D S Johnson Elementary School 21 st Century Leadership Team Meeting December 5, 2012 4:00pm

1. D S Johnson Elementary School21st Century Leadership Team MeetingDecember 5, 20124:00pm

2. Participants Mrs. Royster……………………………Principal Mrs. MacIntyre……………………….Assistant Principal Mr. Alston……………………………….Assistant Principal Mrs. L. Whitley………………………………..Leadership Chairman Mrs. T. Whitley ………………………………Secretary Mrs. Legg…………………………… Mrs. Hunt……………………………….Guidance Mrs. Thomas……………………………Guidance Mrs. ……………………………….Pre-K Mrs. …………………………..Kindergarten Mrs. …………………………….First Grade Mrs. …………………………….Third Grade Mrs. …………………………..Fourth Grade

3. Conversations: Principal Royster opened up by stating the purpose of a Leadership Meeting: To approve or make recommendations concerning the goals given by the various School Committees and send the information back to the Committees. The Leadership Team is the over arching organization. The School Committees are born out of the needs of the School Improvement Plan (SIP). She explained that the setting for meetings will always be professional because this is important. The outline of the Agenda was read. She thanked everyone for coming.

4. Conversations Christmas Parties: Parties of any kind must have instructional focus and educational goals. They must be aligned with the common core and the pacing guide. Many times inappropriate behaviors (i.e. fights, loud noises) stem from popcorn and a movie. We would not like our outside visitors (i.e. Dr. Jackson, Judge Manning, Buck Newton) to see us in this light. However, ‘Christmas Around The World’ is appropriate: it ties in writing, math, and other cultures.

5. Conversations Christmas Parties Continued: Question: “Is it ok for a Pre-K activity that incorporated the lesson on “Giving” with Lunch/Nap time and opening gifts?” Answer: (Royster) Ok, as long as the instructional focus is there. Note: Please have all ‘Parties’ on or by the afternoon of the 20th, not on the 21st. Mrs. MacIntyre stated that she would share some appropriate Christmas activities on the G-drive. Some of these activities modeled good math practices.

6. Conversations Voting: Principal Royster opened the floor for nominations to install a new Chairperson. Two names were submitted (Mrs. Nicole Davis and Mrs. Lisa Whitley). Ballots were cast by the raising of hands. Mrs. Lisa Whitley received the majority vote. Congratulations Chairman Whitley!

7. Conversations School Organization Chart/Chairpersons: Climate/Hospitality Committee – K. Robinson (This committee has a separate fiscal account) Parent Involvement Committee – E. Smith Community Involvement – J. Hunt PBIS Committee – Beamon Awards Committee – J. Legg Data Committee – N. Davis SST Process Committee (This committee does not have goals attached to the SIP, but is necessary) Teacher Mastery – J. MacIntyre

8. Conversations Voting: Principal Royster opened the floor for motions to accept the SOC with necessary corrections. A proper motion was made. A proper second was made. Majority ruled. The SOC was accepted. Mrs. MacIntyre made a suggestion to change the Teacher Mastery Chairperson. A proper motion was made. A proper second was made. Majority ruled. The SOC was accepted with the changes.

9. Conversations School Committee Reports ( Committees discussed their three goals which aligned with the SIP): Community Involvement Committee – sent letters out to local churches and fraternal organizations rallying support. Parental Involvement – a Bi-monthly newsletter will be shared; a parent survey on the school climate will be given to the parents. Data Team Committee – Current testing data will analyzed. Results will be presented to the SIT within two weeks. (A running data board will be posted in every classroom indicating the current educational status of each student and where they’re headed)

10. Conversations School Committee Reports Continued: Mr. Alston explained the Inventory Assessment Spreadsheet. He stated that PBIS training was needed. That there should be school-wide recognition/awards incentives. The first one should be so grand in that those who usually do not get to participate would want to do what it takes to do so the next time (i.e. Staff vs. Student sports events).

11. Conversations School Committee Reports Continued: Mrs. Legg explained that the main goals of the Accelerated Reader (AR) program are to increase reading levels, increase reading frequency, and to share Incentive and Reward information with the parents. Presently getting access to the AR program has been a challenge. In the future there should be a visual representation of all students AR progression posted in every classroom. Question: “How are my students to attain their AR goals if they are only checking out one book per week?” Suggestions: 1.Take a basket to your Media session and check out a classroom set (many) books at one time. 2. Allow students, with a pass, two at a time, to check out books at 2:35. Make sure their name is recorded with the book. (Royster) Make sure that in the event a child looses their book, because a grade is attached to the process, they will still be able to check out more books. 3. (Hunt) Access Tumblebooksthrough Braswell Library online. The books can read to the students and AR tests can be taken on the books.

12. Conversations School Committee Reports Continued: Question: “Why is the AR process graded?” Answer: (Royster) When the process is graded it makes a greater impact. !Concern!: 1. How is the Media Center organized (i.e. by subject, topic, grade levels, AR levels). 2. Mrs. Barnes (substitute) only has Destiny rights, not Admin or AR rights. -Matthew Mayo may be referenced. -Parents should be able to access the AR Home Connection through technology once everything is up and running.

13. Conversations School Committee Reports Continued: Mrs. MacIntyre stated in the future students will be able to take AR quizzes with their iPads. Students AR reading levels will be looked up prior to book check-outs to eliminate confusion. If a student scores less than a 50 on their AR test, the score will be removed enabling the student to retake the test. However, assurances must be made that the student is actually reading the book, not skimming over it. Mrs. Royster stated that parents will be able to request and submit up to six email addresses to inform family members of their child’s AR progress. Mrs. Legg stated that as of right now a username and password is all that is needed to access AR once it is up and running.

14. Conversations School Committee Reports Continued: Teacher Mastery Committee – Mrs. MacIntyre explained that some of this committees tasks are to keep up with staff CEUs, implement system-wide initiatives (i.e. Common Core, iPad, Destination Innovation for retooling in order to improve and build instructional capacity, Reading Mastery), implement the Book study in order to teach with the impoverished brain in mind. She stated that NC Falcon for every staff member needs to be addressed. Nugget – all staff may be able to register at an earlier date than in previous years for DI.

15. Conversations Voting: Principal Royster opened the floor for motions to accept the goals of the School Committees with necessary corrections. A proper motion was made. A proper second was made. Majority ruled. The School Committee goals were accepted. Round of applause!

16. Conversations Comprehensive Needs Assessment Visits and Report: Purpose: To observe and analyze the School’s Organizational processes. The data in the report is analyzed and used to formulate a school wide plan to better the foundation. The comprehensive piece incorporates Administration, parents, and students. DPI sends a team out to assess and a team out to help analyze data. Leadership Team took the Self-Evaluationquestionair.

17. Conversations Updates/Reminders: Mrs. Royster gave an updated report on where we were in the hiring process. Mrs. Royster gave an updated report on where we were with staff resignations. Reminder: In structured recess monitoring is the key. Remember: Collaboration and building relationships is important for team building.

18. Conversations Voting: Principal Royster opened the floor for motions to accept written proposals to have multiple faculty meetings, to be held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month, within the time limit of one hour and fifteen minutes, making necessary adjustments for Holidays and inclement weather. A proper motion was made. A proper second was made. Majority ruled. The proposals for a change in staff meeting scheduling, changing from once a month to twice a month, was accepted.

19. Conversations Next meeting dates: Leadership Team Meeting – January 3, 2013 Whole Staff Faculty Meeting – January 10, 2013

20. Conversations “Success can be defined in three simple words: And then some. The top people did what was expected of them, and then some.” Darnell Johnson, school superintendent, Greenwood, South Carolina