Verified EESAC Meeting Minutes

Approval of minutes: Mrs. Robledo called the meeting to order at 8:20 a.m. The minutes from May 22, 2019, were reviewed and approved. Mrs. Robledo had all members introduce themselves as this was the first meeting of the school year.

SIP Review: The EESAC is the sole body responsible for the approval and implementation of the School Improvement Process (SIP). A team of teachers and administrators worked on the initial development of the SIP during Synergy (summer 2019). Mr. Rivers said the SIP review will take place on Sept. 5, 2019. He scheduled our next meeting on Sept. 9 to approve the SIP. The SIP has 12 assurances, including attesting to at least four meetings this year; roster and bylaws review; and the EESAC chair and principal verifying the roster by Sept. 13. Mr. Rivers said we are always in compliance. He explained that the two main portions of the SIP are School Culture and Academics.

Official Business: Mrs. Robledo was reelected unanimously as chairperson of the committee. Mrs. Robledo called for a vote to approve the distribution plan for bonuses for faculty and staff using the A+ money based on FSA scores and the school’s grade. The faculty approved the plan at a meeting on Aug. 27. The EESAC voted unanimously to approve the use of the funding for bonuses for faculty and staff. Mrs. Stroleny requested EESAC funds of approximately $5,000 to be spent on technology, and the request was approved unanimously.

Principal’s Message: Mrs. Stroleny began by welcoming all members back and thanked all for being here. She said we are in a state of alertness due to the weather. This Carver team is well versed on the District's procedures for Storm Dorian. We are trained and ready. We have had some staff changes. Mrs. Coto-Gonzalez was promoted to principal of Kinloch Park Middle School. Her replacement, Mrs. Rivera, has been awesome and fit right in. Two of our veteran teachers are out unexpectedly at this time; we have started strong and are making sure all students get a quality education in those language arts and math classes. Mrs. Castera is a new French teacher as Mrs. Sellem has moved to the math department. Mrs. Valdes has replaced Mrs. Garces as one of our counselors.

This year we have three basic initiatives. First is safety training (drills, locked doors, gates, Mr. Grant checking locked doors, use of hard corners, Officer Garcia, and Student Services looking for students who are upset). Second is our focus on academics. Third is our focus on students’ social-emotional learning with connections to students and adults liking/feeling connected to middle school. Mrs. Valdes is working toward this initiative with the Breakfast Club. Our professional development for the year is Mawi with a focus on the social/emotional component at this fragile age. Busses and dismissal always are challenging the first two weeks; Mrs. Castro has worked to make it run smoothly. Dismissal has been amazing, and the City of Coral Gables has been very supportive with traffic control. Our enrollment is full at 1,021 students, thanks in part to the work of Mrs. Basso. Mrs. Stroleny said Mr. Rivers deserves accolades for his work with the SIP, involving different departments. The PTSA did an amazing job over the summer with the piazza. We are scheduled for improvements with funds from the GOB bond in January 2020; this includes air conditioning, revamping of bathrooms, and painting the outside of the building. Picture Day is scheduled for Sept. 3 and 4 (since rescheduled to Sept. 9 and 10). Club Fair is at 8:30-9 a.m. on Sept. 6. PTSA will hold a workday on Sept. 7 for campus beautification. Open House is Sept. 18. Sept. 20 is our first snow cone day, organized by the PTSA. Interim progress reports go home Sept. 20. Sept. 26 is Dads Come to School Day. The Variety Show organized by Mrs. Harmon is at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 26. Project Sentry is at 8:15 a.m. on Sept. 27 with a presentation for parents followed by a safety presentation for sixth-grade students. Sept. 30 is a teacher planning day. Oct. 1 is the next scheduled EESAC meeting. Mrs. Damina Nocete is leaving as magnet secretary for a classroom position. Mrs. Stroleny concluded by wishing all a happy Labor Day weekend and said to stay safe.

Open Forum: Dr. Garcia reported that we achieved Silver STEAM designation again. He explained that we need to increase our focus on community involvement to achieve gold status. He said the STEAM process has been streamlined, and that he is working with all STEAM departments to prepare for visits and requirements this school year. Mrs. Daniels said tryouts for cross-country and soccer have begun. Mrs. Robledo said the results for the Advanced Placement foreign language exams were outstanding, and Mrs. Stroleny said the achievement patterns for all four languages are amazing.

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