-5:07 PM
-MinutesInfo Pack Contents: Agenda; 2009-2010 School Plan Final Report pages 1-6
Traci Sheinberg handouts: School Community Councils: A Parent Perspective; Parent Members of
School Community Councils; School Community Council Compliance Checklist; School Improvement
Plan; R277. Education, Administration
Attendance: Renee’ Perry, Stephanie Howell, Tory Kendall, Maggie AbuHaidar, Traci Sheinberg, David
Peters, Tina Brunetti, Bob Edmiston, Shannon Hallowell Schemmer
Guests: Tom Van Gorder, Joan Thompson
Members Missing: Bev Beeman, Muggins Haerter
CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 3:32 by Principal Bob Edmiston.
Agenda:
Joan – Software update on ALEKS. For 2nd grade, there are quicktables only. For 3rd- 5 there are
quicktables with ALEKS. Everyday Math software has been set up for classes. There was training with
Bruce with 2nd-5th grades last week. The teachers are beginning to use the programs in centers and
afterschool as well as math group. The program provides data to monitor school use as well as class use
and student progress. Traci asked have parent letters gone home. Joan stated that Bruce was working
on it. Joan felt it was optimal for the kids to have a little more time using the program with hands on
experience at school prior to sending the information home. Tina produced her first test/progress
reports from her 2nd grade quicktables use in the classroom.
MIMIO Boards
MIMIO Board demo station is being set up. The training of our school coaches will take place in
December. The training of staff will occur in January. The software will be available in February. Coaches
will be providing staff with sample MIMIO lessons that will integrate our new technology with
curriculum.
Traci expressed great concern about $ 13,000 spent on MIMIO boards and that they were not installed
but sitting in a closet. She was concerned about the many closets full of non-utilized supplies at McPolin.
Bob apologized that he authorized the purchase in May but did not know at the time that the software
had to be bought in April to implement for the beginning of the year. Jeremy Ranch and Parleys Park
already had boards installed and therefore the PC district chose to implement Journeys in those schools
prior to the phase in at McPolin. Traci has seen her children use SMART boards at Colby and questioned
why they could not be implemented sooner in the school year. It was repeated that it was a district
decision. Shannon suggested that if Traci was unhappy at McPolin then she had a choice to leave. She
stated she had too much invested.
Traci questioned about the funding that was earmarked for the Weather Bug instruction. Bob and Joan
stated it had been offered to the 4th grade teachers but none expressed an active desire to utilize the
training. Shannon stated she spoke to Mr. Holland at the copier about some interesting free weather
lessons available on the Weather Bug site. Tina stated she has used the Weather Bug site during
computer lab in her 2nd grade. Traci replied that Jana Tullis and Mr. Call never used it when her children
where in 2nd grade. Joan stated Mr. Call had gotten on Weather Bug a couple of times during computer
lab. It was stated that only the 2nd and 4th grade curriculum had weather components. Tina suggested
further utilization of Weather Bug by having the students give the weather report with morning
announcements. She also inquired if it was possible to take the students to see the weather station at
TMIS but it was stated it is on the roof.
Traci offered 5 handouts which included Jeremy Ranches Power Point orientation to parents on CC. Bob
clarified that this was homework for each member to read prior to the next meeting. Traci wanted to
give each CC member a copy of the roles and responsibilities for parents, teachers, and the principal and
the state laws and rules for following the correct process for the CC in order to provide transparency and
the proper checks and balances.
Bob clarified that the School Land Trust fund is to be decided by CC members. He stated that the School
Improvement Plan must be done after preliminary data from the CRT results in May and created in June
or the school would be behind in planning for the upcoming school year. Bob stated he has always
followed the lead from the CC recommendations. It was discussed if the CC would want to participate in
meetings throughout the summer.
Tom Van Gorder suggested that the CC could start in February by reviewing the DIBELS data for the
literacy component of the SIP and then review ALEKS data in the spring to start to guide the math
component of the SIP. He proposed a follow up review of the CRT data in August could then be used to
tweek the final SIP.
Stephanie recommended an evaluation process to support the programs funded. Maggie agreed that an
annual review should be implemented.
Shannon questioned if the CC positions could be posted at the beginning of May and then voted on at
the end of May so that the new CC could be planning for the following school year. The answer given
was no. The district policy states that the CC vote must be done at the beginning of the school year in
order for incoming parents to have a vote for their student’s academic year (as opposed to outgoing 5th
grade parents voting and then not being at the school).
David stated he entered this committee with “beginner’s eyes” but is willing to climb the mountain and
work towards a district meeting for financial clarity on the CC accounting statements. Expounding on
Tom’s idea, he thought it was positive that the group could have input in the SIP. He suggested not
having everyone investigating the same issue and then allowing the various subcommittees to report to
the rest of the group.
Traci revisited the process procedure for CC approving the purchase of products. She stated she talked
to Greg Proffit about CC money being spent prior to a CC vote to approve the product purchase. Greg
Proffit recommended to her that there should be an email to the CC president and or committee
members prior to funds being dispersed.
Bob explained that the SIP is taken to the school board for approval and then a purchase order goes to
the PC district for the purchase of plan items. The code on the PO designates the withdrawal from CC
funds or Title I funds and Tom Van Gorder then reviews the PO and signs off on the purchase. Tom
stated it is entered in the Munis system which produces the PO for purchase.
Bob produced a copy of a check for $16,000 for art teacher funding that was not put in the prior year’s
Land Trust Funds account and the district produced the check for us to spend as CC funds. Maggie
repeated the need to have a rule about emailing CC members about fund disbursement POs.
Stephanie readdressed the need for a subcommittee for the evaluation of SIP programs to provide
objective data to evaluate program effectiveness. She suggested one tool could be Survey Monkey and
that she would be willing to develop and send out the survey. Renee’ also volunteered to be on the
subcommittee and poll 5th grade teachers prior to her early departure from the meeting.
Tom pointed out that Staff Development training, which is funded with Trust Land dollars, is not a one
time deal but needs to be ongoing based on evaluation feedback from the teachers. Maggie would like
teacher evaluations of the programs they attend or products they use in the classroom to know if they
use the training in their daily classroom teaching, how they are implementing it and if they think the
tools are effective. The teacher members were asked why they wanted to be on CC. Tina wanted to get
involved and had prior experience in Nevada as a teacher. Tory wanted to find out why the CC was here,
who was on it, and just wanted to learn about what the CC does. Tory stated tell me what to do and
we’ll do it. If we put out a survey or assessment she would respond with her thoughts and whether or
not she found time to use a new program. Traci voiced the need for a combination of anonymous
surveys and talking with the teachers for an easy, objective evaluation. Denine had shared with Tina the
value of the Kinder boot camp they held in the summer and how much that had done for the below level
children relative to their performance currently. Julie Hastings, Melissa Bott and Kris Weiss who provide
staff development could easily have teachers turn in an evaluation of the training at the end of the
session.
Maggie volunteered to summarize the pertinent points of the 5 handouts Traci distributed.
Bob moved on to a class size update. K at 24 students in both classes, 1st at 27 students in both classes,
2nd grade with 23, 25 and 26 students, 3rd at 27 and 28 students, and each of the three 4th and 5th classes
at 21 or 22 students. Bob has requested 3 full time aids. Two aids for third grade and one for first
grades. Ray Timothy will try to find the funding.
Bob encouraged the group to review the 2009-2010 School Plan Final Report and email him with any
questions or concerns by the November 19th deadline for submission. Specifically, Bob pointed out on
page 3 of 6 that the Art program last year was not a “side-by-side” model with the art and class teacher
present together due to scheduling conflicts and staff negotiated “prep time”.
Greg Proffit, Patti Hagan and Cindy Hair to meet at district with David and Bob to further investigate the
accounting of funds and discrepancies between budget figures and district figures.
High Performing Title I School for the 2nd consecutive year is a major accomplishment bestowed on
McPolin.
BLT updates:
The ALEKS and Think Central for Journeys information is to be sent home with report cards Nov 29th.
The Historian Award, Academic Award, and Journey Musher information is also to be sent home with
report cards.
Joint Luncheon with PTO and Moe Hickey:
Shannon informed Bob that Jenn Barker may be available to attend if the date could be post
poned until after December 8th. Bob will follow up with Jenn and confirm a date.
10/26/10 MEETING MINUTES REVIEW FOR APPROVAL: Minutes were reviewed. Motion: Traci motioned
to approve minutes. Maggie seconded the motion. All were in favor.
Tom offered a suggestion to formulate a subcommittee for the McPolin CC calendar with timelines for
planning.
NEXT MEETING: Joint Luncheon in December with date pending.
The next meeting will be held on January 25th, 2011 at 3:30 PM
ADJOURNMENT: Traci motioned to adjourn the meeting. Bob seconded the motion. All were in favor.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:07 PM.
Respectively submitted by Shannon Hallowell Schemmer.