DAVIS SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Parent Teacher Association Meeting

Present: Renee Liston, Alison Roe, Jane McLaughlin, Melinda Zimmerman, Cristina González, Joanne Moylan-Aube, Tsui Chang, Lynda Yancher, Renuka Mannapperuma, Julie Maxwell, Mike Cawley, Grace McCloud, Silvia Hughes, Joni Klein, Gail Heckemeyer, Pam Mari, Paula Tripp, Steve Legé, Guy Michelier, Peg Smith, Carol Curinga, Ann Devereux, Student Representatives: Nahid Abdali, Molly Sundstrom, Tanvir Kapoor

Meeting called to order at 7:35 p.m. by Renee Liston.

Welcome—Renee Liston

Renee welcomed everyone present.

Acceptance of September 2, 2003 Minutes

The minutes of the September 2, 2003 meeting were accepted by Renee Liston.

President’s Report—Renee Liston

• Updated Roster—Renee announced the remaining board vacancies have been filled. Donna Billick will join Melinda Zimmerman as a parent representative on the Curriculum & Instruction Committee. Cristina González will be the parent representative on the District English Learner Advisory Committee. This committee meets two to four times a year. The first meeting will be in November. Joanne Moylan-Aube will be the parent representative on the Positive School Climate Committee (formerly Human Relations). At Back-to School Night Gail Heckemeyer and Gail Cooluris were elected to two-year terms on the School Site Committee.
• October PTA Newsletter Expense—Renee thanked the Newsletter Labelers for folding and stapling the Newsletter. Thanks to their efforts, plus the use of white paper and Kinko’s special 2.5¢/sheet PTA deal, the monthly copying expense was $230 (compared to $475 last year).
• Honor Society Proposal—Renee received an e-mail from the DHS Honor Society asking if the PTA would be willing to suggest school beautification projects for its members to work on to improve the appearance of the DHS campus. Renee will request a parent/guardian volunteer on the PTA listserv and in the Newsletter to provide input to the Honor Society. Mike Cawley stated he would be willing to review suggested projects for administration approval.
• PTA Endorsement of Measure N—Renee reviewed Measure N, the parcel tax that benefits Davis schools, which will appear on the November 4 ballot and asked for the PTA’s endorsement.

  A motion to endorse Measure N was passed unanimously.

  Renee circulated a sign-up sheet for volunteers to make calls reminding identified supporters of Measure N to vote. Alison Roe will include an article on Measure N in the November newsletter.
  

Treasurer’s Report—Carla Lehn

Carla distributed a Treasurer’s Report for September 3 through October 4, 2003. Income to date is above budget. Renee noted the one-time Miscellaneous expense of $174.52 was for 4 electric staplers for the Newsletter Labeling committee. Carla noted that income for the Student Planner has been passed on to the Associated Student Body.

Teacher Wish Lists—Lynda Yancher

• Lynda reviewed the letter sent to DHS teachers and staff asking for requests for special project funding. Wish List requests are for classroom/department items that generally cost $250 or less and cannot be funded elsewhere. The deadline for requests is October 14. (“Big-ticket” items are funded in the spring through the proceeds of the Spring Donation Letter.) Lynda asked for volunteers to serve on a committee to review the requests. Silvia Hughes and Joanne Moylan-Aube expressed an interest in serving. Lynda , Renee Liston and Assistant Principal Pam Mari will also serve on the committee, which will meet once between October 14 and November 4.
• Renee presented an early-bird request by teacher Brett Stone (World Civilization/History) for a departmental subscription to the Scholastic magazine, “Action” that is appropriate for older students who have difficulty reading. The magazine addresses history and current events. Brett highly recommended the magazine for content and appropriateness for high school students. A full-class subscription is approximately $250/year (14 issues) and would be shared among teachers in the History Department.

  A motion to approve the expenditure of up to $250.00 for a subscription to “Action” was passed unanimously.

• Mike Cawley noted that a big-ticket item he will be researching for spring donation funding is an electronic marquee to replace the current marquee sign at the corner of Oak Avenue and West 14th Street. The new marquee would be connected to a computer in the school office and could be updated throughout the day. He will be looking into actual cost (estimated to be around $6,000.00) and check with the city of Davis regarding local signage laws. A suggestion was made that neighborhood residents may want to provide input.
  

Student Representative Reports

• Homecoming is October 17. Homecoming t-shirts will go on sale October 13.
• There will be a Night Rally October 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Old Gym. The Jazz Choir, cheerleading, step and dance teams will perform. There will be football-throwing , pie-eating and karaoke contests. FBLA and Friendship Clubs will sell food.
• October 17 will be a minimum day. The Homecoming Parade will begin at 1:30 p.m. The theme for the seniors’ float will be Pirates of the Caribbean; the juniors’ float will be The Haunted Mansion; the sophomores’ float will be Neverneverland (Devil Lagoon). Permission slips for float building are in the office carousel, room C-4 and the library.
• There will be a Homecoming Concert in the MPR following the football game. Featured bands will be Fiasco and All the Wrong People.
• The Senior Ball will be May 15, 2004 at the Sacramento Convention Center. Classique Catering will be presenting a sample menu for taste-testing.
• The junior class will be holding a fundraiser on October 22 at Lamppost Pizza on Lake Boulevard between 4:00 and 9:00 p.m. Planning for the Junior Prom has begun.
• The sophomore class had an outstanding turnout at their first class meeting. The remaining Class of 2006 officers for 2003–2004 have been appointed.
  

Principal’s Report—Mike Cawley

• Mike announced that DJUSD has been awarded a 3-year Small Learning Community grant of $239,000. The funds will be used to assist in funding New Tech High, Advancement through Individual Determination (AVID) and the School-to-Career program.
• Mike noted that construction of the Instructional Performing Arts Building is on schedule and the entire building, including the 10-classroom wing, is to be completed by November 2004. Modernization of the Humanities Building begins next year.
• Pathway Day (part of the School-to-Career program) was today, October 7. Around 250 students attended the presentation at the Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium. Jim Sochor, who led the Cal Aggies football team to 18 championships from 1970–88, was the keynote speaker.
• Mike welcomed Steve Legé to his new position as teacher representative to the PTA.
• The greenhouse for the Agriculture Program is in place in front of the Oak Avenue buildings.
• The football field and snack bar were vandalized September 17. The perpetrators left behind several “W”s in orange paint. The Davis police have no suspects at present.
• Missing parts for the eight new outdoor tables and benches have been ordered. Installation should be any day.
  

Assistant Principals’ Report—Pam Mari

• Pam noted the Disneyland-related Homecoming theme appeared to be very successful.
• Pam described the Sacramento Convention Center facilities that will be used for the Senior Ball. The Ball will be held upstairs and attendees will have access to a large terrace.
• The Davis School Board has directed all school principals to address each individual student regarding school climate and the new uniform discipline code. Assistant Principal for the Class of 2006 Heidi Loper met with 34 sections of English 10, reviewed discipline standards/consequences, and emphasized the importance of contributing to a positive school climate. Assistant Principal for the Class of 2005 Patrick Donlon met with every American Literature class, emphasizing school rules and the opportunities to set a positive example to incoming students and the community. Pam met with all Government and Economics classes, focusing on the rights and responsibilities students assume as they become legal adults and the legacy of appropriate behavior the Class of 2004 can leave at DHS. Feedback from students and teachers has been positive.
• A written report on steps being taken to improve programs for English language learners is being prepared.
• Teachers and staff are supporting class activities, including float-building for Homecoming.
• Enforcement of the dress code is going well with good cooperation on the part of students and relatively few infractions.
  

Counselors' Report—Carol Curinga

• Carol distributed copies of the 2003–04 DHS School Profile pamphlet that is given to seniors with their transcripts. The transcripts no longer include class rank; instead the Profile outlines the decile rankings for the class of 2004. (Private schools may require transcripts with application. The University of California and California State University requests self-reporting of grades until acceptance is granted.)
• Counselors held college admissions workshops during lunch periods on September 24 and 25 to help seniors with college applications. The topics included how to apply, how to obtain letters of recommendation, and discussion of the admission essay. Last year counselors wrote 540 recommendation letters, a 40% increase over the previous year.
• In September Carol attended a conference with representatives from the UCs and Cal State campuses. State universities expect to accept fewer students and therefore admission standards will be higher.
• Progress reports have been mailed. Counselors are calling in students with Ds and Fs to discuss their goals and help them focus on plans to meet them. Problems with grades mostly appear to be related to incomplete homework, not lack of class attendance.
• Mike Cawley noted that while teachers are only required to submit Progress Reports for students with grades of D and/or F, they are encouraged to report all grades.
  

Teacher Representative Report—Steve Legé

• Steve thanked parents who attended Back-to School Night.
• Steve noted that collaboration time has proven very productive, allowing faculty to meet as a group and by department, and is truly appreciated by teachers. Plans for future collaboration periods include focussing on larger school issues as an outcome of last year’s WASC report.
• Steve noted that Progress Reports can be misleading as they reflect students’ work at an early stage of the quarter and that quarter grades are a better indicator of how well students are performing. He encouraged parents to contact teachers by voice-mail or e-mail any time during the quarter if they have concerns regarding a student’s status in class.
  

Parent Representatives’ Reports

• Curriculum & Instruction—Melinda Zimmerman reported that the English Department is developing policies regarding plagarism, cheating and appropriateness of content as well as an MLA standards rubric to be shared with other departments. The dress code was circulated and discussed. The format of the CAHSEE has been changed to 2 days: 1 day of English/Language arts and 1 day of Mathematics. The impact of school assemblies on 4th period classes was discussed.
• Superintendent's Parent Advisory—Peg Smith will attend the first meeting on October 17. Peg can be contacted with any questions or input for the committee.
• Leadership Team—Mike Cawley noted that the minutes of the last meeting are being corrected.

No other parent representative reports were given.

Committee Reports

• Membership—Guy Michelier reported that to date, DHS PTA memberships are 223 individual, 388 family and 12 staff, comprising a total of 1,011 members (an all-time high membership!). Guy noted that the increase in membership could be attributed to the high quality of services and programs offered by the DHS PTA, increased exposure of the PTA through the Newsletter, website and listservs and the ease of access to the membership forms. While the majority of those joining used the blue form in the information packet, membership forms from the website and Newsletter were also received. Guy thanked all families who generously sent donations including those who did not choose to become PTA members.
• Ways & Means—Lynda Yancher has distributed the special projects/ Wish List letter to all teachers. She will be preparing a donation letter to be sent to parents and guardians in February.
• Volunteers—Renuka Mannapperuma reported that she has not had much success using e-mail to contact volunteers. Tsui Chang is going to set up separate listservs for the various volunteer groups . Renuka asked Pam Mari for a description of duties that she could share with parents who volunteer to help out at student dances. Pam stated that parents are not responsible for disciplining students, but should bring any situations they are uncomfortable with to the attention of one of the DHS staff present. Parents are asked to take tickets, check coats and belongings, help out with the photo lines and make occasional checks of the bathrooms and patio.
• Newsletter—The deadline for the November Newsletter is October 9.
• Student Directory—Guy Michelier is getting quotes from Kinko’s, as well as the DJUSD office, for copying the Directory. Guy circulated the proposed cover. The Directory will include teacher voice-mail and e-mail addresses and a page listing useful websites. There have been 841 requests for Directories to date (v. 750 last year). Guy will order at least 900 copies to be printed.
• Publicity—Renee Liston thanked Mary Velinsky (not present) for submitting the Davis Enterprise article announcing this evening’s Parent Education presentation “What Helps? What Hurts?” by Deb Kimokeo, DHS Crisis Counselor.
• Hospitality—Lynda Yancher reported that the committee has planned activities for the entire school year. The next event will be Halloween treats for DHS teachers and staff. A pumpkin pie bake-off is planned for November.
• Computer Support—Tsui Chang reported for Sue Fuller. The PTA calendar is on-line. The Joint Davis PTA Calendar and the Davis Community Calendar are in progress. The September Web Activity Summary reports total file requests of 14,272, not counting image and Simple Site files. Renee Liston noted that Grad Night 2004 has its own website that may be accessed from the PTA website.

No other committee reports were given.

Other Business

There was no other business.

Announcements

Mike Cawley noted that the DHS school record for yardage was broken at last week’s football game.

The meeting was adjourned by Renee Liston at 9:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Ann Devereux, DHS PTA Secretary.