Verified EESAC Meeting Minutes

Approval of minutes: Mrs. Robledo called the meeting to order at 8:25 a.m. The minutes from April 15, 2009, were reviewed and approved.

Principal’s message: Mr. Rivers gave the principal’s message. He explained that Mrs. Gonzalez and Mrs. Stroleny are both absent because they are participating on the instructional review team currently at Ponce de Leon Middle School. Mr. Rivers shared the results of the eighth grade scores on the statewide 2009 FCAT Writing assessment: 5.1 combined score, 5.0 on the persuasive prompt, and 5.1 on the expository prompt; 100 percent of students met state mastery of 3.5 or higher; 99 percent scored 4.0 or higher. In addition, 52 students scored a perfect 6. He passed on Mrs. Gonzalez’s congratulations to the entire faculty for helping our students become strong writers. In order to maintain or raise next year’s writing scores, we have already started tutoring seventh grade students using data from in-house writing assessments. Similarly, we are providing additional support for next year’s eighth graders is reading, mathematics and science. All departments have provided input on strategies for Carver’s 2009-2010 School Improvement Plan. The literacy team met yesterday. Many of the reading and writing strategies will remain the same, with only a few modifications. For example, at the start of next year, homeroom tutoring will be based on FCAT results, not teacher recommendations.

Mr. Rivers then provided dates of upcoming events: The Advanced Placement tests in French (May 4) and Spanish (May 5) were successfully administered, and the German test is on May 7. The Student Council Convention is this afternoon with elections for next year’s officers taking place on May 7 and 8 during Social Studies classes. The PTSA will provide the faculty and staff a luncheon in the media center in recognition of teacher appreciation. Interim progress reports will be sent home today. On May 9, the PTSA is holding a meeting at which it will welcome incoming sixth-grade parents. The Fairchild Challenge awards ceremony is on May 9. Mrs. Gramling said Carver’s first-place winners of the Eco skit will perform at the event. Mrs. Berta Vazquez will receive the Richard C. Bartlett Environmental Educator award on May 11. May 12 marks the eighth-grade etiquette program. The eighth-grade field trip to Busch Gardens is May 13. Mrs. Robledo said there are 281 participants, and students who could not afford the trip received scholarships to cover the cost. May 14 is the awards ceremony for the Perfect 6 Club. The National Junior Honor Society and the Carver Hall of Fame ceremonies are May 14 at 6 p.m. May 15 marks career day for eighth-graders and the field trips for sixth- and seventh-graders. May 19-27 is final exam review week. The final exam schedule is May 28 (periods 2 and 6), May 29 (periods 3 and 7), June 1 (periods 4 and 1), and June 2 (period 5). The last day of school and the eighth-grade banquet are on June 4. Middle schools are released at 2:30 p.m. on the last three days of school. Mr. Rivers concluded by stating that Mrs. Gonzalez would like to wish everyone on the EESAC a wonderful summer.

Open Forum: Mrs. Gramling said the Drama students recently performed the play “I Never Saw Another Butterfly,” and it was “definitely an artistic success.” Mrs. Daniels said that we are waiting to learn if Philip Straus and Julio Corona qualify for the county’s middle school golf finals. Mr. Sands said that Mr. Oswald Walks will be this year’s inductee for the Carver Hall of Fame; he was an engineer for the Challenger and a 1958 graduate of G. W. Carver High School. He also informed that Carver students who graduate from college can submit applications for induction into the Hall of Fame. He also said the recent Washington trip went very well. Miss Diez said she is running for Student Council president and was asked about her speech, which she will give to the students later today. She said last year she spoke about the environment and she still stands behind those principles; her focus this time is that students have not been talking to Student Council members, and as a member of Student Council, she wants to open up lines of communication between students and the administration. Mrs. Robledo said the Spanish students took first place in drama, poetry, and impromptu at the Mini-Concurso county competitions for the eighteenth consecutive year. French students also finished first at the competition. Mrs. Noa organized the Spanish talent show, presented to parents on April 22. Replacements for parents leaving EESAC have been elected. Mrs. Fernandez informed that at the Math Counts competition, Carver won first place for the first time in 12 years and went to the state competition in Orlando. Both parents present, Mrs. Breiter and Mrs. Poe-Liu, said they considered it an honor to be on the EESAC and that EESAC participation let them know what was happening in the school.

Adjournment: Mrs. Robledo adjourned the meeting at 8:52 a.m.