DRAFT School Community Council Minutes
Willow Springs Elementary
13288 Lone Rock Drive, Draper, UT 84020
October 16, 2024 | 9:30 – 11:00 am
Anne Hansen, Principal | Megan Gutierrez, Chair, Parent |
Annie Nixon, Instructional Coach | Megan Ord, Vice Chair, Parent – absent |
Makenzie Shumway, Teacher, absent | Sarajane Luper, Parent |
Megan White, Teacher, absent | Jessica Smith, Parent |
| Shalisse Smith, Parent |
Guests: | Jennie Stratton, Parent |
Leslie Bruce, attended |
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Adam Neff, invited – absent |
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Holly Neibaur, invited – absent |
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- Welcome
- Approve Minutes – Principal Hansen motioned to approve minutes, Jessica seconded. All voted to approve.
- Safe Walking Routes – due November 1
- Guests Leslie Bruce and Adam Neff were invited (Adam Neff was conducting D.A.R.E. and was unable to attend)
- Jennie discussed what is to be done if a crossing guard is not at their crossing spot. Leslie said you can call the police or call her. Principal Hansen said you can also call the school and they will connect with Leslie or police.
- Principal Hansen shared safe walking routes. The council reviewed the map of boundaries. They discussed where the current crossing guards are located.
- Principal Hansen stated what we need to include in our safe walking routes plan to the district. She continued to open it up for discussion of any concerns anyone had or had heard from the district.
- Shalisse mentioned snow removal when winter hits. She said Principal Hansen helped solve this last year and Shalisse feels this should be included in our plan this year. Main concern being 300 East and Stokes Ave. where plowed snow is usually placed.
- Council didn’t feel any requests for bus changes needed to be included.
- Principal Hansen wants a sign as parents enter the parking lot, saying no cell phones.
- Council all agreed on the plan – we will submit.
- Review current year’s LAND Trust plan, data, expenditures, and review if spending is on course or if amendments are necessary
- Principal Hansen showed the attached presentation. See attached for detailed information.
- TSSA spent $11K, see attached data report
- Data review of the current testing results for this school year to this point.
- Benchmark moves throughout the year. Goal line shows where we are.
- Anne Dixon, educational coach explained the results; overall looks really good, should be on track to be where we need to be at the end of year. District has science based reading strategies that really help develop good readers.
- Council noticed that there was quite a discrepancy between classes in the grades. Principal Hansen said what this reflects is that we try really hard to build balanced classes, when parents make a lot of requests; it can make the classrooms not be balanced academically. She said she can try to take a harder line and not honor as many parent requests. She had about 40 requests this year.
- Shalisse recommended doing requests for student concerns only and not simply a teacher preference.
- Anne stated it’s common for 3rd grade math scores to look low; they are starting to do multiplication and division, skills they haven’t been taught yet. Trying to address classes when the scores are low.
- Shalisse said she has had a 3rd grade teacher reach out and say they needed math help in classes. She was pleased with this. Jessica said the same.
- Shalissa asked about how 5th grade is looking for math preparation to move to middle school. Anne believes they look good. They have goals focused on foundations that should fill in some holes for them.
- Principal Hansen said teachers are using programs we purchased to help all students excel in math..
- Anne discussed some focuses the school has that will help all students with math.
- Jennie said she feels goals set were attainable.
- Megan asked if there were any other concerns for this point of discussion? No one expressed any. Council started discussion regarding school safety.
- Principal Hansen showed a video the school made to address parking lot concerns.
- The video addresses concerns for: drop off and pick up. Slow down, be in the drop off/pick up lane, put your phone down. Students only exit on the passenger side. Parents must remain in the car, or park in the parking lot. Don’t use the parking area for dropping kids off. Don’t use accessible spots unless you have a tag. Don’t use the bus parking lot. Students must stay on the sidewalk. Parents, like students, are not allowed to ride bikes or scooters on school property.
- Shalisse suggested having parents watch video at kindergarten orientation
- Anne will help put it on YouTube so a link can be sent/shared with parents.
- Jessica added we could have parents watch it in classrooms at back to school night.
- Shalissa suggested a class incentive for parents to watch it. She said we could have Willy out to remind parents proper drop off and pick up.
- Sarajane mentioned having someone out there directing parents.
- Principal Hansen said we could have parking lot safety week.
- The council will reach out to officer Neff and ask him to help us with parking lot safety, Jessica Smith will draft a letter.
- Kelsey Boyce said PTA can support however.
- Sarajane will head up efforts of SCC to help with parking lot safety week. Jessica and Shalisse to help.
- Council brainstormed some ideas.
- Shalisse mentioned visuals are helpful.
- Megan added to have a proposal of how to get parents to all watch video.
- Other ideas included: pajama day, game day, wear a hat day.
- Anne prompted that we need to protect instructional time please.
- Jennie started communication on if we can include parking lot safety in our plan, perhaps as #1 concern.
- Megan said for school safety we can submit anything we are concerned about…what help do we need from the district and the community?
- Principal Hansen said we document that we had these discussions, what we discussed, if communication safety plan was helpful, what is our top concern, other concerns, and what our plan is and what can they do to help?
- Principal Hansen mentioned last year we asked for more signage and painted lines in parking lot.
- Megan explained the process of the School Safety plan we will submit.
- Shalisse asked if teachers have any safety concerns or does PTA have any concerns? Or digital safety plan?
Move agenda item for Digital Citizenship Report to November 20th.
- Megan – Everyone read district digital safety plan.
- Principal Hansen has upcoming faculty meeting on Monday.
- Jessica suggested have safety plan on back of badges.
- Jennie said parent volunteers acting as substitutes for meetings etc. are not run through background check, thumbprint etc. and are alone with students. Jessica suggested maybe have 2 parents always present.
- Jessica stated that digital safety is a big deal to her. Are parents using Lanchool? Middle school is using Lanschool as an internet whitelist. They block everything else down in their classes for all students and filtering is a big issue. Proposed creating a whitelist where there is what they can access at Willow Springs.
- Megan said these are good things to discuss next time.
Review and Finalize School Safety Report,- postponed and will continue November 20th
Adjourn Meeting-Jennie Stratton- Jessica Smith -seconded, unanimously voted to adjourn.
