MSAD 16 Hall-Dale Student Senate
Date: Wednesday January 9, 2008
Place: Hall-Dale High School Theater
Time: Student Choice Period
Minutes
1.0: CALL MEETING TO ORDER
(Senate Secretary will add the attendance, and place in minutes.)
1.1 Meeting began at 1:52 pm
1.2 Shift to Formal Senate Behavior-Senate President Estrada spoke on a new way of running senate meetings: two minute speaking rule etc.
2.0: READING AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES
2.1 Minutes To Be Sent And Posted Through President
Minutes need to be sent to Senate President after each three committee meetings. Minutes should be sent by committee chairmen two days before the regular business meeting.
2.2Reading of the Minutes from meeting Dec.19, 2007 - There were no minutes from the previous meeting so there was no need to announce them.
2.3 Out of Senate Work
2.4 Principals Advisory Committee Minutes
HALL-DALE HIGH SCHOOL
Principals Advisory Council
Meeting of January 7, 2008
Attending: Dory Estrada, Andy Estrada, Michael Reinhard, Hillary Bachelder, Natasha Lansgdorf, Mr. MacDougall
Students received a DRAFT copy of a HDHS standards-based report card that was developed from input by teachers throughout the district. Two prompts were given to the students:
What are the concerns, fears, worries or problems students have with moving toward standards?
What do you as students need to learn more about standards?
The students present offered the following comments:
What are the concerns, fears, worries or problems students have with moving toward standards?
some teachers may not adjust grading appropriately and there may be discrepancies with what it means to meet or exceeds
students who have been able to succeed in the past by staying caught up with homework and showing good effort may be disadvantaged
not all teachers may embrace standards and may not adjust teaching to match standards
students may not be recognized for their achievements as much under standards
concern with how students would be graded in those classes where there are multiple grade levels
concern that there will not be a GPA
will standards be consistent between grade levels of the same content area or will they change from grade level to grade level (from English 9 to English 10, for example)
concern that to reach exceed you may have to do extra work
concern that class rank will be eliminated
concern as to how you will transition from what was (traditional grades) to what will be (standards) – will work and achievement be lost?
Will honors classes have the same standards? Will there be any incentive to take the higher classes?
What do you as students need to learn more about standards?
basic uniform presentation given to all students; not only why but how?
Students need to hear more from teachers how their teaching will change and how teaching methods will be different (grading and instruction)
Students don’t know much about standards, they just assume they will not like it. Show them a report card with all items filled in
Get some input from schools that have made the transition and show the impact on grades and students’ feelings (did attitudes change?)
How will it be similar to what we have in place now (show similarities, don’t just focus on the differences)
Is this being phased in?
Don’t have a meeting where you will raise more questions
Allow time after the meeting for students to talk and ask questions
Deal with the students first, then meet with parents (kids prefer to get it from us, not from parents)
3.0: NO OLD BUSINESS
4.0: NEW BUSINESS
4.1 Committee Group Activity- The senate filled out a sheet giving their input on committee objectives and goals. There was then a short discussion over Ideas. (Senate Secretary will compile all sheets to show each senators opinion, and place in minutes.)
4.2 Officers Meeting Friday?-There will be a meeting for all Senate officers including the committee chairmen, it will take place during SC in Mr. MacDougall’s office. The f ollowing will be included in the meeting:
1. Minutes and Agendas
2. NASC
3. Committees and Direction
4.3 Schedule- There was a grand discussion over a change in the current meeting structure, this new plan would include; there would be an alternating schedule (regular business meeting then committee meeting then off day.) There were advocates for both sides.
4.4 Handbook Workshop Next Week?- We did not reach this during the meeting
5.0: REPORTS FROM OFFICERS
5.1 Report By Student Representative to the School Board on Wellness Committee
Wellness Committee Minutes, 1.3.08
High School Library
Attending: Don Siviski, Judy Skehan, Betty Stevenson, Matt Day, Steve MacDougall, Margaret Yeterian, Dylan Sirois, Laura Harper, and Renee Page
Updates on items from November
Holiday season posed some challenges with non-compliant foods being requested from teachers for student celebrations. Committee agreed that staff must be reminded regularly of the Wellness Policy; when students are the primary audience, foods must be of nutritional value. Committee suggested that teachers’ meetings are a great venue to bring up the policy.
Policy and Personnel Committee has articulated use of facility in compliance with wellness policy via form.
Laura apologized to the Committee; she forgot to invite the Boosters to the January meeting. She will do so for the March meeting with the help of Matt.
Board approved created of intramural job position for High School. Steve M. has emailed staff with information on the position. He has already received several responses.
Wellness Policy is now on-line.
Sugar-Out Day or 5:2:1:0 Day in February
February 1st is Sugar Out Day – organized statewide by the Maine Center for Disease Control. There is a wellness and an oral health focus for the event.
Administrators will introduce Sugar-Out Day to staff at their meeting on January 9th.
Betty will share materials from ME Ctr. For Disease Control with staff for activities and curriculum content. Materials can be found at www.maine-nutrition.org.
One idea was to have a poster contest for K-5, a t-shirt contest for 6-8, and an “U-Tube” contest for 9-12 (as a part of winter carnival.)
Renee will research other healthy poster contests statewide and share with the group at March meeting.
Dylan will talk to Student Senate about Sugar-Out Day/5:2:1:0 contest as part of Winter Carnival.
The Committee discussed expanding Sugar-Out Day to include a month-long educational campaign on 5:2:1:0.
Broadening our goals for next year
Dylan brought up breakfast for high school students. Many students don’t eat breakfast at home or in the cafeteria and it affects their ability to learn, their health, and studies have show that skipping breakfast can contribute toward obesity. Therefore the group decided to address this issue through goal number 1 under “Nutritional Education” on page 3 of the Wellness Policy.
1. The schools will provide nutritional education that focuses on the skills students need to adopt and maintain healthy eating behaviors.
The Committee discussed some of it’s past successes and ideas that didn’t quite come to fruition. Those discussed were the walking program at the old Elementary School, the walking school bus that Gardiner has, offering an open gym before, after and during school hours when possible, and expanding the intramural program (if successful at the High School) to the Middle School. Therefore the group decided to address these issues through goal number 7 under “Physical Activity and Physical Education” on page 4 of the Wellness Policy.
7. MSAD # 16 supports and encourages the integration of up to 90 minutes of physical activity per week for all students. This is outside the regular PE classes and recess. Examples of such activities could include but not be limited to Daily walk (outside is preferred), music CD’s that promote movement, DVD’s/VHS tapes with aerobics, basketball/hopscotch that integrate subject matter. PE teachers could work with teachers to come up with a list of age appropriate activities. (Take Time, Catch, etc.)
The group also discussed Healthy Maine Partnerships and the possibility of getting some outside funding for a stipend for staff to organize the ES walking program, walking school bus, open gym, and an expanded intramural program for the Middle School. Laura will ask Renee if she would be willing to talk to the Committee in March about Healthy Maine Partnerships.
Next meeting, March 6th, 4 to 6 pm, Hall-Dale Elementary Library
6.0: REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES- We did not reach this during the meeting
6.1 Out of Senate Work: Part II
6.2 Student Relations
6.3 Principals Advisory Committee
6.4 Events Planning Committee
6.5 Ad Hoc Committee
7.0: OTHER BUSINESS- We did not reach this during the meeting
7.1 Agenda Items For Next Meeting
8.0: ADJOURNMENT
8.1 Meeting ended at 2:31 pm
