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Council Notes Mar 17 2022

Horizons K-8 School

Council Meeting Minutes

Date: 3/17/22
Time 6pm
Facilitators: Lucas Ketzer, Mike Ashmore
Notetaker: Maggie Anderson

6:00 Introductions

6:10 Communication Agreements/Procedure/Concordance/Minutes

6:15 Celebrating Horizons Students

6:30 Committee Reports

  • Hope announced film showing at Horizons May 5th.
  • Equity, Diversity, & Belonging – Erica – Mission/Vision/Values  discussion at this month’s meeting; parents participated in focus groups for WEEAC; faculty got to participate in trauma talk at faculty meeting; Horizons has online curriculum about trauma for faculty; transportation was discussed at last meeting – how can we make attending Horizons accessible for folks who can’t transport their students here? EDB is researching options and hoping to create a proposal using mill levy funds; the committee wants to consider if we’re doing everything we can to invite a diverse student body as it relates  to socio-economic status; EDB borrowed books from Boulder Public Library to make accessible to classrooms; considering a popup hallway library next year; there will be a virtual book fair with Boulder Bookstore; “What Happened to You” is the title for the next book club.
  • Horizons Community Group – Elizabeth – liaisons are setting up classroom cleanings, Pizza Fridays are back; Spring Swap in the works – hopefully on Earth Day; Plant Sale – Allyson is organizing volunteers, Garden rally – Adam, Pat, Janessa are organizing; Spirit Week – week after CMAS, Teacher Appreciation is coming up; Social Media Parenting event being planned for April; Mentor program – educating & reeducating families is a current goal
  • Finance Review Committee – Lucas – FRC presented at the board meeting last week, things are tracking well; we are waiting for the state for potential increase in revenue; FRC will present next years budget at next board meeting
  • Board Report – Mike – The board discussed the role of council and governance from a strategic planning perspective; gave update on hiring, the equity audit, and announced outside folks can now enter the building; the head of school evaluation and Mission/Vision/Values was the bulk of conversation at the board meeting.

6:45 Vision, Mission, Values discussion, Notes from last Council meeting, Student Feedback

Sharing on initial thoughts – Lucas asks us to think of Horizons and what we want to live and cultivate with our students because we make a lot of our decisions based on our MVV

Brooke: communication isn’t being fully represented with what we have now, prefers relationship-based concept vs community (more specific);

Elizabeth: prefers community – easier to grasp as a concept and includes wider-Boulder area, communication is a big part of Horizons

Mia has similar sentiment, as does Mike – teach community to communicate, advocates for communication to be a separate value

Julie: communication is a top value and tied into our governance model

Lucas: do we generally support five values: community, responsibility, diversity, growth, communication Agreement all around

Community

Proposal is “We are a relationship based community of lifelong learners who engage in experiences that deeply connect us to one another”

Proposal concorded on.

Responsibility:  

Brooke, Allyson want to make sure people understand that it’s a big part of Horizon’s identity

Lucas: Teacher led-school will continue to show up in charter agreements, family handbook, website, strategic plan – we just haven’t gotten to that part in this process – to identify what being a teacher-led school means to us.

Proposal is: “We share decision-making to empower all members of the school community.”

Proposal concorded on.

Peter describes the feedback from 5-8 students on the MVV proposal. 

Proposal to continue this discussion next month

8:00 Adjourn