"God must love the common man, He made so many of them..." Abraham Lincoln

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

October 27th School Board Meeting

The slogan said “things go better with Coke.” I suppose so, but may I propose a new slogan? “Meetings go better with cake.” At last night’s school board meeting, our First Student school bus drivers were given our highest thanks and appreciation – and a slice of cake. I think there should be a special recognition with cake at every single meeting.

So besides the cake, there were lots of other good things:

· Public comment included comments about 1) the use and fees of Olmscheid Auditorium and 2) benchmarks for higher-achieving students.

· The high school’s ASB report covered Senior Night for fall sports, the beginning of winter sports, a leadership retreat, and the plans for an all-league dance with the proceeds going to charity.

· The high school boys basketball team requested and got the green light to attend a basketball camp in San Diego over the holiday break. Funds are raised by the students and they have to pay for their own meals.

· Ms. Rau presented the St. Helens Middle School Improvement Plan. The goals are to 1) improve communication among staff and between home and school; 2) see a 5% increase of students entering the 9th grade placing into Algebra 1; and 3) see a 5% increase in the number of students passing the 7th grade benchmark in writing. For more complete data about the MS plan, check the official minutes or talk to school administration.

· Ms. Hagen presented the St. Helens High School Improvement Plan. The goals are to 1) see a 5% increase in the number of students meeting the state reading standard and the same increase in writing; 2) see a 5% increase in the number of students meeting the state math standards; and 3) see a decrease in the number of students who are truant, drop out or enter a 5th year of high school. For more complete data about the HS plan, check the official minutes or talk to school administration.

· Ms. Grogan presented the Columbia County Education Center Improvement Plan. The goals are to 1) see a 5% increase in the number of 10th grade students who pass the state writing assessment; 2) see a 5% increase in the number of 10th grade students who pass the state math assessment; and 3) see a 5% increase in the number of 10th grade students who pass the state reading assessment. For more complete data about CCEC’s plan, check the official minutes or talk to school administration.

· There will be district-wide safety audit (including noise levels) on November 19 and 20, which will be conducted by the insurance risk division of Special Districts. Results are expected back by the end of the year.

· Previously mentioned new policies, policy revisions, and policy deletions had their third readings and were adopted unanimously.

The next regular board meeting will be November 10 at the regular time and place. Hopefully with cake.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008


‘Tis nearly the end of the fall sports season so get some hot chocolate, find a comfy bleacher seat and cheer on your favorite team. Go Lions!

Gosh, it seems like forever since the last board meeting. I know that time flies when you’re having fun, and I’ve been having fun but time didn’t seem to fly at all... Please read the office minutes on the district’s website. So to recap from my own perspective:

Agenda items 1.0 and 2.0 went off without a hitch – flag salute and agenda approval must be the least contested items of any agenda anywhere.

Agenda item 3.0: A huge and heartfelt “Thank You!” with an official recognition certificate was given to the St. Helens Booster Club. Without their efforts, the district wouldn’t be enjoying such nice athletic facilities. The latest project, a new weight room, was made possible with Booster donations of $80,000 and huge amounts of volunteered time and materials. It’s almost done and should be ready for student use by the end of the month.

Agenda item 4.1: The superintendent report covered two main topics, the first being the SCORE (Students Can Often Reach Excellence) Awards. Students are nominated by staff and then the superintendent’s office chooses the winners. In November, the awards will be given to students who demonstrate leadership, citizenship and community service. February awards will be for skill and/or commitment to the arts, and May’s will be focused on academic performance. The report’s second part was the Strategic Planning Committee. This soon-to-be-appointed committee will mesh together all of the district’s plans, goals, etc into one workable document. The committee will be meeting in December, January and February.

Agenda item 4.2: The Arthur Academy reported on its lead testing and abatement efforts. Some of the testing done still showed elevated lead levels in a few areas, including the drinking water. Students have been and will continue to use bottled water. Parents are “in the loop” regarding clean-up, staff training, and future plans regarding this issue.

Agenda item 4.3: The Lewis and Clark School Improvement Plan was presented by Principal Carson, who was very excited about some new strategies the building has implemented in order to meet their goals. For more and better information about the plan, contact the principal.
Goal 1 - Reading: Increase the average RIT scores of the lowest 30% of all students in grades three, four, and five by 5%.
Goal 2 - Math: Increase the average RIT scores of the lowest 30% of all students in grades three, four and five by 5%.
Goal 3 - Writing: Increase the number of 4th grade writing scores that meet or exceed by 6%.

Agenda item 4.4: The Columbia City School Improvement Plan was presented by Principal Valpiani, who shared how the one-grade school has it’s own unique challenges. For more and better information about the plan, contact the principal.
Goal 1 - Reading: Increase the number of students who meet or exceed the 6th grade state benchmark by 5%.
Goal 2 - Math: Increase the number of students who meet or exceed the 6th grade state benchmark by 5%.
Goal 3 - Communication: Increase parent involvement through communication and by providing a variety of opportunities for participation.

Agenda item 4.5: Ms. Wallace presented some interesting facts about teenagers learning personal finance who become adults practicing personal finance. It’s a class offered by the high school next semester, but isn’t part of Oregon graduation requirements. Isn’t it funny that students need algebra to graduate, but not knowledge about bank accounts, credit cards, car loans, and budgeting. Can you guess which math I use the most?

Agenda item 4.6: The district’s communication plan is done!

Agenda item 4.7: Second readings of revised policies Board Member Ethics and Conflicts of Interest, Student Transportation Services, School Bus Safety Program, Student Transportation in Private Vehicles, Staff Ethics, Family Medical Leave, Service Training, Academic Achievement, Graduation Requirements, Assessment Program, Student Achievement Program, and (deep cleansing breath) Public Records.

Agenda item 4.8: Second reading of new policy Board Member Ethics and Nepotism.

Agenda item 4.9: Policy deletions of CIM Proficiency Standards, District Standards and Juried Assessments.

Agenda item 5.0: Approval of the September 22nd meeting minutes and approval of the October 13th human resources report.

The next regular board meeting will be October 27th. I think costumes and candy are in order… After all, there’s nothing scarier than a bunch of elected folks making decisions!