SDMC Minutes

September 13, 2006

Members present:
Sarah Harrington, Courtney Stiles, Carol Taylor, Cindy Fish, Jane Ann Mann, David Falloure, Cathy McCleskey, Frances Brooks, Shirley Wright, Margaret Slutz, Trina Feig, Barbara Burcham, Jennifer Lambert

Corrections to minutes: Add 5 th Grade Math TAKS scores – 97%

President’s Report:
No report

HISD Initiative: Professional Learning Communities (PLC)
PLC’s are collaborative teams who share a mission, vision, values and goals, working together to clarify essential outcomes, write common assessments and develop plans for continuous improvement and a focus on results.

The Three Big Ideas:

• Focus on Learning

The 3 BIG Questions:
W hat do want each student to learn?
How do we know if they learned it?
What do we do if they don’t learn it?
(What do we do it they already know it?...added by Horn teachers)

• Collaborative Culture

Collaboration is a systematic process in which we work together, interdependently, to analyze and impact professional practice in order to improve individual and collective results.

• Focus on Results

SMART Goals: Stategic & Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-oriented, Time-bound.

Horn teachers have weekly team meetings to collaborate with each other.

Ms. Harrington handed out an article from Newsweek, September 11, 2006. It was titled, “The New First Grade…Are Kids Getting Pushed Too Fast, Too Soon?” by Peg Tyre

“Pressure to improve scores makes it hard for teachers to stay sensitive to the important qualities in children that tests can’t measure – diligence, creativity and potential – or to nurture kids who develop more slowly.”

“We are creating school environments that are less friendly to kids who just aren’t ready.”

“Between the ages of 5 and 7, social and emotional development are every bit as important as learning the ABC’s.”

“Testing kids before third grade gives you a snapshot of what they know at that moment, but is a poor predictor of how they will perform later.”

“We’re putting a lot of pressure on teaching and introducing things to children which are not age appropriate.”

“During pre-school years, children’s job is to explore and investigate…in kindergarten, children are learning the precursors of reading skills – sounds, rhyming, alphabet.”

Accountability has created hysteria and has turned into a testing issue. Testing and performance might be leading to anxiety.

Another article referred to was “Einsteins at Five” in the Christian Science Monitor, December 8, 2005.

The committee discussed the article and brainstormed what to do with students that are too young for kindergarten. Some students come without the skills to participate in kindergarten classes without disrupting the class. It was suggested that we come up with a checklist of what a child should be able to do before entering kindergarten. This list could be given to parents and preschools in the area.

Horn’s Mission Statement, developed in 1992:
Horn Academy ’s fundamental purpose is to provide a diverse educational program in a creative environment that develops the whole child mentally, physically, socially, and that enables all students to excel in the international community.

Things to consider:
*Revisit the “whole child” aspect as it fits into the Magnet program of fine arts, technology, science, life sports, and creative writing.

*Develop a new Magnet brochure emphasizing the whole child focus at Horn.

*Re-think the philosophy of academic performance as reflected by test scores: return to a BALANCE.

Magnet Report – Cathy McCleskey
Ms. McCleskey reports finding from her morning meeting with the Magnet Department. Horn needs to show uniqueness of individual magnet programs.

Master Plan:
Mr. Jenkins will chair the committee with Mrs. Beinart and Mrs. Broadwell assisting him. A survey will go out on Tuesday, September 29, 2006. This survey is to get parent and teacher input into what they think Horn needs to spend money on. The next Master Plan Committee meeting is October 3, 2006.

40 Development Assets:
Ms. Harrington explained that the 40 Development Assets are essential for helping young people to succeed. HISD is focusing on several assets each month district wide.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:15 pm.

April 13, 2005

Members present:
Sarah Harrington, Belinda Rossiter, Shawn McMahan, Thelma Kuykendall, Karin, Davis, Lynn Cinciripini, Billie Gunther, Anne Malone, Stacy Reichstein, Shannon Talley, Sandy Twyman

Minutes approved as read.

PTO Presidents' Report:
We had several parents come to our PTO welcome breakfast last month, with some useful discussion and ideas. It will not be practical to implement all the suggestions mentioned, but my impression of two key areas where the PTO can help or improve things are: (1) streamlining paperwork at the beginning of the school year, and/or providing more parents to help with Tuesday folders (loading and unloading) for the first couple of weeks of school; and (2) supporting/welcoming all new families to Horn, not just kindergarten parents. I will be strongly recommending to the new PTO board that they consider these as priorities over the summer.

Our nominating committee has found candidates for four of the six PTO board positions open for election next week, but we are still looking for a President-Elect and Treasurer-Elect (both 2-year commitments).

The board has recommended that we hold two fall fundraising sales early next year: Entertainment Books and Kathryn Beich (wrapping paper/gifts). These will be brought to the general membership next week for approval. Precise dates for the sales have not been determined yet.

Upcoming events: PTO General Membership Meeting-April 19 (officer elections, Odyssey of the Mind demonstration), Auction-April 29, "John & Juan" - May 6, Talent Show-May 10 th, Final PTO Membership Meeting- May 17 (volunteer appreciation), Carnival-May 21 st.

The Horn 2005-2006 Budget
2004-2005 = $1,675,672.00
2005-2006 = $1,555,390.00

Significant budget cuts for next year:
Music position will have to remain hourly.
Maybe lose two non- instructional positions and one dedicated sub position.
Custodial changes: Department will now be run by ARAMARK. Possibly lose personnel and cut supply allocation. Schedules will be set by ARAMARK.

School Improvement Plan
Deadline is June 10 th. There will be no changes at this time.

Meeting adjourned 3:40 p.m.

January 12, 2005

Members present:

Belinda Rossiter, Sarah Harrington, Billie Gunter, Karin Davis, Shannon Talley, Thelma Kuykendall, Grace Phillips, Shawn McMahan, Sandy Twyman, Anne Malone, Lynn Cinciripini

PTO President
Next PTO general membership meeting is Tuesday, January 18 th @ 7 p.m.

We hope to hear from the Master Plan committee with proposals for school improvements. The board has already approved a proposal to replace the cafeteria microphone and speaker system, and we will also vote to move ahead on that at next week’s meeting (the cost of this project is below the threshold that would make it a master plan item, but it still needs general membership approval).

Major PTO events in 2005 will be the auction on April 29 th and the Spring Carnival on a Saturday to be determined. In addition to planning for those, we are busy with various administrative tasks including a consideration of what fall fundraisers to run next year. There will be a questionnaire going to parents and teachers soon asking for feedback on the ones we held this school year. Production of the yearbook is in progress.

Just today we got confirmation that the Alley Theater will be bringing their production of “John & Juan” to Horn on the morning of Friday, May 6 th ( 8:15 and 9:15 am ). Shannon Talley has made the arrangements and the PTO will pay the cost.

Science Initiative
Improvement of existing classrooms – installation of sink & cabinets.
Campus Implementation Plan - $9100.
Classroom equipment list to teachers – Harrington gave to teachers.
$500 teacher allocation which may be used for Science.
West Central District Office funds for special projects - $18,400
(Science tables, refrigerator, furniture, Mobile Lab/wireless base
station, Probeware).

HISD Schools Offering Support (SOS)
Fund for Tsunami Victims January 10-18. Checks should be made out to the American Red Cross. Cash also accepted.

HISD Funds
Need to be spent by MARCH 1 ST.

Master Plan Meeting
Friday, January 14 th, Library to finalize lockers for 4 th/5 th hallway.

Recommendation
Mrs. Harrington would like to recommend that the Magnet Coordinator position become an Instructional Coordinator position funded out of GF1 funds. Magnet funds were transferred into the Supply Budget.

Proposal accepted.

TEST SECURITY REMINDERS
Mrs. Harrington passed out a handout. Do’s and Don’ts. Attached.

Number of Special Ed. Referrals being submitted are being looked into before the test.

Meeting adjourned at 3:40 p.m.

October 13, 2004

Members present:

Sarah Harrington, Thelma Kuykendall, Karin, Davis, Lupy Garcia, Lynn Cinciripini, Belinda Rossiter, Shannon Talley, Grace Phillips, Sandy Twyman (parent),

Minutes stand approved as corrected: Belinda Rossiter did not introduce Charles Coswith.

PTO Presidents' Report:
*To follow up on last month's discussion of volunteer badges, we have not able to incorporate photographs into the badges, but we are giving them to people to keep themselves or storing them in drawers at school so that they are not visible to be taken by unauthorized visitors.

*At next week's PTO general membership meeting (Tuesday, October 19th at 7 p.m.) we will be announcing the results of our Entertainment Book and Sally Foster sales, and also receiving our donation check from the Bellaire Fall New Home Showcase. We are expecting representatives from the home tour, city, and media to celebrate with us. We had 130 parent and staff volunteers who spent precious weekend time to sell tickets outside houses for the four days of the home tour, and at the meeting next week we will find out that those efforts were well worthwhile. This is going to be a fun PTO meeting as we celebrate an excellent start to the year.

*Another big PTO event coming up is this Saturday's (October 16 th) campus beautification workday. With a combination of Jocelyn Ellis' organization and the donation of labor and $1,000 from JPMorgan Chase Bank, we will see a lot of outdoor work done that day.

*Blake Rasmussen is organizing our second annual golf tournament for Monday, November 1 st.

*The annual Spaghetti Supper is Thursday, November 18 th, with a book fair fromTuesday to Thursday that week (in the library). Sally Foster items will be distributed during Spaghetti Supper from the PE room.

Food Guidelines

Powdered donuts OK because of "size" according to ARAMARK.

Only 3 parties allowed: Holiday , Valentine's and End of the Year. Teachers are allowed to have any kind of food for these two events.

Much discussion serving the "beige" menu.

PDAS-TEA Revised Guidelines

• HISD chose to appraise teachers every year.
• Must assess teachers new to HISD and "retire/rehire" teachers.

Science Objectives

• Must follow District guidelines in all grade levels
• West Central District Office looking at Horn as a model because of departmentalization and specialized Science teachers.

Parent Concerns

• What happened to Music? We have to wait until January when we receive money in our budget to pay for a full time teacher.
• Foreign language - Spanish? We had IES Language Foundation here for 5 years after school. Fizzled out.
• Parent/teacher conferences at least one per year. It used to be called Fail-Safe. Horn has parent conferences upon parent request.
• T-Building fire safety issues. T-Buildings are built to code.
• 5 th Grade teachers coordinate and have one test day. Tests are overwhelming. To keep appropriate instructional pacing, tests are given at the end of units. Difficult to designate one day.
• What does Mrs. Sledge do? She is a Content Mastery teacher. Her job is to service Special Ed. or 504 eligible students.
• Track and Field Day - Have an all day event with carnival activities and parent involvement. Mrs. Phillips would like to discuss with Mrs. Twyman.
• 4 th and 5 th Graders have one big binder with dividers. Lots of discussion.