Verified EESAC Meeting Minutes

G. W. CARVER MIDDLE SCHOOL
Educational Excellence School Advisory Council
Ingrid Robledo, Chairperson

E.E.S.A.C. MEETING April 8, 2014

Council members in attendance:
Ingrid Robledo (chairperson)
Shelley Stroleny
Shelton Rivers
Annette Daniels
Shannon Sejeck
Richard Hudson
Elvia Brathwaite
Emma Piniella Bennett

Council members absent:
Cheli Fernández
Guillermo Garcia
Brigitte Kavanaugh
Maria Alvarado
Osire Agramonte
Laura Weinfeld
Suzie Prudhomme
Maria Zenoz
Vicente Cortes
Gabryelle Garcia
Alexandria Hoyt
Thomas Harley
Tom Kernan
Annie Baker
Melissa Nobles

Approval of minutes: Mrs. Robledo called the meeting to order at 8:25 a.m. The minutes from February 28, 2014, were reviewed and approved.

SIP Review: The EESAC is the sole body responsible for the approval and implementation of the School Improvement Plan, (SIP). Mr. Rivers said there is no new testing data to disseminate at this time.

Principal’s Message: Mrs. Stroleny said testing is very different this year with a testing window of five to six weeks. We have developed a special bell and homework schedule. We have also worked to reduce from 15 days to nine days the time when students will be in homeroom until noon, allowing teachers to teach their children in a regular fashion. The process is complicated by online testing. The testing would have been simpler with pencil and paper testing, which remains for some tests. Computer labs are in place for rooms 104, 106, 24, 25 and the media center. On those days when students remain in homeroom, the first period teacher will give each child’s homeroom teacher work to do during homeroom time. Mrs. Robledo asked who will administer the online testing; Mrs. Stroleny said it is a complicated arrangement that will be explained to teachers at today’s faculty meeting. Proctors and test administrators must be certified by the state of Florida. Mr. Rivers said it is more complicated for the teachers than the students.

Funds from the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition will be used to enhance technology at Carver. The District will provide Promethean ActivBoards before the start of next school year in every classroom. Mrs. Stroleny said she hopes to offer training for teachers in August. All schools will be “Bring Your Own Device” ready by September 2014. HP ElitePad tablets will be provided to Civics classes with the textbook loaded by early May.

Mrs. Stroleny announced many recent honors. Mrs. Vazquez, Mrs. Stroleny and seven students who worked on the project will go to Washington, D.C. on April 29-30 for the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Challenge awards ceremony. Carver is a Magnet Schools of Distinction winner; Mrs. Basso and Mrs. Stroleny will attend the Magnet Schools of America national conference on May 15, in Hartford, Conn., to accept the honor. Dr. Garcia and four students are currently at the State Science Fair in Lakeland. Carver continues to excel with the Fairchild challenge: In Challenge 1A (Exploring, Explaining and Conserving), Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Llewellyn-Jones’s students Emma Bennett and Alejandro Moreno earned 97 or 100 possible points. In Challenge 1B, (Plant Exploration Writing), Mrs. Carlson-Yellen’s students Nicole Marino and Natalia Rodriguez earned 167 of 200 points. In Challenge 1C, Mrs. Llewellyn-Jones’s students Emma Bennett and Alejandro Moreno earned 184 of 200 points. In Challenge 3 (Sounds of Nature), Mrs. Harmon’s students earned 208 of 225 points. In Challenge 6 (Citizen Science), five teachers participated and students Bibi Moghani and Sophie Barry earned 356 of a possible 400 points. In Challenge 7 (Green Treasures), Mrs. Winston’s students earned 293 of 300 points. Sophie Barry is the region winner for the Walter B. Arnold Youth Hall of Fame Award. Mrs. Vazquez is continuing with the Dream in Green competition. Mrs. Medina has entered Carver for School of the Year for International Studies Spanish Programs. Dr. Garcia’s students have entered the Dranoff Piano Slam competition for science.

Mrs. Stroleny reviewed the calendar of upcoming events. FCAT pep rallies are this week, April 7-9. Mr. Sands is leading a group of students that leave on April 10 for Washington, D.C. Also on April 10, the French minister of education will visit, and German students will take the DSD exam. April 12 marks the FIPA Gala. April 17 is early release. Interim progress reports go home on May 1. Friends of Carver will be May 9. Teachers have an opportunity to donate time to the silent auction. The Healthy School committee meets on May 12. May 15 marks Take Your Child to Work Day. Mrs. Harmon’s end-of-the-year concert is on May 20. The date of the awards assembly is being rescheduled. AP exam dates are May 6 Spanish, May 13 French, May 14 German and May 15 Italian. EOC exams in Civics, Algebra, Geometry and Biology take place May 6-15. The Student Council convention is May 23. We have 14 math courses here, which make the schedule more complicated. Mrs. Stroleny recognized Mrs. Coto-Gonzalez for her work on the master schedule. Physical Education will have an EOC next year. We are working on logistics with the testing for grade 6 next year. We have two phenomenal PE teachers and they do a great job with discipline. They win prizes in competitions and do a great job.
Mrs. Robledo said she has been invited to do educational programs for parents for the Clinton Univision Foundation Education. Mrs. Robledo and Mrs. Di Prieto were part of the team of facilitators/presenters for the Advanced Academics - AP Student Curriculum Review (APSCR) scheduled on Saturday, April 5 at Miami Lakes Technical Education Center from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. They have served for several years as trainers of teachers and students. Mrs. Piniella-Bennett informed about a group of girls who attended a workshop at the Museum of Science on engineering and computer programming. She said the program was excellent and the girls did well.