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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-02-2013_Parent_Meeting� LE ���������"I" ��C� ' ��� 34e7 North Ammon Road, Idaho Falls, Idaho, Ds40z (208) 525-4400 Fax (208) 529-0104 www.d93szhoobu,g w.u)umm.�»u.`e[, Dow nya»"'iom^Ieo� Parent Meeting Bridgewater Elementary Library April 2.2V1J 7:30 PM i Call to Order Chairman Lords called the meeting to order at 7:37p.m. K Roll lall Those Board members present were Chairman Craig Lords, Vice-chairman Annette Winchester, Treasurer Kip Nelson, Trustee DeVere Hurt and Trustee Wendy Horman were excused. Others in attendance were Superintendent Chuck Soackott, Deputy Superintendent Energy Education Specialist Don Trauntvein, Principal Terri Beseris, ESL Coordinator Lance Robertson, Safety Coordinator Guy Bliesner, Chief Financial and Operations Officer April Burton, Curriculum Director Michaelena Hix, and Board Clerk Valerie Messick. m. wnlcomino Visitors and DelecmUono Amy Landers, Kealie Wallis, Amber Blundell, Heidi Roth, Jennifer Sewell, Rebecca and Danny Elliott, Cory �� Alice Ann Madsen, Sarah McIntyre, Kandy Thurman, Valerie Waite, April Burth, Chairman Lords introduced Mrs. Winchester, Dr. �� Mrs. McConnell, and Mrs. Messick. He stated that we've had acouple of hearings where concerns were voiced regarding need to help your school, Therewemnmwomabouthdksmovin0wiNopmnnt of free and reduced lunch, PTO involvement, and bullying. We want msee what wa can uom make things better at this school. We want to get with parents to make it a better process. The school has a tremendous principal and tremendous teachers m well ao good class sizes. We have done some things to help make things work well here. From comments made a/the public hearings, wmhwmmxnkedUw boundaries nlittle. We now have the blue plan which is the same and the green plan that moves some additional children into this school and hopefully increased parental support. The District ix down $7 million dollars and Lip 3^V00kids. We Would like to hear from you oo how wm can help your sohnoL IV. Parent Discussion There was a question nn the numbers presented nn the maps. They show that wm added 1OO children but only 24 are leaving Cloverdale. Open enrollment will remain available at Mountain Valley and all schools. However, if enrollment reaches 85% of capacity then they won't allow more open enrollment students, There was equestion regarding whether they would be connected wWoodbridge in the future. Probably not, there are 200 building lots in Bridgewater, There was n suggestion that it might be better m leave the boundaries alone, There was agreement with the need N add support mNeochnol.But,mmareonNehgh1mnk xom. Mm. McConnell stated that with higher numbers of free and reduced lunch the school gets additional federal support. We want m make sure wm don't lose those federal dollars. We may not want to add so many students that we reduce available services. There is no right or wrong answer, just two different answers. Wo look a\ rank order four times each year and then decide how many services Gan be made available to the qualifying schools. Currently we are able to spend about $14V per student atBridgewater while some schools only qualify for $40 per student. |fwechange the boundaries, the ratio will change. It is hard to predict numbers of free and reduced because we don't know individually who qualifies but wo know total numbers. Looking mt those statistics, it appears that your numbers will be reduced. Now the school has four half time Title 1 aides. That reduces class sizes for reading and language instruction and serves 20 of lowest kids in kindergarten. Every school offers IRI extended day reading support. Falls Valley is second to Bridgewater in the number of free and reduced. Those numbers could drop by 20%. Wo have heard that you needed additional parental support. What other support do you need? People think that if You care about education, you don't want your children to go to Bridgewater, The question was asked whether it is a PR problem. Dr, Shackett stated that twelve years ago no one wanted to come m District S3, Wvdoagreat job and don't take o back seat manyone. There was concern about bullying. Chairman Lords stated that we have a strict policy against bullying and we don't want kids to get bullied. There was discussion around the fact that bullying happens throughout the district not just otBridgewater. We do not tolerate bullying or vulgar language, We have a lot of cameras in Our schools and on our busses and watch for incidences n( bullying as well ao mean language. We can't stop bulling, but we can teach our children that i| someone says something unkind that only means that person was unkind, not your child. That concept iohard for kids m understand. There are many kids who care and who want w make things better for others, There was some discussion regarding ways to help stop bulling. Chairman Lords asked how the audience felt about advanced learners, The response was that they are not challenged o| all. There innn group Pull Out for accelerated learning. In Lipper grades, the teachers break students into small groups and differentiate the instruction onkids can move ata faster pace o, get mmodioUoni(needed, Bridgewater had the highest growth scores in math last year. Reading growth kept the school at a 4 star rating, The perception is regarding low test scores. The public doesn't understand the good things that are going on at Bridgewater, There was discussion on how to challenge accelerated students in kindergarten and 1,tgrade. There was a suggestion that a gate program for the lower grades would be helpful for keeping children at the school. There was discussion regarding how the District and Board could help with the PR to let people know what io happening atBridgewater. Wo want parents mb* excited m come to this school. Parents need to be more involved and talk to people about the positive aspects of the school, There was concern that the biggest detriment ioMountain Valley and White Pine Charter School, Parents need m take e good look ot the charter school's scores. There was concern that news coverage is always at Mountain Valley. We need to spread it around. There is a perception that kids going to Bridgewater are stupid, We are in an area that struggles. Maybe we could make the school special, You can have the issues but still have a great school. There was discussion regarding offering something different or unique so parents would want to come. Maybe grants could be obtained. There was discussion about kids learning Spanish during the school day or offering Spanish instruction to kids who are above grade level, That could help with the language barrier, There was discussion about offering a GATE program or setting up more advanced classes. There was also discussion regarding the need for interpreters and sending messages out in Spanish. There was discussion regarding the possibility of starting a robotics program for third through sixth grade students. We need to think about what we could do for the younger grades using options that the other schools don't have available. Maybe we Could offer English classes for parents. Then they could help their kids better and may feel more comfortable in the schools, Apparently Spanish parents have often been offended and feel inferior because they don't know the language. High school students from Lincoln come to Bridgewater every three weeks to read to kids and act as role models, Chairman Lords asked the parents to get with Mrs. Beseris and then she will get with Superintendent Shackett to discuss ways to help improve the image of Bridgewater. Chairman Lords stated that Mrs. Beseris has helped turn the school around. Scores have come way up. We need to help parents and teachers talk up the school. Teachers need to let Mr. Bliesner know of events at the school or ask the press to come cover the great things that are happening. Once a month the school has volunteers come in and offer Y� day classes for enrichment groups that expose children to different things. The goal was to set it up as intervention time. Every teacher had to pick what they would like to teach. Chairman Lords asked if there are there things that students aren't getting that others are getting. We heard what you said and we want to partner with you. We are concerned about your children. Cash contributions are very small at the school. The District might be able to help. Maybe there could be some robotics equipment or a Spanish teacher. We want Your suggestions to help improve your school. We want to address bullying and Mr. Bliesner can help. We maybe need a brag sheet on the school. Maybe the subdivision developer could sponsor the robotics program. People like to live by elementary schools and we are lucky to have them into the neighborhoods. There could be a time when the Subdivision would be one school. The Proficiency level is the problem. Can we go to being a year-round school? We spend so much time re-teaching what students loose during the Summer. Is there something we can do to stop the language? Acceptable language has changed, Unfortunately kids think it is normal. We need to teach our own children how to respond to things that people say to them and help them learn to get along. There are families that make poor choices that our children are exposed to so we need to help them know how to respond. How can we help people understand that staying at the school will help make it better? We need to help counter act the perception. Cheer your school on, we can do this. There was a question regarding what the green plan would do to class sizes. Parents are happy with 20-24 students per class they don't want it to get to 30. The green brings in a balance of new people but there was concern of what would happen to class size. The response was that the free and reduced ratio may change. It could move down to 60% We put aides in classrooms at about 25 students. Schools have been the head Of Communities and this school is looking for a community, We need to do things to draw the community in so people feel good about being a part of the school, The Bridgewater garden brings in families from all over the community There was some discussion regarding our secondary schools and the need to raise taxes. Chairman Lords stated that there is a hearing tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. at Rocky Mountain Middle School. The Board will make the decision on the boundaries on April 101h doing the Regular Board Meeting scheduled at 7:00 p.m. in the District Office Board Room. There is a blue and green survey online please record your input, Please email us if you have anything else you would like us to consider. Call for Acienda Items for Uocominn Meetinqs A. Work Session with Hillcrest Student Council - Wednesday April 3, 2013 - Hi0crest Media Center -11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. B, Parent Meeting Wednesday April 3, 2013 — Falls Valley Elementary - 5:30 p.m. — 6:30 p.m. C. Public Hearing - Wednesday April 3, 2013 — Rocky Mountain Middle School Auditorium — 7:00 p.m. D. Regular Meeting - April 10, 2013 add approve extending deadline for open enrollment applications to the end of June 2013 to the consent calendar E. Work Session with Bonneville Student Council - Wednesday April 24, 2013 • Bonneville Media Center -11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. add building options Roger, April F. Work Session with Lincoln Student Council - Wednesday May 1, 2013 - Lincoln Teacher Work Room -11:30 a.m, - 2:30 p.m. G. Regular Meeting - May 8, 2013 VI. Adiournment Chairman Lords adjourned the meeting at 9:05 p.m.