Recorder: Jessica Appleyard, Assistant Principal

School Council Meeting October 21, 2011

Members Present: Martha Whalen, Principal; Claire Murphy, Counselor; Angie Yim, 2nd Grade Teacher; Emily Yewell Volin, Parent; Kat Wilson, PTA Liaison; Seth Freedman, Business Partner; Vicki Marks, Foundation Liaison; Monica Anschel, Parent

1. Call to order

a. The meeting was called to order at 7:59 am

2. Review and approve agenda

a. Agenda was reviewed. Marks motioned to approve. Wilson seconded. All approved.

3. New Business

a. Annual School Council training was conducted.

b. Review of by-laws

i. We have added PTA and Foundation liaisons. This allows us to have a clear chain of communication.

ii. According to the by-laws, we need an additional parent to serve on the School Council. Sope Creek has not traditionally held elections for parent members. The School Council decided that we would conduct an election.

iii. We will post the call for nominations on the Sope Creek blog and on the School Council blog, on the School Council Bulletin Board, and in the front office. Kat Wilson will gather nomination names via email. The current School Council will determine election procedures.

iv. Nominees will be asked to submit a brief statement of why they would like to serve.

v. Moving forward, we will post vacancies at the end of the school year.

4. Reports

a. PTA

i. Boosterthon was successful. 97% of pledges were collected.

ii. Octoberfest was successful. iii. We are gearing up for our Thanksgiving Food Drive. The PTA works in collaboratively with the Service Council. We first offer help to Sope Creek families, and anything above and beyond goes to Powers Ferry. b. Foundation

i. The traffic officer has been a great addition.

ii. The Foundation will receive $18,000+ from Boosterthon.

iii. Fundraising this year has included raffles (parking place, Principal for the Day, etc)

iv. November 1st will kick off “The Nifty Fifty.” This will be a very large capital campaign. It will cost about $60K to fully build a STEM Lab and a check-out lab in the Annex, and the proceeds from The Nifty Fifty will fund the project.

1. The goal is for the rooms to have sinks, freezers, refrigerators, adequate storage.

2. A brochure has been created to go home on November 1st. It will be communicated through Constant Contact, through the website, and through Sope Creek blogs.

v. Club 5 has been opened. It sold out within the first 10 hours. This is an after school robotics club in conjunction with YES! (Youth Engaged in Science).

1. Scholarships for Club 5 were awarded.

2. 1 scholarship per session was awarded.

vi. Hawks Night is coming up.

vii. December 1st – Holiday exchange. c. Counselor

i. The request for holiday help has tripled this year. About 65 families are on the list for help this year. Free & reduced lunch is the criteria for determining need.

ii. Thank you to Foundation for allowing Sope Creek to be represented at the ASCA Convention in Seattle.

iii. Sara Jane Lombardi has been nominated for National School Counselor of the Year. If she is among the top 10 counselors, she will be invited to Washington, D.C.

iv. Thank you, PTA, for your support of children.

v. This year’s Classroom Guidance Action Plan has been developed and focuses on problem solving.

vi. Over the last several years, we have seen a significant decline in discipline referrals.

vii. There was a significant increase in the number of students who passed the CRCT last year.

viii. A large group of faculty members will work with students who met standards last year and could exceed. ix. PTA, Foundation, and Counselors need to figure out a way to help students without sponsors during Boosterthon.

d. Teacher

i. We are grateful to Foundation and PTA for all of the ways teachers receive support. It directly benefits students and teachers.

ii. STEM has been GREAT!!!

iii. IXL – we are trying to encourage use and to make it fun. Several teachers have IXL Champs of the Week

iv. The School Data Team will correlate ITBS Scores & time spent on IXL.

v. Everyone is excited about the police officer and the new addition.

5. Monica Anschel: Beautification and Environmental Education Committee

a. The two groups are working to improve the following spaces:

i. Near Target trailers – the back part of the campus

ii. Bus lanes – will put in some landscaping and will then go upwards with color and design. The display will be made of recycled material and will be bright, colorful, sturdy, and long-lasting.

iii. Near brick walkway at front of school.

iv. Butterfly Garden Space – redesign with native plants and recycled artwork.

b. Young Landscape Architects will be on campus on 10/22 from 8:30 – 6:00 to vision and to design the garden space. The president and the vice president of the organization are former Sope Creek students.

6. Seth Freedman: Ruby Root Connections

a. Ruby Root Connections offers garden and Food-based instruction.

b. Would like to repeat standards-based units with kindergarten and first grade and provide a garden- based being there experience for students. Teachers receive training and students receive direct instruction.

c. Kindergarten and First Grade standards are addressed.

d. A grant to the Foundation was submitted. The Foundation will vote at the next meeting. Another grant was submitted to the Farm Bureau.

e. Ruby Root Connections is a great resource and ties in very well with STEM, science, and nutrition. Additionally, their instruction ties in with the HET Model. f. Goals:

i. Increase preference and exposure to real, whole food.

ii. Build capacity for teachers to use gardening to teach standards.

7. Principal’s Report

a. School Strategic Plan

b. SPLOST 3 Construction Update

8. Open Agenda

9. Adjournment

Dates of School Council Meetings:

 December 16, 2011

 February 10, 2012

 April 27, 2012