pg. 1 - Roseville Area Schools

Roseville Area High School PTSA Meeting Minutes
September 28, 2009
6:30 p.m.
Roseville Area High School Media Center
President: Bruce Martin
Vice President: Cal Ross
Treasurer: Janet Van Nevel
Membership Chair: Nancy Pleiss Brooks
Secretary: Ann Resemius
Present:
Staff Members: Jenny Loeck, Principal; Ted Ihns, Associate Principal; Mark Curley, 9 th Grade
Dean of Students; Corey Knighton, 10 th -12 th Grade Dean of Students named A-LOP, Rena
Jepma-Krohn, 10 th -12 th Grade Students named LOE-Z; David Mieure, Activities Coordinator;
Shaween Lawrence, Testing and Volunteer Coordinator.
Parents Present: Ginny Allen, Joan Bulfer, Calinda Halberg, Beth Moen Kaodjski, Amy
Nentwig, Deb Podobinski, Becky Sorlien.
Shari Dion, Roseville High School Parent and Roseville Area School Board Member, joined the
group just after the meeting adjourned. She arrived late because she was attending another
meeting related to her School Board responsibilities.
Meeting called to order at 6:30 p.m.
Bruce Martin welcomed everyone and made introductions to the parents of the staff members
present.
PTSA membership packets were passed around to the parents.
Mark Curley, 9 th Grade Dean of Students:
Mr. Curley stated that he has had 30 years of experience in the field of education. He said that
he is both a parent and a grandparent. Currently he coaches the Women’s Gymnastics team.
He said his main responsibilities are: holding 9 th graders to a high level of attendance and
self-discipline, working with behavioral issues (the Counselors work with academic issues), and
planning graduation to be held on June 4, 2010. He discussed plans for graduation. He said
that Shannon Brandt and Mary Jensen are working hard on plans for graduation. He asked for
parent help in helping to plan for graduation and setting up at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in
downtown St. Paul. He said that this academic year has gone well so far.
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David Mieuere, Activities Coordinator:
He said that he was speaking for Scott Allen, Associate Principal and Athletic Director, who was
unable to be there that evening.
• He said that there will be a graduation planning meeting on Tuesday, October 13 at 6:30
p.m. He said that the graduation party will be held the night of June 4, 2010 and will go
through the morning of June 5, 2010. At the October 13 meeting the theme of the
graduation party will be discussed.
• He discussed plans for Homecoming Week. He said that Homecoming Week will be
shorter this year; it starts on Tuesday, October 6 because on Monday, October 5 there is
no school. During Homecoming Week students will be selling raffle tickets for a Famous
Dave’s Barbecue “Famous Dave’s Feast” that will be served at the Friday, October 9
Homecoming game. Ten percent of the money from these raffle tickets will go to RAHS.
Wednesday, October 7 will be Pajama Day. On Pajama Day pancakes will be served in
the cafeteria until 8:10 a.m. Parents are welcome to come and eat pancakes with their
students. Thursday, October 8 will be “Dress Your Best” day. Friday, October 9 will be
“Spirit Day.” On “Spirit Day” there will be a Pep Fest during the 5 th hour. On Thursday
and Friday of Homecoming Week dance tickets and t-shirts will be sold during the lunch
periods. On Friday, of course, there will be the Homecoming game with tailgating
starting at 4:30 p.m. On Saturday, October 10 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.there will be the
Homecoming Dance in the Cafeteria. Tickets for the dance will not be sold at the door.
This will be a “Blacklight” dance.
Corey Knighton, Dean of Students for 10 th -12 th Grade Named A-LOP:
Mr. Knighton said that this is his 15 th year working for the Roseville Area Schools. He works
with the Roseville Area High School Advisory Committee. This Advisory Committee consists of
students, staff, teachers and parents who make suggestions for improvements about RAHS.
Topics for the Advisory Committee this year are: Making RAHS a “green” building,
Homecoming, Cultural Awareness, the “Make a Difference” campaign that helps families in the
Roseville Area School District, a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. session, registration procedures, test
taking strategies for MCAs and all college entrance tests, and “Charity Week.” He invited
parents to call him or e-mail him if they have any questions or concerns.
Rena Jepma-Krohn, 10 th -12 th Grade Students named LOE-Z:
She said that she works with the Special Education Program and the Link Program. The Link
Program helps 9 th graders and new students in 10 th -12 th grades transition effectively into this
large high school and helps these students from feeling terribly overwhelmed. The Link
Program is hugely successful. There are now two advisors for the Link Program. About 100
juniors and seniors help the freshmen and new students through the Link Program.
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Ted Ihns, Associate Principal:
He said that this is his 20 th year working in the education field, and his fifth year working for
Roseville Area High School. He deals with curriculum issues and academic issues. He also
works with the master schedule at RAHS.
He discussed the Attendance Policy. He explained that four years ago, the policy was that if a
student “cut class” or was tardy three times that student got a slight grade reduction. RAHS is
now going away from this policy. The new Attendance Policy is that if a student is absent from
a class and the teacher hasn’t been notified by the Attendance Office of an excused absence,
the teacher will call parents. If attendance issues continue, the Dean of Students will check with
the student to find out why he/she missed class. There will be “immediate consequences” if a
student is truant. If the student continues to be truant, the Deans will work with the students on
sanctions. The Ramsey County Attorney becomes involved if the student is repeatedly truant.
A parent asked that if grade penalties are no longer linked in with truancy, is there enough
“teeth” in this new Attendance Policy. Mr. Knighton answered that the new Attendance Policy is
successful, partly because of the in school sanctions that students are given.
Bruce Martin brought up the Physical Education Department absence policy of having a student
do a written essay or other activity for having missed a class, even if the absence from the
Physical Education class was an excused absence. Principal Jenny Loeck said that she will be
working with the Physical Education Department about this issue.
Shaween Lawrence, Testing and Volunteer Coordinator:
Ms. Lawrence said that this is her first year working at RAHS. She said she has worked at E.D.
Williams School in the past, and that she has extensive volunteer experience working for the
Roseville Area Schools. She invited parents to come in and volunteer at the school and find out
what RAHS is all about. Currently the Science Department, the English as a Second Language
Department, and the Media Center are seeking parent volunteers. She made available flyers
about volunteer opportunities for the parents to pick up.
Jenny Loeck, Principal:
Principal Loeck said that she started teaching and coaching at Roseville Area High School in
1997. She then worked at the Blake Schools for two years. Following her work at Blake
Schools, she returned to work for RAHS.
She discussed academics and academic testing at Roseville Area High School. She said that
last year there were 50 A.P. scholars at RAHS, and this year there are 116 A.P. scholars at
RAHS. She also said that last year there were eight National Merit Scholar semi-finalists at
RAHS, and that there were more National Merit Scholar finalists at RAHS than at Mounds View
High School, more than at Cretin Durham Hall High School, and more than at many prestigious
Twin Cities High Schools. Last year the average ACT test score of RAHS students was 24.1.
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Last year 82% of RAHS students passed the MCA reading test for graduation, while only 74%
of students state-wide passed this reading test. Last year 54% of RAHS students passed the
MCA math test for graduation; while only 42% of students state-wide passed this test. The
MCA reading test is required for graduation. The MCA graduation math test has become much
more difficult for students to pass in recent years since it was recently changed and made more
difficult. A student has the opportunity to repeat this MCA math test two times if he/she fails. A
documented attempt at remediation (such as a class at RAHS or an independent math
tutoring/testing program) must be made between each of these math tests. As long as there is
a documented attempt at remediation (tutoring, etc.) between the first and second math test
attempt, and also a documented attempt at remediation (tutoring, etc.) has been made between
the second and third math test attempt, the student will still graduate from RAHS. There is
tutoring available at RAHS for those who have scored poorly on these MCA tests. There is a
Reading Strategies Course that is available at RAHS for students who have scored poorly on
the Reading MCA test.
Principal Loeck said that the new full-time Career Center staff person is Val Handstad. There
will be a PLAN Test (which is practice test for the ACT) for 10 th graders that will be held at
8:10 a.m. on Wednesday, October 14. The 11 th graders will be taking the PSAT test on the
same day, Wednesday, October 14. There will be no school for 9 th and 12 th graders on
Wednesday, October 14. Practice SAT tests are also available at the Career Center.
Principal Loeck said that the new “Alco-Blow” will be used at every single school dance this
coming academic year. Students have had a positive response to the prospect of this new
“Alco-Blow” test. If a student passes positive for alcohol use on the “Alco-Blow,” he/she is
referred to a Roseville police officer who then gives him/her a sobriety test. If the student fails
this sobriety test, a parent will be called and asked to pick up his/her student.
Principal Loeck said that she welcomes phone calls and e-mails if parents have any questions
or concerns about anything at RAHS.
Bruce Martin, RAHS PTSA President:
Mr. Martin discussed the Roseville Area School District Scholarship Committee. The District
oversees PTSA scholarships that range from $250 to $500. Eight scholarships are given in the
amounts of $250 to $500. Fifteen scholarships of lesser amounts are given. There are usually
50 to 75 applications for these PTSA scholarships.
There are also scholarships run by the District that are endowed by individuals and families,
often in memory of a deceased family member. Some of these scholarships are earmarked for
students who are going into a particular field of study in college, such as Education or Nursing.
Some of these criteria for receiving the scholarships can be academic achievement or
community service. Some of the community service criteria for a male student to receive a
scholarship may be having completed the Boy Scout Eagle Scout Award, or for a female
student it may be having completed the Girl Scout Gold Award.
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Mr. Martin discussed fund-raising possibilities for the PTSA. He said that in the past, parents
and PTS A members have been reluctant to do fund-raising at RAHS. He wanted to know
where PTSA members stand on this issue. Several of the PTSA members and PTSA officers
said that they favored a “direct mail ask” to parents for money for scholarships. The PTSA
group is leaning toward going forward with this “direct mail ask.” The concept of fund-raising
and a PTSA “direct mail ask” will be discussed at a future PTSA meeting.
Nancy Pleiss Brooks, Membership Chair, RAHS PTSA, said that last spring we were in danger
of not having people step up to be RAHS PTSA Officers. She would like us to have something
concrete that we do so that we can explain our purpose to RAHS parents. She said that
fund-raising for scholarships would give us that kind of a concrete purpose. Janet Van Nevel,
RAHS PTSA Treasurer, said that most state PTSAs do direct mail donation requests.
The group discussed that since we only have 71 PTSA members so far this academic year, we
only have $355 available to give away for college scholarships this spring. That is one of the
reasons that several PTSA Officers are strongly leaning toward asking parents via direct mail for
money for scholarships.
Mr. Martin said that in the past the primary focus of the RAHS PTSA has been on
communication. He believes that communication should be the priority of the PTSA this coming
academic year.
The next RAHS PTSA Meeting will be held on Monday, December 7, at 6:30 p.m. in the
RAHS Media Center. Topics to be discussed at this December 7 meeting will be: transcripts,
grading issues, dual honors rankings, and the fact that RAHS teachers schedule tests in their
subjects during the same week juniors take the ACT and SAT tests-can this be changed? Val
Handstand from the Career Center may be asked to speak at the December 7 meeting.
One parent asked for speakers to come and speak about Youth Development. Mr. Martin is
open to suggestions about whom to invite in as a speaker. Janet Van Nevel, RAHS PTSA
Treasurer, said that she recently found out that funds are available from the Community
Education Department for speakers.
The meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m.
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