February 22, 2021 – Minutes

School Community Council
Monday, February 22, 2021

Members in Attendance (via Zoom):
Brian McGill                           
Rochelle Stone                       
Melissa Gibbs
Chet Linton                            
Page Checketts                       
Callie Bjerregaard
Jim Jensen                              
Brittany Stephenson              
Cache Merrill
Joe Schino                              
Katie Christensen                   
Chad Heyborne
Garry True                              
Shannon Kershaw                  
Kelli Miller               

Others in Attendance:
Carolyn Cannon (Secretary)
Bode Rockwood (SBO – Attorney General)
Amanda Oaks (CSD Board Member)
Brandy Burnett (Carolyn’s replacement)
Representative Suzanne Harrison

Not in Attendance:                            
Tricia Leininger
Ron Strohm                            

Welcome, Review & Approve minutes from January 25, 2021 meeting (Jim Jensen)

• Motion to approve minutes – Chet Linton
• 2nd Motion – Melissa Gibbs
• Motion passed

I. Principal of the Year Award (Jim Jensen)

• Watched the presentation of Brian’s interview on Good Morning Utah about his award as Principal of the Year.

II. Approval of Minutes from January 25, 2021 (see above)

III. SBO Update/Report (Shaley Allen and SBOs)

• Congrats to Dr McGill on his well-deserved award!
• They have tried to spread a lot of love around for Valentine’s Day. They put every student’s name on a heart around the school.  There have been some unfortunate deaths around the District and they are trying to avoid more of that.
• Prom approved with COVID restrictions. Not everything has been figured out, but we are having one!
• They have finally been able to attend some sporting events, so that’s been a lot of fun. Final home game is this week for basketball.
• They have been reaching out to other schools who have had unfortunate events happen.
• McGill extended a great thank you to them and all they are doing!

IV. PTSA Update (Rochelle Stone)

• PTSA is providing dinner for Parent Teacher Conferences tomorrow.
• Kick off Fundraiser coming up. They will be selling blankets again.  They are nicer, newer, and double-sided.  They should come out this week or next week.  They would like to do pre-orders so they don’t have to store so many.
• They are starting to recruit for a new board for next year.

V. Counseling Corner (Callie Bjerregaard)

• COVID/Test to Stay Update (Kelli Miller) – Dr McGill spoke to this. We are testing athletes and after-school activity groups every two weeks so that’s where Kelli is.  COVID testing and the Test to Stay has significantly helped us with being able to stayin school.  If we hit the 1% mark again, we will go through the Test to Stay process again.  We had an internal exposure today which affected some Admin and Counseling.
• Counselors are working on getting course requests in. The window is currently open.  They are going into Advisory classes and having students put all their requests in.  They are talking to students about being thoughtful about their choices.
• ACT Test for all Juniors is on March 9th. The other students will just have Teacher consultation time after lunch.  All pre-registration is to be done online.  They are helping the students so they don’t accidentally create two accounts.
• 10th Grade PCCRs are going on.
• School is feeling more stable for students. COVID numbers are coming down.  The weather is improving.  We are still there for anyone who is struggling.

VI. TSSP (Teacher Student Success Plan) (Dr. McGill)

• TSSP (Teacher Student Success Plan) was formerly the CSIP (Comprehensive School Improvement Plan). We still have our Land Trust Monies, and now we receive TSSA funds.  The TSSP combines all three elements of Land Trust monies, TSSA monies, and the CSIP plan which outlines how to spend the monies.
• Awaiting funding formula and amount for next year
• At our next meeting we will vote on the plan, but for this meeting we have a proposed plan sent out by Dr. McGill so SCC Members are able to have input in it.
• Four overarching goals (1) Literacy – raise reading inventory scores, Alta collects all RI scores from K-12 for students at our cone schools, big focus on our low-income students, we test 9-12 students, we talk to students about these tests, Aspire test given last year for the first time so we don’t have enough data yet to analyze, provide Read 180 for those who need the intervention, we hired an ELL/MLL Coordinator for half time, she works individually with our MLL students, we will use some funding to lower class sizes in key classes; (2) STEAM – looks at ACT, sustain 30% or higher of Alta juniors scoring the benchmark level on all four categories, provide support funding for HOSA, First Robotics, After school tutoring, ACT prep, hired a teacher last year (Rebecca Bennion) and would like to expand our Health Science classes, FTE to reduce class sizes, Professional Development; (3) MTSS Culture and Climate – PLCs have suffered the first half of the year so we want to reemphasize that, need our teachers collaborating to work on solutions for student issues, focus on IPOPs, continue to provide additional counselors on staff, fund half-time clinical social worker, maybe we can get two full-time licensed clinicians on staff, continue providing Tier 3 Services by our two Check and Connect mentors, funding for Link Crew, Advisory program, Hope Squad, MTSS supports; (4) College and Career Readiness (CCR) Goal – sustain 90% graduation rate (despite COVID and change in demographics), 60% of student earning Honors or Advanced Diploma, maintain at least 20% of all students meeting the criteria for the Hawk Medallion Award, continue with Step2TheU, we have enough students to fill another two cohorts
• Request approval to use Cell Tower Funding to put toward Personnel/FTE to decrease class sizes as needed
• We have been encouraged to keep our goals and funding similar to last year, due to COVID, etc.

VII. Dance Update (Dr McGill)

• We would like to provide a couple of closure events – Prom will be on March 27th and we will also have a Senior Dinner Dance
• We will need to do a “Test to Dance” for both events
• These dances won’t look the same as usual, but they are working on plans to be able to move forward

 VIII. Construction/Renovation Update (Garry True)

• Baseball and Softball Fields – firm coming out to survey the field to put together a plan to go to the District
• Title IX Compliance – convert some of the shower areas and two restrooms into transgender areas, we will have three or four areas, expanding privacy within the locker rooms, expanding team rooms for womens sports programs
• Nine of Ten lights have been put in the Commons, working on fire walls, plan has been approved, old office area is slowly being converted, plumbing issues have been solved, they will be starting to frame in the next week or two, plumbing and sub-plumbing is in
• Old Auditorium areas are coming along, however we have shortage in materials; get students to help move before the end of the year, 70% complete with that area
• Almost completed all the Utility work on the West side of the school, they are starting to grade that area, it will be finished up during the summer, hopefully everything done before school starts for next year
• Fridays have helped because contractors can move into and use the building
• Flooring for Commons will be completed in the summer

IX. Other Items

• Welcome Amanda Oaks from the School Board – she responded to a question regarding emotional supports help from the District – she said the District is trying to prioritize those needs and put them a little higher at the schools. This year they funded more nurses due to COVID, etc.  Alta has definitely made this a priority.  She encouraged the SCC and other parents to email all the Board members and let their voice be heard if that’s a priority.  Brian recognized Amanda’s advocacy of emotional and mental health within the schools.
• Based on the 100% circle, counselors are supposed to spend 20% of their time on responsive services (individual services), 20% for guidance curriculum in the classroom (preventive), 45-55% spent with individual planning (individual students helping them prepare and get into college); 15% system supports (SST, etc). We are spending less time with individual planning and more time with responsive services because of the need.
• Shannon Kershaw – hired and funded with extra monies so she can do testing, 504s, etc., so she can help the other counselors with their load, she is amazed at how busy the counselors still are, even with the extra help
• Representative Suzanne Harrison – our ratios of counselors to students does NOT meet “best practices” and she is committed to pushing for some changes there, we have to do better, she gave a shout-out to Principal McGill and his leadership on this issue, she would like to better advocate on this issue, she is one voice of 104 but she would like to know how she can do more. Brian thanked Suzanne for her support of making sure that monies get down to the school level.
• Brian serves on the USBE committee and he will do all he can to help get the State-recommended ratio down to 350 to 1.
• Step2TheU update – number of applicants was exactly the number of slots so they have all been accepted into the program

Motion to Adjourn – Chet Linton
Second – Chad Heybourne
Meeting adjourned

Next SCC Meeting:  Monday, March 22, 2021 @ 3:00 pm (would like to do this one in person so we can get in-person signatures – maybe we can host it in the Library)