Karigon Partnership Team

Contents...

Brochure

Minutes

Partnership Team

Click here for a copy of the brochure with details describing the Partnership Team

Minutes

Karigon Partnership Team Minutes draft copy

May 19, 2008

Members Present: Laurie Halbolm June Allison Lisa Crannell

Meredith Andrews Marge Buonnano Lee Serino

Janice Wilson Diane Lemyre Todd Kerner

Greg Wing

Inspiration: Nothing ever comes to one, which is worth having,

Except as a result of hard work.

- Booker T. Washington

Minutes: They were reviewed by the team and accepted.

Karigon Reviews the Science Curriculum

Mike Feher 2^nd grade teacher at Karigon and the Science Program Coordinator came to speak. He shared the following:

This committee made a review of the science program for each grade level. Curriculums goals and objectives were reviewed with attention given to the district’s goals.

The Carolina Science Kits that have been in use for the past six years will be used as a resource, to teach the science objectives. New areas of study will be implemented into the science curriculum, as long as there is compliance with the district goals and objectives, and ECC standards, (essential content and competencies.)

The committee reviewed students test scores. A review was made, of the skills students need to succeed in Karigon’s science curriculum. Teachers will continue to provide students with the hands on activities to develop their skills. Karigon will continue to purchase resources to support curriculum goals. The aquarium in the lobby is one such item, and a weather station will be installed in Karigon.

Plans to establish an in house science team for Karigon are being considered. Teachers would work together to create science kits that could be used by all teachers.

Brook’s Barbeque Profits: Greg Wing shared that we have a total of 951.57 in the fund. The partnership team agreed to split the profits as follows and make them available to the following:

$300.00 will be designated to Karigon’s school counselor, Debbie Reinish. She will purchase books for her library that will provide support to the students and their families

$310.00 will be designated to Diane Kunz, teacher for the Links Program in Karigon. She will purchase the DRA2 reading assessment kits, for students in the kindergarten through second grade levels. There will be a small shipping and handling fee added to the $310.00. The partnership team agreed to cover this as well.

$200.00 will be designated for the teachers on the first grade level. They will purchase sets of books to help their students make the connection between their reading and writing skills. The teachers will be sharing these books.

New Members for the Karigon Partnership Team next year:

Sandy West, a Karigon parent will replace Todd Kerner. Kathy Watrobski, a Karigon parent and a teacher’s aide in special education, will replace Marge Buonnano. They will be invited to the last partnership team meeting for this year.

Action Items:

Mary Murphy will come to next month’s meeting. She will inform the partnership team about the work done this year with the social studies committee. Work has been done to review the social studies curriculum at Karigon.

Next Partnership Team Meeting:

This will be the final meeting for the 2007-2008 school years. It is on June 16.

KARIGON PARTNERSHIP TEAM MINUTES

APRIL 28, 2008

Members Present: Laurie Halbolm June Allison Lisa Crannell

Meredith Andrews Marge Buonanno Lee Serino

Janice Wilson Diane Lemyre Todd Kerner

Greg Wing

Inspiration: When you learn, teach. When you get, give.

- Maya Angelou

Minutes: April minutes were reviewed and accepted with a couple minor changes.

Writer’s Workshop faculty meetings and workshops were held at Karigon this year with Lauren Gimmel ELA Academic Administrator for the elementary school level:

Greg Wing asked Lauren to come to the Karigon Partnership meeting today to speak with us about the progress made this year.

Attached to these minutes is a progress report submitted to us by Lauren.

These meetings and workshops were held, to help provide a support system for the teachers as they integrate goals to develop reading and writing skills for students, within their curriculums. These meetings provided an excellent opportunity for new teachers at Karigon to receive knowledge and support for these areas as well.

The primary connection between reading and writing skills for our students was reviewed. Kristen Graber, a kindergarten teacher, brought a set of books for teachers to review called “THE BRAND NEW READERS”.

The importance of being sure district goals are being implemented into the curriculum as well was reviewed.

Bonnie Walmsley ELA coordinator also came to our Karigon Partnership team meeting to share information about accomplishments made in these meetings this year:

She explained to us that efforts have been made to work at the school level to implement goals for the Writer’s Workshop Program. .She said attendance to these training workshops was very helpful to teachers.

Bonnie also shared that model lessons have been set up by teachers, for other teachers to use in their classrooms, as a tool to provide help and support. They want to do more with this, and would like to take teachers who are strongly skilled in these areas, to develop more of these model lessons for future use in the future.

Work was done to set up a balance in the literacy program for teachers. Strategies were put in place for teachers to get on board together to fine tune and describe what balance actually is. Efforts were made to give teachers clear direction and a common understanding as to what these goals are, as they work together to teach reading and writing in their classrooms.

They have worked to create access to professional resources, and to make them readily available to teachers. This will be helpful especially to new teachers coming on board.

They worked on guidelines to provide consistency on the K-2 grade levels to assess a student’s reading skills.

The grading system for the elementary level was also reviewed. The benchmarks and standards for a grade of 1, 2, 3, or 4 were reviewed. Efforts were made to give a clearer understanding of what the requirements are for each grade. Special attention was also given to be sure Karigon was on target on the district level as well.

Math Curriculum changes being reviewed

Gail Burns came to our KPT meeting and shared the following:

The protocol for administering math testing for our students was reviewed.

An agenda to communicate the district’s protocol for test administration was discussed. Changes were made to be sure there is clear direction for teachers to follow as they administer the math tests for each grade level.

The committee finalized the procedures to be followed for students targeted to enter the accelerated math program at the end of third grade.

New York State test results for math were reviewed. Teachers examined the scores to draw conclusions as to where students excelled in their scores or fell behind. What teachers can do to help our students excel in math was also discussed.

An elementary school pamphlet for math was created and is being provided to teachers on each grade level so clear direction for math goals and curriculum can be followed.

A committee is reviewing different text books for math as well as New York state standards for math students on the elementary level. A different text book is being considered. This however, will not happen until the 2010-2011 school year.

New Members Update for next year’s Karigon Partnership Team:

Kathy Watrobski, an aide in Karigon will be replacing Marge Buonnano for next year. Marge has completed her third year on the team. Todd Kerner is also leaving. A possible replacement for him is being considered. Todd will be talking someone who may be interested in replacing him. Lee Serino also knows of someone who may be interested. Greg Wing also said we will wait to see who will come forward. A decision will be made after this.

Old Business:

Brook’s Barbeque: Marge did an excellent job this year coordinating this huge event for Karigon. Our thanks go to her for all the work she did to make this a success.

She reported that profits made from the barbeque were $563.00. Profits were down slightly because it was decided to keep the prices of the pre orders the same as last year. In spite of this, the barbeque was very successful. What to do with this money was discussed. Todd Kerner said there are some funds left from last year’s barbeque as well. He will go back to the PTA treasurer to see the total amount we have. Meredith Andrews suggested we go back to the stakeholders and teachers to get an idea of what will be done with this money. The KPT team will then vote and decide how this money will be spent.

ACTION ITEMS:

Todd Kerner will e mail Paula White to tell her the total amount we have left to spend from last years Brook’s barbeque.

Meredith Andrews will talk with teachers about the profits made from the Brook’s barbeque and get some ideas for possible purchases.

Lee Serino will e mail Paula White with a person who may be interested in becoming a KPT member for next year.

Greg Wing will determine a plan to be sure funds are available for the end of the year KPT dinner.

KARIGON PARTNERSHIP TEAM MINUTES

February 25^th, 2008

Members Present: Laurie Halbohm June Allison Lisa Crannell

Meredith Andrews Marge Buonanno Lee Serino

Greg Wing Todd Kerner

Inspiration: “Without a struggle, there can be no progress.” Frederick Douglass

“What is possible for me is possible for you.” Frederick Douglass

Minutes: January minutes were reviewed and approved with minor changes

New Member Rotation:

There was a discussion as to what members of the team were completing their terms. It

was decided that Marge, Todd, and Laurie would complete this school year. A new team

member from each of the represented stakeholder groups must be found. Laurie will

contact Maria in the office to put a notice in the bulletin. Todd will contact Greg as to

what will go in the journal to generate parent interest in joining this team. All the notices

will include the day and time of meetings.

Heifer International Project:

Tammy Learn, a Karigon parent, gave a presentation on the Heifer International Project

at the last KPT meeting. If Karigon took part in this project, an assembly would kick it

off. The fundraiser would take place for approximately 2-3 weeks. Possibly using a read

to feed program or a spare change container in the lobby with a visual thermometer.

Everyone from the team brought it back to their stakeholder group. The teacher

stakeholder group had concerns about the paperwork involved and if the education

component could fit into their busy day. The teachers also want reading to be it’s own

reward instead of connecting it with an external incentive. A discussion took place that

there are local people in need instead of sending raised funds over to another country.

The team also discussed that schools are not service organizations and there are so many

charities out there. By the end of the discussion, there seem to be more concerns than

positives. The team has decided not to move forward with this project. Greg will speak

with Tammy Learn.

Team Feedback Check:

Each member of the team in attendance completed a survey form. The survey looked at how each member felt that KPT was doing in the following areas: goals, emotions, needs, positive impact, and concerns. The results will be shared at the next meeting.

Understanding Building Committees:

Greg distributed a list of all the functioning committees at Karigon along with their members. He also compiled a description of each committee. These descriptions are to be a part of the faculty/staff handbook and will need to be revised each year. A discussion took place about whether or not there should be a contact person listed. It was decided that someone who wanted to contact these committees could go to any member.

Brook’s BBQ Update:

The Brook’s BBQ will be held on 3/25/08 from 3:30 to 6:30 at Karigon. Flyers went home with the students today. Brooks raised their prices by 5-10 cents but our prices are to remain the same. A notice will also be in the March journal. Meredith Mercer has graciously offered to dress in the chicken costume again this year. First order forms to go out Monday. Volunteers will need to sign up soon to work this event. The meals can be either eat in or take out. Marge to let the local fire department know the date and time of the BBQ.

Old Business:

Dry Pants for Students: Meredith purchased sweat pants of several different sizes. She was able to get them on sale for approximately forty dollars. They will be available in the nurse’s office. The idea is that parents will wash and return them. A note will go home with students who needed to borrow the pants. Meredith will talk to nurse Mary about the letter.
Spelling Bee: Greg has not yet approached the teachers about the spelling bee. He will bring up the topic at the next faculty meeting on March 11^th.
Cyper-Safety: The parent meeting had to be cancelled due to the weather. Parents felt they were not well notified of the cancellation. An attempt to reschedule was mad but the dates did not work out with Karigon’s schedule. Lisa will contact the president of the PTA to possibly do it during the April PTA meeting. Lisa will also contact Greg to coordinate the student’s assembly. The teachers would also like to know the approximate length of the student assembly so they can plan accordingly. Lisa will attempt to get this information from the Out Reach Officer.
BBQ-Family Event: A discussion took place about making Brook’s BBQ a more family-community event. Last year the majority of the families got the meals to go. Having entertainment such as a clown might encourage families to stay and socialize. It is to late to start something like this year but something to think about next year.

New Business:

No new business was discussed

Actions:

Greg to speak with Tammy Learn about the team’s decision not to move forward with the Heifer International Project
Greg to compile the information from the feedback survey
Greg will ask staff members about running a spelling bee
Lisa/Greg to schedule cyber-safety
Laurie to contact Maria about putting a call for new members in the bulletin
Todd and Greg to coordinate what is published in the journal to generate interest for new parent members
Team members will e-mail Paula with agenda items

Next Meeting: March 24^th, 2008

New Member Rotation-update

Team Feedback Results

BBQ Update

Update on Library Media Center

Spelling Bee

Review Karigon Insert to the Handbook

KARIGON PARTNERSHIP TEAM MINUTES

January 28^th, 2008

Members Present: Laurie Halbohm June Allison Lisa Crannell

Meredith Andrews Diane Lemyre Lee Serino

Janice Wilson Marge Buonanno Todd Kerner

Greg Wing

Gary Di Lallo

Inspiration: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone, and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Nelson Mandela

Minutes: December minutes were reviewed and approved with minor changes

Karigon’s Library-Media Center Project Update:

Greg stated that all the budget pieces have been submitted and quotes were being gathered. Donna and Brenda put together the furniture needs. A meeting being held tomorrow will start to look at the timeline, coordination, and details. Dr. Robinson stated that since he received the letter from KPT a lot has transpired. He agreed with Greg that everything is moving along. Dr. Robinson feels that Karigon is a good position to get this project carried out. Tesago has already completed there library media center. The plan depends on: 1. Enrollment at Karigon-the media center project means the loss of three classrooms 2. Budget-this is not an anticipated problem-use as many resources as we can so we this is not contingent on the budget. Greg will keep the team updated.

Heifer International Project:

Tammy Learn, a Karigon parent, gave a presentation on the Heifer International Project.

It’s a family/community based project that would provide an opportunity for the students’ to help others around the world. The ultimate goal is to end hunger around the world and use the earth’s resources wisely. The Heifer project has two main components: 1. Education: There is a curriculum provided for 3-6^th grade and it could be modified for k-2. 2. Fundrasing:Karigon students could raise money to purchase a living loan for a family. A Read to Feed was mentioned as a fundraiser idea also a coin bucket in the lobby with a visual thermometer to keep track of the donations to date. The Read to Feed would be about 2-4 weeks in length. This project gives a living loan to families in need. The recipients are given training on how to take care of their animal and must pass on at least one off spring of the animal they receive. It would give Karigon students a sense of pride and the feeling that they could make a difference. It would encourage students to go beyond themselves and appreciate what they have. The team will take the idea back to their stakeholders and it will be discussed at the next meeting.

Cyber-Safety:

Cyber Safety is currently a part of the 4^th and 5^th grade computer lab curriculum. A list of safety tips and a safety pledge were passed out to the team members. Lisa contacted a Community Out Reach Officer. This individual will present to the parents at the PTA meeting on February 6^th for approximately one hour. He/she will then speak to the 4^th and 5^th graders the next day at an assembly. Greg would like to be in contact with this individual prior to the presentations. Lisa will have the Community Out Reach Officer contact Greg.

Redistricting Feedback:

At the last faculty meeting teachers filled out a survey about how they felt about the redistricting. The survey asked for comments in the following areas: goals, emotions, needs, concerns, and positive impacts at optimal implementation. The team reviewed the teachers’ responses. Greg sent this information to the District Office to provide an insight should Shenendehowa have to redistrict in the future. One parent mentioned that they felt the curriculum was about the same for their child who was redistricted from another school. And that some new friendships have been made that would not have probably happened if her child had not been redistricted.

Code of Conduct:

The code of conduct is a document that both the parent and the child sign. The district wide one is standard. Greg distributed Karigon’s Code of Conduct. Greg made some revisions prior to the meeting. The team reviewed the document and accepted it with the revisions.

Dry Pants for Students:

Students who have accidents or their pants get wet do not have a change of clothes available to them at Karigon. Parents have to bring the student a change of clothes if their pants should get wet. Mrs. Andrews stated how this takes away from instructional time. It was discussed that a change of pants should be available in the nurse’s office. Meredith felt it would take about fifty dollars to fund having sweat pants purchased in a couple of sizes. Greg stated that the funds may be able to come from petty cash. Meredith will look into this.

Old Business:

No old business was discussed

New Business:

Spelling Bee: Parent members of the team brought up the topic of a spelling bee. There was some confusion as to why some schools have one and others do not. Greg explained that after several traumatic incidences on stage that it was decided by the staff not to host a spelling bee at Karigon. Parent members felt that their children should have the same opportunity as students in other buildings to go to regional and state spelling bees. Greg will bring up the topic again to the staff to see if there is a renewed interest. If the staff does not want to have a spelling bee then the PTA may want to look into hosting one after school and then those children and families who want to take part could have that opportunity.

Actions:

Team members will take the idea of a Heifer International Project back to their stakeholders to receive feedback
Meredith will look into purchasing sweatpants
Greg will ask staff members about running a spelling bee
Team members will e-mail Paula with agenda items

Next Meeting: February 25^th, 2008

New Member Rotation

Team Feedback Check

Understanding Building Committees

BBQ Update

Heifer Project

DRAFT KARIGON PARTNERSHIP TEAM MINUTES

November 26^th, 2007

Members Present: Laurie Halbohm June Allison Lisa Crannell

Meredith Andrews Diane Lemyre Lee Serino

Janice Wilson Marge Buonanno

Greg Wing

Gary Di Lallo

Inspiration: “Excellence can be obtained if you:

Care more than others think is wise;

Risk more than others think is safe;

Dream more than others think is practical, and

Expect more than others think is possible.” -unknown

Minutes: October minutes were reviewed and approved as written

Karigon’s Library-Media Center Project:

Greg developed a draft position letter to send to Dr. Robinson. The team reviewed the letter. There was a discussion on the length of the letter but everyone was comfortable the way it was written. Greg will send it to Dr. Robinson.

Greg showed Dr. Robinson the power point presentation. He appeared excited and saw the worthiness of this project. After seeing the power point presentation, Dr. Robinson began collecting information about the cost and timeframe. Greg is to look into the cost of furniture.

Greg also showed the power point presentation at a faculty meeting.

Partnership Goals and Timeline for 2007-2008:

The team approved goals for the year and a corresponding timeline. Please see attached.

There was a discussion about enhancing our building a sense of community goal. We discussed different charity work that could be done in our community. Lisa described that the Student Council did more charity work at Chango and PTA plays a large role. Currently Karigon participates in Relay for Life, fourth grade is adopting a family and angel network. Greg explained that the Heifer project has been mentioned to him by a parent. This project could be incorporated into the curriculum and go directly along with the character education program. The team decided they would like to hear more about this. Greg will have the parent who expressed interest in this project, speak at the next meeting. It was also mentioned that Captain is a local charity that we could get involved with.

Open House:

There has been a discussion at PTA meetings about the procedures at the Karigon Open House. Parents are having to split up to visit all their children’s classroom. Greg stated that he has continued the format that was going on when he got here. Chango has two nights for open house with 1-2 sessions each night. It would be difficult for the teachers to do their presentation numerous times. A suggestion was made to have Greg do his presentation in the middle of the two sessions since some parents only have to come to the second session. Greg feels it is important for parents to hear it at the beginning of the night. He emphasizes that it is not a night for individual conferences with the teachers. It will be looked into how many families this actually affects. The PTA has an open house committee and Lisa will provide the team with more information at the next meeting.

DPT:

Jan and Lisa have attended to represent the Karigon Partnership Team. The district team will meet every other month. At the last meeting, each team was asked what they were working on. They also wanted input on school supply lists. It appeared they were looking at establishing a district wide supply list. Greg stated that he feels another group will be working on that.

New Business:

Gary DiLallo started a discussion on the 12/11/07 proposition. He stated that there has been a lot of negative media surrounding this. The tax impact would be $2-6 per household depending on what township you live in. Young Scholars is being faded out at some levels. It was not working as a pull-out service where the student was responsible for both the work that they missed in the classroom and what was assigned in young scholars. At times, this work was unrelated to the classroom. They are looking to make the work similar to the classrooms but enriched.

The majority of the referendum has to do with athletics and physical education. Shenendehowa is losing outdoor fields. This means we have to get more use out of the fields we have. This proposition project includes an artificial turf field. The rationale behind this expenditure is that the field could be used as much as needed with little worry about the wear and tear. The artificial turf field could be used longer into the fall and earlier into the spring. This would not only benefit the athletic programs but also the physical education programs. Every student in the high school would use it. The referendum also includes an 8 lane track. The current track is deteriorating. The seating would also be improved to increase safety and crowd control. Bathrooms would be built instead of the porta-potties. Gary stated that Shenendehowa students need to be well balanced in all areas. It is a sizable investment to meet the needs of a portion of the Shenendehowa population. This has been done in the past for other Shenendehowa programs.

The parents expressed their concern over having multiple votes during the year. The parent representatives feel that a December vote really prohibits a good voter turn out. The road conditions, holiday commitments and those who vacation south for the winter will have an impact on voter turn out. It also costs additional money just to have the additional vote. Gary explained the timeline on why the vote is taking place in December. A discussion that artificial turf seems above what a high school needs. According to Gary, numerous schools in the area are going this way as well as the need to use our space more efficiently. The PTA would be an excellent forum to provide the parents with accurate information.

Actions:

Greg will send Dr. Robinson the letter about the library media center
Greg will invite Lauren Gimmill to our April meeting to talk about Writer’s Workshop
Greg will invite the parent to come and speak about the Heifer Project
Lisa will report on the findings of the PTA Open House Committee
Lisa will speak with Trooper Palmer about cyber-safety: look into education for both parents and fourth and fifth graders
Team members will e-mail Paula with agenda items

Next Meeting: December 17^th, 2007

21^st Century skills-cyber-safety

Character Education K-3 and peer mediation-Deb Reinisch

Heifer Project

KARIGON PARTNERSHIP TEAM MINUTES

October 29^th, 2007

Members Present: Laurie Halbohm June Allison Lisa Crannell

Meredith Andrews Diane Lemyre Lee Serino

Janice Wilson Todd Kerner

Greg Wing Linda Buyaskas

Inspiration: Fun Facts: 1. Next to Warsaw, Chicago has the largest Polish population in the world. 2. The water of Angel Falls (the world’s highest) in Venezuela drops 3,212 feet. It is 15 times higher than Niagara Falls. 3. Spain literally means ‘the land of rabbits’. 4. Chances that a road is unpaved in the US: 1%, in Canada: 75%.

Minutes: June minutes and September were reviewed and approved as written

Karigon’s Library-Media Center Project:

Greg showed a power point presentation with visual depiction of Karigon’s current facilities and other library media centers around the district. The majority of Shenendehowa elementary schools have an updated media center. Donna Walters shared her frustrations over the current library space and the need for updating. The team discussed the disparity between Karigon’s current library and other library-media centers around the district. Donna explained how the library and computer lab need to be close together. Construction could take place this summer since the summer program will not be held at Karigon this year. District goals include our students having 21^st century skills, an updated library media center would help our students obtain those skills.

Team members took a tour of Karigon’s computer lab. We also walked over to Orenda to see their updated Library Media Center. Karigon is looking to use their model to develop ours.

Greg will be showing Dr. Robinson the power point presentation. Greg and Donna will also draft a position letter to bring back to the team. Parents will relay the information seen today to the PTA.

Partnership Goals and Timeline for 2007-2008:

The team developed goals for the year and a corresponding timeline. Please see attached.

New Business:

1. Cyber-Safety: Linda brought up the topic of cyber-safety. This is taught in the middle school but teaching this to the kids at a younger age would be beneficial. DARE already has a set program that does not include cyber-safety. An assembly for the 4^th and 5^th graders would educate our students. Greg would want to preview the program before it was seen by the student population. Parents will bring this up to the PTA who could follow up on finding an appropriate speaker.

2. Brook’s Barbeque Funds: The team had a discussion about using a portion of the money raised from the barbeque for the library media center. We have limited funds that could not fund the project. Money from the barbeque could be used to put a special Karigon flair to the library media center.

Actions:

Lisa and Todd will discuss the topics of the library-media center and cyber-safety with the PTA
Greg will show Dr. Robinson the power point presentation and draft a letter about the library media center
Greg will invite Lauren Gimmill to our April meeting to talk about Writer’s Workshop
Team members will e-mail Paula with agenda items

Next Meeting: November 26^th, 2007

21^st Century skills

KARIGON PARTNERSHIP TEAM MINUTES

September 17^th, 2007

Members Present: Laurie Halbohm June Allison Lisa Crannell

Meredith Andrews Diane Lemyre

Janice Wilson

Greg Wing

Gary DiLallo

Introductions/Inspiration: Introductions were made around the table. Two of the parents were not in attendance and we look forward to meeting them at the district KPT training.

Minutes: June minutes will be reviewed at the next meeting

DPT: The District Partnership Team is looking for two building representatives for the 2007-2008 school year. This is a once a month commitment to serve as a liaison between our committee and the district level. Jan Wilson and Lisa Crannell have graciously stated that they will attend to represent the Karigon Partnership Team.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Leader: Greg Wing

Facilitator: Meredith Andrews/ June Allison

Recorder: Laurie Halbohm/Diane Lemyre

Celebrator: Lisa/Marge

Refreshments: See rotating schedule- June will develop the schedule

Coach: Lee (evaluate how the team is doing)

PTA Liaison: Todd/Lisa

There was a discussion about those who take on the celebrator roles should be an essential part of the annual BBQ fundraiser. Will table this discussion until all the team members are present.

Partnership Training: The Partnership Training will take place on 9/28 from 8:30-3 at the HSW Training Center. The district is strongly recommending that each team attends. Reviewed areas/ideas that we may want to work on from the Shenendehowa District Goals, Objectives and Action Plan. The elementary section was distributed by Greg. The team took a look at how we can play a role with these objectives. Will discuss this at the training and as we form our KPT goals.

Posting of KPT Minutes:

A small statement will be placed in the journal. The minutes will be posted on the web-site. Greg will forward the minutes to the appropriate person after the minutes are finalized by the committee. The minutes are also distributed to staff attached to the daily bulletin once they are finalized.

Old Business:

1. Reviewed last years outgoing members’ comments. Comments included: how people enjoyed being on the team, happy the funds went to education and student growth, training was beneficial, meetings were run smoothly, liked the increase structure over the years, and a message to parents to attend the training and the PTA meetings.

New Business:

1. One support staff position is still unfilled. The team decided to continue as is and actively try to recruit all the members next year. If anyone is interested please contact your stakeholder members.

2. Barbeque: Marge Buonanno did an excellent job organizing this fundraiser last year. The money raised was utilized to help the students here at Karigon. The team members responsible for organizing this should contact Marge for all the details.

Next Meeting: October 29^th, 2007

Agenda to be developed at the KPT training day

________________________________________________

KARIGON PARTNERSHIP TEAM MINUTES

January 22^nd, 2007

Members Present: Laurie Halbohm Marge Buonanno Linda Buyaskas

Sue Morrissey Donna Zavery

Meredith Andrews June Allison

Greg Wing

Gary DiLallo

Inspiration: To conquer without risk is to triumph without glory- Pierre Corneille

Minutes: December minutes reviewed and approved

Profile of a Shenendehowa: The elementary profile was developed last year. Now there is a profile that spans across a students’ entire school experience. The profile looks at what will make the child successful in the future (graduate with these types of traits). Greg distributed forms that each grade filled out seeing how they are doing toward the elementary profile. These forms were not complete as some of the special areas had not had a chance to enter their input. This form will allow everyone to get a sense of what is happening in the building. Looking at areas in which we could add more or areas that we may overdo. See how our current curriculum aligns with the profile. These forms where initiated at Karigon not the district office. It also allowed the teachers to become more familiar with the profile as they completed the form. This is a work in progress and the teachers have not seen the completed forms. Kathleen Clark at staff development was contacted and Karigon is looking how to best utilize the information collected. The following topics will be explored: Where we should head form here? Areas to cutback/expand. Should all the areas be explored in every subject? One suggestion was made to bold the headings to make the form more legible.

Report Card Update: Janine and Linda had a draft document for a survey. It will be sent to Karigon parents from the parents not from KPT. A disclaimer is to be added that this is a fact finding survey and nothing may happen as a result of the information collected. The survey will allow the parents to rate statement on a scale of 1-5. A suggestion was made to make sure the statements are more neutral and that a place for comments be added after each question. Also a statement will be added to the top about why the report cards did change. The information will be collected and passed on to Dr. Snyder if warranted.

Character Education: Greg began the discussion by reading a statement that Deb Reinisch had sent to him. She looked further into obtaining training for peer mediation. She found an agency in Saratoga called Mediation Matters. The person she spoke to was enthusiastic about the training but was new to the agency herself. The agency had done this type of training in the past. They were going to get back with Deb about the price. Another training option that is a possibility would be from individuals employed at Shenendehowa. Acadia did their training through the counselor. Al Green was involved in this training. Greg stated that he is very motivating and the kids really like him. A brief overview of peer mediation was given for those who were not present at the last meeting. An adult would always be present during each mediation. Need about 5 adults trained. Approximately 16-20 students would also be trained. The skills they obtain could be transferred to their own life experiences. All the collected information about this program has been very positive. Committee members are to go back and speak with their stakeholders about instituting peer mediation in 4^th and 5^th grade. Greg would like a response by 2/8. If a positive response is collected then both training options will be considered. Funding options include BBQ money or possibly from the discretionary funds at Karigon. Will discuss this again at the next meeting.

Old Business:

1. Redistricting: Loraine Longherst had a meeting about redistricting that Greg attended. There was a lot on the agenda. Did not address how schools will balance the class lists. Linda stated that parents received a letter of where their children will be going next year. This included information about who the PTA president would be and the dates of the PTA meetings so parents can attend in school their child will be attending next year. Greg is establishing dates for the incoming Karigon students and their parents to tour Karigon. These dates will occur over the summer. The principal of Orenda has written a children’s book about redistricting. It will be distributed to the classroom teachers at Karigon to be read to the students.

2. Aides and redistricting: A concern has come up about what the plan is for the current aides at Karigon who are not attached to a special education class. Greg stated that it may be as late as June or July before the aides will know what building they will be assigned to. The district is looking at building needs and the needs across the district before decisions are made.

New Business:

No new business was discussed

Next Meeting: February 26^th, 2007

Understanding Committees

Review member rotation plan

Character Education Program for the 4^th and 5^th grade-peer mediation update

BBQ Update

November 27, 2006

KARIGON PARTNERSHIP TEAM MINUTES

November 27, 2006

Members Present: Laurie Halbohm Marge Buonanno Janine Cammarata Sue Morrissey Donna Zavery Linda Buyaskas Meredith Andrews June Allison Greg Wing Gary DiLallo

Inspiration: “The cure to safety is an aware and involved school community. Teachers are hardworking, respectful and caring for the students they serve. More than not, they are trusted by students and parents, and such as, have a unique opportunity to engage residents and youth in sustained conversations and activities that mitigate against violence.” Times Union

Minutes: October minutes reviewed and approved with minor changes

Halloween Feedback: Positive feedback was received by all stakeholders. Greg stated that he felt that we had about 300 people watch the parade. The sign out-sticker system went smoother this year as staff was more comfortable with the procedure. Having the students sit in the upper grade hallway was much safer and less scary for the younger students as they paraded by. Support staff and special area teachers will be matched with a class where they know some of the students.

Update on New Parent Member:

There has been no response and the team sees no benefit to keep asking. The team agreed to have two parents represent their stakeholder group. We will revisit this issue in February. We will have to look at incorporating parents who will be redistricted to Karigon. The team may need three new parent members for the next school year as this is Linda’s last year of her term and Janine’s children will be redistricted to a new school.

Posting of KPT Minutes on the Karigon Website:

The finalized minutes are now posted on the web-site. A discussion about making the minutes a PDF file would allow for an easier layout for them to be printed. Greg will look into this to see if this is possible.

Review Faculty Feedback on K-2 Writer’s Workshop and 3-5 Harcourt:

At the last faculty meeting the staff was asked to individually complete a survey that the team developed with Carol Scarce. This information was then put together and distributed to the team. Greg shared the feedback with several individuals with from the DO. He received positive feedback including that the needs are similar to those in other buildings, ideas for professional development, and some of the negatives can be quickly addressed. Greg will bring this information back to the faculty to have them discuss it. Letting grade levels prioritize and decide what areas to work on. Look at brining district level people to include them on the training and progress of making these two programs more successful. May want to look at using KPT funds to buy more sets of the Units of Study for Primary Writing so that the teachers will have increased access to this resource.

Parents are impressed with the 4th grade reading log. This is not a part of the current program. The teachers in that grade level thought the program was weak in this area and implemented this log.

Need to develop a process for the materials to be distributed appropriately by number of sections/students each school has. Last year a procedure was not in place and there seemed to be difficulty getting materials to the appropriate places. It appears that the building coordinators will be responsible for taking an inventory before the end of the year. They will look at the forecasted number of sections and disperse supplies at the end of the school year so teachers will start the new year with the appropriate supplies.

Old Business:

Report Cards: Heard of some concerns about the report cards after the first quarter and parent-teacher conferences. Greg shared the response from the district office regarding our question about the end of the pilot year. The DO welcomed our suggestions but want to look at the report card from a macro-perspective. They feel time and training are required. The DO stated the pilot year is over and this is the format that will be used. Discussion ensued that the pilot year did not address parent concerns. Feedback was only taken at the end of the first quarter last year not at the end of the school year. Concerns included the following:

Motivation: Students may not be motivated to work harder because they will still get a 3.

No differentiate between a low 3 and a high 3. To much of a range for level 3. Why not use a plus/minus system?

Go back to grades (percentages) in Middle and High School

K-2 has a continuum that is more developmentally appropriate. May want to look at doing that 3-5.

Comments varied from teacher to teacher-some were very vague.

Parents want more information-look at things coming home but a lot of the writing does not go home but into student portfolios.

Are teachers providing material/opportunities for students to do above grade level to make a 4 obtainable?

How will students be placed next year with the wide span for level 3?

Parents will contact their stakeholder group and see how much of a concern there is about the report card.

New Business:

Monster Mash: This is a PTA run event. Concerns that parents were dropping their children off instead of supervising them at this event. There were children outside running around without supervision in the dark. Linda will discuss the concerns with the PTA and encourage them to ask for volunteers to monitor the doors.

Next Meeting: December 18th, 2006

Character Education Program for the 4th and 5th grade

Update parent feedback about the report card

October 26, 2006

Members Present: Laurie Halbohm, Marge Buonanno, Gary DiLallo, Sue Morrissey Donna Zavery, Linda Buyaskas, Meredith Andrews, June Allison,Greg Wing

Inspiration: Janine was not present – general discussion instead

Minutes: September minutes reviewed and passed

DPT: Shared Decision Making Blueprint for Progress document discussed – Greg’s changes were noted. Comments typed on separate page; response needed ASAP.

Goals & Objectives:

-Greg will be contacting Joe Nicolella or Lorraine Longhurst.. Greg will give our student information sheet to District with request to distribute it, or a similar standard, to students coming into Karigon district due to redistricting. This will be used during teacher assignment meetings.

- Greg to get feedback at next faculty meeting re Harcourt and Writers Workshop. (Grades 3-5 are currently in year 2 of the program.) Joanne will accumulate the results for discussion at our next meeting.

- Report cards – general discussion on format and what to do from here.

- Barbeque – Gary reminded KPT that Giffy’s is in our tax paying jurisdiction, and perhaps we should consider using them again instead of Brooks. They are used at all other elementary schools. We are committed to Brooks for 2007, perhaps the following year it should be considered.

Old Business: - Three AIS teachers are requested to attend a district meeting on Halloween. Greg has requested replacements for them that day due to the number of visitors to the school that day and to ensure a safe event.

Donna pointed out that the Science outcome from the department head for Spring 06 was never submitted as a follow-up to our meeting. Greg will request it of Mike Feher.

New Business: Clothing is needed for the nurse’s office, mostly sweatpants and

sweatshirts. Perhaps a note can be put into the Karigon Journal.

Next Meeting: November 27, 2006

Halloween Feedback

Harcourt & Writers Workshop faculty feedback

Parent vacancy

September 18^th, 2006

Members Present:
Laurie Halbohm
Marge Buonanno
Janine Cammarata
Sue Morrissey
Donna Zavery
Linda Buyaskas
Meredith Andrews
June Allison
Greg Wing
Gary DiLallo

Inspiration: “The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow,” is to learn something. That’s the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honor trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then- to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.” T.H. White, “The Once and Future King”

Minutes: June minutes will be reviewed at the next meeting

Correspondence: Each member of the team received a letter of resignation from the newest parent member. She would be unable to attend the meetings on Mondays at 2:30. A discussion occurred about the day/time of the committee meetings. We currently have strong attendance for all members on the committee and a strong representation at this time. It was noted that all the partnership teams in the district meet immediately after their school day. A letter expressing our regrets will be drafted and sent to the parent who resigned. She will be encouraged to participate in school activities in the capacity that she can. The team agreed that when we solicit for new members we make sure the time and day are clearly indicated. Linda will prepare a notice to fill the current parent member position.

DPT:

The District Partnership Team is looking for building representatives for the 2006-2007 school year. The next district meeting will be held on October 11^th at 4:00. During that meeting they will establish the meeting days/times for the remainder of the school year. Sue Morrisey has graciously stated that she will attend to represent the Karigon Partnership Team.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Leader: Greg Wing

Facilitator: Meredith Andrews/ June Allison

Recorder: Laurie Halbohm/Linda Buyaskas

Celebrator: Donna Zavery/Marge Buonanno

Refreshments: See rotating schedule- Donna will develop the schedule

Coach: Janine Cammarata/new parent member

Partnership Training: The Partnership Training will take place on 10/19 from 8:30-3 at the HSW Training Center. The district is strongly recommending that each team attends. Reviewed areas/ideas that we may want to work on from the Shenendehowa Goals and Objectives. Will discuss the following areas during the training session: 1. The Profile of a Shenendehowa Elementary Student to the curriculum and Essential Content and Competencies, 2. Review the make-up of the instructional day looking at amount of time given to Core areas and look at the use and consistency of the new report card. A discussion occurred about the pilot of the new report card. Was the pilot year successful? Are the results of the survey published? Are parents pleased with the change? Is it to be continued to be piloted or is it complete? Greg will forward these questions to the Elementary Report Card Committee.

Posting of KPT Minutes:

A small statement will be placed in the journal. The minutes will be posted on the web-site. Greg will forward the minutes to the appropriate person after the minutes are finalized by the committee.

Old Business:

Reviewed the KPT Brochure: Greg will check to see if the mission statement corresponds with the district one. A few cosmetic changes were done to insure that individuals knew were the form was to be submitted. The brochure will have to be changed on the web-site as well.
Halloween Letter: Reviewed the Halloween letter and procedures. Date changes need to take place. A discussion about questionable weather-very hard to judge. Parents are still welcome to call the office if they are unsure. There was also a discussion about the 5^th grade dismissal. A parent member stated that parents were unsure of what to do and it was very congested. Greg will talk to the 5^th grade about there plans