Approved

OLD MILL SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MINUTES

Monday January 12, 2009

Time:  3:00 pm

Location:  Old Mill School Library

Present:

Jane McDonough - Treasurer

Mary Anderson – Secretary

Molly Bass

Dawn Dobras – Vice President

Bryce Goeking

Andy Mercy - President

Lisa Mudd

Ann Nichols

Hope Timberlake

Virginia vanRoyen

Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes:   Minutes of the November 24, 2008 meeting were approved.

Principal’s Report:

•Jane distributed copies of the School Accountability Report Card (SARC) for school year 2007/8.   This is provided for information, please contact Jane directly with any questions.

•February 4, 2009, Mill Valley School District Board Meeting will be held at Old Mill School, commencing at 6pm.  Jane invited one or two Site Council members to attend. 

Action:  If you have any thoughts on how to showcase OMS at the Board meeting please contact Jane.

2008/9 Action Plan, Objective 1:  Support students to develop strength of character

•Volunteerism / community service.  As there is little student diversity at OMS with respect to ethinicity and social / economic background it was agreed that is would be a good idea to pursue more joint activities with Bahia Vista School in San Rafael. Bahia Vista and OMS have a successful track record of working together on a mural project in each school which Dawn initiated. 

Ann suggested a couple of events which might be appropriate to share with Bahia Vista – Anne Carla Rovetta, a naturalist, education specialist and oral historian / story teller who participates in the author speaker series.   Jean Bolte, an OMS parent who works at Lucas Films and kindly does a special effects assembly each year.

Action:   Dawn and Hope will meet with Juan Rodriquez, principal of Bahia Vista, to discuss the possibility of the schools becoming partner schools, becoming pen pals, doing community service projects together and other shared sustainable experiences.

Action:  Faculty Council members to discuss the idea with colleagues and report back.

•Tribes.  OMS is a tribes learning community.  The purpose of the Tribes process is to assure the healthy development of every child so that each one has the knowledge, skills, strength of character and resiliency to be successful in a rapidly changing world. However it seems that OMS parents are not familiar with Tribes and so are not reinforcing the process at home.

Action:  Jane will discuss Tribes in her GRIST newsletter article suggesting ways it can be translated at home.

2007/8 & 2008/9 Action Plan, Objective 3:  Emphasize life fitness as a core element of the P.E. program

•Virginia informed the Council that March 31 is jump rope – heart health for life, an activity conducted with the American Heart Association.

Action:  Please contact Virginia if you know of anyone willing to share a relevant success story.

2007/8 Action Plan, Objective 1:  Support students in becoming effective problem solvers in math

Action:  Molly to provide a “math problem of the month” to the Site Council parents to test with their children.

Next Site Council Meeting:  Monday, February 23, 2009, at 3:00 pm in Old Mill School library.