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Senate Minutes – October 21, 2009

Attending: Tony Renouard, Kate Reynolds (for Jeff Jones), Sharon Miyata, Marni Campbell, Colleen Davis, Rob Feigal-Stickles, Tim Ames, Janet Thompson, Dina Zografos Ruehle, Mark Greenway, Robbie Campbell, Jonathan Duyker, Patty Lilly, Ken Tarleton, Rebecca Padilla, Doug Edelstein, Greg Nielson (for Jessica Torvik), April Lindner

Not Attending: Shannon Conner, Linda Overlie, Robert Poor

Minutes accepted

Old business

For now Senator Davis’ proposal on posters in the hall is tabled until we can get more information from ASB and custodial staff.

Senator Campbell pointed out that it already is school district policy that anything posted in the halls be approved by the administration.

New Business

Principal’s report

November 18 there will be a ground breaking ceremony at 10:30 AM for the next phase of construction, which is the construction of a new library and radio station. The phase after that will be demolition of the old library and offices and entire west side of the building. There is a possibility that the Counseling Offices may be relocated in the old radio station during this phase.

Protocols for the proper use of Mentorship, reading and reflective scholarship time

brainstorm

Mentorship requests Mentorship ideals

Students man phone banks for KNHC pledge drive Assemblies (all school) Collecting $$ for AIDS walk Sibling photos (yearbook) Student presentations blood drive (Anatomy Class) Class meeting Healthy Use Survey

Create a small(er) community Bring students into the culture of Nathan Hale Culminating Project Registering for classes College/scholarship applications Service Learning Book talks Conferences re: grades Same value as an academic class Regular/predictable time

Do the events/requests contribute to students’ growth and development? Does it contribute to critical thinking?

What should we do now? Do we need a protocol for interrupting mentorship or do we want to just let it sit for a quarter or semester or year to see how it goes?

We need to continue the discussion of three intertwined things: Mentorship, Reflective Scholarship, Reading. This discussion means prioritizing one above another. On the other hand, maybe Reflective Scholarship needs to be inviolate as well. Reading needs to be inviolate as well, because it is so important.

How could we make a protocol? It is difficult. Maybe it is ok to lose Mentorship for things we all do together.

Rob Feigal Stickles proposal: All activities need to be planned in advance. Keep reading the same. The only reason for missing Mentorship would be a whole school activity. Responsible Scholarship would be for the collecting money, or photos or…

There is some feeling that photos and club activities should take place before or after school.

Maybe any reason to lose Mentorship time it needs to come to Senate.

There may need to be a continued conversation on how a school plans things in advance.

There was some discussion of Reflective Scholarship, and whether it is a benefit or not. We need to give it a chance, even though some students are not taking it seriously. If it doesn’t work, we could easily put ten minutes on each class.

Do we have staff buy in? Maybe we need to have an all school conversation so we can get that buy in. Is Reflective Scholarship use part of the grade in the 5^th or 6^th period class. Maybe we need to teach students how to use Reflective Scholarship well.

Rob’s new proposal: Reading is the same. Mentorship is not to be interrupted except for a pre-planned whole school activity. Reflective Scholarship is for academic related things. To interrupt either Mentorship or Reflective Scholarship a proposal would have to be approved by Senate.

Are passes from THC and Counseling Office OK? Some say no. Senator Campbell reminded us that counselors are instructional staff, and only pull students for urgent matters.

It used to be that all instructional staff had a Mentorship which brings the numbers down.

Do we want to spend our time in Senate deciding what things can interrupt Mentorship?

There was some discussion about whether or not to have exceptions run through Senate. Maybe it is ok for Senate to be a gate keeper for awhile until everyone gets the idea of what is acceptable or not.

Senator Feigal-Stickles final proposal: At the very end of last year the Transformation Team made about Reading, Mentorship and Reflective Scholarship. Let’s agree to uphold what the Transformation Team decided. If there are any exceptions they need to come to Senate.

This proposal was seconded. Senators should discuss with their constituents and bring feed back to the next Senate meeting November 4.

Proposal to allow interruptions for three or four kids to be out of Mentorship from October 30 to November 9 to handle phone banks for radio station fund raiser.

Moved and seconded. Motion passed.

Meeting was extended twice and adjourned at 4:35

Meeting adjourned at 4:13