Date: April 16th, 2008
Place: Hall-Dale High School Cafeteria
Time: Student Choice Period

Agenda

1.0 CALL MEETING TO ORDER
1.1 Roll Call by Secretary (Wish Her A Happy Birthday!)

2.0 READING AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES
2.1 Approval of Minutes From Our Last Meeting (Dory Has Them?)

3.0 OLD BUSINESS
3.1 Approval of Proposed Handbook Additions and Modifications

4.0 NEW BUSINESS
4.1 Attendance
4.2 Consolidation Q&A;(With time limit)
4.3 Assembly Officer Meeting
4.4 Website Summaries

5.0 REPORTS FROM OFFICERS
5.1 Summary report of the Standards Assembly(Wade; committee reports)

6.0 REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES
6.1 Student Relations (No Minutes)
6.2 Principals Advisory Committee (No Minutes)
6.3 Events Planning Committee (No Minutes)
6.4 Ad Hoc Committee (No Minutes)
6.5 The Actually Does Work Committee (No Minutes)

7.0 OTHER BUSINESS
7.1 Agenda Items For Next Meeting
7.2 A Special Treat?

8.0 ADJOURNMENT
8.1 Requires Motion, Second, and Vote

I am against standards based grading, as most of the student body is, but I’ve gotten used to the fact that it’s going to happen, even if 85% of the population here is completely against it. I am sick of the half-answers I’ve been getting, as I’m sure we all are. I do not feel that the people who are pushing it through care to listen to us.

I am disappointed in the support I have received from both faculty members and the sophomore class. I’ve been willing to work my hardest for this class, but unless I get some help, not much is going to happen. I can’t do this alone.

Any questions:
Email: bananacl@verizon.net

but you’re more likely to get a hold of me on myspace, facebook, or in person.

Your class representatives are:
Anna Levesque- Class President
Samuel Estes- Treasurer
Jean Lee- Senator
Michael Reinhard- Senator
Abi Loisel- Senator

We will be focusing exclusively on fund raising this year. Here is how you can help:

Please bring in your class dues. Class dues is $20 per year and will pay for your cap and gown at graduation. You can turn it into your homeroom adviser.

If you have any questions relating to our class, please talk to a representative.

Thank you!

Anna Levesque

This year in the senate has been more of a reconstruction year, but for the class my main focus is to get the majority to pass in their class dues.  Hopefully, with the help of concessions and prom, the number of funds will increase.  The junior class is going to have a bowling fundraiser in May over memorial day weekend and that may contribute towards the class treasury.  Also, now is the good time to start thinking about what we as a class would like to do for our project graduation trip next year so we can get the right amount and have everything settled earlier.  If you have any questions about student senate related issues, junior fundraisers or have any suggestions feel free to send a message to the email address above!
-Kristi

This year, I have taken on a the role of Vice President of the WHOLE Senate, Chairman of the Ad Hock Committee, and the Treasurer of the Sophomore Class.

Date: April 2nd 2008
Place: Hall-Dale High School Cafeteria
Time: Student Choice Period

Agenda

1.0 CALL MEETING TO ORDER
1.1 Roll Call by Secretary

2.0 READING AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES
2.1 Approval of Minutes From Our Last Meeting (Minutes on Page 2)

3.0 OLD BUSINESS
3.1 No Old Business

4.0 NEW BUSINESS
4.1 Attendance Evaluations (Andy)
-individual papers passed out to senate members, evaluating attendence
4.2 Summary of Underage Drinking Meeting (Kristi)
-Kristi was only one that attended, Winthrop talked about the actions they had taken. Had taken surveys to assess the percentages. Kristi feels the program would probably not ave that much support among students at the school. Thinks maybe action in middle school would be better. Some senate members felt that a No drinking and driving may be a more time-worthy cause. Wellness committee is getting some sign notify the zero tolerance of drugs on the premises. The forum also got the community involved to help with the cause. We will discuss this more next year.
4.3 Student Assembly (Dylan)
-assembly planned for next week concerning standards based grading. Some discussion as to whether we should notify whole middle school in future.
4.4 Searsport Trip (Dylan)
Dylan and Natasha both attended this trip. They all shadowed kids and saw how standards affected their classrooms. Found out that standards will help troubling students by allowing success. One problem was that there was little communication about standards to students. Didn’t quite phase in, in multi-grade classes, all students graded separately. Did not have class rank.

5.0 REPORTS FROM OFFICERS
5.1 School Board Agenda (Dylan)
-Meeting tonight, 5:30. New hires proposed at meeting in areas of math, English, and guidance counselor.
5.2 Wellness Survey (Dylan)

4.5 Approval of Proposed Handbook Additions and Modifications
(I Want To Get Through The Other New Business and Officer Reports)

6.0 REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES
6.1 Student Relations (No Minutes)
6.2 Principals Advisory Committee (No Minutes)
6.3 Events Planning Committee (No Minutes)
6.4 Ad Hoc Committee (No Minutes)
6.5 The Actually Does Work Committee (Minutes On Page 3)

7.0 OTHER BUSINESS
7.1 Agenda Items For Next Meeting

8.0 ADJOURNMENT
8.1 Requires Motion, Second, and Vote

Minutes From Our Last Meeting

Minutes 3/21/08

In Attendance:
Dylan Sirois
Natasha Langsdorf
Sam Estes
Marc Daigle
Taylor Massey
Tara Richwalder
Megan Bates
Kristi Woods
Anna Levesque
Whitney Wei

Mr. MacDougall stresses the need for more attendance at student senate meetings in order to carry out the important plans next week.
Reviewed the last meeting minutes: January 31st 2008:  (which included the ONE letter and nominations from each grade) Events Planning Minutes: (searsport trip and request for website assembly) could not approve due to lack of attendance.
Monday, March 24th there will be a handbook meeting from about 2:30-4:00.  Refreshments may be provided.
The website assembly date is proposed for April 18th.  The Ad Hoc committee is going to talk to Mr. Poulin and Mr. Chapin about Standards based.
School Board News:  Wellness Committee would like to run a survey about breakfast.  All officers are assigned to homerooms to give students the survey.  This will happen on Thursday, March 27th.

Meeting Adjourned at 2:18

ADWC Minutes

Present: Megan Bates, Marc Daigle, Dylan Sirois, Taylor Massey, Wade Davis, Whitney Wei
Meeting Started: 1:59 PM

Events/ things planned:
-On the 7, 8, 9, 10th of April we will have a presentation to (in order): Junior, Sophomore, Freshmen, 8th Grade
-The presentation will be during SC
-Slideshow presentation to announce standardized grading
-Consulting with middle school principal to see if the slot of time is available
-People who will present (ADWC)/ people who traveled to Searsport High School
-Austin Langsdorf
-Wade Davis
-Marc Daigle
-Taylor Massey
-Dylan Sirois
-Andy Estrada
-Whitney Wei
-Megan Bates
-Natasha Langsdorf
-Sam Estes
-Plan announcement of student senate, the website, what we’ve done + go through the website on projector @ theater
-Andy: talk about what the student senate’s done
-Dylan: presents the website
-Sam: what it takes to be a student senate member
-Taylor: present standards report card
-Wade: slideshow on standards
-Natasha + Austin: pros and cons of standardized grading
-All: answer questions - q&a;-ADWC committee will be meeting 27th, 31st of March and the 4th of April
Meeting ended @ 2:27 PM

Present: HDLT, SAD 16 School Board, Principals of all three levels, Two Searsport Students, Searsport Principal, Searsport teachers, Student School Board Representative, and others.

The Standards based Grading meeting on March 3rd, 2008, was great. Attending the meeting were the HDLT, MSAD 16 School Board, Principals of all three levels, Two Searsport Students, Searsport Principal, Searsport teachers, Student School Board Representative, and others. The meeting began with questions from the School Board, to Searsport. The following questions were asked (paraphrased)

1.How were the parents brought on board with the Standards Based grading System?
-Meetings were held with the public to educate them as best as possible.

2.How do colleges look at the grading style?
-Colleges get many different types of report cards from all over the world, every school has a different grading style. Colleges don’t focus exclusively on GPA, anyway. They look at SAT scores, community service, Class levels, letters of recommendation, etc. Many colleges have said this after being contacted.

3.What has been the impact on students?
-Students have shown greater motivation, and many like this style compared to the old one. Attendance levels have not been changed. Many students and teachers believe the structure of learning has been greatly increased.

4. How did you work it into the school?
-The Standards based grading system began two years ago with the freshman class, and it has followed that class. (phasing in)

5. What happens with top 10?
- Class rank has not been calculated, with the standards based grading system, instead levels of achievement were created similar to the way colleges reward students. Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Summa Cum Laude.

-These levels can be accomplished through taking more difficult classes and doing well in them, and are not based on how smart peers are in comparison, but how smart the student is based on concrete guidelines.

6. Why was it phased in?
-Every system will have it’s flaws and it is best to keep things smaller until a system is perfect. Changing a grading system is a huge culture shock for a community, so baby steps may need to be taken.

7. What are some of the best aspects of the System?
-Rubrics are part of every class, as well as syllabi’s, this makes it far easier for students,staff, and parents.

-Students will learn what they need to learn before going to the next level, so their high School diploma will be based on what they know rather than how long they sat in class.

8. How did you deal with seniors in sophomore classes?
-Teachers with students in multiple grade levels used the same teaching, and same rubrics however graded in two different ways if necessary.

9. How is homework changed?
-Not all home work will have a separate rubric to be graded on, much of homework will fit into a standard on a more formal exam.

-No points are taken off for late homework, as Standards based grading focuses on learning, not learning fast or slow.

10. Were teachers Cooperative?
-A great amount of time was spent working with teachers, and making sure they agree. All teachers after a year of persuasion agree enough to work with the system. Teachers are the core of education, so they were worked with and consulted.

11. What staffing changes were made?
-No Staffing changes were made, however the schedule was changed to fit standards based teaching.

12. How do you find final grades for classes?
-Final grades for larger standards use trending rather than averaging. Trending looks at how the student is improving or declining on a topic. Trending gives a better picture of the student.

To all Students,
The School Board meeting that was supposed to take place on January 2, 2008 was postponed for January 9, 2008 due to the snow and cancellation of school. In the meeting two resignations were announced, Guidance counselor Denis Monroe will be retiring this year, as well as English teacher Mike Walley. Both of these men have been in the Hall-Dale School system for many years and have greatly contributed to the School. The Board very reluctantly voted to accept their resignations with one vote opposed.
The fifth grade class will be going on a field trip to the Boston Museum of science, there they will have the opportunity to explore the universe and will be watching an Imax movie about the sun. The teachers have found the money in the budget and have also gathered fundraised money. The School Board gave their support, and agreed with its educational merit.
Sports are doing well at Hall-Dale in the Middle School and High School. Student involvement is very high in most sports. The athletic directors, Tim Soule and Tim Johnson concurred in their want for more winter activities and sports. They also announced our Sportsman ship scores in sports, overall their has been a tremendous increase in good sportsmanship over the last few years. The problem of a track coach stays high on Mr. Johnson’s mind, if you know of anyone who would like to apply for the position of track coach please contact Mr. Johnson.
I attended my first Wellness committee meeting last Thursday, there was great discussion over February events. They are going to try hosting a sugar out day based around the theme of 5:2:1:0 (5 servings of fruits or vegetables, no more than 2 hours of screen time, 1 hour of physical activity, and no candy sugar things or soda) I and the Events Planning committee will be planing an event to support the Wellness committee in Winter carnival, and I hope for great Student involvement.
Respectfully Submitted,
Student School Board Rep. Dylan Sirois