01/18/19 Department Meeting Minutes

Members Present: D. Smith, Roberts, Montgomery, McCandless, Rahmlow, Stevens, Vermillion, Vanegas

1. Interventions-Give work to the intervention teacher for your students.
2. Lab 256- Being left unlocked. Be sure to lock it, put the chairs back, put the materials back. Chemicals need to be put in a cart in the back, even if you are in there multiple days. Label everything.
3. Science Fair
   a. Students interested in doing fair- Send students interested to Vermillion or Vanegas, sign up online on STEMwizard. Required!!
   b. Fair is on a Friday, we cannot get subs. Need people willing to cover- 1st, 4th, 6th, 7th for Vanegas. Vermillion- 4th, 6th need covered. EMAIL to follow.
   c. Opening 5th and 6th for peer judging. Students invited to arena to check it out. Bring your 5th or 6th if they are respectful and enjoy it. EMAIL to follow. Students who really want to go but you do not want to take the whole class- Give names to Vanegas/Vermillion so they can get a pass to go.
   d. Experiments- Send to teachers for help if it is not in your area.
   e. Emails are coming. Lots of them. Read and follow up!
   f. 2nd period- Rather than having PLC, please go to the fair and help get kids set up, fix any issues, etc.
   g. Family that wants to judge- Let Vanegas or Vermillion know.
   h. Staff award to give out to the kids- Go vote.
4. Member update: Julie is doing well, no return date yet. Check on her.

Next Meeting: Sometime in March.

01/11/19 Biology PLC Minutes

Members Present: Baker, McCandless, Montgomery, Wise

1. Lab prep for next week
   a. Elodea lab- Waiting on delivery
   b. Do leaf disk first. Vermillion doing this today, others next week.
2. Biology Curriculum
3. Achieve3000- Rostering Issues
4. 1st Semester Failures
   a. Recovery Options- Put student in intervention, go through credit recovery route (Within 5% of passing) Otherwise, they need to repeat the course next year.
   b. Most failures are chronic absentee students.
   c. Teacher discretion for who can go the recovery route.
   d. Home hospital grade changes an issue. Calling during class.
      i. Work being sent to HH teacher
5. Department Meeting next Friday January 18 during 2nd period.
   a. Failure options
6. Formative assessments
   a. Small, daily checkpoints to guide instruction the next day.
   b. Adjust instruction based on results of the daily checkpoints.
   c. Vermillion a day ahead to pilot lessons.
   d. If your kids do not get it- Review and modify based on student needs.
   e. CFA. For example, having issues with building the terrarium. Next day, gave students an article about the carbon cycle to address issues.
   f. Individualized with teachers, based on their student needs. PLC staying on the same page of standards, not necessarily pace (but it is close).

Next steps: Department meeting. Continue using CFAs to adjust instruction. Create a common summative assessment (should we use last years or make a new one?).