Eastmont School Community Council Agenda
Meeting Details: October 21, 2021 5:30 p.m. in room 305 Members:
- Jen Coccimiglio, Chair (present)
- Nicole Ford, Vice Chair (present)
- Lindsey Tait, Parent (present)
- Allyn Kau, Parent
- Rachel deAzevedo, Parent (present)
- Daniel Herzog, Parent (present)
- Derek Gruander, Parent
- Julie Taucher, Counselor (present)
- Stephanie Davis, Teacher (present)
- Stacy Kurtzhals, Principal (present)
- Randall Curtis, Teacher (present)
- Taylor Hansen, Assistant Principal (Secretary) (present)
- Brooke Rauzon, Assistant Principal (Secretary)
Agenda:
1. Approval of minutes (found on the Eastmont Website)
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- Julie Taucher made the motion to approve the minutes from September
- Daniel Herzog 2nd the motion to approve the minutes
- The minutes were unanimously approved
2. Update on Land Trust budget
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- Ms. Kurtzhals shared an update on spending Land Trust money to provide after school tutoring through teachers, specifically in math.
- Ms. Kurtzhals also shared information about hiring tutors to help with the after school tutoring program
3. School Safety / Digital Citizenship Plan
- Ms. Kurtzhals updated the committee on updates made from previous School Safety Plans
- Ms. Davis asked that we request the sprinklers be run at different times so the fields are not wet for first period Physical Education
- Ms. Kurtzhals is requesting
- That cameras be placed in the stairwells
- That bike/scooter/skateboard racks be moved to the upper parking lot
- A camera be placed on the marquee pointed at the bridge crossing 1300 East
- The committee ranked the requests as follows:
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- Cameras placed in the stairwells
- A camera be placed on the marquee pointed at the bridge crossing 1300 East
- Sprinklers be run at different times
- The bike/scooter/skateboard racks be moved to the upper parking lot
- Ms. Kurtzhals reviewed the Digital Citizenship Plan
- Ms. Kurtzhals discussed Content Keeper and LanSchool
- Mr. Herzog asked about strengthening the filters on YouTube
- Eastmont will contact the District about strengthening the YouTube filter
- Ms. Coccimiglio asked about how words are flagged.
- The district creates the list and administrators can request words be answered.
- The question was raised about the phone policy at Eastmont.
- The following is in Eastmont’s School Wide Disclosure:
- I am allowed to use my personal technology only with the permission of a teacher for educational purpose.
- I know that personal technology (i.e. cellphones, earbuds, etc.) are not to be used during the school day (i.e. class, lunch, passing periods, assemblies, etc.).
- If personal technology is confiscated, a parent/guardian will have to pick it up from the main office.
- I understand bringing personal technology comes with risks (i.e. being stolen, broken, etc.) and EMS will not be held responsible for finding or replacing technology.
- The following is in Eastmont’s School Wide Disclosure:
- Mr. Herzog asked about teaching of Digital Safety
- There was a lesson that took place this week
- Ms. Miles (the librarian) also presents lessons in the classroom
- Mr. Herzog asked about students beginning to have altered perceptions of reality
- Ms. Kurtzhals explained how our Patriot of the Month speakers have addressed this and digital citizenship
- Ms. Kurtzhals will add some information about what school issued Chromebooks can and cannot do to the parent newsletter.
4. Targeted School Improvement Plan (TSIP)
- Ms. Kurtzhals explained why schools are required to write a Targeted School Improvement Plan
- Ms. Kurtzhals explained Eastmont wrote a Targeted School Improvement Plan because our lack of academic growth for students who receive Special Education services
5. Honors classes – parent requested discussion
- Ms. Coccimiglio mentioned that parents have reached out about why honors are no longer being offered
- Is Eastmont the only school in the district that does not have honor schools
- Ms. Kurtzhals explained that the majority of middle schools are moving away from honors classes. Eastmont did it all once. Other schools are phasing it out.
- Ms. Kurtzhals explained how there was never a different honors curriculum. For math, they were asked to do one extension problem and for ELA they were asked to participate in Book Blitz and an extra one-pager for books they read.
- Ms. Kurtzhals explained how with more differentiated classes; classroom discussions are deeper, students are showing more leadership skills, discipline concerns are diminishing because peers have better role-models in the classroom
- It was mentioned how honors was always an opt-in process
- Ms. Tait asked about honors at the high school.
- The high school does have honors classes and it is is a separate curriculum
- Ms. Kurtzhals explained an idea that is being developed about developing a criteria of what an honor student does and looks like and awarding honors based upon that and not just work.
- Ms. Coccimiglio mentioned better advertisements to parents about the honors program and how Eastmont is not a “lesser” school.
- There was a discussion about student motivation and an idea to increase student motivation
- Parents were in favor of moving towards more Teacher Advisory days.
- Is Eastmont the only school in the district that does not have honor schools
6. Counseling/Parent Advisory Committee
- Ms. Taucher explained how they have not been in the classroom as much this year due to the needs of students in the counseling center
- It was pointed out that 6th graders last normal school year was 3rd grade.
- Ms. Taucher talked about their ideas for conducting Reality Town due to continuing concerns regarding COVID-19.
Ms. Kurtzhals motioned to adjourn the meetin
Ms. Davis seconded to adjourn the meeting