RHS parent Group minutes, 10-1-07
Meeting Date: October 1, 2007. In Attendance: 28
Welcome & Introductions by Pegi Shea:
Principal Updates by Brian Levesque:
Welcome: Brian thanked everyone for coming and encouraged everyone to ‘stick with it’ all year.
Construction: The progress is going very well . Finished floors 1/2 asbestos abated, code work in ceiling to supply heat, Walls extended to roof to meet code, all new fire alarm with strobe, 3 computer labs completed, New offices will open early November, guidance office suites moved upstairs, New entrance will be complete no later than January 1st. Bathrooms in blue hall - will be finished any day now. All the bathrooms will be open later this year. 3 male and 3 female students bathrooms are open all day (1 of each is open near the cafeteria) - 2 staff male & female staff open all day. Auditorium is slated to open in April, if weather permits.
Senior lounge was open today, will need to be closed January & Feb - because of construction necessitates the lounge will become the temporary wrestling room.
Final beam went up for auditorium last week. Students were given an opportunity sign the final beam. The masons started today.
Next summer the library, gym, locker rooms, and the Art hallway & asbestos abatement. No access to the building at all. Cafeteria & kitchen will be totally changed. Faculty parking lot is next year.
Traffic update:
High number of kids are being dropped off by parents. Buses are nearly empty. First day was bad for busses and parents, but the situation has gotten better. The gate in the back of the school is permanent - another gate is being installed on the auditorium side. The gates are an important safety enhancement and not part of temporary construction process. A new road is being installed & paved for the ambulance use up to the football field. Parent drop-off should be the VoAg side of the building. Parking at football games is preferred for the VoAg side of the building because the auditorium construction requires people who park on the other side of the school to cut across fields that are unlit.
Mr. Lévesque answered questions regarding traffic:
Q: Do kids have a place to cross the road - crossing the traffic on the intersection?
A: No - BL will investigate.
Q: Do kids lose a parking privilege if they drive crazy?
A: BL - yes, they have taken the privilege from very few students, but he knows the kids and their cars and now that there is only one way out, he and other staff monitor the start and end of school and that provides a safe and orderly flow of traffic. The dirt mound is gone so visibility is improved.
Q: Who has keys to the lock for the back gate?
A: Fire, Police & others have keys and were consulted about the traffic flow. They are also locked with break-away locks that fire, ambulance and police can get through without delay if it is required.
The opening of school, Policy Changes & Freshman Academy:
We have had a really good start, one bad Friday. Brought a dog in this year based on suspicious activity, rolling papers were seen in plain sight, found drugs. Fire alarm went off on 3rd day due to dust in a detector.
Results from policy changes: Breathalyzer no positive test was ever encountered, but it was tested to assure it works. Drug sniffing 4 dogs first time led to 1 arrest last year. 8 dogs are used now so the dogs can adequately search within the buildings and the parking lots. [UPDATE: A search occurred Friday, Oct. 12. No evidence of drugs found in school. One car in student parking was lot found with evidence. Student was suspended, and is facing charges.]
Last year attendance policy changed they no longer suspend students after skipping class. This year unexcused absence was changed. The policy seems to have been effective deterrent. Planners initiated last year are continuing and are effective. Eating only in cafeteria also has been effective.
Freshman Academy: The freshmen year in the past had been a very difficult year for many students. The Freshman Academy was created to instill good work habits, and provide clear and consistent interventions for students transitioning to high school.
Q: Students without any work, do they have resources during study?
A: they can use computers in lab, maybe go to library. (Can go for portion of the 80 minute time - not whole time).
Q: How does the mandatory freshmen study impact those students who plan to graduate in three rather than four years?
BL: Over the past three or four years - a few students do graduate one year early each year. They still are able to do that. Freshman study hall is to help the 50 to 60 students who are retained each year to repeat 9th grade. This approach is expected to help with that situation and ease the transition of all students to the high school.
Q: What are you doing for the rest of the school [in terms of pyramid of interventions].
A: It is up to the teacher to contact the parent. Parents can also contact teachers. There is a possibility to roll this policy of intervention out to the entire school - but the failure rate is not as high as it is for 9th grade.
Q: Does the email address [of parents] show up in the contact information in the system?
A: Yes- last year it did not, this year it does. Software update enhanced information available to teachers.
Q: How are those students with a mix of honors & college level courses impacted by attending classes across two different freshmen academy teams?
A: Ms. Marinan answered) Students are not impacted because it is transparent to them. The situation did create complexity in the scheduling of those students but once their schedule is created the system works the same.
Q: Parents want to get involved more closely with the 9th Grade Transition program. They would like to have additional focused meetings with BL and staff - in addition to these PG meetings.
A: BL cannot say tonight - will be getting back to us by the next meeting.
Q: Will we see anything in writing about BL’s presentation to the BOE regarding 9th grade levels (Honors, College, General)?
A: BL is presenting levels in the ninth grade to the board in November. Pegi will share to whoever requests. Parents expressed concern that they were not informed before the Freshman Academies was presented and voted on by the board. BL said he needs to discuss with superintendent how and when BL disseminates information through Pegi prior to next meeting.
WebInfo: Rockville High website is off-line, and being renovated within the next two weeks. A student is getting credit for an independent study.
Q: Parent heard from their child they were going to install cameras.
BL: Work will start this year to install - be installed fully operational next year. New security camera system is being installed. Every door in the school will be locked - with sensors. Certain doors will have cameras and buzzer them in. Over 100 cameras in and outside of the building. Every hallway, public spaces, all digitally recorded. Entrance to bathrooms & locker rooms. 24 hours a day - retention is 7 days. Access to the video system = web based, school resource officer, superintendent and principal. Office staff will use camera system to buzz people in. Very limited access. Privacy will be maintained. Students will not be allowed to ‘opt out’ of the system. Only public space will be viewed. Staff will have key fobs for access. Vo-ag = students will have fobs (part of the 500) if no enclosed walkway is completed, however, that is very high on the list of things to do.
Q: How will students with senior privileges get back to class? They will use main entrance - need to be buzzed in.
A: All work at the school (including the changes to the old auditorium) will be complete by the start of next year school (which will be after Labor day).
June 10th is scheduled end of school
Discussions:
Pegi - we need to get a task force to help with voting initiative. She will not lead this - wants someone to step up and run this. Need to help get budgeted funding approved - without many referendums every spring.
Q: Do you need help of parents on school improvement committee?
A: BL - no - the committee was not effective., however he will think about this issue and get back to Pegi.
Vicky Rispoli, informed group of a new Drug task force made up of 10-12 people including Youth Services, parents and students. Director Alan Slobodien. has been very successful in getting grant money - and it is being used very effectively.
The next meeting is scheduled for November 5th.
Part II: Special Presentation:
School Board - has 2 and 4 year terms. Those running for open seats were invited to speak after a short break.
George Apel, long time resident 72 years old, 5 generations in the Vernon School System.
Retired engineering from Pratt, has engineering degree, and MBA.
Has served on building committee
Has served on town council
Running for 2 year term.
$68 million to renovate schools - needs to keep maintaining the schools
He thinks there are ways to cooperate between town & board to save money.
Terri Goldich, Librarian at Uconn
Planning & Zoning committee
Endorsed by AFI
is alarmed by 89.7 graduation rate. Surrounding towns are in the 90+
Also want all-day kindergarten at all schools. Vernon offers only 2 now
So many senior citizens in town - vote against funding increases, Why? She expressed our town should be bringing people together to form a better community.
Dianne Gagne, UCONN Health Instructor
Completing first 2 year term
Negotiation committee, Expulsion Review, PTO parents, others
Her motto is "What is best for the kids?"
Wants to forge a better working relationship with Board & Town.
School is working very hard to use metrics to measure progress and close gaps.
Athletics and Extra curricular activities are very important to her.
Love to see a late school bus.
Supportive to educators and tax payers.
Susan Norlie-Hesnan - 30 years in town
She is a lifelong learner - career in nursing
Enrolled at Goodwin College - Hartford
Maintain the economics - and the education
Start with pre-school programs - full-day kindergarten program
It is a very different town from what it was she moved here.
culturally diverse-Inner city kids, choice program, and 32 other languages where English is a second language.
Paul Stansel - Graduate of RHS (with wife, Rachel) Class of 1992
RHS Vo-Ag student, commuted during fourth year (since attending 3 years).
He is a "greedy" parent - as we all should be, and has 2 children in Northeast school.
Full day kindergarten - state grant expires this year, and we may not have ANY all day kindergarten.
Sense of community and enjoyment.
He formed “Why Won’t You Vote” (vernonvotes.org) during the last budget cycle to try and motivate parents to take part in the budget process of Vernon. Website atwww.paulstansel.com
Vicky Rispoli, Youth Counselor
Parent of student
Countless committees - Vice President of Vernon Community Network, a consortium of aid groups in town.
Knows a lot of kids slip through the cracks
She is running to create a positive environment
Kids and schools are not getting credit for the good things (creates negative environment)
Make sure we support the schools and the community
Dean Houle could not make the PG meeting. People wishing to learn more about him may go to Dean A. Houle - Bio. Or contact me at 860.643.6717.
David Kemp could not make meeting, but will attend next PG meeting 11/5. He sent in this biographical information: Judith (a teacher in Bolton) and I have lived in Vernon 37 years, raising Greg and Molly, graduates of RHS. Elected to Vernon's Board of Education in 1987, I am running for re-election to a 9th term. I served on the Permanent Municipal Building Committee 79 to 87, coached boys/girls ball teams, was Cub Scout Packmaster, and belong to: Vernon Historical Society, Elks, Friends of Valley Falls, American Red Cross and 1st Congregational Church (Deacon) and was an organizer of Vernon Land Trust. Graduate: Univ of Vermont, U. S. Army, Xerox Corp. 32 years