EHS Transition Committee

Meeting Minutes – Thursday, October 13, 2005

6:30 PM – Culinary Arts Dining Room/SST

 

Present:   Bill Thompson, Sam Bruno, Angela Lennox, Ben Allen, Peg Guillard, Roy Morrissette, Ellen Cooke, Jim Daly, Liz Faria, Christine Coronis, Patrice Baker, Vicky Avery, Anne Plumer-Fisher, Rich Pratt, Robin Scott, Vic Sokul, John LeSage, Joanne Pare, Evan Mousseau

 

Guest:  Emily Quirk – Newsletter

 

Absent:   Peter Stackhouse, Jerry Frew, Jennifer Kinsey, Holly Tisdall

 

Pledge of Allegiance

 

Vic introduced Russ Holden, Principal of Prospect Mountain High School in Alton, NH. 

 

Russ spoke of their new building they entered this year – They went with a JMA, Joint Maintenance Agreement with Barnstead.  Transition of students from 11 different  high schools was challenging.  They could stay at old high school and  parents would pay tuition.  23 students stayed at their high school, mostly seniors.  Day before opening they were still moving things into classrooms.  They had a condensed building schedule.  Developed curriculum and worked with teachers to design and come up with programming  They started fresh.  They visited with students and gave them the opportunity to choose mascots, etc.  Locker size was the main concern of students.   Lots of students were not happy about going to the new building.  They slowly transitioned so that every class had one day in building by themselves  Seniors came one day, then Jrs. had a day to themselves, etc.  They got donations from local businesses like coke etc.  Having a day for each class helped smooth the transition.   They had 150 freshmen.  They opened with 420 total students.  Freshmen were thrilled.  Freshman seminar was developed.  It was important to grasp the freshmen.  Groups of freshmen met with one teacher and worked on coming together as one community.  Students who had freshman seminar in the first qtr had better grades.  He recommends to have some program for freshmen because they will be Exeter High School.  He felt they needed to grasp the freshmen.

 

During faculty meetings they planned the move.  They purchased 1.4 million dollars of new furniture.  $160,000 of brand new computers, etc.  School Specialty saved them a lot of time and energy.  They went through their plans and spoke with teachers, gave catalogs, etc.  School Specialty personnel delivered, assembled, etc.  They set up the room the way staff designed it, with sketch on outside of room wall.  Teachers did a lot.  On a Saturday morning they did a module classroom.  They didn’t allow parents to see building until the open house in October.  Can’t lose sight of the fact they are here to educate.  Remain focused.  They were very happy with the layout and teachers had a lot of input.  Year one is exciting, don’t lose the excitement in year two.  Kids have a sense of pride, wearing prospect mountain t-shirts. 

 

Questions:

The days brought classes in separately were they on the school year calendar?  They asked the teacher association if they could use the 4 workshop days to equal one day out of the 180 school days. 

 

Was the physical move all done by the community?  Anything moved commercially?  The $160,000 of computers was by moved by the community.  Desks, chairs, etc. were moved by School Specialty and took about 3 weeks

 

How did they move chemistry supplies?  The principal moved them.  Used rubber totes and was told what couldn’t’ touch each other.  Angela Lennox – what abut teachers moving with liability?  Teachers did under their own liability insurance. 

 

How academically did two communities come together and how it settled out first year?  Alton had k-12 with 220 students and 20 teachers.  They had revamped curriculum and self evaluation was in process.  Developed curriculum knowing they were going to move.  Had to go to the other 10-11 schools and sat down together to match up offerings.  Seniors coming to Prospect were allowed to keep requirements of the school they were coming from and meshed their curriculum into ours.   Developed program of studies and gave to students in January and told them to choose 8 full credits.  They had opportunity to see what would be offered and helped them on their path .  No complaints from students.  How did you come up with curriculum?  Faculty, community and school board.  Principal proposed curriculum with 20 faculty and came up with program of studies. Teachers came up with curriculum during that year.  They were paid $75 for their work. Then they took it to the board and said can you live with it.  Did the faculty have in mind what the colleges would be looking for?  Core academics were in place.  Academic track was there and they felt they could beef it up.  Russ’ job was to make sure students coming out of high school were prepared for that next phase whether they went to college military, work, etc.

 

What about levels, tracks, how many?  11 different schools coming in.  General level, college level, honors and AP’s first year and this year.  Next year will be heterogeneous grouping and 9-12 math and science will be tracked and 9 and 10 English and social studies will not be tracked.  What things were said to make him have a change of heart about heterogeneous grouping?   Listened to 14 and 15 year olds share about themselves and see affect from kids made him rethink it. Given two communities coming together will help balance.  Are academic checks in place so end of year can show data results if it is working?  We will rely on data results and then assess. They were nervous about NHEIAP scores.  However, in reading 46 percent hit proficient and 6 per cent in advanced and in math 12 per cent hit advanced and 23 hit proficient.  The product we have is good.  No data from year before. 

 

How did you divide up classrooms and staff?  Did you have a sense how to house this group?

You are looking at a house system. They went to see Noble High School.  House has 4 academic areas with teachers and an administrator.  Russ was able to put people where they wanted to be.  I would imagine your staff will have to make those decisions.  It is hard to contain a house system.  Schedule may work for 60-70 percent of kids.  Will take planning from administration and curriculum leaders and department heads on best placement.  Change is difficult and hard.  Teachers as a whole don’t like change.  If you can give input into the change it can be easier. 

 

Juniors who moved into Prospect next year, what were the changes in student handbook and policies?  There were some but not a lot.  Tightened up the pass system  Being stopped in hallways, etc.  Any student or transportation issues?  Luckily not.  Students were not allowed to drive vehicles to school in Alton.  Gave parking to top ten seniors first and then honor roll and by end of year all sr. and jr. had parking spots.  360 faculty and 200 student and 190 community parking spots. Honor roll got back section of faculty pkg.   Ample pkg.  Did have to change time schedule.  They start at 8:01 and out at 3:01.  Changed a little.  Alton runs k-12 bus. 

 

Flex block schedule - math stays traditional,  band stays traditional and foreign language and social studies swing. 

 

The freshmen seminar what happens to them after 9 weeks?  Faculty continue to meet on own with the group, print out materials for them.  Extended to sophomores and next year will offer to juniors as well.  They are offering an activity period, freshmen still in seminar and sophomores have 13 times through year to meet.  Juniors and Seniors have class meetings on these days.  Faculty to come up with non-academic activity they know how to do.  Kids will take mini-activities with teachers.

 

The seniors are working on a senior project now, in addition to earning credits and taking classes.  The crest of the school was designed by the seniors- community and knowledge. 

Are opportunities for students to have learning outside the campus?  Yes, work studies, independent studies and job shadow. And, they will work with central school with teachers during a block period.

 

How did they handle community members coming to visit?  They had the open house and followed with welcome to school night.  He spent a lot of first year giving tours to other schools, leadership groups, construction companies, superintendents, etc. and was very positive.  Halfway through the year the community came out with a local newspaper and Russ gave the paper any and all things they did   Did newsletters and put out as much to community as they could.  The community open house was on a Saturday. The auditorium holds 630 and was full.

 

Town voting happens there and community was told the school was theirs to use.  Several groups in town use the school and helps with communication.  Did you do anything with alumni?  Will wait until this freshmen class graduates.  Then look to do some alumni activities.

 

1. Vic – Pat Corbin couldn’t make it tonight and has invited us to visit Nashua North – very similar to building we are doing.  Would like to visit and would offer the opportunity to go.  Week of October 24^th for a presentation, early lunch and then home.  For those who want to go please sign up tonight.

2. Impressions from tour of new facility:

Great fun to see building.  Curriculum decision and construction of the Building – can we talk about what has been already been decided?  Angela Lennox – Science fume hoods have to be in certain areas. Jim Daly -  The building was designed to offer most flexibility possible that you can do whatever you want to.  All schools look at science wings and offer flexibility and could keep science in a section but still could do it with house system as well.  Decisions were made on how to make it most flexible.  They wanted the non academic areas gym, auditorium, Café and library to be open to community for evenings and weekends and would be able to close off the section of building they couldn’t go to and also have a common area that could be used multiple ways.  No definite decisions were made re: houses, department, etc. at the planning stages.  This design will allow us to do whatever we decide. The number used was 4 because of number of grades, possible house system. Vic -Walter Pierce did a nice job of tour. 

 

3.  Breaking Ranks II Executive Summary, (handout)

Vic - the breaking ranks model is a way for high schools to look at themselves as it relates to the reform on how they deliver instruction. A simple method , 3 core areas,  helps you to think about things when trying to do reform.  Vic offered to bring books in for members to look at. 

 

4.  EHS tasks (Draft), handout - Vic - Think about what we can do as a community in the next year.  Staff at EHS can’t do it all.  Take time to develop plan, plan should center round 4 ideas, rigor, relevance, relationships and results.  Take a look at high school as it relates to those four areas.  What plan needs to include: 

1.  Need to convince students, taxpayers, school needs to change.  Need to gather data to determine what needs to change. 

2.  Determine how to change school once people understand the why and what. 

3.  Need help in developing tools to collect data that determine root causes. 

4.  Need to market plan in community - ongoing PR and updates.  Need to visit other high schools, need to gather data.

 

Next week the high school has an in-service day – in afternoon Vic will be giving departments specific information on the move.  They will need to pack their rooms when the time comes. 

Need to talk about these things.  Expectations as principal is to move the building and get everything in there – it will be a big job.  If going with a smaller learning community it should have been done a year ago.  Need help in putting a plan together to look at what we do and see if we need to change.  Whatever we do should be based on how students are doing.

 

5. Transition Committee Timeline, (handout)

 

6.  Roundtable, how did we do?

How can we improve.  Will committees be established tonight? – not tonight.  Vic - Will gather information and then break down into sub committees.  Vic expressed concerne about freshman transition and thinks we can do something about this next year.  Freshman dialog night was successful.  We are doing a Freshmen advisory this year.  Need to get middle school involved.  Question was should we have that for each grade?  Takes huge amount of time.  Why are we changing everything?  Certain themes have come through.  Discussion followed.  Different concepts of freshman academy, houses, etc. were discussed.  Freshman transition has been identified as needing change.  And, having students feeling a part of the high school.  Angela Lennox -  we have data that the freshman have difficult time coming from CMS to EHS,  Joanne Pare – was amazed that kids stayed in pod and then came here and not only in classes with upper level students – going from bldg. to bldg. and realized what a huge shock this was for these students.  Will part of that be eliminated by being under one roof?  Sister teams at CMS now so that lunch and PE are a mix of 240 now.   Evan Mousseau – will miss the walk from annex to high school because of the break it gives and fresh air, etc   Vic – see what we are doing now, see what is out there and see what needs changing.

 

Pods, houses, leveling needs to be discussed.   Vic noted he doesn’t have any plans of eliminating leveling.   

Still gathering info on how this school works.  Can give general ideas what your roles should be.  A lot will have to come from faculty. 

 

Roundtable: 

-was good to have Russ but doesn’t come from same situation as us.  Not starting from scratch. --- Good to know we are not necessarily going to small learning communities.

-there is a preconception out there that we are rubber stamping what has already been decided.

-fine

-good, identified giving a boost and holding a hand

-good to hear from Russ, looking forward to getting focused and getting down to business

-need to get to work

-ideas are good

-great to have Russ show important community was to them and we need to do that too

-happy people are talking more

-enjoyed how they moved

-tour – best laid out building has seen in 34 years. Hope contractors continue with inside of building as well.

-open minds and continue to research, opportunities to research, collect data and remember we work for all kids who go to EHS

-evident school board has nothing but best interest of students in mind

-need to move on, put our differences aside and stick with facts and what works and focus on getting these kids and teachers in high school best way we can

 

Meeting adjourned: 8:45pm

 

Respectfully submitted,

Mary E. Murphy

 

Nashua North Visit

 

The following people have signed up for the upcoming visit to Nashua North visit.  More information to follow.

 

Ellen Cooke

John LeSage

Joanne Pare

Liz Faria (maybe)

Christine Coronis (may be able)

Ben Allen

Evan Mousseau

Vicky Avery

Bill Thompson

Anne Plumer-Fisher

Peg Gaillard

Richard Pratt

Angela Lennox

Roy Morrisette