• Ridgeline High School
    School Community Council Minutes
    Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at 7:00 a.m.
    Ridgeline Conference Room

    Members Present: Robert Henke (principal), Emma Smith (teacher), Brittany Foster (Assist . principal, non-voting member), Maria Hunsaker (parent), Jim Crosbie (Assist. Principal, non-voting member), Sandra Hugie (parent), Wendy Finley (parent), Craig Bracken (counselor), Joshua Nelson (parent), Jerry Skidmore (teacher), Bonnie Odd (teacher), Kerri Williams (parent), Jeff Neilson (parent).

    Members Absent: Kay Sweeten (parent), Michelle Israelsen (parent).
    Visitors: Diane Theurer, Marcie Lyons

    Conducting: Sandra Hugie

    Agenda Item #1: Approve minutes from Dec. 12, 2017 meeting
    Discussion: Wendy Finley made a motion to approve the minutes. Maria Hunsaker seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous to approve the minutes.

    Agenda Item #2: Trust land budget update
    Discussion: Bob Henke stated we have 51% of our budget left. Bob thinks we are staying on target for spending. We did just spend a bit more to add another teacher to reduce class sizes in Driver’s Education class. But we are right on target. Sandra asked if the plan to use this budget is the same each year. Bob responded that it has been that way and has been very successful. Bob stated the school ratings have been fixed on line. Previously our English scores were incorrect. They have been corrected. Currently our school is ranked #1 in Science, #2 in Math, and #3 in English out of the top 20 schools similar to our school. Bob feels the trust land budget plan that has been put together is successful. We mainly spend the money on people working with kids. Sandra asked if Bob anticipated spending more on technology. Bob stated we have one computer for every two students. He would rather spend the money on people versus technology. The PLC group which is made up of teachers and staff creates a plan and then the council approves it. He feels that is the most effective method.

    Agenda Item #3: Follow up on Grading for Learning or other teaching needs

    Discussion: Mr. Henke stated they have created a new pyramid of intervention. He described it as a pyramid being cut in half vertically. The right side is academic and the left side is behavioral. That is the main difference in the new pyramid. The PLC team went over it yesterday and approved it. He will have the new approved pyramid for us next month. Bob discussed the work day Wednesday program where they get a list of the students who are failing and then they can use that Wednesday to work with those students. He also talked about the SI (System Intervention) project. The interns in the counseling office work with the kids who are struggling. There is also a Focus Math program where teachers work with students who are falling behind in math for six weeks to try and get them caught up. There is also the “Check-in/Check-out” program where the kids check in so the teachers and staff know they are coming to school and turning in how they do during the day. Also targeted FLEX courses where they assign students to specific FLEX classes to help them. Bob also discussed the Tier 3 students who are a year or more behind grade level, specifically in reading. They are also trying to help the resource students. Traditionally if a student is put in resource they are behind academically and they stay behind academically. We give them accommodations so they can pass, but we don’t give them accommodations so they can learn and catch up to their peers. One of the ways they are doing this is using co-taught academics in math. Instead of having resource students take a resource math class, which is basically “dumbed-down” math so they can pass, we are putting them in a regular math class with a resource teacher there to help the student. The goal is to try and help them get caught up and stay caught up to grade level. This is something the school is trying out now and it has been successful. The goal is to have a lot less resource math classes and more co-taught classes.
    At Cache High they have created a packet that students can go work on online because their behavior isn’t appropriate for the regular schools. Ridgeline sent two students down there and told them if they could earn one credit at Cache High then that would show they wanted to be at Ridgeline. If they didn’t earn at least one credit, then they would have to stay at Cache High.
    There was a lot of discussion about House Bill 239 which states if a student commits a Class C misdemeanor on school campus, the school has to deal with it and not law enforcement. Some students are aware of this and are abusing the law because they know they won’t be charged with a crime. V. Lowry Snow is the representative that wrote the bill. Bob has been collecting data from Ridgeline and the other three high schools in the district showing the increase in the number of truancies and other Class C misdemeanors that have occurred. He has shown the data not only to Rep. Snow, but other local legislative leaders, the state school board members, the Deputy superintendant. Box Elder school district wasn’t even aware of the law or how to interpret it. We have since shared our knowledge with them and they are collecting their own data to share as well. Several of the council members wanted to know the reason for creating this bill. Bob explained the reason behind the bill as being that students shouldn’t be criminalized for being truant because once you start getting students in the court system you create a pipeline to prison. Bob explained he understands the reason for wanting to keep kids out of the system if they don’t need to be in the system. Bob gave an example of a student who wasn’t attending school and was dropped after 10 truancies. The student then got into some drug trouble, put in the court system, and the court mandated him to go to school. Since then he hasn’t missed a day of school and at one point had straight “A’s.” In this instance the court was able to help him. Bob feels that House Bill 239 isn’t really keeping kids out of the court system because the school has to drop the students for more than 10 truancies and they end up in the system anyway. Rep. Snow has created a new bill, 132, to try and resolve some of these issues. He is also involved in the Juvenile Justice System and he told us to get involved with them and so we did. They came and presented to us. They teach a “Why Try” 11-week course. We have six or seven students in the course now. It has been going for two weeks so far. Bob hasn’t noticed any impact so far, but we will finish the 11 weeks and report on the impact.
    Maria Hunsaker asked about community volunteers coming in and helping with students that are behind academically. Bob responded he doesn’t see volunteers coming in high school. He did report on a program that Penny Findlay at Mountain Crest has developed a new program for special education teachers. Ridgeline special education teachers are using the program. It has shown some success so far. Sandra asked if they would want parent volunteers to come in and help. Bob reported the classes are small, about 8-12 students, and he would ask the teachers if they would like volunteers.

    Agenda Item #4: Counselor’s Update
    Discussion: Sandra asked Craig Bracken to talk about bullying. She said she heard Mountain Crest’s principal on the radio talking about what they do for bullying and she was wondering how Ridgeline responds to bullying. She gave an example of someone’s shoes being put in the urinal and according to her daughter, nothing was done by the students. Wendy Finley gave a similar experience where her daughter’s best friend was being bullied by a boy she used to date. When she asked her daughter if she said anything to anyone her daughter responded, “Oh that’s not what you do, Mom!” The question was asked, how do we teach our kids to report bullying? Craig Bracken responded there are ways students can report bullying anonymously. There is www.anonymoustips.com and SafeUT app students can put on their phones. At the beginning of each school year the counseling department educates students on these resources. The goal is to get the students to see that nothing will change by just being a bystander; they need to report it. Bob Henke stated that most teachers have stickers with anonymoustips.com and SafeUT information on their doors. The bottom line is students need to stand up for other students and report bullying. Jim Crosbie mentioned an app that allows students to bully other students anonymously. A student puts the app on their phone and it allows others to comment on their social media anonymously.

    Craig reported in October they went around to all the 9th grade classes and did a presentation on bullying. They are also starting the “Hope Squad” which is a group of 30 students who become the eyes and ears of the school. The students were voted onto the squad by their peers. The students will be trained in a 12-week program during FLEX and then watch for bullying, suicide, or students who are struggling and report issues to teachers, administrators, or counselors. The school also received a grant for the “Stand Up” program which is specifically for bullying. It is student focused so students can create a more positive environment at their school. A lot of research has shown the best way to prevent bullying is to create a school atmosphere where everyone buys into the concept of not bullying and not just being a bystander, but saying something when they see something happen.
    Brittany Foster reminded us that parents can report bullying as well.

    Sandra asked about a few other programs that Mountain Crest is taking part in and she asked if we were doing them as well. Craig Bracken responded that some of those programs aren’t research based and Ridgeline prefers to use our funds towards programs that are research based. Bob Henke added that many schools will try new things, but Ridgeline wants to use programs that have evidence that they work.

    Agenda Item #5: Safety
    Discussion: Sandra brought up safety in the parking lot. Bob reported he had brought up the issue to the deputy. He stated they are watching. Jim Crosbie reported the Highway Patrol had a state-wide contest for safety and Ridgeline won for wearing seat belts and having a safe parking lot. Ridgeline will be receiving a cash prize. Sandra asked if the students know there are cameras in the parking lot. Jim said the students know about the cameras.

    Agenda Item #6: Other
    Discussion: Sandra asked if the Netsmart presentation could be put on the school’s social media sites. Brittany Foster said she would make sure it was on there. Maria suggested we put it on our individual social media feeds as well.

    Maria Hunsaker made a motion to adjourn and Josh Nelson seconded it. The meeting was adjourned.
    Next meeting: Tuesday, February 13, 2017 at 7:00 a.m.
    Minutes prepared by: Wendy Finley