School Climate Committee Meeting Minutes

 

TO:  Phil Brier, David Buzzi, Sue Chickering, Jean Dufresne, Emily Graham, Steven Grindle, Dennis Hill, Carol Kelley, Louise Landry, Doug LaPoint, Amy Lester, Connie Lowe, Beth McKinstry, Heather O’Dell-Shipe, Janet Shadroui, Barb Strong, Alicia Tosi

FROM:  Jody Emerson

DATE:  September 30, 2005

CC:  Cindy Donlon, Jeff Maher

 

            Thank you to everyone who attended Monday morning’s meeting.

 

As a committee we reviewed where we left off last year with the three sub-committee’s of ISS, Hall Issues and Freshman Academy.

§         ISS has been tabled until funding/personnel can be found

§         Freshman Academy is now a separate committee

§         Hall Issues put out a voluntary survey in the spring though TA/HR

We then split into four groups to review the outcome of the Hall Issues’ survey, each group then reported the results for the grade level they discussed.

 

o       9th Grade – 92 responses

§         1/3 were concerned about crowding in the hallways/safety lack of adult presence

§         1/3 felt school was too “institutional looking.” 

§         Felt students could be more respectful to one another and the school would be a friendlier place.

o       10th grade –12 responses

§         ½  of those who responded felt they were not respected by other students in the halls

§         ½ of them felt the school was not a neat, clean, friendly environment.

§         Also noted concerns about students name-calling, fighting, etc.

Ä      11th grade – 23 responses

§         30-50% were not comfortable in school, felt there were unsafe places within the building, had concerns about lockers and felt that the atmosphere within the building was unwelcoming and that there were occasions of poor accessibility.

Ä     12th grade – 19 responses

§         50% felt unsafe somewhere in the building,

§         Noted they wanted lockers returned to hallways (unmixed grades)

§         1/3 felt they didn’t have a significant adult connection within the building

§         Otherwise very positive about safety, student behaviors, etc.

 

 

 

 

Discussion followed concerning survey accuracy when so few in classes beyond freshman participated.  Noted clear need for adults to be in the hallways, students noted on the survey that if an adult was present they felt safe.  Want to survey again to find out where the unsafe areas of the building are (map survey perhaps) and also complete this survey again this spring to see changes (but a random survey of 25 students from each class this time rather than voluntary TA/HR survey).

 

Further discussed need for consistency throughout the school on rules including those related to hats, cell phone use and language.

 

The committee briefly reviewed Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results for the BSU district.  Requests were made for this information to be available to HR/TA advisors to discuss with their advisees.  There were clear concerns around depression, drug use, fighting of our students, especially that occurring on school grounds.  We look forward to results from Survey last spring to compare with data from 2001 and 2003.

 

During months when there is no staff development day already planned, the School Climate Committee will meet on the last Monday of the month in room 205.  Next meeting scheduled for Monday, October 31st, 7:40am in room 205.

 

Agenda for next meeting:  Continue looking at Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data, Discussion of how to bring about consistency/further adult presence in hallways, Goal setting for this year and the future.