November 4, 2025 – Minutes

School Community Council Meeting Minutes:

November 4, 2025

Attending: Shelly Karren, Tonya Rauch, Becca Van De Graaff, Rochelle Griffin, Denise Avey, Beckie Comer, Cinnimin Morten, Patrick Latimer, Mindy Cupello, Amy Shaw, Lora Lyon

Agenda:

• Welcome and SCC Business: Oct. Minutes approve (Griffin)
  • Ms. Griffin calls the meeting to order
  • Calls for approval of last month’s minutes
  • Ms. Cupello makes a motion to approve the October minutes, Ms. Shaw seconds the motion
  • The motion passed unanimously to approve the minutes.

• School Updates (Ms. Karren)
  • Ms. Karren thanked everyone for their time serving on this committee; appreciates that our council works so well together
  • Rep. Tracy Miller was invited by our PTSA to visit our school; she visited with 5 of our NJHS members who shared what they like about IHMS and had questions
  • Rep. Miller visited several classrooms 
  • Rep. Miller had questions about Chromebook usage, our implementation of the new technology rules; discussed attendance and how we can always use more tools to encourage school attendance
  • We survived Halloween! We had a fun staff community building activity after the students went home.
  • Good start to 2nd quarter – we often see students struggle in 2nd quarter but we are mindful and monitoring
  • Construction update: hoping to occupy those spaces by December – depending on final inspections and final touches
  • Drama Squad is going well – 80+ kids staying Wednesday afternoons to participate
  • Food Drive is starting this next week – double points for certain things each day. Students earn team points for collecting items.
  • Ms. Morton asked about our wellness closet for food and other items.  The district has a wellness closet that we can request items from as well.  There will be an announcement going out in next week’s newsletter.  Ms. Van De Graaff explained how the wellness closet works as well as the district closet.

• PTSA Update (Lora Lyon)
  • Working on the nominating committee for next year – if anyone wants to join that committee, reach out to the PTSA board for information.
  • Teacher Appreciation Pie Day on Nov. 21st – Trader Joe’s and possibly Costco will be donating pies.  
  • Food Drive continues for 2 weeks
  • Makers Got Talent is coming up – two rounds because of numbers this year.  WIll continue through December
  • Citizen of the Month will be happening on Friday, Nov. 7
  • Spirit Day on Nov. 11 – Red, white & blue day
  • Reflections Award Breakfast on Nov. 14th.  – 9 entries
  • Book Club had 88 students in October
  • Library Service Committee is starting with 8th graders
  • PTSA student board is up to 56 students – starting an executive committee with the 8th graders – will start voting on decisions
  • Memory book covers will be voted on by the student board
  • The Halloween Costume Contest went well and was fun for the students.
  • PTSA Indian Hills items ordered should be distributed Thursday or Friday.

• Counseling Center Update (Ms. Van De Graff)
  • College Week – Career Fair went really well; 8 different guests who shared with the students; we had college representatives for visits as well as the Wolverine from UVU
  • 8th grade high school & planning meetings are underway (PCCRs) – emailed all our 8th grade parents, inviting them to join the students for those meetings; there is a Canvas course that has all the information as well
  • Working on checking for understanding after their lessons – conversation starters will be going in the newsletter, posters will be hanging around the school to reinforce those ideas, continuing to reinforcement of the counseling center lessons
  • Ms. Griffin asked if there is anyway parents can know what lessons the counseling team is teaching – Ms. Van De Graaff and the wellness team are working on ways to communicate with parents in the spring
  • Winter blues are here so counseling team is working on making sure students know where to find help and resources
  • It was suggested that parents would appreciate having the resources from the Counseling team to reinforce the lessons at home – Ms. Van De Graaff asked for input on how that would be best delivered.  Ms. Griffin asked for a hard copy for families.  
  • Ms. Griffin and Ms. Morton complimented the teaching staff on their positivity with students and how impactful that is for students and families.
  • Ms. Avey shared that coming into the school, calling in, asking for help is a positive experience; appreciates the friendly energy in the building.

• Review School Climate Data & RISE data (Ms. Karren)
  • Reviewed the School Climate Data – helps us identify our areas of strength and areas of growth
  • Ms. Griffin asked how the survey was proctored – Ms. Karren explained that the survey was given last spring to the 7th grade students in their social studies classes, reflects most of our 7th grade students
  • Overall climate was in the 70-80% positive range
    • Strengths were in our adult relationships with students, students are feeling safe at school
      • Students know how to ask for help
      • On-Campus safety
    • Area of Growth was in peer climate – “student respect one another”/”get along” was in the 60 percentiles
      • Peer respect, students getting along
      • Recognition/consistency or discipline
    • Where is bullying happening – mostly in the hallways and in unstructured times
    • Recognition & fairness – student perceptions are improving in recognition and fairness 
  • RISE Data:
    • Reviewed our spring testing data – explained the slightly lower scores in the ELA scores due to the new test
    • Reviewed our Land Trust/TSSP Goals for 2025-26 school year
    • Ms. Lyon wondered what the data was pre-COVID – Ms. Karren explained that we are trending in a good direction but that she could pull that data for her.
    • School Culture & Climate goal comes from our climate survey data
    • Ms. Karren reviewed how the Land Trust/TSSP funds are being spent this year as well as our plan for next year
      • Explained the WEB expenditures, Enrichment activities (Drama Squad, Math workbooks – moving to a new curriculum for next year
      • Explained our professional learning opportunities for staff – Solution Tree PLC conference in October, hoping to send elective teachers to a Solution Tree conference in Idaho in January, iXL intervention software is a smaller expenditure
    • Looking forward to future meetings to discuss  

• Meetings for SCC for this year:
  • Ms. Griffin put it out to the group on if we can get all the work done in the year with 4 meetings left.  Would the SCC prefer to meet in December or January?  
  • Ms. Cupello motions to move the December meeting to January 6th.  Ms. Lyon seconded the motion.  Motion approved unanimously.

• Jan. 6th
• Feb. 3^rd
• March 3^rd
• April 14^th