Wornick Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes - March 20, 2014
Tuesday, May 6, 2014 at 9:07PM Attendees: Roger Feigelson, Shawn Becker, Lara Druyan, Jeremy Verba, Michele Stafford, Anne Steirman, Barbara, Rabbi Dennis Eisner, Karen Wolff, Yoav Boaz, Fran Eastman, James Dunn, Carrie Ridge, Ken Meyer, Shaun Steingold, Joelle Kaufman
D’Var Torah: – Fran Eastman presented
Fran thanked everyone for their well wishes while she was not feeling well and really appreciated the chicken soup care package!
This week’s Parshat: 9-11-47 - Leviticus
Assuming more challenge as children. Teachers we have guide the children. Teachers deserve our respect.
We are all learning.
Chapter 10 – Lord advises Aaron to drink no wine. Recognizing the difference between sacred and profane.
God wanted his people to represent him properly. Misrepresentation of God is sinful.
We should not take responsibility carelessly.
Chapter 11 – Dietary laws – make an offering – Presenting this material to children is difficult.
New instructional tools – Godcast – includes songs – Shemini Torah portion –You should not make yourself unclean by eating unclean animals.
Barbara showed the video of what Fran was talking about.
Minutes: - Carrie
Karen motioned. Jeremy seconded. Minutes passed unanimously.
Development Update: Lara Druyan presented
Surpassed goal by almost $35,000 for Feast Your Mind. We will debrief FYM at the next Board Meeting.
Chai Excellence Fund. More people giving larger amounts. Up to $169,000 so far. We didn’t get to 97% parent participation until May last year.
Finance update: Ken Meyer presented for Fred Weiner
No changes from the last Board Meeting
Head of School Report: - Barbara presented
TK – going through licensing process. Barbara said that we don’t need to be licensed for TK and that Wornick has accepted some TK students already.
Balcutha – make a 2-way street? Because it is the only one in Foster City? No way!
We might get to 6 students but the TK would be combined in the K rooms. Same length of time for the school day with TK and K students.
We are part of a legal consortium. We pay $1500/year for being part of this. We can call their attorneys pro bono.
June 8th – 5K run with Hausner – put on by the athletic department. Invited the board to participate.
Building permits – carpets will be changed out in the Ulam Gadol during Passover break. Roll up door to the kitchen has been replaced. Chairs in the Ulam Gadol will be changed out at some point as well.
Parent Teacher conferences end of next week.
How do we think about our curriculum and how do we incorporate common core into it?
Common core is national standards.
Barbara went over the handout she passed around. Trying to link the students’ understanding to something they will learn later. Hard process to figure out what enduring understanding is. Need to identify what it is they need to know. This is called backwards design. Start with determining how we are going to know if they know the information. Then the teacher comes up with a learning plan.
Jeremy: How many would a 3rd grade teacher have?
Atlas gives a timeline of what the teachers should be doing and when.
Karen: Is this the scope and sequence? They do it for K-8 (Atlas software)
Common core standards don’t give the scope and sequence.
Fran: How do we make parents aware of this? That’s why Barbara put together the handout she shared with the board.
Dennis: This can help Karen with her recruiting. Dennis said high schools are now expecting kids to think this way. Hillsdale High School demonstrated this.
Fran: This can be marketed as part of the differentiated learning.
Behavioral Policy: - Michele Stafford presented
Karen Wolff commended Michele and the committee for taking this on.
Karen said she thinks it is good to say ‘such as’. She feels it gives the policy more flexibility.
Policy statement on belief: Karen said it is important for kids/staff to know: Kids should be given the opportunity to repair something that has been ruptured.
She would like to see the kids giving back to the Wornick community after they have taken away from the Wornick staff’s time, energy, etc.
Peacekeepers – 8th graders- Maybe give this a little context – This is within Discipline procedures.
If you catch a child doing something right, the parent should be called. Anne said that this is part of the school culture already.
Maybe add a paragraph that this is already the culture of the school.
Interventions page: Any way to insert that the child can do something to repair what has already occurred?
Michele said that she is leaving that to the discretion of the teachers. Michele got input from Nicole and Dan.
Goal is to have kids not get into trouble.
If the misbehavior is chronic- should there be a contract? Michele is leaving that up to Barbara/Nicole/Dan.
Last part: last page of disciplinary – remove the word, ‘repeated’ from threats of physical violence. Maybe should take a look at the ed code to see what is immediate suspension. Michele will look into citing the ed code.
Goal of this policy is to take this behavioral piece away from Barbara and her staff.
Joelle: This is not in line with our values and who we are. This behavior policy applies to 5-10 year olds, not middle schoolers. Seems to be child blaming and less collaborative.
Roger: Does believe it is collaborative.
Joelle feels that the ending part is punitive, tribunal, not Jewish.
Dennis doesn’t necessarily feel that this isn’t Jewish. Lots of things in Judaism are punitive.
Dennis said he feels the document is collaborative and that we do need to have clearly stated expectations and consequences.
Ken: Feels the document is very thoughtful for weaving in Jewish values.
Roger: modify the motion:
1. Put more emphasis on positive feedback for desirable behaviors
2. Change including to ‘such as’
3. Change to having an opportunity to repair a wrongdoing.
Jeremy said that this document is more like a road map.
Joelle wanted to put it out there that this will be a public document and everyone will know that the school stands behind it.
Motion to approve the policy as modified with Karen’s suggestions.
There was one objection in the vote. All else approved. Policy passes.
Barbara – section about Strategic plan about Academic Excellence:
Wants to talk about the measurement process – modeled after CWRA – critical thinking test. Now becoming an accepted way of testing. We are now invited to be part of their pilot. Spring pilot for 8th grade. Next year 6th in the fall, then 6th, 7th and 8th at the end of the year (spring). It is a 90-minute test. Math and written components. Analyzed on writing skills and math to solve the problems.
There are 8 schools in the pilot using this model, independent schools across the country. We are one of those 8.
CWRA is cutting edge to do this kind of testing in critical thinking.
Fran: Public schools are facing the same problems with the testing.
Karen: Parents will not see results of their individual child.
Barbara said we will be able to use this type of testing as a marketing tool.
Elementary school doesn’t have this kind of testing yet.
Understanding by Design does have assessment with Judaic studies.
Karen thinks we should have benchmarks assessments.
Fran: How can we determine how the kids would do on nationally normed tests?
Barbara wants feedback on the Academic Excellence.
Barbara says we are maintaining technological resources.
Joelle would like to see in the strategic plan a concrete goal regarding Hebrew.
Hebrew at the Center sets those goals and standards.
Joelle: Do we want to set a goal that our students will be ready to enter Jewish High Schools relative to Hebrew standards?
Yoav: Make objectives measurable. Something we strive for and measure.
Joelle: Data driven in addition to research
Shaun: Can we get Nicole and Dan to have their names by these goals?
Barbara to put who the lead is in bold and who the backup is.
Lara: 2014 – 2015 objectives – is differentiated learning part of the PEP? Important to include gifted learners as well as students with learning differences.
Professional development: Barbara will share this with the board in a tighter way.
Good and Welfare:
The April meeting will be rescheduled.
Congratulate Ken and Wendy Verba for being chosen as Wexner fellows.
Hearing great things about the Israel trip.
Meeting adjourned at 8:50 pm.
Reader Comments