Classical Magnet School

Classical Magnet School Parent Senate Meeting Minutes for January 15, 2008

The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Martha Bertrand, Parent Senate President.

Martha discussed the need for Bylaws to be established for the Parent Senate. If you would like to be on the committee, please contact Martha.

A Uniform Swap committee is being formed to determine the method and timing of uniform swaps. Parents will be able to bring in clean uniforms in good condition and swap them for the size they need. Contact Martha if you’d like to volunteer.

Some families are still not getting e-mails—does anyone have the know-how to look at the system at Classical to see why this is happening? Also, if someone knows how to teleconference, please come forward to direct us.

A college financial aid workshop will be held on January 30th and is open to any parent.

The City of Hartford is offering a 12-week parenting session on Wednesday and Thursday nights from 5:30 to 8:00, beginning with a retreat on January 26 and classes beginning the following week. Topics include what effective schools look like, parents’ roles in school and children’s education. Sessions are open to any parent. Sign-up deadline is tonight, but let Martha know if you’re interested.

Mrs. Kennedy announced that the 6th grade students voted for the Nutmeg Book Award and the final winner will be announced on February 14th. There is a blog set up so that middle school students can write about reading—go to the Classical website and click on “library”, then click on “book blog” About 40 students have written comments so far. A high school blog is planned by the end of March.

Liz McMahon, the school nurse, announced a blood drive sponsored by the National Honor Society on January 30 from 10:30 to 3:00. There will be another one during the Hog River Festival.

Mr. Sullivan discussed the school improvement plan: Recruiting: we’re at 30% suburban and 26% white, so we have met the desired suburban rate, but not the white rate. There are 110 openings in 6th grade. Paideia: Mr. Sullivan has made 272 visits to classes for 20 minutes each. Didactic, Seminar, and Coaching: we are meeting all levels except for the quantity of seminars. The quality is there. Discipline: all incidents are reported to parents of children involved. Tardiness and truancy continue to be a problem.

Great things going on at Classical: The Girls’ basketball team is 10 and 1 Thespians—4 students are going to Nationals in Nebraska The track team is continuing to break records National Honor Society is going strong.

Mr. Sullivan will voicemail all families on Sunday nights at 6:30 to list all the things going on for the week—this will typically be a long message. If there is additional information during the week, there will only be one call per night. If you need the message repeated after you hear it, press the * key on your phone. If there is an emergency that everyone needs to be informed of, every phone number that the school has on file fore each family will be called simultaneously. If you do not want to receive weekly phone messages, let Mr. Sullivan know.

Recruiting: we are funded solely on enrollment numbers as of October 1st. We need to fill every seat with students who want to be here on October 1st. If your student is leaving the school, please let the office know before the lottery so that their slot can be filled. Tell your friends, family and neighbors to apply. The next Open House is on February 2. There are 5 weeks left in the recruiting cycle. Mr. Sullivan is willing to make home visits to discuss Classical with groups of prospective families.

Budget: If sending districts get billed for their students going to Classical and they don’t pay, we’ll be okay budget-wise for next year. State law says that they have to pay and the state will deduct from the towns’ ECS. We shouldn’t have to lose any programming at Classical.

Lottery application deadline is February 29 Lottery will be held late March Notifications will be mailed to students early April If there is a sibling already at Classical, be loud about it—call Sabra. If there is an opening available, siblings of current students will get in first.

9th grade has 20 openings for next year. Trying to get110 students in each grade. We often lose kids in 9th grade because we have no football.

The state does not allow any tinkering with a straight lottery. We cannot have an essay, interview or anything else that is discriminatory towards any one group and against another.

Anyone who attended the informational session with Mr. Sullivan got a yellow card with info about Classical—they get priority in the lottery—this was approved by the superintendent. Another opportunity to get a yellow card is on February 2 and you can also make an appointment with Mr. Sullivan.

Katie DaCosta oversees the enrichment program and gave a presentation. Instructors are chosen through interest, class overview, discussions with Mr. Sullivan, and qualifications. There is now a rubric that will be used in observing instructors. Enrichment classes will be graded on a pass/fail level based on attendance, participation, and behavior. If there is a problem with an instructor, it will be dealt with. If anyone has ideas for enrichment classes, contact Katie DaCosta at [email protected] or at school at extension 9148. She is looking for a drill instructor and has found a fencing instructor for session 4. A list of current enrichment classes will be posted on the Classical website. Students are chosen randomly for enrichment classes. If they are not happy with their enrichment class, they have 2 weeks to change their class, but after the first 2 weeks, they cannot switch due to grading. If someone signs up for an enrichment class and then there is no teacher, they can sign up for another class or take study hall. For middle school athletics and theater, there is a try-out period, grades are looked at, then teams are selected and kids have time to select another enrichment program if they do not get chosen for a team or play. A discussion was had about academic standards for athletes. Katie is the secretary of the Athletic Council. Athletes need to be held to a higher academic standard—currently they need only a 70% average –they need to pass 4 core courses (D or better) and 1 special to be part of a sports team. We want “student athletes”, not just “athletes”. A lot of other schools don’t take 5 core classes all through high school—our suggestion is higher than the state average. The soccer coach mandates study time with study hall from 2:30 to 4:00, then practice from 4:00 to 5:30. A suggestion was made for the middle school swim team that since they have to travel to Weaver to practice, they could swim twice a week and then have study hall twice a week to increase their study time. Academic probation: if a student has a D average they can be on the team, but the next marking period they have to have a 70% average or they’re off the team—this is a CIAC rule. There are 50 kids on the track team and 20 of them are on probation. We want to show the kids that academics come first, but we don’t want them to not be able to play. Parental concern is that the bar is being set too low. Discussion of having the requirement of a 70% average in each class or having a 65% or better in each of 4 core classes and one special with a total average of 70% in all 7 classes. Each detail needs to be spelled out so the faculty can vote on it and parents are fully informed. Parents asked that the requirement be a 70% average in each class—Katie will take this suggestion to the Athletic Council. Coaches do encourage their athletes to see teachers for help. The team with the highest academic average each season wins the Academic Cup and every coach wants that!

Homework policies were discussed--last year a proposal was made that there would be no homework over weeklong vacations, but at this time teachers can actually give 1 day’s worth of homework over weeklong vacations. Concern was expressed that while we come up with ideas in the Parent Senate and there is no follow-through. The Student, Parent, and Faculty Senates need to work together---again the need for Bylaws was mentioned. Martha will check on whether what we discuss at Parent Senate meetings can go to the Student and Faculty Senates to be voted on.

When a child is late to school, they automatically get a lunch detention, even if it is the parents’ fault. Doctor and dentist appointments are excused absences with a doctor’s note. This is a good topic for the next Saturday meeting with Mr. Sullivan on Saturday February 9 from 9-12 in the Trinity Room.

Music Parents Booster Group will meet at 6:00 before Parent Senate meetings—sign up to get notification of the meetings. Cans and bottles are collected at Classical by the music department to raise funds on the 1st Saturday of every month from 10-12, or students can bring cans/bottles to the music department.

The meeting adjourned at 8:30

The next Parent Senate Meeting is on Tuesday February 19 at 6:00 in the library.

Respectfully submitted by Cathy Schneider, Secretary