School Improvement Team – Lawn Avenue School

Minutes: 3/11/2010

Attendees: Beverly Rudman, Julie, Kallfelz, Suzanne Sakovits, Nicholas Alfred, Tom Carney, Janet LaMantia, Kristen DeSantis Kathy Almanzor, Jenn Clarke, Lisa Carlisle

1. Acknowledgements

• Dara Chadwick for applying to the RI Foundation for a grant to pay for, Mawi Asgedom, “The Code” author’s visit.

• 5^th grade team for looking at a different instructional model.

• Tom Carney for enriching 7^th grade LA for students.

2. Old Business

Revisit answers from SIT members to question “If you could affect one change, what would it be?”

• The answers from September 2009 were reviewed. All answers had been addressed or are currently on the agenda. The members were asked to fill out another answer. None were received.

Standard Based Grading

• Writing benchmarks – 1^st Quarter posted on website, 2^nd Quarter done but comments need to be completed. Kathy Almanzor will laminate the benchmarks for the teachers to display in classrooms.

Excellence in Effort for 5^th & 6^th

• This will be implemented in September 2010.

• A 6^th grade representative is needed on SIT.

Challenging all students

• R R & R evening – Waiting to hear back from Marilyn Hostetler. Possible PowerPoint presentation at Open House in September 2010. Future: website to have clips of Bill Daggart presentations.

• One School – One book Summer Reading – “The Code” – 8^th graders to read the book this spring. Kristen DeSantis to look for a clip online on about the author to show the 8^th graders.

• Annual classroom visits: Looking for SIT volunteers to visit classrooms sometime in March. Suzanne Sakovitz has agreed. An email will be sent out to the members requesting 1-2 more volunteers.

Discussion: increasing apathy among male students regarding overall performance

• A subcommittee will be formed and will include Janet LaMantia and Ann Zainyeh. A teacher is needed on the committee. An email will be sent out looking for volunteers.

Review of student nutrition and physical activity policy

• Dana Long, school committee member is the new chair of the committee. Janet LaMantia will attend the next meeting.

3. New Business

Scheduling and coordination of school and fundraising events

• A process and/or procedure needs to be created for the scheduling of future school and fundraising events in order to structure how activities are brought in to the school. SIT will write a letter to all groups asking for a schedule during the summer prior to the school year. PTO president, Robin Trenganza and/or cultural events person will be invited to the next meeting.

Grade level showcases of work

• 6^th grade will be having a showcase of work in April

• 5^th grade will be organizing something for May or June.

• Tom Carney and Kristen DeSantis will go back to the 7^th and 8^th grade team to discuss an end of the year portfolio showcase.

4. Subcommittees

• Island Treasures – Thursday, May 20^th, 2010. Janet LaMantia and Lisa Carlisle are co-chairs. Letters have been sent out to past presenters asked back and the new presenter list is being worked on.

5. Next SIT meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 8^th at 3:30pm in the library.

Meeting adjourned 5:00pm

Submitted by:

Lisa Carlisle