SGC Minutes
Seawell Elementary School

February 1st, 2005

Members Present: Amy Kwiek, Katherine Worley, Susan Pegg, Ursula Council, Mark Peters, Teri Stern, Larry Fox, Linda Williford, Jennifer Jansen, Meg
Reed

Others in attendance: Marny Ruben

Minutes were approved.

Principal?s Report
Paula Giles- Reading Recovery teacher is on a medical leave of absence for a month.

Early release days- we have asked parents to commit to car rider or bus rider for any future early release days.

We have gotten several new students from Homestart.

Fourth grades- we have 29 students in each class. There is a waiver that allows us to go over the limit of 29 for grades four and five.

We are hoping to have enough students next year to not need the 4/5 combination class.

Several members asked questions about our enrollment. Is there a way to have a cap? Is there a way to have Homestart added to the Estes Hills
district since their population is more stable due to no new growth in their district?

Susan, Vicki (NC WISE data manager), and David (technology Specialist) will attended a meeting to learn about a new phone message system that the
district plans to use. Seawell will need to decide how they will plan to use the system and for what events we will use it to call our parents.
District info about the system will be sent weekly while in the process of getting it in place.

Seawell?s Capital Budget Requests- hot water and heat in pod bathrooms, campus drainage, fix stairs leading to the media center.

School Improvement Plan- SGC reviewed the plan.

Dr. Chuck Stone is coming Feb. 16th to talk to the faculty about Dr. Martin Luther King.

PTA/ FORT will hold a meeting on Feb. 15th at the Sonja Hanes Stone Center on UNC campus. They will recognize students who participated in the PTA
Reflections Program titled ?A Different Kind of Hero.?

Technology Plan- the district is working on a lab

Summer Camp will not be held at Seawell this year.

Kindergarten Orientation will be held in two days rather than three next year. This is a district-wide decision.

Old Business
Recess- Jennifer will update us on the district committee next month.

New Business
We need to  request to get the pothole in the parking lot fixed.

Terri called Bill Mullin at Lincoln Center about getting some of the outside drains jet cleaned and other Capital Improvement issues. His comments
follow:


?There are plans to have a Bobcat out in the spring for landscaping/sculpting. This is an ongoing process.

?Heat and water in pods- Capital Improvement estimate is $50,000.

? Stairs- these will be fixed fairly soon. They will rip out the metal pieces on the stairs and cover to make them smooth.

January SGC Chairs meeting- Katherine shared highlights as follows:

? They reviewed the Minority District Report Card

? Some districts have an emersion program for beginner ESL students. CHCCS is looking at this model.

 Capital Improvements- you can have school fundraisers to meet these needs but don?t get mad if/when the district funds similar needs at other
schools.

?Budget cuts in district- can we have a list of items applicable to our school?

? The budget for the symphony trip was cut but the district is fundraising from parents to continue this event.

? Should we write a letter to the school board about the symphony trip? We will discuss this at another meeting.

? There is a district Curriculum Advisory Committee with parent representation, led by Denise Bowling , the director of curriculum and instruction

?Literacy Collaborative- parents have requested a survey

Susan discussed the strengths of Literacy Collaborative- all teachers having consistent parts of a reading program, coaches provided.

Parent complaint- there is not enough feedback sent home, need more information, more student work samples

Tier One- recommendations for new plan with emphasis on continuing/expanding through middle school. The school board will meet on that.

The Board Planning Retreat is Feb. 14th and 15th. Susan attends Monday.

Seawell needs a parent rep. for a parent communication and visitation committee. Terry Stern agreed to attend.




7:49 adjourn


Marny Ruben
Assistant Principal
Seawell Elementary School
9115 Seawell School Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
919.967.4343