Here is a summary of November 15, 2011 meeting.
The Committee reviewed the proposed Hybrid Magnet School Calendar. It was supported by consensus with just two changes. The October 12th and April 26th Teacher’s workshops would be changed to the end of the year. Two early release days may be added for parent conferences, one in October and one in April.
The Committee discussed which language to teach and how to schedule and plan it. The Committee supports French as the language for several reasons. Everyone agreed that any language would be an improvement. With Rochester’s heritage and history, plus a possible partnership with Club Victoire, French made a lot of sense. Spanish and Chinese were considered, but French was the consensus decision. Mrs. Brown has a great background in speaking French. The classes would be 3 to 5 days per week, from 20 to 40 minutes depending on grade level. The focus would be on proficiency in listening, speaking, understanding of cultures, and some proficiency in reading and writing.
The Committee discussed the academic time schedule and a timeline for decision making. It was agreed that we have several more items to finalize. Once we have those finalized, we will have a focus group meeting with as many parents as possible. Then the proposal would go to the Board. The timeline may require a special Board meeting in January.
The Committee discussed several other areas to get agreement on. They are listed below.
Themes, focus of the school, logistics, 8 week themes, overall themes, kindergarten classes until 3, Child care, Art integration, Staffing issues, budget issues, transitioning new students, technology, transportation, teacher conferences, parental expectations, staff expectations, How to get the word out to the community.
The committee is scheduled to meet again on November 22nd and November 29th from 5 to 7 p.m.
The meeting adjourned at 6:20 p.m.