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Minutes of LSRT Meeting Of 3-30-06
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Present:
Administration: Melissa Kim
Parents: Mary Froning, Deborah Fox, Linda Feldmann, Sarah Whitener,
Mary Giffin
Teachers: Guy Brandenburg, Robert Geremia, Sharon Purcell, Ginette
Suarez Community Member: Mary Podesta
Student: Mamoudou Diallo
Guest: Michael Hughes
I. Good News
A. MathCounts - Lafayette Invitational, Deal took first 6 places and
our two teams took first and second place
B. Aziza Tichavakunda took first place in the
citywide/regional/state Spelling Bee and will be going to the
nationals
C. Budget news - our funds were restored by School Board action.
D. The Deal baseball team is playing their first scrimmage today.
II. Adoption of Minutes of 3-2-06. Approved unanimously
III. Principal's Report
A. Budget
1. Ms. Kim wants to stay with 845 students, even though that
may keep us down one teacher. We still can't afford a much needed
third assistant principal. The school system is working to reconcile
budgets early in the school year to prevent disruption in the
operations of local schools.
2. If we make AYP for a second year in a row, we will get
$100,000 as an award. Last year we got $20,000 and spent it on
professional development. This time we would use it to buy
equipment, computers, supplies, etc. We would get the money in the
spring, after the test results are in.
B. Local School Plan
1. Ms. Kim will send it, in its incomplete form, to Mary
Froning and we will look it over together. We are waiting for the
Math and Attendance sections. Mr. Brandenburg will get something in
to Ms. Kim in 2 weeks, and Mr. Geremia will get something in by
spring break. The roundtable with the Assistant Superintendent
using the new budget has not yet been scheduled. After the plan is
completed, a plan will be developed to monitor goals.
2. As this is a two-year plan, no major revisions will be
required next year.
3. AOL Aspire Plan - In the past they gave decreasing amounts
over a three-year period to many schools (starting at about $10K).
Now they want to give more money to fewer schools. Ms. Kim spent a
lot of time with them and may be invited to apply for the program.
AOL wants us to help the students aspire to something else which is
not in the school building, like college visitation programs, career
choice programs, etc. Ms. Kim suggested Deal needed help with a
longer middle school transition program, foreign language
supplements, technology , photography class to use our darkroom,
drama class, parent involvement. These folks were looking for a
needier school, she thinks, so she is not expecting a positive
result.
IV. Updates
A. Modernization
There is a meeting Monday, April 3, with Tom Brady and Cornell Brown
to begin to implement the modernization of Deal. It is hoped that
this will proceed smoothly with our full funds restored based on the
City Council's action to fully fund the DCPS Facilities plans.
B. Technology
From Mr. Renard (DCPS Technology office), today the check got
delivered to Verizon so they are now willing to put install
equipment. Deal is on the top priority list, with work possibly
beginning within 30 days, to finish wiring each classroom for the
Internet. There will be wireless routers in the ceiling of each
classroom. It should take a month or less to finish the work. The
ANC that Mary F. went to did not find an easy answer to our request
for money for the wireless cart. We need $1995 to finish the job.
Either we put off the cart until next year, or we find @$2,000.
Mary Podesta volunteered to undertake finding that money. Mary P.
wants a list of alumnae. Ms. Purcell will write an article for the
newsletter asking for alumnae to send in their addresses for future
fundraising activities.
C. Foreign languages
1. Mary F. talked to Rebecca Richey at Dept. of Ed. and
applications for funds for Chinese (or Arabic) language teachers
under a special Homeland Security emphasis will be available in
May.
2. Ms Purcell was interested in restoring Latin to the
curriculum based on a survey of schools in our area serving the
middle years.
D. The library floor is slated to be installed soon, after many
delays. It will be wood laminate.
IV. No Name Calling
A. Ms. Suarez said that they showed the movie to the 9th
graders. Ms. Blakeway had talking points and discussion. It was
received positively although the 9th graders thought the movie was a
little young. Where to go from here - use the 9th graders to give
insight to the 7th graders to distinguish between name calling and
teasing, to help them understand it and handle it, and help them
know when they need to seek help.
B. Mary F. got a sense from the surveys that the kids don't
know how to get help from the teachers (as opposed to the
administrators). The race/ethnic differences didn't seem so
important. Body size and shape, clothing, sexual orientation/gender
identification were hot button issues for the kids. The results
indicate focusing on setting norms on these latter issues.
C. Mamdou and the student council saw another bullying tape. The
reaction was mixed. He learned that body posture can invite
bullying. The student council did think that the tape should be
viewed by more Deal students.
V. New Business
A. Mary F. sent us all the Memorandum of Understanding between
Wilson and Dr. Janey. It covers hiring and firing, fixing building
problems, etc. and having more autonomy from DCPS. It was suggested
that we look at it and form a committee to look into it for Deal.
While it would require a lot of work, it might solve problems such
as the delay Deal is experiencing now trying to get the library
floor installed.
B. Dr. Carstarphen and Dr. Wilhoyte are leaving DCPS.
C. LSRT elections.
Because there will be three openings for parents, we will need to
recruit. It would be helpful to have an incoming 7th grade parent
because when we go to the two-grade configuration during
construction, there will be no parents who stay with Deal. So if
one is not elected we need to consider whether we want to appoint
someone (a 7th grade parent) from one of the feeder schools to be on
the LSRT. Elections will be May 18th. June 1st is the day they
take office. Mary Podesta is willing to stay on next year.
Student council elections are in May. The new president should come
to the first meeting.
D. There was discussion of possible after school tutoring
programs. Mary P. said there is a program called RICH, which she
will look into. Current DCPS possibilities will also be explored.
The next meeting is May 4th.
Submitted by Sarah Whitener and Mary Froning.
Mary L. Froning
Deal LSRT Parent Chair
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