School Community Council—Hillcrest High School
April 14, 2021
In Attendance:
Brant Thomsen
Greg Leavitt
Juan Perez
Stacey Timmerman
Jeremy Wright
Jan Hansen
Suzanne Riches
Nicole Huff
Karen Conder
Mont Millerberg
Rebecca Martin
Julie Cluff
RJ Graham
Meeting Notes:
Brant Thomsen opened the meeting.
Agenda Item: Living Leader
Our Hillcrest Living Leader is Sue Veenstra. She has been ill, so was unable to attend.
Leavitt explained that the Living Leader works on health, stability and stress primarily for faculty and staff.
The Living Leader will provide emails and some training similar to the way we have handled Digital Citizenship.
Agenda Item: School Schedule
Leavitt reported that things are moving forward as they should.
We are moving our start and end times next year. The board approved a 7:45 AM start time with a 2:20 PM end time.
Stacey Timmerman asked if there is any discussion about using a later start time for high school. For example, Salt Lake district has been discussing this.
Mont Millerberg said that we are tied to the bus schedules. It is difficult to see how a different time could work. Buses operate around varied start times in high, middle and elementary schools. He doesn’t know how the Salt Lake District is thinking of accommodating these changes.
Agenda Item: COVID Updates
Leavitt reported that we are doing well. Test and Stay has been very effective for athletics, dance and other activities.
Karen Condor asked if Hillcrest will do a Spring Fling. Mr. Leavitt said “no.”
Leavitt reported that schools will be under the mask mandate until June 15th.
Agenda Item: Graduation Plans
Leavitt explained that Hillcrest will be doing another non-traditional grad event this year.
The school is planning personalized signs to be delivered to senior student yards.
Thursday, May 20th will be Senior Awards Night. This will be in-person and streamed. Larger awards will be given in person in the auditorium.
May 21st is the Yearbook Stomp. This is a Friday. There will be no buses, but students can pick up yearbooks between 8 AM and 12 PM.
Monday, May 24th is the Senior Barbecue. Grad practice will be from 8:30-10:30 AM.
May 25th will be a second graduation practice. This will also be the Senior Dinner Dance.
May 26th is graduation. Families will schedule a time for their student. They will walk through the building with the student. They will end in the auditorium where they watch their student walk across the stage, get the diploma and picture, then the family will exit.
SCC members brought up the fact that this might be a little anticlimactic with only the student and a few family members in the auditorium.
Leavitt explained that there will be more than one family at a time in the auditorium. There would probably be about 400 people there at one time. This still keeps us under the 25% capacity required by the state.
Jeremy Wright said he thought it would be great to be one of the last students to cross the stage.
Leavitt said that all of the seniors will be together the night before graduation for speeches and the dinner dance. Only the senior class will be allowed to attend to keep the numbers down.
Stacey Timmerman pointed out that the graduation ceremony last year which had students and families drive through in cars was really fun for the kids.
Karen Conder said that the kids did miss being together.
Mont Millerberg pointed out that staying in the building using this plan is a good idea. His graduation from Hillcrest was rained out on the football field.
Leavitt said that in 2022 we do plan to be back at the Maverick Center for graduation.
This year we will use a test to attend policy.
Mont Millerberg pointed out that we cannot run contrary to what the state and the county health department have mandated.
Karen Conder asked how many students we currently have at Hillcrest. Mr. Leavitt responded that we currently have about 2095 students, probably 451 or 452 will graduate.
Agenda: Construction Update
The move to the new building should happen from June 1-15th.
Leavitt discussed procedures for storing memorabilia.
Brant Thomsen asked if there will be an open house for the new school.
Leavitt said this should happen on August 5th.
Karen Conder mentioned that bids are being taken on the husky from the gym floor and other memorabilia. Mont Millerberg said he would put an announcement for this on the Alumni web page.
Stacey Timmerman asked if Canyons was planning to do what Jordan District is doing with Special Ed Life Skills, placing this program only at certain schools.
Mont Millerberg and Mr. Leavitt said that no such plans exist in Canyons. Hillcrest will have a full Life Skills program here with many added amenities in the new building.
Hillcrest will actually now pay an additional teacher to teach these skills.
Hansen reported that these students will mainstreamed for 60% of the day.
Leavitt said that we currently do not have a Life Skills Lab, separate from a classroom. We will now have that and it will be an entire lab setting with a washer and dryer, etc.
Agenda: Other Topics/Discussion
Leavitt thanked SCC for the advice and work this year. He encouraged members who are eligible to sign up again.
Mont Millerberg said that the Board of Education always asks about what the SCC for each school thinks about certain issues that come up. It is a very important organization for the school board.
An SCC member asked about who the Teacher of the Year is. Mr. Leavitt responded that the awards ceremony was held on Friday, and Christina Klekas was awarded Teacher of the Year. He mentioned that Leslie Trelease is retiring and was given a special award. Mr. Doherty, Minnick and Ms. Trelease will all be retiring.
Brant Thomsen asked whether a meeting was needed in May.
Motion was made that no meeting would be needed in May. All SCC members voted in the affirmative.
Brant Thomsen made the motion that SCC adjourn until the next school year.
The motion was seconded and passed. The meeting was adjourned.
Prepared by Suzanne Riches
