LA CAÑADA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

School Site Council Meeting

November 27, 2007

3:15 p.m.

 

 

CALL TO ORDER

 

Jacob Tujian called the meeting to order at 3:15 p.m.

Attendance was as follows:

 

Staff:                                       Officers:                     Parent Representatives:

Ivette Ellis                              Jacob Tujian               Linda Reisz

Wendi Damico                        Ann Christensen        Su Potts

Mary Linda Vandevelde       Pam Knapp, PTA       Sherry Hackney Cade

Nancy DeBoer                                                                      

Donna Stassel                       

 

OLD BUSINESS

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES 

 

The October 2007 minutes were brought forth for review.  Ann Christensen moved for the approval of the September minutes, and Su Potts seconded the motion.  The motion was unanimously passed.

 

 

NEW BUSINESS

 

 

SITE COUNCIL BUDGET FOR 2007-2008:

 

Based on the last meeting, Mrs. Ivette Ellis reported to the members that she had addressed the staff regarding “wish list” items. She then asked Wendi Damico and Mary Linda Vandevelde to address the wishes of the staff.

 

Mary Linda reported that at the top priority for many of the staff was the continuing financing of laptop comput ers and projectors for all of the classrooms. Mrs. Damico and Mrs. Ellis agreed that this is extremely important to the staff. Mrs. Ellis reported that all of the 5th and 6th grade classrooms have a complete set of laptop and projector. The 4th and 3rd grades only have one at each level. The 2nd grade has 2 sets. !st grade and kinder do not have any sets. The school needs 13 more sets to complete each classroom. 

 

Wendi Damico also brought forth a request from the 4th – 6th grade teachers that they were interested in a new Scantron machine for correcting tests. Mrs. Ellis noted that the school had a Scantron machine at one time, but, that it was given to the district office due to lack of use at the school. Mrs. Ellis said that she would check with the district to see if they could re-acquire the machine.

 

The staff representatives also mentioned that the teachers were interested in having some type of multi-student hand washing station available by the cafeteria. The number of bathrooms does not accommodate the number of students wishing to wash their hands before lunch. In addition, it is hoped that the addition of the hand washing station would cut down on the transfer of germs.

 

Linda Reisz made a motion to adopt a resolution to fund 3 complete sets of laptops and projectors, which would complete all 4th – 6th grade classrooms. The cost of the technology should not exceed $8,000. Ann Christensen seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously passed.

 

Jacob Tujian then made a motion that all other additional funds would remain in reserve while the council obtained more information on the potential cost and reasonableness of a multi-student hand washing station. Sherry Hackney Cade seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously passed.

 

II.        REPORTS

 

The following Monthly Reports were provided:

 

Principal’s Report

                                Mrs. Ellis gave the following report:

 

                        The district is now in process of finding a replacement for Mrs. Ellis. Applications are being accepted until December 14th. Interviews should occur approximately January 9th or 10th. If the district is unable to find an acceptable replacement, then an interim principal will be hired through the end of the school year. In the Spring, additional job postings would be made with the hope to find a permanent replacement before summer.

 

B.        PTA Report

Pam Knapp gave the following report:

 

Due to the increase requests for information regarding the replacement of Ivette Ellis, the PTA requested a letter from Jim Stratton which addresses various questions. The letter will be included in the next Thursday Folder to parents.

 

The next Lion Times will have an outline addressing where donations to the PTA are spent.

 

The Book Fair is next week and the author of Gingerbread Cowboy will be reading to attendees on Thursday night.

 

The Halloween Haunt netted approximately $70,000 this year which was comprised mostly of Sponsorships ($38,000) and Silent Auction ($25,000).

 

 

C.        GATE Report

Linda Reisz, GATE Parent Representative, reported that there was nothing new with the GATE program.

 

            III. ADDITIONAL

 

            A report was made by Mrs. Ellis regarding the Curriculum Review Meeting. The meeting had some issues which needed to be addressed including that the Tech Plan had to be adjusted. Class size reduction was also a main area of interest.

 

            Pam Knapp reported that she had been called by a representative from the Education Foundation regarding technical funding. The council agreed that Jacob, in conjunction with Pam Knapp, would contact the school representative, Lisa Goldstein, to see if the Foundation would consider matching site council funds for new computers and projectors.

 

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m.

The next meeting will be on January 22, 2008 .

 

Submitted by:

Ann Christensen

Site Council Secretary, 2007-08