Present – Alicia Garfinkel, Aaron Hanna, Vicki Otten, Emily Kallaur, Lauren Miller, Stefanie Berger, Adam Riggs, Karen Abrams
Meeting was called to order at 5:38
Administrative
- Review November minutes
- Vicki motioned to approve the minutes, Adam seconded the motion.
Items for Discussion
- Stefanie Berger joined us to discuss implementation of the enrichment program to date: mission/objectives, challenges, successes, what works, ideas for next year, etc.
- Emily reviewed past discussions about I/E
- Stefanie went over the most recent Enrichment offerings (explorers, junior great books, weather, math project from cornerstones, and more)
- Want kids to learn in a hands-on way and have different experiences than they would be exposed to in the classroom
- Projects are presented to other students once completed
- GoQuest is new program that all kids are being added to (paused I/E block to add them to this) and will be a great addition to the enrichment program (as well as for teachers to use); could be helpful with helping to connect grade-levels
- Junior Great Books program connects and progresses thru each grade-level
- Aides are documenting and saving lessons
- Stefanie thinks 4th and 5th grade I/E is running very well
- Idea of enrichment is to broaden kids exposure and understanding of topics (and more than just literacy and math)
- Challenges
- Aides don’t have a place to keep all of the kids projects and supplies
- 30 minute time can be limiting, especially with lower grades, for longer projects – especially with needing to move around building, move supplies and find a space
- Aides are buying own supplies
- Computer issues
- Need to look into what professional development and support may be required to build a strong, sustainable program
- Ideas for going forward
- Could be great for completed projects to be presented to parents and/or to other classes
- Have a “toolbox/bank” or lessons to pull from so that it’s not a prescribed thing each year, but aides are not making new lessons all the time; projects need to be ready to go at the beginning of the school year
- Enrichment training for aides
- Next steps:
- survey/focus groups?
- Scope and sequence for I/E block?
- How to measure success?
- Figuring out upfront costs and budget needs—define high, middle, low budget scenarios
- Finding “kits” and projects that are already made
- Coordinate with HSA—possibility to fund materials or other support? Display I/E projects at Auction?
- Researching costs and programs
- Karen is going to reach out to Sue
- Aaron, Stefanie and Vicki are going to research programs
- Mr. C – consider budget requirements
- Text for Murch website describing I/E block for parents
- Small group has draft of letter à will be sent around to LSAT
Other
- DCPS webinar on budget process—link to be shared with group