Vision Mission Committee

Thursday November 9, 2006

Thanks for coming. Today’s “minutes” are in red type.

Next meeting after school, December 7th , upper library

Susan & Paul

This year’s task for VMC: How do we create a welcoming, supportive environment for ALL students and staff?

Ultimately, our goal is to facilitate culture and climate improvements to improve teaching and learning.

1. Claudia’s question For the March county-wide institute day should we offer an at-risk students workshop…improving student performance…instruction related?

This would be an option for teachers that don’t have another commitment or activity that day. Please ask members of your department if they would be interested in attending. There are several possible speakers being considered.

2. Work on task (this will be ongoing)

Needs identified last meeting

Culture of ownership in the school

Community/business partnership

Time to interact with other teachers

What would a school be like that had a welcoming supporting environment?

Things we already do well to promote a welcoming supporting environment
(how we are like that school in column 1)

Things we currently trying….

What do we still need to do?

Ur-gen-cy of the need

Ideas to address the needs!

-Schools that look more “homey”.
Elementary classrooms…have places to sit and read. They look inviting and friendly.
-Students would be friendly to one another
Discipline/student management
-How do teachers respond to kids within depts..
School climate as a whole
-build a community of respect….
-hallway behaviors
Announcements heard & students interested

Freshmen guidance program
Hornet habits
English 1 (freshman)

-Mentoring program for transfer students
-Poverty training

-Cultural ownership in the school
-Community/business partnerships
-Time to interact with other teachers
-language in the hallways
Raise .awareness, respect, kids need to be aware of their audience.
Kids are loud and don’t realize that everyone hears them. Blatant. Sets a tone that we don’t like. Inappropriate words, “homo”, “retard”. Teenagers talking to each other, however sometimes they are testing adults around them.
-Students don’t see this as a moral issue
- swearing makes one sound uneducated..

LANGUAGE:
Posters, announcements? Reid(student) says he thinks this doesn’t work.
Reid and Brianna say they do think teachers saying stuff to kids would be effective.
Should there be a discipline consequence?
Presence of adults in hallway consistency- united front
Promote culture of respect in the hallways. Respectful of one another This is the big issue. Certain rules must be followed. Must be ownership of school; rules.
-Student council- could they have role in atmosphere?
How do adults in the building offer a positive presence instead of prison guard presence?

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