Indian Hills Middle School Community Council
Agenda: February 6, 2024
4:00 p.m. – Warrior room
Voting Members: Susan Leete, Shelly Karren, Katie Atkinson, Mindy Cupello, Merinda Cutler, Karlie Aardema
Non-voting Members: Teneil Hansen, Lisa Kendrick, Rochelle Griffin, Carly Dent, Chelsea Boyd, Bryan Rudes (Butler Middle principal and community member)
Agenda for February 6th, 2024
- Welcome & Approve January Minutes
- Karlie moves to approve. Susie seconded.
- Student Center/Counseling Center Update
- Lots of looking ahead – getting ready for course selection for next year.
- We had our 5th graders visit last week and we had our 6th grade orientation night. It was a lot of fun!
- 8th graders went and visited Alta with a CTE field trip. Alta counselors came to collect course request cards.
- In 6th and 7th grade classes this week to give them information about next year courses. All selections due February 16th and done online.
- Still going in to our ELD class to do mini lessons and to help them feel like they belong at our school.
- Katie and Rochelle mentioned that the transitions between schools seem seamless and they appreciate that.
- PTSA Updates
- Opened spirit wear again for this month.
- Teacher appreciation – survival station during PTCs again
- Spirit day is on Valentines this month. Students will wear red, pink, and white with fun lunch activities.
- Thursday – student board is going to the capital. It is about 16 students who are going.
- We are still looking for people to fill PTSA positions for next year.
- Sign the Safe Walking Routes form.
- We had the discussion back in October. We just need to sign the document.
- Mindy asked about 1300 E walking route – we have that concern on the document, and it will be discussed by the district and the different municipalities.
- Technology discussion
- We have discussed cell phones at IHMS before the pandemic. We had decided to do no cell phones, but then the pandemic happened, and we didn’t go back to the discussion.
- Governor Cox posted research and asked all of the SCCs in the state to discuss cell phone usage.
- Katie reminded us that we are looking at just our students here at IHMS (6th, 7th, and 8th graders).
- We do not have a lot of detail in our cell phone policy that is in our student handbook. It is mostly “word of mouth.”
- We brought up that there are also smart watches. We do have students that have health needs on their phones (i.e. checking blood sugar).
- Having this policy could put more pressure on the school employees, especially the administration, to enforce this.
- Susie Leete brought up that some of our students need their phones to use as communication devices.
- Merinda mentioned that she must put in safeguards for her cell phone use and mentioned that teaching those skills to our students would be helpful. They need to learn how to use their phones responsibly.
- Shelly is going to reach out to our NJHS students and our PTSA student leadership to see what they think about it. Student voice will help in developing the policy.
- Bryan shared about what Butler has done with their no cell phone policy. You can have your cell phone before or after school, but nothing in between. Kids are interacting and talking to each other in the lunchroom. Counselors bring out board games and play with them in the lunchroom occasionally. They have a system with 1st – 5th warnings. It has been in place at Butler for 5 or 6 years. It has decreased the amount of behavior issues that they are seeing. Butler gives students iPad who need to use it to communicate. Smart watches are allowed unless they are playing on it.
- Chelsea said that she loves Butler’s cell phone policy and that it would benefit this age group. They are too young to deal with the number of notifications that they get during the day.
- Parents supported no chrome books in the lunchroom.
- Shelly wants to keep school culture positive and doesn’t want to create more work for Aps.
- Bryan shared that office staff at Butler are the ones making phone calls to parents regarding cell phones confiscation.
- Carly mentioned that she is fine with the phones, but the distractions on the phones are the issue.
- At Eastmont, if there is an emergency, an adult will pull the cell phone out and make the call and then return it to the backpack.
- Rochelle mentioned that her student does have a cell phone, but it is purely for emergencies. She does not want him having it out during the day at all. Governor Cox’s data is so compelling.
- Katie reminded us that we need to keep this conversation student focused and what is best for them and not necessarily convenient for parents.
- Next steps: Shelly is going to meet with our Building Leadership Team and the different student groups, as well as members of the community to help make an informed decision.
- This will most likely be in place during the next school year.
- We will keep this topic on the agenda for next month and Shelly can update us on the information that she has gathered.
- Land Trust/TSSP: Initial look at next year’s planning.
- Shelly explained what is in the packet and we will discuss next meeting.
Next meeting: March 5th, 4:00 p.m. (Changed to March 6th, 4pm because this is the caucus night)
Merinda motioned to adjourn. Mindy seconded
