DHSPA MEETING ~ MINUTES ~ MARCH 11, 2008
Laurie Orem called the meeting to order at 9:15 in the Auxiliary Cafeteria. There were approximately 35 parents in attendance.
The minutes from the February12, 2008 meeting were approved.
Patti Schoknecht announced that the Principal’s Newsletter would be mailed this week and anyone who would like to help put address labels on them should meet in the Administrative Conference Room at 11:30am on 3/12/2008.
Co-Chairs Report. Jayme delivered many thank yous: to the Student Life Committee for the Fashion Show and the Blue White dance, to all those who came and signed letters for the Reiss Fund, to the Administration for attending all of the recent events, to Tom Wynne and Tony Yezzi for all their work on the budget, and to Candy Wheelock and Nancy Herling for their part in organizing and facilitating the Brown Bag Lunches.
The BOF hearing on the budget is tonight. All parents are encouraged to attend and wear the button (passed out at the hearing) which indicates support of the BOE budget as it stands, with no further cuts.
The DHSPA is purchasing an additional insurance rider to protect loss or damage to the Student Wear inventory when stored on site. The cost is $250.
The Theatre 308 musical, The Music Man, will be performed Thursday through Saturday nights, March 13-15, 2008.
The Nutmeg Lane sign should be replaced next week.
Some notes about the calendar: The last DHSPA meeting will be on April 8, location TBA so please watch in the DPN. The Blue Wave Pride Club will be hosting an informative meeting on the subject of training, nutrition, and injury prevention for young athletes on March 25th.
Committee Reports.
iZone. The three iZone Tuesdays will begin on March 18th and run for three consecutive weeks.
Student Life. The Fashion Show was a success; we hope to do it again next year, but perhaps at a different time. The first annual Blue and White dance was held on Friday night, there were approximately 220 students in attendance, mostly underclassmen.
JOBS Office. The JOBS Office is up and running but they need jobs to post, so if you hear of anything, encourage friends, neighbors, or even merchants to call the JOBS Office.
Faculty Luncheon. The end-of-year faculty lunch will be held on June 12th. The entrée is provided through the DHSPA but the coordinators will be seeking side dishes and desserts through volunteer donations. Please respond when details are provided in the DPN.
Grade Level Chairs. Spring coffee dates are being arranged, look for the schedule soon via the DPN.
Student Wear. Please consider Student Wear for gifts, graduations, etc. Feel free to email or call Bernadette Kominek at home to place an order.
College and Career Programming. The last of the Brown Bag lunches is on March 12th. These have been well-attended and have actually been moved to the Community Council Room where there is more space.
Guidance Department Report. Bob Pomer reported that the CAPT testing has been completed. There will be a makeup schedule posted. The last of the Brown Bag lunches is being held this week. The Guidance Dept is wrapping up registration for the 2008/2009 school year. It should be complete by the end of March.
Program. Nancy Herling and Candy Wheelock introduced Anne Campbell and Rob Spear of Deliberate Directions, an “educational consulting firm for families seeking alternative solutions.” The discussion revolved mainly around summer opportunities for students. They advised that the first step is to evaluate the needs for the child and the family. Once that framework has been established, there are many programs available ranging from academic camps, sports camps, art, theatre, volunteer, internships, wilderness, etc. With access to the internet, there is no shortage of information available but they warned to check references. There is also a very extensive list of summer opportunities available on the DHS website, under Guidance/College and Career Center.
Principal’s Comments. Dan Haron discussed the events at the FCIAC Hockey Finals, which he will be addressing in more detail in the March Principal’s Newsletter. While specific students were dealt with in accordance with DHS rules, it is the overall event – the mob mentality and the alcohol consumption – that most concerns the Administration. The Administration has met with Community Council, who suggested a meeting with the Student Council at New Canaan High School, and a special homeroom to discuss fan behavior and expectations. This particular event was also plagued with extensive alcohol consumption. This is a situation which is not exclusively a school problem, it is a community problem. The Administration expects this to be an ongoing discussion.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 am.
Next Meeting: April 8, 2008