• Comments, Criticisms, Commendations, Complaints

"Opera-tunity," performed before the Winter break, was a great show. It introduced kids to composers and opera and included 4 adult performers.

First grade scored writing prompts – there was "rich" discussion.

• January Minutes

Let Leanne Turenne know of any additions or deletions that need to be made.

• School Information Page Update – Betsy Gooding

Should we include such specific information in the document? Yes. We’ll need to update it yearly, anyway. The document should be updated yearly in September so that it’ll be ready for Open House.

SELAC would like a copy of it for Education Awareness Day.

• Education Awareness Day

Takes place on Saturday, March 29, 2003. People can preregister. There will be speakers in the morning and people can choose to take the special education track sessions as well as the general education stuff.

There will be childcare and refreshments available.

Contact Tony Rafanelli or Gaeli Green if you’d like to help out.

• Assessment Report

Grade 4 math: Skills, Concepts, and Problem Solving. Overall scores show improvement yet problem solving is the weakest. Problem solving is strength of Math Land. Problem solving involves a lot of writing needed to explain procedures. Math skills can be practiced at home with parents (rote memorization).

Suggestion: More problem-solving work should go home.

Grade 4 Reading: scores are strong

Grade 4 Writing: downward trend

Grade 4 Conventions: showing improvement

Keep in mind, Jamestown had less that 100 students per grade. This is important to consider when looking at percentages. A few sick kids can skew results.

• Latest SALT Data

The data is back for this year. There is a need to form a sub-committee to look at the data. It would be good to meet once a week.

• School Improvement Planning

Do we create a new School Improvement Plan (SIP) this spring or should we wait for the development of the school’s strategic plan? We will develop a strategic plan first, and from that, each school will develop their own SIP.

Should be still work on the goals for Melrose that we believe will fit in for us? It is not too soon to look at the existing plan and to extract important goals specific to Melrose. Mrs. Sipala said not to feel pressure to have a SIP by May.

We will need to respond to a strategic plan when it’s done which will be fall/early winter ’03.

• Members Present:

Beth Pinto

Harle Phelps

Cara McDermott

Marylin Hostetler

Jane Wright

Cynthia Cherney

Susanne Reynolds

Kathleen Almanzor

Katherine Sipala

Betsy Gooding

Karen S. Rafanelli

Leanne Turenne

Betsy Butler-Aho