PNP Meeting Minutes
October 12, 2011

Counseling Report – Amy DiMaggio

Docufied Update: Common Application with deadline of Nov. 1, common app must be done prior to this date.

Reminder of standardized testing, Juniors sitting for PSAT (bring calculator, testing here at PN) this Saturday morning, 10/15. This is a qualifying exam for National Merit finalists. 9th grade social studies MEAPS are next week. The ACT plan is scheduled for Nov. 8th and 9th for Sophomores, this will give career interests and feedback for students and the school. This testing takes results from EXPLORE 8th grade test and compares to ACT plan, and then as Juniors to the ACT. March will be MME for Juniors.

There will be a Junior and Senior financial aid presentation, different presenter this year from WMU on Wednesday Nov. 2nd at 6:30 pm at PN auditorium, follow up with seniors the next day. Check with the college that your child is applying to for their financial aid deadline (school and State); March 1 is the deadline for the State of MI.

Principals Report – Jim French

Tardy policy update: 50% reduction in tardies in first five weeks of school. The focus has been trying to get kids in classrooms so that kids can learn. The policy has been very well received. It also gives the kids some flexibility , they can turn in 4 tardies per semester. The choice is up to the students putting the responsibility in the hands of the students.

Air Quality: Gazette article… PN is involved, but not involved in litigation. Lawsuit does not include any employees of the district. We are part of the case, but not being sued for it. Some things I felt that were in the article were not very accurate, the committee spent hours reviewing all data even to the point of having concerned families come in and talk to the task force… we want to hear… it came across as the committee being more of a PR role, which was not fair. We have done our due diligence. I am confident we did everything we could, and did everything right which is validated by the fact that we are not in the law suit.

Phase 2 facilities study: Tower Pinkster ran a review of middle schools and brainstormed about middle schools, what can we do, what would it cost… tonights meeting is about outdoor athletic facilities from 6:30 – 8:30 at West Middle, exploring what do we need to do with outdoor facilities brainstorming over the next 5 – 10 years. Architecture firm will present feedback and long range phase two for facilities. Next meeting will be Nov. 9th

PRTR numbers:  40% reduction in failing grades as compared to last year, identified the kids and continued to give the support and chart progress this year from last year (140 kids) average GPA over a 3.0, 88% over a 2.0. Thank the reps.

IB AP Tests:  Online registration new this year, link on the website, pay with credit card. IB exam deadline in November, AP deadline in the winter. Sign up for each exam; check the box, make payment, PPS will subsidize the cost of the tests. If you get the diploma, you get a refund at the end for test fees.

Homecoming next week, pep assembly Tues, Thurs, and Friday.

Performance series testing:   Freshman parents, apologize its taken longer to assess them. Taking info and developing plan for Alg 1 class and English classes. Grades 3 thru 9 are tested. Wednesday next week MEAP for 9th graders (lots of testing)

TV Broadcast class:  First broadcast run on Tuesday, try to get a link on the website, it was phenomenal. Once display systems up, you will see the announcements in scrolling marquis on those. For now the 4th grade teachers are reading them in class. The rumor is that a lot of teachers are not reading them in class.

PAF Spirit Dinner Friday 10/14 before the PN/PC game. At PC 5:00 pm. Benefit Athletic programs in PPS. Tickets are $5. Portage Central will be open for tours.

There will be a Homecoming walkthrough at Portage Northern from 4:30 – 6:00 on Friday night (21st) Open House.

China program today. 12 to 1.

Secretaries Report --Minutes available online.

Treasurers Report--Margo absent. One good piece of news, we are about 2/3 of our goal for membership.

New Business

PNP Directory has been delayed due to IT problems. The IT Vendor transferred data over but did not translate contact information… for a household number, I may get a cell phone number and I did not feel comfortable issuing the directory with personal information. We are trying to recreate some of the reports that we need. We can’t have volunteers helping with the directory due to confidentiality reasons. This has affected all of Kalamazoo County.

Facilities planning meeting:  Terri Novaria has attended (pools and middle school facilities) Tower Pinkster presented info about 3 buildings, and the cost of what it would be to bring these up to today’s expectations. 7 million to bring West up to standards, 15 for North, 16 for Central, energy, windows, space, athletic stuff inside of building. 5 small groups identified the things that we thought were important to academics, athletics what was important… after seeing PN that can see what 21st education can look like… two conflicting things… one, the importance of neighborhood schools (we maintain 3 middle schools), other concept is the campus concept, we can recognize all kinds of economies of scale, athletics, teachers, students go back and forth. Great ideas came out of the meeting. Athletic tonight, next Nov. 9th. One of most interesting things said, by a PN parent is a west employee, west feels like the poor stepchild standing in the corner…

Homecoming:  Making progress with donations but still need 15 cases of water and 8 people for 2 dozen cookies Still need one more person to volunteer at the dance.

Grad Bash:  Had first meeting, we are getting organized. Email Terri or Jeanne if you want to help. On website PNP, chairs are listed.

Breadlift:  Emails will go out next month. Anything extra from HC will go to Breadlift, Nov. 19th 2011. Hundreds of kids participate in teams and sell bread for a donation for the March of Dimes. IN the Guinness book of World Records, for all day fundraiser… raised over $300k since inception. PNP provides breakfast and lunch. Need people to provide the food, some drivers for younger kids. Get T-shirts early, counts for volunteer hours.

Holiday Dance:  Dec. 10th is the date for the Holiday Dance and the theme is the peppermint twist. We are beginning to get our act together to see what we have and what we need… it’s our biggest fundraiser (only) of the year. We are looking for lots of involvement from parents as we convert Doghouse into a winter wonderland.

Curriculum Council – no report

DAC - no report

Site based team

Met on the 26th and has a new chairperson, Stacy Phillips. The Huskie award went to Bonnie as Chair of English dept. We are going to revise the mission statement then it will come to PNP for review.

Old Business

Thank you to Reading Partnership Program volunteers. Grant request that has been tabled, no report yet.

Superintendent survey online

Motion to adjourn the meeting at 12:30 pm, seconded and approved.