November 11, 2020

In Attendance:

1. Brant Thomsen
2. Greg Leavitt
3. Juan Perez
4. Mont Millerberg
5. Stacey Kratz
6. Jeremy Wright
7. Jan Hansen
8. Suzanne Riches
9. Nicole Huff
10. Karen Conder
11. Stacey Timmerman
12. Karina Park
13. Jason Dong
14. Julie Cluff
15. J. Graham

Meeting Notes:

• Brant Thomsen opened the meeting. Asked that members review the roster to be sure it is correct.
• Agenda Item: Digital Citizenship
  • Are there any questions from last month’s presentation by Suzanne Riches? The group had no questions.
  • Is there anything the principal needs from SCC to prepare his official report?
    • Leavitt said that the school is always interested in any feedback about online learning or our digital response.
  • We do advise parents to check their student’s phone regularly to monitor activity.
  • Suzanne Riches stated that Digital Citizenship lessons, etc. have been postponed for a time because of our need to respond to COVID and create online learning. This activity will resume soon.
• Agenda Item: Living Leader
  • Leavitt discussed the Living Leader program. This person is supposed to oversee healthy lifestyles for the school, and work with health concerns.
  • HHS has a Living Leader appointed. Sue Veenstra has been filling this role. She is ill at the present time. We may need to appointment someone in her place. When she gets well, it would be nice to have her address SCC and discuss her duties in the role.
  • Leavitt suggested that we put her on the agenda at some point, and suggested the April 2021 Community Council meeting.
• Agenda Item: School Data
  • How are we progressing on the Land Trust Plan and TSSP agreed on last spring?
  • Leavitt reported that things are moving forward as they should.
  • Our primary goal centers around the grad rate at HHS. Last year the grad rate went up to 87% – the highest Hillcrest has ever had.
    • With COVID, we are not sure we can maintain that rate, but we are doing all we can to make sure we stay focused on this goal.
  • Since we have Fridays without students on campus, we are using staff to make calls to parents and work with students who have not been logging in online, or are not meeting class requirements.
  • Some students are struggling with schedules. Students with online classes may be registered for multiple classes meeting at the same time. We are trying to work with this.
  • The district has begun a new plan. If a student has not logged in at all during the week, they will be marked absent on Fridays. This will count for 5 days of absence.
  • Our grades are down this semester, largely in response to online learning and our need to respond to COVID, quarantining, etc. In person students are doing better.
  • We continue with Credit Recovery, and we will need to increase this in the future.
  • Stacy Timmerman asked about our TSSP plan which included ACT prep. Mr. Leavitt responded that we have slowed this down, since universities have not made decisions about how they will be handling entrance exams, so ACT tests are not as important.
  • Nikki Huff stated that for now universities are moving toward a holistic approach, focusing on the well-rounded student, requiring service, clubs, leadership, etc. with less emphasis on entrance exams.
  • We have met the goal for TSSP. We have doubled the ELL classes this year. Reading classes have increased. All 9th graders have math every day.
• Agenda Item: COVID Response
  • Karen Conder praised Hillcrest for disciplined mask-wearing by students, noting an article in the newspaper. Mr. Leavitt commented that for the most part, we are the only school that has not been forced online.
  • Leavitt noted that kids may be safer at school than online. He would like to see the school stay open for in-class learning.
  • Leavitt pointed out that to date not one quarantined student has later tested positive, showing that most of the spread is not at school.
  • We are finding that the infection rates are driven by social events outside school, not by what happens in class during the school day.
  • Parents asked about athletics. Mr. Leavitt said he is optimistic that basketball try-outs will happen on the 23rd of November.
  • Parents noted that they like the new ABAB schedule. It is much less confusing and is giving teachers time to work with this year’s added duties.
  • Leavitt noted that our new facilities have been praised by everyone, including 10 school representatives who came to tour the completed PE complex. Hillcrest hosted the state volleyball championship recently.
  • Karen Conder, PTSA president, discussed the Thankful Thursday initiative. From now until winter break PTSA will encourage people to thank others focusing on a different group each week – teachers, support staff, students, parents, etc. Utah PTA has thank you cards that can be downloaded, if desired, at org. Information will be included in the Husky Strong newsletters.
  • J. Graham mentioned that many parents don’t have a work schedule that will allow them to help their kids at home. What can the school do to provide extra help for kids who are taking online classes?
    • Leavitt responded that we have virtual tutoring going on. National Honor Society is Zooming tutoring to students who need it.
  • Leavitt stated that we are continuing to work hard on graduation rates. One of our problems is the huge amount of student movement the school experiences each year. Many students enroll, only to leave soon after. If they don’t enroll somewhere else that we can track, we must consider them dropouts. We are working hard on credit recovery, teaching consistency and support.
  • Hillcrest also has many programs that build student interest and commitment. Our choir program is an example. Julie Cluff mentioned that her daughter has grown through this program.
  • Leavitt showed SCC where the links are for YouTube performances, sports, etc. These have been professionally recorded to be shared virtually. See the Huskie YouTube Homepage.
  • Leavitt asked if everyone was receiving the Huskie Strong Newsletter. Most members were receiving the email. Others were told to check the Junk file or social networking folder. Dr. Hansen can help with Skyward email if needed.
• Agenda Item: Construction
  • Parents love the new entrance.
  • Everyone is impressed with the new athletic complex.
  • Construction is on schedule. We are putting all new furniture in the new building.
• Leavitt thanked new Community Council member Juan Perez for the community outreach and work he is doing with our students.
• Brant moved that the meeting adjourn. The motion was seconded and passed. The meeting was adjourned.