Minutes04.25.18/Agenda05.02.18

Post date: May 2, 2018 1:24:36 PM

Agenda 05.02.18

• 1. Approval of the Minutes

  2. Reports

  3. Adventure Capital Presentation

  4. Bike Fix-It Station

  5. Assistant Secretary Position Discussion

  6. Notes and New Business

Council Minutes 04.25.18

“We all can dance,” he said, “if we find the music that we love.” -Giraffes Can’t Dance, Giles Andreae

1. Approval of Minutes

2. Reports

• • Mod: Committee chairs should be present at every Exec meeting because committee chair’s job is to talk about what is happening in committee meetings and add stuff to agenda as needed. Things in committees should be coming back to Council in more direct ways such as discussions instead of just in reports. Trying to shift away about just talking about issues in general and talking about committees in Exec. Friday (Activity Period) juniors speeches in Atrium, Monday (Activity Period) sophomore speeches in Atrium, Tuesday (Activity Period) freshman speeches in Cafe. May 8th is Council Elections in Atrium. Schedule attached with minutes. Tom Hanlon Cup Nominations sent out to minutes of last weeks meeting. Another email being sent out today.

  • Treasurers: Co-curricular fund = $3789, not updated. Council fund = $6240.90.

  • DSB: Looking to name school track after Coach Brown. Long survey results about RMS. Teacher Appreciation Week coming up.

  • PR: Process of getting whiteboard in Atrium for Vision of Graduate.

  • Secretary: No alternates can vote.

  • Admin: Talked about having Skip Bean Democratic Award presented at INDE instead of Council. Previously has been during Council. Discussed Staff of the Year Award.

  • Curric: In process of creating updated Council handbook in Google Doc.

  • OEC: Final reminder for forms due in library. Speeches start this week into next week.

  • SAC: Reviewed budget forms.

  • SL: Tomorrow going to visit RMS cafeteria.

3. Vision of a Graduate Discussion

• • Discussion Closed

4. Notes and New Business

• • Exec is big about getting feedback. Would like to get Council feedback on how we feel about our progress on goals that were made at the beginning of the year. Perrin and Linda Addante will be working on creating survey for Council about progress on goals. Might approach way of getting information differently next year.

  • Thought that discussion got off topic during Vision of a Graduate discussion when talking about schedule.

  • Interested in exploring other schedule options. SL has been talking about schedule. SL thinking about schedule where students have four periods a day. More time to do homework and learn more in class. Goal is to slow down pace of day so students don’t feel rushed. 4 classes doesn’t mean that a student can only take four classes a semester. Can have 2 alternating days with 4 different classes each day.

  • This year, have posed solution of schedule change for many motions. Feel that this is off topic because we have not talked about schedule change. Should have motion or discussion for schedule change so that we have more focused discussion.

  • Learned at DSB meeting that schedule committee is not created yet. Have to work with DSB and Administration. Schedule change will have long-term effect. Encourage people who want to see schedule change to talk with DSB representative on Council.

5. Schedule Discussion

• • Could create a unique schedule that is perfect for HHS. Can be open-minded with schedule change. Does not have to be drastic.

  • Don’t let discussion get negative and controlled by adults. Students know better than adults who are living schedule day to day. Need to reach out to students in the entire school.

  • People driving for change seem to be people with complicated schedules with difficult classes.

  • Why don’t we have something like playground to help reduce student stress.

  • Thetford has 30-45 minutes at beginning of day for all-school assembly, and then continued day with block schedule. Found many students off-topic and distracted after one hour of class.

  • Some classes in particular such as foreign language prefer regularity of having classes everyday. In example of foreign language, it is beneficial for students to practice language every day.

  • Attitude at Hanover that there are some people who take all honors classes, have rigorous schedule, are overachievers, etc. Need to change attitude at HHS before schedule. Average class load is 6.2 classes, which seems problematic. Guidance counselors encourage students to have free time. Problem that students feel need to overschedule. Would like to see more combination of classes such as band+chorus period next year, which allows students to take both band and chorus, instead of having to choose.

  • Got negative feedback from CG about schedule change. We shouldn’t shy away from discussion because we are scared of change.

  • Found that received more homework at school with block schedule because teachers assign more homework since they will not see students until day after.

  • Think students in all sorts of classes have similar struggles with schedule, not just those students who take lots of honors classes/ take higher number of classes.

  • Not much discussion about lunch which is curious.

  • Do not like that we have same classes everyday in same order. Solution may not be to make class time longer or shorter. For example, many students by 6th or 7th period are exhausted and not as focused.

6. Meeting Adjourns