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Council Notes November 11 2024

11/21/2024 Council Meeting Minutes

Horizons K-8 School

Meeting Agenda:  Copy of Council Meeting Agenda (Detailed) – November 21, 2024.docx - Google Docs

Call to Order: 5:36 PM

  • Quorum established

Facilitators: Jasmine GBC, Kristin Hauger, Travis Lockhart

Notetaker: Michelle Bargo

Timekeeper:  Michelle Bargo

Present in-person:  Rachel Clionsky, Peter Hegelbach, Emmy Kurtz, Coral Bargo, Michelle Bargo, Elizabeth Parady, Julie Cohen, Jim Freund, Lynn Pence, Teresa Joseph, Michael Joseph, Becky Vincelette, Travis Lockhart, Sarah Wise, Allyson DeSart, Kristen Hauger, Jasmine GBC, Suzanne Tadros, Danielle Turner, Marybeth Lockhart, Taylor Lockhart, Izah Lockhart, Lauren Yedell, Julie Layne, Mike Ashmore, Dulce Monteiro, Quinn Grave Black Clemmons, David Biagioni, Shoshana Kressler, Jennifer Koenigsberger, Erica Harrington, Dave Brown, Derek Fehrer

Present virtually: Jeff van Greete, Karen Lewis Dalton, Dave Brown

5:38  Welcome/ Mindfulness: Kristin Hauger

5:40  HOS Updates:  GBC

  • Update on Enrollment
    • Pink Sheet: 358 students are officially enrolled; we will be funded at this number for 24/25.
      • Grades 2-8 are now full.  We would still like to fill open K seats.
    • Current: 360 are currently enrolled but 2 enrolled after the 10/1 count date so there is no additional funding for those seats.
  • Enrollment Plan for next year & thoughts from faculty:  
    • Outreach!  Marketing!
    • We plan to provide BVSD with different enrollment numbers for K-2 next year because each year several students are given a first round spot and then don’t end up attending Horizons due to their educational needs and Horizons’ ability to meet those needs.  We’ll open 48 spots for K, anticipating that we won’t end up keeping all students who receive an offer.  For 1-2 we will also increase our enrollment numbers slightly, to 92, anticipating that some will not ultimately attend Horizons.
    • As a last resort, we could potentially accept an additional class of 3/4 students in the future. 
  • Celebrations: We were named on the list of best elementary schools and best middle schools in U.S. News and World Report!

5:52  Introductions of all in attendance: Names, relationships to Horizons, and gratitude

6:17  Hawks Happenings

  • Changemakers - Adam (3/4) - The Changemakers unit covers influential figures in the country and around the world.  Students read biographies and learn about youth change makers who make a difference in their community.
  • S.C.O.P.E. - Rachel Clionsky (5/6) - This is an amazing program!  CU brought 8 scientists into the classroom to cover science topics including ph and chemical reactions.  The final project was “elephant’s toothpaste” which creates a very exciting chemical reaction!

6:23  Committee Reports

  • Development Committee: Kristin Hauger
    • We are always looking for more volunteers!
    • Artastic is on 12/6 from 11-3.
    • Grant-writing: Horizons won a grant from Ecocycle and we are putting an EV charger in the parking lot!
    • Spring Gala will be at Embassy Suites this year.  The theme is Prom Rewind!
    • The Hawksbucks campaign has launched on CO Gives (now through 12/10).  Thanks Teresa Joseph!  Here’s the link to donate:  Horizons K-8 School | ColoradoGives.org
    • We watched the AMAZING new promotional video produced by Kristin Hauger, Suzanne Tadros, and Lauren Yedell!
    • The Social Media Committee is always working to spread the word through various networks.
    • Thanks to Christian Bartels, we now have a Vanguard account so that stock donations are possible.  There is a tax advantage to this.
    • #BigKidsPlayToo - The new playground addition is in the development phase and will involve collaboration with Boulder Parks and Rec for a more nature-based space.
  • HCG: (Horizons Community Group) Allyson Desart
    • Friday 12/13 Coffee Connections - Kerry Lingenfelter is presenting on Raising Mindful Kids.
    • Knitting Club - 12/20
    • Pancake Breakfast - 1/24/25 - Volunteers needed!
  • EDB: (Equity, Diversity, & Belonging) Allyson Desart
    • This year, EDB is more integrated into the community than in past years.  For example, EDB planned a cultural coffee connections, hosts a banned book club, and involves an ongoing padlet conversation!
    • The second annual Taste of Horizons is Friday, 2/28/2025.  Hope to see you there!

6:48  New Budget Asks/ New Business

  • Replacement vacuums: Shoshana Kressler
    • Many classroom vacuums are in a state of disrepair.  Ten teachers have requested new vacuums at this time.  Shoshana is requesting commercial grade vacuums at a cost of $4000-$5000, and has been in contact with a BVSD representative.
    • 6 minute discussion: What is the cost for maintenance and repairs?  Will BVSD pay for our repairs even though we are a charter school?  Could a child operate this vacuum (since kids will be using them in school)?  Will the vacuums fit in the designated classroom closets?  What is the long-term plan for future vacuum replacement?   Can this entire issue be resolved by switching to BVSD custodial services?  
    • Motion: To allocate $5000 for purchasing new vacuum cleaners for some classrooms most in need.
      • Not concorded.
  • Facilitator Training for our community ($1500-$2000): GBC
    • At the 11/14 Board Meeting we passed a motion to incorporate facilitation training into the community with the intention of improving the concordance process at Council meetings.  
    • 3 minute discussion: How many community members would be able to participate? (We could fill the Hub.)  Apprenticeships would be smaller, with 1 or 2 people facilitating a meeting and receiving coaching from Sarah Wise.  Participants should commit to being engaged in Horizons Council meetings and other Horizons events to bring their facilitation knowledge to the community.
    • Motion: To allocate $2000 out of Council budget for facilitator training.
      • Seconded: Mike Ashmore
      • Concorded (Sarah Wise recused herself from this vote.) 
  • Policy for revisiting Council decisions:  During the 10/17/2024 Council meeting it was determined that we would return to a historical classroom cleaning model.  Families can volunteer to clean classrooms at least twice per year per student and/or pay a voluntary donation which goes towards vacuum cleaners or cleaning supplies.  No outside cleaners are allowed.
    • Bylaw review: section 3.11, 3.12, 4.1 
    • 3 (+) minute discussion: Are there ways to involve more parents in these conversations, even if they don’t attend meetings?  We re-read the Horizons vision statement.  A parent expressed disappointment that we haven’t made progress on improved classroom cleaning.  The professional cleaners that were coming were not cleaning well.  Reminder of the communication agreements, that everyone here is coming with the best interest of the children in mind.  A parent expressed that there has been a complete disconnect between the conversation about mice in the building this year and cleanliness in the classroom.  (There has been no evidence of mouse infestation in any classrooms this year (i.e., there are no droppings, urine, trapped animals, etc.)  BVSD and the building custodians have inspected the spaces in question and found no concerns.)  We privately contract our custodial services because this provides a better service than BVSD custodial services provides.  Daniel and Don are amazing and they are members of the Horizons community.  In the 23/24 school year, GBC insisted that BVSD provide the same mitigation to our building that they had provided to the kitchen space.
  • Compromise proposal: Deep for the Whole School 2x per year, Winter Break/Spring Break (Fundraised by parents) by a bonded commercial company not associated with the school community.  (This compromise proposal will not give everyone everything that they want.  However, parents could feel that they get some things that they want.)
    • 6 (+) minute discussion: A parent expressed confusion about the previous discussions around classroom cleaning.  There is an opportunity cost to continuing this cleaning conversation month after month, as discussing cleaning means that we are not focusing on other issues that come up.   There are concerns about tangential fundraising that are separate from the school-wide fundraising for school programming because it becomes confusing.  There has been a loss of historical knowledge post-covid regarding why classrooms have historically been cleaned the way they are cleaned at Horizons.  A parent suggested that she both cleans and brings in bulk cleaning supplies, and surely there is a way that parents who can’t spare the time to clean could help contribute these cleaning supplies to their classrooms.  There is already a system in place for contributing money to classroom cleaning, so it will be confusing if we add another system.  At the 10/17/24 Council meeting, it was concorded that there would not be outside cleaners, and also that any money that had already been privately raised should be either refunded or put towards vacuums or cleaning supplies, depending on what individual donors wished.  This has not yet happened.
    • Motion:  Deep clean for the Whole School 2x per year, Winter Break/Spring Break (Fundraised by parents) by a bonded commercial company not associated with the school community.   (classrooms and common spaces NOT the kitchen)  Travis Lockhart
      • Not seconded or concorded


Adjourned:  7:57 PM