2/4

Agenda: 2/11/11

1.     Approve Minutes

2.     Reports

3.     Visitor’s Motion

4.     J-Comm. Bylaws

5.     Community Service Requirement Discussion

6.     Notes & New Business

Council Minutes 2/4/11

““Striving for excellence motivates, striving for perfection demoralizes.”

                                                                        - Harriet Breaker

1.     Approval of Minutes

2.     Reports:

·      [Mod]:  I encourage Council to recommend the x-day motion to staff and COI for further discussion.

·      [Secretary]: Junior second alternate and Senior alternate can vote.

·      [DSB]: I sent my formal budget report over email.

·      [Admin]: Talked about the Visitor’s motion, Skip Bean Award, Staff of the Month

·      [Curric]: Sent co-curric code out to Council, please send your comments.

·      [OEC]: Feedback for Guidance Counselor Motion, upcoming elections, outlet about the bulletin board installed.

·      [SL]: Working on CG Switch Motion

·      [SA]: Senior red won dodgeball, winter carnival next week!

·      [SSC]: All the candidates have been interviewed and questioned, meeting next Tuesday, hoping to choose a superintendant by the end of Feb.

·      [Matt J.]: Dmitry and I will be making changes to the J-Comm. Bylaws coming in the next week.

3.     X-Day Motion (continued)

·      Discussion

                       o   This seems to be a class to class issue

                       o   The number of Xs each student has fluctuates greatly

                       o   X-day = instructional time at the discretion of teacher, vague on purpose

                       o   This motion takes into account teachers’ views on x-days

                       o   Our purpose may just be to spread awareness about how students feel

                       o   Everyone learns at a different pace

                       o   Becoming too complicated

                       o   Need to talk more with teachers, recommend this to staff

Debate Closes

Motion Fails

4.     In-Class Assessment Motion

·      Motion: I move that no in class assessment, being a test, quiz, or paper, written in one class period, not including a final or midterm, can count for more than 20% of a student’s quarter grade.

                       o   [Rachel]: revised from feedback from staff while maintaining spirit — English: opposed, upper-level classes have large projects, Math: opposed, Science: changed 15% to 20%, Social Studies/Foreign Language: no response

·      Clarifications

                       o   Tests running over one period and projects wouldn’t apply to this motion

·      Discussion

                       o   Makes a lot of sense, answers a lot of concerns

                       o   Exams are worth 20%, why would regular tests ever be this much?

                       o   We can’t dictate how teachers grade

                       o   Do any teachers not follow this now?

                       o   Only creating more assignments and tests for students

                       o   Why can’t we just spread awareness to teachers?

                       o   This isn’t creating too strict a guideline on teachers, reasonable

                       o   Talk to your teachers!

Debate Closes

Motion Passes (Roll-Call Vote)

5.     Notes & New Business

·      Abstaining

                       o   Can only abstain if you don’t have enough information, missed the discussion

                       o   It is NOT acceptable to abstain because you can’t make up your mind

                       o   You were elected to represent your class and make decisions

Meeting Adjourns

1/28

Agenda: 2/4/11

1.     Approve Minutes

2.     Reports

3.     X-Day Motion

4.     In-Class Assessment Motion

5.     Notes & New Business

Council Minutes 1/28/11

“What matters is not the idea a man holds, but the depth at which he holds it.”

                                                                                                            - Ezra Pound

1.     Approval of Minutes

2.     Reports:

·       [Mod]: Motion: I move to approve Mrs. Doyle as a new staff member on Council.

Motion Passes

·       [A-Mod]: I’m working on going to all the committee meetings.

·       [Secretary]: Junior, Sophomore, and Staff alternates can vote.

·       [DSB]: Contract with teachers has not been resolved, Ms. Roberts gave a special ed. report, JV hockey + swim/dive teams partially funded next year, budget approved for 55k more than original due to add-backs, Feb 24^th = annual school district meeting

·       [PR]: Gathered all the information for the slideshow, print Broadside coming out before break.

·       [Admin]: Looking at the visitor’s motion and bringing a revised version back.

·       [Curric]: We finished with the co-curric. code, talked about community service requirement.

·       [OEC]: We’re looking at the committee section of the bylaws and may be meeting with Historical Records committee, trying to get an outlet above the bulletin board.

·       [SL]: Any new ideas for us?

·       [SA]: Dodgeball: Seniors won, winter carnival sign-ups next week.

·       [COI]: Looking at 2011-2012 school calendar.

·       [SSC]: Still two candidates to interview at the school with community forums.

·       [Class Committees]:

                        o   Seniors: Talking about prom and class speakers

                        o   Juniors: Helping with middle school dance, halfway to money goal

                        o   Sophomores: Selling class t-shirts

                        o   Freshmen: Got orders for winter carnival t-shirts, roses for Valentine’s Day

3.     Guidance Counselor Evaluation

·       Motion: I move to instate a Guidance Counselor Evaluation.

                        o   [Megan]: Everyone else gets evaluated, helpful for the Guidance department, feedback from seniors, (see survey)

·       Clarifications

                        o   Right now, the survey would just be for seniors

                        o   Any added questions/suggestions discussed in a committee

                        o   Most likely filled out during CG

·       Motion: I move to refer this to OEC.

Motion Passes

4.     Common Ground Switch Motion

·       Motion: I move to switch Council to Thursday and Common Ground to Friday.

                        o   Rachel: Council members could discuss topics immediately after the meeting, fresh on your mind

·       Discussion

                        o   Logistical problems?

                        o   Easier to miss Friday classes because of Friday Xs

                        o   Great from a PR standpoint

                        o   Some teachers don’t like using Friday as an x-day

                        o   We need to research this more and hold off on voting

                        o   Students can talk about missed work the day after instead of after the weekend

                        o   Students won’t go to CG on a Friday

                        o   Common Ground isn’t about Council, so we shouldn’t shape it around our meeting

                        o   What about a Monday/Tuesday switch?

                        o   Rather miss a test (Fri.) than the review session (Thurs.)

                        o   Skiers always miss Fridays

·       Motion: I move to refer this to Student Life.

Motion Passes

5.     X-Day Motion

·       Motion: I move to have each course have at least 2 x-periods per month provided that there is no required work that must be done and that the teacher is available. Shortened months would be managed at teacher’s discretion.

                        o   [Rachel]: We asked each department to discuss this motion, math not in favor because they see help as always available, other departments ok or didn’t report.

·       Questions/Clarifications

                        o   Not necessarily 1 x-period per week will continue

                        o   You don’t have the right to leave on an x-day

                        o   Are there any months that aren’t shortened?

                        o   No current foreign language dept. report yet

·       Discussion

                        o   There’s no problem, we have plenty of Xs in our day now

                        o   What is the true definition of an x-day?

                        o   Not comfortable with telling teachers what to do

                        o   Some teachers feel they don’t need x-days because students are caught-up, moving through material at a good pace

                        o   Protocol for shortened month needs to be specified

                        o   This is not necessary, teachers are sensitive to student questions

                        o   Great idea, beneficial to students for questions who are not available outside of class

Meeting Adjourns