Hilltop Parent Council Minutes
February 1, 2022
Attendees
Concerns about drop-off
Parents getting out of car. While in the morning drop-off line, we want the smoothest transition possible. Staying in your car means that when the car in front of you moves, you move. Keeping the flow of traffic moving will keep the drop-off lines from impeding the flow of traffic on public roads feeding into the school.
Drop off patterns. Discussed modifying drop off locations per grade level to alleviate morning congestion. No changes will be made at this time:
Reminder – Cars arriving after 8:30 will drop off their child on the front sidewalk along the driveway.
Update – We have ordered a flag for the front drop off to signify when parents should drop off in the front.
Pre-School Pick Up @ 3:00
Preschool pick-up is at 3pm. Parents of elementary school students start lining up at 2:30 or earlier, particularly during colder weather, leaving preschool parents nowhere to park.
Opening the front driveway poses safety concerns and is not a viable option.
Parents should be cognizant that queuing too early negatively impacts preschool families and 3-4-year-olds, and are encouraged to arrive at a time that is reasonable so there is room for everyone.
Mr. Heller will post in Hilltop Highlights letting parents know about this pic-up time and encouraging a later arrival.
Getting word out about the Parent Council
Hilltop School is fortunate to have a Parent Council that serves as a liaison to the school community and meets with Mr. Heller monthly to better understand community expectations, concerns, and share viewpoints.
We discussed how can we remind parents that the Council is here and available for input, including:
Proving contact information of current members in the Hilltop Highlights and a link to the website.
Sending out a mid-year reminder, like the August welcome email, and linking to the monthly meeting minutes.
Learning gaps that are emerging after two years of pandemic school.
- Some impacts on the little ones that missed out on a more typical preschool experience regarding social skills and adjusting to classroom etiquette (calling out) and routines.
- Hilltop uses an application called Linkit! to monitor learning and growth for 3rd and 4th grades. The tool allows teachers to identify where students are struggling or excelling with a learning standard. When there is a need for extra support, teachers can customize assignments for additional practice and assessment.
- Teachers are sticking with the basics and catching up with the learning loss curve, e.g.: guided reading and small group work enhance student learning and allow teachers to monitor reading progress. Things are moving in the right direction, but some students are struggling.
- The new ELA curriculum has been profoundly successful (3rd and 4th grade) and will be expanded next year to the lower grades.
- Discussed how to share this information with the Hilltop community.
Dogs at Hilltop
- A reminder went out to parents that dogs are only allowed in one specific area in the back during arrival/dismissal.
- Leashed dogs are permitted in the back of the school on the far grass beyond the back patio to ensure students who are fearful of dogs will not encounter them when arriving/departing.
Parent Council Purpose and Structure
The Parent Council serves on a volunteer basis as a liaison to the school community in Mendham Borough. Board policy Relations With Parents provides that there shall be a Parent Council for each school to meet regularly with the principal to discuss matters of interest. The primary objective of this Council is to foster dialogue and communication between parents and administration and to provide advice and counsel to administration relating to school-wide topics.
The Councils are not a substitute for individuals having direct contact with the appropriate school personnel. There is a board policy entitled Public Complaints and Inquiries. Although members of the Parent Council may be contacted for advice with respect to the most appropriate way (teacher, guidance, principal, superintendent, Board) for parents and other interested parties to seek resolution of complaints, grievances, and misunderstandings, members of the Parent Council should not be contacted for the purpose of intervening in disputes between administration or staff members and individual students or parents.