Board Highlights May 19, 2015 Meeting
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Board Highlights are timely recaps of School Board meetings. They are emailed to staff, parents, and interested community members before the official minutes are approved and posted.
Links to pertinent memos and presentations from the Board packet are highlighted in green. Board packets are posted the day before regularly scheduled Board meetings.
Meeting podcasts, packets, and Board information can be accessed using the links on the left.
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Regular Meeting
Board President, Ms. Kendra Wallace, began by congratulating staff members who were honored at the District's Retirement and Recognition event. Superintendent, Ms. Trisha Kocanda, noted that May is an especially busy month at all schools. Crow Island School second grade students received an art lesson from author/illustrator Matthew Cordell. Hubbard Woods School celebrated the 2000th episode of their television station, WGST. After four years of planning, a new outdoor space, Dream Green, is being installed at Greeley School. The first Skokie School 5K was a huge success; over $9,000 was raised for the Live Like Leah Foundation. Carleton Washburne School seventh grade students participated in Civil War Day with a team of re-enactors.She concluded her comments with an Entry Plan Update. A revised Strategic Plan that includes a shared vision with updated goals and ambitious opportunities will be presented at the June 9, 2015, Board meeting.
In April of 2013, The School Board approved a K-8 mathematics curriculum aligned to the Common Core and The Standards for Mathematical Practice. The process of selecting materials to support the curriculum for grades 6-8 was postponed until this year because a limited selection of appropriate materials was available for consideration. The purpose of the material selection process was to identify resources that would support a dynamic curriculum, provide challenge for all students, and bridge instruction from middle school to high school.
Teachers from The Skokie and Carleton Washburne Schools worked collaboratively for several months to select materials to support the curriculum. They have built a national network with leaders in the field to inform decision-making and to access innovative practices and quality resources. They have also collaborated with Township sender schools on this process.
The committee recommended maintaining a blended model of print and digital resources. An updated version of Connected Math Project 3 (CMP3) would continue to be the core resource for sixth grade and the McDougal Littell text would continue to be the primary resource for grades seven and eight. Online resources will include Mathalicious, Illustrative Mathematics, and Dan Meyer Three Act Tasks.
A recommendation to acquire these materials, including online access to digital resources, will be voted on by the Board next month. Summer work will include completing comprehensive learning plans, participating in professional development, and identifying qualitative and quantitative measures and outcomes to evaluate the effectiveness of the math implementation.
Informational Memos
The Department of Student Services (DSS) has implemented several new practices to improve delivery of services to students, and increase communication and community outreach. For instance, Early Childhood Screenings, previously available only once a year, are now offered monthly. A three-year plan for continuous improvement, inclusive of Response to Intervention (RtI) and special education services, is being developed. 2. Arbor Food ServicesArbor Management Company provides lunch service at Carleton Washburne School and milk and juice at other buildings. There will no change in administrative costs or management fees for 2015-2016. A recommended 5% increase in food prices was presented and later approved. 3. Construction Contracts AwardsBids for renovations at Crow Island School and Greeley School were reviewed and later approved. 4. Hubbard Woods PTO GiftThe District's PTOs regularly donate money for school enhancements. A proposal for renovating the Resource Center and a classroom to incorporate a Design Thinking IDEA Lab and Project Room has been proposed and will be voted on at the June 9, 2015, Board Meeting. This project is aligned with District goals related to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) and will serve as a pilot for similar spaces in other schools. 5. Winnetka Public Nursery School 2015 ImprovementThe Winnetka Public Nursery School funds an annual capital improvement for the school. A new indoor movement space is proposed. A recommendation to approve the proposal, pending receipt of an updated Certificate of Insurance, was put forth and later approved. 6. 2015 Community Satisfaction SurveyThe Winnetka Public Schools conducts an annual survey to gather feedback from community, parents, and staff to assess progress toward Strategic Plan goals. Quantitative information was analyzed and presented. Overall parent satisfaction has been consistent for three years; 73% of parents report that they are highly-satisfied/satisfied with District 36. Community satisfaction has increased for the past two years from 53% to 63%. Staff satisfaction increased to 82% from 61% over the past 12 months. All stakeholders are more satisfied with the Board's overall performance, fiscal management, and response to feedback than they were in 2014. An analysis of survey comments will be conducted over the summer and presented in the fall.
Action Items
The Consent Agenda and the following items were approved:
1. Arbor Food Services 2015-2016 Contract 2. Construction Contracts at Crow Island School and Greeley School 3. Winnetka Public Nursery School 2015 Capital Improvement 4. Denial of Intra-District Transfer Request
5. Notice to Remedy for Teacher
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Regular meetings are open to the public and will be held in the Hubbard Woods School Resource Center. Regular meetings begin at 7:15 P.M. Work sessions are also open to the public and may be scheduled at the discretion of the Board. Discussion topics and times for work sessions will be posted on the District website 24 hours in advance.
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