Verified EESAC Meeting Minutes

Approval of minutes: Mrs. Robledo called the meeting to order at 8:27 a.m. She had Tobias Kammerer introduce himself as a new student representative. Mrs. Copeland raised concerns about the walkway in the back of the campus and safety issues. Mrs. Broadmeadow said the real problem is parents stopping in the street. Mrs. Gonzalez said she would station more security in the area. Mrs. Gonzalez explained that EESAC funds have been spent already, making the old building wireless. Mrs. Robledo then returned to the business of the minutes from August 29, 2007, which were reviewed and approved.

Principal’s message: Mrs. Gonzalez announced that Carver has been awarded the Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education. What makes this award so special is that you must be invited to apply for it. Only 410 schools in the entire country were invited to apply. The number of schools that are selected per state is determined using a formula that includes size of the student population and the number of schools in each state. Only 13 schools in Florida were invited to apply. Mr. Rivers, Mrs. Stroleny, Mr. Sejeck and Mrs. Basso completed the 29 page Blue Ribbon application describing the various facets of the school and providing the corresponding data that the teachers and students had produced. Mrs. Gonzalez and Mrs. Basso went to the conference in Orlando last Tuesday when the Blue Ribbon recipients were announced. Mrs. Vinat and Mrs. Gonzalez will attend the event in Washington, D.C., for national recognition. Mrs. Robledo said that Carver previously won the award and teachers were interviewed as part of the process and felt ownership. Mrs. Gonzalez explained that the process has changed since then and that she did not want to take teachers out of the classroom from the important business of teaching to complete an application. Mrs. Vintat has been named Teacher of the Year. Parent-teacher conferences will be held from 12:30 to 3:40 p.m. on October 23. Magnet recruitment has begun with tours on Thursdays. Magnet high schools have been invited to make presentations for our eighth-graders and their parents. On October 15, we are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month; Mrs. Robledo does a great job with the Hispanic Heritage Cooking Contest. On October 16, Mr. Hudson is presenting an FACT Writing workshop at 6 p.m., and on October 30, Roxanne Hurtado of FLaRE is presenting an FCAT reading workshop. Parent attendance will be encouraged for both events. The School Improvement Plan has been approved; Mrs. Gonzalez thanked Mrs. Stroleny for her work on it. Teachers yesterday completed the first full day of professional development on the application of brain research in the classroom. The first nine-week grading period ends on October. 25. Mrs. Gonzalez thanked Mrs. Moghani for her work on the German Unification luncheon. FCAT algebra tutoring is going very well under the leadership of Mrs. Szmulewicz. Homeroom FCAT tutoring in writing, science, and math are also going very well. Mrs. Robledo pointed out that one of Szmulewicz former students contacted her and said that because of Mrs. Szmulewicz’s influence she became a math teacher. Mrs. Gonzalez would like a student celebration and a teacher celebration for the Blue Ribbon Award and would like to decorate the campus with blue ribbons. Next Monday, Mrs. Robledo, Mrs. Gonzalez, and Mrs. Buitrago are flying to Tallahassee by invitation from the governor for a Hispanic Heritage Celebration at the Governor’s mansion. Mrs. Robledo commented that funding is being taken away from local education and that this is a concern.

Open forum: On November 30, students will take a fieldtrip to Islands of Adventure, and Mrs. Robledo said she needs parent chaperones. The Hispanic Heritage essay contest is underway. Other events are taking place to mark Hispanic Heritage Month. Mrs. Stroleny pointed out that all members have received the No Child Left Behind packet, which includes student membership, demographics, test scores, and qualifications of teachers. It gives a “numbers snapshot” of the school and is not new information for the EESAC. On the EESAC agenda are dates for future meetings. There is no meeting in January due to exams nor in March due to FCAT testing. Cross-country, soccer and volleyball are in action. Cross-country teams have brought home trophies. Carver athletes are students first and athletes second, Mrs. Daniels pointed out. The issue of books for homeroom libraries was raised and Mrs. Gonzalez said there are enough funds for this need. She also explained that required reading books are donated to needy students. Carver again earned recognition money for schools making the greatest learning gains under the No Child Left Behind Act. Carver earned this recognition as the top middle school for Region IV. Mrs. Copeland pointed out that her daughter is now in the German program at Coral Gables High School and that new courses have had to be created because former Carver students are so advanced that they need higher-level language courses than were previously offered.

Adjournment: Mrs. Robledo adjourned the meeting at 8:54 a.m.