Connecting Waters Charter School

219 N. Reinway Ave.

Waterford, CA 95386

Parent Council Meeting

Tuesday, March 9, 2004

ADOPTED MINUTES

1. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by the Parent Council President, at 6:45 pm, 219 N. Reinway Ave., Waterford, CA.

2. Approval of Agenda

3. Roll Call

There were 17 parent council members present.

5. Consent Calendar

Approval of Minutes

1. Unapproved Minutes of 09/09/03 were reviewed and approved.

2. Unapproved Minutes of 12/09/03 were reviewed and approved.

6. Hearing of the Public

None

7. Information Items

A. Attendance Report

The Attendance Report was reviewed.

B. ES Support Division Report

The ES Support Division Report was reviewed.

C. Education Services Division Report

The ES Services Division Report was reviewed.

D. Treasurers Report

The Treasurers Report was reviewed.

E. Yearbook Report

The Yearbook Report was reviewed.

F. Open House Report

The Open House Report was reviewed. The CWCS Director encouraged council members to attend the Open House and to sign up to help with this event.

G. Graduation Report

The Graduation Report was reviewed.

H. Expected Schoolwide Learning Results.

The Expected Schoolwide Learning Results report was reviewed.

I. Salvation Army Report.

The Salvation Army Report was reviewed. One parent council member asked for more details concerning this program. The CWCS director stated that the Salvation Army wanted to partner with CWCS to provide educational services for beneficiaries at their facilities. The Salvation Army would provide the rehabilitation and CWCS would provide the educational services. There would be approximately 300 students in this program at various locations. This would be considered a site based program and because of an exemption in the charter law some of the sites would be outside of our eight county area. Thirteen teachers would need to be hired to service these students. The amount of funding generated by these students will pay for these additional teachers and other expenses.

J. WASC Accreditation Update.

The WASC Accreditation Update was reviewed.

K. Assessment Report

The Assessment Report was reviewed.

L. Suspension and Expulsion Policy

The Suspension and Expulsion Policy was reviewed.

8. Discussion Items

A. Select an expulsion committee

The CWCS director explained that the CWCS Charter stated that CWCS would have an expulsion committee. She explained that this was needed in case the need would arise to expel or suspend a student from CWCS. The parent council wanted to know the different causes for expulsion and suspension. The CWCS director stated that we would follow the WUSD expulsion and suspension procedure. Seven parent council members volunteered to serve on the expulsion committee. It was noted that we only needed five on the committee, but two additional council members were selected in case one of the committee members was unable to attend an expulsion hearing. It was motioned to approve these parent council members as a group to serve on the expulsion committee. The motion was seconded. There was a unanimous vote to approve these parent council members as a group to serve on the expulsion committee.

B. Parent Council Nomination Forms

The 2004 Parent Council Nomination form was handed out to the parent council members present. The CWCS director stated that the parent council names on the form were parent council members who still have one more year on there term. She explained that if their term on the council expired this year they could be nominated again to serve another two year term.

C. Future of Learning Centers Beyond This Year

A IEM representative stated that SB740 places constraints on CWCS funding and that there is no longer any carry over from one year to the next. This may explain one reason why the Modesto/Ceres and the Manteca Learning Center have not been able to collect enough funding from Program Expense Agreements to meet their budget at this time. The CWCS director explained the various uses of each of the learning centers. The parent council discussed the many options in regard to the Modesto/Ceres Learning Center and the Manteca Learning Center. The options discussed were: closing both learning centers, funding the Manteca Learning Center and closing the Modesto/Ceres Learning Center, closing both learning centers and renting a larger facility in Waterford to house the CWCS library with all other services being provided by the CWCS Waterford office, keeping one or both learning centers and have them staffed by volunteers, having the learning centers funded by Administration/General Fund, per use fees, & a flat fee from the educational funding of each student in the school. It was stated by some parent council members that they would like more detailed information before coming to a decision such as a more detailed budget for each learning center, the number of people that use each learning center and why they use the learning center, and the feasibility of all the options stated above. The Parent Council President, stated that he would send the information he had posted on the CWCS bulletin board regarding the learning centers to each of the council members. He requested that the parent council members email the CWCS director and him with any ideas or suggestions regarding the learning centers they may have.

D. Strategies to bring parent community together for purposes of improving communications

E. 2004-2005 CWCS calendar

The 2004-2005 CWCS calendar was reviewed.

F. Year end event calendar

The CWCS director encouraged the parent council member to attend the Open House and the Parent Orientations. She asked the parent council members to sign up to help at these events.

G. Student STAR Test Incentives Suggestions

The CWCS director asked that parent council members email her with any suggestions.

9. Director’s Report

The Director’s Report was reviewed.

11. Council Comments

It was stated that ES’s should encourage students to come to the open house. The CWCS director stated that this would be covered in the next ES Agenda.

The parent council wanted to know when the results from the CAHSEE arrive. The CWCS director stated that they should arrive before the make up testing in May.

The council also wanted to know if we can use the ROTC programs available at other public schools. The CWCS director will check into this.

The CWCS director said a special thank you to the Yearbook Committee, for their work with the yearbook. She also thanked the Educational Group Activities Committee for all their work in organizing our group activities.

12. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 pm

The next Parent Council Meeting: May 11, 2004, 6:30pm, 219 N. Reinway Ave., Waterford, CA 95386