Working together

Around 45 Steller community members attended the meeting last night (Apr 26) and spent two hours planning our future in the areas of Advisory Groups, Orientation, and Staff Training and Support. It was a gorgeous sunny evening and the mood was relaxed and positive. Groups worked collaboratively and came up with some great ideas and exciting directions forward.

After hearing an introduction and background powerpoint talk by Karin, we broke up into three groups in three rooms, each with staff, parent and student leaders. The groups identified the ideal outcomes we want in these subject areas, then talked about strategies to get there. Butcher paper notes will be typed by the group leaders and posted here on the site. More importantly, they will used with ongoing work to reimagine and reform our practices at Steller in these critical areas.

Next steps will continue on two levels.

First, the groups and forums where work is already happening will take our input from last night. David Breen is leading a group of students working on orientation. Staff and students are working on reinvigorating and redirecting our use of Advisory Groups; that will continue, and work will begin on creating a binder containing norms and support materials for staff members running the groups. Karin is leading the staff training track.

Second, we will continue this process. Parents have discussed the idea of having four all-community meetings next year, continuing this discussion in small groups each evening. Rather than breaking up into committees, we would keep working on a basis in which everyone is welcome and can plug in at any step. The purpose will be to keep the Strategic Plan and RenewSteller energy going in tandem to develop and support our school.

Check back for the typed up meeting notes as soon as the group leaders get that done.

Finally, thanks to all who attended and led the groups, and especially to Karin Parker for her leadership and flexibility.

Karin pushes issues forward

Steller Principal Karin Parker has called a meeting Thursday, April 26, at 6:30pm to begin implimenting the ideas developed by RenewSteller and Steller's stragetic plan. We will be meeting to prepare on Monday, April 23, at 3:30pm.The agenda, as Karin explained in her recent Steller Yeller article, focuses on three major themes: orientation, staff development and counseling groups. Each of these theme areas has a lot of individual tasks attached to it. For example, the staff has been working on the counseling group area, which includes academics, service, discussion of issues, bonding, representation, and student leadership. Each of those topics involves various initiatives. We hope enough people will attend the meeting so that we can break into groups to work on the sub-issues. Karin has also been working with a group of students who are interested in being involved.I've met several times with Karin to work on setting up these meetings, and I'm really excited about her leadership. Karin is trying to bring the school community together to work on the goals that we've raised. Her agenda is ambitious and it will take the support of the whole school community to make it happen.Leaders are needed. Those who can help can please contact me or Karin. The April 23rd meeting will be the chance to agree on how we go forward, and the April 27 meeting is to start making things happen.