Alta View Elementary SCC Minutes
DRAFT
October 19, 2021 3:15 p.m.
This meeting was held in person in the Alta View Faculty room.
Meeting convened at 3:20 p.m. by Rachel Anderson.
- Welcome/Roll Call
Present: Rachel Anderson (Chair), Pamela Brooks, Rebeca Brown, Jessica Davies, Beth Floyd (arrived after agenda item 2), Scott Jameson, Noelle Jones, Jorge López, Jennifer Rupp, Kristy Whiteside (arrived after agenda item 2).
Not present: Noelle Jones, Allyn Kau.
Visitors: Julie Cornia.
- Approve SCC Minutes from 09/21/21
Jackie Jones made a motion to approve the September 21, 2021 minutes. Rebecca Brown seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously by those members who were present at that time, except that Jessica Davies abstained from voting since she was not present at the September meeting.
3. Review Digital Citizenship Report from District
Julie Cornia, the Digital Citizenship Coordinator and First Grade DLI Teacher at Alta View presented the Digital Citizenship Report from the District, as required by state law. She explained briefly what the school was doing this year for Digital Citizenship. There is a District training on October 28. The teachers are presenting 4-5 lessons to students based on basic internet details. Principal Scott Jameson then walked the council through answering a survey online which must be submitted to the District, to record that our council has conducted its required review
4. School Safety Updates
- Safety drill update: Mr. Jameson explained that the lockdown drill was held October 4, and it was successful. There was a little issue about kids being at recess and how to work with that situation. Several options were discussed, including making sure part-time aides are aware of these drills and know what to do with kids at recess during a drill. On November 11 a bomb threat drill will be held during the faculty meeting.
- Covid-19 Update: Mr. Jameson gave this update. There has been some increase in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. Unlike last year, there has been some in-school transmission of Covid, from student to student. Mr. Jameson underlined the importance of being respectful to every single choice on wearing or not wearing a mask among both students and faculty. Jessica Davies asked what the thresholds were to trigger the school being sent to online school. Mr. Jameson stated that he would report back to the Council about the specific requirements.
- Review School Safety Report from District: Mr. Jameson presented this topic and showed the council the online resources provided by the District, which we need to review. He asked the Council to think about our primary concerns with regards to safety items in our school, to be able to report back to him at next months’ meeting.
- Approve Expenditures from Cell Tower Funds
Mr. Jameson explained that some schools in the district have cell phone towers located on their school properties, and that these towers bring in rent money for the schools. Because not all schools have cell towers, the District created a formula to be able to share that income with all schools, while also ensuring that the schools that actually have cell towers on their property receive a higher share of that income. Alta View does not have any cell towers on our property, but it receives about $1,500 per year in the cell tower funds. The school community council gets to decide how to use these funds, and we are more flexible in how we use the money, as compared to other funds that we oversee. Historically, Alta View has not used these funds much, preferring to save them for necessary and worthwhile needs as they come up. Last year, for instance, we compensated teacher Jesse Flink, who spent personal time during the summer preparing the school for new COVID protocols.
Mr. Jameson then detailed two requests for the use of cell tower funds this year. First, he requested the use of $696 to allow students and teachers to go to the student council conference at BYU. This would cover all registrations, school bus use, and substitute teachers.
The second request was to send four fifth-grade teachers to training for the LETRs program, which is a reading program recommended by the State to most of the larger school districts. Other teachers are funded to go, but the fifth-grade teachers also wanted to participate and needed the funding. The cost is $310 for each of the six teachers, totaling $1,860. Funding is still necessary for substitutes needed during training times, but Mr. Jameson will see if we can use other funds for that.
Jessica Davies made a motion to approve the two proposed uses of cell tower funds. Kristy Whiteside seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously by those members who were present.
- Review Recent Changes in Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum
Rachel Anderson kicked-off a discussion of the topic of the social-emotional learning curriculum, and Second Step in particular, and the status of the School District’s review of whether to keep this program. Members of the council expressed support for the Second Step program at the elementary school level. It was discussed how the District Board of Education is meeting that night to discuss the program, and that members of the public could make a public comment.
- Other Input/Questions
There was no further discussion.
- Adjourn
Rachel Anderson adjourned the meeting at 4:47 p.m.
