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Issaquah High School
PTSA General
Membership Meeting
January 14, 2005
The meeting was called to order at 9:36 a.m. by Mary Lou Pauly in the IHS
library.
Secretary’s Report:
The minutes were accepted as written for the December
General Membership Meeting.
Treasurer’s Report:
Karen May reported that cash on hand as of 12/29/04 was $33,004.25.
President’s Report:
Mary Lou acknowledged Paula Phelps for hosting the December meeting at her
home.
Lori Anderson reported that
a supplement to the school directory is being considered for the 41 new
families and families that erroneously chose to be unlisted at the beginning
of the school year. Nancy Campi took nominations for the Nominating
Committee for next year’s PTSA officers. Nominations were: Danielle Tilden,
Lori Anderson and Sue Jacobson. The three nominees were unanimously
elected.
Principal’s Report:
Paula Phelps passed around an information sheet explaining the new
graduation requirements starting for the Class of 2008. There will be an
“Issaquah School District Culminating Project” required for seniors of all
three district high schools for graduation. This will replace the former
IHS senior project discontinued last June. Direct any questions about this
new project to Sue Schoeppach at the ISD or the IHS Site Council.
Starting this year
juniors have the option to retake the WASL. Starting next year juniors and
seniors will have WASL retake options.
When school is 2 hours
late due to snow on a late start Wednesday, there will be no lunch period.
Feb. 3rd
will be the Honors/Advanced Placement Class information session for parents
and students at 6:30 p.m. At 7:30 p.m. that same night is High School
Planning Night for all new 9th graders and all sophomores and
juniors. A mailing will be going out about the Feb. 3rd sessions
next week.
S.O.S. Club (Students
Opposing Suicide) did a great presentation to the staff this week. They are
doing a staff training next week.
Three teachers have
substitutes due to maternity leave, etc.
Class selections for
next year will be done by students on Feb. 7, 8 & 10. There will be no
makeup days for this.
Informational flyers
were passed around listing the four levy and bond ballot issues for February
2006: Maintenance & Operations Levy, Capital Levy, Transportation Levy and
Construction Bond.
It is now possible to
collect the number of hits on the school website for tracking purposes.
The “Family Access”
module of Skyward Grade Program provides the ability for parents and
students to go online and check a student’s grades. There is now a timeline
for when the school website will have this ability. It is not coming
anytime soon. There are a series of steps that have to be taken one at a
time before the next. The Grade Book portion is expected to be implemented
next school year with the Family Access module to follow. We are the second
district in the state to be implementing it.
The new sound system in the
gym, partly funded by a PTSA grant, is working wonderfully.
Staff Report:
Susan Graham reported that counselors have already been doing planning with
9th and 10th graders for next year. She asked that
the word be spread for all parents to attend IHS Planning Night. Shannon
Ellis reported that schedule changes for second semester will be very tight
due to the enrollment of 41 new families since Sept. For students
struggling in math and language that want to change, the counselors have
been working directly with those departments. The first day of the new
semester is January 31st. It is a half-day.
Issaquah PTSA Council
Report:
Nancy Campi announced a list of upcoming meetings of interest including Feb.
8th parent ed. meeting on drugs and alcohol and Feb. 17th
Focus Day in Olympia.
A questionnaire was passed
out to be completed today on how best to get information to and from the
school board. The Region II PTSA Director resigned. There is a nominating
committee forming to elect a new one. A budget process and bond & levy
committee is forming called “Bond and Levy Scoping Committee.” Also, an
I-728 Committee in forming to assess how funds are being used. All parent
ed. Seminars are now listed on the school website. The new freshman campus
now has a name: Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus.
IHS Site Council
Report:
Thereasa Robinson reported that a technology survey was coming by email. It
will ask about opinions on skills necessary for students for graduation.
The next meeting is Jan. 27th at 2:30.
Legislative Report:
Deborah Parsons reported that the new legislative session started this
week. Schools funding committee/study was also starting. Contact her for
carpooling information for Focus Day in Olympia on Feb. 17th.
There was a sign up sheet passed around for her mailing list.
Vice President and
Committee Reports:
Membership:
Karen May reported there are 1,029 PTSA members.
Fundraising:
Marianne Kersten reported that a second mailing was done for Pass the Hat to
PTSA members that had not participated in Pass the Hat previously. So far,
approximately $400 has been collected with a $355 matching fund from Boeing.
Volunteers:
Mary Lou Pauly requested a volunteer to take over for coordinating monthly
staff meeting snacks. Caryn Matusiefsky volunteered. Mary Lou also
requested a volunteer for the “Issy Applause Card” program for student
recognition. Susan Balkman volunteered. Susan Balkman reported that school
volunteer needs are being met.
Awards:
Deed Chase reported that it is time to nominate for the Golden Acorn and
Outstanding Educator Awards. Outstanding Educator need not be a teacher.
Feb. 14th is the deadline for nominations.
New Business:
Mary Lou Pauly summarized 5 grant/funding requests for membership
consideration. She also gave a reminder of the grant funding process
adopted in May 2004 stating that grant/funding requests will be taken only 4
times/year and will be allocated based on a percentage of the total special
request budget amount. Of the funds available this year, approximately
$2500 is available now, $2500 in March and the remainder in May.
The five requests were:
#1 Computer interfaces,
photogate, motion detector for science department ($1682.00 - $2864.25)
#2 Integrated audio visual system for science ($ 300.00)
#3 Northern Ireland travel seminars for Jeff Berka ($2000.00)
#4 Career Center “Learning for Life” career planning services ($250.00)
#5 ELL Program video projector for IMS and IHS students ($1000.00)
#1 There was discussion
about the equipment being computer based technology pieces for labs that
will eliminate having to share software between classes and will benefit
students for approximately 10 years. It was moved and seconded to approve
$1682 plus tax for the computer interfaces and to review the request for the
other science needs at a later date. There was discussion that lots of
science department needs are not covered by “basic essentials” by the
district and is covered by our grants. It effects the biology, chemistry
and physics departments. Most of our grant money goes to the science
department. The motion was adopted.
#2 It was moved and
seconded to approve $300 for the audio visual system. There was no further
discussion. The motion was adopted.
#3 There was
discussion about whether the request to fund a travel seminar met the
criteria of PTSA grant requests. Concerns were expressed about funding an
individual teacher’s personal development. There was also discussion about
having the grant rewritten listing tangible things coming from going to the
seminars. It was moved and seconded to table the discussion for this
request until Feb. pending a rewrite of the request and gathering more
information about it. The motion was adopted.
#4 A presentation was
given by Claudia Cote from the Career Center on the Living for Life Survey.
It was suggested that the two Career Center staff members were eligible for
the $50 individual part time staff grants totaling $100. It was moved,
seconded and approved. There was discussion that the other $150 comes from
teacher grant money donated by those not using their own. Susan Graham and
Shannon Ellis volunteered to donate their teacher grant money for this
purpose. Discussion was ended.
#5 There was
discussion about not knowing how the ELL program is funded, what funds are
used for other ELL purchases, if any grant money is coming from IMS for
their request, and if Issaquah Schools Foundation might be a better source
for this request. It was moved and seconded to table the discussion of this
request until the February meeting with more information.
The motion was adopted.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:35 a.m.
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