FOSB meeting minutes 1/11/12
Attendees: Jodi Russell, Suzanne Waller, Linda Kjarstad, Andy Grow, Beth Armitage, AJ Silva, Caleb Banta Green, Anastasia Samuelsen, Marian Wagner, Caitlin Raicey, Jen Miller, Susan Motte, Bridget Goglia, Sara Kopf, Melanie Shelton, Jodee Reed, Hillary Leonard, Karinne Dahmer, David Sommerville, Katherine Ropp, Stacy Kalthoff,Megan Ratcliffe, Carita Polin, Becky Moore,
Introductions
Vision Discussion: At the December FOSB meeting, we voted to add a “vision discussion” as a standing agenda item for each FOSB meeting. To begin our discussion of the Salmon Bay school vision this month, Caleb Banta-Green passed out the parent survey and staff survey which were completed early last year. The results of each survey were mostly favorable. However, Caleb posed the following questions which may be helpful to discuss. Does our Vision feel complete? Adequate? And is there anything missing?
Some discussion ensued. Here is a summary of comments made by meeting participants:
· The vision statement seems broad and does not really state what we are doing. The SB vision statement seems less of a vision statement than a group of values.
· How can we integrate our vision statement and our values? The vision and the integration, implementation are two different things.
· The social responsibility piece is not in the vision statement, and it seems to be an integral part of the program.
· Play and the social emotional development are missing as well as the quality of social emotional relationships.
· There is an additional document which provides more information/text for each bullet of the vision statement and reviewing that maybe helpful.
· Caleb stated that the school is currently focusing on “project based learning” and that this discussion will continue.
Treasurer’s report: Katherine Ropp reports that to date there has been $32,113 donated by families as part of the Direct Giving Campaign. 140 families donated which is about 20% of the parent community. All the families who donated have received a Thank You note/acknowledgement from Kate Banta-Green. The Budget Committee will be meeting soon and is starting preliminary discussions of budget planning for next year. Generally our Principal, Jodee Reed, will receive her budget numbers in mid-February. She will most likely have information for us after mid-winter break. According to the news from the State, the school budgets could face a 10% cut overall. The Finance Committee is preparing for the worst case scenario.
Secretary’s Report: December Minutes have been posted on the website. Motion to accept them and motion passed.
BLT (Building Leadership team) report:
BLT has not met since the last FOSB meeting. There will be a meeting on Tuesday next week. Discussion will focus on the Creative Schools Application.
Volunteer Coordinator’s Report
Middle School: Caitlin Raicey
• WEP: First day was exciting. Had a few injured wrists. We strongly encourage wrist guards for snow boarders! There was one broken arm, and one person had to come down via ambulance.
Elementary School Volunteer Coordinator Report: Megan Ratcliff
• The MS and ES School tours will be combined this year. See the website for dates of school tours. They need volunteers to help run the tours.
• We need to fill our Kindergarten class and 6th grade class. We also need to fill a ½ class for 3rd, 4th, 5th grades. We need to market to fill these spots with families that want an Alternative School.
Our Geo Zone is the Hamilton and Whitman attendance areas. Tiebreakers are:
• Sibling, Geo-zone, Lottery. Parents need to understand that even if they live in the geo-zone or have a sibling at SB , they must fill in a form requesting SB as their first choice.
• Caitlin reports that the Thornton Creek representative has been reassured that they will receive priority again for the 2012-13 year. They are working with Transportation the develop Transportation Hubs.
• Community and Fundraising:
• Just deposited a check for $2000 from PCC for Scrip!
• Keep Using Scrip and bringing in Box tops and receipts. They really make a difference and add up!
• We will hold a Salmon feed kindly hosted by the Lynch family and Ocean Beauty Seafoods on Feb. 3rd to raise funds for the playground. There will be examples of the tiles available for purchase for placement on the new playground (see below in Playground Committee Report)
• Principal’s Report: None. Jodee is sick.
• Playground Committee Report
Robin Lofstrom: The design is done. The SW area is getting some revision: the boulders are now planters. The bridge can have a curve. There can be no rain garden due to the problems of drainage which Lance Adams explained at the last meeting. Hopefully, there will be a ball hutch so that during recess the playground supervisors can get balls and jump ropes out for the kids.
Safety surfacing has not been specifically chosen. Many individuals have asked about the color, but a specific decision regarding that has not yet been made.
We are trying to keep the cost to under $200,000. Donor Tiles on the Plinth and on the Star Root planter will be displayed at the Salmon Feed on Feb. 3rd. You can buy a tile and get it engraved.
We need a volunteer to place the tiles.
Karinne Dammer has been selecting appropriate plantings for the planters and replacement plants for the existing planters. There will be an irrigation system in place, hopefully. And with more appropriate plantings, we hope they will do better than the ones we have now.
Question: Will people get to choose the color of the glass tile if they chose to purchase a donor tile? Answer: We are not sure. There will only be a few colors and you may just be assigned a color. Some of the tiles will be brick or granite. Specific details are not known yet known.
Jodi Russell asks what is the timeline? Robin shared that The contractor selection will most likely be determined by cost, and will be made by the district. We should close our current grant by the end of the month and sign contracts for the new grants in February.
Hope to have Ground Breaking on the day after school gets out (June 18th) and Ribbon Cutting at the beginning of school in September.
Math Committee Chair: Markus Lofstrom is Chair, Ben Black is also taking a lead role. They met and have a mission statement. Current plans include March 14th, PI Day, a Family Math Night.
Will meet on Feb. 2nd to discuss use of the $250 budget. There is much excitement about a Magazine associated with membership of the National Math Educators Association. This is a resource teachers have previously used and would like to access again.
They would like to implement Math Buddies, much like the reading buddies program that happens between older and younger grades.
Alternative School Coalition Report:
A “letter of intent” is due May 1st if schools want to become a “Creative Approach School”. This is a new deadline, which allows us to have more discussion and intentional decisions.
Caleb says that Phil Brockman and John Minor are involved in development of an application for schools to become “Creative Approach Schools.” There would have to be 80% staff and community approval. Staff that did not want to participate would have the opportunity to be placed in another school. The application would ask for information regarding what specific goals the school was addressing and what new approaches / district waivers the school was requesting.
Legislative Update: Megan sent out a letter from Zara to the parent body requesting they contact their legislators with sample scripts included. Hopefully, people are doing that.
Please watch the Monday Bulletin for announcements regarding committee meetings and updates.
Submitted by Linda Kjarstad 2/1/12
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