PAC Meeting Minutes – September 20, 2016

MINUTES FROM PAC MEETING, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

(Taken by Andrew Cullen, Acting Secretary) 

1. Introductions

There were a lot of parents, a few guests, and a few staff. (Should I have said spoiler alert? I should have said spoiler alert. ) 

2. Challenging Racism program

Dawn Kiseor

Marty Swain

 Offering a parent group at HBW: Challenging Racism: Learning How Through Stories and Conversations Begins October 12Group max: 14 people. Dawn will facilitate with two others Not enough HB folks have registered. Grew out of school boards strategic goal of eliminating achievement gaps. The curriculum had been developed over 10 years. Application form is on line. One of the guidelines is to have fun. It is a lifelong conversation There’s a YouTube video, because Internet. Search for Challenging Racism.Form is on the website (www.challengingracism.org)3 different groups currently running, you don’t have to join the HB group. Also, THEY HAVE SNACKS. (I think they may have buried the lead.) 

2. Principal’s Update

1. Great start to the year! Yay!

Two weeks in. Welcomed the smallest number of new teachers in recent years.Largest class of incoming 6th graders, most new 9th graders. Working towards goal of 10 percent enrollment increase in next few years. Talked a bit about the tradition of Seniors meeting the Monday before school starts for a scavenger hunt and school decoration. The more Casey talks, the more I realize how LAME my school was. 

1. New technology: 9th graders got laptops, 6th graders got iPads. Now working on how the technology changes what happens in the classroom. HB has decided to do small groups of teachers researching best practices.

1. Focus on academic integrity:

* what is it?* preparation for college* how to develop sense of ethics and integrity. E.g., how to teach in the age of Google? How do you explain the value of doing things the long/hard way?* larger conversion at the state level. HS needs to look different than it does now. 

1. New activities! Ultimate now a real, live sport (according to APS). Presenting new issues (visiting schools, what are the school colors? )

1. Volunteers!

September 27, activities fair first block of day October 27 (early release day) will be community day, from 9:30 to 1. New process for volunteering to be safer (who is in the building, background checks, etc.) Casual volunteers (chaperones, for example) will see no change. People who will be routinely in the building need to fill out a form. Background checks will be completed., but only available to our volunteer coordinator, Vanessa “Andrew can’t spell my last name” Piccorossi. If you have a question about if you need to fill out the form, talk to Vanessa. 

3. The new building

Thanks to all the people who have been involved. The school board approved the building, but the county board approved a plan to locate a temporary fire station on the playing field for about 3 years. County Manager is recommending the field location as opposed to the alternate , a park surrounded by townhomes who are concerned with property values. Meetings all week with board members.Not optimistic, but not giving up.Decision to be made Saturday. Please take the time to write to the County Board! 

4. No Sweat Fundraiser

 We solicit parents (no, not that kind of solicitation, get your minds out of the gutter). Parents are asked to donate cash.Each teacher gets $50.$1000 is allocated to the PAC.The rest is distributed to teachers who put in a request for specific items (field trips, new tech, etc. ). No sweat generates about $40,000 a year. Currently rewriting / reconsidering the letter, because our used to say every dollar went to the HBW community, but some small percentage may go to APS-wide efforts. The question is whether to simply update the language, or to refuse requests that do not benefit HB directly. Motion to massage the language to more accurately reflect current practices made and passed unanimously. Q: How does PAC work?Show up the third Tuesday of the month. Next month (October 18th): APS architect talking about the new HB building Future topics: dating, bullying  

5. Caroline Tornquist, junior at HB, presenting on HB traditions 

1. Swim test?

No swim test!

Turkey bowl: flag football last day before Thanksgiving

Chicken bowl : 7th v 8th grade football

Pigeon bowl: 6th grade capture the flag 

No sports? Pshaw!

Volleyball tournament last day before winter breakAP sciences play volleyball last day before winter break.

March madness tournament. Play games during lunch, make up teams with friends.

Badminton tournament! At lunch, very popular. 

Music traditions  Chamber singers perform at back to school night.

Winter concert Spring concert Last song at prom is always Bohemian Rhapsody

Graduation songs: feet of a dancer, time of your life (green day) 8th graders can go off campus. Very safe, don’t worry! Interest spikes in 8th grade, then tapers until some students get cars. 

Town meeting is a big deal. Every Tuesday, everyone who wants gathers in library to govern the school. For example, the schedule system changed a few years back, handled via town meeting. Attendance varies based on agenda. 

Locker decorations for birthdays. Day 1: seniors out on a play with comedy bits, make a music video List day of school: teachers put on a show roasting the seniors. 

HB prom: all high schoolers invited. Different place every year. Typically midweek (its cheaper). Fall formal in NovemberSpring fling (April or May)Prom in June Middle school dances thrown by upper classes to raise $ for prom. 

Graduation: no robes, in the gym. Each student gets talked about by their TA. (It’s a long ceremony). No dress code here, sometimes people wear pajamas (not often) 

Halloween: lots of people wear costumes.Costume contest.Seniors may do a haunted house or maze. 

Every year the HILT students put on an international dinner. 

Senior quotes on walls!1st class was 1986. They wanted the cover of the yearbook to be their names. Painted a wall, added madness, took a picture. Never got around to painting it over. Grew from there. Written on last day of school.