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School Community Committee Meeting, March 24, 2008


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Proceeding of the School/Community Committee Meeting

District No. 2, Yellowstone County

High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County

Billings, Montana

March 24, 2008

 

 

Call to Order:

The meeting was called to order by Tim Trafford.

 

Members Present:

Tim Trafford, Kathy Aragon, Scott Anderson, Jim Hartung, Kevin Croff, Jay Kirk, Amanda Frickle, and Shauna Kerr.

 

Excused Members:

Nancy Hines

 

Guest Present:

Karen Palmer, Director of Technology, and Gail Harms, Technology Technician.

 

Communication from the Public:

None

 

Approval of the February 11, 2008 School/ Community Committee.

Kathy Aragon made the motion seconded by Jim Hartung to approve the February 11, 2008, School/Community Committee minutes. The motion passed unanimously.

 

Zangle as a Tool for Parent Use:

Karen Palmer, Director of Technology and Gail Harms, Zangle Technician, presented an overview of Zangle including several statistics on usage by teachers, students, and parents. Karen Palmer presented several District forms for Committee members to review regarding Zangle and the District’s Technology Policies. Karen Palmer explained the online parent process to access Zangle. Karen Palmer noted a support staff phone list and an email list is available to parents. Karen Palmer noted teacher’s names and email links are available to assist parents to navigate Zangle.

 

Karen Palmer explained the parent sign-up component to access Zangle. The parents must come on site in person with a photo ID to sign-up to access Zangle. Karen Palmer noted personal information is confirmed and passwords are presented in person when possible. Tim Trafford noted the parent sign-up process appears cumbersome. Tim Trafford recommended an alternative such as an online sign-up registration and response. Karen Palmer explained that the District choose this process due to security issues. Karen Palmer stated annual audits are done and every three years a security audit against the District’s network is completed.

 

Tim Trafford suggested the Committee focus on ideas for parent motivation to use Zangle, identify barriers that deter parent use of Zangle, and address items to remove those barriers. Shauna Kerr explained that some teachers are skeptical to change their grading system to Zangle until they become more proficient with Zangle and see the benefit of using Zangle. Shauna Kerr relates that she has found Zangle to be a great way to communicate with parents via email. Scott Anderson noted that at this point it is not mandated for teachers to use Zangle as a grading system nor is there a standardized grading system throughout the District. Scott Anderson explained that teachers at the middle and high schools use different grading styles that correlate to their specific classes and subjects. Kevin Croff clarified at the elementary level a narrative form is used on Zangle to inform parents of school events and information and as the grading component. Gail Harms stated that Zangle will soon offer a new module at the elementary level that will include “standards and benchmarks.” Tim Trafford suggested that in order for the grading component of Zangle to be useful to students and parents teachers should be competent in the use of Zangle. Tim Trafford suggested district-wide consistency posting, maintaining assignments and grades to current status. Tim Trafford would like easy parent sign-up access, and parent awareness that the Zangle program exists and is beneficial. Scott Anderson appreciates the concerns by teachers regarding the maintenance of maintaining Zangle. Scott Anderson noted administration and principals are encouraging teachers to use Zangle.

 

Jay Kirk noted that many students and parents do not have access to computers nor are proficient on a computer. Kevin Croff suggested as current and future generations become computer literate computer access will be used by students and parents to receive schools information.

 

Increase Parent Involvement in K-12:

Not discussed due to time limit.

 

Old Business/Announcements/Handouts:

Tim Trafford suggested that the School Community Committee begin the meeting with Agenda Item E, Old Business/Announcements/Handouts. Kathy Aragon made the

motion seconded by Jim Hartung to move Agenda Item E, Old Business/Announcements/ Handouts ahead of Agenda Item C, Zangle as a Tool for Parent Use. The motion passed unanimously.

 

Kathy Aragon presented an update on the Health and Wellness Requirements and Fund Raising Policies. Kathy Aragon reported that Kelly O’Leary, a student at Senior high school attended the February 12, 2008, Student Health Advisory Committee, (SHAC). Kathy Aragon stated that Kelly O’Leary was invited by SHAC to get involved with the youth fund raiser group to review healthier fund raisers or limit less healthy fund raisers as encouraged by the District’s Health and Wellness policy. Kathy Aragon reported that Sodexho, the District’s school lunch provider asked Kelly O’Leary to solicit students to create a teen advisory group for healthy food suggestions. Kathy Aragon invited Amanda Frickle, a student at West High School to engage students at West High School to recommend healthy choice foods to Sodexho.

 

Kathy Aragon stated that the students want the soup cart reinstated at Senior High School. Kathy Aragon suggested that students could man the soup cart as a fund raiser. Kathy Aragon reported that the Health and Wellness Advisory group met with Wheat Montana to discuss the possibility that Wheat Montana could operate the soup cart and/or help the students operate the soup cart. Scott Anderson suggested that if free and reduced lunch tickets are used for the soup cart, qualifications and controls by the government may be an issue. Kevin Croff thought that the contract with Sodexho excludes outside vendors. Kathy Aragon asked Scott Anderson to look at the Sodexho agreement currently with the District to see if this would be a contract conflict.

 

Adjournment:

Scott Anderson made the motion seconded by Kathy Aragon to adjourn the meeting.

The motion passed unanimously.

 

School/Community Committee Meeting:

The next School/Community Committee meeting will meet April 28, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. in the Board Room at Lincoln Center.

 

 

___________________ ______________________

Tim Trafford, Chair Brenda Cross, Recorder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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