SAC Meeting—Tuesday, November 13, 2007

 

Members Attending:  Joyce Lamons, Sally Burkhart, Pam Catron, Joyce Clark, Suzanne Buchanan, Yvette Scott, Karen Musser, Lynn Wesighan, Vivian Pagan, Scott Mitchell, Iris Smith, Bill Floyd.  Excused absences: Johnny Escribano, Anabelle Escribano, Jon McGuire, Susan McGuire.

 

New Business:

 

Mrs. Burkhart and Mr. Mitchell requested funding for three additional anger management group sessions for this year.  The sessions would cost the school $75.00 per meeting.  A session has six meetings.  The total cost for the three additional anger management sessions is $1,350.00. 

 

Mrs. Burkhart and Mr. Mitchell explained that the need is high for additional groups.  Currently, there are three students on campus with court ordered requests that they attend anger management sessions.  Several parents have called requesting anger management intervention for their children.  Several teachers have referred students who have anger management issues in the classroom, and several students have spoken with our safe coordinators and requested the sessions themselves.

 

Mrs. Burkhart shared some segments of letters from students and parents who were involved in the previous anger management class.  They thanked SAC for the sessions that they had been allowed to attend, and explained that through this intervention, they had learned how to make appropriate choices rather than acting out in their anger.  They stated that six sessions were good, but they would have liked more meetings, and wondered if Apopka High School would be able to continue the sessions.

 

Additional reflections were as follows:

·         Much improvement in handling anger issues

·         A student said that his referrals had decreased

·         Another understood his thoughts better now.

·         Another said he could control his anger now

·         Another said this had been a huge help for her

·         An extreme anger case student is now back in school due to this intervention

·         Another learned how to stay calm

·         Another stated he now gets along with his parents

·         Another learned that only he can control himself and he must and he must walk away from fights.

 

Another request for funding is for a girls empowerment group.  With this group, girls are taught that they can choose to be whatever they want and can work to be successful in that area.  They are taught healthy boundaries and positive thinking.  Journaling is done throughout this session, and girls focus on what is positive and healthy for them, and learn how to avoid what is not positive and healthy.  The cost for a girls empowerment group is also $75.00 per session and will be 8 sessions, which equals $600.00.

 

There is a need for this type of group as well at Apopka High School.  Mr. Mitchell and Mrs. Burkhart explained that girls make bad decisions at times about self-respect, about sexual activity, and about boys.  All girls do not receive the guidance they need form parents at home.  This class would direct girls in how to appropriately handle such situations.

 

Discussion:

 

Karen Musser asked how the girls would be selected for this second group. 

 

Mr. Mitchell explained that one particular girl has no female role model at home.  She needs this direction.

 

Joyce Lamons asked about the anger management classes.  Would the classes be held during the same class period?  This could be negative for the students if they miss too much of the same class.

 

Mr. Mitchell explained that they would stagger the anger management meetings if possible to minimize the effect that absence from the classroom would have on the student.  However, the reality is that most of these students are missing class because of disruption anyway.  These sessions should result in more class time as students learn ways to manage their behaviors.

 

Joyce Clark, in support on some type of intervention, says that she worries about some girls on our campus who appear to be easily misled.  Unfortunately, some girls seem to think that getting pregnant is a way out of their given situation.  It is imperative that girls with this mindset be given appropriate and immediate intervention.

 

Joyce Lamons, an RN, stated that girls do not use appropriate body language, and do not understand the need to do so.  As easily as the 6th grade, inappropriate choices are made by these young girls that negatively affect their self-esteem.  She supports intervention meetings.

 

Karen Musser added that in a Wall Street Journal article, it was reported that girls feel badly after an inappropriate sexual meeting, where the boys feel validated by the same experience.  It is extremely important that the young ladies be given advice on how to avoid such situations.

 

Pam Catron stated that the girls suffer the extreme ramifications of their bad choices.  If they become pregnant, they suffer as their young bodies change, as they face the challenge of completing school or not, and as they handle the demands of childcare.

 

Lynn Wesighan said that this message needed to be presented to all girls at Apopka High School.  She wondered if a large assembly could be held to reach our entire female student population.  Mr. Mitchell will check into the possibility.

 

Pam Catron confirmed that several years ago we did hold assemblies for 9th grade girls only.

 

Joyce Lamons shared that if we save one student from making an inappropriate choice, whatever the cost is, it would have been cost effective.

 

Mr. Floyd said that there is an approved list of speakers on sexual education topics and that we in the district can only use those speakers.  This information is presented in our health and HOPE classes.

 

Karen Musser wondered how the students are identified for the girls empowerment group. 

 

Mrs. Burkhart explained that they would choose the girls based on teacher input, parental requests, student self-referrals, and court-ordered interventions.

 

Mr. Floyd made a motion that SAC fund both requests.  SAC would provide $1,350.00 for three anger management sessions, and $600.00 for a girls empowerment group.  Lynn Wesighan seconded the motion.  All approved.  The motion passed.

 

New Business:

 

Mr. Floyd announced that we now have six additional National Board Teachers at Apopka High School.  Those teachers are:

                                Donald Cary, English

                                Jamie Durham, Social Studies

                                Miriam Jenkins, Physical Education

                                Lori McIntosh, math

                                Erin Poppert, science

                                Marcella Sisler, ESE

 

Congratulations to all of these teachers.  National Board certification is a rigorous program.  We at Apopka High School are fortunate to have many National Board teachers on our staff.  They exemplify the best standards in their fields. 

 

New Business:

 

Culture Workshop—

 

Mr. Floyd explained that we had just completed a two-day seminar on building an effective culture at Apopka High School.  Our teacher leaders participated in this seminar.  Teachers were empowered by the process to be effective leaders in the school, and most stated that they felt renewed and invigorated.  The focus was on distributed accountability.  We are all important pieces in the education process at Apopka High School, and in order for that process to be most effective, teachers, administrators, students, and parents must each accept the role they have.

 

Joyce Clark explained that we had some negativity at first, but that changed when we were all given the time to speak to important issues and all were forced to listen to what their colleagues were saying.  In fact, the teachers attending were so energized by the process that they immediately carried the format back to their learning teams so all teachers’ voices would be successfully heard.

 

Discussion:

 

Lynn Wesighan pointed out that the students benefit when the teachers are happier.  She was pleased that the teachers were given the time to re-energize.

 

Vivian Pagan said that she know the teachers were excited about the meetings.  At the Migrant tutoring after school, the sessions were the primary topic of discussion.  Teachers felt very positive about the strategies they had learned.  Mrs. Pagan added that energy begets energy.

 

Mr. Floyd gave SAC members a reflection sheet on distributed accountability.  This will be discussed at the next month’s meeting.  Members were asked to rate the points under “Implications for Parents’ attitudes and behaviors.”  This will be discussed at the next meeting.  It is important that parents participate in the school environment as well.

 

Old Business:

 

Discussion of SWAP Day—

 

Karen Musser asked about SWAP Day.  She was concerned by the low numbers of parents in the classrooms she visited.  Lynn Weisghan also said that there were very few parents in the classes she attended. 

 

Iris Smith said that 258 parents attended on SWAP Day.  This is a very low percentage of our parents.

 

Mr. Floyd said that perhaps we needed to pursue alternatives to SWAP Day and asked that all think of alternatives that might be used. 

 

Dr. Clark praised the 10th grade group of students.  She commented that they were a very enthusiastic group of students who were exemplary in their enthusiasm and deeds to this point.  Our other classes are good groups of students, but these currently outshine the others as a group.  The parents were appreciative of those comments. 

 

The next SAC meeting will be held on December 11 at 6:30 P.M. in the main campus media center.

 

Karen Musser adjourned the meeting at 7:30 P.M.