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Council Notes March 13 2025

3/13/2025 Council Meeting Minutes
Horizons K-8 School
Meeting Agenda:  Facilitator and Skylines Copy Council Meeting Agenda (Detailed)-March 13, 2025.docx - Google Docs

Call to Order: 5:30 PM

  • Quorum established

Facilitators: Jasmine GBC, Kristin Hauger, Travis Lockhart
Notetaker: Michelle Bargo
Timekeeper:  Travis Lockhart, Sarah Wise

Present:  Jasmine GBC, Tess Amer, Kim Welch, Gina Lee De Freitas, Julie Cohen, Jim Freund, Marybeth Lockhart, Allyson DeSart, Rebecca Vincelette, Barb Anderson, Travis Lockhart, Sarah Wise, Julie Layne, Elizabeth Parady, Michelle Bargo, Adam Brink, Lauren Yedell

Online: Emmy Kurtz

5:30 - Meditation - Kristin Hauger

5:39 - Open Comments

  • Rearranged seating into a circle
  • Allyson DeSart really appreciated the screening of This Is Not Who We Are at Centaurus last night.
  • Julie Layne encourages everyone to buy their auction tickets early.  This year there’s a childcare partnership with Kinesis Studio.  See you on April 26th!
  • Kristin Hauger would love it if everyone would introduce themselves by name.

5:43 - HOS Updates - Jasmine GBC

  • We have 4 open seats for parent board members.  Please spread the word!
    • To qualify as a parent board member you need to have been a parent at Horizons for 2 years.  You send a resume and a blurb about yourself to GBC.  You must be able to attend the meeting on 5/8/2025.
    • The board is a governing body for the Horizons budget.  The board also oversees the annual HOS evaluation.  Next year is Horizons’ charter renewal.  
  • Hiring Committees for open faculty/staff positions
    • Horizons’ job postings have now been posted through BVSD.  The interview process will begin around May 17.  
    • We would like to have the same hiring committee members interview all candidates for the position.  The time commitment is expected to be less than 15 hours per interview team.
    • Interviews are typically scheduled around 3:30-4:30 on weekdays.  
  • Impact Award Honoree - Congratulations Lauren Yedell!!

6:06 - Hawks Happenings

6:35 - Committee Reports

  • Development Committee: Kristin Hauger and Lauren Yedell
    • Prom ticket sales have already hit 30!  There have been over $1000 in sponsorships and we are still looking for more.  The auction items are amazing this year, and the auction will hopefully be live by April 1.  The dessert is Pony Cakes, and Horizons families have donated both wine and tequila.  Thank you to our donors!!
    • Next week a small team will begin work on the Horizons Annual Impact Report.
    • Sweet Cow (Table Mesa) fundraiser on 3/18!  Tell them you’re there for Horizons.
  • EDB - Allyson DeSart
    • Taste of Horizons was a huge (and delicious) success!
    • Banned Book Club: They Call Us Enemy by George Takei
    • Be the Change: Let’s talk about power, privilege, and social justice.
    • The anti-bias exhibit really made an impression.
  • HCG - Barb Anderson
    • We are looking for mentors to guide new families coming into the community, especially middle school parents.  
    • There is a dedicated HCG website.
    • Horizons now has a neurodiversity support group.
    • Coffee Connections: The next topic is bodywork.
    • During conferences next week, we’re looking for families to contribute food for Feed the Teachers.
    • PEN: Centaurus will host a book talk.  As a charter, Horizons is not eligible to receive resources for this event.  Book:  The Balancing Act: Screen Time, Mental Health, and Academic Performance.
    • There will be a seed exchange at the April Council meeting.
    • Through the month of March  HCG is still collecting for the non-perishable food drive.
    • Spirit Week is coming up in April.

6:45 -  Items for Discussion (1 minute proposal, 3 minute discussion, 1 minute vote)

  • Adam Brink: The Winter Sports trip was cancelled due to extreme cold, and families were refunded their Winter Sports Fees.  The fee for the charter bus could not be refunded but will apply towards next year’s trip.  Because approximately $5400 has already been paid from the 24/25 budget, the team is looking to receive a 1-year transfer of this amount from the Council budget.  The amount will be paid back to Council during the 25/26 school year after Winter Sports fees are collected.  
    • Barb Anderson: Motion to request a one-year transfer from the Council Budget to Fund 11 of just under $5400 to cover the cost of transportation to 3/4 Winter Sports in the 24/25 school year to be repaid in the 25/26 school year.
      • Seconded:  Allyson DeSart
      • Concorded
  • Travis Lockhart: 
    • Let’s upgrade the video equipment for virtual meeting participants.  The cost for this would run approximately $1500.  
    • Travis: Motion to allocate up to $1500 of the Council budget to purchase virtual meeting technology that supports high-quality audio and video streaming for Council and Board meetings.  
      • Seconded: Jasmine GBC
      • Concorded

7:15 PM - Other Items for Discussion

  • The Mental Health Team is working on No Place for Hate T-shirts.
  • Community Support Network for Families Affected by Government Layoffs
    • Community members have been asking for how to support others at our school who have lost their jobs due to government layoffs.  These layoffs affect at least 6 families at our school.
    • Discussion:  How do we already support Horizons families experiencing hardships?  The Care Closet for gear, scholarships for school fees and event tickets, support with purchasing a second helping of food at lunch, etc.
    • Ideas: “Giving Page” on the HCG website which could support families experiencing this hardship and also support other families who aren’t a part of this situation.  People could offer resume help, meals, child care, etc. to community members who would like assistance.
    • We could use forms to gather ideas for needs and for what our community is able to offer.
    • We will post in Skylines and create a small group to move this idea forward.

For the Agenda at the Next Council Meeting: Update Horizons Enrollment Preferences

7:34 PM - Notecards for meeting feedback - Please fill out to let us know what went well at tonight’s meeting.

Adjourned: 7:38 PM