Here are the meeting notes as a Word file: SWCC Education Committee Minutes 2015-09-16.doc

The Education Committee of the SW Common Council

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

6:30 to 8:00 pm at

Arnett Branch Library, 310 Arnett Boulevard

Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 21, 2015, 6:30 pm at the Arnett Library, 310 Arnett Blvd.

Meeting Convened at 6:30 pm

Introductions/Attendance:

John Boutet                 SW Common Council Education Committee Chair

Eleanor Coleman        OACES & ProsperRochester, Inc. (Grandparent/School #10)

Robin Dettman            Education and Business Organization Coach, Great Schools for All, Volunteer

John Laing                  19th Ward Schools Committee Chair, Volunteer @ Schools #16, #19 & #29

Bill Nichthauser           19th Ward Resident, Volunteer

Jennifer Lenio              Rochester Public Libraries (South District)

Exploring Ways to Expand PTO Participation

• PTA offers organizational help and resources not offered via PTO; PTA dues also pay for insurance. Hard to get parents to pay dues.

• School 44 PTO reportedly meets the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. but Oct. 6^th is next meeting and there may not be one in November.

• Generally difficult to get teacher participation at parent/teacher meetings.

• Willie Robinson, Jr. Parent Engagement Department at Central Office should be invited to PTO meetings; opportunity to share what is being done to engage parents.

School 44 Update

• PTO meeting was held 9/8. One goal is to get more playground equipment. Eleanor referred John to Rachel Pickering at The Children’s Agenda who was also very active with FLHSA Healthi Kids, focused on nutrition and healthy play.

• Testing scores for 44 were higher than the other 19th Ward schools. Following are passing percentages:

School 16 Update

• Letter from 19th Ward to potential parents in the School 16 feeder area to promote neighborhood school was provided to RCSD in the Fall; per email received today by John B., the letter was sent to 282 families in the 19th Ward on 8/3/2015.

Little Free Library & Free Books Update

• Michael Hagelberg, Chair of the Gandhi Institute Board of Directors, has offered to make some of the libraries.

• We have gotten approval to use City property for some of the libraries (like empty lots, where posts already exist).

• Once we have Little Free Libraries ready we can call the NSC Office to put libraries on empty City lots.

• We have given away approximately 1,000 books via a free books table at the Westside Farmers Market, via book distributions on some neighborhood streets, and via Free Book Boxes in laundromat on Thurston and an icecream store on Genesee. We need to place more book boxes in corner stores.

• We can get more books as we need them from Shelley Matthews who is Rochester Area Literacy Coordinator with the RPL.

Walk-In Items

• OACES offering 2 new programs: Warehousing and Emergency Services Training eff. 9/21.

• Second session of the Witnessing Whiteness: The Need to Talk About Race and How to Do It book discussion group has formed (8 weeks). Contact Michael Hagelberg for more information at 330-7530.

• OACES meeting with Libraries to build a better bridge between students and libraries as resources.

• Bill N. - Volunteer New Horizons music program at School 22 which has moved to the Franklin Campus was moved to the basement; 3rd floor Music Room belongs to another school within the building and cannot be accessed. Random scheduling presents a barrier for volunteers.

• John L. - 19WCA Schools Committee will use the District’s Volunteer Orientation process when engaging volunteers which will ensure that the appropriate checks are made; current volunteers are exempt; principals do not have restrictions in regards to volunteers.

• Group agreed longer Rochester Public Library hours would help our schools. Lobby City Council and Mayor for 10 library branches (more hours, more staff). Most libraries have one FT person to operate a 40-hr a week program; 2 PT librarians. Must have a librarian in the building to be open to the public.

• MindUp - Pre-K through 8th grade program that teaches social and emotional learning skills that link cognitive neuroscience, positive psychology and mindful awareness training utilizing a brain centric approach (mindfulness, meditation, etc.) Program helps children develop habits that calm themselves so they can focus on the academics.

• Freedom Writers - an excellent program that can be incorporated into school programming and works well for at-risk students. Reduces drop-out rates.

Meeting adjourned at 8:05pm

Minutes submitted by Eleanor Coleman