Verified EESAC Meeting Minutes

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

E.E.S.A.C. MEETING October 3, 2014

Council members in attendance:
Ingrid Robledo (chairperson)
Shelley Stroleny
Shelton Rivers
Shannon Sejeck
Annette Daniels
Guillermo Garcia
Richard Hudson
Maria Alvarado
Suzie Prudhomme
Natalia Lopez
Natalia Torres
Richard Smithies
Annie Baker

Council members absent:
Cheli Fernández
Brigitte Kavanaugh
Elvia Brathwaite
Ana Hernandez
Pierre Apollon
Laura Weinfeld
Flavia Verde
Thomas Harley
Tom Kernan
Melissa Nobles

Non-Council members in attendance:
Maria de los Angeles Fernandez

Approval of minutes: Mrs. Robledo called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. The minutes from August 29, 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). Mrs. Stroleny commended Mr. Rivers for his work on the school Action Plan and the SIP, citing his collaboration with all subject areas: “Extremely pleased, an amazing job.” Mr. Rivers explained that the District is requiring all schools to complete an Action Plan, which is linked to the SIP. The Action Plan was developed and completed on Sept. 23. He said a big difference between the Action Plan and the SIP is that the Action Plan has one goal that encompasses all subject areas. There are four goals for the 2014-2015 SIP – (1) Core Instruction, (2) Early Warning Signs, (3) STEM/CTE, and (4) Parental Involvement. There are other sections and parts of the SIP that the school must complete. The SIP was completed by the school’s SIP team. The 2014-15 SIP was reviewed and approved. A hard copy of the SIP will be kept on file for review.

Principal’s Message: Mrs. Stroleny said our biggest challenge this year is becoming knowledgeable regarding the new Florida Standards and the assessments that go with them. The technology demands that accompany the testing also are a challenge. Professional Development is a key component in this process. We will have seven study groups based on what teachers feel they need so their students will be successful. Only seven teachers did not apply for these study groups and they also will participate in professional development. Mrs. Harmon presented the Talent/Variety Show on Sept. 30 and it was a huge success. Promethean Board training occurred on Oct. 1 and 2 and teachers said it was very relevant. The magnet school application period began Oct. 1; the eighth-graders will be attending presentations from various high schools during homeroom in the upcoming weeks. The Hispanic Heritage Luncheon takes place on Oct. 3 and SIPA will host a tapas event on Oct. 16. District writing pretests are scheduled for Oct. 6 and 7 and Oct. 13 and 14; the writing task is very different from the previous FCAT Writes assessment. The German-American Heritage Luncheon is on Oct. 17. We will conduct a parent workshop for mathematics and language arts on Oct. 22. Picture days are Oct. 29 and 30. The Fall Social and Twins Day is Oct. 31. On Nov. 6, we will present a parent workshop on cyber-crime and cyber-bullying prevention, followed by a spaghetti supper fundraiser conducted by Friends of Carver to raise funds for an electronic marquee. The European trip led by Mrs. Robledo has been approved and the Washington, D.C. trip led by Mr. Sands is awaiting approval. The next EESAC meeting will be Nov. 12.

Official Business: The School Improvement Plan was approved unanimously by the committee.

Open Forum: Mrs. Daniels reported that the soccer seasons have been slowed by the rainy weather. The cross country team competed in a meet on Oct. 2 and boys’ and girls’ varsity and junior varsity all placed in the top five in their respective divisions. We are awaiting District approval to use the newly resurfaced field for Physical Education classes and athletics.

Adjournment: Mrs. Robledo adjourned the meeting at 8:47 a.m.