Agendas & Meeting Minutes

Final Agenda for April 6, 2011 Meeting

2011-04-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

SEHS Parent Council

Meeting Agenda

April 6, 2011

1. Call to Order/Introductions/Correspondence-Rebecca

2. Approval of Minutes-Maggie

3. Reports

Treasurer’s Report-Kathy
Principal’s Report- Randy
Program Chair-Jen
Site Council Report-Cary

4. Old Business

Nominating Committee/Elections-Rebecca

City Tax: PC Want to Take a Position?-Rebecca

Support YMCA proposal for civic stadium property-Rebecca

5. New Business

Upcoming Bank Account Changes-Kathy Barnes

6. Agenda Items for Next Meeting

When to Have Meetings and Programs Next Year

7. Adjourn- Next Meeting and Elections: Wed. May 4, 2011

Tonight's Program: Summer Ideas: Whatch Gonna’ Do This Summer?

Agenda for April 6, 2011 Meeting

2011-04-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

SEHS Parent Council

Meeting Agenda

April 6, 2011 (draft)

1. Call to Order/Introductions/Correspondence

2. Approval of Minutes

3. Reports

A. Treasurer’s Report

B. Principal’s Report

C. Program Chair

D. Site Council Report

4. Old Business

A. Nominating Committee/Elections

B. City Tax: PC Want to Take a Position?

C. Support YMCA proposal for civic stadium property

5. New Business

6. Agenda Items for Next Meeting

7. Adjourn- Next Meeting and Elections: Wed. May 4, 2011

April Program: Summer Ideas: Whatch Gonna’ Do This Summer?

Minutes Coming Soon

2011-03-07T21:19:00.001-08:00

The draft minutes from the March 2, 2011 meeting are "in the works" and will be posted soon. Please come back.

March 2, 2011 Meeting

2011-03-02T15:10:00.000-08:00

SEHS Parent Council

Meeting Agenda

March 2, 2011

1. Call to Order/Introductions/Correspondence (5 mins)-Helen

2. Approval of Minutes-Maggie

3. Reports

A. Treasurer’s Report (5 mins)-Kathy

B. Principal’s Report(10 mins)-Randy

C. Program Chair (2 mins)- Jen

D. Site Council Report

E. Scrip Chair (2 mins)- Helen

F. Kathy Ruggles: teacher appreciation-Kathy

4. Old Business

A. Senior Party (5 mins)- ?

B. Program re: Grief/Post Traumatic Stress- Helen

C. Discussion/vote on PC Budget 2011-2012(10 mins)-Kathy

5. New Business

A. Nominating Committee/Elections-Helen

B. City Tax: PC Want to Take a Position? Rebecca

C. Support YMCA proposal for civic stadium property-Rebecca

6. Agenda Items for Next Meeting

7. Adjourn- Next Meeting and Program on April 6

March Program: 6 Strategies to Save Your Sanity: Just Because Your Teen is Going Crazy Doesn’t Mean You Have To.”

Lauren Kessler is a parent and author of the book, My Teenage Were-Wolf: A Mother, A Daughter, A Journey Through the Thicket of Adolescence

April Program: Summer Ideas:Whatch Gonna’ Do This Summer?

Meeting Minutes: Feb. 14, 2011

2011-02-21T19:40:00.000-08:00

SEHS Parent Council

Minutes for Feb. 14, 2011 Meeting

The meeting was originally scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 9 but was moved to Feb. 15 because two students drowned the weekend before and members of the Steering Committee asked that the meeting date be moved to a later date. Cary Hancock and Helen Beardsworth reviewed the By-Laws and determined that the by-laws permitted a meeting with a majority of the Steering Committee as long as no “significant” business was enacted. (This includes voting on the budget or elections.) The attendees agreed with this interpretation and the meeting commenced.

The meeting was attended by Kathy Barnes, Helen Beardsworth, Randy Bernstein, Cary Hancock, Michelle Pellitier and Jen Wyld.

The original agenda was distributed during the meeting but a number of topics were deferred to the March 2 ,2011 meeting.

Reports

Treasurer’s Report: Kathy Barnes gave an abbreviated financial report. Scrip is on target for the year. She reported that $150 was available in a miscellaneous category which could be used if the Parent Council decided to approve Stand for Children’s request that the SEHS Parent Council pay for half the bus to the Rally for Schools to Salem for Feb. 21.

Scrip Report: Helen Beardsworth briefly reported that she is stepping down as scrip coordinator and will be replaced by 2 or 3 volunteers. Vicki Silvers has agreed to coordinate eScrip and Lallie McKenzie has agreed to coordinate paper scrip. Cecile Blum may also help with scrip coordination.

Principal’s Report: Randy Bernstein started with a report on the memorials, tributes and schedule changes made as a result of the tragic death of two students over the weekend of Feb. 5. The opening of Into the Woods was delayed. The outpouring of schools in our local area, and others providing assistance and help has been tremendous.

Randy also reported on the memorial service for Connor Ausland scheduled for 3:00pm that afternoon and included a procession of teachers and seniors from South to Temple Beth Israel and a live feed at South’s auditorium.

The memorial for Jack Harnsongkram is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 27 at the South Auditorium. The Mr. Axeman pageant parents and others have offered to sponsor a reception after the service in the cafeteria.

The Counseling Team was sifting through offers for help.

The IB Orals were supposed to take place the previous week but the dates were changed in light of the circumstances.

One of our Library Assistants left to take a full time job at the UO Law Library. South is interviewing for her replacement.

The City Council is voting on the proposed income tax tonight. The School Board meets on Feb. 16 to decide whether to support the tax initiative if passed by the City.

Site Council Report: Cary Hancock reported that the SC was working on the School Improvement Plan. The plan has impressive strategies and goals to benefit a wide range of students at South.

Old Business

Online Communication: Cary Hancock has incorporated the suggestions and comments made by people to the draft letter. She will work with Randy Bernstein to find an appropriate time to send the letter by placing them in staff mailboxes at school.

Items Deferred to Next Meeting: Senior Party and PC Budget.

New Business

Salem Rally for Schools: Joy Marshall had a conflict for this date and Helen Beardsworth presented the request by Stand for Children that PC share the cost of the bus for the Rally for Schools on Feb. 21. The request was granted. An enews article will encourage parents to attend and bring students. It will notify them that Parent Council is funding seats on the bus so they don’t have to pay the $10 prompted by the website if they sign up there.

Program on Grief/Post Traumatic Stress for Parents: Helen Beardworth reported on a proposal for Parent Council to add a program on Grief and Post Traumatic Stress for the parent community. Helen Beardsworth will work with Randy Bernstein and the Counseling Team to come up with a panel of speakers. Helen Garrett will take over planning of that meeting. Michelle Pellitier will help by compliling a list of resources available as a handout for the program.

Program on School Financing: Rescheduled to this Wed. Feb. 16 after sports registration.

Next Meeting: March 2, 2011. Agenda items to include:

· PC Budget

· Nominations Committee

· Senior Party

Parent Council Meeting Agenda: Feb. 14, 2011

2011-02-07T17:23:00.000-08:00

SEHS Parent Council

Meeting Agenda

February 14, 2011 10:00am

1. Call to Order/Introductions/Correspondence

Interest group re: civic stadium

2. Approval of Minutes

3. Reports

A. Treasurer’s Report

B. Principal’s Report

C. Program Chair

D. Site Council Report

E. Scrip Chair

F. Kathy Ruggles: teacher appreciation

4. Old Business

A. Senior Party

B. Online Communication

C. Discussion/vote on PC Budget 2011-2012

5. New Business

A. Sponsor seats on bus to Salem Rally for Schools

6. Agenda Items for Next Meeting

7. Adjourn- Next Meeting and Program on March 2, 2011

Agenda for January 5 2011 Meeting

2010-12-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

1. Call to Order/Introductions/Correspondence

2. Secretary’s Report: Approval of Minutes

3. Reports

A. Treasurer’s Report

B. Principal’s Report

C. Program Committee

D. Site Council Report

4. Old Business

A. Senior Party

5. New Business

A. Budget for 2011-2012 (15 mins)

B. Nominations Comm. (5 mins)

6. Agenda Items for Next Meeting

7. Adjourn- Next Meeting on Feb. 2, 2010

Meeting Minutes for November 30, 2010

2010-12-21T08:29:00.000-08:00

South Eugene High School

Parent Council Meeting Minutes

November 30, 2010

1.0 The Meeting was called to order by Helen Beardsworth at 6:30pm. Meeting attendees introduced themselves. Helen presented some correspondence received by Parent Council: a letter about a study being conducted at South about body image and a note from Debbie Boures who was one of last year’s co-chairs for Senior Party held in the Recreation Center at U of O after graduation. Kathy Ruggles will ask Debbie if she will be the contact person for parents interested in chairing this committee. Kathy with put something in enews.

2.0 Secretary’s Report: The minutes of the November 3, 2010 meeting were approved as they appear on the blog.

3.0 Reports

Financial Report: Kathy Barnes presented the budget report. We are on target for our budget. Fewer directories were sold this year, resulting in a lower than expected revenue in that area. Direct Donations have been up this year. According to Kathy’s preliminary report the Gala netted $6, 355. See attached Financial Report.

Program Committee: Lauren Kessler, Professor at U of O, and author of My Teenage Werewolf, has offered to present a public education series at South in February or March free of charge. Her book is about her daughter and the experience of being the mother of a teenager.

Site Council: As part of a discussion in Site Council about the School Improvement Plan and the larger class sizes expected next year, parent representatives expressed a desire for teachers to increase communication with parents about their kids’ progress. Cary Hancock proposed writing a letter from PC to the administration expressing appreciation to teachers for posting blogs, using Basmati and responding to e-mails. There was a consensus that we would like to extend a hardy “thank you” to all teachers who do that. Cary will present a proposed letter at the next PC meeting.

4.0 Old Business

West Side Story Gala was a huge success. Five hundred and five tickets were sold. Also, ticket sales doubled for subsequent performances of West Side Story. See attached Gala Report.

Fresh Planet: Parent Council voted to take charge of the money flow from donations from freshplanet.net generated by purchases made by South Eugene families who place orders for food on-line. Persons ordering food from Fresh Planet must type in “SEHS” into the voucher field when placing an order. Fresh Planet will contribute the $5 delivery charge to SEHS. PC members agreed that Fresh Planet contributions fall under the scrip umbrella and that we will feature each scrip provider in the e-news on a rotating basis.

Stand for Children: Joy Marshall represented SFC, saying that since we are not going to be getting more money from the state, we should begin to act locally. SFC is exploring the possibility of supporting a proposed fair, small, temporary, affordable tax to minimize cuts and maintain good policy. She encourages parents to visit the SFC website: www.stand.org/or, join the mayor at a City Forum on schools on Tues., Dec 14 at 7-9pm at Eugene City Hall to learn more about this and express support to the Mayor. SFC also encourages parents to contact elected officials, visit the blog, attend the rally. Visit the website for more information.

Principal’s Report: Randy Bernstein reported that the Sustainable Budget Survey results are on the 4j web site. He discussed various ways the budget will impact South and some options for how to mange these cuts: we can change the class size, have fewer classroom minutes, change the schedule, eliminate foreign languages, put limits on enrollment. Randy gave this example of how our teachers are trying to think of creative solutions for next year: One teacher suggested teaching a hybrid on-line class in which she would meet with students once a week. Some people are afraid of this method, but if it is done well, many kids can succeed.

The meeting adjourned at 8 pm.

Agenda for Meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010

2010-11-28T20:55:00.000-08:00

Agenda

Parent Council Meeting

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

SEHS 6:30pm Cafeteria

1. Call to Order/Introductions/Correspondence (10 mins) Rebecca

2. Secretary’s Report: Approval of Minutes (5 mins.) Maggie

3. Reports

-Treasurer’s Report (10 mins) Kathy
- Principal’s Report (moved to Old Business)
- Program Committee (2 mins) Jen, Rebecca

4. Old Business

- Westside Story Gala Report Helen

- GreenPlanet Proposal Randy
- Principal’s Report (Budget) Randy

5. New Business

7. Agenda Items for Next Meeting

8. Adjourn- Next Meeting on Jan. 5, 2010

Next Parent Council Meeting is This Tuesday

2010-11-26T17:06:00.000-08:00

The next Parent Council meeting is Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at 6:30p.m. in the Cafeteria. All parents please plan to attend. The agenda for this meeting will be published on this blog by Monday, November 29.

Minutes from Nov. 3, 2010 Meeting

2010-11-08T20:16:00.000-08:00

These minutes are distributed as a courtesy and will not be considered for approval until the November, 30, 2010 Parent Council meeting.

South Eugene High School

Parent Council Minutes

November 3, 2010

1.0 The meeting was called to order at 6:30 by Helen Beardsworth. Minutes from October 6, 2010, meeting were approved.

2.0 Treasurer’s Report: Kathy Barnes presented the budget report as of November 1. Numbers for the Gala are not final yet. Direct donations were a little higher than expected at this time.

3.0 Principal’s Report: Randy Bernstein reported that the newsletters and mailings for direct donations went out this week. The event for minority families attracted about 30 parents. A follow up event is being planned.

Staff members are planning a MLK Jr. Day of Respect. It will be a full day of sessions beginning with an assembly and ending with a march. We hope to make it a day kids will remember.

4.0 Gala Report: Plans for the Gala are going smoothly.

Scrip Report: A committee is being formed after the Gala.

4j Sustainable Budget Development Report: Joy Marshall and Chris Ramey reported. Chris commended student and principals’ participation. Teams broke into smaller groups to discuss what is critical and essential, and how the district can cut costs. Joy reported that the money isn’t there because of the state’s economy (loss of revenue), rising health care costs, and increasing cost for special education. There is no way to balance the budget without looking at salaries and benefits. Superintendent George Russell is trying to spread out these cuts by balancing class size with reduced funding. Joy recommended staying calm and channeling anger into constructive ideas. We have great leadership and people are working hard to make it work. Joy recommends going to Stand For Children to make a difference.

5.0 New Business:

Representatives from Fresh Planet Verde presented their home delivery food business as a fundraiser for SEHS. When customers place an order with fresh.planetverde.net, they can order from a menu and have fresh, local food delivered to their home. If they make a notation on their order for SEHS, the $5 delivery charge will be donated to SEHS.

Discussion on research projects being conducted at SEHS will be discussed and next month’s meeting.

6.0 The meeting was adjourned at 7:35 pm. The next meeting will be held Tuesday, November 30 at 6:30 pm in the Cafeteria.

Minutes from October 2, 2010

2010-11-08T19:34:00.000-08:00

South Eugene High School

Parent Council Minutes

October 6, 2010

1.0 The meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm by Rebecca Kovach.

2.0 Minutes from September 7, 2010, meeting were approved.

3.0 Standing Reports

A. Treasurer’s Report: Kathy showed the budget report. We sold over $1200 in paper scrip at the Open House. Rebecca, Helen and Kathy Ruggles are looking for a group to step up to take over leadership of this biggest source of income for Parent Council. See Attachment for Financials.

B. Principal’s Report: Randy Bernstein reported that there was a 4% increase in class size on average for each section. Clerical staff in the office has been reduced. Enrollment is at 1,500 and pretty even from grade level to grade level. We had a successful Club Day. We are planning an event on October 19^th , 6-8 pm, to reach out to families of color. South Fork will provide food. It is an opportunity to hear concerns, ideas and engage with minority groups.

4.0 Old Business

A. Social Open House: Shelley Singell was the chair of this successful event. Many parents came to enjoy snacks and beverages from South Fork. They bought scrip, signed up for scrip on computers provided by Parent Council, and obtained information from a wide variety of interest groups, including Parent Council. See attached written report by Helen Beardsworth dated 10/06/2010.

B. Bike Rack: Rebecca Kovach reported that John Wayland, Assistant Principal, submitted a work order for a bike rack in front of the building by the office, and the work will be done soon.

5.0 New Business

A. Budget Cuts: On Oct. 12, each school will have a team of 5 persons attend the Budget Development Process. They will be brainstorming for solutions that the community will support. South Eugene’s team will consist of Principal Randy Bernstein, two parents (Joy Marshall and Chris Ramey), and two staff members. The 4j district is $30 million short due to higher costs for PERS, depleted reserves and the state of the economy. Those persons attending the meeting will be looking for ways to get parents aligned behind a plan for good schools.

The following comments and suggestions were made by parents:

Bethel and Springfield school districts are experiencing many of the same problems. Parents should consider the possibility of school districts merging. Bethel is really small and it may benefit by economy of scale. There are 198 districts in Oregon. 4j could possibly merge with South Lane or Cottage Grove.

Have people considered that it seems that only a small amount of money is saved by increasing class size – are there people looking at this? Current contract has a staffing ratio of 25.38 students per teacher. By increasing it to 28 saves about $1 million. 85% of our budget is payroll. We spend just under $18,000 for each class.

Is there pressure on South to change its schedule? Add more periods a day? What percent of teachers’ time is spent with kids?

There has been a change in education over time. It’s not the same as it was. We are going to need unpaid people to teach, students will have to learn on-line.

What could we do with the furlough days? Can we get parents to do something with those days? (There will be certification issues and union issues.) Random days off is not good for learning. It may be better to bunch them together.

Some classes may have to be more lecture style. One teacher may need help with grading or have an instructional aide.

Cutting days may have less impact than having large classes.

Core classes have to be taught by certified teachers. Can parents teach electives, such as photography?

Some volunteer parents may be qualified to teach even core classes.

Is there a way to plug seniors as teaching assistants to the 9^th and 10^th grade classes?

Cutting more budget days is not good. We should have a shorter school day, start later in the day.

Do we look at minimum requirements and just do that well. We require 24 credits to graduate, but we could focus on just core classes.

Mitigate what’s already happening. Look at blocks of time.

Athletics and Arts are so much a part of high school, but they are not required. Are these things untouchable?

How many students will we lose to private schools if we don’t offer these things?

Schools are a natural gathering place where you can put on a play, etc.

Some colleges are looking at more than just GPA.

There are ways we can get more funding. We have to look at what is going to help.

What do they mean by “excellent” schools? We have to look at the criteria.

6.0 Announcements

A. West Side Story Gala: Parent Council was treated to a preview of the play by Dyland Stasack and Audrey Hudson, the two lead characters of the cast. The West Side Story Gala is Friday, Nov. 5. Gwyn O’Connell’s art classes have an art show starting at 6pm in the theater lobby in addition to some drink and snacks. The play starts at 7:30 and a party with food and dancing is in the cafeteria. This year there is a bigger raffle with tickets costing $5 per ticket.

Tickets for the Gala (art show, play, party) cost $25 for adults, $15 for students and $11 for Staff. From these ticket prices, Parent Council receives $11 per adult and $5 per student. After paying expenses the Gala Committee is hoping to raise as much as $18,000. It is important to get the word out to friends and neighbors to support this community builder and Parent Council fundraiser.

7.0 The meeting was adjourned at 7:35 pm.

Agenda for 10/6/10 Meeting

2010-10-04T19:35:00.000-07:00

SEHS Parent Council Agenda

October 6, 2010 Wednesday

1.0 Call to Order/Introductions (5 mins.)- Rebecca

2.0 Approval of Minutes (5 mins.)- Maggie/Rebecca

3.0 Standing Reports: (10 mins.)

Treasurer's - Kathy

Principal's - Randy

Program- Jen

4.0 Old Business (5 mins.)

A. Social Open House/Written Report

B. Bike Rack

5.0 New Business

A.4j Budget Cuts/Regional meeting(35mins)- Randy

Discussion and Feedback

6.0 Announcements/Westside Story Gala-Paige
Audrey/Dylan

7.0 Adjournment

Agenda for 9/7/10 Steering Committee Meeting

2010-09-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

Agenda for Parent Council Steering Committee

Meeting- 9/7/2010

1. Call to Order/Introductions/Correspondence (10 mins) Helen

2. Secretary’s Report: Approval of Minutes (5 mins.) Rebecca

3. Reports

A. Treasurer’s Report (10 mins) Kathy

-reports, budgets, expense, authority, acct#’s

B. Principal’s Report (5 mins) Randy

C. Program Committee (5 mins) Helen

D. Scrip Coordinator (5 mins) Helen

E. Communications Secretary (10 mins) Michelle

-deadlines, submission guidelines

4. Old Business

A. Athletic Fields (2 mins) Rebecca

B. Spring Gala (2 mins) Helen

5. New Business

A. Process for Appointing Representatives (5 mins) Rebecca

B. Parent Council Social (5 mins) Helen

C. Westside Story Dance Party (5 mins) Helen

7. Agenda Items for Next Meeting

8. Adjourn- Next Meeting on October 6, 2010

April 28 Parent Council Meeting Minutes

2010-05-30T23:21:00.000-07:00

Parent Council Business Meeting

Chairman, Helen Beardsworth began the meeting with introductions all around.

Secretary’s Report -- Helen explained that, according to our by-laws, we are conducting our meetings based on “Robert’s Rules of Order” which require that at this month’s meeting we approve the minutes of the last meeting in March. She did not know how we could approve the minutes if we had not already read them, but she did not want to post them on the blog if they had not been approved. After some discussion, persons present suggested that the Recording Secretary use the attendance list to e-mail the unapproved minutes out for approval. At each meeting, the Recording Secretary will ask for approval of the minutes of the last meeting, and the Recording Secretary will ask if anyone present at that meeting would like to be added the list to review the minutes before the next meeting so they can indicate their approval. The group decided by consensus to give this method a test run to see how it works so that we can move on with the agenda.

Treasurer’s Report – Cindy Wright presented the Financial Report as of April 1, 2010:

Total Account Balances are $55,409. Total Fundraising Net Income is $25,284. Total Year to Date Fundraising Income as of April 1 is $43,485. Our income and expenses are on target, and expenditures for March totaled about $29,600.

Principal’s Report – John Wayland reported in Randy Bernstein’s absence. Randy has been working with scheduling, putting pieces together. We are trying to offer classes that the students want at the times they can take them. He is grateful to Parent Council for helping fund FTE. John Scott will not be teaching with us next year. His position is unfunded which affects a couple art sections. Class sizes shouldn’t be too much larger. We are doing the best we can.

Old Business:

By-laws – Cary Hancock handed out a draft of Parent Council By-Laws. Our current situation is different than what we were when we began. In 1997, voting members were parents who attended the first meeting in September. We are rewriting the by-laws with the intention of being inclusive. We are saying that any parent who attends the meetings is allowed to vote in order to keep things open. We are writing the first draft and we plan to have a vote next month. We are taking comments this month. The Financial area needs to be reviewed, and we are working to improve that. We are looking at who can be an officer: parents, guardians, relatives…Our rules should be consistent with Site Council, and we will have to look more closely at those. Cary wants to talk about what has been changed and why. We don’t want to push things through, but we do want to start with a new structure in the fall for freshmen parents. Please contact Cary with comments, suggestions, or a copy of the By-law draft at caryhancock13@hotmail.com.

Gala – Helen Beardsworth announced that tickets are available. Please buy them now so we will know how many people to plan for. $6 of the ticket goes to Parent Council, $8 goes to Drama. Our objective is to build community and make money. We have gotten donations from Divine Cupcake and The Shedd. Please sign up to set up 3:30 to 5 and take down 11 to midnight.

New Business:

Election of New Officers – Rebecca Kovach

We are nominating officers:

Helen Bearsworth, Chairman

Cindy Wright, Treasurer

Maggie Moore, Recording Secretary

Michelle Pellitier, Communications Secretary

Cary Hancock, Site Council Rep.

We are planning to vote at the next meeting. Other candidates can be on the ballot and be in on that vote.

School Athletic Fields – Rebecca Kovach

Rebecca handed out a draft letter to be sent to the 4j district regarding Civic Stadium. Parents are concerned around the issues of the sale of Civic Auditorium. We want to say that this is vitally important to our community, and we are concerned about the loss of the field. Other high schools have had massive fundraising efforts to improve their fields. There is a vast majority of South people who think we should maintain this as a recreation facility. We want to make sure that the larger parent population supports this. Ideas and concerns should be expressed. One parent mentioned that if the cost of re-doing playing fields exceeds the amount derived from the sale of the property, the district may want to reconsider selling it. We may want to form an ad hoc committee to determine the needs of the school, so we can present that to the district.

Agenda Items for Next Meeting, May 26 at 7 pm:

Voting for PC Officers

Bicycle Racks – There is a need for visitor bike rack parking. The current rack is small and is usually always full. South does own bike racks that are in storage. We need to find them and bolt them in.

Minutes from February 24, 2010 Meeting

2010-03-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

February 24, 2010 -- Parent Council Meeting Minutes

Mark Rosen began the meeting as Chairman. He offered an apology and an explanation for last month’s meeting. Mark had attended PC meetings last year that had very little parent participation. He believed that parents were not interested in the topics being discussed. When he was offered to become Chairman, he saw it as an opportunity to reach out to the broader community to improve the school. He saw it as a way for good ideas to come out to present to Site Council. In early September ’09, he consulted with Parent Council leadership about focusing on school improvement, and the leadership team agreed this was a reasonable goal. The September and October meetings focused on school improvement issues, leaving little time for fundraising and budget issues to be addressed. The school improvement issues discussed at these meetings ranged from brainstorming about grading structure to school start times. At the January meeting, Parent Council participants and the leadership team questioned the appropriateness of introducing these topics and advising teachers and administrators about pedagogy and grading policy through PC. Parent Council has traditionally been the established group for parents to help the school, teachers and students raise money and communicate. The conflict sparked a review of the by-laws to find a way to form a task force or sub-group that would report to Parent Council. Mark apologized to Randy Bernstein and Cindy Wright for rushing through the principal’s update and budget discussions in order to get to the school improvement topics, and he offered to resign his position as chair.

A motion was made to accept Mark’s resignation and elect a convening chairperson for the remainder of the school year. Mark Rosen seconded the motion. Helen Garrett reiterated that a task force addressing school improvement would be acceptable, but it would be inappropriate to have a parent group operating separately from Parent Council representing PC on school improvement issues. Randy Bernstein said, “There is nothing to prevent any group of parents from forming a group to address concerns. Bring it forward and keep it clear what it is and what it isn’t. This (Parent Council) is the established group for parents. Site Council can do its job as gatekeeper. Where is this coming from? Parent Council? Or a group of parents outside of Parent Council? A vote was taken on the motion to accept Mark’s resignation, and it passed unanimously. Mark resigned. He expressed a desire to sort things out with respect, and he left the meeting.

Randy Bernstein called for nominations for a convening chairperson. Helen Beardsworth was nominated, and she accepted the nomination. There were no other nominations. A discussion of Helen’s qualifications followed: she is ready to step in, has been scrip coordinator, experience with the by-laws. A vote was taken, and Helen was elected convening chairperson for the remainder of the school year.

The business meeting began with the Principal’s Update: The Student Talent Show made a memory, fun, money for Haiti. It drew in kids that haven’t always been able to participate. Measures 66 and 67 have helped the school budget go from hemorrhaging to bleeding. We are still expecting to make cuts and use reserves. Staffing allocations will come in from the district on March 3.

Helen Garrett stood in for Cindy Wright to present the 2010-11 Proposed Budget.

As of February 10, 2010:

PC assets total $50,052. $32,315 of that comes from ’09-’10 Fundraising (Directory sales: $2,715; donations: $4,370; Scrip: $25,230). The rest comes from interest income ($800) and carry-over from 09-10 ($16,937).

PC liabilities total $50,052. Total Reserves are $7,000; Total routine budget items are $2,500; Total school programs are $35,402; Undesignated funds are $5,150.

The Proposed Budget is posted on the blog.

Parent Council derives most of its funds from Scrip, and has earned more this year, but could drop with changes in the economy. PC pays for school programs such as Volunteer Coordinator, Library Assistant, AVID Program staff and tutors, and 0.1FTE Math. If we do not raise more money through fundraising, we will continue to use our undesignated funds to pay for school programs.

Helen Garrett added that two years ago we made a robust survey of what parents wanted, and last year, as a result of the survey, we made a change to fund math.

A parent made a comment that we raise a lot of money at SEHS, and suggested that we maintain a fundraising calendar. (EEF is raised separately). It is confusing with all the various groups raising money. Randy acknowledged there is frustration, and he wants to keep e-scrip within the Parent Council domain. When other groups tap into e-scrip, it can drain off from the central fundraising effort of PC.

Stand For Children announced a meeting on Thursday, April 8, 7-8 pm, at Roosevelt Middle School Library, about funding for education and kicker reform. RSVP judy_a_shaw@hotmail.com.

Kathy Ruggles, Volunteer Coordinator, asked for volunteers to sign up:

Bake/cook for or help with Midsummer’s Night Gala (Tentatively 5/6/10). Contact Helen Beardsworth at 541-687-2820 or hbeardswo@gmail.com

Bake/cook or help with Teacher Appreciation (5/14/10). Contact Kathy Ruggles, Career Center Asst/Volunteer Coord, at 541-790-8016 or ruggles_k@4j.lane.edu.

The PC leadership team plans to meet to review the by-laws before the next meeting.

Come to the next Parent Council Meeting on March 31 at 7 pm.

Jan 27th Minutes

2010-02-25T19:26:00.001-08:00

January 27, 2010 – Parent Education Series

Topic: Substance Abuse, Drugs and Alcohol

Presenters: Randy Bernstein and ?

Teachers at South are using the Socratic Seminar method for teaching. In a Socratic Seminar, a topic is chosen that is somewhat open ended. A text is used as a basis for a collaborative discussion (not a debate) and questions are asked by participants. Chairs are arranged in a circle for “pilots” and an outer circle of chairs is arranged for “co-pilots.” Participants are divided into groups of three, one person being the pilot and the other two sitting in the outer circle behind their pilot. The pilots in the inner circle discuss the questions they made up from the text and then turn to their co-pilots to discuss questions more deeply. This format was used for the presentation this evening to discuss the topic of substance abuse, drugs and alcohol as a demonstration for parents to experience how the Socratic Seminar is used in some classes at South.

The seminar began by giving parents a short piece of text to read. The article, “Parents, fess up,” had a bit of a slant and invited questioning and controversy. The article encouraged parents to talk to their kids about their own experiences with drug and alcohol use. A question was chosen for discussion: “If your child doesn’t have obvious signs of drug or alcohol abuse, how do you raise the question, how much should we talk about it?”

The pilots in the inner circle responded:

You can talk about your own experience, what your concerns are. Sometimes they are oblivious.

It depends on how much they bring it up themselves.

Seize opportunities for conversation. Ask them what they know. Talk about other kids—“Aren’t you glad you’re not making those choices.” “I’m so glad you’re not doing that.” “If you were at that party, what would you have done?” Be curious.

Pilots turn and talk to co-pilots -- How do you encourage a teen who does not want to talk about these things and you do? How do you talk to kids about your past experience?

The co-pilots in the outer circle responded:

Let them talk and be quiet. Ask them to tell you more.

Each child in a family may be handled differently.

Both parents in a family may not want to share their experiences. Child may sense conflict. Won’t want to talk about drug use. There is no one way to do it.

Say, “here’s a reason why you don’t …

If they went to a party, ask, “did anybody bring any booze?, smoke in the back room?”

My daughter is sick of people talking about drugs.

You can talk about what has happened in general – people who have used too much, too early.

We have survived our use of drugs and alcohol – we can’t tell them that it’s automatically bad.

What do you think the goal is? Never try drugs and alcohol? Is your goal for them to be open with you? What is it you hope to come out of this?

Three rules – Be safe, Be smart and Have a backup plan (call for a ride, don’t get into a car with a drunk driver).

Goal is to be realistic. Postpone use until after college, realize the risk of use. One attempt with meth can mean addiction. Be relied on to talk openly. Talk about brain development. Make sure they have a thorough understanding.

Let our kids know that we’re going to be there for them. Their freedom and opportunities can be permanently affected.

As the meeting came to an end, Randy explained that students using the Socratic Seminar would follow up with a writing activity.

January 27, 2010 – Parent Council Meeting

Parent Education Series meeting ended at 8 pm, but it took 10 minutes for parents to regroup for the Parent Council Business Meeting, and another 5 minutes to begin the meeting. There were 30-40 attendees seated in the cafeteria.

At 8:15, Mark gave a summary of the meeting agenda: What is it we can do to engage more parents? He questioned if something can inspire parents to have a process to gather information on the School Improvement Plan, and specifically a way to approach grading. Due to time constraints, he took an informal survey by way of a show of hands: does the group want to focus on SI and grading, or stick to the planned agenda on financial business, scrip and fundraising? At this time, some parents raised the issue that it has traditionally been the function of Parent Council to attend to the budget and fundraising.

Helen Beardsworth spoke: Our budget needs to be signed sealed and delivered by March. Scrip and budget need to be discussed now. Mark said we don’t have time for it. We have obligations – we’ll be here in May not being able to meet our obligations.

Principal Randy Bernstein gave a background of Parent Council: PC has historically served to support students and staff by fundraising and deciding how to spend funds that are raised by PC. PC currently funds the Volunteer Coordinator, Parent Education Series expenses, School Librarian, and some classes and other things. It has served as a forum for different people to come to meet other parents, question and answer. Things have taken a turn this year. PC did not meet in November and December. The September and October meetings chaired by Mark Rosen have focused on informal discussions about School Improvement. Randy acknowledged there was some consternation in the room due to differences in opinion.

It was proposed by parents to look at the by-laws of PC and examine how we can address School Improvement and generate ideas for Site Council. It was agreed that we need to stay within the structure of Parent Council. There were parents at the PC meeting for the first time who have no idea how PC is run. Many parents cannot make it to these meetings, but they are interested in what takes place. We cannot make decisions based on a small representation. It was suggested that the topic of grading is inappropriate at this time.

A member of the Site Council spoke: We appreciate getting more input. We operate on the goals of a school board, administration and our teaching staff, not brainstorming outside of 4J. We need to consider what the teachers, school board think before we start throwing around ideas. Why would we spend a lot of time and energy as parents on a topic that is not in our district’s goals?

Mark Rosen said, “The State wants input from parents, not just through administrators and teachers. We should sift through ideas, that this is something that should be considered.”

Site Council member: “Informal discussion is not getting us a broad representation.”

Mark: “The idea is to have informal discussions about topics related to School Improvement, then possibly survey to see if there is broad support.”

Randy: “We can form another group to discuss ideas about what’s happening that we would like to see more. That group can share with PC. There is no limitation on any group of parents who want to discuss a topic.”

A motion was passed:

Form a group to discuss school improvement issues that would meet before the PC business meeting in February. That group will report at the February meeting.

Form a task force to study the PC bi-laws to report to PC.

The budget and fundraising task force, which already exists, will report at the February PC meeting.

The next Parent Council Meeting will take place in the school cafeteria. The Parent Education Series will be 7-8 pm and the Business Meeting will be 8-9 pm.

Oct 28th Minutes

2010-02-25T19:24:00.001-08:00

October Parent Education Series – October 28, 2009 – That’s so gay and other not-so-cool things to say
Jen Wyld introduced the panel: Anastasia from Sexual Assault Support Services, Dana Zaldua-Hilkene from National Center for Lesbian Rights (dzalduahilkene@nclrights.org) and Allison Cleveland from The Gender Center in Eugene.
Anastasia is a guest speaker who goes into schools to talk to kids about harassment and sexual abuse issues. She can be contacted at 541-484-9791. There is a crisis/support line at 343-sass (7277)
Dana explained that the National Center for Lesbian Rights is a civil rights law firm that makes foster care and juvenile centers safe for lesbian and gay children and children being bullied or harassed because of their perceived sexual orientation. Dana noted that a Federal bill was signed by President Obama today that protects gay, lesbian and transgender persons from hate crimes. She said that in the last year, two 11-year-old boys took their own lives because they were being bullied at school for their perceived sexual orientation. Every child has a right to go to school without being harassed or bullied. A 2007 National School Climate Survey reported that 76% of students said they heard comments being made in a bullying way about sexual orientation. When a person says, “That’s so gay,” they are putting a person down for being lame, stupid or dumb. What you are saying is hurtful. You never know who you are talking to. The Gay Straight Alliance Network has a Take It Back Project for awareness of anything that makes a person feel different, including race and religion.
Allison Cleveland works for the Gender Center and 4j schools around domestic and sexual violence. She writes policies and passed around a copy of SAFE Schools for all Youth Implementation Toolkit. She said the 2009 Safe Schools Act is downloadable on line. It addresses specific behaviors, remarks made about gay people and racial remarks. She said it is important to interrupt the behavior by saying, “that’s not cool,” “think about what you are saying,” and asking, “What do you mean by that?” Kids will just say something without thinking. You want to call it to their attention, ask them how they think that feels. Allison grew up in the 50’s in a small town in Vermont where she was nicknamed “Skirtsy”. Kids would follow her home and beat her up. It was hard on her academic career and gave her limited social contact. She said we can educate ourselves so we can educate others. Be allies with kids by asking them, “What do you mean by that?”
Dana said she grew up in the Bay area where kids didn’t know that she was Latina, but they made fun of the other Hispanic girls and called them “beaners” because they couldn’t speak English. She regrets not speaking out for them by saying, “What you just said is racist.” People often deny that they are homophobic or racist, but will recognize that what they said is homophobic or racist.
The floor opened to parent comments. One parent said she is a lesbian mother who had specific issues arise with her children at school. She is grateful for the way it was handled by administrators. One parent commented that so many people have mixed backgrounds now and use derogatory words to describe their own ethnic group, that they have ownership of that word. We hear them in the media, music, television shows, news reports. They have become disarmed. Dana responded saying that kids know when they use those words that they are hateful, and that they are using them in a hateful way. It is so important to stop it. The word “gay” is not inherently hurtful, but it is in the way it is said, demeaning and diminutive. One parent added that “maybe my son is gay, but that’s his issue for him to find out, not for someone to label him with it.” Dana added that the two boys who committed suicide were of minority ethnicity. The kids who were harassing them may have felt it was acceptable to call them gay, but they knew they would be called out on racist comments. We want to cover every minority group. In a recent incident at a 4j school graffiti with racist and sexual comments caused the community to stop everything and have a school-wide assembly to address the issue. Everyone knows someone who was hurt by the comments. Dialog is helpful to achieve a greater understanding. There is nothing we can’t talk about.

October Parent Council Minutes, October 28, 2009
Principal’s Update--Ellen Brunson presented for Randy Bernstein.
She said that negotiations are talking place regarding OSAA sports competitions. At one time schools competed more locally, but a law suit forced South to go across state to play larger schools, increasing expense, travel time and time out of school for athletes. Negotiations are now in progress for South to play more local teams.
Direct Donation Drive letters have been sent out. This is the biggest fundraiser at South. Last year’s donations raised $90K that paid for 5 sections of classes this year.
Technology received a big boost this year. Almost all classrooms have ceiling mount projectors and document cameras.
Flu illnesses have increased student absences to about 15-20% per day in the last few weeks. Normal absence rate is about 5%. Teachers and administrators are giving a lot of thought to work through catching up. It is hard for students to catch up, hard for teachers to teach with so many students absent. They are trying to plan, talk and meet needs.
Financial Update—Cindy Wright
Scrip donations are up a bit, finances are on track.
School Improvement Plan—Mark Rosen
This is the last year of the current 3-year SIP. Site Council is developing a plan now for the next 3 years. This is the time to give Site Council information from Parent Council. We have an opportunity to change the face of our school. As Chairman of Parent Council, Mark wants to act as a conduit to Site Council with information gathered from parents at Parent Council. Mark has a personal interest in increasing motivation among SEHS students, and he handed out a list of topics for consideration which parents might like to comment on or add to. Mark asked parents to introduce themselves and talk about why they are at the meeting, what would they like to see take place, and how we can affect change.
The floor was opened to discussion. Parents talked about the following concerns:
Posting grades, even though just by ID No., is a problem for some kids, because everybody knows who is who on the list.
We need alternative ways to communicate other than meetings. Not all families have a voice, they are not represented here tonight.
Some kids are not motivated to succeed, they are content just to skate by. Some students are just getting it done. They are not experiencing a desire to learn.
Some students are going to school just part time, they are homeschooling and doing independent studies or Credit Based on Competency (CBOP).
Maybe school shouldn’t start at 8 am. There is evidence (parent brought Register-Guard article about sleep habits and brain function of teens) that teens do not function well early in the morning. A later school start pushes back afterschool activities, making them too late for some families. Ellen Brunson responded that families can request no first period if their student is experiencing difficulties.
Some students are really struggling to complete assignments. They are doing homework late into the night and still not comprehending content. Assignments tend to be irregular, teachers pile on homework without regard for how much other work they have to do. Some parents would like teachers to have more flexible deadlines and allow some late assignments before lowering their grade.
One parent suggested that structural changes might help her student perform better, such as, later start, less homework and a quieter lunch room. Some kids need quiet space during the day that enables them time to be alone and reflect.
Some students are doing well and have too much time for hanging out. What kinds of barriers are some kids bumping into that other kids aren’t? How do we provide different alternatives for different paths? How can we provide a great education for all kids? Are students empowered to bring issues to the attention of the administration?
A lively conversation continued after the meeting.

Sep 30th Minutes

2009-10-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

Parent Council Meeting Minutes – September 30, 2009

Mark Rosen introduced himself as Parent Council Chair. A list of Parent Council Leader and contact numbers are listed in this year’s directory.

Principal’s Update -- Randy Bernstein

South now has 50 more students than were projected last spring. Half of these students are at the freshman level. In the long term this will probably keep our numbers up, but right now we are dealing with staffing and have larger classes for freshmen than we expected.

This week we began lunch detention for students having unexcused absences from the prior week. Although South is considered an “open campus”, missing classes without an excuse is not acceptable.

Technology upgrades for most classrooms have been installed. Almost all teachers have laptops, most classrooms have ceiling mounted projectors. There are 20 new document cameras, and DVD players are hooked into the ceiling projectors. Teachers are learning how to use the new technology and we are working on teaching the students as well. We have good momentum going so far this year.

Afterschool Homework help is being offered in Room 714 where there will be peer tutors, college tutors and a staff person to help.

The district-wide initiative for Algebra I assessments has some students who didn’t pass all 16 assessments coming to afterschool classes. This is required reteaching and retesting for students who failed.

Marilyn Cooley announced that Kids Down South received a Community 101 Grant. She is using the grant to teach students about grant making. Students will research non-profit organizations, send out requests for proposals, evaluate the proposals and decide who should receive the grant money.

The proposed Cardio Center, which began fundraising last year, is already through the city permit phase. Construction will begin in the next few weeks. The cardio center will have 30 stations for treadmills, bikes, and machines in a secure, gated area in the gym balcony.

Financial Update – Cindy Wright

We ended last year with total assets over $50,000. Scrip was down from previous years, directory sales was down from previous years by about $2,000. Paper scrip is doing better. We have the money to pay for what we said we’d pay for this year. We are raising money now for next year.

SEHS Parent Council raises funds through Interest Income and fundraising (directory sales, donations and scrip). It pays for routine budget items such as the e-mail server, speakers, meetings, staff and volunteer appreciation, graduation party, etc. It also pays for school programs such as AVID, Volunteer Coordinator, library assistant, and math (0.11FTE).

Scrip is the easiest way to raise funds since we receive money from merchants for purchases that student families would make anyway. All that is needed is to register online for eScrip or Alberton’s scrip program, or purchase paper scrip for Unique Eugene from the school office. Twenty businesses in Eugene offer 10% of your purchase to be donated to South just for planning ahead. If you plan to buy a bicycle, eyeglasses, shoes, food, housewares, etc., check out Unique Eugene, buy their paper scrip, and earn money for South. It’s that simple. Update your Albertson’s card and sign up for eScrip now.

Authorizing Expenses – Mark Rosen

We had a new situation arise when we had a parent social before the open house this month. We needed money to buy refreshments, but no one on Parent Council knew who could authorize the expenditure. Mark made a motion that the Parent Council Chair be able to authorize expenses up to $400.

E-news Editorial Policy – Mark Rosen

Mark deferred this agenda item until the next meeting due to lack of time.

Cross-Reference Directory – Mark Rosen

Mark proposed that we find a parent volunteer to create a PDF cross-reference of parents and students who have different last names, and place this document online to facilitate finding numbers for those students and parents. Khrystal Berry volunteered to do that.

Donate One Minute or More Campaign – Mark Rosen

Mark proposed that we adopt a campaign phrase “Donate One Minute or More” to encourage parent-to-parent communication to promote or take action on behalf of SEHS. We could use this phrase repeatedly as a motivation to sign up for eScrip, purchase Unique Eugene, remind a friend about various scrip programs, etc. Mark made a motion that we use this phrase as a campaign slogan. All present voted in favor with one abstention.

South’s Next School Improvement Plan – Mark Rosen

Every three years the school institutes a new School Improvement Plan that the school’s Site Council develops and approves. Next year will mark the beginning of the next 3-year plan that Site Council will adopt this year. Historically, Parent Council was not involved in the School Improvement Plan. This year Mark hopes Parent Council will actively gather input from parents based on what they hear from their students, identify the most worthy ideas for enhancing the school, and suggest these ideas to Site Council for consideration.

As an example, Mark said he would be interested in discussing ways the school could reduce stress for students to produce more positive attitudes. What motivates students? What de-motivates them? Do some teachers motivate their students and induce less stress than others, and should the school adopt their techniques and policies more widely? What are we doing well that can be done better?

Parent Council attendees responded with questions and comments: IHS gets time management help in freshman project, Classic South has freshman advisory. We have done some surveys, senior exit survey is anonymous, gives feedback. Student Government is one venue that could be used for feedback. We could use eNEWS to get parent feedback. Some stress is necessary: students need to be preparing for an adult world. There is room for improvement on “best practices” but we should also consider teacher autonomy.

As another example, both Mark and Randy talked about helping students prepare more deeply for college and adulthood, such as learning advanced critical thinking skills for evaluating and mastering what they read. They both feel the next School Improvement Plan should include wider support for such skills.

Mark would like to gather ideas for the School Improvement Plan through online surveys and collaborative groups, and feels Parent Council should discuss an implementation plan at the next Parent Council meeting in October. He asked informally how parents felt about contributing ideas to the next School Improvement Plan, and nearly all parents at the meeting indicated they would like to work on this.

Parent Education Series – September 30, 2009 -- Clubs and Extracurricular Activities at South

Jen Wyld , Parent Education Coordinator, invited parents to write down five of their favorite memories from high school and a few memories of teachers or administrators who influenced their lives in high school. Parents spent a few minutes sharing those memories among those persons at their tables, then with the larger group. The common thread was that extracurricular activities gave us more enjoyment from our high school experience. Jen cited from some articles examples of how participation in clubs and activities can impact our children’s lives for the better. According to the articles there is definitive evidence that greater involvement in extracurricular activities is associated with better academic grades. It can have a big impact on their college application process. It is important to have a commitment to something, make a meaningful contribution. It can help students identify their career goals and develop social skills for the work place.

Jen invited three students to speak:

The first student expressed her gratitude for being able to attend a school with a lot of extracurricular activities. She is on the Debate Team because she wants to become a lawyer. It has helped her be a better speaker and has improved her researching skills. She also is on the softball team because she wanted to meet new people. The school provides some funding for Debate activity, but most of it is paid for by students. Debaters travel to different colleges and get to know the schools. In their meetings, the debaters are preparing demonstrations and writing letters to get some sponsors. They are recruiting for new members through posters, English honors classes and a table at Club Day. The Debate Team is adding Speech as a second category this year. They are also talking to the drama department about Acting. The Debate team is trying to increase their activities this year by reaching the Nationals.

The second student spoke about Concert Choir and Stage Craft. She is now head electrician in Drama. Drama is her home-away-from-home. Drama has helped her understand deadlines, that she must have things done on time. She encourages students to become involved in theater behind the scenes in set design and painting. Being involved in drama has helped her improve her time management skills. Students should show up at auditions and express interest.

The third student is in Golf. He went to a tournament once a week, took trips and made lots of new friends. South’s Golf team won state last year.

A parent spoke about Mock Trial Club. This club began two years ago. They meet once a week and it doesn’t cost very much. Kids are assigned parts in a trial and role play. Also, kids do not miss a lot of school by traveling long distances.

Randy Bernstein gave a brief description of Club Day. Students set up tables to advertise their club. Students can start a club or join or just learn more information. Some clubs are intermittent, others have regular meetings. All clubs have an adult advisor, but not necessarily a teacher. They may meet at school or at someone’s home. Clubs are categorized by tiers. Tier One activities, such as OSAA sports and athletics are sponsored through the school. Tier Two activities, such as rowing and lacrosse, are club sports that are not organized through the school. There is a list of clubs at South on the web site, and it will be updated again in late October.

May 27th Minutes

2009-06-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

May 27, 2009, Parent Council Meeting Minutes

Principal’s Update –Randy Bernstein

The end of the year has lots of events: The National Honor Society induction and CAM portfolio exhibition took place last week, Rebecca Covach won A Champion in Education (ACE) award in the volunteer category at the Hult Center ($750 will go toward the school). The Career Center Volunteer Appreciation Lunch will be held next week.

We are not offering AP Chemistry next year. Student Government is trying to raise $17K by writing letters to well connected people to buy it back.

A letter is going out to senior parents about senior slams and senior pranks to get ahead of things this year. This has been a problem for years—making up rumors, last year they went cyber. We hope to get parents to talk to their students about bullying. Slams and pranks can have devastating consequences.

“Senior Skip Day” will be an unexcused absence. This is not a school sanctioned event.

Parking changes will be made next year. We are going away from assigning individual spaces to zones because it is easier to manage. We do not have enough staff to check on spaces being taken by unauthorized cars.

We will be sending a team of teachers and counselors to Salem to see about developing an on-line credit program for students who are short a credit or two from graduating. It would target kids who are having trouble catching up.

Enrollment – We have reached our 375 cap of freshmen. IHS and Classic have a waiting list.

Financial Update—Cindy Wright

Cindy paid $36K for the Volunteer Coordinator, Library and Music hours during May. She paid $108 for the e-mail server. The Staff Appreciation Lunch will be paid for this month.

E-scrip was down in April, but if last year’s pattern holds true, we expect a jump in May. Paper scrip (Unique Eugene) is selling well, about $1,000 every month. Unique Eugene brings in 10% from local businesses. It can be bought at the school office.

Financially, we are on track for this year.

Parent Council 09-10 Leadership Positions

Mark Rosen will become Chair. He said he is looking forward to moving Parent Council to the next level. Jen Wyld will take over as Parent Education Series Coordinator. Cindy Wright, having 3 years of experience, will remain as Treasurer. Maggie Moore will remain as recorder. E-news Editor will be Michelle Pellitier. Helen Beardsworth stepped up to become Fundraising Publicity Coordinator. We are still in need of a Student Directory Coordinator(s). The directory is basically a “Plug and Play” effort that happens between August 18 to September 25. Please contact Mark Rosen if you can help.

PARENT EDUCATION SERIES—Setting Boundaries for your Teens

Laurene Larson, South Eugene Counselor (687-3213) and Nancy Meyer, South Eugene Psychology teacher presented suggestions for parents for setting boundaries for their teens. They encouraged parents to use the Parent Education Series as a parent-to-parent-to-South connection and to use the school directory to keep in touch with other parents.

Randy Bernstein gave a power point presentation on data collected in a survey of last spring’s juniors regarding their involvement in high risk behaviors. The data is from the State of Oregon which has conducted this anonymous, self-reporting survey for 10 years. Although there may be some intentional misreporting by some students, we believe this is highly reliable data.

(Randy’s power point)

A handout from Oregon Liquor Control Commission was made available about Oregon’s Alcohol Laws and Minors. Be aware that anyone who sells or gives away alcoholic beverages may be held liable for injuries caused by a minor who obtained alcohol from you when you did not properly check for identification. There are still curfew laws for:
· Under 14, not yet in high school: School days –9:15 pm to 6 am, Non-school days 10:15pm to 6am.
· 14 or older, in high school: School days—10:15 pm to 6 am, Non-school days 12 midnight to 6 am.
For more information, contact: Janice Kindrick, West Metro Enforcement Unit Manager, phone-503-872-5157, toll-free: 800-452-6522, e-mail Janice.kindrick@state.or.us

Nancy Meyer Handout

Teen years, by definition, are a time of stretching—biologically, and socially. Frontal lobes (our rational, mature thinking areas) aren’t fully mature until early 20’s – but this is also a time of rapid brain growth of neural connections (second only to the ages of about 3 to 6). So, it is an incredibly important time to help our kids pursue interests and activities that will encourage positive brain growth.

This can be a rough time for kids – pressure, the need for social approval from peers, alienation from parents, and sense that they need a direction in life…but don’t really have it.

Teaching psychology has helped me learn and remember a few important thoughts:
· Parents are not the influence we’d like to be in terms of shaping teen behavior—peers have more clout. We do the best we can—but many of their values, attitudes and expectations have already been shaped.
· Kids’ temperaments and how they process information differs dramatically.

Some ideas I’ve learned from experience w/my kids and my students:
1. Communication – try to keep this open/listen, wait, find times to talk when things aren’t tense; make sure both parents are involved in decisions and discussions (authoritative parenting = most successful…demanding, responsive, allow exceptions, explain)
2. If you’re uncomfortable with a request…there’s probably a reason. My response was, “Find a way to let me say ‘yes’. Help kids understand why you’re concerned…let them help find a solution.
3. Avoid putting kids in untenable situations—eg home alone for a weekend. It’s a huge expectation…a few groups of friends who are texted becomes an uncontrollable group. Reminder – parties at your house, whether w/your permission or not, may make you liable for injuries.
4. It’s not about trust – talk to your teen about safety (of your teen AND others); and no, everyone else is not ‘doing it’.
5. Work on parent network – best if you create this before there are issues…but do it anyway. It helps to have other parents to talk to. School directory is invaluable. Buy two. Work on positive framing, “I understand my son will be coming over to your house Friday night. Is there anything I can send along to help out? Do you want any other parents around to help out?”

If your teen is frequently at a house when parents aren’t there, you might want to check in with them about their rules, what’s going on, etc.

Call parents with concerns…don’t always count on not being busted (I tried), so realize it may come back. That’s OK—you’re concerned about safety. It’s a consistent, important, totally responsible theme – and including the community sends an important message, even if it’s not the one your teen wants to hear.

Cell phones have changed things dramatically. We used to be able to call a home and know if our kids were there…not that easy anymore.

6. Avoid ultimatums (eg ‘don’t drink’), but help kids cope…if you/someone else has been drinking, get a different ride. Call us and there are no questions.
7. Reminder – we’re the parents here. It’s not a matter of control, but of responsibility. We’re all trying to do a good job of rearing thoughtful, reliable, honest children as safely and happily as possible.

Sometimes we need to help our kids appreciate or at least understand where we’re coming from and what our concerns are, etc.—then try to be consistent. And if we aren’t , explain why we’ve changed direction. We’re human, so it’s important to communicate why we’re making our choices, try to understand why our kids are making theirs, and find a way to resolve differences whenever possible.

Laurene Larson Handout – 10 tips

1. Set rules and expectations in advance. Talk to them about what and why you expect certain behavior. It’s OK to adjust as your teen progresses through SEHS. Freshmen are different than seniors! It’s a sure thing that your teen will object to some of the family’s rules. Expect it. Remember this is the time of life when they are trying to establish their independence. Help them as they navigate through this transition. If there are two households, maintain communication and try to have a united front. It’s OK to set consequences for unhealthy behavior. It’s usually counterproductive to argue about one parent’s consequence. Let it be, and discuss in private, parent to parent.
2. Be positive! The five to one rule is good—five accolades to one criticism. With most everything, there’s a positive spin, help them see it. Provide authentic praise. Teens have great “fakedar”, they almost always know when they’re being praised without merit.
3. Discuss issues and LISTEN to what they say. Lecturing has its place, but can shut down communication. Other turn offs are the four letter words: don’t, can’t, must, have (to), need (to). Help them THINK about opportunities and consequences. Lists are good. I often have students make pro/con lists and come back to talk with me about it.
4. Expect good grades AND good behavior. Maintaining good grades does not exempt students from getting into trouble. Be aware of other clues, and ask questions when things are unclear.
5. Be aware of changes in friends, sleeping patterns, mood. Most often it’s normal teenage behavior, but sometimes it can spell trouble. Call your student’s counselor. If you suspect something’s off, investigate.
6. Let your teen experience failure. Protecting them from the natural disappointments of life actually decreases their ability to handle disappointment. As a parent this is difficult, but teens bounce back. If they don’t bounce back in a reasonable amount of time, seek help.
7. Get to know their friends. Be comfortable asking questions and calling their parents. Don’t hover…read “Zits”. Teens need their space, just as parents need theirs!
8. Buy a Phone Directory…and use it. If a parent calls you, listen and after talking with your own teen, return the call if appropriate. Try to avoid reacting defensively.
9. Know the laws about minors. Curfews, driving, driving w/ friends, etc.
10. Laugh. Laugh with your kids (not at them). Laughter is good medicine!

Parents asked questions, other parents from the group gave suggestions:

Help your child practice thinking of reasons why they would not want to engage in risky behaviors, eg “I’m on the soccer team,” or “I don’t want to lose my position in debate.”

Re Facebook: Schools, employers can look at pages. Kids have done stupid things for all to see. It cannot be gotten back.

Tell your student to use you as the bad guy. “My parents won’t let me.” Let your child know when a friend has seen them around town, or let your child know when you have seen one of their friends. Have them keep in mind that they are known and you have spies all over town.

Have your child come in and wake you up and give you a kiss so you can smell his/her breath.

If you come home to kids in your house smoking or drinking, call the other parents. Let them know what happened.

Let your kids know your boundaries. Ask them “What would be the risk…?

When you call other parents, express concern, not accusation.

If you hear about parties at other people’s houses, call the school.

You may have to risk having your son/daughter get mad at you. Develop the attitude that they are going to get mad at you a lot.

Casually ask for phone numbers of your child’s friends when you meet them. Keep the list on the fridge. That way you will have contacts when your child doesn’t answer. Someone is bound to know where they are.

Tell your child to check in when they move from place to place. Set a plan for when they will be coming home. If they forget, tell them to set the alarm on their cell phone so that they will remember.

You have to start training them for when you will not be around all the time. It’s not about control, but responsibility. Express concern.

Reward them for being honest and forthright.

February 25th Parent Council and PES Minutes

2009-03-01T00:54:00.000-08:00

February 25, 2009 Parent Council Minutes

Connie Wonham – Facilitator

There are not a lot of items on the agenda this month. Please let Helen know of any issues that may need to be addressed.

Principal’s Update – Randy Bernstein

A few departments are thinking creatively and planning to offer a few new courses next year. The Science Department is offering IB Physics, Part 2 and Environmental Science; Social Studies Department is planning to offer Economics and a one-semester course in U.S. Government; Classic South English plans to offer Film as Literature, Contemporary Literature and Big Fat Novel (500-600 page classic novels of yester-year and Creative Writing; Journalism plans to offer Immersion of one issue or topic and Personal Narrative. We are looking at how to offer and schedule these. One of the motivations was to offer something more interactive for students that may appeal to a more heterogeneous group. Next year we will offer AP U.S. Government that will alternate the following year with AP Comparative Government.

Staffing is still a question mark. On March 6 we’ll get staff allocations from the district. There is currently a $23M shortfall to keep current service level. We project $8M will come from the stimulus bill. We will still be facing some major cuts. We’ll find out in about a week how bad those will be. Class sizes will be bigger. If we cut one section of, say, psychology, the other sections will get more students. You may say, cut photography, but those students still need to get credit somewhere, so other sections will fill up. We don’t want to cut courses like band that has 50 kids in it because those kids will need to take something to get their credits. Roosevelt has cut French for all but Immersion students. That means we will be getting more Spanish students from Roosevelt, fewer French. That will affect our language department. If a class is under enrolled, we will have to decide whether to keep it. Tenor choir is growing, and we expect more kids to sign up for it next year. Instead of 14 sections of biology, we may have only 11 or 12. We may have to cut an arts class. We already cut one fine arts class last year. Students still need their credits. We have as many kids who need as many credits. Parent question: What are the easiest dollars to cut? Randy: Every school day is $450,000 for the school district. Cutting days is one possibility. We will probably make cuts in athletics, there will be cuts in administration at the district and building levels. We may negotiate with unions to cut days. The district gives the school an FTE number, then the school has to decide how to use them. Potential lay off notices will go to least senior teachers. It is likely we will have to displace some people. The district will look at displaced people and fill vacancies based on seniority. Helen Garrett: The Parent Council has to partner with the school to decide what we want to fund. Parent Council currently funds Music, Library and Volunteer Coordinator hours. Parents will have to decide what their priorities will be for next year. Randy will ask us at the March meeting to fund school priorities. Parents will need to vote on his request at the next meeting. The March meeting will be key for decision making. Randy: Enrollment will not be quite as bad as projected. We expect to have 1,569 students, the previous expected cap was 1,500. The attendance boundary changes favored South by adding more students. It has been mentioned to close a high school in the district.
Good news – The Swim Team took 2nd in the State. Boy’s basketball will be in the playoffs. The Girl’s basketball team ranked 1st in the State, they are undefeated, only have to win one more game to be in the Elite Eight tournament.
Our Award Assembly will be different this year. It will be more intimate and probably be held in the little theater.

Financial Update – Cindy Wright

Our fundraising is on track for the year. We are at 52% of our goal for the year. We want to look at using some of those funds that we have accumulated on what Randy will ask us to fund. Our reserves are $5,000. We have $87K in assets, but $36K will be going to pay bills. We have a cushion of about $25K. If we can get more people to sign up for scrip, there is a great potential to raise money. Only about 1/3 of the families at South are signed up. Even the poorest of families could be contributing by signing up for scrip. About half of the money we get from scrip comes from 40 families. Albertson’s has announced a change in their scrip system, and shoppers will have to reestablish their accounts to benefit.
Helen Garrett: There will be no Parent Education Series with the March meeting.

Parent Education Series – Suicide Prevention

Panelists: Randy Bernstein, Principal SEHS; Marlys Martin, School Nurse; Brandt Stuart, Mental Health Therapist for SEHS and My Health Center; Julie McGlinski, Academic Counselor for SEHS; Ann Hettick, Health Educator.
Randy introduced the panel as South’s Care Team. The Care Team pulls together to plan accordingly to take care of kids, families and the community. This meeting was called in response the loss of Sydney last month. Suicide is not new to our community. We have had students and parents of students who have taken their own lives. We want to be able to respond to this issue and help prevent it. For many of us, this is the first incident we’ve had in several years. What have we been doing well? Every year we do a risk survey. Last year one question on it was, “Have you had any thoughts of killing yourself in the last year?” 10.6% said yes. What can we do to reduce the threat?
Julie: We are reminded that we have a compassionate community. We try to teach curriculum that is relevant. We have teens who have strong, loving connections here. Julie passed out a handout that listed 40 developmental assets, things that keep people resilient and healthy: positive interactions, sense of purpose, boundaries and expectations. The more assets they have, the less likely they will be drawn into a negative outcome. Everybody faces challenges.

Ann: Ann teaches Freshman Health class, a mental health unit that includes suicide prevention, strategies and coping skills, warning signs and prevention skills.

Brandt: Brandt is a therapist who has worked with adolescents for many years. He is a parent of 2 and a survivor of suicide. You never know. When you’re really close to it, it’s hard to see the signs. It is important to reach out. We need to remind ourselves of the signs. There are imminent danger signs: Talking about death or saying they want to die, planning or fantasizing suicide, previous suicide attempts by taking pills, hanging, guns, friends who have attempted. These things increase the risk. Giving away personal (very important) possessions, telling a friend, writing a note. There are general signs: depression, hopelessness, worthlessness, a lot of negative feeling, hating the world. When these feelings are habitual, pervasive sadness, ongoing persistent agitation, irritability, confusion, can’t think straight. There are actions and behavioral signs: risk taking, impulsivity, terrible mistake, withdrawing from friends, activities, families (distinct shift), recklessness, recent loss, loss of relationship. Ask the student, “How devastated are you feeling? (over your loss)” Getting into trouble, alcohol and drug abuse is a big sign. Drawing pictures or writing about violence and death, access to firearms (weapons in the house), change in personality, threats.

Julie: Use this as an opportunity to pre-teach. You could say, “ We’ve never talked about what you would do if you were feeling so overwhelmed that you felt like killing yourself. I want you to know that you can talk to me about that.” If you felt there was an imminent threat, you could ask the question. Say, “I can tell you’re really upset. Are you thinking of killing yourself?” Research shows that this question opens the door to talking, not planting the seed. Think through what you would say if the person responds with “yes”. Say, “I’m grateful that you told me. Can I get you some help?_If you are having a difficult time with your child right now, try to get someone else to talk to him or her. Know that you are not alone.
Marlys: We have community resources for prevention. You can ask any administrator, teacher, or counselor if you are concerned about your student or any other student. If you call academic counselors, leave a message with the student’s name so that we can have that child’s counselor return your call. We want you to have the right person get back to you. My Health Center has on-staff counselors who screen and help families. You can contact your primary care physician or nurse. There are private counselors available through Looking Glass and Ophelia’s Place, etc. Teen Guide to Lane County. If you have an immediate danger, call 911, if there is imminent danger, call Sacred Heart ER. In a suicide attempt, call Sacred Heart ER. They will stabilize the situation and do mental health screening. The Crisis Response Team provides in-home crisis support. They will come to your home to do intervention and respite care. Looking Glass provides crisis care and shelter care for kids in crisis.

Parent questions: Suicide is often joked about. It seems so taboo. Why do we have to sign a note when it is discussed in a health class at school? Panel response: We have parents sign a note to let them know that suicide is being discussed because there may be a kid in the class whose parents are already dealing with the issue. A general overview of suicide prevention may not be appropriate for that child at that time. Parents may want to pull their child out.

Parent question: Members of my family are close to Sydney. I’m worried about cluster events, copycat acts, the contagion effect. Panel response: This is one reason why we are having this meeting. Communicating with your teen is important. This is a good time to check in and ask, “How are you feeling?” Anniversaries are always hard. Yesterday was the one-month anniversary of Sydney’s death. We are organizing a group of kids who are impacted.
Parent question: How long will we have to look at this as an impact on our community? Panel response: The more time that passes, the danger decreases.

Parent question: If I were to contact the school about a student who I believe is in danger, will my contact remain confidential? Panel response: We try to keep it confidential. We often say, “We had an anonymous call.” If someone’s life were in danger, we would break confidentiality if it were necessary. We want to change the climate of not talking about suicide. So many people did not see any signs from Sydney. We would have given anything for one person to have stepped forward. About 20% of suicides do not fit the signs. You don’t always get a chance to intervene.

January 23rd -Meeting and Education Series Minutes

2009-02-22T09:10:00.000-08:00

January 23, 2009 Parent Council Meeting Minutes

Principal’s Update – delivered by Eric Anderson

1. Eric mentioned goodsearch.com as a money making tool. Basically, it is a Yahoo search engine. Every time you search, you get a penny back. If we get people going, we can collect a lot of money for the school. Just google goodsearch.com and select a charity. There is also a box for goodshop, where 3% of whatever you buy will go to the school for staffing.

2. The Direct Donation Drive is on track for $90,000 goal. The fund is at $46K right now. The next letter goes out March 1st. Only 191 families have donated so far, so there is a lot of potential for more money to come. We appreciate receiving the donations that have come in and encourage those who have not yet done so to contribute.

3. Staffing and Budget plans are being made, but right now it is a lot of guess work. We will receive the state budget information on Friday, February 13. As it stands right now, we are projecting a loss of 5 to 7 teachers, not including administration. That’s 30 sections of classes gone.

Parent question: What departments will be hit hardest? Eric: It depends on the teacher student ratio. The average number of students per section is 29, but some sections have as many as 40. Summer Bridge will be either reduced or cut completely.

Advisory may be cut. Some of the decisions will be based on student interest or demand. There may be some union issues involved over seniority and experience. South’s enrollment is down 70 students. We are trying to build back through donations. These financial hard times have a huge financial impact. NO DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE, but the district is looking at all possibilities. We must determine what we hold sacred. We are trying to keep programs we hold dear.

Parent question: What is driving the reduced enrollment of 4j? Eric: Middle schools have been shrinking, as the south district’s population ages. Families with school age children are moving to Bethel and Sheldon. Almost ½ of our population was transfers, but now the district is placing our enrollment cap at 1500 next year. Churchill has been struggling to keep its students at Churchill.

Parent question: Does the redistricting of sports teams affect enrollment? Eric: Sports do not drive our academic decisions. We want to do what is best for students academically.
Eric: We are also having to deal with families of the kids during these hard times. Sometimes the school has to hold things together when families suffer. We have to be strong for the kids. We don’t know if the federal funding will come through.

Financial Update – Cindy Wright
Fundraising Net Income as of January 1, 2009
Directories $2,974
Donations 4,500
Scrip 9,229
Total $16,703

When we look at the budget in view of the economic situation, scrip becomes so much more important because it is a large portion of our fundraising net income and it is an easy, no-cost-to-you way to raise money. The money that we bring in this year is what we will use for next year. Last year we voted to fund this year’s expenses for library staffing (2.25 hrs.), graduation party, music (.12 hrs.), staff appreciation, volunteer appreciation, volunteer coordinator (2 hrs.), and others. We will need to decide how we will use our reserves for next year. We will need to examine our priorities for next year.

Volunteer Opportunities – Helen Garrett

We are looking for a parent to step up to be a fundraising coordinator. This would involve sifting through information that is sent, usually by e-mail, that describes ways that schools can raise funds. Many companies are capitalizing on the fundraising angle to advertise their goods or services. Some of these are just scams, others may be worth a look.

We are also looking for a parent volunteer for the Graduation Party.

LTD Bus Route Issue – Julia Pommert from Churchill Parent Council, cell phone 556-3483
LTD is slashing bus service by 14.5%, cutting all five “high school routes” because of a revision to the Federal Transit Administration rules making them illegal. This is not entirely the result of budget deficits. If the rules are allowed to stand, LTD will continue to be prohibited from serving students even when its budget improves. Julia proposed that parents and members of the community voice opposition to these rules to the Federal Transit Administration by February 17, 2009:
“The Federal Transit Administration rules should allow transit districts to offer school routes at the request of school districts when the school district operates the only existing school bus service.”
You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
• Federal e-Rulemaking Portal:http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
• Fax: 1-202-493-2251
• U.S. Post or Express Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.

• Hand Delivery: The West Building of the U.S. Department of Transportation
Stand for Children – Jan Wyld
Jan was here to encourage parents to attend the Presidents Day Rally to Protect Kids & Schools, Monday, February 16, 2009, State Capitol Steps, Salem, 12 to 1pm, rain or shine, to keep from losing ground, legislators need to hear that Oregonians support reasonable revenue increases and targeted investments in education. Register at www.stand.org/or/rally to attend the rally, sign up to meet with your legislators, and book your seat on a bus.
Back to the Principal’s Update – Eric Anderson

4. Cardio Center: Danielle DeGrange , athletics teacher, has been working on setting up a cardio center in the balcony of the gym (see previous meeting minutes). Aroebic machines are starting to come. A dance-a-thon is being planned to raise funds. It will cost $100-150K to put in to place. A parent donor has put down $40K and has pledged $40K more. Please donate and participate in the dance-a-thon.

Parent Education Series –How to Play Sports in College: Division I, II, III and Beyond

Presenter – Helen Garrett
Panel – Tara Erickson, Head Women’s Soccer Coach, UO; Kathy Ruggles, Career Center Coordinator, SEHS; Leanne Brooks, UO Athletics; Justin (?), SEHS senior who is going to play football in college; and Whitney Clark, Brown University ’08, SEHS ’04, College Athlete.

If you love your sport, and you are a student athlete, you should pursue it in college. Information is available in the Career Center to help students seek their own level. Kathy Ruggles has the role of talking to student athletes who want to pursue their sport in college.

Not many students make it to Division I level, but student athletes have a good chance of participating in their sport in small colleges. Community Colleges are often a good place for students to build their academic credentials. Student athletes can play at schools like College of the Siskyous, where they won’t have to pay out of state tuition. Smaller schools have a little more flexibility in grades, like Southern Oregon University, OIT in Klamath Falls, and N.W Christian College. Division III colleges technically don’t give scholarships for sports, but they do give money for talent, merit, need, financial aid packages, and grants. Some of these schools are Lynnfield, Lewis & Clark, Pacific, Willamette, PLU, Whitworth in Spokane. Some Division II schools are in Eastern Oregon, Central Washington, and Seattle Pacific.

Students are encouraged to seek out their own level and let coaches know you are interested by e-mailing, going to camps. They should figure out how to get noticed, even in the sophomore year. Students should go to the CRC to get resources to look at colleges that fit their criteria. Students should take the PSAT in October of their junior year and the SAT in spring of Junior year.

Most important, students should take care of business in the classroom, take challenging classes, get solid grades (no D’s), Div. I requires 16 academic core classes. Students should review the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete, which was passed out as a handout at this meeting, but can be found on the internet at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net
In the summer of her junior year, Whitney made lists of desirable schools and sent tapes of her playing soccer in club sports.

She also attended camps. She was contacted by Brown University for an official visit. She had 24 hours to acquaint herself with the campus. She met coaches, players, and felt it was a good fit.

Justin grew up wanting to play for the Ducks, but in his sophomore year he became more realistic. He began looking at smaller schools. Last summer he went to six football camps, where Oregon State coaches were watching. The head coach from Princeton invited him to Princeton, where he discovered very serious competition. Some coaches asked for highlight films. He advises students to make a good impression by dressing up for visits. Wear nice clothes, you really want to impress them.

Whitney and Justin agreed that good study skills at an early age are very important. You need to be organized to fit in homework and sports schedule. They both had well over a 3. Average.

Tara said that coaches cast their nets pretty wide to 10th and 11th graders by sending letters to potential athletes. A lot of students come to us, unless they are the cream of the crop. She suggests students be pro-active. They should send out e-mails, answer questionnaires and maintain contact.

Leanne recommended that students attend to the technical stuff, like keeping track of grades and transcripts. Make sure your records are accurate and you are taking the right courses. Students should register with the NCAA eligibility center to determine if they are qualifiers. Make sure you have approved courses—they can be picky.
High school coaches used to be the essential piece when talking about players, but recruiters now want to talk to as many people about players as possible. They talk to teachers, counselors, etc.

Highlight tapes are important. Coaches recommend that you load it up onto U-Tube, because it is so much easier to view. Coaches like to see the good and the bad, a great game against a reasonable opponent. They want to be able to identify the kid they are looking at, for example, the girl with the ponytail and red striped socks. Coaches look for potential, they like the camera on the kid for the entire game, what does the kid do when there’s no action on their part of the field? How do they stay engaged?

Track and Field players are mostly measured by statistics, numbers don’t lie. Tapes are not that important. Players should still make contact with colleges, keep records, going to camps.

Whitney said that college wasn’t such a shock to her because she had learned early on to balance academics and athletics. Traveling is hard and homework gets done on the bus.

In Division I, sport is your job all year long, not just for the season. Students are a lot more focused on their sport. They can go from big fish to a small pond. College has a lot more freedom and it is tempting to skip a class. Sometimes students are not so much in the limelight as they are accustomed.
Justin said you have to love what you do. It’s a huge, huge time commitment.

December 3rd Minutes

2008-12-13T22:05:00.000-08:00

December Parent Council Minutes – December 3, 2008

Connie Wonham facilitated.

Principal’s Update – Randy Bernstein
Randy brought Unique Eugene scrip for anyone to purchase. Scrip is available for purchase in the main office during school hours.

An Afterschool Help Center in Room 714 has started targeting 9th and 10th graders who need help in math and science. Hours are 3:15 to 4 pm on M, T, Th; 3:30 to 4:15 on W. The group is led by an adult staff member and a half dozen paid upper classmen. About 10 students have shown up for help in algebra, geometry, and physical science. Students may drop in, have a granola bar or rice krispie bar, and get help in a fun environment.

School Improvement -- A small committee has been formed to work on improving multi-cultural and welcoming décor around the school, including a teacher, student government rep, and a parent. They went to Springfield High School and Cesar Chaves Elementary to look at what they have done visually. SHS, which has a larger minority population and more Latinos, has incorporated a mariachi band into the music program. We are encouraging more students and parents to get involved. We have some funding for 2 murals, in particular, 1 in the math hallway. We also have some money set aside for banners and signage. We are trying to get the word out for more volunteers by addressing art classes and student unions. The Site Council has expressed support for this effort. We want to make a difference in our hallways between now and June.

An issue has come up over scrip. Track Boosters wants to start their own e-scrip number. Word has it that Cross-Country Ski already has their own. Kids Down South wants to piggy-back on SEHS. We are concerned about how to manage this as a whole. The choir groups have been recruiting people to sign up for scrip and are being awarded $10 for each person they sign up who makes a purchase. Greg Maynard, our Scrip Publicity/Sales person, expressed worry that we will be paying $10 to a choir group for an account that brings in only $3 and suggested that we limit our budget on this. Randy is speaking with groups and encouraging them to partner with SEHS, so that all kids will benefit. Greg said he would check with e-scrip about splinter groups and whether it is legitimate for them to set up their own accounts. Suggestions are welcome.

Danielle Degrange, PE teacher, is going ahead with a Dance-A-Thon fundraiser on Saturday, February 21, for a cardio fitness center of 25 or more machines in the balcony over the gym where the batting cages are. For this extravaganza, couples will pledge some number of dollars to dance, there will be prizes, admission, concessions, etc., with hopes for raising $10 to $15K or more with student, staff, volunteer support. Danielle will also be looking for grants.

Superintendent, George Russell is visiting different locals to talk about the enrollment caps. He will be in the library next Wednesday, December 10, at 5:30 to talk about boundaries, caps, sibling eligibility for attendance at out-of-district schools. Decisions have not yet been announced, but January is school choice month. News will be released soon. In the past, students currently enrolled in a school have stayed to complete their level. That is expected to continue. However, if an out-of-district student drops out of IHS, they do not automatically get into Classic South; they would go the high school in their district. Details will be released this month.

Financial Update – Cindy Wright

There has not been a lot of activity this month. Cindy reported on account balances and said we are in good shape to pay for our commitments for this year and we are building on our budget for next year.

Last month we talked about My Health Center fundraising. What is our role as the Parent Council to advocate for different groups? We will begin conversations about funding in the new year. The state government has announced that it is setting priorities and maintaining current levels in education with big cuts in human services. Through e-news and parent council we have a venue to let parents know about different organizations. How much can we jump in to lend support? Randy will check with the district about the plight of the Health Center to find out more details and what the district plans to do about the drop in support from Peace Health.

The Staff Appreciation Luncheon has all the food and volunteers it needs right now. Thank you for your help.

Parent Education Series. Community Service 101

IHS teacher, Courtney Leonard, and Classic South teacher, Ellen Brunson-Newton presented and brought a panel of students to share their varied experiences with the audience.

Allison started doing community service as a greeter at a medical clinic on West 11th, and later became a receptionist. She did her senior project on health care and the single payer system.

Garrett volunteers for ASAP, Aides and Substance Abuse Prevention. This is a group run through the school. Juniors and seniors get together to present information through skits and discussions to sophomores about sex, diseases, alcoholism and drug abuse. He liked the idea of peer education.

Thomas works at Peace Health Hospital. He started as a freshman, and has been at the hospital for 4 years, now at Riverbend. His siblings volunteered and his dad works there. He likes to be busy, has been able to choose jobs and has switched around a lot. He started as a patient escort, helping patients get around. He delivers mail and flowers, and now works in materials management. He feels that his work is greatly appreciated.

Dylan works at Lane County Search and Rescue because he likes the outdoors. You can start at 14 to 21. He attended training meetings on wilderness survival and went on a weekend outing where he received training on GPS usage. He was part of a team that rescued a mushroom picker, rode on a helicopter, etc.

Asked how they work their service into their busy schedules:

Garrett said that their group advisors put people in groups with the same free period. Students practice their skits during free periods and present to sophomores during school hours. He still has time for football and homework.

Thomas works one time a week for 2 hours. He said it is not really that time consuming and that he started early so he has had time for his hours to accumulate. He enjoys his work, so the time goes fast, it doesn’t seem like a lot.

Allison works 4 hours once a week. She enjoys her work, so it does not seem like much of a commitment.

A parent asked, “How did you find what you wanted to do?”
Thomas said it fit in with his family. He thought he might be interested in medicine, but now realizes that he is not.
The other students said it was suggested by a family member or their mom.

There will be a Community Service Fair at Churchill High School on the 4th Thursday of April ’09 where students can find out about community service opportunities.

A parent asked, “How do kids find out about requirements for graduation?”

The teachers responded that it is word of mouth among students. They talk about it with each other. Teachers make sure they know , especially in IHS where students are required to perform 130 hours for graduation. Classic South has a senior project requirement that usually includes some kind of community service. The requirements for Classic South are not specific.

A parent asked, “Do some kids struggle to complete the needed hours?”

Teachers responded : We make sure kids know about the requirements in their classes. We encourage them to do it over the summer. Kids who wait till the very end don’t have fun with it because they are under pressure. We encourage kids to find something they love, try to become a bridge or liaison to the community. They can start the summer before their junior year. We encourage them to keep track and make sure their hours are signed off by the counseling secretary.

At this point, the audience split into two groups, IHS and Classic South because of the different requirements for graduation. The presenters gave parents handouts with details about requirements for each year for the various degrees: IHS, IB, IHS French Immersion, Int’l Studies, Nat’l Honor Society, and 4j Honors. They also passed out handouts on volunteer opportunities and a list of local organizations needing volunteers. You can obtain these handouts from the Career Resource Center. Virginia Farkus from the Career Resource Center and Kathy Ruggles were present. Virginia recommended that you send your kids to her. Her office receives notices of opportunities for things like the Festival of Trees or even ferret rescue, or for kids who like to work with animals. Things that get sent to them get posted all the time. She also recommended the United Way web site: www.unitedwaylane.org. Click on the Volunteer Connection heading at the top of the page, then click on the Volunteer Here . She said that this is a very good way to explore opportunities.

November 12, 2008 Minutes

2008-11-27T11:25:00.000-08:00

Parent Council Meeting Minutes, November 12, 2008

Connie Wonham -- Facilitator

Principal’s Update – Randy Bernstein

The school year is under way, progress reports are in the mail. If you didn’t get one please let us know. Everybody should get one.

The Direct Donation Drive is under way. People should have received a letter and donation envelope in the mail by now.
Enrollment – no decisions regarding caps or transfers have been made yet. Superintendent, George Russell, will be deciding how the district will deal with enrollment policies by the beginning of December. The school board has been doing some enrollment management for the past few years. Changes may be phased in.

Winter sports registration took place last week. Some sports had to be cut, funding reduced.

The play, “Rent” was a big success. There were some questions regarding whether it was appropriate material for high school. Most of the feedback was positive. Randy received one letter of deep concern about it being inappropriate for high school level. Parents present at the meeting expressed pride in the school and the actors.

Scrip program – Choir groups have been signing people up. Even kids who shop at Safeway can be signed up. The groups submit a list of persons who they have signed up. Once a person on the list has made a purchase, it can be tracked, and the choir group gets a $10 credit for their group.

Financial Update – Cindy Wright
We have brought in $30 more for directories. They can still be purchased. Some people have not picked up the ones they have paid for. We are at 100% for our registration donation goal ($5,000). We’ve brought in $6,200 this year in scrip, $4,839 of which is e-scrip. Albertson’s scrip totaled $1,500 – they have a different sign-up procedure. You have to sign up for their card, then they automatically donate when you make your purchase with your card. Our checking account has $14,500. We earned $1,900 in interest from our $56,000 in the 4j investment account. We have $83,000 in Total Assets.

Should we continue Newmans and Sundance scrip?

We are currently selling individual scrip for Newman’s and Sundance for a 5% gain for the school. Newmans and Sundance are included in Unique Eugene scrip for a 10% gain for the school. It makes sense to us to discontinue selling the individual scrip which brings in only 5%, and encourage people to purchase Unique Eugene scrip which brings in 10% for the school. It is sold in $10 denominations and gives back cash for change. The Parent Council voted to discontinue selling Newman’s and Sundance scrip once it is sold out, then switch to Unique Eugene. You can buy scrip at the front office or call in to have it sent home with your student. Large purchases may even be delivered. Unique Eugene scrip can make a great gift as it includes 20 different merchants (see last month’s minutes).

Volunteers are still needed for the Staff Appreciation Lunch on December 12. Especially needed are people to bring salads, desserts, do setting and serving, clean up. Please call to help.

Health Center Fundraising Request. -- Kara Penniman

Kara is a Mental Health Therapist who works half time at South and half time at Churchill in the Health Centers located in the schools. Kara brought it to our attention that the Health Centers will be losing their funding from PeaceHealth by the end of this year. Most people assume that the Health Centers are funded through 4j or will be helped by the bond issue, but that is not the case. The Health Centers will need alternative fund raising for their services to continue in the high schools. The Health Centers are available to students and their siblings (birth to 19 years) in the Eugene area. They provide infant vaccinations, teenage emotional counseling, help for illnesses, injuries and ongoing health problems, counseling for depression, anger management, attention and focusing challenges, family stress and change, anxiety, substance abuse, as well as other mental health issues. My School’s Health Centers work on a sliding fee scale, down to zero, insured or not. They also make referrals to specialists including dentists or optometrists .Kids feel more comfortable using facilities on-site. Kara is working with the Teen Advisory Council to approach schools to find parents who are interested in keeping the Health Centers running.

Parent Education Series – What You May Not Know About Teenage Girls

Presenters – Annelise Heitman from Ophilia’s Place located at 1577 Pearl Street, Suite 200 in Eugene,www.opheliasplace.net, and Kara Penniman from My School’s Health Center at South,541-687-3209.

Ophelia’s Place is a drop-in resource center offering support groups and prevention services for all girls ages 10-18. They focus on strengths when working with girls on building self-esteem, safety in relationships, body image & health, communication with family & peers, and success in school and future goals.

Kara is one of two mental health therapists at the SEHS health center. Grant Stuart (one of last month’s presenters for teen boys) is her counterpart at the Health Center. They are available during school hours . Both she and Grant facilitate group counseling at the schools. They also make referrals to parents on where to go for help.

Kara asked her group of girls what they wanted parents to know:

I’m not going to turn out like my mom or my dad or my sister or my aunt, just because I mess up sometimes.
Annelise and Kara provided an assortment of handouts ranging from dating violence, cyberbullying, self-injury, eating disorders, and developmental assets.

One parent asked, “are there girl gangs at south?” Randy responded that there are not girl gangs per se, but there are cliques of bullyish girls. There is an increase in physical violence in schools. There are groups of girls who use physical aggression. I haven’t seen a huge increase. It tends to be a little more difficult dealing with issues with girls because the issues tend to be deeper and it is harder for girls to get over it.

Friendships are really important at this age, so girls are willing to put up with abusive friends. Girls might not come to their parents. If your daughter comes to you, believe her, trust, listen. Girls want freedom more than anything else. They are afraid parents will take away their freedom, solve all their problems for them, so they may not share. Schools can be a good ally—we can move lockers, make subtle changes, etc. Parents are encouraged to capitalize on strengths—girls have enough negative thoughts about themselves. Create rituals and celebrate transitions.

Power Point Outline:

WELCOME SEHS PARENTS
What You May Not Know About Teenage Girls
Ophelia’s Place

Comprehensive health care available at South, room 109, from 8am-4pm
Mental health care, school nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner
Group, individual and family therapy

What girls want you to know:

I’m not going to turn out like my mom or my dad or my sister or my aunt, just because I mess up sometimes.
Parents should understand not to yell and at there kid but not give lectures because i know from first hand that lectures are even more annoying than parents hitting you.
Most important predictors of positive youth development:
Loving supportive family

Connection to school

Involvement in youth program or creative activities
What’s plaguing our daughters?
Media influence on body image and gender roles
Relational Aggression / Bullying
Dating Violence

Mental Health Implications

Depression/Anxiety
Alcohol & Drug Abuse
Self Harm
Suicide
Etc.

Many women internalize the stereotypes set forth through advertising and judge themselves by the beauty industry’s impossible standards. Women learn to compare themselves to other women, and to compete with them for male attention.
The average American woman is 5’4”, 140lbs. and size 14.The “Ideal” American woman portrayed by models, and popular stars is 5’7” or taller, 100 lbs. and size 4. Models are 15-23% below average weight.Less than 10% of women are genetically capable of “supermodel stats”.
Scope of the problem
81% of ten year olds are afraid of being fat – more afraid than they are of nuclear war, cancer, or losing their parents

7-18 year olds are the # 1 users of diet pills

90% of high school juniors and senior girls frequently think about their body shape and dieting even though only 10-15% are over the weight standard by height/weight charts.

The #1 wish of girls 11-17 years old is to lose weight

Eating disorders are the 3rd leading health problem for teen girls in America. 5-10 million girls in the US currently have eating disorders.

Signs to look out for:
Losing weight rapidly
Losing and gaining weight erratically
Wearing oversized clothes
Talking about being fat very frequently
Eating secretly/privately
Barely eating or picking at food
Eating excessively
Knowing calorie count of most foods

Exercising excessively
Avoiding social gatherings
Spending a lot of time in the bathroom, especially after meals
Hiding food
Using alcohol, laxatives, diet pills, illegal drugs.
Obsessing about food and preparing it for others
Weighing self frequently

Advertising gives some not so subtle messages about gender role expectations.

Women’s magazines tend to focus on relationships and changing and improving one’s self, while men’s magazines focus on the outside world, news, politics and hobbies & activities.
In advertising women are often depicted sexually and as an object for the viewer’s imagination.
MTV regularly includes girls and women in the role of sex objects in the majority of its shows and videos, but rarely shows women who are serious musicians (except singers). When men are shown in the background of a music video, they are most often fully clothed.
Although the 80’s, 90’s and media of today showcases more women in “tough” action roles usually reserved for men, the “tough girl” still has to fit the mold of young, beautiful and sexy.
In our culture today, women have unprecedented stress to be “everything” (professional, thin and good looking, social, nurturing mother and wife, sex object, homemaker, etc..).

Why are girls so awful to each other?

According to the National Education Association, on a daily basis, 160,000 girls and young women nationwide report missing school out of fear of aggression of other girls.
What is relational aggression?
Relational aggression – acts that “harm others through damage (or threat of damage) to relationships or feelings of acceptance, friendship, or group inclusion.”
The relationship itself is used as a weapon intended to damage self-esteem or social status within a group.
EXAMPLES…
Ignoring someone to punish them or get your way
Revealing a secret or spreading a rumor to get back at someone
Excluding someone socially for revenge
Using negative body language or facial expressions
Sabotaging someone else’s relationship/s
Threatening to end a relationship unless the friend agrees to a request
Publically or privately bullying over cell phone or internet

What is Cyberbullying?
being cruel to others by sending or posting harmful material using technological means.

People bully others through:
personal web pages
social networking sites
cell phones
blogs
text, picture and video messages
email
IMing (instant messaging)

OVERT BULLYING & DISCRIMINATION
Race
Socio-Economic Class
Size
Sexual/Gender Orientation
Religion
Abilities (Physical & Mental)

Girls are socialized to be relationship focused
A girl’s worst fear is isolation… not only because it’s lonely but because in our culture it means there’s something wrong
with her. This leads girls to stay in abusive friendships and later abusive partnerships.

DATING VIOLENCE 101
Dating Violence is….

Repeated verbal, emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse used to frighten, confuse, intimidate, isolate, and control a dating partner and/or the relationship

Always the fault and responsibility of the person doing the hurting. No one deserves to be abused no matter what!

Something that can happen to anyone regardless of gender, sexual orientation, religion, economic status, ethnicity, educational and/or national background, or ability.
Early Warning Signs of Teen Dating Violence

Gets too serious about the relationship too fast. Seems overly generous, attentive, attached, or affectionate.
Is jealous and possessive towards her:
won’t let her have certain friends
checks up on her constantly (calling, text messaging, or asking her friends/parents where she is)
won’t accept breaking up
Tries to control her by being very bossy, giving orders, making all the decisions.
May tell her what to wear, how to act, or who she should hang out with.
Doesn’t take her opinions seriously or care what she wants. Puts her down or calls her names.
Is scary. Threatens her, hits or breaks things, carries weapons to show power. She worries about how they will react to things she says or does.
Is violent: has a history of fighting, loses temper quickly, brags about mistreating others, hurts animals. Hits, pushes, pinches, kicks, or threatens to hurt her. Destroys property or gifts between them.
Pressures her for sex, is forceful or scary around sex. Attempts to manipulate or guilt-trip her by saying “If you really loved me you would…”
Abuses drugs or alcohol and either pressures her to use them or won’t allow her to.
Blames her when he/she mistreats her. Says she provoked them, pressed their buttons, made them do it, lead them on.
Demands attention at inappropriate times such as during a class.
Has a history of bad relationships and blames the other person or tells her he/she is worried for her safety.

Research has shown that these issues are major predictors of multiple social-psychological and behavioral difficulties; including:
depression
loneliness
anxiety and anger
self harm / cutting
lower GPA
school drop-out
substance abuse
risky sexual behavior
maladaptive eating patterns
suicidal ideation
delinquency and criminal behavior

Warning SignsWords or actions that cause concern.The cloud is now very dark and has thunder and lightning… it’s going to rain.
Giving things away
Drastic change from severe depression to seemingly happy or at peace
Talking about death or ways to die
Expressing hopelessness
Weight loss
Reckless behavior

Pushing people away /increase in conflict
Grades or school attendance drops
Change in dress or hygiene
Disruptive or rebellious behavior towards peers or adults
HOW TO HELPsomeone who is about to commit suicide
Act immediately
Stay with the person (unless you are in danger)
Call 911 or go to the local emergency room
Call a suicide hotline
Tell them you don’t want them to die
Listen to them
What can we do?
Understand your own issues with weight, food, body image.
Don’t talk negatively about your own body
Model healthy eating & exercise behavior
MODEL
NOT GOSSIPING - CATCH AND NAME GOSSIP

GOOD CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Look critically at and discuss the unrelenting media influence on body image, gender stereotypes, and sexuality, and relationships
Capitalize on their strengths and talents
Encourage self care
Help them get help
WHAT CAN WE DO?
KEEP COMMUNICATION OPEN
LISTEN & TAKE SERIOUSLY
VALIDATE – CAREFUL NOT TO BLAME
ASK QUESTIONS THAT LEAD TO A SOLUTION RATHER THAN GIVING ADVICE
FOCUS ON STRENGTHS

October 29th Minutes

2008-11-08T21:31:00.000-08:00

SEHS Parent Council Meeting, October 29, 2008

Helen Garrett stood in as facilitator for Connie Wonham.

Principal’s Update – Randy Bernstein

Bomb Scare – Randy was out of town when the school received a bomb scare by telephone last week. It was determined to be a low-credibility threat due to the lack of details. A student working in the office took the call, office staff ordered an evacuation, school district officials and police did a search (no lockers were opened), two periods were interrupted, a letter explaining the threat was sent home with students.

Direct Donation Drive is on the way. We do this twice a year, it is our biggest fundraiser. It goes through EEF. We rely on it. Last year we received over $80,000. Donations help keep classrooms open. Sometimes we get $5K to $10K donors, $150 to $200 donations are most common, but even a $5 participation donation is appreciated.

The newsletter was mailed out today. The Principal’s letter gave more details on Essential Skills.

Mid-term reports will be done next Friday.

School Board Work Session – Right now the school board is considering enrollment management: how many transfers a school can take. SEHS may be capped at 1,500. Right now we’re at 2,000. The new policies will affect staffing: fewer kids, fewer teachers, fewer programs (language, arts. We current have 250 or more kids who live in the Churchill district, while only 40 kids from the South district choose Churchill. HIS at South will be hit the hardest.

Financial Update – Cindy Wright

Directory Sales brought in $3,178. Registration donations were $4,498, $2 short of the goal set at $5,000. (Randy pulled $2 from his wallet to reach our goal.) Scrip sales from July 1 through September were $5,320, $3,800 of that was e-scrip. Cindy introduced our Scrip Publicity Coordinator, Greg Maynard, who is looking at ways to set general goals and develop techniques to enhance scrip sales. Greg passed out a handout detailing trends of e-scrip supporters and revenues. Since 2005 we have been steadily increasing revenues using e-scrip. As of September ’08, we have 609 supporters (people who are signed up for e-scrip with 331 merchants). Analysis of the data indicates that 6% of supporters account for 48% of the gross revenues YTD. Greg reiterated that people who are making purchases from merchants, like Safeway and Market of Choice, could be generating income for SEHS simply by signing up for e-scrip. His group brainstormed ideas of ways to get people to sign up. One idea was to get school groups or clubs who want to raise money for their group to encourage consumers to sign up for scrip. Based on the number of persons the kids got to sign up, the group would be rewarded financially for their efforts. Another idea involved organizing a phone bank to call lists of parents (potential consumers) to walk them through the steps of registering for e-scrip.

Yet another idea was to use Unique Eugene Scrip. This is a paper scrip system that garners a 10% gain for the school. This group consists of 20 different merchants: Blue Moon Jewelry Designs, Dot Dotson’s, Down to Earth, England Audio, Eugene Toy & Hobby, Footwise, Greater Goods, Harlequin Beads & Jewelry, McDonald Gallery Fine Framing, Newman’s Fish Market, Oregon Art Supply, Pacific Winds Music, Passion Flower Design, Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life, Rainbow Optics, Saturday Market, Sequential Biofuels Station, Smith Family Bookstore, Sundance Natural Foods, Tactics Boardshop. This scrip makes a great gift, and imagine if you are purchasing a new bicycle for $300, the school gets $30, or a $400 pair of glasses, $40. Many of these things we buy anyway, why not benefit our school.
Staff Appreciation Day is December 12. Please volunteer to help by calling Kathy Ruggles, our Volunteer Coordinator.

PARENT EDUCATION SERIES “What You May Not Know About Being a Teenage Boy”

Presenters were Brandt Stuart, 4j Mental Health Specialist and Tibor Bessko, South Eugene counselor and leader of Young Men’s Support Group at SEHS.

We are attempting to discuss an endless variety of boys in a short amount of time. We want to hear from you about anything specific you are struggling with. Boys are confusing. Most of us didn’t get any help with that and we are still trying to work it out. Our struggle is partly because we haven’t worked it out ourselves.

The presenters asked the audience what they really love about our boys and wrote those things inside a circle drawn on a white board. Some things contributed by the audience were: humor, intelligence, energy, strength, relationships less complicated, boys have a totally different perspective, I’m learning about a whole different kind of music, arts, culture is new for us, acceptance, tolerance for others, appreciation, compassion, sensitivity, hugging, displays of affection, competitive and genuine, wit, critical thinking, unexpected strengths or interests, comfort with his identity, wider degree of being who you want to be, tenacity, navigating non-stop physical changes.

Outside of the circle—What are all the things that keep boys from being all these things? Responses from the audience were: Calling each other “faggot” – they use that word a lot, “gay” “you’re so gay.” Brandt said that we need to challenge them when they say that. Ask them, “What do you actually mean by that?” Obscenity is very prevalent in music, lyrics. Stereotypes – he’s a jock, nerd, there’s a bigger menu, but still pigeonholing. Girls have closed the gap in math and language arts, some boys are feeling that. Cruelty – it’s not cool to show too much enthusiasm or compassion, to be over-emotive, it is perceived as weak. Cliques – feeling compelled to get under a label. My son is hiding or lost, I am waiting for him to come out of his shell. There is a lot of trying on different hats, seeing where they fit. They keep in their emotions because they think they are supposed to handle it – vulnerability. Addictive behaviors. Win to be accepted, desire to fit in. Conflicting messages – pressure to be sensitive and pressure to win. Double bind. Having to negotiate the cultural expectations. Exhaustion, anger, depression. As a parent, you can see they are having difficulty, but if you say anything, they shut down. Apathy, low self esteem, not a winner. I feel like I am trying to ballet dance on egg shells, he says, “You don’t get it.” Do I step back? When am I going to know him again? How do you get your support? Tibor suggested to talk with people at school, share with other parents, read books on handout list. Isolation – even with their best closest friends, it’s really hard for them to say, “I’m really hurting.” Brandt said that developmental passage is complicated by marijuana, gaming and other risky behaviors. An adult male in the audience said he experiences the same things but doesn’t have time to deal with it because of his responsibilities. It’s not really a passage. We get better at dealing with these things. As men we still deal with it, but all of us are struggling. Boys see this on the faces of the men around them.

Brandt – Setting Limits, Anybody having any luck with that? Audience response: Overhovering – we are doing too many favors for them. Should we toughen them up? Are we being too vigilant, giving them too much attention. “My mom is all over me.” Experiment with not saying that thing you always say. Be careful of overcompensating (mom too lenient to make up for rigid dad or vise versa) try for a good balance. We all have a desire to help and guide, but we have our own set of issues , our own stuff guides our interactions with our child. Talk through what makes sense. How much comes from your own anxiety. Worrying is not really what’s going to help them. As parents, we are not always going to get it right – 75% is OK.
Negotiating turbulence – You can always come back to stuff later when you’re not so hot tempered. Communicate that there is unfinished business and you have to work this out.

Tibor asked his Young Men’s Support Group, “What would you like to tell a group of parents eager to hear about young men’s issues?”

Their responses: It’s harder for us to focus, We are heavily distracted by breasts, Moms don’t understand us and we don’t want to be understood (conflict), Gaming is a vicarious way for us to vent anger and can take your mind off of uncomfortable feelings, How to communicate with us, Communication is not all that enjoyable, Easier to communicate with males, Get to know our ways better. We are more nonverbally oriented, You don’t understand sarcasm, The silent treatment is a way to get back at or punish parents, Valor is important, ie, the willingness to put yourself on the line… “I won’t hold your hand or say I love you but I’d die for you!”, Brotherhood is important. We are impressionable, stupid and act on a whim, Take time to find out what we are interested in, Teenage boys are going to be moody, mean and angry. This is a temporary condition so it would be best to not take it personally, Food is the answer to everything! Don’t baby us.

Handout notes:
Tips for Communicating with, Understanding and Supporting Boys
-Food is the answer to almost everything
-Relationship building opportunities arise when you least expect them
-Communication may be happening without words being directly spoken
-Needing to have the last word is not recommended. In fact give them the last word
-Avoid generalizations and sarcasm when in conflict.
-Consequences don’t need to be immediate to be effective/you’ve got time to think and consult
-Pick your battles
-If you need to have a discussion, arrange a time, stick to the time (not too long), avoid lecturing and nagging
-Keep your sense of humor/read “Zits”
-Remind yourself that adolescence is a phase, not a permanent condition
-Encourage activities that allow for “natural highs”, especially outdoors
-Encourage regular exercise
-Excessive time using electronics may be a bigger problem than the content. Set reasonable limits on both fronts
_When frazzled, exhausted and on-edge, take care of yourself. It’ll make the work of parenting teen boys more manageable
-Talk to others in confidence about your concerns. You are not alone.
-Look for small successes/victories and share the specifics with them. All boys want to be seen as effective and useful.

Resources

The Trouble with Boys – Peg Tyre 2008
Raising Cain – Kindlon and Thompson 1999
Real Boys –William Pollack 1998
The Wonder of Boys –Gurian 1997
The Minds Of Boys: Saving our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life – Gurian 2005
Web Site - http://www.pbs.org/parents/raising boys

Parent Council and PES Minutes, September 24, 2008

2008-09-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

Connie Wonham introduced herself as the new facilitator of the Parent Council for 2008, replacing Helen Garrett. Connie has a senior student this year and will have a freshman student next year.

Kathy Ruggles is the Volunteer Coordinator and also runs the Career Center. She asked for volunteers to help in a variety of areas. All that is required is an application from the main office and a background check. The Career Center requires a 2 ½ hour commitment / week, other jobs are more flexible: help in library, parent council, field trips, senior projects, tutoring, etc. Parents can work with kids or not—there are lots of jobs that do not involve working directly with your kids, since many kids do not like their parents over their shoulders. Kathy can be reached at 687-3113 or e-mail at ruggles_k@4j.lane.edu.

Principal’s Update, Randy Bernstein

Randy reiterated the need for volunteers. Parents can help in study halls, advisory classes and can be math tutors.
Randy welcomed comments on Open House. Feedback is always welcome. A parent commented that she would like the open house to be a little bit longer, perhaps class times could be 12 minutes instead of 10. Randy said that perhaps it could begin earlier, so that time in the classes did not seem so rushed. A parent asked for maps offered in more places, some parents did not find them. The cookies and coffee were great. A parent commented that he observed 3 different styles from teachers: 1. Focus on rules of how they manage the classroom; 2. Overview of what the class is all about (i.e., approach, philosophy, what’s required); 3. Introduced himself to individual parents. He thought that style #2 was most helpful.
Randy asked parents to read Newsletters carefully. The next newsletter will have information on Essential Skills. ES has 9 different areas, 4 of which will be phased in this year. Students who are freshmen this year will have to demonstrate skills in reading, math and writing in order to graduate from high school. Some areas are still being ironed out, but information on Essential Skills will be the main topic of Freshman Night.

Enrollment – SEHS has 1,575 students. There are about 30-40 kids on the freshman waiting list.

School Improvement Plan Goal – Community Building
We would like to do a better job on welcoming our multi-cultural community with visuals around the school environment with posters, murals and signage. Randy invited parents to participate in exploring ways we could improve the appearance of the school hallways and open areas. The school would provide a modest budget for parents who would like to get involved. He suggested that parents could visit other schools and share ideas.

Cindy Wright – Financial Update

Cindy passed out an Actual Budget for 08-09, as of July 1. 08. The fundraising total for 07-08 was $32,056, with $23,318 coming from scrip. The liabilities section represents how we are planning to spend our money this year. Last year’s survey indicated that we want to continue funding library, music and volunteer coordinator, and we are doing that this year at a $36,094 price tag. We are spending more that we have, leaving nothing to help reduce class size, another priority indicated by the survey. Our focus this year is to increase fundraising through e-scrip. Helen Garrett gave an example of her experience shopping at Safeway: she made a $5.47 purchase of gift wrap and was able to use a number on her receipt to increase the scrip donation to South by $9.86. She said we can work the e-scrip system to make more money if parents are informed on how to do it. Cindy expressed a need for someone to take the lead to make parents and grandparents and anyone in the family who does the shopping aware that they can help the school make more money by using e-scrip.

The Preschool at SEHS is willing to have their families designate SEHS as e-scrip recipient in exchange for funds to pay for snacks for the kids in the preschool. Some high school students work there, and the high school uses it for a child psychology class. No members of the Parent Council objected to this idea.

Stand for Children

Jen Wyld spoke for Stand for Children, a non-partisan group that looks at issues that involve children and education. She encouraged parents to vote YES on Ballot Measure 20-137. It is the last item on the ballot. She mentioned that there are a lot of issues on the ballot this election and to please refer to www.stand.org/or for help on sorting out the issues that take money away from our kids’ educations.

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Parent Education Series – Getting Involved at South: Secrets Revealed

Stephanie Cannon is in charge of clubs at South. She can be reached at 687-3201 or e-mail cannon_s@4jl.lane.edu

A panel of students described life at South after school. Fine arts include drama, band, orchestra, and choir. Student Government meets 2X/week, plans majority of events, dances, clubs, fundraisers, prom, and this year, a talent show. Publications include Yearbook, The Axe, photography and ad sales. Sports include alternative and traditional to keep active. ASAP is a peer education program, Aides and Substance Abuse Prevention, students are trained by counselors to talk with sophomores and do activities to educate about aides and substance abuse. Clubs are a fun way to meet other people. Students can choose their own level of involvement. Academic subjects include chemistry, chess, community service, tango, Harry Potter. The Robotics Team brought the actual robot from last year’s group to the meeting. The goal was to build a robot that plays some game in 6 weeks. The robot was designed to pick up a huge ball and toss it over a 7 foot hurdle. It also gives great hugs. The team went to Portland and came in 21st out of 55, not bad for their first year. It costs $6,000 to go to a competition, so members meet with corporate execs to solicit donations. Mock trial Club was new last year, and it won the regional competition. In Mock Trial, students receive a packet of a pretend case and act it out, complete with prosecution team, witnesses, lawyers, then argue against a different school. There’s Model European Union and Model United Nations where students assume the role of ambassador, represent other countries and discuss world issues.
Stephanie said that during the first 3 weeks of school students can fill out an application to form a club of their own idea. They must have at least 5 members and an advisor from the community, advisor must be 21 yrs old. At Club Day next Wednesday, students gather and sign up, then Student Government decides which ones to fund and how much. Stephanie handed out an Athletic/Activities Flow Chart. Club activities are ranked in Tiers according to the level of school involvement and assumed liability. Tier 1 Activities are those that take place at school, under school supervision and funding. Tier 2 activities, such as rowing, equitation, x-country and skiing are generally under the guise of a national organization, but not funded by the district. Tier 3 and 4 activities are recognized as clubs, but the school does not take responsibility for the club. The club process is student initiated. We want to encourage students to get involved in a variety of ways. Time commitment is up to the student, for example, Frisbee may practice 3 times a week, but the student only goes twice a week.
More clubs are: Young Apollo where action plus education equals change, deals with issues on global warming and the environment, tree planting, beach cleanup, talks by professors, they partner with the Science Factory for Bike Day. Their project this year is educating about compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Parent questions:

Can students register later in the year? They can register, but cannot ask for money from Student Government. Clubs have to present to Student Government. Some funds come from the Alumni Groups. There is no deadline for signing up to clubs.

When do clubs meet? Are there advisors in attendance at all meetings? Meeting times vary, rowing is out every day. Harry Potter may meet once a month during lunch. Tier 4 clubs may not have an advisor present.

Club participation is about managing time. It is important to not let extracurricular activities get ahead of academics. Students have to plan ahead. They are encouraged to be involved in things they really care about.

Helen Garrett said that, as an Admissions Professional, she looks for “breadth and depth”. College application reviewers can see right through “resume loaders” who join 10 clubs, but never go to meetings or truly participate.

May 8th Meeting Minutes

2008-05-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

SEHS Parent Council Meeting Minutes – May 8, 2008

Financial Update – Cindy Wright

We paid $108 for e-news server, we brought in $2,300 in scrip for April. We have $15,145 for the year, our goal for this year was $15,000.

The checkbook balance is $6,931

4j balance is $39,224

Scrip balance is $10,371

Our fiscal year is July 1 to June 30.

Principal's Update – Randy Bernstein

Staff is working to prepare for next year, building schedules and deverloping new and revised programs.

Incoming Freshman Parent Night is Wednesday, May 14. It will start in the cafeteria for general information. Parents will receive color coded folders and split into group[s to rotate around the school. Eric and Travis will be in the cafeteria for questions on transitioning and scheduling, Stephanie and Dave will be in the library to talk about sports and clubs, Randy will be in the computer lab to talk about parent council and volunteering.

We are asking parents to update their scrip recipients. If you have a scrip card, it can be hard to change benefactors if you don't know your password. We want to remind people to change from middle school to high school.

On-line forecasting -- We are working with all the information. Eighth graders are put into the system on paper. Next week we will begin building the master schedule. We have about 50 fewer students for next year than this year. Some sections will be dropped: Global studies will remain the same, English will lose one, Math will lose one, Foreign Languages—French and Spanish will each lose one, Art will lose one, unless our donation drive brings in more money to cover costs.

AVID has been approved by the district. It is intended to help kids who have potential to go to college, but don't have support at home. It is implemented through freshman advisory. It helps kids in note taking, reading, and writing. Over 4,000 high schools in the country have implemented this program, 95% of the kids in this program go to college. We are identifying kids now.

School Improvement Plan – We are working on the goal of making the school more inviting visually and multi-culturally through décor and signage by adding signs in Spanish and several other languages, photo exhibits, posters, etc. We hope parents will work with this, too.

A parent commented that extra-curricular programs are not as well described as academics at the Open House. Helen Garrett suggested that we have a parent education topic in September on clubs and how you can get your kids involved.

Parent Council voted to raise the price of the student directory from $4 to $5 and look into adding e-mail addresses. Also, voted was to raise the suggested donation on the fees schedule for next year from $20 to $25.

Position Update –Helen Garrett is interviewing 2 potential candidates for Parent Council Chair to replace her next year. Helen will continue to organize the Parent Education Series of the Parent Council.

Michelle Pellitier has stepped in to be e-news editor for next year.

Scrip Accountant and Scrip Publicity openings are being interviewed for now.

Parent Council Checking Account and Scrip Checking Account may be combined to simplify.

Helen Garrett's suggested ideas for Education Series topics are “Motivating Boys” for October and “Motivating Girls” for November.

PARENT EDUCATION SERIES – May 8, 2008 – White Privilege, Now that we know

The following are paraphrased comments, some names are omitted in order to simplify note taking.

Tim McMahon from U of O read a quote – White Privilege is unearned advantage by white people simply by being white. Being white means never having to think about it.

The panel consisted of five students of color or multi-racial background who were assembled by South Counselor, Tibor Bessko (TB) for speaking up in classes with passion and courage about difficult topics.

T. B.: Please give your names and what ethnic or cultural group do you identify with?

Student Responses:

I was born in L.A. I am a mix of Hispanic, African American, American Indian and white.

Eugene, I check the box for black.

I was born in Korea. I was adopted. I lived in Springfield and now in Eugene.

I'm Jewish. American culture.

Eugene, I check the box for black.

T. B.: What are some of the things you love about your cultural heritage?

Student responses:

The Natives Program, cooking styles, always being in large groups. We are a huge family, speaking Spanish, sharing stories.

Our history, MLK, Jr., I am proud to be part of our struggle and what we've overcome, for being free. I respect those who stood up for me.

I wasn't really into my Korean culture because I grew up white in a white family.

My Jewish community as a cohesive unit, holiday parties, great food.

Being with my family at my house, being at South Eugene, being together with friends.

T. B.: What are some of the challenges of being in your skin?

Student A: Being half white, half colored. My father is Spanish. We would be followed in stores. Some people think I'm not as smart.

Student B: Am I white enough, black enough? Where am I accepted?

Student C: I lived in Springfield, and I was the only Asian, the stereotype of being an over achiever. Some people looked at me as if I were a different species altogether.

Student D: I have a lot of personal feeling that people think I'm a thug, a rapper, etc. White kids would question me. Am I righteous enough because of my skin tone.

Student E: There is a norm within society of the holidays. Christmas songs in music classes. Everything is planned around Christianity, but not Hanukka, the sports schedule, everything.

Student:

White Privilege: A Clarifying Conversation

2008-05-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

Parent Education Series – April 3, 2008

White Privilege
Panelists: Carla Gary, Asst. Vice Provost at U of O, Tim McMahon, UO, Ruth Wren, LCC Women's Program, Arbrella Luvert, Johnny Lake, Eugene District 4j, Juan Quadros, Asst. Principal at Roosevelt Middle School, Donna Koechig, Mark Harris, and James Florendo, Lane Community College.

Randy Bernstein, Principal: The idea for this meeting came from me and a SEHS parent with the hope that parents will see with new eyes and find new ways of looking at things.. Our school staff has spent professional development time and training regarding “cultural competence.” What is it? And Why? Schools are supposed to be the great equalizers. We have an achievement gap. We have an opportunity gap. We would like to be more proud of our programs. We would like to eliminate cultural bias and include cultural sensitivity. Once we recognize white privilege, how do we use that privilege to make things better?

Carla Gary: This is a difficult conversation, particularly in view of current events. This is a journey of a lifetime. Some things you will hear may make you feel uncomfortable. I say, “Welcome to the world, step out on faith, open possibility to see through new eyes. Hard conversations have to happen every day. This is just the beginning, we live it every day of our lives.

What is white privilege? Various paraphrased comments from members of the panel:

It is an institution...white race in dominant positions of power...doors are open to white people.

I have dark skin, dark hair. White privilege is something I don't have.

When I show up at someone's office, they say, “Oh, you don't look the way you sound over the phone.” Meaning that they though I was white because I spoke the king's English.

White privilege in America is never having to think about it. I can be sure of three things:
1. I will always be presumed to be innocent.
2. There will always be a presumption of worthiness.
3. There will always be a presumption of competence.

When does the fish know when he's out of the water? You only realize white privilege when you don't have it. You have an advantage over somebody else who is disadvantaged. Racism and sexism are a norm in our society.

My high school counselor told me to forget about college. He said, “You people are good at working in the fields or with your hands.”

When I came here to Eugene from L.A., I went to a store with my father to look for a toy for my son. We walked up and down the aisles, testing toys. When we left the store, my father said, “Did you see that sales clerk following us, watching as if we were going to steal something?”

Shifts and changes are happening quickly. Kids are not seeing race. Children are more prepared for these conversations than we are. We are behind our children and we had better catch up.

For some students, the U of O campus is the most diverse place they have ever been. You can be pretty sure the professors and administrators are going to be white. White folks just don't bring it up sometimes.

I have lived here for 25 years, but don't consider it home. Why is the immigration issue not about whites? It's always about Mexicans. There are a (large number) of illegal whites in the United States.

If you are a dark skinned Cuban who immigrates to the U.S., you get sent back to Haiti, but white Cubans get to stay.

¾ of 1% of the total population of the U.S. are Native Americans. It used to be 100%. In this country there are over 300 tribes, each one is considered a separate nation. I am an Indian. I've lived in this community for over 30 years. I am the one Indian in the room. How does that affect our community? I'm the only Indian you can find. The only Indian kid in the room becomes the spokesman for all the 300 tribes.

Resegregation of the schools.

I moved here as a white person to this predominantly white community. I didn't know anyone, but always felt comfortable. When I compared notes with my dark skinned friend, he said he did not feel comfortable. His experience was not being welcomed.

I have to blend in. You have to negotiate who you are. A chameleon on a red chair doesn't make the chair red.

Those who have undeserved privilege must be ever mindful of those who have undeserved burdens.

Your perceptions are not necessarily shared.

The audience broke up into groups and were joined by members of the panel. These are various paraphrased responses from the groups:

Table 1 --We had a wide ranging and focused conversation about different types of privilege – adoptees, heavy people, female. We talked about discernment vs. discrimination. We are hard wired to notice these things in different ways. Tolerance and acceptance, apathy and empathy. That's so gay – stereotypes.

Table 2 – We talked about what brought us to this meeting. Some of us wanted to be involved, some of us came from other parts of the country. Why it is important to talk about racism. Responsibility to understand that you have privilege.

Table 3 – We talked about being asked tactless questions about adopted children. Why is student government disproportionately white? How does one take on the burden and become an ally? How do we help have these conversations with our kids?

Table 4 – These are difficult conversations to have because we are afraid we are going to say the wrong thing. It is not something we talk about except in close groups. It is important to have conversations and bring up when it occurs. Need everyone, not just people of color to bring up. We all have responsibility.

Table 5 – We had a sense of awkwardness, started by telling personal stories. How it felt to have contact with people of color. Talked about experiences of racism in schools. “Your son doesn't need to take Spanish because he won't be going to college.

Table 6 – What do we do with our knowledge? Let's not look back but now and forward. Make the situation for all of us better, share the richness, making it better for all concerned.

Table 7 – Personal accounts around white privilege. How it is difficult. We think that Eugene is liberal and hip, but no it is not. There is a lot of work to be done. Continue to do the struggle and hard work.

Table 8 – We giggled over the fact that Eugene is not liberal. We have to talk about this in a way that does not put someone on the defensive. Problem solving, not blaming. We heard a story about a Columbian drug dealer—of course, he's Columbian, must be a drug dealer.

Table 9 – This is about our children and what do we want to teach them? Who is responsible? We want to find that person and set him straight, but he is, of course, us. (laughter)_ We all have inherited these issues. We all have to work together. It has to be a multi-cultural group at the table.

Carla Gary: The conversation has to continue. Important for all children to see themselves as the face of scholarship. Plant a tree under whose shade you do not expect to sit. It is hard to take people on a journey when they think they have arrived. Stick and stay and come back Thursday, May 8, 7:30, for Where do we go from here?

Parent Council Meeting Minutes April 3, 2008

2008-05-08T17:09:00.000-07:00

Parent Council Meeting -- April 3, 2008

Helen Garrett : We need someone to step in as a replacement for Chairperson. Helen will continue as coordinator and organizer of Parent Education Series.

Principal's Update:

Today we just got the lists for the lottery. We hope to be able to send out notices by the end of the week on spots for out of district students. This is a complicated process since International High School has a fixed number of spots, but we do not know for sure yet what the projected numbers for Classic South will be. Policies on school choice for the district will change in Fall 2009 school year to balance high school districts.

Site Council did approve the Science changes regarding IB and AP courses. The proposed changes have moved through the Curriculum Committee.

Curriculum Guides are available and students will do their own data entry on line. Students can request courses over an 11-day period. This gives students a little bit more control and time to think about their requests. It is not a first-come, first-serve process – students are requesting courses, which will then be prioritized, not guaranteed. Requests will help administrators determine staffing and availability. Schedules will be sent out in August and may be adjusted.

C-Bop – Credit Based on Proficiency – learn more about this at the next Parent Council Meeting.

School is going until Wednesday, June 19th, 2 days of finals at the end of the semester, Monday may be a review day. SEHS graduation will be on the same day as U of O and Lane CC.

May 8th Parent Education Series-- White Privilege: Now that we know, where do we go from here?

Teens at Work: Interviews, Resumes and Finding Part Time Jobs

2008-04-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

Presentation Minutes:

March 6, 2008

Presenters: Jocelyn Lamar, School to Career Coordinator, South Eugene High School. Lori Kramer, Career and Employment Services Advisor, Lane Community College.

Jocelyn Lamar

Jocelyn presentation covered labor laws, the job market, Search Direction, how to get the job and how to search for one for students. She was covering students ages 14-17 for this presentation.

Labor Laws:
She provided attendees with a handout on labor law. A work permit is no longer required. Employers must have an Employment Certificate and list their minors they hire every year.

The hours that 14-15 year olds can work a week is tricky. They can work 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., 3 hours during the day, but not during school hours. Very restricted from working any more than this. They can work up to 40 hours a week during the summer, June 1st through Labor Day. 7 a.m. – 9 p.m., 8 hrs/day and 40 hours a week/maximum.
Employers typically look for 16 year old or older to avoid possible violations with the labor laws.

As far as the job market goes, school rarely gets phone calls asking for high schoolers due to the high minimum wage in Oregon. Employers would rather hire college age students and they have access to many adults.

Search Direction

When looking for a part time job know what you are not willing to do. Some options are:

Fast food, courtesy clerk, camp counselor, lifeguard with City of Eugene, retails sales, file clerk, day care provider, data entry-computers, hotel/housekeeping, Residency Hall cleaning (lots of work will be coming because of the Olympic Trials here this summer and athletes staying in UO housing that needs to be cleaned).
What are your interests?

Sports, cooking, organizing, computers, making and fixing things, working with other, fashion and retail.

What is your comfort zone?
Interacting with people (movie theater?), working behind the scenes (stocking at Wal-Mart, Down to Earth?), being physically active (city, county groundskeeper, life guarding, trail maintenance?), working in an office environment (file clerk, running errands, Xeroxing, record keeping?), working outdoors (lumber yards, building fences, painting?)

Go to the places you like to go:

Favorite restaurant, favorite stores, recreational organizations like Bergs, Court Sports, city agencies, companies around town that you know and like. Talk to your and your parents’ circle of friends that might be hiring.

Get Some Background:
Visit or research the business. Observe employees at work. Identify potential job and learn the qualifications. Do you need a driver’s license or food handler’s permit? Know the hiring process: is there a drug screening, typing test, math test or customer service test required?

Visual, Verbal and Written Communication:
Be ready to apply on the spot when you go in to inquire. Have all of your vital statistics on hand, maybe on a jump drive or on the Pocket Resumes that Jocelyn gives out to students. Be ready to submit your resume or application to manager. Have them see you in the way they would on the job. Wear what the employers are already wearing (within reason!).

Be ready to provide small details about yourself, school you attend, age, availability, license?

Senior Residence Centers are great places to look, like Cascade Manor that need food servers.

Obtaining a Food Handler Certificate- it is good for two years and costs $10.00 to take the test. Jocelyn has information in her office on this.
Looking for a summer job?

Begin right after spring break through May 1st.

Jocelyn recommends working 15-20 hours per week for a good balance. Be sure to provide three strong references on your resume and a list of what skills you excel. Managers generally don’t fire students, they just cut your hours back if it isn’t going well hoping that you will get the hint and quit.

Parents should talk with students about what expectations they have for the money students are earning. Is it for gas, insurance, college, or at the student’s discretion on how to spend it?

Lori Kramer:

Teen experiences to put on a resume: babysitting, dog walking, recycling, sports teams, choir, organizations, community/volunteer experiences, Greenhill volunteering, reading to children, any certificates earned.

Interviewing tips: Research the company and know their mission statement. Prepare some questions. Dress up and don’t wear jeans to the interview even if the employees are wearing them. Cover up any tattoos and piercings. Shake hands and maintain eye contact with the interviewer.

Give responses to questions that are more than just yes or no and elaborate when you can to fill in for them how you have the skills necessary to do the work.
Send or deliver a thank you note after the interview, thanking them for taking time to interview you. Be sure to spell the name correctly. It is a good idea to ask for a business card after the interview to have this information accurate.
Lane Community College has a job seeker website available for free to all Lane County residents at www.lanecc.edu/ces

Do a mock interview with someone you don’t know, like a parents’ friend to practice talking to strangers.

For more information on searching for jobs go to:
http://oregoncis.uoregon.edu/webcis. User name is careersehs and Password is ax1s

February 12th – Parent Council Minutes

2008-03-05T23:08:00.000-08:00

Principal Randy Bernstein’s Report:

• Judy Shepherd, Matthew Shepherd’s mom will be addressing students at an assembly. It costs $10,000 for her to speak and they are suggesting $10 donations at the door. The assembly is voluntary for the students to attend and is at the end of the school day.
• A discussion ensued about 4j’s “Shaping the Future” recommendations. The website has the full report, please read it. There will be a public hearing on February 20th and there is a calendar on the website that shows the events.
• Site Council is soliciting comments from parents and you are encouraged to contact the 4j Board of Education to express concerns about FTE hours for teachers and class sizes.
• Mixed messages on small high schools facing 3-4 FTE cuts. Feeling helpless and reversing policy decisions.

Financial Update- Cindy Wright:

• Survey out on how to spend our Parent Council funds
• Need more volunteers for Funding Committee for meetings on February 21st and 28th at 7 p.m. in the library. We want to hear all aspects of the discussion.

Guest Speaker: Judy Hoar, “Let’s Get Real About Drugs and Alcohol at South” Task Force

• Judy saw a story on TV about a middle school in Washington that asked parents to sign a pledge to supervise kids in their homes and to communicate with other parents. Can see the pledge on the website.
• The school in Washington has received a grant to print directories and information.
• We can use their program and tweak it if we want to, but we just need to acknowledge where it came from.
• If your kid comes to my house, call me and I will supervise and communicate.
• Parent comment-including middle schools
• Parent who is signing this is saying that they are monitoring teens in regard to alcohol/drug consumption. Parents can still drink in their own homes. Parents are asked to set a responsible example.
• Parent comment- suggest that we bring this up with student council. Students may feel controlled and it is good to have a conversation. It will matter how this is presented.
• Judy sees this as possibly being connected to the student directory with an icon next to the name.
• Parent comment-Has this program been around long enough to show results?

Announcements: Helen
• Keynote presentation on survey results will be on Parent Council Minutes link on Parent Council website.
• Budget Committee will meet February 21st and February 28th.
• Helen will not be Parent Council Chair after June. She will continue to do Parent Education Series. Please write to her if you are interested.
• KC Templeton has also asked for help to produce the directory, too.

Funding Survey Results
• Helen took us through a visual presentation of the survey results. 88 parents asked for the survey and 55 responded.

Parent Education Series – Beyond Romeo and Juliet: A Parent’s Discussion on Teen Dating and Relationships

• High School dating-what do you think when your child has his or her first crush?
• Panel consisted of 4 current South students and Shannon Kilduff, Educator from Planned Parenthood
• Parent Question (PQ): How does it work nowadays?
• Panelist Response (PR): Students usually go out as friends first. Shannon said what’s going out versus hanging out? Terminology-hanging out is with a bunch of friends. Going out is the equivalent of going steady.
• PQ: In our good day “good girls didn’t do anything, what’s going on?
• PR: It varies from person to person. Some people are having sex, based on your morals. I think some parents are naïve about it. If you want to know you have to ask.
• PR: Average age in United States of first sexual intercourse is 15. World average (including oral sex) is 13.5 Many parents think it is not happening here.
• PQ: Impression is that kids think many of them are having sex.
• PR: Shannon-sexual activity and teen pregnancies has continued to drop. Young people are waiting longer to become sexually active.
• Randy: Last year’s 11th graders that were surveyed showed that 44% have had sexual activity. Four years it was 52%
• PQ: Quoted a pediatrician in South Eugene “Even my goody two shoe girls are usually going to have sexual intercourse if they are in a committed relationship”
• PQ: How hard is the emotional part of it for kids?
• PR: Hard to say, such a range. Juno did it on a whim, that’s just not how it works in our group. We’ve had a lot of health education and wouldn’t do it just because we are bored.
• PQ: Sexual energy seems to be powered by young women now.
• PR: Expectation is put on the girl if she wants to keep the relationship going.
• PQ: How can I support my child? What worked is that we have been talking openly since they were 4 years old. What did your parents do to open communication? What shuts your down?
• PR: Can’t really stop it. Parents need to be more accepting. Offer to be there to talk, don’t forbid sex and reiterate safety procedures. If my mom asks too much, I’ll keep a distance.
• PQ: Is it better to just shut up and don’t talk?
• PR: Be available. Be accepting-don’t shut them down.
• Shannon brought handouts for students and parents on Sexual Education and Sexual Health. Packets are free from 1-800-KITSFORUS
• PR: Let students know that they can use protection. Shannon: There is a stigma of having Planned Parenthood so close to South Eugene High School. There are five different locations around town. Planned Parenthood has a great reputation for giving information.
• PQ: What are the things parents can do to encourage healthy, loving and caring relationships that may or may not include sex?
• PR: Setting example by modeling good relationships yourself. Shannon: Lots of sex education, but not much on trust and relationships. Everybody has a different path. You can’t teach when relationships are going to happen.
• PQ: I like to use the media like “Juno” and “Knocked Up” to initiate a conversation.
• PR: Shannon-you might ask, “What do you think you would do in that situation?”
• PQ: What if my kid wants a sleepover with girls and guys saying that these are their friends and nothing is going to happen. Do you let them?
• PQ: It would make it harder for me to not allow it if some other parents allow it.
• PR: Shannon-explaining your gut to your kid is really important. Continue to have open communication.
• PQ: Creating the climate, questions about dress and abdomen hanging out. Back in the day, kids would be expelled if they were caught kissing and wearing inappropriate dress.
• Randy: There is a dress code, anything promoting violence is not allowed, bikinis. At the high school level bare midriffs were a passing fad. Hugging and kissing in the halls, some staff are non-assertive. Really passionate stuff is discouraged.
• PQ: Totally Awesome Health-good book to use.
• PR: Health and Drug Education just gets more alarming. It doesn’t get into the relationships. You get more in depth and talk about sex more. Shannon and a parent-Unitarian Universalist Church has program OWL, Our Whole Lives addresses relationships really well.
• PQ: Thinking through decision about sex, how supportive are peers?
• PR: Friends would look out for one another. Shannon-anyone at any age has confidential access to birth control, covered under health insurance and doesn’t go through parent’s health insurance. Planned Parenthood encourages talking with parents.

January 9th – Parent Council Minutes

2008-03-05T22:22:00.000-08:00

Financial Update-Cindy Wright
• Sales of Chinook Books and Directories provide our funding
• $348 for staff appreciation
• Purchased $50.00 Xenon restaurant gift certificate for outgoing
Parent Volunteer Coordinator, Claudia Carmichael.

Principal’s Update – Randy Bernstein

• IB parent meeting set for Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the library to discuss what to do about the need to meet the IB science requirements, since we have discovered that we aren’t doing so now.
• Enrollment dip is following along to the high schools. 300 fewer students expected next year and 100 fewer the year after that. This could result in program reductions and affects the advance science offerings.
• Schedules for next semester will be sent out. Look for them to come with your students.
• Martin Luther King, Jr Student Assembly this Friday.
• Drama Department’s Play is the Laramie Project. This is referring to a hate crime against Matthew Shepherd and his mom, Judy Shepherd will be here to speak to our students. It will cost $10,000 to bring her here and there are fundraising efforts to cover the cost and they’ll be asking for donations at the door.
• We are actively using the new pre-arranged absence forms now. Watch for more information in the newsletter.

Announcements
• Helen Garrett wants to continue to do the Parent Education Series, if there is interest in her doing so, but will be stepping down as Parent Chair in June. We are, therefore, looking for a new Parent Chair after this year.

Guest Speaker- Joy Marshall, Stand for Children
• Joy gave history of this fundraising/lobbying group’s history which started from a parent at Roosevelt
• We are running in place in terms of funding and need to ask, “Who is really in charge of school funding at this point?”
• They work on raising awareness for school funding by drawing parental attention to ballot measures and working with the legislature. They identify for voters which legislators are for or not pro-school funding.
• Because of these efforts we have more money at Roosevelt and at South. That is the power of school parents.
• Stand for Children is looking for ideas from parents. Why does 4j have such large classes? Funding cuts? Teacher burnout?
• There are 6 ballot measures coming in November that will affect school funding and they want voters to know what these are and how to impact school funding positively.

Funding Issues
• Helen announced that there would be a survey going out to parents to solicit their funding ideas and the results will be shared at the February Parent Council meeting. We want to get a sense from the parents of where we want to go with our funding.
• Decisions will need to be made by March on whether we are going to fund the administrations’ staffing request

Parent Education Series – Preparing Your Teen for the World of Credit

Three panelists spoke: Carlson federal bankruptcy judge, a criminal judge and Nancy Radcliff, Accountant.

• Their purpose is to reach students in junior and senior year so they do not get head over heels in debt
• Student loans or a company advertising $40,000 a year to borrow for student loans can add up. Entry-level jobs are not as lucrative as they thought.
• Why does having good credit matter? Credit scores can impact employment, insurance, and security clearance. There is a strong correlation between credit and risks.
• Debit card purchases are money deducted from the checking account so there are not interest charges.
• Credit reports exist only for people who have established credit history.
• Missing a payment is noted on your credit report. Negative information such as this can legally remain on your credit report for up to 7 years.
• Keep a limit on the number of credit cards you have open.
• Watch your card from the time you hand it over so that the clerk cannot photograph it with their cell phone.
• Destroy hotel plastic card keys after checking out since they can have your personal and credit card information on them.
• Different lenders charge different rates. Terms may vary-annual and late fees, etc.
• A prospective employer can review your credit report if you give written authorization.
• If you bounce a check, your bank may put your name in Chex Systems. You could be on a negative “hit list” for up to 5 years. This might mean you may not be able to use a checking account.
• One user’s credit card rate jumped to 24% after one late payment.
• Lenders almost always will review your credit report. Check all three: TransUnion, Experion, Equifax. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com to obtain a free report.
• Because you pay your account in full each you month you pay no interest.
• Sample car contract was shown. Always read what is in the boxes first.
• Parents received a handout called “The True Cost of Credit”
• Parents are cautioned not to co-sign on student loans.
• Determine how much the purchase is really going to cost you.
• Read and understand the terms of disclosures. Pay close attention to various late fees and penalties. Never give information to anyone who calls you.
• If you timely note exposure of the use of your card you ma not be responsible for more that $50-$70. May be covered on homeowners.
• Sometimes you just need a credit card for hotel and car rentals.
• How do you close a credit card? You have to write them a letter to close it out.
• Using your card: Limit credit cards use for essentials purchases only. Keep track of where your cards are. If you hand it to someone keep it in view. Try to pay the entire bill when due. Don’t max out your limit. Try to avoid cash advances.
• Monitor your interest rates-it can go up due to contingencies. Must buy a certain amount. Look out for teaser rates.
• Establish good credit
• Get only one card. Resist free come-ons. Develop a budget and use only for emergencies.

Funding Survey Results

2008-02-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

South Eugene High School
Parent Council Funds Appropriation Survey

Summary

The South Eugene High School Parent Council receives funds from parent donations and the sales of e-Scrip, Chinook Books and directories.

Our 2007/2008 budget is:

$69,491 in Assets

$69, 491 in Liabilities:
$7,000 in reserves,
$3,650 in expenses
$24,088 in undesignated funds
$34,753 to support staffing at South*

*Over the most recent years we have annually funded 2.25 hours a day of library staff time (to keep the library open longer for students), .12 FTE of additional music instruction and 2.0 hours a day of the Volunteer Coordinator position, which is not funded by the district. In addition to this staffing, we must pay a certain percentage of 4J equity, which was $2,250 this year.

Each year in February the administration approaches the Parent Council to ask for support for various staffing deficits. This year we thought that we should step back and take time to assess our funding priorities as a parent group and to solicit feedback on whether you want to continue current staffing funding with parent funds.

So, over the course of this past fall, Parent Council meeting attendees brainstormed priorities on spending parent funds and a process for making these decisions. We arrived at the importance of health, wellness and safety as priorities and funding that will help the largest portion of students.

In addition to our need as parents to weigh in on whether we are going to continue to support the current staffing above, we are in a position to make a decision to spend a one-time surplus of $25,000. This amount is a result of funds that had accrued in a Mental Health fund, which will not be replenished or available in future years.

Please respond to the following survey questions and return your responses to the Parent Council at sehsparentcouncil@comcast.net by February 11th. We will tally the responses and report the summary of the survey results out to parents at the February 12th Parent Council meeting in the cafeteria from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m.

Based on the feedback from the surveys and the discussion at this meeting (which is open to all South parents) we will set our funding priorities for 2008/2009 and will convey them to the administration through Principal Randy Bernstein. We acknowledge that we aren’t presenting you with exact figures at this time, because we are looking for input on your priorities for funding for the 2008/2009 academic year and once we know the will of the parents, we will focus on the exact amount to fund at the February Parent Council meeting. We are also looking for additional suggestions not listed below.

Note: We e-mailed 88 people the survey and 55 responded, that is a return rate of 62.5%.

Please indicate whether you would like to continue the current staffing (check any that apply):

47/55____Volunteer Coordinator for Parent Council and school support,
2 hours/day (Approximately $10,600 annually)

45/55 Additional Library staff time for 2.25 hour per day (Approximately $11,925 annually)

47/55___Music staff time at .12 FTE (Approximately $9.978 annually)

Comments: (Type as much as you wish!)

Each of these are vital and can benefit a large number of students and should be continued.

I believe all three of these funding priorities are important for differing reasons and would be very disappointed if we withdrew our support.
I am not in favor of funding certified staff from parent-raised funds, due to sustainability and equity issues. And why these fte, instead of math, say, or PE or anything else? I don’t like to separate them out as though they are “extras”, any more than any other fte.

Having said that, I’m not in favor of just pulling the plug on this ongoing support, either. As part of the downsizing of South that looks like it will happen in the wake of the Shaping 4J process, I would have a look at this funding, too.

Parent-raised funds are, I believe, more appropriately used as (1) the source of funds for one-time needs, and/or (2) “seed money”, for example, for a grant writer position which, if successful, would then come out of general funds, and/or (3) spending that supports both the school and parents, e.g., the volunteer coordinator position, or an information booklet for parents.
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Having the Library open even more morning hours would be especially helpful for IHS students and other students who take early (all that’s available) buses. It is hard to work effectively in the cafeteria.
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Until the music department is willing to put together a group of musicians that is willing to play at sporting events and be part of the student body like every other High School in the State I will not support anything having to do with music! I’m not talking a marching band, just a pep band who would sit among the students and enhance school spirit. See South Medford High School or Churchill!
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Volunteer Coordinator and Additional Library time can benefit all students and could have an adverse effect on all students if funding is not continued. Music is a MAYBE for me depending on how many students are benefited by the .12 of Music staff time.

Please rank the following suggestions for possible uses of the $25,000 one-time surplus in priority order, with #1 being the highest. Rank as many as you wish. (Suggestions are in alphabetical order)

39/55 Approach the South teachers for wish list items

19/55 Create college scholarships funds for seniors

27/55 Fund Driver’s Education scholarships for students

46/55 Fund time for a grant writer to write grants for more funds

26/55 Improvements to the practice field east of the turf field

_26/55_Mount projectors in classrooms

33/55 Purchase extra sets of textbooks for classrooms to allow
students to leave textbooks at home

28/55 Purchase “smart” boards that interface with classroom
computers

26/55 Support purchase of additional cardio and fitness equipment

Do you have suggestions for funding that were not listed above and if so, how would you rank these among those previously brainstormed by Parent Council attendees?

Something that is very important to me is making sure we can continue all of the current AP science classes at South. I attended the meeting on this topic, so I realize that it is a complex matter that ties in with declining enrollment, 4J policy to prohibit school choice in favor of neighborhood schools, changes to the IB diploma requirements, etc. One thing that was mentioned at the meeting was that the loss of teachers for these classes is one problem—if money from the Parent Council would help to preserve the AP Science classes through funding science teachers, I would rank it as my #1 priority.
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I would like to know more about where the fund came from and try to honor it by using it in a way that reflects it’s donor. If it was truly a mental health fund, that I would advocate for using the funds for the benefit of our students in a mental health way. Can we look at funding a school counselor? Can we look at funding a home tutoring program for students who are battling severe depression/anxiety and need a time-out from our large sometimes-intimidating campus? Can we fund a resource (counselor?) to be available to a student who finds herself pregnant or diagnosed with an STD? Perhaps we have some of these programs in place already and I’m just not aware of them. I know we have a school nurse but I’m not sure how much she delves into the realm of mental health. If we can create a successful program, we would most likely want to be able to continue on with it and would need to find a way to fund it in future years.
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How about utilizing some of the funds for collaborative/community arts projects or visiting artist programs to have more active/positive/enthusiastic art staff?

Also, I am all for having more staff of almost any nature - because better student/staff ratio is one of the best options, even if for a limited time.
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In light of the science transition that must occur to continue to offer IB
Biology I think it would be most important to fund staffing for the next 2
-3 years to allow the students that have already taken Biology not to be
forced into a 2-year biology block therefore making them take 3 years of
biology in 4 years of HS. From what I could understand at the science
meeting earlier this week it is important to transition to the 2 year
science block of biology for incoming Freshman however I do think funding
should allow current Freshman, sophomores and juniors that have started down this track to complete the appropriate classes either through parent council funding at SEHS or using funding to send these kids to the wonderful
resource called U of O to allow them to complete their science track.
This is my absolute #1 priority for these funds. I cannot be more specific
as the information presented at the science info night left me with lots of
questions.
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This may not be a parent council topic … maybe it’s an idea for the administration.. but over time I’d like to see investigation of moving from heavy books to electronic versions of class materials (whether e-books or some other form). This would obviate the problem of carrying every-increasing loads of heavy books back and forth in back packs. This has to be done in a way that does not disadvantage students without home computers, so it’s not a short-term or straightforward switch, but now seems like the time to start investigating it with a target of a pilot program (e.g., replacing texts in one subject) in 2-5 years, as e-book technology improves and becomes cheaper and as network access continues to grow more ubiquitous.
I rank the field issue as #2 for a variety of reasons even though I am not sure that is not the only field to be looking at. I believe that at the same time you are looking at the grass east field you should also be looking at the baseball fields. In fact, I am deeply concerned about the state of the athletic
fields at SEHS and the space allocation not only among the school’s groups, but also between the school and the City.
• There is active discussion at the 4J Board level about selling Civic which is the SEHS varsity baseball team’s game field. The Board frankly seems unaware of the issues this will cause at SEHS and there have been no public discussions of the need to take some of any funds received from selling Civic and plowing it into the athletic infrastructure at the school.
• Our facilities are not comparable to others in the district. There are three teams at SEHS with one practice field and one batting cage, and that practice field is under water for often more than 1/3 of a season. (I’m an ex-baseball mom.)
• In addition, when the current state of the fields force games to be cancelled (think ducks literally swimming on a pond of water) on our JV/Freshmen field (west end of school), for some contractual reason they cannot be played at Civic, which means we are out of luck and must travel.
• Furthermore, with the current state of the baseball fields on the west end of the property this means significant congestion on the turf fields – 2 boys lacrosse teams, one girls lacrosse team, 3 baseball teams, 2 or 3 softball teams and even some of the track athletes are all competing for space.
• Scheduling might be easier if the turf was reserved later in the day for SEHS purposes and not turned over as early to the City for other scheduling, but as is that is not the case which means that competition for turf/practice fields is at an all time high. To date the SEHS fields are considered highly attractive for City leagues due to their central location and are significantly booked at a higher level than other schools in the district. Proof? Just ask the person who does the central booking. Teams at Sheldon and Churchill can easily get access to their fields later in the day and schedule practices and games so they do not conflict. We cannot.
• What would I do about this? Yes the grass fields need help since they are heavily used by the teams above that cannot get turf access as well as soccer, ultimate, and rugby. Plus I think I would take start making a concerted effort to raise funds or put down some sort of contribution to be matched by the Baseball Booster Group for drainage on the baseball fields or turfing the baseball fields like at NEHS. This would help alleviate some congestion and help out a block of teams where I believe the problem is only going to get much much worse if Civic is sold.

I would actually love that we fund more music so that we are comparable with other schools such as Sheldon. There are two more Jazz Bands that now meet one day a week and are funded through parent donations. To move one of those into a full class would be an excellent addition to the music program. Also excellent would be an AP Music Theory class, which many of our students who are interested in pursuing music as a career and college program need to study individually or through Arts Umbrella when they offer it once every 2 years.

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I am not opposed to any of the above ideas, though some of them probably have other funding sources, e.g., district (improvements to field) and EEF, Fred Meyer, and the like (equipment, teacher wish list). The nice thing about a grant writer is that they could take this kind of a wish list and match the items to those other funding sources and write the grants that would fund a larger number of items than we could by ourselves.
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There may be requests for funding of staffing as the school determines how best to meet the transitional needs for IB/AP Science programs. These might be considered to allow us to respect students that have already begun a certain pathway and will possibly have choices limited if the school faces a need to pay for additional staffing.
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School Health Nurse/Clinic
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My suggestions for funding at South is to not only channel money into a scholarship fund, but also to pay for SAT test prep for underserved students. This will help to level the playing field for college entrance for students whose families CAN afford to pay for test prep and gain admission to college.
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Which ever you choose, put the money to work even harder by combining it with other groups with the same interest. Examples: MADD for Driver’s Ed Scholarships, SEHS Soccer Club Board for improvements to that East field, teachers. If this is parent raised money, I agree with the staff funding, but the “surplus” should be for activities outside of school like Driver’s Ed and sports. These are things that help keep kids in school.

Definitely do not get more textbooks—they do not get used very much at home when they are taken there. If anything, rely less on textbooks and go to electronic based information—it is more up to date, is paperless, and prepares them for college work.
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I would ask the teachers for their prioritized ideas – as well as the administrators. It seems to me that they understand the needs the best. Re: the grant writer – if there are funds (grants) to be had and we’re only lacking the grant writing time/skills, then that is as important (if not more) as asking teachers for their ideas.
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I would always look first to funding additional staff time. Every year we seem to cut more and more of our talented staff, as enrollment declines, and it seems as if we’ve gone beyond cutting “frills” (if there ever were any frills to cut anyway) and are now eliminating core curriculum. I would like to be able to keep art, music, drama, AP/IB classes, etc. This would be my highest priority. Second priority would be what I ranked #1 (and only) above, which is whatever the teachers think they need to enhance the learning experience for the students.

I know this is going to sound elitist, but I also think it might be worthwhile to look into funding comfortable and safe transportation (charter buses?) for the ridiculously long road trips the sports teams have to do on school nights, especially in the winter. It’s hard enough for those kids to get their homework done and eat a decent meal when they’re on the road, that I feel like we should at least provide them with a comfortable place to sleep on the way home from Grants Pass or whatever.
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Address the drug problem at South. Ask counselors/students for their best thinking on how to most effectively do this.
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Assuming they are not already in place—I ‘d like to see full spectrum lighting placed in every room, hall, gathering space in the school.
Considering the documented importance and effect of light on mood, attention, etc. I think this would have significant impact for all. At a minimum, all classrooms and the staff/teacher offices should be supplied with quality, full spectrum lighting.

This would be a number ONE choice, with all the others listed previously moving down 1 level.

There is considerable research on the effects of various kinds of lighting. If you would like more information, please contact me.
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How about purchase enough textbooks so everyone could have one. In my daughter’s math class, there wasn’t enough text for everyone, so no one got a book!
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I placed Driver’s Ed scholarships first because it fits with the Parent Council’s health, wellness and safety priority. Although the question of whether Driver’s Ed is a school issue any longer is up for debate, it is none the less something that can devastate the whole school if there were a tragic accident.

I placed asking the staff next because there is probably a range of needs including more projectors, Smartboards, or extra set of textbooks, but those needs are individual to teachers and their departments. (We routinely purchase used textbooks online for our student’s home use at sometimes extremely reasonable rates.)

I also support the idea to use the extra money to let the current students continue on the AP Science track and phase it out over the next few years. I’d place this as number 2 priority after Driver’s Ed.

Help support and promote the clubs – possibly have grant writer to work with this area for extra curricular activities for students.
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Teachers and/or departments could each be allotted an amount. Seems to me, though, that teachers would have more of a sense of the greatest need(s) and how to best meet them. While all of the above ideas are appealing, I keep thinking that the staff would have a greater sense of which would best support the school and students.
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This school needs increased sensitivity to gays and lesbians. Common casual phrases like "that is so gay" abound with these students. I would like to see sensitivity training or special speaker address this insensitive language and attitudes.
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Resurface the tennis courts #4

Reduce class size #1
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It has been my experience that the academic counseling staff is overwhelmed with the sheer numbers of students that they are responsible for. I would like to see a better counselor to student ratio. Students need competent and caring advice in choosing classes that keep them both on the right track academically, as well as more content to be in school.

I do not have further suggestions at this time. I believe that we can use funds to support a grant writer as a way to maximize the funds by bringing in additional dollars. Secondly, I think it is necessary that teachers feel supported by parents and, thus, asking them for their wish list items is incredibly important. I ranked Numbers three and four in this way to cover the financial needs of the student population. Thank you for your consideration of the parents’ input.
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Pat Tyson, the new director of Track and Field at South, is looking into new uniforms for the track and field team. The fact that track is back, in a big way, in Eugene is refreshing, motivating for students and a definite plus for South Eugene High School. I’m guessing he might like a donation from this money to support his endeavors for the track and field program, be it uniforms or equipment. (South will be the practice track field for the June, 2008 Olympic Trials.)

Since parents on this committee have spent their valuable time working on the above proposals, it would be best if they did the ranking. This is just an idea. Something I heard about this weekend. . . . . .
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The Italian program at the U of O has been working to offer Italian at South Eugene. The Italian government will provide us with some funds, but additional resources will be needed to start the program. Generally, at other schools where this initiative has taken place, parent council funds subsidized the necessary expenses, such as text-books and part of the teacher’s salary.
Will it be possible to do the same at South?
In the past, some South students came to the U of O to attend Italian. However, since we don’t offer courses in the afternoon, it was very difficult for them to do so.
Italian could start as a club activity at South and I am sure it will attract students.
The number of Italian students at the U of O (300 in first year Italian) show considerable interest in the language.

I would list this suggestion first, just because we have been trying for years to have Italian started. This year seems that we will be able to get funds from the Italian government.
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Any additional comments?

I appreciate the opportunity to comment on this issue. Thanks for making the effort to check in with parents!
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I have missed the Parent Council meetings during basketball season as I have been in the stands supporting our student athletes! Thanks for allowing me to be involved virtually in this format.
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Thanks much for creating a forum on it

The technology for classrooms is a good idea—whichever the teachers is feel the way to go.
Hi Helen,

I just read your suggestion list and I want to let you know there is money available for scholarships for driver education. The program is run through the school district in cooperation with Oregon Drivers Training and the state
allocates money to be used for scholarships. There are very few requests and because of the amount allocated, we have not come close to using
our share. I wanted you to have that information as you decide how to best use your Parent Council
funds.

Good luck!

Brenda Down, SEHS Office Manager
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Regarding Funding a Grant Writer: I think the SEHS teachers need to start getting a little bit more aggressive about going out for grants for things they need and could use some support in terms of grant writing. I rank it #1 since it is funding a multiplier effect.

Regarding Purchasing Extra sets of textbooks: This can easily be done – and cheaply - by having someone troll the used textbook shops on amazon.com, half.com, textbooksrus.com and powells.com etc. I personally purchased my son’s trig and bio books this year on the internet and paid $4 for the bio book and $2.50 for the trig book. Leverage the used textbook market that is easily searchable. In addition, give parents who did purchase books the option to sell them back to the school (or donate them) for next year’s group. Do a textbook swap like that which is common in many private and parochial schools.

Thanks for asking. The ‘black hole’ of where money goes is often frustrating and while the uses I think are not only justifiable and great bang for the buck, it is nice to think that perhaps if we are raising it we get some input. Otherwise it is an administration only decision – which may differ from parental priorities. Open debate about priorities and transparency about spending is a good strategy.
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Regarding Creating college scholarship funds: (We’d be better off spending the money to strengthen SEHS alumni networks and their efforts to get donations to alumni scholarship funds, because that’s where the real potential for funding of scholarships lies—not from this one time pot of $ or the annual monies that PTO raises.)

Regarding Fund Time for a grant writer: (in conjunction with “Approach the South teachers for wish list items”) NB A successful grant writing program takes years to get a system going to meet funding cycles, learn funders’ programs, get feedback from funders, etc.

Regarding Improvements to the practice field east of the turf field: (would this include helping SEHS have its own softball field, rather than sharing with the city and all the scheduling problems that entails?)

I support continued funding of the library position only if those additional hours of service have proven to be useful and used by students. If they are not proven significantly useful, I would not favor continuing the position.

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Yes, I think that SEHS could really have a few more fund raisers each year. I believe most parents and family of students are much more willing to buy products (from school fund raiser companies) than to contribute money directly to the school. I know that I feel that way. If any child knocks on my door with a school fund raiser, I feel obligated to buy at least one thing, and before you know it, you have found many things you like. I have never understood why schools don’t have more fund raisers. And there are more than just the cookies, candy and wrapping paper fund raisers out there!
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Thank you for all your hard work!
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Regarding “Approach the South teachers for wish list items”: THIS SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE. AT THIS POINT, EITHER YOU CONTACT THEM AND DO THIS SURVEY OVER, OR HAVE THEM COMMENT ON SURVEY RESULTS

Regarding “Create college scholarships funds for seniors” NOT ENOUGH $ TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Regarding “Improvements to the practice field east of the turf field” DO SEPARATE FUND DRIVE FOCUSED ON FAMILIES OF ATHLETES

NEED MORE INFO – RANK AT TOP IF TEACHERS SUPPORT THIS__6___Improvements to the practice field east of the turf field DO SEPARATE FUND DRIVE FOCUSED ON FAMILIES OF ATHLETES

Regarding “Mount projectors in classrooms” NEED MORE INFO – RANK AT TOP IF TEACHERS SUPPORT THIS ************************************************************

Thank you for allowing parents to help determine where & how parent raised money is used.
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Regarding “Approach the South teachers for wish list items” An open checkbook is not a good idea

Regarding “Create college scholarships funds for seniors”. Not a health, wellness or safety suggestion. Funds should be used for current students at South.

Regarding “Fund Driver’s Education scholarships for students”. Would like to see this changed to fund a class for all students, not scholarships.

Regarding “Fund time for a grant writer to write grants for more funds” Should be a district chore for all schools.

Regarding “Mount projectors in classrooms” Not a health, wellness or safety suggestion.

Regarding “Purchase extra sets of textbooks for classrooms to allow
students to leave textbooks at home” Not a health, wellness or safety suggestion.

Regarding “Purchase “smart” boards that interface with classroom
computers Not a health, wellness or safety suggestion.

Improving that east field is a great idea. That field is not usable pretty much after the first rains in the fall. Providing drainage, etc to it would open the field to year round access. It currently is unsafe as is to our students.

In fact, I would support using these funds to make this field a turf field like the soccer/football field. Then it would be guaranteed 100% access.
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Thank you for considering health and safety, but I feel like having healthier food choices (including palatable vegetarian options) in the cafeteria and decreasing the number of kids who chose off-campus lunch would be the best use of funds in that area. (Except to the extent that kids walk to off-campus lunches, they are getting exercise, so I guess that’s a counter-argument for keeping bad food in the cafeteria!)

I’m not really concerned so much with on-campus safety – I’m much more concerned about safety off campus, but even then, I can’t really think of anywhere in Eugene that I’m really worried about my kids’ safety anyway.
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In my opinion, based on the above suggestions, making
improvements to the east practice field would be the best use of the $25,000! That field is used by many student athletes and is UNSAFE!! Fixing this field would certainly fit the priority of promoting health, safety and wellness!

I would support Driver Ed if classes were made available at little or no
cost to all students.

I do not support any of the above suggestions for creating scholarships with the money. It does not benefit enough of the student population.
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Thanks for your all your efforts.

Improve the leadership training for the students who lead the freshmen in the peer group. My son reported that this was a waste of time. I attended the alcohol and drug parent evening in December and was very impressed by the seniors who attended and the program that they have created only to be completely disappointed to learn that they are reaching such a small segment of the student population. It would be amazing if this senior project could be integrated into the peer leadership training or whatever it is called. I would also like to see podcasts made of their work. ***********************************************************

Most of Parent Council funds currently come from e-scrip and scrip sales, but it's just a drop in the bucket compared to what we could be earning if the majority of South families were involved in scrip. I would suggest exploring the hiring of a marketing firm to develop a marketing program and strategies for South to use year after year to get more families participating in scrip. It might be a large one-time expenditure that could potentially yield great results. A recent conversation with another parent illustrates the potential: Other Parent: "So this e-scrip thing doesn't cost me anything extra?" My response: "No. You spend the same amount whether you're enrolled in e-scrip or not." Other Parent: "Well, why haven't we been doing this for years?" My response: "Don't know. Guess you didn't really realize how e-scrip works." I would rank this #7 and move funds for a grant writer to #8.

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Regarding Approach the South teachers for wish list items:

Absolutely! How can we allocate funds without knowing what our teachers think the needs of the school are?????

Regarding Create college scholarship funds for seniors:
No. While scholarships are a wonderful thing, Parent Council funds should be used to benefit programs at South and students attending South, not students who will no longer be at South. In addition, there are many scholarship opportunities that graduating students can pursue.

Regarding Fund Driver’s Education scholarships for students:

No. There is a scholarship fund through 4J and/or the Oregon Driver Training organization already in existence, and only a fraction of the funds available are currently being utilized. Until all the funds are utilized, Parent Council funds should not be used for this. Perhaps Parent Council can assist in advising South students and families that driver education assistance funds are available.

Regarding Fund time for a grant writer to write grants for more funds:

Since this is an item to help us obtain more funds, it ranks after more tangible items like textbooks, field improvements, etc. for me. Although this has the potential to raise significant funds for grant-specific items and is definitely worth exploring for the longer term. Without knowing what would need to be budgeted, it's really hard to rank this one.

Regarding Improvements to the practice field east of the turf field:

This field is already utilized for many activities, and is currently an accident waiting to happen because of its poor condition. Plans are already under way to develop this field into a softball field and a soccer/lacrosse/general purpose practice field. Depending on the level and/or avenues of funding already available, this would be an excellent use of some of the Parent Council funds, since many students and programs would benefit. Randy should have more specific information on what is currently in the works.

Regarding Mount projectors in classrooms:

I believe this would be a fairly "inexpensive" thing to fund (depending on the number of classrooms) and could really enhance teachers' ability to teach.

Regarding Purchase extra sets of textbooks for classrooms to allow students to leave textbooks at home”

Just last year, my daughter was having trouble in Geometry and I wanted to help her, but since it's been at least 30 years since I took Geometry, I needed a textbook to "refresh" my memory. South had no extra books, so my daughter was going to have to schlep the book home every day so we could go over her homework. Instead, I obtained a used book on-line through Amazon.com that only cost $20 including shipping (opposed to $80 new) and was in better shape than hers. Having the book at home made it simple and easy to review the assignments and homework. As a result we were able to raise her grade and drastically improve her performance. Students don't like carrying books back and forth (who can blame them when they weigh so much??), and if more students were able to leave their books at home for reference, how many might improve their performance also????? If we pursue this option, we should definitely look at obtaining used books through sources like Amazon.com instead of purchasing them new. I think this might be especially beneficial for math and science textbooks.

Regarding Purchase “smart” boards that interface with classroom computers:

This is comparable to mounting projectors in classrooms to me. It could be a great way to enhance teachers' ability to teach.
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Thanks for all of your hard work…some great ideas. I really like the grant writer proposal…would love to see that coupled with some NHS volunteer hours to aid in research and completing documents…could stretch the paid hours and some students could pick up a valuable tool.

Note: All responses will be confidential and responses will be shared in summary form. If you would like a reply from the Parent Council when submitting your responses via e-mail to sehsparentcouncil@comcast.net please indicate this in your e-mail.

December 13th -"Let's Get Real About Drugs and Alcohol at South"

2008-01-09T00:52:00.000-08:00

December 13, 2007
Parent Education Series Minutes

“Let’s Get Real About Drugs and Alcohol at South”

Notetaker: Margaret Moore

Panel made up of Carl Peterson, Independent psychologist, John Hyland, Vice Principal, Laurene Larson, Head Counselor, 5 ASAP Peer Educator Students, Stefan Zeltvay, School Resource Officer, Rip Sawyer, Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Counselor.

ASAP- Aids and Substance Abuse Prevention Program
• Juniors and seniors who go into classes to talk to sophomore and freshmen about peer pressure and provide student on student education about drugs and alcohol use.

Parent Question (PQ): Do you think there’s a problem at South?

PQ: How are things being monitored at school?

Randy Bernstein, Principal, presented results of last year’s survey of juniors on drug and alcohol use. Some findings:
• 5% of South students have used drugs on campus
• 2003-88 citations issued on campus
• 2006-23 citations issues on campus
• 2007- 7 citations issued so far

Panel Response (PR):
• It is getting better.
• ASAP is teaching kids about drug and alcohol use.
• However, administration finds alcohol cans in the bathroom and stress to students to come forward when something is happening.
• Patrols of the campus are done daily by 5 staff members, so they rely on the community to help bring users to their attention. When they are aware of use, they deal with it. They act upon reasonable suspicion and tell the student that bad choices are serious and use it as a teaching tool.

PQ: What do you think are the root causes?

• PR: Carl Peterson, Psychologist. Was a teacher, South counselor and is a private practice counselor now. Even though marijuana use is down, pharmaceutical drug use is up. They are on different kind of drug that “we” may have used when we were in high school. Reasons for substance abuse could be curiosity or it makes them feel better, which can create chronic use. When parents come across this they usually become frantic, ground the student and controlling parents drive the children to the wall. Relationally responsive parenting suggests that you relate to them as a human being and deal with it. We’re not talking just about kids doing drugs; adults are doing drugs, too. Chances are those parents who aren’t doing something about their student using aren’t likely to be here tonight. Most kids start on binge type use and if you think your “kid” has a problem with drugs and alcohol they probably do.

PQ: What is making drug and alcohol abuse ok?

PR: (Student) Friends are doing it from peer pressure. Wanting to be included. Not many kids drink alone. Many kids do it out of boredom and that kids aren’t being challenged in school. Maybe there’s something that can be happening. Starts at parties and on weekends.

PQ: Where are the parents when students are partying?

PR: (Student) Parents who don’t care are there or maybe on a business trip. No supervision at parks and many parties are associated with UO students. Parents and teachers often use scare tactics.

PQ: How can we warn students about the dangers?

PR: (Students) This is what ASAP does and it is being addressed in the classroom, like in Nancy Meyer’s Psychology class.

PQ: What happens when a student gets an MIP (Minor in Possession?)

PR: (Officer Z.) Physically possessing alcohol or having it in their system, having consumed it. Offenders are sent through the juvenile court system. Notice of the MIP will request that students receive a drug and alcohol assessment. If they follow through on this their record will be expunged when they turn 18. If they do not, they may lose ability to get or keep driver’s license.

PQ: What happens when student athletes sign a contract not to abuse drugs or alcohol and then they abuse it? When this happens, what is the coach’s role?

PR: (John Wayland) It’s about education, not punishment. We want students to learn from this.

PQ: If I listen with empathy am I giving a green light to use?

• PR: (Carl Peterson) No, I am suggesting that you be real with them. If you did ecstasy, you can say you are concerned and you can guide them.
• (Student) Your role is as a parent not as our friend. Your child may not always be happy with you? We’re not saying it is ok to get drunk or high, but offer to give us a ride any time anywhere if we have been using. (One parent suggested pre-paying 4343-Prepay Taxi service so his child and their friends arrive home safely). You want to encourage your kids to come to you by the way you respond. Ask yourself is you are caring enough to ask the tough and important questions about drug and alcohol use. You want your kids to trust you.

• (Laurene Larson) Communicate with other parents. If you come home unannounced and there is a group of kids drinking or smoking pot, call the other parents to let them know. She and her fellow South counselors are there as a resource for parents, too.

November 8, 2007 Minutes

2007-12-12T23:52:00.000-08:00

Parent Council Meeting
November 8, 2007

Notetaker: Margaret Moore

Helen Garrett, Chair

• Helen announced that Claudia Carmichael, Volunteer Coordinator extraordinaire has decided to focus her full attention on her purchasing agent role for South Eugene High School.
• Kathy Ruggles, Career Center Co-Coordinator will become the new Volunteer Coordinator on December 1st.
• Helen thanked Claudia for her incredible contributions to the parents through her role as Volunteer Coordinator.

Randy Bernstein, Principal’s Update
• Attendance: They are continuing to work with on stricter enforcement. Making a lot of phone calls, getting responses from about 1/3 of those they are calling. Now administrators are visiting students and working with them to validate excused absences. A parent asked if their child were not in school, would they be notified still? Yes, the automated message will still come to your phone around 5 p.m. to let you know your child was absent.
• Science Requirements: There will be a change of sequencing of science courses and next year’s ninth graders will be required to have 3 years of science.
• International Baccalaureate: IB adding hours to standards, two period of science in their senior year. Staffing and scheduling implications. Likely that we will have IB Biology and AP Chemistry or Physics. May lose IB Chemistry
• Basmati Discussion (cont’d from October meeting): We have about 60% of teachers use Basmati. Why doesn’t everybody? Some teachers are concerned about giving too much information and then it is difficult to change. Randy suggested that if this is important enough to parents that perhaps a small group might want to present this concern at a staff meeting. Randy encouraged Parent Council to contact Site Council to ask for more teachers to use Basmati

Treasurer’s Report, Cindy Wright, Treasurer
• Cindy went over activities for past month
• Scrip sales were $2981 and we are looking good still and on track. Copies of financial updates are always available from Cindy for anyone interested.
• We are always looking for more parents to sign up for escrip and calls are being made to those parents who filled out cards during the Open House.
•
Where to spend our Parent Council funds discussion
• What are the core values on what we want to spend money on?
• Decisions will be made in February and March

Staff Appreciation on Friday, December 14th
• Helen asked for two parents to step up to coordinate this event which involves bring salads and desserts for the staff to enjoy as a thank you from the parents

Parent Education Series

Next month: Let’s Get Real About Drugs and Alcohol at South

Parents are concerned about students being approached by other students right on campus to buy “rock” and marijuana. We will have a panel of experts on drug and alcohol abuse, students, counselors and Officer Z., our School Police Resource Officer.

Suicide Prevention: QPR (Question, Persuade and Referral) by Damien Sands from Lane County Mental Health
• Damien presented video highlighting three different people who completed suicide and talked about the steps toward recognizing the key signs for a person at risk
• QPR works just like CPR, which is to help those in crisis as a first responder and to get them into the care of those who can save them.
• Best number to remember is 1-800-Suicide. When you call they will put you immediately in contact with help in your community.
• State of Oregon is in the top 10 for suicide and the reason for this is that we rate as one of the highest states in the nation for substance abuse and depression.
• Lethal triangle for suicide risk: emotional depression, consumption of drugs/alcohol and access to means
• 70% of suicides are by men, who have the most access to lethal means (guns) and 25% are by women, who typically use pills
• Begin by questioning the person to see if they are thinking of killing themselves. Be careful to watch statements like: “You’re not thinking of doing something stupid are you?” or “You aren’t going to hurt yourself, are you?”
• Suicides are typically precipitated by events such as a job loss, girlfriend/boyfriend breakup, divorce, etc.
• Person may appear to have a “perfect life” with close family, overachiever. Suicide has no boundaries when it comes to gender, ethnicity, socio-economic situation or age.
• Florence has three times of a higher rate of elder suicide than the rest of the state
• Depression has a 78% correlation to suicide
• The stigma of suicide makes this so hard to discuss and can be seen as a sign of weakness to discuss this.
• Suicide is the #2 killer of youth in Oregon. It is silent in its nature and we need to talk about it to get the awareness out there.
• Take all signs seriously, looking for direct verbal clues such as: I’ve decided to kill myself, I wish I were dad, I’m going to commit suicide, I’m going to end it all, If such and such doesn’t happen, I’m going to kill myself.
• Look for indirect, too. I’m tired of life; my family would be better off without me. I won’t be around for this event.
• Look for behavioral clues: any previous attempt, acquiring guns or pills, moods of hopelessness, depression, giving away prize possessions, putting personal affairs in order, sudden interest in religion, drug or alcohol abuse or relapse.
• Situational Clues: Being fired, expelled, recent unwanted move, loss of any major relationships.
• Tips for Asking: If in doubt, don’t wait, but just ask the question, are you thinking of killing yourself? If the person is reluctant, be persistent. Talk to the person alone in a private setting and allow the person to talk freely. Give yourself plenty of time. Have your resources to refer ready. Remember: How you ask the question is less important than that you are asking it.
• Less Direct Approach: Have you been unhappy lately? Very unhappy? So unhappy that you would end your life? When people are thinking about killing themselves they wish they were dead. Are you thinking about that, too?
• How to persuade someone to stay alive? Listen to the problem and give them your full attention. Remember that suicide is not the problem, only the solution to a perceived solvable problem. Don’t rush to judgment and offer them hope in any form.
• Then ask: Will you go with me to get help? Will you let me help you get help? Will you promise me not to kill yourself until we’ve found some help? Your willingness to listen and rekindle help will make a difference
• Referral: Suicidal people often believe they cannot be helped, so you may have to do more. Taking person directly to someone who can help. Get commitment from them to accept help, then making the arrangements to get help. Get a good faith commitment from them to not complete or attempt suicide. Any willingness to accept help at some time is a good start.
• Remember, since almost all efforts to persuade someone to live instead of attempting suicide will be met with agreement and relief, don’t hesitate to get involved or to take the lead.
• Say, “I want you to live” or “ I’m on your side and we’ll get through this”
• Get others involved and ask the person who might help? Family, friends?
• Resources: 1-800-Suicide, Mental Health Crisis Response Line, 1-888-898-9989, 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALK
• Damien Sands, 682-4160

October 7, 2007 Minutes

2007-12-12T23:04:00.000-08:00

Parent Council Meeting
October 9, 2007

Notetaker: Margaret Moore

Helen Garrett, Chair

• Helen reminded everyone to sign up for e-news and the Parent Council e-mail list if interested
• Parent Council allows for the Parent to Parent Connection Opportunity and to bring up issues

Stephanie Cannon, Vice Principal in for Randy Bernstein, Principal’s Report

• Randy was out attending a conference on poverty-goal is to work on region understanding and goals, professional development, cultural competency and how curriculum is taught. Bill Daggett spoke to staff to ratchet up levels of understanding by providing higher level of challenge and rigor.
• 4-½ week progress reports going out to only students in danger of failing with D’s or F’s.
• Best way to contact parents is by e-mail. They have encouraged teachers to learn and use Basmati; it is up to individual teachers whether they use it.

Basmati Discussion
• A parent commented that teachers should be more responsible for updating Basmati, kids rely on it and parents need it. Parent expects more of the teachers.
• Stephanie was asked what it would take for teachers to implement Basmati on a full-scale. Is it an unreasonable burden? Can they get more support around that? Parent Council can raise the question about the need for it.

Treasurer’s Report, Cindy Wright, Treasurer
• Cindy went over activities for past month
• September donations were $4,400 about $1,000 less than last year
• Directory sales are $2,977 and Scrip sales are right on track at $6400. $1850 raised by Chinook Books so far, $55 in expenses

Where to spend our Parent Council funds discussion
• We have always supported part time positions in the library, for music and .5 of the volunteer coordinator position
• What else could we support? Ideas: Softball, teacher wish list, scholarships, classroom set of books to relieve students to having to carry home books, hiring a grant writer, because so many grants go unused, more library time for students, let’s ask teachers what their priorities are, more projectors, smart boards, scholarships for driver’s education so more kids can take it
• Helen asked what our priorities are to support deciding how to spend an extra $25,000 for a once time expenditure due to a shift in funds from an account that is no longer used.

Thoughts on having speakers come to Parent Council who are businesses:

• We have someone who has offered to present tips on the SAT, but this person provides paid services for this and we have decided that for the meetings, Parent Education Series and e-news that we want to remain fair to everyone equally by not having any vendors present or submit items to e-news

Parent Education Series

Next month: QPR: Suicide Prevention

Top Ten Tips for Applying to College (see list on this website) by Helen Garrett

Career Center Offerings – Virginia Farkas
• She encouraged parents to have their students go to their nights (i.e. Junior Night) and the one above (i.e. Senior Night)
• CURL refers to the Career Related Learning Assignments
• Students will go to Career Center during free periods to start learning about options
• SEHS Career Center web site can be accessed from home
• Career Information System- deep database, very useful,
• http://oregoncis.uoregon.edu/webcis User name: careersehs Password: ax1s
• Great tool for different types of careers and schools
• Naviance-counselor database tool for exploring schools, password is Axmen
• Call Career Center for codes and passwords
• College Scattergram-has record of students from South who applied – good indication of fit.
• Posts all college visits – come hear reps from colleges
• Sophomores are welcome to come to nights for juniors and seniors
• Senior night has representatives from all Oregon four-year universities and Lane Community College
• International Fair on October 25th at Sheldon. Great way for students to find out how to get involved in international opportunities abroad
• Lane Community College College Fair, October 21st
• Career Center is always open on late start Wednesdays and at lunchtime and food is permissible.

Top Ten Most Important Things to Know About Applying to College

2007-10-22T22:25:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Tips for Navigating the College Application Process

#10 Talk to Each Other

• Students, parents, counselors, relatives, friends, anyone who will listen
• Talk about expectations- the student’s and everyone else’
• Talk about realistic goals
• Talk about how communication will occur during the process
• Beware of the Helicopter Parent/Millennial trap. This is your application process
and as wonderful as we have told you you are, have reasonable safety schools

#9 Narrow Down Your Options

• When buying a car or a house, people don’t have 20 choices
• This is your college education, foundation forever, and a treasure that can’t be repossessed, stolen, burned down or lost
• Think about what kind of college or university is right for you
• Program, majors (people getting all the way through UO before they
realized no engineering program)
• Location: city, suburb, and rural, small town
• Type: Private ($, prestige, church affiliated)
Public (can mean larger, less expensive)
Four-year vs. two-year
In-state vs. out-of-state
Rigor of academic programs
• College applications average between $35-$50, this can add up
• I wouldn’t suggest applying to more than 5 or 6
• Use the Internet to do this, read the brochures taking over your room.
Live on CollegeBoard.com (see demo)

#8 Become an Expert on the Application Process

• It may sound silly, but actually read the application and viewbook (beware of every race, frolicking in the grass, despite
it being a Minnesota school)
• Make a calendar with critical deadlines, especially scholarship ones
• What is required? (Again, become an expert per each school):
• App, perhaps Part 1, Part 2
• On-line vs. paper, doesn’t matter, just don’t do both, trust the process
• Transcripts; required curriculum, common to have to send 7th
• Required GPA, trend
• SAT scores, sometimes SATII (Achievements)
• Essay
• Recommendations
• Interview
• Special admission requirements (ARCH/ART)

#8 Become an Expert on the Application Process cont.

• Know how to alert them to special circumstances such as a learning disability or extenuating circumstances
affecting record

#7 Understand How You Are Applying

• Early Decision (accept admission, withdraw others, binding)
• Early Action (binding, but not until regular decision time)
• Early Notification (they tell you, but not binding)
• Regular Admission (notify all at once)
• Rolling Admission (as you apply, students are notified)
• Open Admission (like Lane)

#6 Add Color to the Black & White Photograph

• Depending on how hard it is to get in, do everything possible to
distinguish your app from the next
• At USC and Whittier, we dealt with all top of the class, top athletes,
the best the school’s had to offer
• Round out your experiences, with depth and breath of activities and leadership roles
• Essays, letters of recommendations and interviews can do this for you
• Essays should reflect what is important to you, cover up name, would
others recognize that you wrote it. No Europe essays or “I want to be a Duck so bad”
• Recommendations: Choose wisely, give plenty of time and say “thank you”
• Interviews: if granted prepare with questions for them and things you
want them to remember. Bring up special circumstances
• Bond with your admission counselor
• Be kind when calling to check on progress, you will be remembered!

#5 You are not Critical Reading 520, SATV580, SATM420, You are You

• Schools use SAT because you do, standard of quality, litmus test
• Know what the average SAT is, be realistic about where you fit in
• Prepare for the test, read the free booklet, sign up for the e-mail questions
• Spending money on Kaplan is fine, discipline is why it works
• Road map example (drive to St. Louis vs. here is a map)
• Don’t hit your head against the wall just to barely hold your head above water

#4 Financing - Not just about Financial Aid

• Realize that parents may share personal info, prepare for that
• Financing is for everyone, how to pay for college, whether you have the resources or not
• Understand the FAFSA process, deadlines
• Research all scholarships

#4 Financing - Not just about Financial Aid cont.

• Never give someone money for a scholarship search
• Grants, loans (mostly loans), workstudy make up Financial Aid
• Let each school know special or changing circumstances
• Try not to choose because of financing, but be reasonable about what your family can afford
• Ask questions, like doing taxes, no one is an expert, go to the Financial Aid night at your school, even if you do
not think you’ll qualify.

#3 Visit, Visit, Visit

• Did I mention visit?
• If you can go, go (even to the UO and LCC)
• Open Houses
• Visits by reps to your high school
• Do you fit in?
• Residence Halls
• Read the paper, look at fliers, go to where students really hang out
• What is the town like?
• Talk to the prepared student representative, go deeper
• Record impressions, save them for decision time
• If you can’t go, have a cybervisit
• Talk to people on the phone
• Don’t choose from the brochure, it’s too important

#2 Explore New Options Like Dual Enrollment

• No longer like it was in our days, FR to SR all at one school
• OSU/LBCC, UO/Lane, PSU/PCC, OSU/Lane
• Dance between institutions, students at both
• Allows for financial aid at both
• Advising at both schools
• Best of both worlds (small classes at LCC vs. special majors/big school UO)
• One diploma in the end

#1 Talk to Each Other

• For schools with admission processes, May 1 is national candidates response
deadline
• Consider everything: parents, counselors, friends, (try not to follow boyfriends.
or girlfriends)
• Listen to opinions; find a quiet space to decide
• It all comes down to identifying your passions. What do you enjoy more than
anything else? What activities, subjects, do you do where you lose track
of time? What you do when you should be studying?

#1 Talk to Each Other cont.

I don’t mean partying or hanging with friends. Things that catch your eyes on TV.
• Be realistic about how college will move you toward pursing your passion
every day.
• In the end, you need to know there is not just one college, which hung secretly
in code over your bassinet. Do your homework, talk to each other and then go for it,
knowing that you did your best in preparing for your future.

Prepared by Helen Barker Garrett, Director of Enrollment Services/Registrar, Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon, (541) 463-5686, garretth@lanecc.edu Updated 10/7/07

March 6, 2007 Parent Education Series

2007-03-12T17:45:00.001-07:00

Parent Council Meeting, Tues. March 6, 2008
Notes from Nancy Meyer

David Conley – Professor of Education, University of Oregon– ideas re: what is needed for success in college
These are comments I found particularly interesting. This isn’t meant to be inclusive of all Dr. Conley’s comments.

We’re the only country asking the question ‘what’s needed for success in college,’ since our high schools, colleges, districts, and states all have different operational definitions for success
What’s needed for success in college:

1. HS choices influence college success, so the goal of kids should be to take the most challenging courses – not just for admittance, but for readiness

Worst mistake = to take an ‘easy’ load senior year (tempting, since kids say they’re tired, have worked hard, etc.), but all evidence shows a full set of academic courses as a senior is a strong indicator for first year college success
The senior year should be the most challenging year (include math, science, etc)
Easier loads lead to more risk in college
(my take: I’m sure this is true – both in terms of content challenge, staying in top ‘intellectual shape’ – but also the senior course load is a reflection of the student’s motivation…probably in both high school and college)

2. A major difference (& potential problem) for kids (based on a survey of college freshmen) is recognizing the need for study.
High school – contact hours are about 30 /week of classes; for college – it’s about 12-14 hours/week. Some kids think the extra time is for snowboarding or anything but homework.
Kids who don’t do well spend less time studying (a result of less control, supervision, but also knowing what amount of studying is needed for success)

3. College – focuses on developing habits of the mind (how to think critically, research, reason, problem solve, interpret info, etc)
High school – focus on content; kids show up and do what they’re told (may not want to be in class, etc)

High school kids are often not prepared for college questions asking them to interpret information that wasn’t always presented in class – rather than respond to content (as in high school)
High school kids need more than content – they need to develop a habit of mind – the ability to write that reflects thinking (many believe they can write better than they actually can – they need to learn to spend time thinking, researching, proofreading, and editing a paper. These aren’t skills that many are putting to use in high school.)

4. Comparing AP High school courses w/similarly titled college courses – colleges expect substantially more reading for the same content

5. If kids are having problems, they will show in October – problems need to be caught then (rather than Thanksgiving) since they can’t recover (crash/burn)
Kids are used to being able to make up work in high school (extra credit, rewrites, late work) – none of which happens in college

Four things needed in high schools:

1. Preparation should be more challenging – stress reasoning skills, problem solving, interpretation, research, etc.
Habits of mind – beyond the surface content (eg highlighting key ideas only – not 80% of material; learn to annotate in margins, etc – critical thinking)
Work on expository writing – how to prove points w/insight (colleges want 3-5 page papers frequently; kids must learn to commit to revision process to learn to write better)

2. Key content areas/knowledge – standards

3. Academic behaviors – self-mgmt, awareness (eg of their own writing skills, when they need help), motivation, planning, accuracy (checking for errors instead of haste), study groups, getting along w/other kids (vs high school cliques), how & when to study

4. Contextual knowledge – how to apply to college, how college operates as a culture (getting to know prof, etc); navigating the system (how to get credits, courses, etc)

Ideas to help our kids succeed:

Make sure they have a full senior course load
Find ways to help/support stronger writing skills – revision, accuracy
Math – check kids are learning concepts (not a pattern of problems)
Are kids developing intellectually – are they mature, managing their time, able to discuss
the news with you
Evidence of maturation should be the decision rule for college choice – goal is to find a
fit (colleges are pretty good about transfers, etc – so make sure kids can handle
one level before changing, etc); boys seem to be struggling more, statisically

February 8, 2007 Meeting Minutes

2007-03-06T13:00:00.001-08:00

South High Parent Council Meeting, Feb. 8, 2007

College Success- Conley and Brunson-Newton:

This will take place March 6 – come hear abut what you need to do to prepare your child for college.

Stand for Children – Joy Marshall:

4J is not what it used to be – so much funding has been cut.
State economy is brighter, so we’re hoping for money this year. We have to as voters show that this is unacceptable. The capitol needs to see public pressure.
Please come to the capitol on Feb. 19th noon to one on the State steps.
The bus leaves South at 10, drops you off right there. The governor’s going to speak, there will be a high school band. We’ll sign everyone in who comes and YOU are COUNTED. We will return at about 2:30-3.

Principal’s Update – Stephanie or John for Randy

Staffing for next year – we’re looking at a decrease in enrollment. We’re looking at a loss of a .8 FTE as a result. District is maintaining 25.38 to 1 FTE. We’re trying to raise $90,000 for an FTE. So far we have $30,000.
We sold 135 Chinook books – we made 4,000 dollars.
We’re looking at a new school improvement plan – support those kids falling through cracks, reducing student stress and helping the 9th graders adjust who are having difficulty.
New graduation requirements are in: total is same – 24 credits to graduate. Now you need 3 credits, 9th graders take Alg. 1, 3 science credits, 2 lab credits, 3 credits from Arts/2nd Lang./ Prof. Tech Training, 6 elective credits. It’s still 4 of English, 3 of Social Sciences and 1 health, 1 PE

Financial Update: Cindy Wright

We paid $29,000 – statement available upon request.

Action Items:

Helen asked if we want to have a “seminar” time so that we can learn abut the new requirements for graduation. Should we be “parent mentors” to other parents so that they can learn about these new requirements and how to implement them for their children?

Next Meeting: Tuesday, March 6

Teen Time Management

Liz Coleman teaches a class for incoming students to LCC on this matter.

Some questions this group has –

Help your children organize their time to study as well as everything else.
Balancing multiple responsibilities/activities at a high level.
How to anticipate the varying learning skills of different kids.
What is down time?
How to convince kids that organizing their time is necessary?

Liz teaches kids how to manage themselves, interdependence, time management…

Encourse, by Skip Downing. Paperback, easy to read. It has exercises in it – how to manage yourself, not time. we all have the same 24 hours. How will we manage it? He breaks time into a grid – i important things, not so important things. We have urgent things and not so urgent. These are in 4 quadrants

Important: sleep, school (attend class), homework, eating,

Urgent, but Not important: TV show, party, talk to friends, computer time, shopping, relationships. Making other peoples’urgencies your own. Always helping others.

Not Urgent and Important: Everything that you’re able to do ahead of time so that it doesn’t become Urgent and Imp.. This means PLANNING ahead. For this you need to be 3 steps ahead all the time!

Not Urgent and Not Important:

In college it’s 2 study hours for every hour you’re in class.
Kids need to put all their necessary times on the calendar – sleep, computer, school, activities, studying

Studying has to come first. If they are engaged in lots of activities, then they have to come through with the work first, THEN the social activities.

How are you going to manage your 24 hours every day? On the bus you can text your friends, read a chapter of a book…

What can families do to ensure success? Media time outs, personalized tutoring time with each child, agreeing to help with a project if they bring it to you the DAY it’s assigned.don’t over manage their every minute!

Help your child prioritize – make sure they have down time – give yourself downtime!

December 5, 2006 Parent Education Series: Curfews and Parties

2006-12-20T09:14:00.000-08:00

December 5, 2006 Parent Education Series Minutes: Curfews and Parties: A Parent to Parent Conversation

Speakers: Ilisa Rooke-Ley, Public Defender and parent of 3 South Students, Laurene Larson, SEHS Counselor, Nancy Meyer, SEHS Psychology teacher and SEHS parent, Randy Bernstein, Principal.

• We learned that teenagers' frontal lobe is not yet fully developed and therefore decision making capabilities are impeded, which is one of the biggest reasons to be strong when it comes to asking where they are going and following the curfew and park closure laws
• The state curfew law requires all minors to not be out, unless coming home from work or an activity or other legitimate purpose, between the hours of 12 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• We also learned that it is illegal to be in a park after 11 p.m.
• It is illegal to give alcohol or marijuana to others as a student and of course, as a parent
• If a student gets into an accident after leaving your home and becoming intoxicated, you as the parent may be liable if you have notice that your child is making or has made those poor choices before.
• Teens can not drive with another teen in the car (without an adult) until 6 months after earning their driver's license. They stated that this is being widely ignored.
• We were advised to not let our kids bully us into letting them do things we are against. If they say everyone else is doing "it", remind them that you have spent their lives teaching them not to follow the crowd.
• If you let your child drive your car and you know that they are drinking alcohol or taking drugs, you may be liable monetarily for any accident or injury that occurs.
• Watch out for MySpace Bulletin, which can sends news of a party to literally hundreds of kids in 5 seconds.
• Think twice about having your teen spend the night where there are not parents at home. If you notice that your teen and their friends are constantly hanging out at a house where parents are not around, question that and wonder what is going on when the kids are unsupervised.
• Great suggestion: Have your teen call you from the landline of the house where they are to your cell phone so you can see the number and reach them when you need them. Why not contact the parents and ask if they are ok with your teen being there? (but ask them not tell the kids that you called)
• Ask teens to turn off their phones and computers at midnight so they won't be communicating about parties late at night.
• Nancy suggested that you partner with other parents to gain support for staying strong when it comes to watching out for the safety of your teen.
• A parent shared a book called Walking After Midnight about forgiveness associated with a husband who was killed when a high school party got out of control and she kindly donated a copy to South.
• We were advised to not disclose to our teens what we did in high school if we don't want them to know. If they ask, you can tell them that you'll talk to them when they are 25 and that this doesn't matter right now, but their safety does.
• Arm your students with strong information and not just scare tactics.
• Create a code word that they can use when they get into challenging situations that other teens won't know that it means "pick me up right now".
• Tell them that you will trust them until something happens and if it does, there will be consequences.
• Lean on other parents for support and above all else, choose safety over being popular or cool with your child. *Randy stated that 18 students were suspended for drug and alcohol use during last school year, with 6 being ninth graders. As of December 1st this year, we already have 18 suspended with 3 of them being ninth graders.
• He reminded parents of the Zero Tolerance rules surrounding athletes caught drinking or using drugs which cover 24/7 from the first day of practice until the end of the school year. 1st suspension will be 3 weeks from the sport, 2nd suspension results in 6 weeks off and a 3rd suspension means the student will be suspended from athletic competition for a full calendar year.
• Students are not being very smart about posting pictures on MySpace.com and if a school official sees a student drinking or using drugs or being in the picture with others who are this will result in suspension from the sport, with the above 1st, 2nd and 3rd consequences.
• There is a rise in young people abusing prescription medicines now, so be sure to lock these up just like you would your alcohol.
• Your teen needs to think of you as nerdy and dorky in order to be able to transition out of your home after high school, so just accept that fact now.
• We heard some scary information about the date rape drug that it is tasteless and not traceable and right now there is a high risk of exposure. This drug does not allow memories to form and when a teen has been exposed they can not remember what happened to them the night before.
• Randy noted that while survey data shows that about 22% of students have smoked marijuana or consumed significant amounts of alcohol in the last month; this means that over ¾ of students have not done so. Parents may want to be clear with their children that “everyone is NOT doing it”.
• Talk to your kids about what they learn at ASAP (Aids and Substance Abuse Program)
• Laurene suggested a number of excellent books to deal with these issues: Queenbees and Wannabees-teen girl issues, Get out of my life, but first can you drive me and Cheryl to the mall? and Rebuilding When Your Relationship Ends.
• Laurene Larson's "10 tips for communicating with your SEHS student" (Abbreviated, find the full sheet in the Counseling Office)
1. Set rules and expectations in advance.
2. Be positive!
3. Expect good grades AND good behavior.
4. Discuss issues and LISTEN to what they say.
5. Be aware of changes in friends, sleeping patterns, mood.
6. Let your teen experience failure.
7. Get to know their friends.
8. Buy a school phone directory and use it!
9. Know the laws about minors. Curfews, driving etc.
10. Laugh with your kids.

November 1, 2006

2006-11-12T21:07:00.000-08:00

Wednesday November 1, 2006

South Eugene Parent Council Meeting

Intros and Welcome (Helen Garrett, Parent Council Convener)

• Helen is thrilled to see so much activity on the blog.

• Updates: based on feedback we have a rich set of topics for the PES. Sessions are set through February. We received both the financial report as well as the budget. The financials are available tonight

• Teacher appreciation needs our help on Dec. 15.

Principal’s Update (Randy Bernstein)
• Boy’s soccer team is first in state right now and girls are also doing well.
• Boy’s football also doing well.
• 6A travel is on parents’ minds – Dave Hancock is sympathetic Some Athletic Directors aren’t as concerned because they’re not teachers as Dave is. Yesterday was 1st meeting of 6 principals in Roseburg. Hopefully we’ll be able to come up with some creative scheduling (double headers on Saturday to eliminate weekday travel). This year, however, things will have to stay this way for now.
• Basmati: Emphasize that some teachers will use it and some won’t. We’re trying to educate the parents – some teachers that are doing it are “helicopter” parenting because of all the calls that the teacher is getting about their child’s missing assignments. They want the kids to be doing that, NOT the parents. If this continues, teachers won’t continue.
• DDD: For school staffing – this is to keep programs running and to keep classrooms open. A typical year nets about $70,000. Our goal this year is $90,000. This is the foremost fundraiser for the school.
• Chinook Book is another fundraiser – for volunteer coordinator position as well as library asst. time, music program. That’s roughly $28,000.
• Next week is short: Thurs. is ½ day and no school on Friday.
• Modern Millie is going on – great musical – come and see it!
• We still need some volunteers in our academic support class. Those with volunteers run well. This is pretty much for 9th graders – help those identified students with their planners and classwork/homework.

Questions:

• Parent was concerned with the traffic in the mornings in front of the school. Randy gave her some contacts like the VP and Officer Zeltay.

Respectfully Submitted,

Kristina V. Padgett

August 10, 2006

2006-11-12T20:53:00.000-08:00

Parent Council Survey
August 10, 2006

A group of parent council members along with Randy Bernstein met this summer and brainstormed what parent council is (and isn't). Here is a list of responses that we got:

Parent Council IS.

A way for parents to support the school, its teachers and other parents
A catalyst for fundraising
A liaison with site council
An open venue for SEHS parents to join
An information source for parents
A forum for discussion or education on topics of common interest
An advisory board
A way to stay involved with older children's schooling
A way to meet people

Parent Council is NOT.

A gripe session
Life or death - it's just an organization
A static entity dependent on "we always do it this way"
A major decision making body
A forum for personal agendas
A policy making committee
A reliable source of fundraising
A closed, private meeting
A grievance board
A forum for commercial enterprise

Parent Council Minutes 10/10/06

2006-10-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

10/10/06
South Eugene High School
Parent council minutes

Meeting convenor: Helen Garrett
Secretary: Sue Yockelson

Members attending: Administrators attending:
Linda Albi
Claudia Carmichael Randy Bernstein
Kristina Padgett
Theresa Scholtz
Debbie Strolich
Lucy Vinis
Cynthia Wenks
Debbie Boars
Bets Cole
Sean Hoar
Jim Glang
Cheryl Henderson
Joan Rawlings-Boyd
Norma Sylwester
Regina White
Carol Yarbrough
Michael Young

New Business:

• Parent Education series
• Summer group came up with suggestions for parent education series. The topics were prioritized by top five. Other suggestions are offered and members should see if the topics are ones they can present on or suggest presenters.
• Sean Hoar presented a request to host a panel about eating disorders. A hand vote supported the request. Information will be disseminated through the parent council e-news and website.
• Parent Council Blog is available on the website

Principal’s report – Randy

• Donation of $500 to parent council through Randy (YEAH!)
• Remember to buy a Chinook Book
• Basmati
• Links through Easy Grade Pro
• 12-15 teachers currently using and more daily. Math department will all be trained by Friday.
• Teacher’s will provide their student’s with passwords to access their grade reports. Passwords are case sensitive
• Student’s grades are posted for teachers who are using the program and the hope is that notes will get posted.

Financial report - Cindy

• Situation looks great but we don’t have all the details yet. Cindy is being trained by Fuzzi
• South is the top earning e-scrip school in the state.

Action Items

• Gifts are needed for guest presenters. If someone would like to help coordinate the gifts, please contact Helen.
• The parent council website is outdated. Please let Helen know if you have a few moments to review what is up there and to help with changes.

Parent Education Series

The topic for the evening was internet safety and teens. The event was well attended!