Teaching, Learning, and Student Support meeting

You can find the agenda here.
We've got a chair now, so we should be starting shortly...publishing as we go.
Starting with the report on school lunch
Options beyond the silent lunch, and question on the optimal time for lunch. I should note that we have several elementary principals here (Columbus Park, Norrback Ave, and Roosevelt); also, that our report has NO schools reporting silent lunches.
Rodrigues comments different schools have different spaces and different habits as a result.
"there are no set guidelines...routines and best practices....schools that have PBIS in the schools" handle behavior issues during lunch
Biancheria: staff and parents...some variations of times for lunches
"the idea of a silent lunch...not quiet time...children...eating for fifteen minutes, asked to be silent"
not working for the students..."glad that we received this...informative where we have lunchroom procedure or protocol"
Is the time getting to lunch included in this time? No, transition time is additional to the fifteen eating.
What is an indoor voice? Everyone socializing, but "as we would talk" not shouting out
Saying "speak at this level"
Biancheria: revamping meals so they are healthy..."takes a longer time to eat a healthier meal"
"don't want the students to be wolfing down their meals...do you think your fifteen minutes work for you?"
principals of Columbus Park and Roosevelt saying that kids can have extra time if they need it
commenting that it is enough time
food can be taken outside
Biancheria: the fifteen minutes begins when they are in the cafeteria
regarding recess: what made you decide for recess before or after lunch? Logistics (in the case of Roosevelt...and Columbus Park...and Norrback is nodding)
Monfredo: thanks principals for coming, thanks admin for report...setting protocol for lunchtime..."not one for quietness, because I don't think I could go through that myself"
Mention of Donna Lombardi and school nutrition
recess recommended for before lunch...benefits are greater
Novick: access to water, plowing of recess space (that's paved), and kids still losing recess for talking during lunch...comment from Rodrigues that specific hot spots come directly into administration
Biancheria: asks for some recommendations around school lunch and lunchroom, alternative suggestion for silent lunches
(We should perhaps point out that there is a mention of lunch and enough time in the district wellness policy.)
Some wrangling here about if we're talking about no silence at all or about a few minutes of silence as part of lunch...we've got a couple of opinions on this.
Rodrigues mentions the various types of buildings and varieties of staffing and how that boxes things in.
"in some of our schools we have to double up lunch....150 students in a room...transition safely...hard pressed at Norrback to be against a couple of minutes of a silent lunch...reinforce positive behavior"
Biancheria: schools that don't have cafeterias; can we do anything to let them eat somewhere other than their classrooms?
Rodrigues "limitations of schools"
Biancheria: "that were built in the era when kids walked home for lunch"
Berthiaume comments that lunches are quick in those schools; teachers and kids responsible for the cleaning of the space
Biancheria concerned about reports about not eating at your desk, lest things get in your food...that's what we're doing with our kids
Comments that it's a beginning



ON to 21st century learning grants and their locations:
You can find the locations and ELL program locations here
trying to combine sites to make them more cost efficient
after school programs have to apply (RFP) and meet certain requirements to be sure they 're meeting certain benchmark
"just not doing a blanket application; someone needs to be benefiting from these programs"
Monfredo: due to funding, limited to the sort of programs we can have; reach out to social agencies and churches for after school programs
recruiting...whatever we can do...children who really can use the extra help
would like more of our Level 3 schools to have the additional assistance
comment from the public that the 21st century grants tied into NCLB for children who were underserved; to set them up and encourage them to collaborate with community institutions for after-school access; not just for the children, also for the adults
Comments that she seems to know more about these grants than the city..."not planning and siting these schools where they need to be, not planning these partnerships"...lists some that  she thinks would be willing
need the after-school component
Paez: 24 partners for these programs, all are personally interviewed by him
adult basic education at multiple sites
Comment back that there are waiting list...Paez comments that if six or more adults contact him, he will open a class (ELL, GED)
Coming attractions: next TLSS meeting, report coming on what's being done at our Level 3 schools from our reworking of the Title I grants under the NCLB waiver
Paez: preparation for opportunities in neighborhoods that most need it
Rodrigues: level what we can apply for; need matching from partnerships
rules change, it's somewhat quirky
Barnes: funding cycle, site specific, some roll off over time and become competitive, longer going sites
...and that's where I'm going to need to duck out to get to Council...