Verified EESAC Meeting Minutes

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

E.E.S.A.C. MEETING August 29, 2014

Council members in attendance:
Ingrid Robledo (chairperson)
Shelley Stroleny
Shelton Rivers
Shannon Sejeck
Brigitte Kavanaugh
Cheli Fernández
Annette Daniels
Guillermo Garcia
Richard Hudson
Maria Alvarado
Suzie Prudhomme

Council members absent:
Elvia Brathwaite
Ana Hernandez
Pierre Apollon
Laura Weinfeld
Flavia Verde
Natalia Lopez
Natalia Torres
Richard Smithies
Thomas Harley
Tom Kernan
Annie Baker
Melissa Nobles

Guests
Maria de los Angeles Fernández

Approval of minutes: Mrs. Robledo called the meeting to order at 8:25 a.m. The minutes from May 8, 2014, were reviewed and approved. Attendance for the May 8 minutes also needed to be corrected. Mr. Rivers indicated that the April 8, 2014 meeting was conducted without a quorum. The agenda from the April 8, 2014 meeting was revisited; the information was shared with everyone in attendance. Mrs. Robledo said the first order of business was to elect a chairperson. Mrs. Robledo was nominated and reelected as chairperson unanimously.

SIP Review: The EESAC is the sole body responsible for the approval and implementation of the School Improvement Plan (SIP). Mr. Rivers gave the dates of scheduled EESAC meetings as Nov. 12, Feb. 4, and April 8. He said the SIP needs to be approved by Oct. 10 and there will be another meeting before then to approve it. Carver is applying for the Five Star Award, a recognition award based on best business practices, most of which are already in place here. One requirement for the award is to hold at least eight EESAC meetings, so other meetings will take place as needed. Also to meet requirements for the award, we are working to establish a community service component through Social Studies classes.

Principal’s Message: Mrs. Stroleny said we have had an incredibly smooth start to the school year. Grade-level orientations were very informative and students have started the year knowing what is expected. Mr. Sejeck has issued bus passes and this has helped dismissal tremendously. Parent pickup takes 15 minutes. Homeroom tutoring has begun. The French government, in coordination with FIPA, is sending an aide this year to work with Mrs. Kavanaugh, who has very large humanities classes. The aide will work with small groups to improve student performance. AP exam scores were “through the roof.” Mrs. Stroleny commended Mrs. Robledo for strong scores on the Spanish AP, adding that this is a great testament to the Spanish department; German, French and Italian scores have also been great. Teachers deserve praise for use of the new Promethean Boards. Mr. Rivers spent much time this summer to make sure boards were installed. Civics teachers have done an amazing job with implementation of tablets in their course to replace textbooks. Florida State Assessments are bringing a big change to this school year, as FCAT is almost out. More EOC assessments will be offered. We feel confident that Carver will do well on these tests because of solid teaching and best practices. The PE field is being redone and appears close to being finished, as work is being done seven days a week on it. The PTSA and Friends of Carver will have more collaboration this year; their goal is to purchase an electronic marquees for both schools. Jeans days and spaghetti nights will help raise funds, along with a more formal parent event. Mr. Rivers has posted dates for upcoming events with the faculty handbook and the document is modified continually. Mrs. Stroleny said she wants teachers to regularly check those dates. Science baseline assessments begin today. The PTSA will hold a fundraiser on Sept. 9 at Sports Grill in South Miami and attendance is encouraged. A parent workshop about the Science Fair is Sept. 10. Open House is Sept. 23. Mrs. Harmon will present a talent/variety show on Sept. 30. The Hispanic Heritage Luncheon is Oct. 3 and the German-American Heritage Luncheon is Oct. 17. The Fall Social and Twins Day is Oct. 31.

Open Forum: Mr. Hudson commented about how participation in AP classes at Carver helps former students better handle their AP classes in high school. Mrs. Kavanaugh commented about middle school rankings, on which Carver scores very high. She also said the French program is still missing many books but has gained a link where parents can download books at reasonable prices. Dr. Garcia commented that the published calendar is not in chronological order. He said the science classes are starting the baseline on the computer. Some students will take two science baseline exams, with a possible EOC for Physical Science at the end of the year. He said former Carver student Albertina Rizzo recently won an Emmy Award. Mrs. Kavanaugh said former student Cecile McLorin Salvant was gained acclaim as a jazz musician. Mrs. Robledo said that former student Christina Rivera is working as assistant to the lawyer for the school board.

Adjournment: Mrs. Robledo adjourned the meeting at 8:55 a.m.