Minutes for Homestead’s School Accountability Committee Meeting
1/24/17 (Originally scheduled 12/6/2016)
Attendees:
Principal: Kyle Sorg
Teachers: Emily Tetzloff
Co-Chairs: Maria Martinez (DAC liaison/parent) and Jon Gralla (parent)
Other SAC Members: Corri Carlson (secretary/parent), Yvette Watson and Jill Smith (PTCO
representatives/parents), Megan Parsons (Community Member)
Parents: Olivia Phillips, Heide Garrigan, Gabriela Kaufman, Jill Singer
Welcome: Maria Martinez welcomed all in attendance and individual introductions were made.
If anyone is interested in SAC position for 2017-2018, please let Maria or Jon know.
Celebrations:
• Emily Tetzloff is an administrator in training, part of her growth is talking to communities
• 2nd grade performance was adorable, thank you to all the parents and teachers that made it
possible
• Big thank you to PTCO! PTCO covers many costs and creates opportunities for all our Homestead
students
• 2nd and 4th have student teachers- happy to have them, doing really well
• 3D printer is really impressive. Getting Keely out in the classrooms has expanded our STEM.
Teaming up with teachers has been awesome. Amazing projects with students and teachers
thinking outside the box.
PTCO Updates:
• Gifts from the Heart: fabulous event, Chair took on a lot of the work.
• Community Outreach: well supported, well organized.
• Assembly for the school: fantastic and students really enjoyed it.
• Bingo: Friday, Feb 3-no dinner this year, come and enjoy snacks and play bingo.
• Birthday Party for Homestead: May 12th 3:15-5 enjoy cake and ice cream to celebrate 40 years!
• Fun Run: After reviewing vendor costs we will take on ourselves, please help!
• Upcoming guest speakers: Cherry Creek High School Principal: Ryan Silva and West Middle
School Principal: Kate Bergles.
• 100% Homestead: kicks off Friday, Feb 3. Funds from this event come directly back to
Homestead and allow PTCO to provide enrichment assembly, video camera, 3D printer and so
much more! Please support this event.
• Garden: plans are drawn, hoping to break ground this spring. May need some money if grants
don’t come through, but CCSD and south suburban have teamed up to donate/build a shade
structure. CCSD is going to help with manual labor but need a fence, planting trees, etc.
Students need volunteer hours and Eagle Scouts seeking projects might be able to help. Robin
Early and Sandy Gumeson are the engine behind this 3 year project.
• Grocery cards: exceeded expectations
• Slating for PTCO: starting soon, please join us!
DAC Update:
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Middle school math curriculum: Big Ideas Mathematics
West has started with it and so have a few others. Benefits: standards based, provides video
tutorials for student and teacher gets real time data to see trends of classroom.
Challenges: some system glitches but creator is accepting CCSD feedback and making
adjustments.
Other: Options and placement tests remain the same at this point for West. (Placement test is
not aligned to curriculum but to math standards and practices). Advanced math might be
shifting but no details at this point. Bridges and Big Ideas are both standards based and at
elementary level there are opportunities for differentiation within Bridges.
Mike Giles-Executive Director of Inclusive Excellence: Was the speaker, 9 programs fall under his
department including providing interpreters. Department is a great resource for families.
Visit website for additional information and upcoming topics.
http://www.cherrycreekschools.org/Search/Pages/DistrictSiteResults.aspx?k=DAC
Next topic: Parent Involvement, Safety and Wellness, Marijuana/Prescription Drugs Next
meeting February 8, 2017 ISF
Principal’s Update:
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IReady: hot off press, teachers will study and share with parents at conferences in Feb/March.
Homestead elected to do mid-year testing to have more data points, measure success of
interventions and make adjustments as needed before end of year. So far so good with IReadyloaded with additional tools and teachers adjust instruction based on information. Continue to
uncover potential of it. Students pretty natural with it.
ACT-Aspire: 4th grade students assessed to be shared with teachers and parents. End of year
assessment but was taken at the beginning of the year. How we use it we aren’t sure?
Alignment for college career readiness. Vertical district assessment and a valuable assessment.
CCSD committed to ACT Aspire and maintain commitment after state flip flopped position.
Election Reaction: everyone has feelings about the election; we need to be a united community.
Homestead taking a loving and caring approach. As families and community members we need
make sure everyone feels safe. Take care of each other.
Other: things happen outside of school at home; consequences don’t live with the school.
School helps students problem solve and parents need to take responsibility too. Mr. Sorg will
continue to support the students.
Proposal to change school start times: this is about learning and ensuring students are ready to
engage in learning. Changes were based off of a sleep study.
Changes can occur as soon as 2017-2018 school year, currently still in the review
phase with two months of feedback required but a decision is expected in March.
Mr. Sorg has a school start time meeting in the next 2 weeks and more information will follow.
Homestead might have flexibility in start/end times since buses aren’t a factor. Elementary
families would get 2 days back in the summer. Much more to come on this topic and there is
still time to complete the survey!
5 Year Facility Plan:
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What is the plan for Homestead Innovation: No district framework provided yet. Mr. Sorg has
ideas but doesn’t know if it fits with district vision.
Mr. Sorg- innovation needs to live all day, in every room. Professional Learning will be part of it.
Community talk and staff discussion regarding what innovation will look like. Innovation is a
complex topic for elementary. Think innovation as well as foundational skills. Preparing our
students to problem solvers, collaborate, adaptability concept and able to perform. Rigor, grit
need to be at the core of our innovation. Kids take off with experiences. Students help and
design the experiences. Innovation is an opportunity to look at learning with fresh eyes. End
point it different and sky is the limit. Hope is to be sailing in 5 years. Yvette Watson expressed
need for something tangible to come out of this for accountability to community.
Elementary Schools: Homestead will receive $500,000. No time frame as of yet with limited
information. We will get new AC and the mobile will be demolished. CCSD will build 2 new
sheds for storage.
No new high school construction: Savings of $150, 000,000 Manage growth at Cherokee Trail.
Cherokee Trail is over capacity, boundary changes to impact Cherokee Trail
Cherry Creek has stable enrollment and not a lot of changes. Stutler Bowl will get new turf and
there is a traffic redesign for Belleview, Campus and Cherry Creek.
Career & Innovation Academy: this facility will accommodate students district wide. Central
location at Arapahoe and Jordan Road it will allow juniors and seniors to learn a trade/skill.
Other: Feeder conversations are about k-12 system for learning, being more unified,
collaborate. Teachers learning from each other. Stretch for teachers, space is one thing but
recognize the need for adults to facilitate the learning.
Upcoming Meetings:
Thursday, 2/16/2017 6pm, Homestead Elementary Library
Tuesday, 4/04/2017 6 pm, Homestead Elementary Library