Thanks very much to those of you able to attend our Community Meeting on 2/12/2018. We are grateful to both of our speakers for giving us their time and for providing so much information. Below is a summary: Susan Zundel from OregonASK provided an informative presentation on Being a Parent Ally of your STEM child, including promoting a workbook for hosting STEM events and some STEM information attached below as PDFs. She distributed a take-home STEM game for students and information about how the PTSA can build STEM-based community events at the school, whether as Community STEM nights, Electives, or through at-home or classroom support. If you are interested in becoming our very first Community STEM Coordinator, in charge of hosting or promoting a few STEM events a year, please notify Tam Boleyn (tam@boleyn.org), our new Volunteer Chair. OregonASK is happy to help provide the resources and support needed to get this program going. Principal Sandilands provided a community update and held a Q&A on the Arts Program and High School Science Credits:
This stems from a district-wide change from teaching Freshman Biology (which Mr. Dyer provides) to Pattern Physics starting Autumn 2017. Winterhaven was not engaged by the district during the Freshman Physics decision-making process. Further, Sarah Davis, Assistant Director of Instruction, Curriculum and Assessment and acting Science Curriculum TOSA, informed Mark on Jan 25 of this year that the district’s recommendation is that all PPS High Schools cease to grant a High School science credit to any Middle School graduates (even if Winterhaven were to replace 8th grade Biology with Physics) for the class of 2019 forward.
Attendees at the meeting shared with the principal how invested we are in providing input (to him and to the district) about what being a Math / Science Focus school means to us, in ensuring that our students be treated fairly by the district, and that our children continue to be provided with rigorous academic opportunities once they leave Winterhaven. Budget: The community approved a revised 2017-18 PTSA budget. The only changed item is a voluntary $7,000 payment to All Hands Raised to cover our Parent Equity Fund donation for the Art Coordinator contract this year. This amount was covered through cuts and strategic planning, and did not raise the overall budget nor cut into planned funding. Board elections: The following board members were elected into new positions (and one added board member) for the remainder of the 2017-18 school year, with many thanks:
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