February 2010

Intro Cybil – And the $5,000.00 grant given to Walgrove from Playa Del Rey The Principal / Arlene– 3 ½ months out from CA placement tests, staff working on quarterly for the school and appreciate parents feedback on core beliefs, which is forthcoming. We are trying to project our school site demographics and figuring out enrollment next year. School site council is working on addressing budget cuts. They are talking about one principal for two schools (LAUSD) as a way to consolidate. Those meeting are open to the parents (School Site Council) the meetings are posted on the bulletin board in the office. 29 to 1 they are talking about future layoffs. Tons of cuts coming from everywhere. Main focus right now is instruction and on our kids making sure they are having a good time and they are learning. The teachers and aides are doing an amazing job supporting students. We will be working (the office) processes and procedures as we have to make adjustments with more cuts coming. We will probably need more volunteers to come in. Last thing, school report card, from the district will come out every year. Most of it is self explanatory, there is demographic info, the AYP is on page 5 that’s what makes us PI or not. There is a section at the bottom referring to students improving and declining. That is not what the score was it is a bit confusing. Joe –Intro School Site council and intro Jon Fischer John Fischer- Tony Boyette Intro – a parent from Mark Twain. John – SSC oversees formation and implementation of single plan. What it means is SSC figures out how we spend the district money for education. We are looking at getting into some areas of school management to increase efficiencies (like freeing up Arlene’s time and what it takes to do that ie: volunteers) and some of you have seen the emails Sarah has sent out re: committees and moving some of those committees under school site management. The SSC is mandated. The bottom line is the council is the governing body for this school. We determine what money we get from the state, what programs we want, where we are short and figure out how to raise the money. The councils mission is to vote on the plan and see that it is implemented in how it was voted on. The council meets every last Thursday of the month at the end of the day, but it is a working council. Sarah –RE: SSC and FOW, SSC is where the teachers, administration and parents come together and vote into action the money behind the programs. Last year we voted on the instructional aide issue. In that meeting, the teachers let us know they did want IA’s and it ended up shaping how we spent the money this year. These two organization’s work together but the SSC is the group that has all the players sitting around together making decisions that affect the kids. John -We also have an educational task force within SSC looking at these internal campus issues. Sarah R.- talking about committees and how it relates to SSC. Moving forward, with all the cuts coming down the pipe, we have to mobilize and get in front of various issues coming our way. We need to do a better job of mobilizing our parents and volunteers. (passing around standing committees sheet) There are so many things we need to get in front of, we need to be a well oiled machine. This should be included in the tours each Walgrove family needs to be represented on one of the committees because in the face of what is coming down from LAUSD/ cuts. Joe-what do you think if Walgrove adopted a policy where each family donated X or? Alan – it can’t be enforced. Unknown parent- for me as a parent on a tour, that would be appealing (re: parent code of conduct). John F.- this is critical that we get a few parents (3) are coordinating and are way out in front of these issues. Joe- teacher report, Ms . Biolottao, teachers express the appreciation of the artwork for education and the teachers are at work on the core beliefs. Amy – Core beliefs, the idea of an educational task force, we want to figure out what isn’t happening, what do new parents expect coming into Walgrove? The next phase is coming up w/ a unified voice of how we believe education to be. We are forming little groups that are working as explorative groups. If anyone is interested in doing these inquiries please see me after. Star- Going for the Green – FOW votes to sponsor an Ad. Cost: 500.00 Michelle Dean- we had a meeting about tours. 2/17 & 3/18, we are creating brochures so if you have any could you forward to them. If you have any neighbors that are interested w/ kids in pre-school let them know. I posted on Peach Head, any way you can spread the word. It will be on the Marquis, and on FOW. Just spread the word. Erica Moore is doing the food. Mark Sim – Everyone should have received their donation letters. I run the donation a week after the month. We have roughly 50,000 now. We spend everything we bring in. Is there anyone out there who can help with data input? And is just around during the day b/c sometimes people need checks cut. Please let Joe or Michelle know. Sarah R.- Fundraising – Islands dine out netted $250, next one is CPK in March. Just want to give a huge thanks to Yu Mei who did artwork for education. Business solicitation, our cornerstone banner program is on hold until the district comes up with a policy. We still want to continue to reach out to local businesses, George Chung gave us $500 anyway (they didn’t want post a banner). If you don’t ask you won’t receive. The website, we are looking into banner advertising on our website, but someone has got to take ownership of that, I am still really hands on w/ other fundraising. Sat. March 6, it’s an evening it’s a great event: Jim Heiman, a LA historian (joint New School West/ FOW fundraiser) it’s from 6-8. Please come support the school it is a slide presentation, he changes it up every year. He has over 2000 images and had to edit it down to 600. Annual Fund week is coming and big push is participation, not how much people give just that they give. We are still hovering at 33% of families that have given. Our goal for the week is 50% family participation and if we get there we’ll have Wacky Wednesday. Tracy- Silent Auction, First of May, save the date and start hitting friends and families for donations. Bake a cake for another kids birthday party. Bug your teachers about classroom art because that is one of the biggest sellers. We have a venue, the Strong Hold on Abbot Kinney. It is really going to be a fun night. Michelle- we are going to try and do Walgrove gatherings, which is having a family host a party, last year Emiko and I sponsored a playdate. Yu Mei- if you have any meetings, send it to me and I post it in the week at a glance email. Dana - Walgrove yearbook- this is our 3rd year of our yearbook so we need to have lots of support. We also need approval for the Walgrove yearbook. Michelle- it’s approved, it’s a loan that get’s paid back. Need someone who would is creative and can design the ads for the yearbook. Joe-before we vote on two items, Francesca, you have updates? Francesca- the paper recycling cans we have. We are figuring out who pulls them out for pickup. Joe- next months meeting is March Kinder-madness meeting. We are focusing on our kinder families. We are reaching out to them. Two voting items: Kinder SRA: vote is yea. Auction committee is asking for 500.00 for rental of space of auction, all vote yea.