Sherman Oaks Elementary Charter
Regular Meeting
August 7, 2014
Sherman Oaks Elementary Charter
Library 2:00pm
Council Members:
Aly Graiwer, Chair
Roz Linton, Vice Chair
David Cook, Parliamentarian
Judy Dichter, Principal (Interim)
Peggy Cruz, Teacher Representative
Susan Eden, Teacher Representative
Tamara Mitchell, Teacher Representative
Diana Krause-Leemon, Classified Representative
Adam Chester, Parent Representative
Jeffrey Greene, Parent Representative
Ashley Ranshaw, Parent Representative (absent)
Roger Seaman, Parent Representative (absent)
Chris Talbott, Parent Representative (absent)
Vacant, ELAC Representative
Alternates:
Annie LeVantine, Teacher
Rosa Brown, Classified
I.
CALL TO ORDER
a. Aly Graiwer calls the meeting to order at 2:04 p.m.
II.
DISCUSSION TOPICS
a. Aly Graiwer makes a motion to approve the minutes of 5-2914 & 2-21-14. Diana Krause-Leemon seconds the motion.
The minutes are unanimously approved.
b. Hiring Update – Aly Graiwer
a. The application deadline was on Tuesday. She hasn’t
heard what the numbers look like. The hiring committee
is scheduled to meet next week to have orientation and
look at resumes. Then, we will have interviews. Next,
the governance council will need to approve the final
three candidates. Finally, Superintendent Deasy will
need to approve the best candidate for our school.
Because we are doing interviews during the school
year, we will need substitutes in order for the teacher
interviewers to be relieved from class. We are trying to
see if we can do half-days or do interviews later in the
afternoon.
i. Subs cost $331 a day and we will need 4 of them.
ii. John Rome says that Saturday for interviews is
unusual and not desirable.
iii. Judy Dichter says the cost for a sub for a half-day
is not half of the cost that a full day sub would be.
iv. Interviews will take one hour per candidate.
v. We also needed to hire two special ed teachers.
One is hired but we will need a long-term sub for
the other position. We are still looking for a
teacher for the autism class.
1. The one whom the hiring committee hired
will replace Maureen McDonald who is on
leave. She can’t start on the first day
because we are waiting on finger printing.
c. SOPA Spirit Contests
Lindsay Sarnoff
a. Last year we gave tickets to kids wearing spirit wear on
Friday.
b. Dave Cook likes it very much and thinks they did a great
job. He suggests that we keep better track of the
winners so that it is not the same person winning each
week.
c. Tamara Mitchell and Susan Eden thought the younger
students loved it.
d. Roz Linton thought that the fourth graders loved it too.
e. Lindsey Sarnoff says there are new styles this year.
f. Teachers are okay with the announcements. Aly asks if
the teachers are okay with the 2nd graders reading the
winners. The answer is yes.
d. SAS/GATE Update
Roz Linton
a. Teachers decided against having SAS classes in kinder.
All Kinder classes are considered SAS screening
classes instead. The teachers will give assessment
throughout the year to assess for 1st grade.
b. In other grades, teachers picked out writing samples to
use as a benchmark to help assess which students are
SAS.
c. Teachers still need to decide if they are doing the
screening for 2nd through 5th for SAS once or twice
during the year.
e. CC Phase II Tech update
Tamara Mitchell
a. Our Apple rep says that we should expect that the iPads
will be delivered in mid-September. They are waiting for
us to have our permanent enrollment numbers. They
are sending a team to help distribute the iPads.
b. Judy Dichter gives an update. We have a tech person
assigned to our school. She will be here next week to
help us. The tech is happy to do a professional
development for the staff. She will be at the school for
several days.
c. Lindsey Sarnoff asks whether the iPads go home.
Tamara Mitchell explains that they stay at school.
There are apps that the kids can do at home. Roz
Linton says we can’t give kids access to LAUSD apps at
home.
f. Governance Committee Goals
a. At end of the last school year, the committees came up
with goals for this upcoming year.
b. We added communications as a true committee and we
will need to give that committee direction.
c. Curriculum – Aly Graiwer reviews the goals for this
committee. See attached. The curriculum and
technology committees will need to work together
because curriculum wanted more technology.
i. Grading should be addressed during articulation
time within a grade level. Dave Cook thinks it is
important for grade levels to do this and not have
GC committee decide it. Roz Linton thinks it
should also be a part of the curriculum committee
to oversee.
ii. Roz Linton - Curriculum has a lot to do with the
iPad roll out (e.g. Pearson v. Envision) Maybe
grade level chairs can check in with curriculum
committee
iii. Stephanie Baker asks how often do committees
meet? Aly Graiwer and Tamara Mitchell answer
that they meet at least once month on Tuesdays
1. Dave Cook gave the dates of the
committees– first is August 26th; Sept 16th
and October 21st.
iv. Roz Linton thinks curriculum really needs to look
into where do we want to go as a school and as
grade levels especially in terms of math.
d. Safety – Aly Graiwer reviews the goals for this
committee. See attached.
i. They want to work with positive behavior. They
are concerned with kids running down the ramps.
They want safety monitors from upper grades.
1. Dave Cook voices his concerns that
sustainability is a problem when using
upper grade kids.
ii. The still need to work on emergency drill
schedule. It is supposed to be once a month.
Dave Cook suggests having two earthquake
drills, one in September and one in February.
Judy Dichter says some schools do an
abbreviated earthquake drill the first time.
1. There is a discussion about whether to let
people know in advance when there will be
a drill. Most agree the element of surprise
is more realistic.
iii. Roz Linton wants to know who will run procedural
fair. Safety committee thinks it should be run by
administration.
iv. Aly Graiwer would like the underside of the ramps
closed off by art explorers. Kids crawl under
them and it’s dangerous.
v. Peggy Cruz explains that over the summer,
phones were stolen from the kids’ backpacks and
a file cabinet was broken into.
1. There is a discussion regarding who should
be in charge of cell phone policy. Roz
Linton suggests that it go to the community
committee. Aly Graiwer suggests safety. It
is decided that it will go to the safety
committee.
2. Diana Krause-Leemon suggests having
teachers remind parents at Back to School
night that the school is not responsible for
stolen personal property.
3. Roz Linton would love the library doors to
be locked after 3:00 because it is the
access to all of the classrooms.
4. Stephanie Baker brings up fact that the cell
phones in backpacks are not on the kids so
the kids can’t be in charge of their property
if it is not allowed on them.
e. Technology – Aly Graiwer reviews the goals (see
attached).
i. SAMR -> Substitution (technology replaces
manual step), augmentation, modification,
redefinition;
ii. Jeffrey Greene wants the students to be able to
rate the software to get a feedback loop.
iii. Roz Linton wants the technology committee to
meet with the curriculum committee to work with
the new materials we will be using.
iv. Aly Graiwer suggests a parent training on
technology.
1. Stephanie Baker recommends babysitting
for during those trainings.
v. Jeffrey Greene – Apple has “weblish” that parents
could get to understand things like “LOL” etc.
f. Community - Aly Graiwer reviews the goals. See
attached.
i. Clean campus policy
1. People want areas tackled first thing in the
morning. Roz Linton says that YS used to
clean up a certain number of pieces of
trash each day.
2. We need a “pride in our school” campaign.
3. There is a lengthy discussion regarding
trash.
ii. They are looking into having a math science night
again.
g. They need more people on their committee.
h. School wide positive behavior – Aly Graiwer reviews the
goals. See attached.
i. They need more parent involvement.
ii. Dave Cook will try to set up meeting for
afterschool on the 14th.
1. The committee needs to discuss digital
citizenship.
2. They want something that gives the
teachers highlights of a situation.
3. They need to train aides on these plans
that they come up with.
iii. Bullying – The committee looked at Stop Bullying
website and LAUSD policy. The committee came
up with a policy that they want parents to look and
give feedback. The goal is to have a packet that
we can send home regarding bullying (with clear
definition of what is bullying behavior)
1. Aly Graiwer asks if there is someone in
district or a community group who could do
an instructional assembly. Stephanie
Baker was contacted last year and will look
for that info. Roz Linton is looking into
showing movie “Bully.”
iv. They need to work with community committee
regarding cleanliness of cafeteria
i. Communication – Aly Graiwer reviews goals. See
attached.
i. Stephanie Baker – SOPA is a separate entity so
that they were strictly a parent organization and
not a PTSA. Our goals regarding communication
are the same. They want to work with school and
put students first. They realize the restriction with
coupling with the school is restricting their
fundraising.
ii. Steve Cross – Andy Berenson, Paula Denen &
Ken Graiwer agreed to use Connect Ed parent
information for all communication. It has gone
from working closely together to restricting SOPA
with what they can communicate.
iii. Diana Krause-Leemon explains that the
communication policy was decided by a SOPA
president, SOPA communication rep, website
person, teachers and parents. Stephanie Baker
says it has not worked out as hoped so would like
to separate.
iv. Stephanie Baker – At Wilbur the parent
organization has its own blast and they have a
magazine that is shared by parent organization
and the school. At Lanai, their “SOPA” has pages
within their website. You can download all of their
parent association stuff.
1. Goal is not to separate from the website
and control their own blasts.
2. Kristen Lapiner suggests a login with
passwords for parents
v. Aly Graiwer– Encino does bulletin/newsletter
once a month and rest is done through room
parents. At Carpenter the weekly newsletter is
combined. There are only two days that
communications goes out. They have the same
people who approve the bulletin (GC president,
UTLA, principal, SOPA)
vi. Aly Graiwer points out that LAUSD has Bulletin
BUL – 5688.0 regarding social media policy.
vii. Steve Cross wants to rebuild the parent
association database. Until that happens, SOPA
will work with Ken Graiwer on the website and
communications.
1. Aly Graiwer wants to make sure they are
working with the communication committee.
Stephanie Baker says “yes.”
2. Stephanie Baker wants SOPA to be able to
update their part of the site. She also
wants to move the board members e-mails
to another platform. Aly Graiwer says there
are a few emails that will need to stay with
the school.
viii. Roz looked at the SOEC website. She suggests
that the communication committee include a
SOPA rep, a room parent rep, and grade level
chairs.
ix. Aly Graiwer explains that Carpenter has a clearcut room parent policy. They have a volunteer
who is lead room parent. The room parents are
used for getting volunteers and for helping with
classroom needs
x. Stephanie Baker explains that it is critical for
SOPA to get volunteers and contact info.
xi. There is more discussion regarding room parents
communicating.
xii. Aly Graiwer recommends that Stephanie Baker
contact John Rome regarding the point of
collection for the SOPA info.
j. SST – Aly Graiwer reviews goals. See attached.
i. There are several of the items that need to go to
other committees.
g. Budget
a. We budgeted money for a library aide and we now get it
back because the district is covering it.
b. We do not have money set aside for Allene. It costs
$7,637.00 to pay for Allene’s position. Mitchell makes a
motion to pay Allene from the $11,591 that we get back.
Susie Eden seconds the motion. It passes
unanimously.
h. Governance Council Elections
a. Dave Cook wants to know if the changing of
government council makes a difference to hiring
committee.
i. School Events - See attached for goals.
a. Incoming student events
b. Back-to-school night
c. Assemblies
d. Parent workshops
j. Professional Development - See attached for goals.
III.
ADJOURNMENT
Aly Graiwer adjourned the meeting at 3:53.