January 2019

NAPAGE

January 14, 2019

1:00 p.m. - Baierl Center

MEETING MINUTES


Next NAPAGE Meetings (all meetings in the Ponce Room at the Baierl Center)

  • Monday, February 11th, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.

  • Monday, March 4, 2019 at 1:00 p.m.

  • Monday, April 1, 2019 at 1:00 p.m.

  • Monday, May 13, 2019 at 9:30 a.m.


Upcoming Gifted Advisory Committee (GAC) Meetings

March 19, 2019

All meetings are held from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Central Administration Office


Upcoming Events

Superintendent’s Coffee February 12, 2019 - 9:30 a.m. at McKnight Elementary School

Upcoming School Board Meetings - 7 p.m. at Central Office

  • February 20, 20-19 – Work Session

  • February 27, 2019 – Regular Meeting

  • March 20, 2019 – Work Session

  • March 27, 2019 - Regular Meeting

  • April 24, 2019 – (Combined Meeting) – Work Session/Regular Meeting

  • School start time decision to come to a vote soon - potentially February.

  • To register to speak, please call the Board Secretary at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting at 412-369-5437. It will be necessary to give a topic, and you must be a resident of the District. When called upon to speak, the individual will be asked to give his/her name and home address.


NASH Counselor / Principal Coffees (third Thursday of month at 7 a.m. in Ponce Room) Slides available at link

  • February 21, 2019 - 11th Grade Parents: Scheduling for Senior Year

  • March 21, 2019 - Career & Major Planning and Principal Coffee

  • April 11, 2019 - Finding the Right FIT College

  • May 16, 2019 - 11th Grade Parents: Summer To Do List (Combined High School Principals’ Coffee/Counseling Coffee)

NAI Principal’s Coffee - 1:30 p.m. at NAI unless otherwise noted

  • March 14, 2019

  • Thursday, May 16, 2019 - 11th Grade Parents: Summer To Do List (Combined High School Principals’ Coffee/Counseling Coffee) at 7 a.m. at Baierl Center

NAI Counselor Coffee/Cocoa Series Information


Updates & Reports by Officers & Building Representatives


Building and School Updates

  • Elementary:

    • MCK and FES Renovation updates to be presented at Franklin Elementary (1/30) and McKnight (2/11).

    • Both to be recorded, and building specific issues addressed.

    • Community members will have an opportunity to see the designs, ask questions, and provide comments. The meeting will be recorded for those who cannot attend.

    • Replace playgrounds

    • NAI fields separate from MCK renovations

    • All day kindergarten discussed at EAC, however, that would require much more building space than what is currently available.

  • Middle School:

    • Combined Parent Coffees - Feb 19, 2019 at IMS - 7:00 p.m. and/or Feb. 20, 2019 at CMS - 9:30 a.m.

    • Grade 8 - Scheduling and Transition Information Sessions

      • PARENTS of current 8th graders - Feb. 28, 2019 at NAI - 9:00 a.m.

      • 8th GRADE PARENTS & STUDENTS - Feb. 28, 2019 at NAI - 6:00 p.m.

  • High School:

    • Spring A.W. Beattie Career Center Open House - 5:15 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.

    • Podcasts available to learn more about Honors and AP courses. (link)

    • Use of “approved” instead of “recommended” for class placements


Consumer Concerns

  • Middle School Day - Any changes would happen no earlier than 2020-21 school year

  • Homework Policy - Reviewed by GOAL teachers in November; redistribution to principals in January

  • Screening and Evaluation report in draft form

  • Differentiation within in class vs. teaching to the middle (how it’s done now, and it works. Change is hard)

  • Math tests stay at school for middle grades and up

    • Missed opportunities to learn what went wrong, some teachers will review.

    • Can make an appointment with teacher or at school office to view test.

  • Blackboard test errors - Scanner technology auto corrects the test which sometimes marks answer as incorrect. Other missed opportunities to review mistakes.

Below is a brief list of topics covered at the 1/14/2019 Meeting.


  • Calculating GPA/QPA

  • Tips from other parents

    • As child transitions from NAI to NASH encourage your child to make an appointment with their counselors, suggested parents sit in on first meeting with new counselor. Continued importance to meet with the counselor once at the senior high. Meet with them at the end of 10th and 11th grade to keep on track with career and college planning.



Mission Statement:

NAPAGE is a parent support/advocacy group. We are the North Allegheny chapter of the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE). PAGE is a nonprofit advocacy group dedicated to helping gifted learners, parents and educators. You can visit their website at www.giftedpage.org for more information.

NAPAGE’s mission is to advocate for and support gifted children and their families in the North Allegheny School District. We accomplish this by:

  • Providing parent representation to NA’s Gifted Advisory Committee (GAC and SEAC)

  • Sharing experiences, concerns and successes

  • Proactively addressing issues that arise

  • Encouraging the use of best practices in gifted education


District Gifted Education information can be found at:

https://www.northallegheny.org/Page/25870